Colossus Hunter – Chapter 71

Ch 71: Rapidly Advancing Modern History（1）

Yeon Hon-je’s eyes gleamed. A sword. A sword that looked extremely ordinary. It was crude, and there was no particular characteristic that could be felt.

However, there was an inexplicable sense of weight to it.

From the start, it was a sword made by Eunhu. No further explanation was necessary.

‘His spirit has changed.’

More than anything, the spirit of the user wielding the sword, Oh Han-sung, was clearly different from before. He had been gaining fame by defeating Yacha every day, but his level wasn’t enough for Yeon Hon-je to care about.

Now, he was concerned.

The aura emanating from his entire body made Yeon Hon-je’s skin tingle.

The fighting spirit that was visible only to swordsmen who had reached a certain level.

He became interested. Yeon Hon-je was a Sword Dragon, a Yacha obsessed with swords.

“He’s not the rookie he used to be?”

Yeon Hon-je smiled thinly. The reason he had tried to recruit him into his group before was simply because ‘it seemed like it would be fun.’ He didn’t have high expectations for his skills.

He was planning to devour him later when he became stronger.

Like a farmer harvesting ripe fruit.

But the man wielding the sword made by Eunhu was different. He was already ripe enough.

“I heard that the Black Yacha is a symbol of trials… It seems that wasn’t a lie.”

It was a legend about the Black Yacha.

The Black Yacha was said to be a trial that the Yacha had to endure.

Instead, the legend that a hero would be born if they overcame him remained in some families. It was considered ominous, but that was the reason why he was accepted into the Nachal Hall.

In Yeon Hon-je’s eyes, the White Apes were erased.

Instead, only Oh Han-sung was reflected.

Thud. Thud.

Yeon Hon-je struck the sword on the ground twice.

Then, he picked it up again and pointed the sword.

The opponent didn’t say anything, but no more was needed.

He had been sending out his fighting spirit continuously since he appeared.

The meaning was simple.

Let’s fight!

“I’ll give you three seconds. Even if you wield Eunhu’s sword, it’s still just a sword. If your skills don’t support it, it’s nothing more than useless.”

At the same time, Han-sung. He moved.

His movement was extremely slow. It was so slow that it was even questionable.

But when he got close, Yeon Hon-je felt something was wrong.

As if he had used a heavy weight technique, his footprints were clearly imprinted on the ground.

And the moment he swung his sword at close range, Yeon Hon-je instinctively took a step back and had no choice but to clash swords.

Clang!

“……!”

Words didn’t come out. If he had received the sword without stepping back, his waist would have been crushed.

Then, a strong wind pressure blew, as if binding Yeon Hon-je’s body.

‘Heavy!’

It was too heavy. It was clear that a large amount of the heaviest iron, Hyeoncheol, was mixed in, but even considering that, it was an incredible brute force.

He had to counterattack. Yeon Hon-je’s instincts kept warning him that he couldn’t just keep receiving the sword like this.

He had only blocked it once, but it felt like his wrist was about to break. It was certain that his bones were cracked.

At the same time, Oh Han-sung’s mouth moved slightly.

—I said three seconds, right?

The guy grinned.

Now he knew why he hadn’t said anything, why he had approached so slowly.

The guy was also wielding the sword with all his might. It wasn’t just physical heaviness. That sword, the explosive power that condensed mana and exploded it at once, was even more terrifying.

Just blocking it had shattered his wrist.

Yeon Hon-je became desperate.

He was the one who mentioned three seconds.

But it’s never too late to regret.

“Wait……!”

Kwaaaang!

◈◈◈ * *

『The Black Yacha’s Mark is emitting light.』

『After defeating a stronger Yacha, ‘1’ of ‘Power’ is taken.』

『All surrounding Yacha have mentally submitted. A small amount of ability scores are plundered.』

『Current applied ability score status? Power（2）, Agility（2）, Stamina（1）』

Yeon Hon-je collapsed.

After receiving exactly three attacks, he had fainted, his arms twisted and his feet buried in the ground.

“Yeon Hon-je……”

“The Sword Dragon lost?”

“In just three seconds?”

The Yacha and the White Apes began to murmur.

An unbelievable event.

An unprecedented event that no one had imagined had occurred.

They looked back and forth between me and Yeon Hon-je with trembling eyes.

Their mouths were wide open in shock.

‘This is… the power of the Dark Spirit.’

I was also surprised.

I don’t originally have this much brute force.

But the Dark Spirit dwelling in the sword made it possible for the Taeul Mugeuk Mind Method to be activated just by holding it. Then, it began to rampage to the extreme.

At the same time, I felt like I understood why the Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword was a sword style focused solely on attack.

‘There’s no need to defend.’

