40

Chapter 40: Three Days of Swordsmanship

The next three days passed quietly.

For most Awakeners, three days without entering a dungeon would have felt like wasted time.

For Subin, they were anything but.

He spent almost every waking hour inside the Association's reinforced training hall.

There were no monsters.

No treasures.

No rare materials.

Only a sword and an opponent.

That was exactly what he wanted.

On the first morning, Subin stood in the center of the training room with Simple Edge in his hand. The sword was plain enough that nobody looking at it would have considered it special.

Subin had stopped caring about appearances.

He performed a basic horizontal slash.

Then returned to his starting position.

Another slash.

Then another.

He repeated the same movement hundreds of times.

The goal wasn't speed.

It wasn't strength.

It wasn't even technique.

He was trying to remove everything unnecessary.

His feet moved only when required.

His shoulders remained relaxed.

His wrist followed the movement of his body rather than moving independently.

His breathing synchronized with each strike.

After several hours, Subin stopped.

He looked at the system.

[One Absolute Edge Proficiency: 61%]

It had increased only slightly.

But Subin wasn't disappointed.

Progress at this level was naturally slow.

The system wasn't giving him free mastery anymore.

Every percentage required genuine understanding.

He continued.

During the afternoon, he switched to Abyssal Emperor's Edge.

The Legendary sword felt completely different.

Heavier.

More powerful.

More responsive to mana.

Subin practiced the same basic slash.

This time, he deliberately allowed the sword's Abyssal Reinforcement effect to adjust the mana circulation according to his movement.

The result was smooth.

Too smooth.

Subin frowned.

He performed the movement again.

The sword automatically corrected small inefficiencies.

That was powerful.

But it also made him dependent on the weapon.

He stopped.

"That's not what I want."

A sword could assist him.

But it shouldn't replace his understanding.

He returned to Simple Edge.

The plain blade demanded more from him.

Every mistake remained his own.

That made it better for training.

By evening, his arms were aching.

He continued anyway.

On the second day, Subin changed his training completely.

Instead of practicing alone, he activated the combat simulation.

[Select opponent.]

He chose the strongest available human-style swordsman.

[Level 35 Sword Specialist.]

The construct appeared.

It immediately attacked.

Subin blocked.

The impact pushed him backward.

The construct attacked again.

Subin moved.

This time he didn't try to defeat it quickly.

He wanted to understand it.

The simulation lasted for nearly an hour.

Subin was struck dozens of times.

He lost.

Then restarted.

He lost again.

Each time, he learned something.

The opponent wasn't actually stronger than him by a huge margin.

The problem was that Subin had become accustomed to fighting monsters.

Monsters relied heavily on instincts, physical advantages and predictable biological patterns.

A trained human swordsman was different.

A human could intentionally create a bad opening.

A human could change rhythm.

A human could sacrifice position for a future advantage.

A human could deliberately use an inefficient movement to force an opponent into a mistake.

Subin began learning these subtleties.

His Sword Comprehension activated repeatedly.

[Analysis: 32%]

The battle continued.

[Analysis: 48%]

Subin was struck across the shoulder.

He stepped back.

Then he smiled.

"I understand."

The next exchange was different.

The construct attacked.

Subin didn't respond to the sword.

He responded to the swordsman's intention.

Sword Intent.

The moment before the opponent moved, Subin knew where the attack was going.

He stepped aside.

His sword touched the construct's wrist.

The simulation registered a disabling strike.

The opponent adapted.

Subin adapted with it.

The battle became faster.

Neither side dominated.

Every exchange forced another adjustment.

[Analysis: 71%]

[Analysis: 83%]

[Analysis: 96%]

Finally, Subin understood the opponent's entire style.

He wasn't copying it.

He was understanding it.

That distinction mattered.

The construct launched its strongest attack.

Subin lowered his center of gravity.

His sword moved.

Natural Flow.

The incoming attack passed around him.

His body turned.

Battlefield Control.

He changed the distance.

The opponent's balance shifted.

Subin's sword followed.

Flowing Edge.

The construct defended.

Subin's blade changed direction.

One Absolute Edge.

The wooden sword struck the construct's chest.

The simulation ended.

[Opponent defeated.]

[Swordsmanship analysis: 100%]

[Human Swordsmanship incorporated into Sword God Foundation.]

[Sword God Foundation: 38% → 41%]

Subin stared at the notification.

He had gained three percent.

That was more progress than he had expected.

But something else was happening.

His existing techniques were beginning to feel less separate.

Before, he had consciously chosen between Silver Flow, Flowing Edge, Stonebreaker Edge and One Absolute Edge.

Now the transitions were becoming instinctive.

He didn't think:

Use Flowing Edge.

Then:

Use One Absolute Edge.

Instead, his body simply moved.

One action became another.

His Personal Sword Path reacted.

[Personal Sword Path: 26% → 29%]

Subin smiled.

"This is getting interesting."

On the third day, he stopped using the system's training constructs.

He practiced alone.

He placed seven wooden targets throughout the room.

Each represented one of the Imperial Sword Principles.

Foundation.

Flow.

Control.

Intent.

Edge.

Continuity.

Adaptation.

He began moving between them.

His sword traveled from one target to another.

No pauses.

No deliberate technique selection.

Just continuous movement.

The first sequence lasted three seconds.

Then five.

Then eight.

