Episode 164
Rumble! Gurgle!

When I suddenly came to my senses again, a delicious aroma was drifting into my nose.

Only then did I realize my stomach had been growling nonstop.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw him grilling fish over the campfire beside me.

He must have noticed I’d woken up because he looked at me with a baffled expression and said,
“You’re something else. Your stomach’s rumbling like crazy, yet you managed to keep sleeping. And on top of that, you made me grill fish for you.”

I just gave a small, sheepish smile.
“Thank you, Great Hero.”

It seemed the gambit I’d set before losing consciousness had worked perfectly.

Not only had he spared my life, but as he said, he’d even gone so far as to cook fish for me.

I wasn’t completely out of danger yet, but this was definitely an encouraging sign.

He let out a dry chuckle, still looking incredulous.
“Hmph!”

But somehow, his expression wasn’t entirely displeased.

He held out a skewer of fish toward me and said,
“Here, eat this and let’s finish our conversation.”

By “conversation,” he obviously meant the topic of the Sword God’s Eugene.

I’d expected him to press me the moment I woke up, but inviting me to eat first was a bit unexpected.

‘Something about his attitude feels different from before…’

He definitely seemed friendlier than when I’d collapsed earlier.

A few possibilities crossed my mind.
‘Maybe he feels some kind of kinship because I know about the Sword Master Eugene?’

Considering he’s a petty man who loves showing off, that was plausible.

He craves recognition, but despite being one of the supreme figures in the martial world, he’s a loner who’s respected by no one.

‘Or maybe he’s just decided to play along until he can kill me later.’

I still couldn’t be sure.

Even if he genuinely felt some warmth toward me, I couldn’t let my guard down.

He was notorious for his capriciousness, acting on whims and moods.

With those thoughts swirling, I tried to sit up to take the fish.

“Ugh!”

But I gave up and just lay back down, accepting the fish he offered.

My body was still in no shape to sit up properly.

“Forgive me, Great Hero, for accepting your food while lying down.”

He snorted in response.
“Hah, you think you’ll die if you don’t keep up appearances? Stop the nonsense and just lie there.”

I accepted the fish with a grateful but apologetic look and took a bite.

And the moment I bit into it, I was surprised.

‘Hmm?’

It was delicious.

Well, maybe not objectively amazing, but it tasted incredibly good to me.

The instant the food touched my mouth, the hunger I hadn’t noticed before hit me all at once.

My body must have been craving nourishment desperately.

I started devouring the fish without thinking.
Chomp! Chomp! Chomp!

Before I knew it, I’d finished one whole fish, and he silently handed me another.

“Thank you, Great Hero!”

I kept eating frantically.

Three fish disappeared in no time.

He just watched me quietly, waiting patiently.

He didn’t seem annoyed that I was just eating and not talking.

Maybe he really did feel some kind of camaraderie toward me.

But I didn’t want to test his patience any further.

After filling my stomach somewhat, I decided to speak first about what he was curious about.

“I do have some thoughts about the Sword God Eugene… but before I share them, may I ask you something?”

He nodded with a curious look.
“Ask away.”

Carefully gauging his mood, I asked,
“Do you know much about the Sword Master?”

His face suddenly twisted.
“The Sword Master?”

Just as I thought.

Every time the Sword Master’s name came up, he’d reacted with obvious displeasure.

It was more than just petty jealousy toward someone stronger.

I suspected there was some history between him and the Sword Master.

“Yes. If I could hear your story about him, I think I could piece together my own theories better.”

He frowned for a moment but finally spoke, as if resigned.

I’d sensed he wasn’t as taciturn as he seemed.

Maybe he actually liked talking to someone.

After all, a show-off who can’t talk wouldn’t get far.

If he hadn’t had many chances to converse with others, he must have been quite lonely.

“When we were kids, that guy and I were classmates.”

“…Excuse me?”

“We started learning martial arts together at a small rural military school.”

That was quite a revelation.

I’d never heard that before.

The current strongest in the martial world, the Blood Wolf Sword Master, and the low-ranking but still one of the fifteen absolute masters, the Lone Poisonous Sword, were once classmates?

Martial world gossipmongers would be stunned.

He continued.

“As a kid, that guy was a hopeless idiot. It took him days to learn what I picked up in one go. Whenever we sparred, he always got beaten. And yet, he was meddlesome, sticking his nose into everything and always ending up worse off.”

He went on for a while, badmouthing the young Blood Wolf Sword Master.

I tried to filter out his bias, but even so, it seemed the current strongest, Ban Joongyang, hadn’t been especially talented as a child.

He must have had a strong sense of justice, unwilling to tolerate wrongdoing even if it cost him.

And though they bickered, the two were apparently close and inseparable in their youth.

They were together when they obtained the Blood Wolf Sword and the Yellow Wolf Sword.

