Chapter 148
The more they crossed swords, the more perplexed Aurum became.
‘His body should be completely unbalanced.’
There wasn’t a trace of equilibrium in that physique.
Because his [Base Stats] were fixed, his body hadn’t been properly trained.
He was barely able to move, his body being forced to function through an excess of [Bonus Stats].
‘…Then how did he learn swordsmanship?’
It shouldn’t have been possible.
Swordsmanship was a skill of controlling the body, and mastery of it meant a perfected physique.
So, he decided to test it.
He hadn’t used his full strength from the beginning—
There was no joy in crushing something interesting too easily.
But then—
‘He’s learned it better than I thought.’
Quite impressive.
Eyes that never lost track of the sword.
A mind that dissected every movement with meticulous calculation.
Even after several brushes with death, he didn’t lose his composure.
And beyond that—
‘He’s pretending to leave openings, waiting patiently until I step into his trap.’
His acting was flawless.
Like a spider weaving its web, waiting for prey to fall in.
He was patient, waiting for the moment to strike.
Focus.
Composure.
Patience.
The three greatest virtues of a swordsman.
Yet possessing all three at once was no easy feat.
More than that—he didn’t merely possess them.
They were profound.
Deep enough to inspire admiration.
‘Did he fail to cross the wall because his talent was too immense to contain?’
…What a strange case.
Aurum had never seen anyone like this before.
The [Creator of the Burning Boundary], the master of the Fox Den, had placed countless monsters and powerful entities before him to foster his growth.
He had met and surpassed many with extraordinary talent—
But never someone like Park Chan-woo.
It made him curious.
‘Can he cross the wall?’
A weak, unbalanced body.
A man who had some skill with the sword, yet gave up early because he never realized his true talent.
Would he be able to surpass his limits if he were made aware of that talent?
‘Impossible.’
Such a thing had never happened.
Aurum had told many how to break the wall—
But none had ever truly done it.
Of course, some might question that.
Wouldn’t it be strange to break through the wall the moment one was told how?
‘If you realize it and still fail to grasp it, then it means nothing.’
Those who couldn’t realize it then would never realize it later.
What was enlightenment, after all?
To recognize one’s own shortcomings and correct them—
That was enlightenment.
And once you truly accepted that, the wall would break.
At least, that had been Aurum’s experience.
But incomplete beings—like spirits, unbalanced and imperfect—
Could never cross it, no matter how many times he explained it.
So naturally—
‘You’ll be the same.’
He expected the same result.
Unable to break through, unable to shatter his limits.
He didn’t expect much.
…Until—
Clang!
When they clashed again, his wrist trembled.
As time passed, the man’s sword grew deeper, sharper.
Little by little, he was becoming one with the sword.
‘…….’
It was a feeling Aurum had never experienced before.
He had only told him once—
Yet the man instantly realized and embodied it.
He erased all thoughts.
Erased even himself.
“Hah.”
…It was absurd.
Before he knew it, the man had become the sword.
In that instant, one word flashed through Aurum’s mind.
‘Arahan.’
Tremble—!
Aurum’s body shuddered slightly.
Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded wildly.
He had met someone like himself—
An [Arahan].
The highest ideal attainable by a true practitioner.
A being of pure mastery, reached only by those of absolute skill.
That was [Arahan].
Even the demons of the Abyss dared not speak that name.
Long ago, after surpassing several walls, Aurum had come to know of them.
The Arahans were both the ancient practitioners and a faction that stood against the Lords of the Abyss.
They only passed down their name to those who, like Aurum, had transcended their limits on their own.
And those who bore that name possessed transcendent, pure power.
Aurum had always wanted to cross blades with one.
And now—
‘You’ve inherited the title of Arahan as well!’
Another had appeared—
Someone who, like him, had broken through the wall.
A fledgling, yes. But genuine.
‘How far will you rise?’
If he was like Aurum, he would continue to ascend.
A single enlightenment would lead to limitless achievement.
And that man was still within that very enlightenment.
No, more precisely—
‘…He’s finally awakened to his true talent.’
He had finally learned to wield what he’d already possessed all along.
Would it end as mere swordsmanship—
Or was there something more?
Aurum was dying to find out.
He began to show his true power.
From what he had observed, the man’s [Super Regeneration] could only heal up to a “finger’s length” of damage.
Anything beyond that couldn’t be healed quickly.
Meaning—
‘If I inflict a large-scale wound all at once, he won’t recover.’
Whooosh—!
He released all restrictions on his mana.
Endless energy surged through his body.
Then—he absorbed a thousand spirits into himself.
Fwaaaaaaah!
An emerald radiance flooded the entire field.
As countless spirits merged within him, his eyes gleamed blue.
Aurum had become the [Spirit King].
An overwhelming wave of mana swept through the domain.
Swish!
Rumble!
