Chapter 45

Chapter 44: The Proposal of the Sword Star (2)

The Black Cloud Guild.

It is one of the large-scale guilds vying for the third position, following the already established top two guilds in Korea, 'Dangun' and 'Fighter Father'.

'They're far from normal.'

The Black Cloud Guild has grown rapidly recently, based on its highly aggressive business strategy, and in particular, the guild leader, Hong Deokpyo, has quite a bad reputation.

It means they are of poor quality.

And this man also had a black cloud tattoo, the trademark of the Black Cloud Guild, on his neck.

"Do you know him?"

Jinhyuk asked Cheonyuseong.

"I've heard his name. One of their scouts approached me with a guild invitation."

Ah...

I understand everything from that one sentence.

A guild that exerts considerable influence showed interest in Cheonyuseong.

Naturally, this Dukgoda-in would have flatly rejected the offer.

Anyway, Lord Sword Star never gives a moment's rest.

The man asked again.

"Hey. I'm asking you. Are you the guy named Cheonyuseong or something?"

"Yes, I am Cheonyuseong."

"Sure enough. They said to look for a guy with a face like a pimp and black hair. I'm Jundo-hyun from the Black Cloud Guild."

Jundo-hyun introduced himself.

"If it's about a guild invitation, I've already told their scout."

"I know. I heard about it roughly."

"Then, isn't there no need for further talk?"

"Well, it is, but I'm annoyed that a mere AA-ranked newbie rejected our guild's offer. This time, I'm going to get a 'yes' even if I have to force it."

"You... me?"

Cheonyuseong's eyebrows arched.

"Ho. You seem to have some guts, despite your appearance."

Jundo-hyun also bared his teeth.

Instantly, a faint aura of killing intent rose between them.

Pfft!

Magic power clashed, and dust scattered on the ground.

Their hands moved.

Toward the weapons at their waists.

Right then.

"Stop overacting and put your sword away. Surely, you're not stupid enough to fight in front of the association, are you?"

Jinhyuk interjected.

"This guy started it first!"

Cheonyuseong protested, but only for a moment.

He knew very well that if they fought here, the aftermath would be a headache.

Clank!

"Keh!"

In the end, Cheonyuseong, who had already drawn his sword halfway, put it back.

In contrast, Jundo-hyun looked Jinhyuk up and down.

As if evaluating the value of an object.

"What are you, then?"

What do you mean?

"I came to cheer for this guy because there's some kind of martial arts ball today."

"Cheer? You're not participating in the ball, and you're cheering?"

"I didn't get an invitation."

"Hah... If you couldn't even get an invitation, your rank must be pretty bad, right?"

"F. It's my favorite letter."

When Jinhyuk said this calmly, Jundo-hyun let out a derisive laugh.

Crack!

His muscles, which seemed about to burst, moved strangely as he cracked his knuckles.

"If you came to cheer, you should sit quietly in a corner and clap. How dare a mere F-rank stand in my way?"

If this were inside the tower instead of in front of the association, he would have broken the spine immediately.

But considering the aftermath, he decided to break a limb or two lightly.

That was the compromise Jundo-hyun thought of.

However, just as he was about to swing his magic-infused fist.

"That guy is my prey!"

Cheonyuseong, who had been watching, shouted loudly.

Swish!

The sword was drawn, and a dazzling sword light poured out.

[Cheonyuseong has activated Level 6 'Soul Chasing Sword Qi'!]

"Should have done that earlier."

Jundo-hyun turned to Cheonyuseong as if he had been waiting for it.

A blue aura flickered from both of his fists.

It was a reinforcement-type skill that could turn even a rock to dust with one strike.

"I'll shatter that chopstick-like sword in one hit!"

And that was.

The last scene Jundo-hyun remembered.

***

Boom!

A massive body, over 2 meters tall, collapsed.

The dagger's handle had pierced his temple, so it was natural for him to lose consciousness.

"Now it's finally quiet."

Jinhyuk retrieved the dagger with a light hand movement.

And.

"..."

Cheonyuseong, who had been watching, tightly closed his mouth.

Then, he soon dispersed the mana he had gathered, with a complicated expression.

The sword qi that had been attached to the sword disappeared.

'That movement just now...'

Even if the opponent was off guard, to hit a vital point in such a short time.

It was so fast that even with his focused mind, he missed the signs.

Jundo-hyun probably didn't even realize what hit him.

'Damn.'

Cheonyuseong clenched his fists.

After parting ways in the ruins, he had not rested for a single minute, focusing only on getting stronger.

He entered the labyrinth that extends a day to a month and trained like a madman.

He continuously pushed his limits by fighting countless monsters.

And yet.

Why.

'Why do I not feel the gap with that guy narrowing at all?'

It shouldn't be possible.

No, it shouldn't even exist.

But no matter how many times he reviewed it...

He couldn't think of a way to counter the ambush just now.

"What are you standing around for? We need to get inside before anyone sees us. We don't have much time, remember?"

"...Right."

Cheonyuseong moved his heavy feet.

***

Awakening Association 13th Floor Training Ground.

The entire floor is made of mana-absorbing mana stones and special alloys, allowing players to move freely.

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

Blades crossed, and sharp metallic sounds echoed.

A total of 24 players were engaged in a battle royale style match, so the arena was filled with various unique abilities and skills.