As he mocked the young Blood Wolf Sword Master, his expression suddenly darkened when the story turned to the swords.

“I should have said I wanted the Blood Wolf Sword back then…”

Apparently, he’d chosen the Yellow Wolf Sword first.

That choice seemed to have left a deep regret.

His face now full of anger, he went on.

“One day, he suddenly started using a martial art I’d never seen before. Yes, the Sword God’s technique.”

His eyes burned with fury as he recalled it.

“As soon as he started using it, the guy who’d always been trailing behind me became a master I couldn’t even follow. And then… he betrayed me, cowardly.”

“…Betrayed you?”

That was unexpected.

I’d heard the Sword Master was a great hero and righteous man during his active days.

When I looked surprised, he shouted angrily.

“We were always together! No, to be precise, I was looking after him on our master’s orders! I was his guardian and benefactor! We shared everything until then! But!”

His eyes brimmed with hatred and resentment.

“He got the Sword God’s technique and completely changed, betraying me! Saying the Sword God wouldn’t allow it, he refused to share the martial art with me! After all I sacrificed for him!”

“…”

I understood what he meant but couldn’t bring myself to sympathize.

His resentment stemmed from not being given access to the Sword God’s technique.

He claimed the friend who obtained it had turned his back on him.

But who in the martial world would just hand over their secret techniques?

Judging by how he looked now, the Sword Master’s decision seemed justified.

Besides, I couldn’t take his words at face value.

I asked him suddenly,
“Then, the martial art you’re currently learning—is it from somewhere else?”

He flinched slightly but answered,
“The Parma Sword Technique and Parma Heart Manual were definitely taught by him. But he learned the Sword God’s technique and only taught me a much lower-level skill! Otherwise, with my talent, I wouldn’t be worse than him! He was jealous and used a dirty trick!”

I sighed inwardly.

I had a rough idea of what he meant.

Seoil was saying that Ban Joongyang, the Sword Master, was jealous and deliberately taught him inferior techniques.

But really?

The martial art that turned a rural student like Seoil into one of the absolute masters was a low-level skill?

‘Tch, no way.’

He went on for a long time, spewing insults and grievances about Ban Joongyang.

I just listened silently.

But the more he spoke, the clearer it became how petty he was.

I even thought: for such a petty man to have risen to the ranks of the fifteen absolute masters, his talent must be exceptional.

The martial arts he learned must be extraordinary as well.

After a long tirade, Seoil suddenly stopped and looked at me.

It seemed he realized that my silence didn’t mean I agreed with him.

After glaring at me for a moment, he asked,
“So, why did you tell me all this? You’d better give me a proper answer.”

I nodded.

It was time to deliver the answer I’d been preparing since earlier.

“I suddenly thought… if the Sword Spirit had left behind a legacy for Yujin, he wouldn’t have passed it on to just anyone. That’s why I asked about the Sword Master. But according to what you said, it seems even the Sword Master didn’t inherit the Sword Spirit’s legacy immediately after obtaining the Blood Wolf Sword. And more than that… he was a chivalrous man who couldn’t stand injustice, even if it meant personal loss.”

His expression twisted at my words.

“…You’re calling that guy chivalrous?”

“Yes. According to legend, the Sword Spirit was famous as a chivalrous hero, wasn’t he? So wouldn’t it make sense that your Sword Master arranged for only someone with the same spirit to inherit his legacy?”

This wasn’t just a lie I made up to deceive him.

Looking back, whenever Mukrang—probably the Sword Spirit’s consciousness—spoke to me, it was always when I risked my life to save someone else.

Honestly, when I rushed in to save Son Eunsang during the self-destruction of the Flame Demon Hwasayu, I half-expected Mukrang to appear again.

“Of course, since he didn’t show up then, there must be other conditions…”

And the reason I was telling this to Seo Il now was to limit his actions.

To make sure he couldn’t kill me, and if possible, couldn’t touch Mukrang either.

My situation wasn’t good.

The Dark Blood Fragrance was surely waiting somewhere for Seo Il to arrive, and my body was in such bad shape I could barely move.

And it wasn’t safe even now.

Seo Il, the Poisonous Sword Maniac, was keeping me alive only because he wanted to squeeze out every bit of information about the Sword Spirit’s legacy.

“If he thinks there’s nothing more to gain right now, he might kill me on the spot. Even if not, Mukrang will definitely be taken away.”

That’s why I told him all this.

To force him into an agreement.

Seo Il glared at me and asked,
“So… you’re saying that guy could inherit the Sword Spirit’s legacy because he was chivalrous?”

“That’s what I think, yes.”

Then he suddenly exploded with anger.

“Nonsense! That bastard who betrayed me—how can you call him chivalrous?! Are you serious right now?!”

His fury was a dangerous sign.

But this time, I didn’t bother to placate him.

I thought it was time to take a stand.

