Chapter 182
Episode 59: The Legacy of the Spirit Sword (5)
King Otu introduced himself as Boras. He was about half a handspan shorter than Garmund and had a slightly more talkative personality.
From the start, Boras showed a clear fondness for Jin, likely because of what Garmund had told him. Jin would probably never know just how much Garmund had praised him nonstop through the night.
‘Now that I think about it, the Myungwang tribe kind of reminds me of big dogs.’
From what Jin had seen of the Myungwang tribe in Laprarosa, their reputation in legends as fierce warriors seemed completely at odds with their actual demeanor. They appeared more simple-hearted, almost endearingly goofy, rather than aggressive or battle-hardened.
Snap!
‘Huh!?’
As soon as they arrived at the training ground, Boras suddenly grabbed Jin’s chin.
‘Did I really not react fast enough…? Damn, that was quick!’
Jin hadn’t been on guard, so the shock was intense. Seeing Jin’s bewildered expression, Garmund chuckled as if it was only natural that Jin hadn’t reacted, while Boras casually inspected Jin’s mouth.
Jin didn’t struggle to pull away. He’d already experienced just how strong the Myungwang twin kings were back in Belliz.
“Hey, second successor. Why are you missing a molar?”
“It broke.”
“Huh? How did that happen?”
“First, you have to let go.”
When Boras released him, Jin calmly explained how he’d broken the tooth—gritting his teeth to cut down Temar in the Great Desert.
“Wow! That’s impressive. Your teeth are harder than most monsters’, yet you bit down so hard it broke? Like the Paltu twins said, you really are something.”
“…Something?”
When Jin looked at him, Garmund pretended not to hear, but Boras beamed and continued.
“No, no, that won’t do. Teeth are precious, you know. Hmm, looks like you’ll need a new one.”
Before Jin could respond, there was a click sound.
Boras had plunged his hand into his own mouth and pulled out a tooth—a large, round, sharp molar.
‘Are you crazy?’
Blood was literally pouring from Boras’s mouth, but he was too busy showing the tooth to Jin to care.
“Look! This is the pride of the Myungwang tribe. We can chew through rock, steel, even diamonds. Of course, you need enough bite force to back it up.”
“I get that your teeth are tough—I saw you bite through that sword shard yesterday—but why on earth…?”
“Ha ha! I’m going to carve this down and implant it where your molar was! Garmund, keep him company. I’ll get to work.”
With that, Boras disappeared so fast that Jin barely caught a glimpse of his retreating back.
‘How am I supposed to take this?’
Surprisingly, Garmund seemed unfazed by the sudden turn of events.
“Is it really possible to implant a Myungwang tooth into my gums?”
“Nothing’s impossible.”
“So you’ve done this before?”
“Nope, first time for everything. Now, enough chatter—let’s train. Spirit Sword Form One: Soul Slash. I’ll show you.”
Swish!
Garmund drew his sword and took a stance. Jin had no choice but to follow. There was no room to talk about teeth now.
“The Soul Slash is both the beginning and the end of the Spirit Sword.”
Murakan had said the same when teaching Jin how to release spirit energy. The beginning and the end—true for all martial arts.
The basic slash in swordsmanship, the basic thrust in spear fighting, the basic strike in fist fighting—at the pinnacle, each becomes a decisive technique.
“Don’t be surprised, successor.”
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a dark energy swirled around Garmund’s blade—a dense spirit energy.
He moved the blackened blade this way and that, watching Jin’s reaction. He seemed to expect surprise, as if to say, “Even you, not my contractor, can use spirit energy—why aren’t you shocked?”
“I assumed Solderet would have granted you power. How else could you wield the Spirit Sword if you couldn’t handle spirit energy?”
“Well, yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
It felt strange. Jin had never imagined anyone but the contractor using spirit energy.
“Show me, then.”
“Fine.”
Garmund’s eyes blazed with a storm of power. Instinctively, Jin stepped back about twenty paces.
The raised blade glowed black as if it could burn through anything.
Then, like a lightning strike, the blade fell. A black flash swallowed the empty space before Garmund.
The Soul Slash made no sound.
No air-splitting roar, no friction scraping the stone floor—only an unfamiliar darkness for those who can’t wield spirit energy.
Crack!
For the first time, a sound rang out. The training ground’s floor shattered and cracked, sending shards flying violently.
A sword mark about fifty paces long remained.
Garmund shook his head, seemingly unsatisfied.
“How was it?”
“Fast, large, silent, and powerful.”
Jin answered calmly but inwardly recalled Luna’s Heart Sword, Jeokwol.
‘It was like a smaller version of Jeokwol’s strike. But it seems much less taxing physically, and if you could use it repeatedly…’
No warrior below seven stars could hope to withstand even a few hits.
“What I showed you was only about fifty percent of its power. That’s why the sword mark is only half the size of the one Temar left when he perfected the Soul Slash.”
“But you said the Soul Slash was the beginning and the end of the Spirit Sword?”
“Right.”
“So even if you master the Soul Slash, the largest sword mark you can leave here is about a hundred paces?”
Garmund burst out laughing.
