‘!?’
Silence fell inside the prison cell.
Mumu’s words shocked everyone inside. The headmaster and the deputy, in particular, were too shocked and became unable to process what had just happened.
They knew that Mumu possessed incomprehensible strength.
They also thought that Mumu’s future would be amazing as he continued to grow.
‘You, you…’
Deputy Dan Pil-hoo felt his brain becoming overloaded with everything that was happening.
Mumu’s opponent was none other than one of the Four Great Warriors, someone considered to be one of the best martial artists in the world.
The East River Sword Star, Shin Eui-gyeom. The man who was called the best swordsman in the world.
Was it a sane idea to try and stop a man at the sword’s supreme peak with just raw strength?
‘No. This man…’
Attempting to go against Shin Eui-gyeom was no different than asking for death.
He was a different kind of monster.
At that moment, the headmaster came forward in a hurry.
“Great warrior. This child has been living in the mountains with his father for a long time and is still learning about the murim. It is because he doesn’t know anything, so please forgive him.”
Dan Pil-hoo, too, joined in.
“Mumu! What kind of disrespect is this to the great warrior?! Get out of here right now!”
And he then turned to Shin Eui-gyeom and said,
“Great warrior. I am sorry. You may be offended by this child’s rudeness, but by nature, the child is really kind. This is the child who tried his best to clear the accusation against Hong Hye-ryong and was the one who found the culprit who harmed student Young Chun, so please understand.”
Dan Pil-hoo included Mumu’s achievements in his words to make sure that the boy looked appealing to Shin Eui-gyeom so that he would understand.
At those words from the deputy, Shin Eui-gyeom looked at Mumu.
‘This child caught the real culprit?’
He was puzzled as his disciple, Young Gadong, came forward.
“Master. This child indeed contributed to catching the real criminal, as the deputy said. He is the one who stopped me from making a mistake, so how about we forgive him this time?”
After saying those words, Young Gadong looked at Mumu and shook his head. It was a clear sign telling the boy to stop being rude.
‘I can only help you one time.’
He didn’t like Mumu either, in all honesty.
However, if Mumu hadn’t stopped him in the past, his master would now be caught in a plan that the true culprits had set up.
In return, he would defend Mumu this one time.
“I do not know what you’re talking about with the criminal, but back off now. From now on, it is the task of our sect.”
Young Gadong said this to Mumu.
It was a warning that he shouldn’t push his luck.
Everyone had come up to try and defend him, so they thought that surely Mumu wouldn’t push the subject any further.
“Uh… I am sorry, but I cannot do that.”
‘!?’
At this, everyone else’s expressions became stiff. In an instant, Mumu had just shattered their hard work.
They had barely managed to paper over the cracks, but he had gone and left an even deeper one.
Why was he doing this?
While everyone else was shocked, Shin Eui-gyeom opened his mouth.
“Everyone said you caught this one, so if you quietly step back now, I will act like I didn’t hear what you just said.”
‘Ahhh.’
Contrary to their expectations, Shin Eui-gyeom showed mercy.
In consideration, the deputy hurriedly approached Mumu to take him out of the cell.
“Act in moderation. He is one of the Four Great Warriors. He is one of the four strongest people in murim. So, for this one time…”
“Sorry.”
“No. Why are you doing this…”
Before his words even finished.
“You are a stubborn kid.”
Shh!
Shin Eui-gyeom made a light gesture. In an instant, Mumu’s body was pushed back into the wall.
Kwaang!
“G-great warrior!”
Mumu’s body dug into the wall constructed of black iron, shocking everyone.
How strong was his internal energy to push someone into that wall and even make it dig in?
‘… this makes no sense.’
‘He has become stronger than 17 years ago.’
The headmaster had experienced this man’s strength then, and so did Dan Pil-hoo. Both were shocked at this growth.
A monster who didn’t even need to move to take down an opponent?
His strength was much more than his title implied.
Mumu, who had been pushed into the wall, squirmed. Seeing this, Shin Eui-gyeom’s eyes narrowed.
‘Umm.’
He had no intention of killing the child, so he used just enough energy to stop his movement. However, the child seemed quite skillful since he could still move.
The energy he could feel from the child was just of a second-rate warrior. But he was still able to move?