The Dark Spirit dwelling in the Hyeoncheol made the user unleash brute force. The Taeul Mugeuk Mind Method was only at the 2-star level, but even that alone produced these results.

It seemed to prove that attack was the best defense.

But I wasn’t normal either.

‘It feels like my muscles are about to burst.’

It felt like I had squeezed out all my strength. The muscles throughout my body were screaming. My mana was empty, and for a moment, the world turned bright yellow.

I slowly looked down at the sword.

The dark-colored sword still maintained its heavy form, with not a single chip on its blade.

● ‘Jechon Daesung’s Power’ is applied ● It is heavy and extremely hard.（254kg）● ‘Wind Scar’ has been engraved.

● Only those who possess ‘Jechon Daesung’s Soul’ can wield the sword.

※Jechon Daesung’s Power: Depending on the level of the Taeul Mugeuk Mind Method, the power of Jechon Daesung is borrowed momentarily. If used excessively, the body cannot withstand it and may burst.

※Wind Scar: A mark engraved by someone who has awakened to the ‘Wind Flow’ while making the sword. It makes the opponent feel an intense wind pressure（5Lv）.

『The sword was made with all his heart by the blacksmith Eunhu. The interior, made of Hyeoncheol, was touched by a beginner’s hand, but he attempted to unify with his spirit and created a masterpiece.』

The weight itself was absurd. It was like the fate of a sword made of Hyeoncheol, and if the Ascended One’s Mantle hadn’t supported my waist, even swinging it would have been too much for my strength.

But what truly surprised me was the name engraved in the description.

Jechon Daesung!

‘So that’s why the White Apes follow him.’

The heavenly troublemaker called Pilmaon, Toujeonseungbul, Son Oh-gong, was none other than Jechon Daesung. The voice that had shown resentment towards the Heavenly Realm suddenly came to mind.

The king of all monkeys, a being who wouldn’t be strange to be called a god, so the White Apes’ extreme attitude was understandable.

‘The Dark Spirit was Jechon Daesung.’

If the stories of mythology were true, he would not be lacking in level compared to Jörmungandr.

I understood why Wolcheon couldn’t control him. I felt like I knew why those who possessed the Dark Spirit died or became disabled.

That I was not free from that fate either.

‘But I will overcome it.’

Dark Spirit. I will dominate him. The moment I learned his identity, I became even more greedy. I will completely dominate him. If what he said was true, then I still had a few years of grace!

I placed the Black Wind Sword into the scabbard that was horizontally attached to my waist. The Black Wind Sword was perfectly balanced in weight throughout the body, so it didn’t lean to one side.

I slowly turned my back.

Yeon Hon-je was still unconscious, and no Yacha could stop me.

A perception that was clearly different from when I first entered.

It was the moment when the existence of ‘me’ was firmly engraved in their minds.

After making the sword, I looked for Wolcheon.

He was even more emaciated than before.

His cheeks were sunken, his eyes were hollow, like a disabled person.

But only his eyes were alive.

“Master, are you alright?”

The word ‘master’ didn’t stick well to my tongue, but what was clear was that Wolcheon had taken on a tremendous burden to pass on the Dark Spirit.

If Wolcheon were to die like this, I would have restless nights, and I didn’t want that either. At least he had acknowledged me and was someone who had a connection with the past.

So, even if it was an unfamiliar word, I was trying to adapt to it by force.

Wolcheon didn’t answer about his health. Instead.

“Show me the sword.”

He immediately got to the point.

I took out the Black Wind Sword. Then, when Wolcheon touched the Black Wind Sword, it briefly rejected Wolcheon’s touch as if electricity had surged!

“Seeing it reject me, it seems you have completely unified with the sword. It would be impossible with Eunhu’s skills alone.”

A shallow smile appeared on Wolcheon’s lips. Eunhu made the exterior of the sword. I had heated and hammered the Hyeoncheol inside, putting in all my sincerity.

Then, Wolcheon handed the Black Wind Sword back to me and said.

“I heard you sparred with Yeon Hon-je today.”

“It was a minor squabble.”

“The ‘Mahuga’ won’t think so. They are one of the three families that support the Nachal Hall.”

Mahuga. There was such a word among the words that the White Apes had said while confronting Yeon Hon-je. Unlike other Yacha, even the White Apes couldn’t do anything to Yeon Hon-je.

“But you are my disciple, Wolcheon’s disciple. And a warrior proves everything with their own power.”

Sssseueueueu.

A blue sword appeared in Wolcheon’s hand.

It wasn’t sword aura. It was sword force!

The aura of true strength soared to a height of 2 meters.

I had never seen such a clear sword force in my life.

Even those who were called geniuses of the sword could reproduce sword force, but at most, it was only to the extent of coating the sword. But Wolcheon had created something from nothing, 2 meters long.

