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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter: 06
Wednesday promised to the Sword Saint had come.
As before, Chief Kim escorted Cheon Woo-jin to the training hall located within the Clan Head’s quarters.
Following behind him, Woo-jin calmly scanned every corner of the household’s inner sanctum. Chief Kim adjusted his glasses as he glanced at the young man walking beside him.
“His eyes lingered on the Eight Gate cores that form the boundary field... Could it just be coincidence?”
A week ago, Woo-jin had changed completely—with no warning, and no clear trigger.
For Chief Kim, who had watched over him for more than ten years, that sudden transformation was nothing short of baffling.
Ever since his Awakening at the age of twelve, Woo-jin had suffered from a Heavenly Curse—a condition born from a clash of constitution—and had been isolated in the annex ever since.
Yet somehow, he had cured himself.
Not even famed magicians or high-ranking clerics had managed to treat this curse, and yet Woo-jin had done it alone.
Chief Kim still couldn’t quite believe it.
But looking back, Woo-jin had always shown exceptional promise, even before the curse took hold.
His swordsmanship talent, in particular, stood out even though he’d only learned the basics—never having been formally trained in the Heavenly Sword House’s true techniques due to his early curse.
The elders of the clan had once held high hopes for him.
But his talent had been too great.
He suffered from High-Density Mana Collision Syndrome, where overlapping awakened abilities wreak havoc on the body.
As a result, the clan quickly lost interest in him.
Only Chief Kim had remained by his side.
Each passing day brought Woo-jin closer to death.
He lost not only his innate brilliance, but his confidence as well.
He grew sensitive, stubborn, and deeply depressed.
And for eight years, Chief Kim watched over that deteriorating boy.
So when Woo-jin underwent a total transformation in just one day, Chief Kim’s shock was understandable.
After his first meeting with the Clan Head, Woo-jin immediately borrowed the training hall and stayed inside all day.
Chief Kim had no idea what kind of training he was doing, but each time Woo-jin stepped out, his gaze and movements had clearly evolved.
Even his eating habits had changed.
Where once he barely touched food, he now ate three times the amount of a typical adult.
As a result, Woo-jin’s physique had drastically changed in just a week.
His frame had grown larger, his muscles were more defined, and he had even shot up in height. It was hard to believe such a dramatic change could happen in a mere seven days, but Chief Kim couldn’t deny what he was seeing with his own eyes.
As he recalled Woo-jin’s transformation, Chief Kim arrived at the Clan Head’s training hall with him.
Then he stiffened in surprise.
“The Captain of the Black Assassin?”
A man clad in a full Hunter-grade combat suit, his face hidden behind a mask, stood silently in front of the hall.
He was none other than the Black Assassin Captain—a shadow of the Clan Head himself.
Immediately wary, Chief Kim stepped in front of Woo-jin to shield him.
But then Woo-jin gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s okay, sir.”
That pungent scent of death… Woo-jin recognized it.
This man had the same stench he himself once carried.
It meant the one standing before them was truly dangerous.
So Chief Kim’s tension was warranted.
The Captain gestured for Woo-jin to enter.
But when Chief Kim attempted to follow, the Captain shook his head.
Only Woo-jin was allowed inside.
Chief Kim adjusted his glasses and narrowed his eyes sharply, clearly displeased.
Bzzzzt!
Tension crackled in the air as magical energy surged between the two men.
Rumble...!
Their mana clashed, threatening to spiral into open conflict—
But then Woo-jin calmly stepped right between them, as if it were nothing.
Flash!
Chief Kim was the first to pull back his energy, retreating a step.
Woo-jin turned to him with a relaxed smile.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right back.”
His tone was light, as if he were stepping out for a stroll.
Watching him, Chief Kim pushed his glasses up once again.
“The Clan Head never speaks carelessly. If Woo-jin fails today’s trial, he won’t leave this place alive.”
And no one knew that better than Chief Kim.
He couldn’t simply brush off Woo-jin’s words.
But Woo-jin didn’t care.