At first, his movements became messy.

He stopped.

Started again.

Eventually, he understood the problem.

He was still thinking about the seven principles as separate concepts.

They weren't supposed to remain separate.

He closed his eyes.

He remembered the Imperial Armory.

The seven sword projections.

The ancient inscription.

When the seven become one, the swordsman no longer follows a sword path.

Subin opened his eyes.

He moved.

Foundation.

Flow.

Control.

Intent.

Edge.

Continuity.

Adaptation.

The sequence became smoother.

The wooden targets fell one after another.

Subin continued moving.

His sword didn't stop.

His body didn't stop.

His intent didn't disappear between attacks.

One movement became the next.

Then something changed.

The sword in his hand felt lighter.

Not physically.

Conceptually.

The distinction between technique and movement began disappearing.

Subin's sword passed through the final target.

Silence filled the room.

He stood motionless.

The system appeared.

[Seven Imperial Sword Principles have achieved preliminary integration.]

[Integration: 4%]

[Sword God Foundation: 41% → 45%]

[Personal Sword Path: 29% → 33%]

[Sword Intent Comprehension: 25% → 27%]

Subin stared at the numbers.

Then another notification appeared.

[New Sword Principle recognized.]

[Unified Edge — Beginner]

Subin's expression became serious.

He opened the description.

[Unified Edge — Beginner]

A sword principle created through the preliminary integration of multiple sword principles.

Reduces separation between movement, defense, positioning, intent and cutting.

The user's sword techniques may transition naturally without deliberate activation.

Subin read it twice.

This wasn't a powerful attack.

It didn't increase his strength by some ridiculous amount.

Instead, it changed how he fought.

His techniques were becoming one system.

That was much more valuable.

Subin looked at Simple Edge.

The sword remained silent.

He raised it.

Then performed a simple slash.

Nothing happened.

He performed another.

Still nothing.

Subin smiled.

"You're not going to give me anything for free, are you?"

The synchronization remained:

99.9%

He wasn't disappointed.

In fact, he preferred it this way.

If the sword suddenly revealed everything, there would be nothing left to discover.

A knock came at the training room door.

Subin turned.

Kang Min-jae entered.

"Are you ready?"

Subin sheathed his sword.

"For the evaluation?"

"Yes."

Subin nodded.

"What time?"

"Now."

They walked through the Association's corridors.

Unlike his first evaluation, this time people were clearly watching him.

Awakeners whispered as he passed.

"That's him."

"The guy from Stone Guardian Ruins."

"I heard he brought back Epic cores."

"Someone said he has a Legendary weapon."

"He's only Level 34."

"He won't stay C rank for long."

Subin ignored them.

Min-jae led him toward a restricted elevator.

They descended several floors underground.

When the doors opened, Subin found himself facing a much larger training facility than the one he had used previously.

The walls were reinforced with thick layers of special material.

Several high-ranking Association officials stood nearby.

At the center was a large combat arena.

Director Han Seong-ho was there as well.

He looked at Subin.

"Welcome back."

Subin nodded politely.

"Director."

Han glanced at Min-jae.

"His records?"

"Updated."

"Level?"

"Thirty-four."

"Recent dungeon achievements?"

Min-jae handed him the report.

Han read it silently.

His expression changed slightly when he reached the sections concerning the deeper dungeon.

But he didn't ask questions.

Instead, he looked at Subin.

"This evaluation is different from your previous one."

Subin waited.

"We aren't evaluating whether you qualify for C rank."

Han placed the report down.

"We're determining how far above C rank you actually are."

Subin remained calm.

"Who am I fighting?"

Han smiled.

"You'll find out."

The arena doors opened.

A man walked inside.

He appeared to be in his early thirties.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

Short black hair.

A sword hung at his waist.

Subin immediately noticed his posture.

Balanced.

Relaxed.

No unnecessary movement.

The man stopped opposite him.

Han introduced him.

"Seo Jin-ho."

The man nodded.

"National Association Combat Division."

Min-jae added quietly, "B-rank swordsman."

Subin's eyes sharpened.

B rank.

This was the strongest swordsman he had faced in the real world.

Jin-ho drew his sword.

It wasn't a wooden training sword.

It was a real weapon.

Subin looked at his own sword.

Simple Edge.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then Jin-ho smiled.

"I've heard you're talented."

Subin raised his sword.

"I've heard you're strong."

Jin-ho laughed.

"Good."

The arena became silent.

A system notification appeared.

[High-level Swordsmanship Opponent detected.]

[Level: 47]

[Rank: B]

[Class: Swordmaster]

Subin's eyes narrowed.

Level 47.

Thirteen levels above him.

For the first time in several days, he felt genuine excitement.

Not because the opponent was dangerous.

Because the man was a swordsman.

And Subin had spent three days preparing for exactly this.

The evaluation began.

Jin-ho moved first.

His sword left its sheath.

Subin's eyes sharpened.

He stepped forward.

Two swords met.

Clang!

The impact echoed throughout the arena.

Subin's feet slid backward.

His expression remained calm.

Jin-ho smiled.

"Now I understand."

Subin tightened his grip.

"What?"

"Why they call you Sword God."

Jin-ho raised his sword again.

"But don't expect me to go easy on you."

Subin smiled.

"I wouldn't want you to."

The second exchange began.

And this time, Subin moved first.