## Chapter 9
On that day, Jin Baekcheon, the leader of the Murim Alliance, spoke.
“To act with chivalry through martial arts. That's right, that's what we've been doing.”
It was a small book brought by people from another world, claiming such things existed. They called it a martial arts novel and said the world within the novel was similar to ours.
“Then, as the first visitor to the Murim and the current leader of the Murim Alliance, I declare.”
We are no longer the ruffians of Dosan Sword Forest who just know how to swing a sword.
"We will truly become chivalrous people who practice chivalry through martial arts. In this world."
Saying so, the leader smiled faintly, like a child who had found a beautiful glass marble.
- Records of the Martial Chivalry Alliance, Chapter of the 1st Leader Jin Baekcheon.
* * *
The clear fighting spirit emanating from him was clearly directed at Yeon-woo. It wasn't an attempt to probe whether he had eaten the dragon's core. His fighting spirit had been surging even before that story came out.
In other words, this guy would have requested a spar with Yeon-woo no matter what.
It was a bit strange even considering Namgung Seong's original personality. For him, Yeon-woo was nothing more than a insignificant existence, comparable to a bug.
Fighting spirit is something that boils up only towards opponents who are similar or superior to oneself.
"It's a bit awkward to just stand here after coming all this way."
“Ah, this is the training room that Namgung boasts about. You won't lose out.”
His sharp, golden eyes gleamed. It was well known that people from the Murim background were aggressive, but Namgung Seong was particularly outstanding among them.
It's all for the best. His eyes are a bit scary, but I'll gain something from it anyway.
[Are you, a dragon, going to be pecked by a bird?]
Shar's sarcastic cheer echoed in his head... Just as she said! Yeon-woo narrowed his eyes as fiercely as the other guy and, maintaining a nonchalant attitude, approached the weapons hanging on the wall.
“I didn't bring one. Can I borrow one?”
“Take one. I'm the one who wants to spar, and it's not like I have anything else to give you. I'll give you that much.”
“Really? If I'm going to give back as much as I receive, I'll have to go all out.”
“Don't exaggerate.”
At that, Namgung Seong chuckled and picked up a wooden sword from the opposite side. With its ornate engravings, it was probably his personal one.
Watching him, Yeon-woo also picked up a wooden sword. Although he had used a spear in the future due to the limitations of being an unsuitable one, until then, Yeon-woo's preferred subject had been swordsmanship.
If asked which he was more proficient in, it would be the spear, but the direction of his current muscle development was different from his previous life, making it difficult to handle the spear as aggressively as before.
There was a limit to covering his current physical condition with magic power, so it was better to use the sword that his body was familiar with for now.
“A sword...”
Namgung Seong laughed as he saw Yeon-woo pick up the sword. It was a laugh as if he knew something.
Although Namgung was a prestigious family of swordsmen, it wasn't that he found it ridiculous for Yeon-woo to challenge him with swordsmanship. He wasn't that arrogant.
His blazing eagle eyes glared at Yeon-woo. A gaze like a bird of prey watching a rabbit running on the ground.
Is this what prey feels? It was much less than Dragon Fear, but an unfamiliar pressure ran through his entire body. It meant he was entering combat readiness.
‘It's tingling.’
At that age, it was a talent to be able to emit such an aura without showing any emotion on his face. Even more so if that aura contained no anger or killing intent, but only pure fighting spirit. It wasn't an ability a fifteen-year-old should possess.
[Dad is like a pervert...]
No, what's that all of a sudden?
Just as he was about to say that, Yeon-woo realized his body was trembling and, thinking it was a valid point, just shrugged his shoulders.
It wasn't because he was afraid, but because he was feeling joy at being able to fight Namgung Seong at full strength. In his previous life, even if Namgung Seong fought without magic power, he would have lost. What about now? At least at a point where comparison was possible, the situation was better than before his regression.
“Haha.”
“What am I supposed to be if you laugh there?”
It must have been a trick to make him freeze with the difference in skill, but he didn't fall for it. Even though he spoke as if he was grumbling, he laughed as if that was how it should be.
“It'll be just right to warm up, then… Go!!”
The school uniform wasn't a hindrance. It was a uniform with a certain degree of defense and auxiliary magic engraved on it, as one never knew when or where a gate or monster might appear.
Namgung Seong's body lurched forward, almost as if he was lying on the ground. His right hand, raised to his waist, was hidden by his outstretched wings. The white mass shot forward like a bullet.
Yeon-woo felt an indescribable emotion at the sight. A posture that devoted everything to moving forward. A hunting bird, swooping down to the ground, hiding its claws.
