Chapter 13 (2/2)

I warmed up my body. The likeness between him and I should end at my stats and appearance. Common sense dictates that he shouldn't be able to take on my experience and memories as well. If that was the case, I had a chance at victory. This may even be easier than the obstacles I had overcome to reach this point.

”Al Araxar! This duel, I gladly accept.”

”Lamentable human. Is there perhaps a weapon you desire?”

I could tell that Al Araxar was certain of his own victory by his nonchalant display of giving a weapon to his opponent. Nodding my head, I said,

”A sword. All I need is a sword with a proper blade.”

I was once a magic swordsman. It was a given that my swordsmans.h.i.+p was close to the peak, befitting my ident.i.ty. I had actually preferred the sword over magic, because rather than killing with magic, that feeling of cutting down my foes fit right with me. The type of sword didn't matter in particular. I could somewhat handle any sword using a similar style.

”Take it.”

Al Araxar barely finished uttering his words when a long sword flew out from the lake. I directly s.n.a.t.c.hed the oncoming sword midair and leveled it at Al Araxar. Al Araxar, however, appeared as relaxed as ever.

”You shall regret having chosen the sword to face me. For I am an existence the Ancient One had created with the knowledge of every sword technique there is.”

”Enough nonsense.”

”Will you be able to keep that att.i.tude while you die I wonder. Foolish-”

Chumbong!

Chiaaang!

I made the first move, unable to stand listening any further. The distaste I felt at the sight of someone who looked exactly as I did was much more intense than I could have imagined.

Al Araxar's expression further hardened as he blocked my sword, and finished speaking with slight anger in his voice,

”-human.”

..

..

(Al Araxar perspective)

What an insolent human. I had felt some curiosity regarding the first guest in thousands of years, but that was all. I no longer wished to speak with such a disrespectful human. Since he had chosen a sword, the human would not be able to best me no matter how much he struggled.

The Ancient One had had interest in all things in the world, especially in something as systematically organized as swordsmans.h.i.+p. The Ancient One had gathered and compiled all the sword techniques in the world into his creation: I, Al Araxar.

However, I felt a strangeness the more I exchanged blows with the human.

'He has quite the attainments in the sword I see.'

The human's talent in the sword was something even I had to acknowledge. But even so, a human could only live for a mere hundred years. No matter how much he trained, he would meet a limit. I had existed for thousands of years. He had no way of defeating me.

Cheng! Cheng! Chaaang!

The sounds of clas.h.i.+ng swords resounded throughout the cave.

I was surprised to find that I was being pushed back step by step. The human's swordsmans.h.i.+p was extremely aggressive. He abandoned everything else and focused only on attacking.

'Was a human's swordsmans.h.i.+p supposed to be this exquisite?'

Even his style slightly surprised me. My swordsmans.h.i.+p was something taken from all kinds of races; but this sort of purely attack oriented swordsmans.h.i.+p did not exist in my knowledge. He moved as if attacking was the best defence, denying me the time to even display my prided swordsmans.h.i.+p.

Crus.h.i.+ng pressure!

He, a human, was literally trampling over me, the incarnation of swordsmans.h.i.+p!

'This cannot be happening.'

I changed my stance from defense to offense. It was clear I could not win by defending alone. I abandoned my defense to match the human, paying no mind to the small wounds I received.

As for exquisite, systematic sword techniques?

The very notion of it was nowhere to be found, as I swung my sword for nothing but the sake of victory.

Chaaang!

And after a series of nearly two hundred exchanges, one sword left the hand of its owner, flying into the air.

..

..

(Hansung Oh perspective)

I deeply smiled.

'I won.'

The sword that was blown away belonged to Al Araxar.

Right away I placed my sword at his neck.

Al Araxar seemed to be in confusion. His expressionless face remained the same, but I could tell that he was practically bursting with questions.

”Just what happened then. How could a mere human's swordsmans.h.i.+p-”

”Swordsmans.h.i.+p happens to be something I'm rather confident at.”

Al Araxar then spoke as if having grasped onto a bit of hope,

”Is that right. So I take it that you are the most skilled at using the sword even among all humans.”

a.s.suming that two clas.h.i.+ng sides possess the same abilities, pure skill would be the determining factor in victory. It appeared that he would be able to accept his loss if I happened to possess attainments in the sword that surpa.s.sed the extreme.

But regretfully, there were quite a few who could handle the sword much better than me.

”I'm quite good at it yes. I'm about the seventh best I'd say?”

Technically, if only looking at swordsmans.h.i.+p, I was about seventh best at using the sword.

Al Araxar's expression wavered for the first time.

”What is the meaning of that?”

”It means that there are geniuses, far more talented in the sword than me, Al Araxar.”

I considered myself to be a dull-witted, which was why I put my life on the line to learn swordsmans.h.i.+p, but I couldn't best those who put in the effort as well as having the talent. I couldn't join the ranks of those individuals who possessed t.i.tles such as sword G.o.d, sword sage, and sword demon. But excluding them, it was fact that there was no one who could best me with the sword.

”The seventh best…”

Al Araxar closed his eyes. He appeared to be deep in thought. The blow to his pride must not have been light.

Shwiiik!

Soon after, Al Araxar reverted to his original form. He then held out his hand, and the heart that was in between the Ancient One's bones slowly came flying towards me.

”This is the Ancient One's heart. It has lost much of its power after so long, yet it still remains supreme.”

”How do I gain its power?”

Al Araxar's reply was succinct.

”Eat it!”

Eat it?

I couldn't help going blank at the brevity of his reply.

Dugun! Dugun!

The heart was beating violently. I felt dizzy just looking at it. The violent beating of the heart felt as if it was roaring at the world.

”Do so, and the Ancient One's power shall belong to you.”

A belated way of explaining indeed.

I received the Ancient One's heart.

It did happen to be the most certain method, albeit primitive. This didn't sicken me at all, because I had eaten far worse things before. Only, the heart's heaviness wasn't something to laugh at.

I deeply took a breath, and opened my mouth.

Wagujak! Wagujak!

Then and there, I began munching away at the Ancient One's heart.

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