Chapter 9
The hwando, the traditional Korean single-edged sword, was shorter and lighter than the Japanese sword commonly used by players. Because it produced relatively less force, there was a perception that its destructive power was weak. However, the Kang family insisted on the hwando. It wasn’t because the founder of the family respected the country’s culture but for practical reasons: The hwando was a good match for the Kang family’s martial arts.
Due to the short and light blade, the hwando’s center of gravity was at its hilt. This characteristic was leveraged to lethal effect with Kang-style sword-drawing, which was a technique that focused on extreme speed.
After finishing his meal, Jae-Hyeok climbed a nearby hill and started swinging his sword.
His hair stood up.
It felt different from usual.
He swung his hwando every day, but today, his movements felt especially sharp. It was a slight difference.
If he were to cut the same rock yesterday and today, the mark left today would be about two centimeters deeper.
If he conveyed this sentiment to players, they would definitely laugh. After all, raising their Strength by one point could achieve a much more potent effect. “Hahat.”
Still, Jae-Hyeok was elated.
Some things could only be felt because he was still unawakened.
This was the satisfaction of a small achievement earned through pain and hard work. It was a pleasure different from stats and System messages, and it was one that players could never experience again.
What a ridiculous thought to console myself. A hollow laugh escaped him. Of course, he knew that the pleasure of leveling up as a player would be much greater than this trivial achievement.
Jae-Hyeok didn’t look down on players—he wanted to be a powerful player more than anyone else. However, becoming just any player wasn’t enough. He needed great power from the moment he awakened to survive, and to achieve this, he had no choice. He had to postpone his awakening. Until then, he could only soothe his mind with the small improvements his training brought.
“Um.” Jae-Hyeok’s thoughts were disrupted, and turning his attention outward, he saw why. At some point, his surroundings had become noisy with other students. The area was hilly, and like Jae-Hyeok, other students had climbed up on the nearby hills and were training loudly.
There’s got to be a quieter place around here. Jae-Hyeok turned the swivel[1] on his sword belt and flipped his scabbard around, so the hilt now pointed behind him. He then rested his elbow on the hilt.
This was one of the reasons Jae-Hyeok liked the hwando. Its scabbard attached to the swivel on his sword belt and could be freely rotated. That way, he could draw his sword from any angle, which was a good fit for Jae-Hyeok, who trained for flexibility in any situation.
He went down the hill, repeatedly drawing his sword as he walked. He imagined an enemy before him; then he determined a blind spot where they couldn’t predict his sword draw’s timing.
“What is he doing?”
“Is he crazy?”
The students were stunned when they saw Jae-Hyeok walking along moonlit paths while drawing his sword. The killing intent in Jae-Hyeok’s eyes wasn't much different from a monster’s gaze.
……
Drawing his sword as he walked, Jae-Hyeok lost track of time, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the collapsed ruins of a castle.
Jae-Hyeok stopped, took in his surroundings curiously for a moment, then closed his eyes and expanded his senses, listening.
Everything was quiet.
Not even insects could be heard.
Perfect. It was precisely what he wanted.
Fifty meters beyond the ruins, Jae-Hyeok noticed a red line marking the grass, which indicated a danger zone. It felt rather eerie.
Is there a monster habitat back there? Jae-Hyeok wondered. Behind the red line, the forest was strangely dark and silent.
A place where moonlight couldn’t reach despite there being two moons… It felt like looking into the black maw of a giant monster.
Regardless, Jae-Hyeok liked the quietude of this place, and he would be safe so long as he didn’t cross the red line.
He entered the castle’s grounds. And—after picking his way through the rubble and around several half-collapsed walls—he eventually emerged onto a platform.
A… stage?
The area was so wide that he thought it was an open square at first. But on a closer look, he noticed that the platform was elevated. What looked like spectator seats ringed the space.
Behind the ruin and moss, it seemed like this place was once a colosseum.
Jae-Hyeok wandered to the center of the stage, when something caught his eye. “A… lion?”
At the south end of the arena, there was a structure like a triumphal arch, and above the crest of the gate, a stone lion’s head was mounted. Although cracked and moss-covered, the lion head still looked detailed and lifelike.
It wouldn’t be strange if the lion roared at him right now. “Eh, it’s only a head. It looks funny, not scary at all, hahaha… ” Jae-Hyeok laughed at the thought.
When Jae-Hyeok’s laughter faded, the silence was stark.
The old ruins cast strange shadows over the grass leading to the monster habitat.
There was a monster habitat behind him and a lion’s head in front, staring at him. Okay, maybe it’s a bit scary. It feels as if something dirty like a ghost will pop out… I’d rather fight and kill monsters… Jae-Hyeok contemplated returning the way he’d come. However, he shook his head.
He liked the flat stage. There were traces of destruction in several places, but there was no rubble to hinder his movements. Perhaps weathering had eventually cleared the area.
Jae-Hyeok had a brief staring contest with the lion head before he turned around. The lion’s eyes were just too realistic; although it was stone, the head felt alive. Besides, he thought it was dangerous to keep standing with his back toward the monster’s habitat.