He swung his Spirit Sword, and Park Chan-woo’s body was flung away like a spring.
Even if he had become one with the sword, he couldn’t possibly block such vast mana.
Without something more, he would die here.
“……?”
Aurum frowned.
To his surprise, the man didn’t die.
He wasn’t just alive—he was standing, balanced on his feet.
He had definitely landed a solid hit.
How could he still be standing?
But the fact that he was standing wasn’t what truly shocked Aurum.
“Y-you…”
Spirit energy was swirling around Park Chan-woo’s Holy Sword.
He hadn’t just blocked the Spirit King’s energy—he had absorbed and fused it.
No—fused wasn’t the right word.
…He followed it.
In an instant, he had changed the nature of his mana to match Aurum’s own—
To that of the Spirit King.
A technique Aurum had never seen before.
He couldn’t understand it.
And not understanding something—was itself something Aurum havent experienced yet.
“You mean… you didn’t just have sword talent?”
One thing was certain: his talent had just awakened.
He himself likely didn’t even know.
Right now, he was in a state of complete no-mind—no-thought.
He wasn’t thinking or calculating.
He was instinctively unleashing his gift.
Changing the nature of his mana—
Infusing that altered energy into his sword—
And naturally accepting the Spirit King’s attack.
‘When our blades met, I felt a pulse.’
A wave—no, a vibration.
It was like the resonance of a soul.
It was definitely close to magic—
The power to manifest phenomena, to alter them, to command them freely.
The ultimate form of absolute magic!
A talent he had never seen before.
Without a doubt, it was the most brilliant talent Aurum had ever witnessed.
If he were to name it in one phrase—
“…A Magic Swordsman.”
A being who could freely wield both magic and the sword.
Neither side lacking—
The ultimate balance between the two.
“Aah.”
“So this is your balance.”
It existed.
Balance—between sword and magic.
Those two forces corrected the distortions of his imperfect body.
“You’re… fascinating.”
Grin—!
Aurum burst into laughter.
This tension, this thrill, this satisfaction—
How long had it been since he last felt this way?
‘Now I’ll go all out—and kill you.’
…This would be a kill worth savoring.
He would devour the man’s heart and take that talent for himself.
For the first time in his life, Aurum felt greed.
He envied it—
That unfathomable talent that he could never obtain.
Something beyond his comprehension—
A wall he could never cross.
All the more reason to seize it by force.
‘He won’t rise any higher than this.’
He had witnessed the blooming of his talent.
This must be his limit.
One enlightenment, one moment of brilliance—
Expecting more would be greed.
Thud!
Aurum stomped the ground.
Then, with all his might, he thrust his sword toward Park Chan-woo’s neck.
Slash!
“……!”
Aurum’s eyes widened to their limits.
‘What—?’
The first strike—
He raised his hand to his neck.
Then—
Ssshhh—
The skin on his neck split open.
That was just the beginning.
‘…What is this?’
The impacts began to accumulate.
With each clash, the Holy Sword’s edge built up damage inside his body.
‘What in the world…’
He couldn’t comprehend it.
Even the talent of a “Magic Swordsman” was already miraculous—
‘But he’s advanced again… in such a short time?!’
He had ascended another step.
It shattered all of Aurum’s understanding.
Like a child who had just learned to walk suddenly running.
“Un…believable…”
Thrust!
Nine strikes in total.
Only one remained.
…Unbelievable.
That was the phrase most often uttered by those who fought Aurum—
When they witnessed his monstrous evolution mid-battle.
Was this how they had felt?
It was beyond shock—almost divine awe.
That thing before him was something he couldn’t comprehend.
‘Am I… going to die?’
Aurum’s eyes trembled.
He had never felt fear of death before.
Never imagined dying—
especially not at another’s hand.
In that instant—
His eyes met Park Chan-woo’s.
In the very moment of death.
And Aurum gave up.
…Even if he screamed or begged, that thing would not stop.
‘…A monster.’
That monster was the Abyss itself.
Thud!
Aurum’s thoughts ended there.
The tenth and final strike—
His head fell, and his life ended.
—
Ding!
《You have slain the demon Aurum!》
《You have cleared the ‘Fox Den.’》
《You have completed the scenario ‘Savior of the Fox Den.’》
《You have achieved a Hidden Scenario! 50 ‘Black Stars’ awarded.》
《You have reached a total of 100 ‘Black Stars.’》
《You have earned the qualification to become the ‘Master of the Fox Den.’》
《Or, you may exchange 100 ‘Black Stars’ to guarantee a ‘Platinum Box (★★★★★).’》
《Level Up!》
《Level Up!》
《Level Up!》
《Level Up!》
《You have awakened the Enlightenment, ‘Prepared Qualification.’》
《‘Basic Swordsmanship of Arahan’ has evolved into ‘Intermediate Swordsmanship of Arahan.’》
《Attack power based on physical stats increases by 20%.》