Chapter 7

The Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully - Chapter 7 (7/390)

The Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully Chapter 7

Qualification of the Living (2)

When Yuseungwoo spoke, Yujiewu narrowed his eyes and looked at the snowy mountain, but he saw nothing.

How could this majestic snowy mountain be a monster? He was about to deny it, saying it was absurd.

But when Yuseungwoo picked up a suitable stone from his feet and threw it at the snowy mountain, a clear sound was heard from a rather close distance.

This meant that the snowy mountain was not as far away as it appeared.

Then an earthquake occurred on the ground. With a rumbling sound, the earth shook, and the snowy mountain, covered in a layer of snow, stirred and rose.

"That's—!"

At the same time as Yujiewu's exclamation, the snowy mountain's eyes opened.

The yellow eyes of a reptile shone and rolled, and a blue tongue flicked out, making a chilling sound.

"Could it be, Snow White Snake?"

"Is that its name?"

"It looks similar, but I've never seen a Snow White Snake this big."

Snow White Snake (雪白蛇).

It mainly appears in 5th or 4th-grade Abysses and is a well-known monster because it is used in snake charms and elixirs.

However, the Snow White Snake that Yujiewu remembered was not that large. At most, it was as thick as an adult man's arm and about 2 meters long.

But the Snow White Snake in front of her was not just large; it was mountainous.

Its thickness was greater than that of a large tree, and its length was immeasurable. In terms of danger, it was a monster that could appear in at least a 2nd-grade Abyss.

'This is not just a 5th-grade Abyss.'

There was a reason why the research team and rescue team had been in trouble.

Why did the internal exploration team, which was brought in after the Abyss auction, return unharmed?

There was no need to think deeply.

The exploration team was merely bait.

It was the malice of the Abyss, to lure in more tempting prey.

There was a reason why the researcher in the cave said that.

This was a true monster.

The Snow White Snake is a monster to be cautious of due to its powerful poison.

Given its size, it would not be strange for it to appear in a 2nd or 1st-grade Abyss.

Moreover, it was a boss-level monster.

A monster that even an S-grade Diver could not handle alone.

Why did such a monster appear in a 5th-grade Abyss?

Yujiewu's head, which was about to burn with anger, cooled down.

"…Brother, I'll help."

"No, just watch. Keep your eyes open and watch carefully. See how strong I am."

Saying this, Yuseungwoo stood in front of Yujiewu and drew his sword.

The blood-red sword shone even more eerily.

The large Snow White Snake, which had been coiled, began to stretch out and charge.

Despite the distance, it approached in an instant.

Normally, one would choose to avoid, but Yuseungwoo instead leaped forward, pushing off the ground.

Snowflakes stretched out along the path he leaped.

Then, in mid-air, Yuseungwoo lightly spun and kicked out.

Thud!

With a tremendous sound, the Snow White Snake's head was pushed back.

Yuseungwoo, who had kicked out in mid-air, smiled and spun again, landing on the ground.

The Snow White Snake, which had been pushed back, fiercely swung its head and opened its mouth, making a threatening sound.

But Yuseungwoo did not back down. Who was this creature roaring and opening its mouth in front of him?

It was the desperate struggle of a beast that had not yet determined who was the predator, the fierce beast, the ruler, and the strong.

"Jiewu."

Yuseungwoo called out to Yujiewu.

Yujiewu, whose eyes widened at the somewhat affectionate voice, looked at him.

There, Yuseungwoo stood with his hair fluttering.

From the sword in his hand, a dense blood-red aura swirled like flames.

"Look."

Who I am.

What power I hold in my hands.

And Yujiewu realized who stood before her and what kind of person he was.

Yujiewu hoped that she would firmly engrave his appearance in her mind.

What kind of strength he had overcome to reach, and the 'end' that a person who wields a sword can achieve.

Yuseungwoo, holding the blood-red sword firmly, raised his momentum.

A fierce beast, a fierce aura, like a red flame, surged up, creating a whirlwind.

Then, he muttered quietly and swung his sword.

* * *

The world Yuseungwoo went to was barren.

A place where one had to take from others to survive.

A place where one had to step on corpses to take another step forward.

If one was lucky, one might not die but only be robbed of one's possessions.

Yuseungwoo also took many things.

Lives, possessions.

Sometimes, even humanity, taking the lives of those who surrendered and struggling to survive.

With the single-minded determination to see his only family again, he had crossed countless corpses.

Though he had no knowledge of swordsmanship, he had a remarkable talent.

He stole the sword techniques of the strong who came to kill him and made them his own.

In the end, he successfully combined numerous sword techniques into his own unique style.

"One Sword, Life and Death."

One Sword (一劍) Life and Death (生死與奪).

Seven forms created from the seven swords engraved in his soul.

The first sword, Life and Death.

Yuseungwoo's sword, when swung, bends at a strange angle.

His straight sword, which should have been rigid, moved like a flexible sword, splitting into dozens of paths.

The Snow White Snake, seeing the sword split into dozens of paths like tree roots, retreated in shock.

But already, its life and death were in Yuseungwoo's hands.

"Die."

And Yuseungwoo pronounced death upon the Snow White Snake.

