Chapter 79

079. Secret Garden (2)

The moment the brilliant system message vanished.

“…….”

A feeling as if a lump of lead had been placed on my heart arose, and a new message appeared before my eyes.

「The Authority 'Iron-Blooded Sword (A-)' is engraved on your soul.」

Iron-Blooded Sword (A-).

I had obtained the authority to freely summon a sword made of magic at any time.

The Iron-Blooded Sword (A-) I acquired was an authority where the ability of the summoned sword was determined by my swordsmanship skills and magic power level.

Given that, if I had tried to buy it from the dedicated shop for contractors, it would have taken a considerable amount of time to purchase it...

‘I’m not that happy about it, though.’

Despite receiving a better ability than expected, I was surprisingly calm.

Perhaps it was because I had obtained many rewards through the trials on the 10th floor and other occasions.

Should I say I felt good to have a good hand in my possession?

There was no greater disturbance anywhere.

Was it because of that?

“...Could it be that the worst authority came out?”

The Iron-Blooded Monarch, who had been sitting and watching me, opened her eyes wide and asked.

Of course, I shook my head, as I hadn’t drawn a bad authority as she thought.

“I drew the authority I thought was necessary at this exact moment.”

“...?”

“I obtained the Iron-Blooded Sword.”

“That’s... incredible.”

The Iron-Blooded Monarch continued, as if relieved.

“The Iron-Blooded Sword is a skill I used to enjoy in my youth. The sword gets stronger as your swordsmanship skills and magic power increase.”

Not only does it get stronger as the user grows, but it also had many good options when I saw it before.

“And there’s no need to buy separate sword-related items, right?”

“Right. You can pretend not to use a sword and then summon it suddenly for a surprise attack.”

For someone who uses a sword, there might be no more important ability than this.

After that conversation, the Iron-Blooded Monarch smiled, seemingly pleased.

“It’s worth it to use the points I’ve been saving up to give you a gift.”

Her tone, which strangely emphasized that she had suffered a loss by giving me the authority, clearly indicated that she was expecting something from me.

I immediately understood what it was and spoke.

“Thank you. It will definitely be a helpful authority.”

Only then did the Iron-Blooded Monarch curl her lips and raise her eyebrows.

“Thank you... Since you’re a precious contractor, I can do this much for you.”

After saying that, the Iron-Blooded Monarch picked up a cookie from the table and started munching on it.

Following her, I put a cookie in my mouth and chewed it, and she soon spoke again.

“Now that I’ve given you the authority I wanted to give, let’s talk about something else.”

“...?”

“The story I’m about to tell requires the use of your question points. Is that okay?”

“Why is that?”

“Because if I tell you this story without any cost, the Tower will impose sanctions on me.”

“...”

Information important enough for the Tower to impose sanctions?

It must not be a trivial matter, so I nodded in response.

“Sure. I’ve been saving them anyway, as I didn’t have a proper use for them.”

At that moment, a message appeared.

「All of Han Seung-yun’s question points are consumed.」

“...!?”

I was taken aback by the message that all my question points had been consumed instantly.

‘...How important could this story be?’

I had accumulated a lot of question points because I rarely used them properly.

If they were all consumed just for this, I could tell that the story about to be told was not ordinary.

“...”

As I looked at the Iron-Blooded Monarch with a serious expression, she spoke.

“You once killed a challenger from another world on the 9th floor, didn’t you?”

“...Yes, I did. It was the first martial arts world challenger I encountered, and it was tough.”

I still vividly remembered the name of the challenger I faced back then.

Baek Seon-hak (白鮮鶴).

The old man who introduced himself as a grand elder of the Martial Arts Alliance was the other-worldly challenger who appeared on the 9th floor.

“...But why are you bringing this up now?”

“It seems the issue is with the position of the old tiger.”

“...?”

“Because of the position of grand elder of the Martial Arts Alliance, there are people in the martial arts world looking for you.”

“What...?”

“It’s what you might call revenge.”

Despite failing the layer intrusion and dying, revenge?

I couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected statement.

“Are you saying the Martial Arts Alliance is some kind of unsavory organization?”

If it were composed of unsavory people like gangsters, yakuza, or mafia, it might make sense.

However...

“No, in the martial arts world, it’s actually considered a moderate organization...”

I cursed at the Iron-Blooded Monarch’s somewhat reluctant answer.

“What kind of bastards...”

To come looking for me, brandishing a knife, and make a fuss about settling a score.

And to hear that such actions are considered moderate in the martial arts world.

I wanted to curse, but I held it back and spoke.

“...So, are you saying the Martial Arts Alliance is now pursuing me to kill me?”

Since someone was searching for me, I assumed it was the Martial Arts Alliance.

Given their determination to settle a score, I thought they would send trackers to kill me.

But that wasn’t the case.

“No, not exactly.”

“...Pardon?”

“Rather, the Martial Arts Alliance is in chaos, and the power players are busy trying to fill the vacant position.”

“...”

“The Martial Arts Alliance might remember you, but they’re not actively trying to eliminate you right now.”