If that were to be imitated in human form, it would look like that. It was a skill that could only be used with wings.
However, it couldn't escape Yeon-woo's eyes in the end. A sky-blue color flickered. Right, no, left. He must have switched his grip under the wing, right? He hurriedly moved the sword he was extending for defense to the left.
Clang!!
With a refreshing striking sound, the wooden swords collided and bounced off each other. It was Yeon-woo who was pushed back, dragging his feet. However, Namgung Seong also seemed quite surprised.
A strange light flickered in Namgung Seong's eyes. He blocked it? It was a trick that even the adults of the family fell for at least once. A trick he used often and could use skillfully.
The only ones who could see through it and block it at first glance were his father and grandfather. He had intended to gauge Yeon-woo's ability without using Namgung's swordsmanship, but this development was still surprising.
‘He's better than expected.’
Of course, he didn't think he would lose. The difference in basic abilities, in other words, the difference in weight class, was too great. He circulated his internal energy through his once-stopped body and shifted his center of gravity. A two-step dash without delay. He propelled his body like a bowstring, shooting forward.
If secret martial arts could reproduce the appearance of the ecosystem, there were also realms beyond the ecosystem. He didn't often show it, but it should be fine since he wasn't showing the secret techniques of the family.
What kind of response would he show this time? With such anticipation, Namgung Seong looked straight ahead, and something suddenly popped out.
A straightly extended sword tip. It was aiming for his head without any hesitation.
“...Are you crazy, you bastard!”
Mutual destruction... No, it was a way of giving flesh to take bone. If he struck with all his might, he might be able to break one or two of Yeon-woo's ribs, but conversely, if he maintained this posture and speed, he would smash his head against the sword tip and die.
It was a move that was only possible in a spar because even Yeon-woo wouldn't be able to escape death if it were a real battle.
Only two moves since the start. It was too drastic to pull out after only two moves, but in terms of the absolute value of the damage, it was a rational game of chicken. Namgung Seong let out a hollow laugh because it seemed like Yeon-woo's words about going all out weren't a lie.
The thought that it was dirty briefly crossed his mind, but he shook his head to dispel it. A killing move was a powerful weapon for the weak, even more so than for the strong. If he called this dirty, what would he say about the Tang Clan's poison and how would he avoid it?
Whoosh!!
Two wings, each as large as Namgung Seong's height, spread out at the same time. Gently mitigating the momentum of his run, Namgung Seong's body rose into the air.
“...Haha, did you expect me to come out like this!? Have you ever fought a birdman somewhere!!?”
Meanwhile, Yeon-woo, who had caught his breath, rushed towards Namgung Seong. Although he was floating in the air, he had used his wings to brake. He couldn't fly any higher than that, and he wouldn't. Then he was within range of the sword.
“You can't... escape into the air anymore!!”
His eyes crinkled in a refreshing smile. Namgung Seong, who was tightly gripping the sword with both hands above his head, folded his wings in an instant. Namgung Seong's body seemed as heavy as a rock. A glimpse of sky-blue magic power gathering in his lower body caught his eye.
'Thousand-Pound Drop...!'
The weight of a birdman was relatively light compared to a human of the same height. It was only relatively light, not actually hollow like a real bird, but it was definitely lighter than a human of the same height and volume.
That's why he had tried to go on the offensive. He had judged that if he simply struck down, he could block and deflect it without any problems.
However, he hadn't expected him to be able to use Thousand-Pound Drop so skillfully at this age, so if he wanted to take the offensive, he had to dodge this one instead of blocking it.
He ignored the inertia and forcefully pulled himself out of the trajectory. The power of the wooden sword that grazed his skin was intense. If he had been hit, he would have been knocked unconscious in one shot.
Since there were many accidents and incidents in the process of raising Hunters, who were combat professionals, the academy's medical facilities were also transcendental, but what about the wounds from such a powerful blow that would make one pee their pants?
As a heavy sword strike that embodied the principles of Thousand-Pound Drop, Namgung Seong's opening was greatly exposed. He had at most 1 second of leeway.
It was a bit too short to strike down in his usual posture. It was more than enough time for him to adjust his stance after striking the ground and switch to defense.
“Hup.”
Therefore, Yeon-woo took a breath.
Namgung Seong was puzzled by the sound. Was he scared while dodging the downward strike? That couldn't be. Although it was a bit strange to call it a compliment, he had a very good sense of sensing deadly situations.
At the critical moment, he crossed the dangerous line countless times as if walking on a knife's edge.
There was no way that a guy who made life-or-death gambles with a detached look, as if he had been through hell for years, would be intimidated by a blow that he could naturally dodge.
‘Then what is that breathing sound?’
