A thatched house on top of a mountain peak covered with fog.
A middle-aged man in gray robes was sitting in the house’s yard. For many, this would be a normal sight, but this middle-aged man was not simply sitting atop an ordinary rock but was floating above it in the air.
The more shocking thing was that the energy that flowed from his body was made up of five colors.
‘Good.’
The white-haired scholar, standing with his back toward the floating man, glanced over with satisfaction.
Who would be offended by seeing a student who understood his teachings so well? He was the kind of teacher to be happy with this.
-JJkk!
A frown appeared on the scholar’s face as he heard a sound. He soon entered a building that looked like a warehouse next to his thatched house.
It was another simple thatched building, but its interior was paradoxically large, with various items on display.
The man approached a particular item.
It was an old box covered with shackles and several amulets.
Click!
As the man opened the sealed box, his eyes widened in shock.
“Sigh…”
He couldn’t help but sigh as he looked at the four items within.
One of the round jade items was cracked, causing the man to mumble.
“… Even the divine beasts cannot hold the seal.”
Flinch!
Shin Eui-gyeom, who thought he was winning, was shocked.
‘What is this?’
The boy had suddenly changed.
Mumu’s intimidating aura, which had already stimulated his five senses, was now raging incessantly.
And that wasn’t all. Dan Pil-hoo’s face was tense as he looked at Mumu.
‘H-He wasn’t injured?’
Dan Pil-hoo thought Mumu was hurt, considering the boy had grabbed his wrist and knee, but he looked fine.
Aside from that, what was with this sense of intimidation?
Prrr!
His whole body trembled at this feeling of pressure that went beyond common sense.
The shell they had known Mumu for ended up being a facade, striking fear as to what this boy truly was.
“D-deputy… that child… is Mumu, right?”
The headmaster seemed to share the same feeling. He couldn’t take his eyes off the boy, and his body trembled as he sensed everything about Mumu changing.
However, he could at least understand that this boy was becoming something above the realm of humans.
It was the same feeling as a predator ready to catch its prey.
As they saw this, they wondered on what Shin Eui-gyeom’s opinion on Mumu was now.
And they saw it.
‘!?’
Shin Eui-gyeom’s color had changed.
Until now, his expression was that of a martial artist who had met an opponent he could do his best against.
He had also acknowledged his opponent, but he clearly thought he still had the upper hand against Mumu. But now that has changed.
Clench!
Shin Eui-gyeom gripped his sword too tightly.
‘… He changed.’
Shin Eui-gyeom stared at Mumu. The existence in front of him was far from the feeling he had from his opponent.
His senses were warning him.
It would be dangerous if he lost his composure. Mumu then said,
“Ah… they opened up. This is bad.”
‘Opened up?’
What did that mean?
He was puzzled as Mumu continued looking at the bands that fell from his body. The boy then looked at Shin Eui-gyeom.
Creepy!
As their eyes met, the strange sense of intimidation became stronger.
Tat!
Without even thinking, Shin Eui-gyeom rushed forward with his remaining three swords, creating a tornado as he rushed toward Mumu.
‘Three Swords. Slaughtering Force!’
-chachachacha!
The tornado of enhanced energy rotated in all directions with the intent of shredding the opponent to pieces.
Mumu didn’t move this time. Instead, he just held his hand out.
Tik!
And flicked his middle finger thrice toward the tornado.
Papang!
The air at the spot where Mumu flicked his finger bounced outwards in circular waves as something invisible crossed through it.
-Swish!
The tornado of enhanced energy collided with the invisible object and turned to ash.
The headmaster and deputy became shocked at what they had witnessed.
“Deputy! Did you see that?”
“I saw…”
Shin Eui-gyeom’s technique was merciless, and he must have trained with it his whole life. So then, how could it be taken down so easily?
And they weren’t the only ones shocked.
Even Shin Eui-gyeom’s expression looked grim.
‘… He got stronger.’
He was the one who had thought that he had superior strength in his battle against this child. However, it now seemed that Mumu’s strength was much higher than his own.
‘There is no point in trying to make him lose strength. I need to unite everything into one sharp sword which won’t miss the target.’
Shin Eui-gyeom made his decision and raised his hand. One of the three floating swords came to him as the other two were pushed to the ground.
Puak! Puak!
‘Just one?’
The headmaster and deputy nodded their heads in understanding. The Air Sword and energy must be consuming too much internal energy.
Perhaps that was why Shin Eui-gyeom simply decided to hold the sword now.
‘He wants to focus on this.’
Seeing this, they bit their lip.
He had judged that Mumu could not be stopped with the previous technique, so there was no choice but to get close.
Rumble
‘This…’
At the same time, people were flocking toward where the fight was happening. The academy’s guards, teachers, and a few students made their way there.
They must have been drawn in by the considerable commotion.
“W-what?”
“The square is crushed?”
“Then the sound a while back…”
The crowd could not help but be shocked at the sight of this ruined square. Their eyes then turned toward the ones fighting in the center of it all.
The East River Sword Star and Mumu.
“Ah! It is the East River Sword Star!”
“Shin Eui-gyeom is here!”
Some who recognized the man were shocked and surprised.
The whispers and news spread all over the crowd. Naturally, they all turned at once to look at the opponent, Mumu.
“That… is Mumu, right?”
“Yes. The one who passed the admission with just strength and no martial arts.”
“Wait! Is that guy actually fighting with that man?”
The whispers turned into audible gasps.
