Chapter 39: The Forge's Flames (4)

The reason Baek Jung-hyuk decided to make his own sword was due to a single incident.

It was when he was 18.

At a time when the succession of the demonic cult had not yet been determined, the internal strife among the siblings led Baek Jung-hyuk to live through days that made his blood run cold. Unlike his other siblings, he had no protection, and he had to spend sleepless nights due to the constant assassination attempts.

Then, one day.

A visitor came in the middle of the night.

The 11th brother.

Baek Chang-hyun attempted to assassinate Baek Jung-hyuk, and a bloody battle between the brothers took place under the white moon.

The battle was a close one.

Baek Chang-hyun had also passed the trials in the cave, and he relentlessly targeted Baek Jung-hyuk's vital points amidst the bloodshed.

There was a significant physical difference between the two.

Being the older brother, Baek Chang-hyun had a physical advantage, and during his attack, Baek Jung-hyuk's cherished sword broke.

Crack.

One exchange.

As his sword broke, Baek Jung-hyuk was slashed across the chest.

Blood splattered.

In that moment of fear, with death looming before him, Baek Jung-hyuk boldly exposed his chest and stabbed his broken sword into his opponent's face.

A fleeting moment of victory.

As Baek Chang-hyun's face was horribly disfigured, Baek Jung-hyuk, bleeding profusely, ended his brother's life.

That day.

Baek Jung-hyuk realized.

He needed his own sword.

A sword that would never break during battle and one that would perfectly complement his current physical abilities.

After dealing with the 11th brother and gaining a reputation as a formidable figure, Baek Jung-hyuk began learning the art of sword-making from blacksmiths, unlike his other siblings.

He always crafted a sword that suited his current state before major battles, considering his physical characteristics and the features of his preferred sword techniques to maximize his performance.

Thus, decades passed.

Baek Jung-hyuk reached the pinnacle and, in the process of unifying the martial world, engaged in hundreds, even thousands, of battles.

His sword changed every year.

Each time he crafted a new sword, he passed the old one to his subordinates, and the 39 swords that were passed down were eventually called the "Swords of the Heavenly Demon."

Invaluable treasures.

When the Swords of the Heavenly Demon were released into the martial world, fierce battles erupted over their possession, indicating that Baek Jung-hyuk's craftsmanship had reached the level of a master.

The act of making a sword.

It was a familiar task for Baek Jung-hyuk.

And now.

Romain was preparing for a battle with Barco.

Therefore.

The first sword.

Romain performed the ritual as Baek Jung-hyuk.

In the castle's forge.

In a space that had seen no visitors for a long time, the sound of steel being hammered echoed.

Clang!

Sparks flew.

Romain struck the red-hot steel with a hammer, repeating the same action with a consistent force and rhythm.

To an outsider, it would seem like a tedious task.

In a space where only the sound of the forge burning and the hammer striking steel were allowed, Romain faced the intense heat, sweating profusely.

Clang!

Clang! Clang!

A state of no self.

Romain found great pleasure in being completely absorbed in a single purpose.

What was once nothing would become a magnificent sword through his repeated actions.

His former subordinates.

At first, they did not understand Baek Jung-hyuk's actions when he began crafting his first sword.

They argued that there were plenty of swords in the warehouse, and any one of them could be used.

They thought it was a waste of time to craft a sword when that time could be spent practicing martial arts.

It was not a wrong perspective.

However, for Baek Jung-hyuk, crafting a sword was not just about making a weapon; it was a way to reflect on his current self within his own world.

'Why do I live?'

The purpose of life.

Even after achieving everything, he had not realized it.

Having to live in a world of the survival of the fittest from a young age because his father was the Heavenly Demon, he overcame the challenges before him, and before he knew it, people called him the best in the world.

He did not think it was bad.

Humans do not live a life planned from beginning to end but create their story as a human being by following their instincts.

The same applies now.

Romain's life, though filled with unfamiliar uncertainties, was lived with a focus on reality, just as Baek Jung-hyuk did in the past.

What he saw before him.

He accepted the annulment of his marriage for a new life.

He eliminated the Blood Fangs to neutralize their threat.

To settle his bad blood with Anthony Barco, he was now crafting a sword for himself and preparing for the campaign.

This was Baek Jung-hyuk's life.

Not just to rule, but to remain true to the reality before him, even in the vast sea.