Without hesitation, he entered the training hall alongside the Black Assassin Captain.
The moment he stepped inside, Woo-jin’s expression stiffened.
“That old man sure has strength in the morning…”
He could feel it clearly this time—
The Clan Head had fully deployed his Domain of Will.
Within this domain, the Clan Head could perceive every minute detail.
Standing in the darkened center of the hall, the Clan Head looked just as he had before.
But this time, he wore a real sword at his waist instead of a wooden one.
‘A ring-hilted blade, huh.’
The way the blade was slung at his waist by a ringed belt looked perfectly natural—as if it belonged there.
The sheer pressure radiating from the Sword Saint, a man who had become one with the sword itself, made it impossible for Woo-jin not to tense up.
“I trust you’re ready.”
With no need for pleasantries, the Clan Head moved to test Woo-jin’s progress.
The reason he brought a real sword instead of a wooden one was clear—
Fail, and die.
Woo-jin nodded calmly.
“Of course.”
Empty-handed, he straightened his back and faced the Sword Saint without flinching.
The elder’s brow twitched ever so slightly at the sight.
And then, he vanished.
No sound. No presence.
The Sword Saint appeared in front of Woo-jin like a phantom—using the near-mystical footwork known as Shadowless Step.
But that was only the beginning.
Shlak!
The Clan Head drew his blade in a single, fluid motion and slashed.
The blow was sharp enough to cleave Woo-jin clean in half.
And for a moment—it looked like he had.
Shhh—
But then, the image of Woo-jin blurred and dissolved like mist.
The Sword Saint’s eyes sharpened.
“Afterimage?”
A shadow fell behind him.
Woo-jin had left only an afterimage and reappeared soundlessly at the Sword Saint’s back.
He reached out toward the elder’s shoulder—
But in that instant, the Sword Saint vanished again, reappearing in a new direction and slashing toward Woo-jin’s arm.
Ssst—
Yet again, only an afterimage scattered.
The Sword Saint narrowed his eyes and gathered his energy, blade in hand.
“No presence… just like a ghost.”
Anyone who entered the Sword Saint’s domain—even the smallest insect—could be tracked down to their tiniest movement.
And yet, for some reason, Cheon Woo-jin's presence was completely undetectable.
He was definitely inside the domain, but his location couldn’t be pinpointed.
“Hmph.”
The Sword Saint let out a short breath and adjusted his grip on his blade.
Holding his sword level, he unleashed a powerful strike, as if intending to cleave through the entire training hall.
Saaaaaaaak—!
The mana gathered in the blade flared out like a full moon, radiating in all directions.
Flash!
The sword energy, shaped like a luminous moon, sliced through the training hall's walls.
Crashhh.
Shards of debris rained down where the walls had been cut.
Straightening his posture, the Sword Saint sheathed his sword.
Clack.
As the blade clicked into its scabbard, Cheon Woo-jin finally revealed himself.
‘Crazy old man…’
That last strike—which had sliced through the entire training hall—was seriously dangerous.
If not for Ghost Shadow Step, he would have been cut clean in half.
Standing in front of the Sword Saint, not a single thread of his clothes torn, Woo-jin asked, “Does that mean I pass?”
Even after sweeping the entire training hall with his blade, the Sword Saint was met by Woo-jin standing unharmed before him.
His brow furrowed slightly.
Strictly speaking, Woo-jin hadn’t completed the task as it was originally given.
He had been instructed to master the footwork he saw the week before.
But Woo-jin had taken that assignment and—rather than imitate it—developed it into something entirely different.
The Sword Saint stared at him in silence.
Woo-jin clenched his jaw.
“So… how will the Sword Saint judge this technique?”
This wasn’t the clan’s orthodox Shadowless Step.
It was Woo-jin’s evolved version: Ghost Shadow Step.
Depending on whether the Sword Saint accepted this deviation or rejected it, Woo-jin’s future would be drastically different.
At last, the Sword Saint slowly opened his mouth.
“You used that movement technique to dart back and forth across the training hall nonstop… just to avoid revealing your location?”