‘Is it strength?’
As he observed Mumu’s body, he realized that Mumu had concentrated more on building his muscles. The thickness of his muscles was to the extent that no warrior would willingly train.
‘An unusual body.’
Shin Eui-gyeom thought that Mumu’s body was wonderful.
But that was all.
‘It will hurt a little.’
He would have ended it at this point if the child had stayed still. However, his body was strong, so Shin Eui-gyeom felt that he needed to use more energy to stop him from moving.
So he reached out his hand towards Mumu.
And at that moment.
Gugugug!
Mumu’s body began to dig deeper into the wall, causing the cracks to expand and collapse. With that amount of force, Mumu’s body began to dig deeper into the wall behind the first wall.
Kwakwakwang!
“M-Mumu!”
Dan Pil-hoo shouted and tried to run for him, but…
“Leave him be. He will not die.”
Shin Eui-gyeom said calmly.
“B-But….”
“It is fine.”
The black iron wall was thoroughly crushed, but Mumu didn’t even cough blood or contort his face. Shin Eui-gyeom thought the boy might have passed out but was probably unhurt.
“Now, let’s go back to talking again.”
Shin Eui-gyeom turned his head and approached Kang Mui.
‘… a monster!’
Kang Mui felt fear at the sight of this man.
One of the Four Great Warriors who had defeated his father and was called the best in the world.
At first glance, he thought that the four of them didn’t seem to be that strong. However, he had made a mistake.
This man could probably deal with his father alone now.
‘Damn it…’
In this way, it seemed like the plot he had planned for had utterly vanished. Unlike the others, Kang Mui was the first person to see this monster.
He couldn’t imagine going against this man.
‘If I use this, will I be able to get out of the hands of this monster?’
He had one last card to use.
Among the six weapons that possessed a will, one was considered unique and alien. As with the case of any of the six weapons, no one could deal with that one easily.
But Kang Mui had managed to make that one his own.
He thought that he would be able to go against this monster with that in his hands.
‘Should I use the Third Spirit Beast?’
However, even if he used it, would he be able to handle this fight?
But there was no other way. It felt like all his expectations were already shattered.
Krik!
At that time, a sound made everyone turn their eyes.
All eyes turned to one point, towards the hole created due to Shin Eui-gyeom’s forceful suppression of Mumu.
-Kirrrik!
Kang Mui’s eyes narrowed at that sound.
‘This sound….’
That was the sound of something being turned. Those things that Mumu wore…
So he didn’t faint?
And then came a familiar voice.
“… it is shocking. Was energy something which could be used this way?”
‘!?’
At the sound of Mumu’s voice, the disciples of the East River Sword Star changed their expressions.
‘No!’
Despite so much energy being used to pressure his body, that boy retained his consciousness.
In actuality, that amount of power would cost normal people their lives too. Yet, that voice was undoubtedly that child’s voice.
‘…he is really something.’
Shin Eui-gyeom took a light breath and turned around. Apparently, this Mumu was a lot more surprising than he thought.
He could endure that amount of energy.
-Kiik! Bulge!
Swish!
Shin Eui-gyeom narrowed his eyes as he looked at the hole. What was this sound that was coming from inside?
Flinch!
At the same time, his eyes widened in shock. This feeling, this sense of intimidation coming from the hole, felt so different.
Should he say it felt rawer?
The energy made his five senses become much more alert. This, too, was something he had once learned to overcome.
‘This, what is this…’
‘This weird sense of intimidation….’
They were the only ones who noticed it.
Those inside the prison who knew something about martial arts could feel the intensity of this situation.
Step,
As they heard footsteps from inside the hole, Shin Eui-gyeom raised his hand again.
Pak! Paaaak!
Unlike before, a strong wind began to rise inside the cell, causing the dust on the ground to fly up. Even though the force was obvious, everyone there could feel it.
‘T-this power?’
‘Is he going to kill the child?’
‘Master?’
Everyone became puzzled as they could no longer understand the situation.
But…
Clench!
The sound still continued despite this amount of force.
‘This?’
‘No!’
It was rough, but it was definitely the sound of footsteps.
Although the source was invisible to the naked eye due to the dust, Shin Eui-gyeom’s eyes pierced through the dust and saw the walking form.
