Most swords, even including the Heavenly Sword, had something in common. The eight principles were interpreted independently with inner energy, that is, magic, as the base. Of course, that was just most of them.

Not all styles were like that.

’Lavan Vargas.’

Certainly, his sword technique was unusual. Natural Energy of Middle Qigong, a sword technique holding clear will and strong faith.

‘That doesn’t mean the basic tricks weren’t mixed.’historical

Yoon-seok tried to establish properly what sword technique was. But in the meantime, he thought on what Cheon-ma said before. It became useless because of the Tower, so Yoon-seok didn’t even think about learning it separately, but Cheon-ma originally said that all Moorim people learned Inner Energy Technique and valued their enlightenment of inner energy as much as sword techniques.

—Sword techniques and inner energy are one package, so if there is disharmony, a big problem might occur.

Cheon-ma called the phenomenon most feared by all the warriors Deranged, but Yoon-seok only knew the term. He had never been worried about it since he only learned to use a sword after becoming a challenger.

‘..But the Inner Peace Technique is still useful .’

b Heavenly Body}, {Azure Dragon Energy}, b Violet Mist Divine Skill}. Skills that used Inner Energy Technique existed in the Tower. Of course, it wasn’t enough just to have a skill that could substitute Inner Energy Technique. The training was needed to separate and control the inner energies.

So it took quite a while for Yoon-seok to feel his magic power and make sword energy for the first time.

’Was it like that..?’

The origin of swordsmanship was a delusion. The sword energy which he took for granted, those he read about in comics and novels before he became a challenger. It was a fantasy that couldn’t happen in reality.

’If swordsmanship is a delusion, then inner energy is the power to make it happen.’

Come to think of it; there was the history of Moorim. Having moved onto a new world called Moorim, they realized their inner energy through the Long Life Technique, and.. they advanced their swordsmanship.

However, Yoon-seok gained a new realization here. If he had the power to bring it into reality, it didn’t necessarily have to be with magic. It was possible to replace it with something else.

’Magic power is just the easiest and the most common method.’

He heard that some people in Moorim became masters just by polishing outer energy. How was that possible?

’..All I need is a means to replace my inner energy.’

It was okay if there was no magic. Like Lavan Vargas, who built his style using the Natural Energy of Middle Qigong. Like the King of Steel, who managed extraordinary feats such as Wind Strike or Step on the Ground without using a drop of magic. If he had the power to fulfill his delusions..

There was no need to insist on using magic.

’This is fun.’

Yoon-seok quietly opened his eyes. As frustrating as the start was, he was now getting a grip on starting.

’I can do it.’

Yoon-seok summarized the process of making swordsmanship into two stages.

The first was interpreting the eight principles to find his very own sword foundation. The second was using the power of inner energy to replace inner energy and make that foundation into reality. There was no fixed formula for swordsmanship, but if these two steps were achieved, whatever the method and the result were, it was a sword technique.

’Let’s do it.’

Yoon-seok began making sword techniques in earnest.

‘There’s no need to insist on just one out of the eight.’

Yoon-seok instilled magic into his sword. Then, with the effect of his Unique Skill, the black-colored magic exuded a greyish glow and wrapped around the sword. He imitated Lee Hyun-hak’s invisible sword.

Whoooosh-!

Yoon-seok was satisfied with this dark grey. It resembled humanity the most, being neither white nor black.

’But that’s not what’s important right now.’

Yoon-seok looked into the grayish sword and thought about what kind of sword he wanted to create instead of what kind of sword he would create.

’A human’s sword, not the sky.’

A sword with infinite possibilities that cannot be defined by anything. A sword that becomes stronger as he overcomes pain and hardship. Yoon-seok wanted to have that type of sword technique. However, it was still a delusion in his head that hadn’t taken any form.

’..That’s why techniques are needed.’

Yoon-seok finally realized why he needed them. If the sword’s foundation was a fantasy, techniques created the framework for that fantasy which inner energy would construct.

‘..Then I’ll have to think about the techniques first.’

Yoon-seok didn’t think it would be easy to make, but there were more obstacles than he expected. Thinking that there was indeed a reason why the first martial artists deserved respect, Yoon-seok closed his eyes again.

’How do I start?’

Just when he thought he had overcome an obstacle, Yoon-seok was at a loss. So, he decided to get clues elsewhere.

Heavenly Reign, Traverse. Black Cloud Perforation Sword, Sword In Heart. How were the first four techniques of the Heavenly Sword made? He couldn’t be sure, but each had a core.

Yoon-seok felt the need to dive deep into them one by one.

’Heavenly Reign is a tactic that pursues the perfect harmony between strongness and gentleness.’

These were the foundations that permeated into the technique, and the form it took was a tsunami. An endless, vast sea. No, a wave that devoured even the mountains.

‘That’s why the technique is written like that.’

