CHAPTER 98: Too Talkative
A sword mark that had split a cliff to form a canyon. The first thing that came to mind was the giant sword (巨劍) that had cut down the Moonlight Forest.

The very sword the Lord of War had pulled from the earth and swung.

‘The forest was shattered to pieces, so it didn't leave a sword mark.’

This red cliff was different. He didn't know what it was made of, but it was far more durable than the forest.

Thanks to that, the mark from the Lord of War’s sword remained perfectly intact.

Jinwoo studied the mark. The scar that split the cliff was so massive it was hard to take in at a glance, but that only made it more captivating.

As he examined it, an image formed in his mind: the image of that sword from the Moonlight Forest cleaving the cliff. Though it was only his imagination, it was as vivid as reality.

‘That wasn't just any sword, either.’

The sword that had cut the forest wasn't merely large. For all its immense size, it possessed an unparalleled sharpness. It felt as though its keen aura (銳氣) alone could slice through all of creation.

Perhaps that sword by itself could have cut this cliff. The shock he had felt back then was that significant.

But that didn't mean it had been swung carelessly. Tracing the image of the sword strike revealed in the mark, he could tell the wielder's skill was far from ordinary.

‘So this is the swordsmanship of the Lord of War.’

When the Moonlight Forest was cut, he had been too busy dodging and evacuating the elves to observe it properly.

Because of that, he could only guess based on the sword's trace here, but even so, a shiver ran down his spine.

The swords of S-class Hunters like David or Lin Shenlin were nothing like this. He had never felt this way even when facing Rona, who had taught him the theory of the sword.

When he came to his senses, he found himself continuously fiddling with the hilt of his sword.

He felt a small tremor, as if his hands were itching to move. Looking closely, it seemed even the fine hairs on his arms were standing on end.

‘Am I happy?’

It was hard even for him to understand his own emotions. But if he had to describe his current feeling, it was close to ecstasy.

Would he have felt this way if he were facing a magic-user, or someone who wielded a spear or an axe? Probably not.

Jinwoo was a swordsman.

That was why seeing the swordsmanship displayed by one who had ascended to the rank of a god with a sword, even if it was only a trace, stirred something deep within his heart.

‘If it’s now…’

Could he cut it?

He wasn't sure, but there was no need to hesitate. If he swung and succeeded, great. If he failed, it would just be a shame.

Jinwoo gripped the white jewel sword he had received from Rona and swung as his heart guided him.

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!

The red cliff that blocked the world trembled, and a cloud of sand and dust rose into the air.

Kalesian, who had been breathing fire for some time, momentarily thought his own attack had finally worked. But it hadn't.

The section he had been attacking was perfectly fine, and it wasn't the source of the vibration. The tremor came from much lower, near the ground.

"Jinwoo! What's going on!"

That was where Jinwoo was. He and Mahiri flew down toward Jinwoo.

The aura coming from Jinwoo was extraordinary; he looked as if he had just swung his sword. His blade was still radiating a sharp edge.

And the cliff… was—

"I couldn't cut it."

Looking at the intact cliff, Jinwoo spoke with a hint of disappointment.

In his mind, he had sliced it in a single blow, but reality had not followed suit.

What was he lacking? Did he fail to properly absorb the Lord of War's swordsmanship? Or was his sword inadequate?

‘It might be both.’

It didn't seem to be a single issue. It was impossible to perfectly replicate the Lord of War's swordsmanship just by looking at the mark on the cliff, and the white jewel sword he held was also far from sufficient.

The sword Rona had given him was a fine blade, but it couldn't be compared to the giant sword the Lord of War had used.

That sword, pulled from the earth—no, from a star—was in a different league altogether, unable to be fully described by words like "treasured sword" or "masterpiece."

"Were you trying to cut the cliff?"

"Yes. I had a small realization."

"Small" was a humble expression. What he had gained from seeing the Lord of War's sword mark was by no means small. It just wasn't enough to let him cut the cliff like that monster had.

However, it wasn't without results. He had failed to cut the cliff, but there was a change.

"The entrance to the barrier is broken…?" Kalesian said, looking at the dark path between the cliffs. His voice was filled with unconcealable surprise.

The barrier inside the cliff, which even the eyes of a dragon, a master of magic, could find no way to overcome. The entrance to that barrier, which operated on the principles of the Spirit Realm above, was now damaged and distorted.

Its energy was in great disarray, and the distortion was even visible to the naked eye.

"Should we go in?"

"Right now," Kalesian answered without hesitation.

Since this was the first change in the cliff, there was no telling what dangers might be lurking. But if he was going to hesitate here, he wouldn't have been blasting the cliff with his breath in the first place.

Jinwoo seemed to share the thought, nodding before entering the path with Kalesian.

The two—no, three including Mahiri—entered the space between the cliffs, leaving only a cluster of light outside.