As Jae-Hyeok walked toward the dark forest where monsters lurked, a cloud of dust lifted off the stage, carried by the wind. He read the air currents and didn’t bother holding his breath. As predicted, the dust cloud was carried in the direction of the dark forest.
His senses were extremely sharp. It was just like when he had his first real fight not long ago.
“Ah.”
Jae-Hyeok knew he had undergone a major transformation in the last few days. It started after he’d had a life-and-death battle with that intruder at his estate. Through that battle, Jae-Hyeok saw the results of his eight years of training. He’d proven to himself that his suffering hadn’t been for nothing, and it gave him confidence.
It was a necessary experience for a boy who had just embarked on his first journey. He had gained a self-image and spirit worthy of the body he’d honed alone all his life.
The seed had germinated.
On the stone platform, Jae-Hyeok swung his sword as if he were possessed. Two images were firmly rooted in his mind as he did.
A shouting girl who regarded his father with admiration.
An instructor who smiled sadly as he reminisced about Jae-Hyeok’s father.
These were the things that needed to be defended. In the future, he would nurture and spread those thoughts to others.
I’ll show everyone the truth.
Two days after leaving the small world of the Kang estate, Jae-Hyeok realized what filled his heart and mind went beyond confidence; it was conviction. He would achieve his goals no matter what.
Conviction made people strong.
Jae-Hyeok’s swings picked up speed.
Just then, a monster screamed from beyond the silent forest. The sound was ear-piercing, as if whatever made it wanted to jump out and eat Jae-Hyeok.
However, Jae-Hyeok didn’t stop swinging his sword. His footwork was swift as he twisted the blade and bent his waist, combining the different forms of sword-drawing into a single, cohesive technique.
His heightened senses informed him of the hesitation in the monster’s loud cries. It can’t cross the red line just like that… What bullshit, Jae-Hyeok thought, but then he blinked and froze.
A monster emerged from the dark treeline and simply jumped over the red line.
“Uh?” It strode towards Jae-Hyeok on the stage. Even from a distance, it was glaring as if it was going to eat him. The green-skinned, hulking figure wore crude armor and held a curved sword in one meaty fist.
An orc warrior.
The monster wasn’t E-class but D-class. It was an elite monster that commanded the ordinary orcs living in the forest.
What the hell is wrong with security these days…
Well, unlike the monster at the Kang estate, this time I’m inside a gate, so I guess it’s more understandable. Jae-Hyeok halted his practice and squared up toward the approaching orc.
As he waited, Jae-Hyeok checked his watch. “Huh? Wow, it’s already four in the morning, long past my bedtime.” He was surprised. He had thought it had only been ten minutes since he’d gotten here, but it had already been five hours...
Only then did he realize how tired he felt.
The monster arrived on the platform, radiating a thick killing intent.
Kieeeeeeek!
There was no way he could talk to the monster.
Weren’t orcs pig-headed?
Jae-Hyeok motioned for it to go away, but the orc warrior only raised its curved sword and rushed at him.
“Ah, that’s annoying.”
Jae-Hyeok dodged its first swing; the orc’s attack whistled by his face as he cut a half-circle around the monster.
It tried to raise its sword again, but Jae-Hyeok had already closed in and snapped out a punch. The orc’s head wobbled as Jae-Hyeok’s fist connected with its jaw. Then Jae-Hyeok followed with an elbow to its neck, and a sound like the squealing of a pig cut through the night.
The combat techniques of the Kang family were practical.
Jae-Hyeok tried to de-escalate the situation. “Now, you’re good, right? Let’s stop here and part ways.”
Kieeeeeeek!
“Oh well.”
In the end, Jae-Hyeok controlled himself and made a few more moves. He leaped up and stomped on the orc warrior’s knees, snapping them. Then he poked its eyes with his fingers.
Kuweeek!
“Oh no! I didn’t poke you too hard, did I? Hey, wake up, wake up! Please, you can’t die here… ” Jae-Hyeok grabbed the collar of the orc warrior, who was on the verge of fainting, and shook it hard. Then he saw more orcs emerging from the treeline, so he gave up and threw the orc captain in their direction.
“Take your captain and heal him well! If your captain dies, you die, understand?”
“K-kuweek… ”
As expected, the orcs’ response made no sense.
Still, they couldn’t have chased Jae-Hyeok if they wanted to. Their airborne captain had slammed into them, taking them down to the ground.
Thanks to this, Jae-Hyeok left the scene safely.
The stone lion head watched him from beginning to end.
1. The scabbard of a hwando is typically tied to the belt with a cord, using two rings attached to the scabbard and one or two swivels attached to the belt. This allows the sword to be worn both hilt-forward (when in close-quarters combat) and tip-forward (while not in combat). In the pictures here you can see the Gyeongbokgung palace guards wearing their hwando backward: https://pearlsandprose.com/2024/06/07/changing-of-the-guard-at-gyeongbokgung-palace/ ☜
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