Absolute Regression Chapter 185

Episode 185: You still don’t know how scary the sword is.

The next day I went to the Black Fist training center.

I naturally thought that the number of Black Fist, which is the most skilled, would be the smallest.

But when I went and looked, the number of black fists was the highest. This result is thanks to Kwon Ma’s efforts. He started from the basics and continued to discover those who could become black fists.

These were the real Iron Fist. There were many capable people who could easily take on the role of leader or major of the school’s elite organization.

The gazes directed at me varied. Some looked at me with curiosity, while others showed hostility. The reason for the hostility was simple. It was a black fist that had been trained for seven or eight years at the shortest, and more than a dozen years at the longest.

But how can he feel good when he has broken through the three realms and reached the black realm in just over ten days? Some of them might be thinking that Lee Gong-ja is trying to become a realm master.

Among them, there was one person who stood out.

A woman with her hair tied back tightly and bandages wrapped around her hands and wrists. She was an attractive woman with strong-looking eyes.

I knew who she was.

Cheon So-hee.

She is the next Kwon Ma Da.

With her slender figure and small fists, she is the woman who will win the competition with all the black fists here and inherit the position of Kwonma.

After the school was sealed by Hwamugi, Kwonma handed over the position of Demon Lord to her and went into seclusion.

Kwon Ma was unable to break the cliff in the end. He devoted his entire life to martial arts training, but he was unable to achieve the level of breaking the cliff in one blow.

If he had reached the point where he could collapse the cliff, I thought that maybe he would have gone to find the fire weapon for revenge. I didn’t know it then, but looking back now, I see that it is.

As I regress, everyone’s fate and relationships are changing.

That’s why we shouldn’t evaluate these people by past standards. We should look at them with new perspectives and standards.

Just looking at the Bloodthirsty Demon and the Evil Demon, it’s obvious. If I were to die to the Fire Weapon, would those two just be okay? I have a feeling that they wouldn’t be.

“I heard that Mr. Lee Gongja easily passed the civil service examination.”

The man who approached me and spoke to me was Do-gang. I know this man just as I know Cheon So-hee.

Dogang was a character who competed with Cheon So-hee for the position of successor until the end, but left the church when he lost the position.

“Can I ask a question on behalf of the Black Power?”

“Do whatever you want.”

“Why did you come to Dongkwonmun? Why do you want to learn martial arts?”

“If you are worried that I might take the position you have worked your whole lives to obtain, don’t be. I did not come here to become a power broker.”

I spoke to them calmly.

“I am the one who will become your heavenly horse.”

No one seemed to ignore me because of the things I had done after my return. If I ever thought about when I became a Heavenly Demon, it wouldn’t be easy for me to talk carelessly.

But that doesn’t mean there was anyone who tried to come forward and try to look good to me. Dongkwonmun is still close to the Grand Duke’s side.

“By the time I become a Heavenly Horse, some of you will have become a Kwonma. Please take good care of me in advance.”

Then Dogang asked again.

“Why did the person who was to become a heavenly horse come here?”

“I came here because I wanted to become stronger. To learn martial arts and become stronger.”

This could also be a statement that builds up the pride of the Iron Fist fighters. It means that they are trying to become stronger by learning the martial arts they are learning.

Among the eyes focused on me was Cheon So-hee. Her prayers were outstanding, but her gaze was especially good. Her gaze, filled with the determination to never give up once she sets her goal, resembled Kwon Ma.

‘I’ll be counting on you in the future, next Kwonma!’

Then Kwon Ma appeared. Just like the previous training, he didn’t take special care of me.

“Let’s start.”

Training began with Kwonma’s one word.

Black Fists also trained mainly on the first move. Kwon Ma was someone who valued the fundamentals, and he considered the most important thing to be able to perform the first move accurately.

I observed the movements of the black magicians in detail.

On the first day, I just observed. If I had to, I could show it off, but I didn’t think that would be a good choice for the Black Fist or for myself.

The first day passed like that, just observing.

The next day, I just watched.

The black powers proudly expressed their pride by saying, ‘Yes, it’s different from the red powers, right?’

Kwonma sent me a telegram.

-You must have already learned it all, so why don’t you follow along?

―Even if it is the right to do so, we must take care of the reputation and morale of the black power.

-When did you see it and pack it?

-I have to take care of them because they will become my subordinates in the future.

From a distance, I could see Kwonma snorting.

* * *

On the third day, when everyone had dispersed after finishing their training, Cheon So-hee approached Geommu-geuk.

On the first day, when the sword dance master told her that he would be their heavenly horse, something welled up in her chest.

She devoted her life to martial arts and gave up on love. So it wasn’t a feeling between a man and a woman. There was some other fateful attraction. She wanted to find out what it was, so she came to the sword dance theater.

“I am Cheon So-hee.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“I heard that you learned the basics by observing the training of the previous enemies.”

“That’s right.”

“You can’t learn the Black Fist’s first technique just by watching.”

“It is definitely incomparably more difficult.”

“But why don’t you ask me to teach you?”

Then Geommugeuk gave an unexpected answer.

“I already learned everything.”

I might not know about other people, but I spoke honestly to Cheon So-hee. It was because I wanted to have a different kind of communication with her.

Cheon So-hee flinched in surprise, and then a faint smile crossed her lips. She was convinced that she could never learn it by seeing it with her own eyes.

