Chapter 180
Episode 59: The Legacy of the Spirit Sword (3)
Compared to the other Myungwang clan members, the Spirit God was unusually small in stature—barely any different from Jin in size.
Yet in terms of presence, the Spirit God completely overshadowed the twelve Spirit Kings flanking him on either side. His heart shone like the sun itself, embodying the immense power he wielded.
Even the hearts of the twelve Spirit Kings glowed brightly, so much so that Jin almost had to shield his eyes from the dazzling light.
The Spirit God looked down at Jin with deep, penetrating eyes.
“You are Jin Runkandel, the successor, correct?”
His voice was clear yet resonant, carrying weight.
“That’s right,” Jin replied.
“How curious. Your face is nothing like Temar’s, yet your aura is remarkably similar.”
Jin said nothing, simply meeting the Spirit God’s gaze. She was a woman—her long hair fluttered like flames in the energy surrounding her.
It didn’t take long for the Spirit God to assess Jin.
“I like you, successor.”
What exactly was he basing that on? Was it simply because her aura resembled Temar’s?
The question flickered through Jin’s mind, but she didn’t press for an explanation.
‘Temar Runkandel must have left a special impression on these strong, proud ones.’
Recalling Temar from the night before, it made sense. Temar Runkandel was a warrior who could dominate the world alone.
“Indeed… the successor’s aura does resemble Temar’s, brother Spirit God.”
“But whether the successor can become a warrior even greater than him remains to be seen.”
“Don’t expect a warrior who will satisfy us as Temar did, Garmund. That’s asking too much.”
The Spirit Kings chimed in one by one, scrutinizing Jin from all angles.
Though Jin had been acknowledged by the Spirit God the moment she arrived at the Spirit God’s Hall, it was hardly a comforting feeling.
‘They all see me as nothing more than Temar Runkandel’s shadow.’
There was no denying Temar’s greatness. Nor that Jin existed now because he had raised the Runkandel name.
But she had no intention of remaining a subordinate figure. Nor did she believe she could never surpass Temar.
Before coming here, Jin had already cut him down—albeit not in a real fight.
“I am Jin Runkandel.”
“Do not speak of what the Spirit God has not asked, successor.”
“You only speak of my ancestor’s story, so I thought you might not know my name yet.”
“How insolent…!”
One of the Spirit Kings glared, but the Spirit God quietly raised a hand. Instantly, the others bowed their heads.
“Ha ha… Yes, perhaps we have dwelled too much on old tales in front of the new successor. Jin Runkandel, my name is Ban.”
The Myungwang clan had no family names or bloodline surnames. No matter whose womb they were born from, they regarded each other as blood brothers.
“Do not use honorifics. Just call me Ban.”
“Is that allowed?”
“Human customs and etiquette do not apply here. It means you may call me by my name without issue. But there is only one thing you must be careful about.”
“What is that?”
“Until all Myungwang acknowledge you, never use the title ‘brother.’”
Jin nodded, and a few Spirit Kings smirked. Their eyes said, “You insolent human, you’ll never earn my recognition.”
Jin didn’t care.
In fact, the Spirit Kings who openly showed their emotions were easier to deal with. Such straightforward people were usually simple, and simplicity meant they were not easily manipulated.
The expressionless Spirit Kings were the ones whose true intentions were hardest to read.
‘Spirit God Ban is no different. Though she said she liked me, I can’t be sure if she means it.’
Ban rose from her chair and slowly approached Jin. Then she drew the sword at her waist and handed it to Jin.
For a weapon wielded by the Spirit God, it was surprisingly ordinary.
“Use this sword while you inherit the Spirit Sword.”
The Spirit Kings who had smirked before now smiled again. Jin understood why the moment she took the sword.
‘The spiritual energy…!’
It was being absorbed into the blade. Though it looked plain, the Spirit God’s sword was designed to draw in spiritual energy.
This was completely different from when Bradamante infused energy to unlock a sword’s potential. The energy was absorbed by the sword without Jin’s will, vanishing without a trace.
“It’s called the Spirit Absorbing Sword. It must feel strange to you. Since you contracted with Solderet, you’ve never had your energy drained like this.”
“If I hold it all day, my energy will dry up completely.”
“Your ancestor, Temar Runkandel, overcame that sword quickly. Since you confidently spoke your name earlier, I suppose we can expect the same from you.”
Jin hesitated to answer.
The sword’s rate of energy absorption was alarming. She was trying to control her energy as soon as she realized the sword’s nature, but the more she resisted, the more fiercely it sucked her energy away.
‘It’s really draining me dry.’
For now, she simply nodded. If she couldn’t overcome what Temar did, they would forever see her as Temar’s inferior.
She would find a way to master the sword—just as she always had.
“The inheritance begins tomorrow. For today, rest.”
“Understood.”