'At my current level, I cannot resist all variables. With the Rebirth and reaching the Human Realm, I can now use the first three techniques of the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique, but in Romain's world, there are many unknown variables. Therefore, I must train myself to be even stronger. In a world I do not know, with unknown formidable opponents, I must always remain the victor, no matter what happens.'

Predator.

Defeat was not an option.

In a world of the survival of the fittest, defeat meant death, and Baek Jung-hyuk always wanted to remain the predator.

Clang!

A strong impact.

Romain's face was drenched in sweat from the intense heat, and his bare upper body's muscles twitched and turned red.

It was an unusual sight.

Ordinary blacksmiths wear protective gear during the process.

Not only to protect themselves from the forge's heat but also to avoid burns from the hot metal pieces that can fly off.

Hendrick was the same.

When he met Romain in the forge, he was fully prepared to start working, but now, as Romain hammered the steel in front of the flames, he wore nothing but his lower garments.

He knew.

It was a dangerous task.

However, crafting a sword was not just about making a weapon that suited his current self; it was also a unique way for Baek Jung-hyuk to practice his martial arts.

Roar.

Roar.

The flames roared.

In the suffocating heat, Romain opened his lungs and embraced the heat.

Flame Fire Technique.

Romain's body was enveloped in flames.

Flame Fire Technique.

A technique of the Fire Demon, which uses the power of intense flames to rapidly accumulate mana in a short time.

By common sense, two cultivation techniques cannot coexist.

A person who uses the Heavenly Demon Technique cannot use the Flame Fire Technique, but as the Heavenly Demon Technique evolved, it increased its affinity to the extreme.

This allowed for the coexistence of other techniques. The Heavenly Demon Technique firmly established itself in the dantian, overseeing everything, and even if other forces entered the body, extreme phenomena like demonic possession did not occur.

Coexistence.

He absorbed the heat.

He gradually made the heat rising in his dantian his own, turning the intense flames into nourishment for the Heavenly Demon Technique.

'The cultivation method of the Flame Fire Technique is the best option for me. Although frequent use can damage the lungs and internal organs, with the preparations I have made through Rebirth, I can now withstand the forge's flames.'

Clang!

Clang! Clang!

He swung the hammer with all his might.

The act of making a sword.

While facing the forge's flames, Romain began to calmly and meticulously examine his body's condition.

The length of his arms.

The strength of his strikes.

The amount of qi he could use.

As he calmly checked his condition, he visualized the shape of the sword that would suit him.

The sword he was now drenched in sweat to create would not be usable in 1-2 years.

It was precisely the form that suited his current self, and Romain believed that it would be sufficient for the sword to fulfill its role.

At the same time.

He accumulated mana in his dantian.

Considering the enemies he had faced so far.

Given the scale of Barco and the mercenaries he hired, his current level was not a significant issue.

However.

Variables are inherently invisible.

While the scale of Barco, as determined by the information guild, was within reason, the preparations they made during the conquest of Lawrence could not be fully known unless one was directly involved.

In the martial world, it is said to hide three-tenths of one's strength.

In a world of the survival of the fittest, where all kinds of tricks are used, fully revealing one's strength is a shortcut to death.

Barco.

They might also be hiding three-tenths of their strength, and Romain knew that such variables could cost him his life.

Therefore.

He desired the power to resist all variables.

During the process of subjugating the orthodox martial world, the strategists of the Zhuge family used numerous variables to corner Baek Jung-hyuk, but overwhelming power dismantled them all.

When the enemy's strength cannot be fully determined.

Having enough power to render variables ineffective is also a way to solve the problem.

'I have not yet fully grasped this world. The strongest person I have encountered is Knight Commander Jonathan, and a 3-star level is recognized by the kingdom. However, in this world, there are 4-star, 5-star, and even 6-star swordsmen. There are also unknown entities that use magic, a power I have never experienced. Even if I can overwhelmingly defeat Knight Commander Jonathan, I have no certainty that I can handle these unknown entities.'

He took a deep breath.

Absorbing mana, he struck the steel forcefully.

Clang!

He had to train.

Because he had accepted new people.

With figures like Hans living within the boundaries he had set, he had no intention of ever losing.

Thus.

One day, two days.

Time passed.

Romain's body became a sword.

Just as he crafted his own sword, he also trained his body by embracing the intense heat.

After ten days.

Thud.

Finally.

The sound of hammering in the forge stopped.

The first sword.

The first of anything is always special.

Romain held the sword up to the sunlight, and a smile appeared on his face as the light smoothly