Conquering the Academy with Just a Sashimi Knife (Novel) - Chapter 134 - The Swordmasters Longing (2)

Chapter 134 – The Sword Saint’s Longing (2)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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VIP Room, Swiss Central Bank

“…Uh, Sword Emperor. Might I ask you something?”

“Hmm? What was it?”

The Sword Emperor placed his teacup on the table in response to Karon’s question.

In reality, he had many doubts, but he decided to summarize his concerns into a single question.

“If not even the first Sword Saint could do it, did you really think Kang Geom-ma would be able to? And even if he could… isn’t it too soon?”

It was a delicate topic.

After all, he was questioning the Sword Emperor’s decision.

Karon’s gaze reflected concern.

He also knew how extraordinary Kang Geom-ma was.

The boy emanated an aura that made his skin tingle intensely.

Moreover, Shail had told him what had happened in the undead dungeon.

Kang Geom-ma wasn’t just a genius; he was weaving his own legend.

His talent was so overwhelming that even Karon, who had reached the rank of Warrior at a young age, seemed like an ordinary person in comparison.

But…

Even so, the words “but this was too much” lingered in his mind.

The Sword Saint, Aron Nibelung, hadn’t been able to do it either.

No matter how astonishing Kang Geom-ma’s talent was, he was only seventeen years old.

In this world, a talent only reached its peak at thirty, at the very least.

For most, not even by forty.

To Karon, all of this was happening far too quickly.

They didn’t even know exactly what the “longing of the Sword Saint” entailed.

Even the man sitting in front of him, the Sword Emperor, didn’t know for sure.

But then, the Sword Emperor responded with a brief sentence that dispelled all his doubts.

“Yes, it’s too soon for ordinary people like us.”

Karon’s eyes widened.

If he weren’t sitting right in front of him, he would have thought he had misheard.

“By ‘ordinary people,’ were you including… yourself, Sword Emperor?”

“Ha… Had you gotten duller with age? Of course I’m including myself. Did you think I’m a god?”

“No, no. You know that’s not what I meant.”

The Sword Emperor lifted his chin and looked at Karon with amusement.

He smiled with an enigmatic air, enjoying his confusion.

“You could’t measure a boy like him by the standards we know. People like him don’t learn with time; they learn through battle and adversity. Even if he fails in the longing of the Sword Saint, he’ll come out of it with something new.”

“But Sword Emperor, not even you know what this longing truly entails. From what I understand, anyone who fails loses all memories of the process…”

“Ah, that? Well, actually, I did remember something about the contents.”

“…Excuse me?”

Karon’s expression was filled with disbelief.

The Sword Emperor smirked mischievously and tapped his temple a couple of times.

“If I told you everything, it wouldn’t be any fun. Though, to be honest, it’s better to forget what’s inside. But well, I’m not exactly the best person to say that, considering I failed myself.”

“……”

“I’m not entirely lying to you. I’ve never seen the form of the ‘Ring of the Nibelung.’ When you fail the longing, the box closes automatically. Not only could you not see what’s inside, but it disappears completely from your memory.”

As Karon remained frowning, the Sword Emperor picked up his teacup again.

“In any case, for that boy in particular, this would be a valuable experience.”

He seemed to be enjoying the moment, as the corners of his lips curved into a smile he couldn’t hide.

***

The sound of air being torn apart resonated briefly.

A blade flew at a strange angle, grazing Kang Geom-ma’s cheek.

Even though it was just a scratch, blood flowed freely.

There was no time to wipe it away.

Kang Geom-ma deflected the sword aimed at his temple with his own blade.

Clang!

The clash of metal reverberated through the air.

The blades intertwined like serpents locked in a deadly struggle.

‘Damn… it’s insanely fast.’

Kang Geom-ma clenched his teeth tightly.

‘Overcoming a battle against myself, huh?’

He had assumed that the trial would involve resisting a curse or fighting some S++ rank magical beast.

But no. It was a sword fight against himself.

A battle where no one could guarantee victory.

At best, it would end in a draw.

‘What was this called? A clone? A doppelgänger?’

There was no time to dwell on it.

His identical copy was already lunging forward with a precise slash.

It seemed that even his blessing had been replicated, as the clone’s swordsmanship was relentless.

The blades carved through the air in bizarre trajectories, grazing his skin with terrifying aggression.

It was the same brutal technique he had used against Knox and Mao Lang.

For the first time, he felt regret.

Seeing that swordplay from his opponents’ perspective, he finally understood why those two had reacted with such hostility to his blade.

Tap! Tap!

Tap! Tap!

The clone’s footsteps pounded the ground in a deafening rhythm.

It zigzagged erratically across the floor.

Its speed was ferocious.

For a moment, its image multiplied, as if dozens of versions of Kang Geom-ma were surrounding him.

His entire field of vision was filled with himself.

A cloud of dust rose behind them like exhaust smoke.

‘A clone using cloning techniques… ridiculous.’

But even amidst the absurdity, a chill ran down his spine.

“If a sword fight would only end in a draw, then… was it trying to surpass me in speed?”

Kang Geom-ma remained unfazed.

His pupils contracted, and his brain began calculating.

He had two choices.

He could dodge the attacks and wait for the clone to burn out its speed.

When the moment came, the turn to attack would be his.

Or, alternatively, he could face it head-on, tearing each other apart in a battle of sheer endurance.

A duel of men.

“……”

He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them only halfway.

His lashes partially obscured his pupils.

He fixed his gaze on the clone with calm intensity.

His focus sharpened.

