Chapter 14 : Next Step

Chapter 14: Next Step

The five sword techniques in the Seven Star Sword Art were Heavy Sword, Soft Sword, Illusion Sword, Swift Sword, and Flying Sword.

Jang Woo-hyun identified the lacking aspects of the Seven Star Sword Art in the Martial Arts Repository and incorporated other martial arts into three of the sword techniques.

Naturally, the gift Hwang An had given him played a significant role.

For the Heavy Sword, he used the Silent Night Three Swords.

For the Soft Sword, he added the Three Wheels Sword Art.

Lastly, for the Swift Sword, he incorporated the Single-Heart Sword.

Although he didn’t have enough time to bring all five techniques, what he brought was more than satisfactory.

Lastly, he densely wrote down the technique for concealing power, Dispersing Mist Skill, on the back of the Six-Legged Horse King’s Step.

Dispersing Mist Skill couldn’t perfectly hide one’s strength, but it scattered internal energy, making one’s level appear lower by about one stage.

In other words, someone at the Master level would appear as a First-rate Martial Artist, and a First-rate Martial Artist would appear as a Second-rate Martial Artist.

He took out two secret manuals: the Six-Legged Horse King’s Step and the Seven Star Sword Art.

But in reality, Jang Woo-hyun had brought out one body protection technique, one basic martial arts manual, three sword techniques, and one internal energy concealment technique.

‘Rich. It’s truly rich.’

The desire to master martial arts allowed him to bring back as much as he could, and so, Jang Woo-hyun couldn’t help but grin broadly when he left the Martial Arts Repository.

From the day he left the Martial Arts Repository, his martial arts training began.

To master a sword technique, one must also learn the corresponding internal energy cultivation method and the footwork or movement techniques to match it.

Naturally, the sword techniques he brought out from the repository required the same.

While the basic internal energy utilization methods were written inside the manuals, they wouldn’t exhibit their true power with just that alone.

But for Jang Woo-hyun, this wasn’t an issue.

He felt he could use them as they were, and if he couldn’t, he could just modify them.

Just as he had improved the Tiger Form Sword.

Or he could extract only the necessary parts and integrate them into his original sword techniques.

His outstanding talent made this possible.

‘Let’s start with the Seven Star Sword Art.’

He began training with the four basic sword techniques, excluding the Flying Sword Technique, which was a throwing technique.

In two days, he mastered the basics of the Heavy Sword, Soft Sword, Illusion Sword, and Swift Sword, and immediately moved on to the advanced stages.

Silent Night Three Swords.

The Silent Night Three Swords, belonging to the Heavy Sword technique, was composed of three forms, or more precisely, three techniques.

Each form was a powerful, deadly strike, similar to the Mountain Lord Descends technique of the Tiger Form Sword.

Since it shared many similarities with the Tiger Form Sword, it was the quickest and easiest for him to master.

After mastering the Silent Night Three Swords, Jang Woo-hyun incorporated the Tiger Form Sword into it.

Next was the Three Wheels Sword Art.

The Three Wheels Sword Art, which fell under the Soft Sword category, was the most unique martial art.

The term “Three Wheels” referred to three circles.

The first form, called One Wheel or Small Wheel, involved drawing a small circle to neutralize or deflect the opponent’s attack.

It was like how Jang Woo-hyun had deflected the eight arrows during the special entrance exam.

The second form, called Two Wheels or Medium Wheel, involved drawing a larger circle.

It was large enough to encompass a person and was used to block or deflect broader or multiple attacks.

Lastly, the third form, called Three Wheels or Large Wheel.

This wasn’t drawn in front, but involved spinning the body while drawing the circle.

In other words, it was a circle drawn from an aerial view, with rotation adding power to the sword strike.

While its effectiveness in actual combat was uncertain, it was a unique form that combined offense and defense.

Using these three circles of varying sizes, the Three Wheels Sword Art gave birth to dozens of methods.

Lastly, the Single-Heart Sword.

Despite its name, which suggested it could cut through the heart, the Single-Heart Sword wasn’t a slashing technique but rather a thrusting technique, similar to the piercing techniques of the Pointed Spear Sword Art.

Technically, it was closer to the Flash Sword or Tip Sword than the Swift Sword.