[That technique just now…]

She had been watching everything Jinwoo did from his side.

Just seeing through the fact that the path between the cliffs was a sword mark made by the Lord of War was astonishing enough. To know that meant his skill, or at least his insight, had reached the realm of the gods.

But what came next—swinging his sword with the enlightenment he gained from that mark—left her utterly aghast.

A being from the lower world—not an immortal, not even a member of a long-lived race, but a young human—had comprehended the sword of a god? Just by looking at the trace it left behind?

[Impossible.]

It was impossible. It couldn't be done. It was not a level of mastery a normal being could reach in less than 100 years of life.

If so, that meant there was something not normal about him.

[Come to think of it… didn't they say Hunters on Earth recall memories of their past lives?]

She recalled the stories she had heard from the honeybee. From basic facts about Earth to its current history, she had heard many tales and remembered them all.

Among them, the part that had left a special impression was that beings who awakened to become Hunters could recall memories of their past lives. It was said that for those of high attainment, their past memories could even consume their present life.

Souls reincarnate, casting all memories into the river of oblivion before being born anew. For those memories to resurface meant defying that river.

Jinwoo was one such Hunter.

[Who are you, really?]

It was the same question the Lord of the Sky had asked upon seeing Jinwoo when he descended to Earth in the past.

What was his identity? No, what was he?

To have the insight to see a god's sword technique meant his past life was also a being equal to, or greater than, a god.

Perhaps, she thought, his past life was among those who descended from the Spirit Realm long ago.

Sunlight barely reached the path between the high cliffs.

In the pitch-black darkness, Jinwoo was about to take out a lantern. But Kalesian stopped him and instead floated a ball of fire above his head, illuminating the surroundings.

"Always keep your hand ready to draw your sword. I'll take care of the light."

"Understood."

He was right. In the heart of enemy territory, he couldn't afford to have one hand occupied holding a lantern.

With the ball of fire lighting their way, they walked down the straight path. A short while later, the cluster of light caught up from behind.

"Where have you been?"

[I had something to think about. It's a personal matter, so you don't need to worry.]

The ball of light spoke with a cheerful smile. Of course, that was just the tone; he couldn't actually see a facial expression.

[More importantly, have you found anything?]

Jinwoo shook his head at her question.

"Nothing special so far. It's just a path."

They hadn't walked for long, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Just a dark path where light didn't reach. That was all.

"In a way, that's to be expected. If they had set something up in this path, there would have been no need to erect a barrier in the first place," Kalesian remarked, and he had a point. Since they had entered by distorting the barrier's entrance, it was unlikely they would find anything special.

It was just like the room where the sacred object was kept in the Sky God's temple. The barrier cast there had been special, but once it was broken, the room was just a room.

And, just like the Sky God's temple, it was highly likely that a sacred object awaited at the end of this path.

‘Though I don't know if all the sacred objects he stole will be here.’

The Lord of War had stolen sacred objects from various gods, using them as a means to descend himself.

He wasn't sure if all of them were stored here, but there would be at least one.

If he could steal it, the Lord's descent would be delayed for a long time.

"There's really nothing here."

"Tch. I thought there'd be something…" Kalesian clicked his tongue and said with disappointment. Judging by his tone, it seemed he had been hoping for some kind of precious treasure.

But there were no treasures, not even any structures or decorations. Just a wide-open path shrouded in darkness.

They walked for a long time. The cliff itself was so massive that they couldn't tell how deep they had gone. It was then that Jinwoo sensed a flame.

‘This flame is…'

A Black Flame. And if he wasn't mistaken, it was a shape he had seen before.

"So it was you, Jinwoo."

Greeting him with a vicious smile was the healer he had met on the 3rd Floor, Vertus.

Unlike in the past, when he wore neat, priest-like robes, his clothes were now torn in various places, and he was covered in wounds. His eyes were bloodshot red, and the already massive muscles of his body were even more pumped up.

He looked as if he had just been in a fight, but there was no one else around.

"Vertus. So you were here. Are you guarding the sacred object?"

"..."

"You're not denying it."

Seeing Jinwoo aim his sword, Vertus's smile deepened. His eyes were filled with the same thrill for battle he had shown before.

"I am pleased. To be able to reunite with you in this way."

Jinwoo, who had come for the sacred object, and himself, who was guarding it. Could there be a situation more perfect for a fight to the death?

Vertus was delighted. A mere sparring match wouldn't satisfy him. He wanted a battle where they both wagered something they couldn't surrender, putting their lives on the line, and his god had granted his wish.

"Come at me. I shall…"

Vertus, preparing for battle, couldn't finish his sentence. Because…

Kwaa-aaaah!

From beside Jinwoo, Kalesian had unceremoniously fired a breath attack.

"Hmph. For an orc, you talk too much."

Kalesian snorted as he watched Vertus get swept away by the torrent of light.