That was the key.
Though Woo-jin had remained inside the domain the entire time, his position couldn’t be locked down.
Because he had moved—quickly and without pause—between one end of the hall and the other, like a ghost.
Simple in theory—but a method so foolishly reckless that no ordinary person would even consider it.
Human stamina has limits.
Wasting energy decreases survival chances.
But Woo-jin, having awakened his Heavenly Martial Physique, never tired.
With every breath, his stamina returned—allowing him to sprint indefinitely.
He had used this trait to its fullest, weaving like a phantom and narrowly dodging the Sword Saint’s fatal strike.
Crude, but daring.
Nodding, Woo-jin replied, “Yes, sir.”
At that, the Sword Saint furrowed his brow even deeper.
His shoulders began to shake.
Still glaring at Woo-jin, he suddenly broke into a wide grin—
“Kuhahahahahaha!”
Rumble—!!
His laughter boomed so loudly that the entire training hall trembled.
Crackle!
More debris fell from the walls where the Sword Saint’s earlier strike had landed.
Had the walls not been made of special-grade alloy, they would have crumbled under the pressure.
After laughing for a long while, the Sword Saint abruptly stopped.
“Interesting.”
Then, he unfastened the sword at his waist and held it out to Woo-jin.
“Take it.”
Woo-jin stepped forward and accepted the offered sword.
It was heavier than expected—far too heavy for an ordinary Hunter to swing freely.
Clearly, this wasn’t a common weapon.
The moment he grabbed it, a system message appeared:
[Through the ability of your class <Weapon Mastery>, you see the weapon’s true nature.]
[Updating weapon data...]
Then the details popped up:
[Item Info]
Name: Nameless
Rarity: R (Rare)
Details: A sword forged from high-purity Orichalcum using magical flames
Trait: Unfading sharpness—never dulls
Thanks to his class, Weapon Mastery, Woo-jin could identify item properties.
“I figured it wouldn't be ordinary since it belonged to the Sword Saint… but a Rare-grade weapon?”
Forged from Orichalcum, which is over 100 times more valuable than gold of the same weight, the sword’s worth was astronomical.
The fact that the Sword Saint handed it over personally meant only one thing— He intended to officially teach Woo-jin swordsmanship.
“You showed me something entertaining, so you deserve a fitting reward. Name what you want.”
Hearing that, Woo-jin raised the sword he had received.
“You’re already giving me such a rare blade... and you’re offering another reward on top of that?”
“That sword was made for training. I wouldn’t call that a reward.”
So this was just a training sword to him.
Typical of the Sword Saint of the Heavenly Sword House.
Woo-jin began thinking seriously.
What reward should he ask for?
After some thought, he looked up and said, “Then, I have one request.”
The Sword Saint gave a small nod for him to continue.
“Once I’ve learned the clan’s swordsmanship, I’d like permission to challenge the Trial Dungeon.”
The Sword Saint’s eyes widened slightly.
After a pause, he spoke, “Do you even know what the Trial Dungeon is?”
The Trial Dungeon—one of the countless dungeons managed by the Heavenly Sword House.
Its danger level was unclassifiable.
A place completely unlike any ordinary dungeon.
Each person who entered would face a unique ordeal tailored specifically to them.
Most who came back from it… returned broken.
But those who endured its trials were granted truly exceptional rewards.
Because of the extreme risk, the dungeon had been sealed off by the clan—it was a forbidden zone, even to direct blood relatives.
And now Woo-jin, who had just barely shaken off his Heavenly Curse, was asking to enter it.
The Sword Saint shook his head.
“That cursed place isn’t something a fledgling like you should step into.”
He rejected the idea outright.
But Woo-jin didn’t back down.
“One month.”
He met the Sword Saint’s eyes, voice unwavering.
“Give me one month. I’ll master the Heavenly Sword House’s swordsmanship completely. If I fail—I'll offer my life. But—”
His eyes burned with fierce determination.
“—if I succeed, then grant me permission to enter the Trial Dungeon.”
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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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