Having experienced the speed and usefulness of targeting a single point when facing the Iron Armor Monkey, Jang Woo-hyun preferred the Single-Heart Sword over other swift sword techniques and chose to master it.

As he trained in these three sword techniques, countless new sword paths and techniques emerged.

The missing gaps were filled, and as he analyzed and dismantled the learned techniques, new ones formed in his mind, only to disappear again.

With each cycle, his skills improved, and the three sword techniques became even more refined.

On top of that was the Six-Legged Horse King’s Step.

Though not widely known, it was a technique deserving to be called a divine skill.

When the footwork and movement techniques were combined, it caused a terrifying synergy that greatly improved his abilities.

Thus, a month passed.

The time gained from defeating the Iron Armor Monkey and training was over, and Jang Woo-hyun had surpassed the level of a First-rate Martial Artist and reached the Master level.

‘Not enough.’

Though Jang Woo-hyun had grown at an astonishing rate, he still felt that it wasn’t enough.

He wanted to grow faster.

He needed more martial arts and more experience.

After training in the Dispersing Mist Skill for a month, Jang Woo-hyun left his residence.

Having devised a way to quickly accumulate merit points, he immediately sought out Hwang An.

“Jang hyung! Long time no see. Ah, should I call you Warrior Jang or Senior Jang now? It’s a shame; Jang hyung sounds much better. But you seem stronger now.”

Hwang An, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, was still talkative and still welcomed Jang Woo-hyun warmly.

“Let’s keep it casual.”

“Oh, really? Then how about we speak informally? We’re about the same age. When I saw you during the exam, Jang hyung… no, Warrior Jang, you were thirty. I’m twenty-nine.”

“Alright, let’s speak casually.”

“As expected! Jang hyung is straightforward! I’ll call you Jang hyung since it feels more natural. But what brings you here? Did you come for a drink?”

“No, I need you to gather some people.”

“People? What kind of people?”

“I’m going to carry out a special mission. I need suitable people for it.”

Hwang An’s eyes widened at the mention of a special mission.

In the Demon Extermination Sect, there were regular missions as well as special or autonomous missions.

Special missions could be voluntarily selected, but since they were mostly dangerous and difficult, few people took them on.

They were more of a formality than real missions.

Moreover, Jang Woo-hyun was asking to gather people for it.

Since warriors of a certain rank could temporarily lead small squads, Jang Woo-hyun, who had received a Platinum Token, seemed to be intending to use that authority.

It appeared that he was planning to gather people and properly execute a special mission.

“What kind of people are you looking for?”

At Hwang An’s question, Jang Woo-hyun pointed to the sky with his finger.

“People with the desire to rise higher.”

Hwang An, who had some knowledge of the members of the Demon Extermination Sect, was going to use his abilities to their fullest.

The leader of the Demon Extermination Sect could temporarily operate a squad.

At most, he could mobilize two with Gold Tokens, five with Silver Tokens, and twenty with Bronze Tokens.

However, Jang Woo-hyun wasn’t planning to fill that quota.

Since special missions emphasized autonomy, accepting just anyone would lead to people abandoning the mission midway.

Therefore, he had to be selective.

In just one day, Hwang An gathered four warriors.

There were no Gold Token holders, only four with Silver Tokens.

As they walked with the gathered warriors, Hwang An began explaining.

The first introduction was of a man in his mid-twenties, short in stature, and carrying a sword.

“Silver Token Warrior Kwak Dong-ha. He’s determined and will do whatever it takes to rise higher. For a Silver Token holder, he’s quite skilled, young, and talented.”

Next were twin brothers who looked identical.

“The Seon Chan and Seon Min brothers. They’ve just earned their Silver Tokens. While they may be slightly lacking in skill, they’re full of fierce determination. They lost their family to the remnants of the Thousand Demon Sect, which led them to join the Demon Extermination Sect. They have a burning desire for revenge, and they want to grow stronger for that purpose.”

The last one was Silver Token Warrior Ma Choong-won, whom they had met during the previous mission.

“You know Senior Ma Choong-won, right? A former hunter known for his excellent tracking skills and instincts. He more than pulls his weight.”