Again, Yoon-seok felt his difference from Cheonma. Her sword was the sky and nature. It was natural that he, who pursued a human sword, couldn’t perfectly imitate it.

“..”

Feeling a little disappointed, Yoon-seok took a look at the others.

’What about the second?’

Traverse. Having the name that surpassed time and intersected with the real world, it was a spatial sword mixing dominance and bluntness.

’The third?’

Black Cloud Perforation Sword, the sky sword penetrating the dark clouds, pursued extreme illusion and speediness.

’Lastly, Sword In Heart?’

Heaviness and lightness. The sword in the heart was heavier than anything else but lacked substance.

’How did the person who made the Heavenly Sword make this?’

Yoon-seok analyzed the principles through the completed results. The sword’s foundation was the Heavenly Demon. Each technique had the arrogance of a ruler with the power to spread across the world. All of the techniques in the first half had the arrogance of a ruler, along with the power to spread through the world.

’Maybe it was named first, and the ability was made after.’

Indeed, the first Heavenly Demon might have used that method.

‘Let’s name it first. And then let’s make a shape that fits best.’

Of course, even this wouldn’t be as easy as he thought. It was difficult to name something that didn’t exist yet. However, he found the answer by contemplating not what kind of sword to make but what kind of sword he wanted.

’Let’s go back to the beginning.’

Before being chosen by the Tower, Yoon-seok returned to his underprivileged days when Kang Hyung-woo bullied him and summarized what he saw, heard, and felt from then to now.

— You loser. Do you know? You’re a loser. Disgusting loser bastard..

Kang Hyung-woo always called Yoon-seok a loser. He wasn’t wrong. He won in the world where the strong prey on the weak, and he treated Yoon-seok freely as prey. At that time, Yoon-seok was powerless, not even a drop of self-esteem left to him.

He thought nothing would change no matter what he did. Yeah, he thought there was no possibility it would change.

「Welcome to the Arena, the trial of duels.」

「For balance, the challengers’ stats are collectively adjusted to F- Rank.」

The Tower chose him. Someone lost their power, and someone gained strength. Just as the Moorim people realized their spirit through the Long Life Technique and gained new strength, it was unusual.

However, through this, Yoon-seok gained new possibilities.

‘No, I didn’t get it. I learned.’

It was there from the start. He couldn’t do it because he didn’t have the courage, but the solution was not held by Kang Hyung-woo but by himself. It was a hell that would break if he had reached out his hand once.

But at that time, he was so scared. Yoon-seok didn’t trust himself, so he eliminated his escape with his own hands.

—Your father must be different. This should be enough to let you know what kind of person you are.

Yoon-seok realized.

One Change Thousand Changes. The name of the first technique was decided. One change, ten thousand flowers bloom.

’I like it.’

The form hadn’t been decided yet. However, Yoon-seok already liked this technique.

Time was passing as Carpbenny watched. That was the only thing he could do.

’Crazy bastard..’

He couldn’t understand. Why was his foe doing this in the arena?

Whoosh-!

His thoughts didn’t change even after Yoon-seok stood and began swinging his sword like crazy.

The first high ranker Carpbenny met was this crazy? He thought he might be showing him this on purpose because he wanted to bully him. But the idea gradually changed.

’Is he training..?’

Only then did Carpbenny realize the masked swordsman didn’t lock him up to bully him. It was so that he could do what he wanted without being interfered with.

’What’s the use of swordsmanship like that in the Tower..?’

At first, he thought about that a lot, but even he could feel that he was an outsider to swordsmanship.

Whoosh-!

The sword technique that seemed random at first gradually changed. They were evolving before his eyes.

Watching, Carpbenny felt ashamed.

’Even monsters like him are trying to become stronger, so what was I feeling satisfied with?’

Time stopped in the duel. This was a fact that normal challengers knew as common sense, but Carpbenny never thought of using it in this way. Wasn’t this a place where he had to keep moving by improving his stats or upgrading his skill ranks? Perhaps most challengers thought similarly to him.

However..

‘..Is this what the difference between us is?’

Carpbenny admitted. If there was a boundary on becoming a High Ranker, this might be it. This man wasn’t special, but other high rankers might take this for granted.

’Damn it..’

He was doing his best in everything he could right now to get ahead of others. On the other hand, what about Carpbenny? He only found what he could do comfortably.

‘I’m..’

Carpbenny truly understood why he was trapped here now and had no choice but to watch, why he had no choice but to suffer.

’Why am I..!’

He was brimming with anger. He couldn’t stay still because he was upset.

’Why did I only realize that now..?’

There were a lot of reasons. All the enemies he’d met so far were similar to him, so he didn’t know he was falling behind. If he could meet a man like this earlier and get motivated..

‘..No, it wouldn’t have been different.’

Carpbenny laughed and sobbed. The rationalization he did habitually no longer worked.

This man was different from himself. No matter what he did, they couldn’t be alike.

“..”

A freak. Yeah, Yoon-seok was a completely different kind of creature.