There was nothing in the world that sword force couldn’t cut. Even dragon scales, even the skin of a Demon Lord, could be cut by sword force.

“You must have realized it while sparring with Yeon Hon-je. The power of the Dark Spirit. Its infinite potential. To handle that unrefined power, you must master the essence of the ‘Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword’.”

“If I master the Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword, can I control the Dark Spirit?”

I had already mastered the Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword.

In the past, I had awakened up to 9 stars, and currently, I had achieved the 6-star level.

But I couldn’t link it because I couldn’t overcome the power of Jechon Daesung and the weight of the Black Wind Sword.

So I wanted to hear the answer.

“In the past, only Cheonma had completely controlled the Dark Spirit. He possessed the Black Yacha’s Mark, and it is said that he broke the Ascended One’s Ritual when he was a Yacha. Furthermore, he even broke the Twelve Arhat Formation that was performed to suppress him.”

I felt an inexplicable sense of kinship.

Because the path that Cheonma had walked was so similar to mine.

Wolcheon. Perhaps the reason he has expectations for me is for the same reason.

Soon, his eyes sank even more heavily.

“Did you ask if you can control the Dark Spirit? You can. If it’s you. To do that, I intend to pass on the essence of the Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword to you.”

“The essence……”

“The essence of the Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword is a method of forcibly bringing the power of nature into oneself. Thus, the meaning of the Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword is to draw out all the power of the Dark Spirit. And you already know how to control the wind. You just can’t handle that power properly.”

Sssssssssss!

A strong wind began to blow around Wolcheon.

Then, his sword force seemed to be assimilated with the wind and began to show an even deeper blue color.

Soon, there was an illusion that his movements, the sword itself, had become lighter.

It didn’t end there.

Flames burst!

The sword force ignited in a red color. Such a sword force that was as red as blood!

Then, the sword force contained water and the earth.

It had completely contained the four attributes of Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire.

Ah. Now I felt like I understood.

The Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword that I had mastered was 9 stars, but I knew the reason why I couldn’t go beyond that.

‘I was just coating it with skills.’

I also knew how to handle the four elements.

Magic Swordsman. I was able to achieve rapid progress by using skills called magic.

But I hadn’t truly understood nature, the four attributes.

Because it was an achievement made by a shortcut, 9 stars was the limit. If I had truly understood and utilized nature, I could have become much stronger in the past.

“Look at my sword. And engrave it in your eyes. It will be the first and last lesson I will show you.”

He performed a sword dance with all his might, putting all his strength into it. The auras of all the attributes bloomed like cherry blossoms, beginning to confuse my eyes.

I was fascinated by the sight. I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

Just by watching, I was realizing. The reason he said it was the first and last time was because he was unleashing all the essence he had accumulated over thousands of years in front of me at once.

『The achievement of ‘True Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword’ has reached 6 stars.』

『You have gained an understanding of nature.』

『From now on, you will be able to freely control the wind attribute.』

A small big bang occurred in my head.

◈◈◈ * *

The next day.

I had no choice but to leave the Nachal Hall.

—Leave. The Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword and the Taeul Mugeuk Mind Method cannot be mastered in the narrow Nachal Hall. You can have more experiences because you can make contact with another world.

—Also, it will be troublesome in many ways if the Mahuga interferes. But if you win the Holy Mark Scramble next year, even they won’t be able to do anything to you carelessly.

Wolcheon said that and turned his back.

Perhaps because he had poured out all his essence, Wolcheon’s entire body was even more haggard.

I bowed once, and with a promise for next year, I had no choice but to pack my belongings.

‘Again next year.’

More than anything, I also wanted it.

The moment I saw the essence of the Soul-Stealing Ruthless Sword, my whole body was itching.

To make this realization completely my own, I need to see and learn more. Even my past experiences were not enough.

After finishing all the preparations, I quietly left the Nachal Hall.

When I touched the Mark engraved on my ear, the related authorities came to mind.

『With the authority of the Black Yacha, you are free to move between the 1st and 50th floors.』

『The 1st floor has been set. Would you like to move?』

I nodded.

At that moment, a small ripple appeared in front of me, creating a round space.

I slowly moved my foot into it.

I crossed the space and looked around.

The 1st floor of Nachalsan Mountain. The place where the ‘door’ to the modern world was connected.

A place filled with lush green fields. It was a place with only weak monsters like ‘Monster Rabbits’ at best, and it was a land of milk and honey for beginners, but this space shouldn’t have appeared for another half year.

“S, save me!”

“Uwaaaak! You crazy boar!!”

But…….

I frowned.

‘There shouldn’t be people here at this time?’

But if I wasn’t mistaken, those voices were definitely from people like me.

When I turned my head, a group of about five men and women were being chased by a giant boar.

（71/251）