“These are the four who meet your criteria and would be helpful. There are a few other skilled people, but they were hesitant about the special mission. Some were already out on other missions.”

Listening to the explanation, Jang Woo-hyun approached the four waiting warriors.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jang Woo-hyun.”

Though they were of lower rank, Jang Woo-hyun slightly bowed his head as a greeting.

Seeing this, Hwang An also bowed his head, and the others followed suit.

“We heard that the famed ‘Monkey Slayer’ is doing a special mission, but what exactly is it? They didn’t tell us anything. I haven’t agreed to anything yet. If it’s something ridiculous, I’m out.”

The moment the greetings ended, Kwak Dong-ha, who stood in a defiant posture, immediately asked.

“We’re curious too. What mission are we doing, and why did you ask for people who want to rise higher?”

Seon Chan, the twin with a large scar on his cheek, asked.

The Seon brothers had volunteered when they heard that people who wanted to rise higher were being sought.

Ma Choong-won was also curious.

He had come out of curiosity, having heard that the most famous figure in the Demon Extermination Sect, Jang Woo-hyun, was taking on a mission, but he hadn’t yet made up his mind.

“What we’ll be doing is…”

He paused to draw everyone’s attention, then looked around at all their faces before continuing.

“We’re going to hunt the Five Monsters.”

“Shit…”

“What the…”

The reactions varied.

Some were shocked, some expressed their frustration, and some cursed.

No one in the Demon Extermination Sect would react any differently upon hearing those words.

The Five Monsters of the Thousand Demon Sect.

They were the most troublesome and powerful remnants of the Thousand Demon Sect.

One had already been killed, leaving only four, but they were still targets that the Demon Extermination Sect had to eliminate.

The reason they remained at the top of the Demon Extermination Sect’s assassination list was simple.

The Five Monsters were strong.

They either possessed exceptional skills or commanded powerful monsters, making them too formidable for Gold Token holders or even the average squad leader.

It would require a master at the highest level of the Demon Extermination Sect, or at least someone close, to capture them.

Attempting to hunt down those monsters with only four Silver Token holders and one Platinum Token holder seemed ridiculous, so their reactions were only natural.

“Are you out of your mind? The Five Monsters aren’t some child’s play! I know you’re strong, but this is impossible.”

“Jang hyung, even for you, the Five Monsters are too much. They’re no ordinary group. Even if they were based somewhere other than a remote place like Qinghai Province, they would still be feared.”

Kwak Dong-ha and Hwang An both voiced their strong opposition, clearly agitated, but Ma Choong-won, the most experienced, remained calm.

“Warrior Jang, do you believe this is possible?”

“Please, feel free to speak casually.”

Though Jang Woo-hyun was both more skilled and held a higher rank, he felt uncomfortable having someone much older address him formally.

Ma Choong-won shook his head.

“There are rules in the sect, so I must follow them. And besides, this is how I’m comfortable. Let me ask you again, do you truly believe it’s possible?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

Then he looked around, making eye contact with everyone.

“You asked if we can do it. It’s definitely possible. Who would have predicted that I’d single-handedly take down the Iron Armor Monkey? Naturally, this is possible too.”

His confidence was overwhelming.

It didn’t come off as excessive or arrogant.

Everyone had the same thought at that moment: if it’s Jang Woo-hyun, it might be possible.

They almost impulsively agreed to join him, but quickly regained their composure and assessed the situation rationally.

The Five Monsters were no easy opponents.

One wrong move and they might never return to the Demon Extermination Sect.

Just as everyone was deep in thought, Jang Woo-hyun prepared to give them the final push.

“What I’m about to show you is a secret.”

While the others were puzzled, Jang Woo-hyun unleashed his aura.

A wave of energy spread from him.

It wasn’t the same as what he had shown before.

“Huh?”

“…Was he hiding his true strength?”

The most surprised was Kwak Dong-ha.

Having met Jang Woo-hyun for the first time today, he had been disappointed, thinking his strength wasn’t that impressive, and that defeating the Iron Armor Monkey was just luck.

But that wasn’t the case.

Seeing what Jang Woo-hyun was displaying now, Kwak Dong-ha began to lean toward believing this mission might actually be possible.

And the others felt the same way.