In other words, they are more focused on filling the vacant position left by Baek Seon-hak than on killing me.

Hearing this, I became even more confused about who wanted to kill me.

“Then, who exactly is trying to kill me?”

I asked without hesitation, but the answer was something I never imagined.

“Namgung Clan.”

“...?”

“The Sword Dragon of the Namgung Clan is looking for you.”

“...”

Someone I had never met was looking for me.

***

How much time had passed?

After the Iron-Blooded Monarch explained various things, I finally understood the situation.

“...So, to summarize, a pillar-like clan of the Martial Arts Alliance has recognized me and is trying to kill me, right?”

“Exactly, it’s the Namgung Clan, and within that clan, it’s specifically the young master, Namgung Hyuk, who is targeting you.”

“This is ridiculous.”

It was truly ridiculous.

A person who had never properly settled a score with me, while the Martial Arts Alliance did nothing, was looking for me to kill me...

‘What kind of thought process do martial artists have?’

At this point, I was getting chills.

I had barely survived Baek Seon-hak’s preemptive attack.

Yet, the martial arts world seemed to have plenty of justifications for killing me.

However, the Iron-Blooded Monarch spoke as if it were natural.

“I don’t know why he’s looking for you, but... when the martial arts world has searched for someone, it hasn’t ended well.”

Her words were filled with the experience of countless incidents.

“So, I’m going to end up like those countless precedents, with no good ending?”

“Yes, at least you should be prepared for a life-or-death situation.”

“...”

“Fortunately, I know something about the person looking for you.”

“Do you know the young master of the Namgung Clan?”

“Of course not. The young master of the Namgung Clan is just a kid, barely twenty years old.”

The Iron-Blooded Monarch snorted and continued, pushing her flowing hair back.

“I’ve been an administrator for decades, so our life experiences are completely different.”

“Then, how do you know about the young master of the Namgung Clan?”

“There are ways to know. But that’s not important, so let’s move on...”

The Iron-Blooded Monarch narrowed her eyes and said.

“The young master of the Namgung Clan is probably several times stronger than you.”

“...”

“He’s a high-level challenger who has reached the 20th floor in the Tower of Trials.”

“20th floor? That sounds like a formidable opponent, doesn’t it?”

“No, it’s not.”

I tilted my head in confusion, and she answered.

“The martial arts world’s challengers are of a completely different caliber. It’s a world where only those who have dedicated their lives to martial arts for eons have survived. In a world where people have honed their martial skills to the point of becoming gods, the efficiency of improving martial power is unparalleled.”

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but be speechless.

A world where people have dedicated their lives to martial arts for eons.

How strong could someone from such a world be?

‘Even with limited physical abilities and skills, Baek Seon-hak overwhelmed me.’

And that was after I had defeated the Black Knight on the 5th floor.

I was well-prepared and confident that I wouldn’t be caught off guard like before.

Yet, I was amazed by the old man’s martial prowess, which seemed beyond belief.

He moved at incredible speed, hindering my every move and trying to bring me to my death.

Despite my growth and abilities that didn’t match the floor, I almost lost.

The difference was significant, and I calmly accepted it.

“So, he’s in a completely different league from me.”

“If you encounter him directly in the layers, it will be difficult to survive.”

The death sentence, which I hadn’t heard in a long time, made me smile bitterly.

“However, it’s not impossible, so I’ll tell you what I know.”

As she began to speak about the young master of the Namgung Clan, I focused.

The subsequent information was something I had to remember.

Changcheon Sword Dragon (蒼天劍龍).

The grand title of the Sword Dragon who dominates the blue sky belongs to a swordsman.

He is also the next head of the Namgung Clan, a renowned family in the martial arts world.

His real name is Namgung Hyuk, and his name is well-known among martial arts world challengers.

His swordsmanship is said to be beyond A-grade in skill level, and more details were shared.

After devising ways to counter him, the conversation cooled down, and the Iron-Blooded Monarch dismissed me.

“...I’ve told you everything I know, so you can go now.”

Her voice, as if she had achieved her goal, made me nod.

I was originally in the waiting room to check my rewards, so I had no reason to stay longer.

“I understand. I’ll see you in the 12th floor waiting room next time.”

The Iron-Blooded Monarch responded with satisfaction to my brief words...

“I look forward to your progress.”

「Moving to the 11th floor waiting room.」

A message appeared in my vision, and the location changed instantly.

Not to the quiet medieval cottage, but to the stark waiting room.

“...”

Of course, I silently adapted and tried to do what I needed to do, but...

Ding! Ding! Ding!

「Administrator ‘Baekhak Sword Immortal (白鶴劍仙)’ has invited you to the administrator area.」

「Administrator ‘Baekhak Sword Immortal (白鶴劍仙)’ has invited you to the administrator area...」

「Administrator ‘Baekhak Sword Immortal (白鶴劍仙)’ has invited you to the administrator area...」

The sudden flood of invitation messages made me stop what I was doing.

Administrator Baekhak Sword Immortal had sent me an invitation.

And not just once, but countless times.