With each step that it took, the floor was dug deep.
‘…what amazing stubbornness.’
That strength was enough to make everyone bite their lips.
Swish!
A being whose body was blackened with vapor released from its surface came out from the hole.
Mumu.
Everyone became shocked as they saw Mumu.
‘!?’
What were this bizarre appearance and sense of intimidation that Mumu was releasing to everyone here?
It was like they were seeing something inhuman.
‘Does this mean that he didn’t die?’
Young Gadon, who was skilled in his own right, was shocked at Mumu’s appearance. He had already been shocked a couple of days ago by Mumu’s strength when the boy had managed to block sword energy with his bare hands.
This made his skin crawl in fear, as Mumu said.
“If I ask you to not touch Kang Mui, you will not follow, right?”
At Mumu’s words, Shin Eui-gyeom did not reply. Instead, he lowered his hand and immediately joined his index and middle finger.
An intensely sharp energy manifested itself in the form of a sword.
‘Sword God’s One Hit!’
Shin Eui-gyeom, who had reached the highest level of the sword, didn’t even need a sword. Because now, he himself was the sword.
And he was now pointed towards Mumu.
“So it wasn’t a bluff when you said you would stop me.”
“You are the toughest person I have seen till now.”
A dazzling energy shone around Shin Eui-gyeom’s body.
It felt like this entire area was being brought under his control. Mumu instinctively decided it would be a massive problem if the opponent got the first attack.
And that was the correct conclusion.
Sh!
Shin Eui-gyeom stretched his hand out toward Mumu.
At that moment, a sharp, yet invisible, feeling flew towards Mumu.
Chak!
Everyone felt like they had fallen into an illusion as this invisible force in the form of a sword flew toward the boy.
At that moment, Mumu flicked his finger forward.
Pang!
And something amazing happened.
A loud ripping sound exploded between the two of them.
-crack! Bang!
The ceiling and the floor broke and crumbled.
‘!!!!’
Everyone who saw this watched with their mouths agape.
The sword Shin Eui-gyeom used was the highest level a martial artist could reach.
‘And he blocked the invisible sword?’
Even Shin Eui-gyeom’s calm expression had now disappeared. His eyes were now wary.
He thought he would have no more opponents apart from the Four Great Warriors.
And today, he felt something he hadn’t felt in a very long time.
How could he get this feeling in a fight against a 17-year-old?
Shin Eui-gyeom’s lips twitched.
‘Interesting.’
He was now focused on Mumu alone.
It could be said that most of the Four Great Warriors were crazy about martial arts. Shin Eui-gyeom felt that Mumu was the most interesting thing he had encountered.
“This place is cramped.”
“Uh?”
“Hard to move. Like a wooden…box.”
‘!?’
Young Gadong and Young Chuseo were shocked at Shin Eui-gyeom’s words.
It was the first time they heard their master say something like this, as he never had areason to touch his weapon.
“Hurry.”
At those words, they placed the wooden boxes that they had been carrying on their backs on the ground.
They then opened it. Seeing this, Shin Eui-gyeom grabbed the swords within.
-goooo!
At that moment, his energy filled the whole prison. The strength was so intense that everyone’s faces turned white.
They realized what he had done before wasn’t even his full strength.
Srng!
He pulled out two brilliant swords from the wooden box. Additionally, there were five more swords in Young Chuseo’s box and seven in Young Gadong’s.
The floating swords moved toward him.
‘A-Air sword!’
The headmaster and the deputy were too shocked to even move.
Air Sword.
A level of technique mastery that meant that a person could freely wield a sword with just their internal energy.
The man was clearly aiming to use this technique now. It was said that as one’s strength grew, the number of swords one could control increased.
Of course, this wasn’t just a simple Air Sword but a more advanced technique.
‘To see the Twelve Swords here!’
Twelve Swords.
It was something that only Shin Eui-gyeom was known to be able to do.
A sword technique where twelves swords are used freely. Unlike others, this was the true Air Sword with absolute freedom.
-gulp!
Young Gadong gulped at this
‘…Is Master actually trying to do this? Is he actually going to use it against this child called Mumu when he had only used it against the Four Great Warriors?’