"Haha, Mr. Park. Why do you seem slower than before you awakened? Are you relying too much on your ability?"

"I'm still warming up, kid. I'll get serious from now on, so don't let your guard down. You don't want to meet the healer lady on the 5th floor, do you?"

Perhaps because only high-ranked players were gathered?

Most of them knew each other.

They stuck together.

Strong players had their networks.

Of course, that doesn't mean they would go easy on each other.

They just avoided fatal moves. With their pride and honor on the line, everyone gave their best at every moment.

At the same time.

The spectators, including the top players from various guilds and media representatives, were watching the match with great interest.

"The level of the match is quite high."

"Yes. This should satisfy the general public."

"But it's a temporary measure, and we need to break through the 3rd floor soon."

Various voices were exchanged.

Most of them were about the future of humanity.

However, not everyone was like that.

Some people, regardless of the future of humanity, prioritized boosting their guild's influence.

The people sitting in the center of the audience seats, with eagle eyes, scanned the promising players.

Hong Deokpyo, the only S-rank player currently present and the master of the Black Cloud Guild.

And the scouts of the Black Cloud Guild who followed him.

"That duo over there looks quite capable."

One of the scouts pointed to an old man handling flames and a young woman summoning creatures.

The woman used her summoned creatures for defense and, when an opportunity arose, the old man's flames pressured the opponent.

It seemed they had been working together for a long time, showing a perfect combination.

However, Hong Deokpyo let the scout's words pass by his ears.

His attention was already captured by one player.

Cheonyuseong.

'...Excellent.'

A slim but solid build.

The aura he exuded was so cold that it could be felt even from a distance.

'There must be many flaws in the awakening test.'

There's no way he's just an AA-rank.

Even at the lowest estimate, he shouldn't be in the 'A' category.

The way he wielded his sword, weaving through the arena, had already made Hong Deokpyo exclaim in admiration several times.

"I can understand why you failed to recruit him."

"Ah, sir. That's a bit harsh. I could have subdued him, but a scum attacked me from behind."

Jundo-hyun flared up.

"Are you still talking about that F-rank guy?"

"Sir, surely you don't doubt my words?"

"How can I believe you failed because of a mere hindrance?"

"Ha. I'm really frustrated. If you had let me participate, I would have taken care of all the scum and made Cheonyuseong kneel..."

"Shh! Is this the time to talk about the match? Focus on the interview that will happen later."

The reason Jundo-hyun was not participating in the ball was for the press conference that would follow.

One in 500,000 awakened individuals might reach AAA-rank.

Considering the growth rate of the Tower of Trials in the past, Jundo-hyun had the talent to reach S-rank within three years.

And if it became known that such a promising player had been recruited...

The status of the guild would naturally rise.

"I spent a lot of money preparing for this. You know that, right?"

"Don't worry. I can handle the camera presence."

Jundo-hyun smiled with a dreamy look.

***

Not far from the Black Cloud Guild.

Jinhyuk, who had been watching the match, yawned.

This is... not even a child's play.

Even if it's a friendly match where they don't risk their lives, the level is too low.

The only fresh point was meeting Min Jeong-woo and Lee Yoo-ri, whom he met at the National Central Museum.

'It's nice to see them after a while.'

They seemed to have improved quite a bit, probably due to the stimulation they received back then.

However, the rest of them made him wonder what they had been doing since the Tower of Trials appeared.

Well, it's not like he could just criticize them, given the overly positive reactions around him.

To talk about a bright future with just this level of skill.

It's quite a spectacle.

If this level of comedy could make even the usually stoic Ellis laugh all day, it would be something.

'Damn, if this continues, Cheonyuseong's victory is certain.'

Jinhyuk sighed lightly, watching Cheonyuseong, who was still wreaking havoc.

He had easily expected to get an invitation, but the atmosphere suggested it wouldn't happen.

Even if all the players on the arena combined their efforts to attack, they wouldn't be able to scratch Cheonyuseong.

And as if to support this thought.

Cheonyuseong began to subdue the players in an instant.

"Ugh!"

"Kuh..."

Players with various injuries fainted or surrendered.

The skill gap was overwhelming.

Most couldn't even attempt to read the trajectory of his sword.

If they did, they couldn't last more than three exchanges.

In the end, 15 minutes after the match started, all players except Cheonyuseong were down.

"We, we have a winner."

The association staff stammered.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Thunderous applause erupted.

The guild representatives in the audience seats also genuinely appreciated this match.

"Congratulations, Player Cheonyuseong. Then, one of the two rewards, the replica..."

"I don't need a replica. What I want is to choose my opponent."

Cheonyuseong cut off the staff member.

The audience seats became noisy again.

'Indeed. He prefers a match with a strong opponent over an item...'

'Impressive. I wish we could recruit him to our guild.'

'Who is this sword demon so eager to fight?'

'One of the guild masters, probably.'

Everyone thought.

If he wants to fight such a strong monster, it must be one of the top-ranked players in Korea.

Is it Dangun or Fighter Father, the masters of the guilds that didn't come here?

Or is it Yu Cheonyeong, the elder of the Yu family, known as the pinnacle of Korean martial arts for a long time?

Or is it from the side of mercenaries not affiliated with any guild?

Just as all kinds of speculations were flying around.

"Come out."

Cheonyuseong's sword pointed at a man in the audience seats.