As Jin left the Spirit God’s Hall, the Spirit Kings clicked their tongues.
“Just being compared to Temar is a blessing, but the second successor will pay the price for arrogance as soon as she arrives.”
Beliz, the Seventh Spirit King, shrugged and said to the Spirit God.
“Isn’t that a bit harsh, brother Spirit God?”
“What do you mean harsh, Seventh Spirit King?”
“Temar received the Spirit Absorbing Sword only after completing the first form of the Spirit Sword. He was over twenty years old then. I think it’s too soon for the second successor to handle the Spirit Absorbing Sword.”
“What’s this, Beliz? Already favoring the second successor? All the brothers are in an uproar over the first successor in a thousand years, but even we in the Spirit God’s Hall must keep a critical eye.”
Garmund, another Spirit King, answered for them, and the Spirit God smiled softly.
“Our time stood still, but outside, a thousand years have passed since Temar died. It’s a long enough time for blood stronger than Temar’s to appear. I’m simply curious if humans, if Runkandel, have grown stronger than a thousand years ago.”
The night was long.
Though no one was watching, Jin held the Spirit Absorbing Sword through the night. By dawn, every last bit of spiritual energy inside her was gone.
‘This is unfamiliar.’
She released her energy as soon as she woke, but the abundant energy of six stars was nowhere to be found. Only a faint, pale aura remained around her body.
It was slightly better when she took the sword off and released her energy, but to fully recover, she’d need at least three days of energy release without the sword.
Her first teacher was decided to be the Eighth Spirit King.
“Who’s the Eighth Spirit King? Tantal?”
“Brother Garmund, he’s the tallest one with the longest beard among those you saw yesterday in the Spirit God’s Hall.”
“Oh, that one.”
Though the Spirit Absorbing Sword was a tough challenge, at least dealing with the first teacher seemed easier. Garmund was one of the Spirit Kings who openly showed his emotions.
“By the way, how does the Spirit Kings’ ranking work? Is a lower number higher rank?”
“In principle, except for the Spirit God, there’s no real hierarchy. We use honorifics out of respect, but even the Spirit Kings are on the same level as regular warriors. The numbers just indicate the order in which they became Spirit Kings.”
“Surprisingly egalitarian.”
“We’ve never drawn swords against each other like humans or other beastmen. So there’s no need for complicated ranks.”
“Interesting.”
The place where Garmund was standing was the training ground at the center of the Spirit God’s Hall—a vast space that took up most of the area.
There was no training equipment, and the stone floor was badly scarred and uneven, as if poorly maintained.
But the moment Jin stepped on it, she thought this training ground perfectly suited the Myungwang clan.
‘The floor is unbelievably hard…’
It was definitely no ordinary stone. To exaggerate only slightly, it was as hard as the ancient eternal iron used to forge Bradamante and the Black King’s armor.
And yet the floor was chipped and gouged in many places. It was a testament to how intense the Myungwang’s training had been before their downfall.
‘And those marks… are they Temar’s?’
A fierce sword scar stretched across the training ground, almost dividing it in two. Not a perfect split, but a slash about a hundred paces long.
Garmund stood at the end of the scar, arms crossed.
‘A hundred paces doesn’t seem that big compared to the size of the training ground.’
Could Jin leave a scar that size on this stone floor?
She wouldn’t know until she tried. Though she hadn’t fully mastered the Spirit Sword yet, like when she cut through Myuron’s Hell Gate or Goltep’s hammer…
Or when she resolved to cut down Temar herself, she felt that if she put all her will into it, it might be possible.
‘Of course, that’s only if I can stop the Spirit Absorbing Sword from draining my energy.’
She gripped the Spirit Absorbing Sword tightly at her waist, like a punishment.
There were six months until the compass theft operation. Within that time, she had to overcome the Spirit Absorbing Sword, master the Spirit Sword, and return to her comrades.
“This is a trace left by your ancestor, the second successor.”
“I was expecting as much, Garmund,” Tantal replied calmly.
Garmund suddenly whipped his head around and glared at Tantal, his eyes asking if it was this insolent successor who had revealed his name.
“Ah, Brother Paltu. Shouldn’t this fellow at least know the name of his master beforehand?”
“I still don’t consider this guy my disciple!”
“Fair enough. Anyway, I’m leaving now, Brother Paltu. Let’s hope the successor who’s come after a thousand years doesn’t die on the very first day.”
“Hmph, you’re saying the same thing as Brother Chiltu. That’s up to him to handle. Draw your sword, successor. Before we begin training, there’s something I need to check. If you can’t manage this, you won’t be able to train under me.”
As Jin drew the Yeongheup Sword, Garmund grinned wickedly.
“You think you can swing a sword ten thousand times and have all ten thousand be the same?”
Jin couldn’t help but cheer silently inside.
That was his strongest skill.