I simply nodded calmly and replied,
“Of course, it might be as you say, Sword Master Seo. It’s just my guess, and I don’t know the full story between you two. If you truly believe he wasn’t chivalrous, then I must be wrong.”

He looked at me with furious eyes but couldn’t bring himself to argue.

He knew the truth deep down.

That the Sword Master was the real chivalrous one, and he was not.

That his resentment and hatred were twisted.

After a moment of grinding his teeth and glaring at me, he spoke slowly, almost as if chewing his words.

His eyes glinted dangerously.

“Fine. Let’s say you don’t know him. What about me? Am I chivalrous for saving your life or not?”

I instinctively knew this was a critical moment.

One wrong word could cost me my life.

I had two choices.

Either soothe his anger or tell the truth and force him into chivalry.

For my survival, it might have been better to calm him down.

But I chose otherwise.

“That’s not for me to say. If Sword Master Seo acted purely out of a desire to save me, then surely he is chivalrous. But how could I know your true intentions? After all, a chivalrous man is someone who can be proud of himself, isn’t he?”

My choice was to make him reflect on himself.

If I had just pandered to him, I might have saved my life—but Mukrang would never be recovered.

It was a gamble I was willing to take.

He glared at me as if ready to devour me, then spoke through clenched teeth.

“You’ve been deceiving me all along. You thought of me like this from the start! Pretending to save me just to steal my sword—a thief!”

His sharp hostility stabbed at me like needles. If it got any stronger, I felt like my body would actually be pierced.

The Reaper’s touch was right in front of me.

But the damage was done.

I just shook my head calmly and replied,
“I never said that.”

His mouth snapped shut again.

He understood.

That the one who truly thought that way was himself.

He stared at me for a long time after that.

I could see the conflict raging in his eyes.

And it was surely the struggle over whether to kill me or not.

After a while, when he spoke again, he wore a bitter smile, as if he’d made up his mind.

“Fine. Chivalry, huh? I’ve heard you. And I admit it. That guy was definitely more chivalrous than me. I was greedier, less honest, even cowardly. So I only fought those I was sure I could beat, and killed anyone who grew strong enough to threaten me. Yeah, that’s how it was. Maybe it wasn’t the difference in swords, but that difference that let him inherit the Sword Spirit’s legacy, while I couldn’t.”

It was an honest confession I never expected.

Hearing his raw truth, I cursed silently.

“Damn it…”

My gamble had clearly failed.

There was no way he’d spare someone who heard such things.

He had decided to kill me.

But then Seo Il glanced at Mukrang in his hand and suddenly tossed it to me.

Clink!

“As you said, if inheriting the Sword Spirit’s legacy is about chivalry, then I’ll spare you. I saved your dying self, so that counts as chivalry. And I won’t take this sword either. I’ll return it intact. After all, I have the Byeokrang Sword.”

It was strange.

Very strange.

He looked like he wanted to kill me, yet he said he’d spare me.

“What’s his game?”

It didn’t take long to figure it out.

He said,
“But I have a busy appointment. This is more important, so I’ve spent enough time here. I’ve heard all I needed, and I saved your life, so I’ll be going. If you’re still alive, we’ll meet again.”

With that, Seo Il smiled bitterly and suddenly leapt into the sky, flying away.

He left me behind.

“Damn it.”

I think I understood what he was thinking now.

He was planning a cold-blooded murder.

He didn’t kill me himself or take the sword, but by leaving, he handed me back to the Dark Blood Fragrance while I was barely able to stand.

“What a despicable bastard!”

But it wasn’t the absolute worst-case scenario.

At least the Dark Blood Fragrance didn’t know he was gone yet, so I had a little time.

I had to move as fast as possible before they realized the situation.

I tried to get up.

“Ugh!”

But I collapsed again immediately.

My whole body screamed in pain.

I waited a moment for the pain to subside.

But I didn’t have much time.

I had to either escape or hide before the Dark Blood Fragrance caught on.

Then it hit me.

I had far less time than I thought.

From far away, I heard Seo Il’s voice booming.

“Wahahahaha! Farewell, hahahaha!”

His voice echoed all around.

I was sure the Dark Blood Fragrance heard it too.

He was truly a despicable man.

He’d told them he was coming, so they wouldn’t give me any time.

“Son of a—!”

I cursed and forced myself to move again.

There was no time left.

“Ugh!”

A wave of agony hit me.

My mind went white.

I’d have to activate the Moonlight Sword Dance to erase the pain.

“It’s terrible for my body, but I have no choice…”

Then—

Rustle!

Suddenly, I heard the sound of bushes shaking.

Startled, I snapped my head up.

“The Dark Blood Fragrance? Already?!”

I must have been so distracted by the pain that I hadn’t sensed anyone approaching.

With dazed eyes, I watched as someone pushed through the bushes.