“That’s true if you only master the Soul Slash. But when you reach the pinnacle of the Spirit Sword, the Soul Slash isn’t just swordsmanship—it becomes a power.”
“A power?”
“Why do you think the first form is called Soul Slash? You’ll be able to take the life of anyone with a weaker will than yours at any time. Even if their absolute strength surpasses yours, they can’t avoid or block having their soul cut.”
It was a strange concept Jin couldn’t grasp yet. It was a realm beyond even the Twin Gods and Temar—too soon for him to worry about.
“You have to realize the feeling of spirit energy and sword becoming one. It’s like…”
“There’s one thing I forgot to mention when you asked for my impression.”
Fast, large, silent, powerful. Jin had overlooked one important detail.
“It feels familiar. If it weren’t for the Spirit Absorption Sword, I could probably imitate it right away.”
“Oh? Explain.”
Garmund no longer seemed surprised by Jin. He figured it wouldn’t be strange if this guy could do anything well.
When Jin told him about cutting through Myuron’s Hellgate and Goltep’s hammer, Garmund clapped his hands.
“Exactly! That’s the feeling. Precise. Looks like this little guy got into some rough fights outside and accidentally achieved the first form of the Spirit Sword. Turning the belief in cutting into a kind of spell…”
Clap! Garmund clapped again.
“Alright, I get it now. I’ll show you again.”
The reason for the second demonstration was simple.
Through their conversation, Garmund himself had gained insight. This time, as he performed the Soul Slash, he muttered something.
“I can cut this. I can slice it.” He was chanting the same kind of spell as Jin.
The blade darkened again, painting the air black. This time, the sword mark stretched over eighty paces.
“Oh! So that’s it!”
“No, aren’t you supposed to be the one teaching me? This feels backwards.”
Jin chuckled, and Garmund gave an embarrassed smile.
“To be honest, I’m more used to the Myungwang Sword than the Spirit Sword… so the Spirit Sword feels inefficient to me.”
He looked very pleased as he called it inefficient.
“You’re saying that? Aren’t you supposed to be the teacher?”
“It’s good for both of us. So don’t get mad—just overcome the Spirit Absorption Sword. Once you do, you’ll master the first form of the Spirit Sword in no time. Then the Twin Kings will come here right away.”
“Feels like I’m the one losing out.”
“Just a feeling.”
“Show me the Myungwang Sword, then.”
Jin was more interested in the Myungwang Sword than the Spirit Sword now.
“That’s not allowed.”
“Why not?”
“You’re not one of us yet.”
“If I tell the others you learned the first form of the Spirit Sword from me, they’ll spread rumors.”
“You dare threaten me…? Garmund, the Paltu King!”
Garmund let out a roar and stomped the ground with one foot. The floor cracked with a crack, and the air grew heavy.
‘More intimidating than when he wields the Spirit Sword.’
But it was all bluster—like a child caught in wrongdoing throwing a tantrum.
When Jin met his gaze with the same energy, Garmund shrugged as if admitting defeat.
“Just this once.”
“Fine.”
Jin’s obsession with the Myungwang Sword wasn’t just because it seemed more appealing than the first form of the Spirit Sword.
Once the Satowang brothers finish their training, daily sparring sessions with the regular warriors will begin. Before that, you should try to persuade the Garmund brothers to let you see the Dark King’s Sword at least once.
You could just show it yourself, Tantel.
Only the Two Kings brothers are worthy enough so that later, when the Twin Gods brothers ask who showed them such a thing, there won’t be any trouble, right?
The conversation from last night had been on Jin’s mind, and he had planned to take a look at it at least once. He hadn’t expected the perfect opportunity to come so soon, though.
“Now, I’ll demonstrate one of the most basic throwing techniques of the Dark King’s Sword…”
Just as Garmund began striking a pose, making a big show of it—
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
From the far end of the training ground, someone was charging up a cloud of dust. It was Boras, the Second King, who had left earlier saying he was going to grind his molars—and now, of all times, he was coming back.
“Too bad, I won’t be able to show you.”
“I’ll see it eventually.”
“There’s no time for just the two of us anymore. It’s not that I don’t want to show you, it’s just impossible.”
“How unfair.”
Boras bared his teeth as he closed the distance. Unlike when Jin had first pulled the tooth from Boras’s gums, this one was the perfect size to fit exactly where Jin’s broken molar had been.
Snap!
With lightning-fast reflexes, Boras grabbed his own jaw. Jin inwardly clicked his tongue.
‘I need to learn these kinds of movements from him. Still, is it really okay to just accept someone else’s tooth like this?’
It felt a little unsettling. But before he could refuse, Boras was already pressing the new tooth into Jin’s gums.
“Heh heh, you’re going to love it, heir.”
Slide.
The molar sank into place as if it were being absorbed, roots taking hold in the gum. Just as Jin was about to grimace at the strange sensation, he realized a magical reaction was stirring in the new tooth.
‘It’s just like when the runes activate…!?’
Magic was starting from the molar itself. And shockingly, it seemed to be the kind that ‘transmits memories.’
The forms of the Dark King’s Sword were flooding into Jin’s mind, riding along the tooth.