The split sword extended to surround the Snow White Snake's head.

It pierced through from all sides in an instant. The sharp red sword energy, which pierced through the head, did not stop there but rose from the Snow White Snake's entire body and scattered like smoke.

Yuseungwoo exhaled deeply and sheathed his sword, and the massive body of the Snow White Snake fell to the side.

With a rumbling sound, frost flew into the sky. The sleet stopped, and the bright sky shone on Yuseungwoo.

Frowning in the sunlight, he said,

"Should we have grilled eel for dinner tonight…?"

Humans live by their meals.

How happy it was to be able to look forward to the next meal.

After defeating the Snow White Snake and standing next to it, looking up at the sky, Yujiewu ran over and shouted,

"Brother! Are you okay?!"

"I used too much strength, I feel like I'm going to die…"

"Are you crazy?"

Yuseungwoo, standing straight without changing his expression, made a joke, which Yujiewu casually brushed off. She looked up at the sky and then approached the fallen Snow White Snake.

"…How did you kill it? There's no trace of a sword wound."

"I cut its internal nerves with sword energy. I crushed its insides without leaving any visible marks."

"Insane."

Yujiewu exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

It was a habit she had when she needed to think deeply.

'Brother is.'

Her brother.

Is out of the ordinary. The rank of Divers, from F to S.

He surpasses all of them.

Is there anyone who can take down such a monster with a single strike?

Perhaps a well-prepared S-grade Diver could.

Given enough time, she could probably take down the Snow White Snake with a single strike, assuming it was not moving.

But she did not have the same freedom as Yuseungwoo.

Strength beyond strength. The sky above the sky.

Out of the ordinary. A monster.

'…The day Brother returned, the dimensional wave was measured.'

The enormous value led to rumors of a malfunction, but in reality, many people died when a monster equivalent to a 2nd-grade Abyss or higher appeared from an 8th-grade Abyss.

An unknown Diver killed all the monsters, but…

'It was Brother.'

Thinking about the scene she just witnessed, everything fit perfectly.

A powerful dimensional wave is generated when a returnee comes back.

Experts say it is because the act of connecting dimensions causes a strong distortion in space.

The intensity of the dimensional wave is determined by how strong the returnee is, and the value measured this time was unprecedented, leading to suspicions of a malfunction.

The city of Sehyeon announced that the abnormal value was due to the appearance of a strong monster and a malfunction in the measuring device, but…

Yujiewu was certain. It was not a malfunction but the dimensional wave generated when Yuseungwoo returned.

Having finished her thoughts, she turned to Yuseungwoo and said,

"Brother, we hit the jackpot. If we take this and disassemble it to sell, we'll make at least several trillion, right?"

"Split the money after deducting the fees and deposit it."

Yujiewu nodded with a smile.

It was probably the first smile she had seen since returning to Earth.

At that moment, Yuseungwoo saw the face of his younger sister from the past.

Changed, yet unchanged. His younger sister.

And at the same time.

Those who were barely surviving by the light of a dim lantern in the cave.

They witnessed the sudden disappearance of the snowstorm outside.

A moment when despair turned into hope.

* * *

"I am entirely to blame. I apologize."

Yujiewu personally visited the families of those who died in this incident to offer condolences and apologize.

It was the maximum sincerity she could show, standing at the top of a profession that deals with human lives.

No family member said harsh words, demanding that the dead be saved. They knew that being a Diver meant the possibility of death at any time.

The honor of dying as a noble explorer of the depths was the last bit of conscience left for them.

"We're going back to the company."

"Yes."

When Yujiewu got into the back seat, Seo Yeonjeong, who was at the wheel, answered briefly and stepped on the gas.

Yuseungwoo, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at the back seat and said,

"Is everything done?"

"It's done. But the real problem is just beginning."

"What's the problem?"

"There are executives in Meteor Industries who don't like me. They'll try to tear me apart for the deaths this time. Even if there's no significant gain, their goal will be to tarnish me."

"I heard you're S-grade, right? One of the top ten in the country, and it's your company. Can't you just fire them?"

"It would be great if I could do that. Wouldn't it?"

Yuseungwoo, who had not even recouped his costs, clicked his tongue.

After this incident, he decided to officially join Meteor Industries.

He couldn't keep loafing around forever.

It was also a position that would allow him to move quickly in an emergency.

"Um, can I help solve it?"

"How?"

"There's a method I often used in the other world."

"Excluding threats with a sword."

"That's the mainstream, though."

"Of course it is…"

Yujiewu sighed deeply.

Yuseungwoo was undoubtedly a powerful force, but it was a strength he could not openly use.

He was her brother, and if his strength became known, many would want it.

Large guilds with multiple S-grades, for example.

Meteor Industries had grown quite large, but it seemed unlikely that it could withstand the attacks of those who had long held power.

"I'm really getting old because of Brother."

"If you get any older, I'll be the younger one."

"Haha."

"Did you just laugh, sis?"

"No, I didn't."

"You did, though… Anyway, Brother, don't cause any trouble when we get back to the company."

"Am I a child?"

Yujiewu couldn't bring herself to answer that.