novelburst-info
Chapter 260
Chapter 260
Mark 2 drew a sword from its waist.
It was a nondescript ash-gray iron sword.
The moment the imposter, who bore the appearance of the Silent Swordsman, drew a blade resembling the Murderous Sword, it was as if a Silent Swordsman had leapt out of Half-Demon Valley.
Ha Eung Eung’s sword was different.
The thickness, the length, even the way it was held.
But the atmosphere was the same.
Mark 2 acknowledged it.
There was indeed something extraordinary about the original.
Swish.
Mark 2’s claim that it had learned 13 martial arts through Half-Demon Valley’s gameplay data wasn’t an empty boast.
With short steps, barely a half-step apart, and broad strides taken every three steps, the dual-step technique flowed seamlessly, controlling both retreat and advance effortlessly.
Swish!
With each step, the sword followed.
Like the wind following its natural course, this side-step was the essence of both the dual-step and dual-sword techniques.
Only after reaching a top-tier level could one naturally replicate their original techniques.
Boom!
The sound of the ground vibrating, louder than the sound of the sword clashing, resonated.
Those who couldn’t raise their Qi would be overwhelmed by the momentum, forced to retreat and fall prey to a thrust at the same time.
A technique connecting from the sharp swordsmanship of a lower-tier fighter.
‘He has an exceptional understanding of martial arts, capable of connecting techniques from different styles.’
If one were to haphazardly connect techniques, they would lose the intricacy and power, and gaps would appear.
But Mark 2 made no such mistakes.
The steps were bold, yet the swordplay remained simple.
It integrated footwork with swordplay, blending momentum with power seamlessly.
‘In contrast, Dashman, who was caught off guard and forced into defense, is clearly on a different level.’
Dashman wasn’t an easy opponent either.
He proved himself in the previous Martial Arts Tournament.
But compared to Mark 2, Dashman was an amateur.
Swish, swish! Swish!
The difference in skill was measurable.
Five sword strikes without a breath between them.
Now, it was a difference of two moves.
‘Mark 2’s fighting is beyond B-class top awakening level. It could even rival a lower-tier A-class fighter.’
Its fighting prowess could match or surpass the most elite B-class fighters, and in terms of combat power, it was close to being comparable to legendary figures from Half-Demon Valley or reborn knightly warriors.
Kaang!
There were many things to praise.
But if Mark 2 wasn’t created to imitate the Silent Swordsman’s strength, perhaps things would be different.
[Do you not know how to handle Qi?]
“Negative. This strike will be different.”
With a strong attack, Ha Eung Eung’s sword was pushed back.
She casually held up her notebook, exuding confidence, and Mark 2’s eyes burned with fury as it lunged forward.
Ha Eung Eung waited.
She was certain.
No matter what martial art she displayed, if Mark 2’s martial arts were simply reproducing her own techniques, it wouldn’t surpass her expectations.
<Flash Beam of the Eyes>
It wasn’t a metaphor; her eyes truly emitted beams of light.
As the sudden blinding light hit, Ha Eung Eung squinted and shielded her eyes with one hand, just as Mark 2’s new form accelerated.
‘Is this Qi manipulation?’
For a moment, Ha Eung Eung thought so.
But it was different.
Mark 2’s Qi manipulation was only for acceleration.
There was a limit to the range it could operate in.
It was like a train that couldn’t go off the tracks.
‘It’s a half-baked martial art.’
It had pushed its potential to the limit.
This was Mark 2’s limit.
Clang!
Though there were variables like the weighty destructive power, acceleration, and flash function, it was not enough to close the gap in skill between them.
[You’ve engraved specific circuits in your body to catch up to my Qi manipulation, haven’t you? To obtain the acceleration effect, you’ve had to use a fixed path to channel your Qi.]
“Affirmative. Dr. Johann used a shortcut to manifest the effects of Mana-Flow techniques based on the sensory link analysis.”
[You’ve made your body heavier, haven’t you? To compensate for the enhanced effects.]
To gain speed, you’ve carved the path of Qi, and to gain power, you’ve made your body heavier. For the flash effect, you’ve attached that functionality.
If you were to name it, it might be called Dr. Johann’s Mecha-Homunculus Swordsmanship.
“Question. Has Mark 2’s martial arts been effective?”
[With that level of skill, you couldn’t even make a scratch on me.]
“….”
[But one thing wasn’t bad.]
“Curiosity. What martial art is it?”
[The martial art you didn’t learn from me but reinterpreted in your own way. Mecha-Homunculus Swordsmanship: Flash Style.]
“Disbelief. Dr. Johann is a person worthy of respect, but I can’t understand why he created a function just because it looked cool when it emitted light.”
So that was the reason it was created.
She felt a little deflated.
[It wasn’t about style. That martial art was adapted to your body, not mine.]
[Martial arts are combat techniques made using one’s own body. To surpass human limits, you must first realize your own limitations and then go beyond them.]
[Though your metal body and Mana circuits were lacking, the flash function definitely surpassed its limits.]
Mark 2 gave a sullen expression, unable to fully grasp it, but that was the reality.
[The strength of the Silent Swordsman. Don’t get hung up on my strength.]
[Every person’s body is different, and each has its own unique way of using martial arts.]
A person with long arms can use the range to their advantage.