Even so, those who looked on were convinced that the two were fighting. A 17-year-old freshman student competing with one of the Four Great Warriors was surprising.
However, among those trembling, a few looked at Mumu and began to sweat.
“What is with you?”
“… Don’t you see that?”
“That?”
“Monster… that monster!”
“Monster?”
A few of them could not hide their curiosity at the fear their friends showed. Dan Pil-hoo, who noticed this, then thought,
‘Those who reached a certain level have recognized the true nature of that child.’
And the stupid ones have not.
Even if the distance was considered, those who have reached an acceptable level could feel such things with their senses. Feeling pressure from the current Mumu was not strange.
The headmaster slowly whispered.
“Deputy… things are escalating.”
“I realize.”
The crowd watching this scene had increased while the fight was nearing an end.
From the East River Sword Star’s point of view, this fight was not something he could lose now. If he lost, unlike Mumu, there would be severe effects.
‘My reputation will fall.’
So he had to do his best to defeat Mumu.
Chuk!
At that moment, Shin Eui-gyeom took a stance and cleared his breath. Everyone else held their breath and looked on.
‘Phew.’
Having the onlookers around was annoying, but all his concentration was on Mumu.
Mumu wasn’t close to the level of the Four Great Warriors yet, but he couldn’t guess who would come out the victor.
But there was no need to worry. In a match against someone of a similar level, the most important thing was to be determined and tenacious.
‘I do admit you are a worthy monster who can make us into the Five Great Warriors.’
And that was all the more reason why he needed to be cut down. This wasn’t simply a matter of energy anymore as his sword changed.
‘Invisible Sword.’
It had come to the point where he needed to use the Invisible Sword.
It was possible to unleash the technique when it was completed, but it needed a medium that can be used as a focus.
‘I did try to hold back until I fought with someone else, but…’
But he couldn’t save it now.
His whole reputation and face would be gone if he lost to Mumu here.
Shin Eui-gyeom aimed his sword at Mumu.
And he would give it his all.
“We need to move elsewhere.”
“What?”
As soon as those words were said–
Bang!
Mumu rose into the air and moved northwards. Shin Eui-gyeom, who had desperately prepared an attack on Mumu, frowned.
He then let out a sigh as he moved.
“Uh?”
“What?”
As they left, everyone became stunned.
They couldn’t help but feel frustrated as they were deprived of a potentially great fight.
Even the deputy and the headmaster felt the same.
‘Why so suddenly?’
Those who had watched this fight from the start became concerned about the result.
At a place surrounded by mountains not far from the north of the academy–
Shin Eui-gyeom, who followed Mumu, asked,
“Why did we change places so suddenly?”
He was being polite. He knew that fighting in an empty space was a lot better than with a crowd.
But he couldn’t say something that would go against his reputation. Mumu then replied,
“When I looked at your hand, I realized that the people gathered there would be in danger.”
“…”
At Mumu’s words, he became shocked.
It seemed like this child could predict the Invisible Sword’s power to some extent.
It is rumored that once the Invisible Sword was used at its full power, all around it would suffer some injury.
“You are pretty good, being able to see through my sword.”
At that, Mumu tilted his head and said,
“It isn’t that. I am afraid that the people would get hurt if they are hit by my own aftermath.”
“… What?”
“I moved because I cannot properly control my power, so I was afraid that everything around me would shatter.”
At Mumu’s words, Shin Eui-gyeom felt a sense of absurdity.
Was this child deliberately provoking him? He couldn’t comprehend why the child said he was more bothered by his own strength than his opponent’s.
‘He is more arrogant than he looks.’
Even if he had changed from the past until now, he was still a member of the Four Great Warriors.
To show such an arrogant figure to him, who prided himself on being the best in Murim, meant that words would no longer work.
-Gooo!
Shin Eui-gyeom began to concentrate his energy on the sword.
“Good. If you are so confident, then just once block…”
Kwang!
‘!’
In an instant, Shin Eui-gyeom saw Mumu appearing before him and decided to launch his attack.
‘One Sword…’
As he was about to use the Invisible Sword, Mumu thrust his bare fist toward his blade.
‘What is he doing!’
Chaak!
‘!?’
At that moment, Shin Eui-gyeom couldn’t lower the sword as he was ready to attack.
Kwaaang!
At the same time, a roar that could break his eardrums exploded, followed by a wind that pushed everything away.
Srrr!
Even he had to cover his face with his other hand.
Shh!
Blood flowed down from Shin Eui-gyeom’s mouth as the collision between his sword and Mumu’s fist seemed to have given him internal injuries.
“Huh…huh…”
Shin Eui-gyeom struggled to raise his head. In front of him, Mumu was pulling back yet another punch.
At this sight, he was shocked.
‘He used his bare fist to block the Invisible Sword and yet is unhurt?’
What kind of body did this boy have?
He couldn’t see a single scratch on Mumu’s body and slowly turned his head.
‘!?’
The sword he had used had vanished. He had guessed that it was the case since the weight had decreased, but it was still absurd.
There was only one thing that surprised him more than the shattered sword.
‘… He is out of the realm of humans.’
The mountain behind them was flattened!
A strange shape similar to a crescent moon was visible on the ground. The boy’s low voice startled him even more.
“Now that we have time alone here, can I ask one thing?”
“…”
“For four people like you to attack, was my father that scary?”
‘!?’
At this question, Shin Eui-gyeom’s expression became stiff.