The multiple images of the clone condensed into one.

Finally, its figure became clear.

With a stomp, the clone launched another offensive.

Crack!

A sickening sound.

The bone in its leg fractured, piercing through its skin like a jagged nail.

But the clone didn’t stop.

Drops of blood boiled over the exposed wound.

Then, the fragments of its bone realigned like interlocking puzzle pieces.

It was the first time he had seen such a barbaric method—breaking one’s own body to increase speed.

No one in their right mind would attempt this.

It was insanity.

But for Kang Geom-ma, the sight was a shocking revelation.

Goosebumps spread across his skin.

[Blessing of Painlessness] No pain at all.

Restore the shattered foot with [Blessing of Regeneration].

A completely unexplored use of blessings.

A method so absurd it defied logic.

‘Now that I think about it…’

He recalled the fight from moments ago.

The clone never hesitated to take a hit.

When Kang Geom-ma aimed to stab its thigh, the clone accepted the injury without flinching and countered with an attack to his head.

It only retreated just enough to avoid fatal blows.

It dodged the bare minimum and kept attacking.

Every movement was optimized for efficiency.

And in that minuscule margin, it launched another strike.

That was why, even though the clone bled more, the fight was in its favor.

Kang Geom-ma was too preoccupied dodging and defending to counterattack.

‘The best defense was a strong offense.’

Kang Geom-ma locked eyes with his clone.

Clearly, it was out of its mind. Every move was a suicidal gamble.

But his heart pounded violently.

Sweat dripped from his brow.

Fwoosh!

The clone lunged forward like an arrow of light.

At that moment, a voice echoed in his mind.

“Did not fear the destruction of your own body.”

The words continued.

“Did not shackle yourself to technique.”

The clone was about to reach him.

Kang Geom-ma stared directly into its face.

Then, with a whisper, he finished the phrase himself.

“Just focus on cutting and piercing.”

He leaned forward, gripping his sword in a reverse hold.

His eyes snapped wide open, veins protruding like a web of cracks.

“If that thing moves like that…”

A fierce grin spread across his face.

“That means I would too.”

The clone hurled both blades toward his chest.

Kang Geom-ma didn’t dodge.

Instead, he expanded his chest and let the swords sink in.

Crunch!

The blades pierced his ribs and stopped just short of his heart.

“…Ugh.”

A gasp escaped his lips.

His vision darkened.

But he didn’t lose consciousness.

Though his brain rattled inside his skull, he poured all his strength into activating [Blessing of Regeneration].

Squirm!

Muscles and flesh grew over the blades, trapping them like a snare.

The clone’s expression flickered with confusion.

Despite being a manifestation of the system, it seemed to have emotions.

The clone struggled to pull the swords free, yanking with all its might.

But the regeneration locked them within his body.

Seeing that it couldn’t extract them, the clone tried to push the hilts in further, burying them into his heart.

A torrent of blood trickled down Kang Geom-ma’s chin.

His balance wavered from the pain.

But then, he smirked disdainfully.

“In the end, this isn’t the real world but a subspace.”

“……”

“Back in the Academy, I got used to these dirty fights.”

With a precise motion, he raised his sword.

The blade reflected in the clone’s eyes.

A moment later—

Slash! Thud!

The clone’s head rolled across the ground.

Ding!

[Sudden Mission: The Sword Saint’s Longing – Completed!]

[▷ Congratulations! You have obtained the first fragment of 【???】 (1/7).]

[NEW! Additional rewards granted.]

♪♬♩♫♪

[▷ ‘Blessing of Regeneration’ has ranked up.]

Flash!

== ==

[Blessing of Regeneration]

Allows rapid cellular regeneration.

◈ Rank: Guardian Spirit ▶ Superior Spirit

◈ Additional Ability: 《Adrenaline》

While active, the blessing triggers the secretion of specific neurochemicals, accelerating cellular regeneration and blood production.

Now you could bleed as much as you want!

[※ However, completely severed body parts cannot regenerate.]

[※ Upon meeting certain conditions, a special title will be granted.]

== ==

* * *

Beep, beep, beep, beep—!

A mechanical, piercing alarm echoed in the VIP room. It was the signal that Kang Geom-ma had finished.

The Sword Emperor rose from his seat, his face slightly tense.

Karon, beside him, was also rigid.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Sword Emperor.”

Both reached the door of the room where Kang Geom-ma was.

They exchanged a brief glance before Karon nodded and pushed the door open.

“…Ugh.”

As soon as the door cracked open, an overwhelming stench wafted out.

Both immediately furrowed their brows.

A nauseating odor.

The air was thick with a metallic scent of blood, so heavy it was dizzying.

Despite being a sealed space, a suffocating heat lingered in the room.

Karon pinched his nose and lifted his gaze.

He fixed his eyes on Kang Geom-ma’s back.

At a glance, he looked the same as a few minutes ago.

But the atmosphere was entirely different.

A shimmering distortion wavered around his body, like a mirage in sweltering heat.

A dense, almost tangible pressure hung in the air.

A chill ran down Karon’s spine.

“Cadet Kang Geom-ma.”

The Sword Emperor called out cautiously.

Kang Geom-ma slowly turned around.

His eyes were dyed a deep, shadowy black—hollow and void.

Karon shuddered at that gaze.

But the Sword Emperor wasn’t looking at his face.

His eyes were fixed on his hands.

His brows twitched, and his voice wavered.

“Don’t tell me…?”

In Kang Geom-ma’s hands was a small box, completely open.

And inside, shining with a golden light, was a small ring.