A person with fast feet excels in footwork battles.
[You... are simply someone with a shining physique. There’s a fighting style suited to you.]
It was an odd constitution that had never existed in the long history of the Martial Arts World.
Attacking the ‘eyes’ that perceive the opponent, and disrupting the ability to perceive an attack with both eyes, this was an unexpectedly powerful restriction for martial artists.
[All attempts to be like me never put me in a tight spot.]
[Only that playful function caught me off guard.]
[Don’t forget that.]
Ha Eung Eung gave her second lesson.
The indomitable will.
An equally important creed.
[In the vast ocean of martial arts, some styles may serve as guideposts, but they should never be the finish line.]
[Even if the Silent Swordsman’s swordsmanship and Dr. Johann’s techniques become your guideposts and weapons, they should never become your entirety.]
As long as Mark 2 remembers this, one day it will become much stronger than it is now.
Mark 2 stared at Ha Eung Eung’s face for a moment before lowering its head.
“Thank you. Mark 2 shows respect for the original’s teachings.”
The teaching had ended.
The battlefield was now almost cleared.
“Min Woo-sung, I’m never doing anything he says again.”
“I agree.”
Gashi Ingan and Dashman.
They had miraculously survived.
Thanks to Ha Eung Eung’s intervention, Dashman caught his breath, and Gashi Ingan owed his survival to Ju A-young’s help.
The tide had turned in an instant.
The awakened ones were swiftly subdued.
The Dark-Circle Man didn’t fight back but raised his hands to signal that he had no intention to continue fighting.
“Such troublesome old men.”
“…I really owe you one this time.”
As Min Woo-sung approached to thank them, Ju A-young took a step back.
“A-young?”
“Let’s keep this distance. I don’t want to be in your strange range of techniques, Woo-sung.”
“!!”
Ha Eung Eung’s apprentice, who had learned from her every day.
Ju A-young had now developed a keen sense of Qi.
Her heightened perception was not only focused on Min Woo-sung but on everyone around her.
“Ha Eung Eung. What’s your intention behind using your subordinates to attack us? Was it to kill Mark 2, who was created to uncover your own strength?”
From the Dark-Circle Man’s perspective, the timing of Min Woo-sung and Gashi Ingan’s attack was too coincidental.
It was hard not to think that the attack had been planned from the start when it occurred while Mark 2 was being transported.
“Fear. Has Mark 2 become a meerkat?”
“Eh? Two…?”
The Dark-Circle Man’s face showed a faint flicker of emotion.
“You didn’t even tell your subordinates the truth. I see. The Silent Swordsman of Half-Demon Valley. That cruel hand is no different in reality. You were planning to kill us all.”
Dashman and Gashi Ingan turned to Min Woo-sung with shocked expressions.
“Was it the Guildmaster?”
“Not really?”
“Is that really possible? Don’t fall for the enemy’s nonsense.”
Ju A-young didn’t like Min Woo-sung’s indifferent attitude.
The satisfaction of knowing her sister wasn’t a bad person and the discomfort of believing her sister was seriously targeting them.
Min Woo-sung kept provoking her emotions.
But he knew he could handle it later.
The center of everyone’s attention had already shifted to the doppelganger of the Silent Swordsman—Mark 2.
[What kind of organization you are doesn’t concern me. I won’t ask about your connection to Dr. Johann the Second, who created Mark 2.]
Their target was the villainous organization, the Black Legion, which had publicly announced the criminal facilities of the Teen Guild.
Having faced not just righteous sects but also evil sects, the Black Sect, and other dark organizations, Ha Eung Eung didn’t see why such a secret organization would be worth killing.
[But I can’t let Mark 2 go.]
“We are just one of the many lower-tier organizations. Taking Mark 2 means becoming an enemy of the organization. Do you truly think you won’t regret it?”
The Dark-Circle Man wasn’t afraid despite witnessing Ha Eung Eung’s strength.
Min Woo-sung issued a warning.
“Guildmaster, the organization he speaks of is a secret faction behind the Association.”
Turning them into enemies would be too dangerous.
Having already made the Teen Guild an enemy, increasing the number of enemies wouldn’t benefit her.
[You still don’t understand me, do you?]
[Do you think I’m afraid of that?]
Min Woo-sung gave a wry smile.
The Dark-Circle Man hesitated to fight back and failed to catch Ha Eung Eung’s attention.
Her focus was entirely on Mark 2.
[Mark 2. Your upbringing isn’t ideal.]
“Negative. Mark 2 is not a baby. Don’t treat me like a baby archer.”
[How long has it been since you were created?]
“Calculation. It has been just under nine months.”
[Then you are nine months old. We call someone nine months old a baby.]
The impersonator, with the face of the Silent Swordsman, being called a baby—this bizarre combination left everyone confused.
[The baby must be protected.]
Ha Eung Eung recalled her past through Mark 2.
Just like the elders of the sect extended their hand to her when she fell to the Blood Cult, she too reached out to Mark 2, who resembled her past self.
[Follow me.]
[I will be your protector.]
Mark 2 tilted its head.
According to its learned data, there was a specific term used when referring to the Silent Swordsman in such situations.
“Mother Swordsman?”
“…….”
The eyes of the people around them grew even more peculiar.