The saying that useless pride actually makes a person look shabby was about to come out.

“I wonder, are you really that sharp, or are you just bluffing?”

I said it so nicely. If he was someone who was boastful, then such advice wouldn’t have worked, and if he was wrong even once, then he would have made a mistake.

“Then I will go.”

As I was walking a few steps, Geommugeuk shouted from behind me.

“If what I say is true, then grant me one favor.”

She turned around and asked.

“Are you bluffing?”

“I will grant you your request.”

“great.”

Seeing her say “good” without hesitation, she was sure it was a bluff.

Cheon So-hee left while pondering what favor to ask. At the same time, she was disappointed that it wasn’t a fateful pull.

* * *

Her disappointment was short-lived.

The next day, I showed everyone the recipe that the Black Fist had learned. Everyone was surprised when I showed them the recipe accurately. Cheon So-hee was especially surprised.

-You, did you really learn it just by watching?

Her voice of disbelief flew in.

– Didn’t I say so?

Her pupils trembled. How could she know? That I was the one who had passed the Socheon-dong in one day, which took an average of three years, and even my father two months. It wasn’t even the martial arts of Kwon-ma, but I could use the martial arts that the black-fisted men learned just by watching.

-Please, don’t forget to do me a favor.

-Of course. I always keep my promises.

Kwonma called me forward.

“Come forward.”

Kwonma put me in front of the Iron Fists for the first time.

“Do you know why I allowed you to practice?”

“What is the reason?”

Then, Kwonma’s gaze turned to the black swords.

“These kids have never fought a real master before. Will you show them what the martial arts world is like?”

Surprisingly, he asked me to give him some real-world experience.

Of course, when you become a Black Fist, you will have had many experiences. Just like other Demon Lords, there will be things that you have to do for the religion, so the Black Fist here will have mostly gone to the Central Plains to handle them. In the process, you will have experienced many real battles.

But you’ve probably never met a real expert.

Kwon Ma met his eyes. He was truly caring for his subordinates. Those words were right. Kwon Ma was smarter than he looked. Kwon Ma was purely crazy about martial arts.

“You still don’t know how scary the sword is.”

It was a difficult thing to say from the mouth of an undefeated horse, but it was something he said to his subordinates who were full of pride. If he showed this much emotion.

“Then I should let you know.”

When I readily gave my permission, Kwonma’s expression brightened.

“Are you going to pick just twenty people? Or ten?”

Even Kwon-ma felt bad about asking dozens of people to experience it all. This request was certainly not an easy one to make, and it also required a great deal of mental energy on the part of the person accepting it.

“No, I will accept everything you do.”

Joy and gratitude flashed across the face of the fearsome Kwonma. It was an emotion that seemed really out of place and awkward, and it was also something that was not seen often. The tuition fee was enough to see this precious expression.

When I looked back at the black books, my prayers had grown cold.

“There are different types of masters. Moderate masters, strong masters, and true masters. Let’s start by meeting a moderate master. Come forward one by one.”

The black-fisted men came forward one by one. Their faces were filled with confidence. Although they could not defeat me, they had the determination not to give up easily.

I sent a message to Kwonma.

-These are the people that Kwon Ma-nim taught. Is that okay?

– I’ll make you a rabble. That’s my intention in creating this place today.

I dealt with them one by one.

“Your opponent right now has enough skill to defeat you in thirty or so rounds.”

The opposing Black Fist showed his determination that it would not be up to him to do as he pleased. He might want to show me an example. He might want to show the uninvited guest who came out of nowhere what it was like to have a proper fist fight. And he did it in front of Kwonma.

Since I knew his feelings well, I tried to deal with him without breaking his pride. Even if I won, I tried not to win by trampling on his pride.

The first black fist quickly rushed forward, throwing a punch. The basics were solid and he was confident. In particular, the movement of the feet was good. Originally, martial artists who learned martial arts were proficient in footwork.

The first black fist bled from the side after thirty or so hits. It wasn’t a deep cut, just a light bleed.

“I learned well.”

He politely bowed and stepped back. Although he had seen blood, he looked satisfied with his first real fight in a long time. Who would have thought the content of the fight would be so rich?

The second black fist also cut the side exactly thirty seconds later. The third was the same.

Then, the black swordsmen who had been waiting began to murmur and stir.

They tried to hold on somehow, but they couldn’t get past the thirty-three mark or avoid the swords flying at their sides.

They should have been prepared, having seen what happened to their colleagues before them. But they didn’t.

It wasn’t that he suddenly increased his skills in his thirties and somehow managed to cut them down. He fought them with the same speed and strength as before, but without fail, by the thirties, he allowed himself to be stabbed in the side. That’s why everyone was surprised.

One emotion that rules them all.

How can this be?

Only one person, Cheon So-hee, who appeared at the end, barely avoided the attack, and was cut in the thigh instead of the side in the thirty-first move. Of all of them, she was the one with the most outstanding skill.

The way he looked at me had already changed. Instead of saying, “Let’s see where we are going,” he said, “What are you going to show me now?”

“Until now, I was a thirty-second expert. Now, I’m a master who can kill you all in ten seconds.”

The Black Fists came out one by one, more determined than ever. This time, they dealt with them much faster than before.

“This is what a ten-second intellectual master would feel like.”

They were driven fast and hard. It may not seem like there was much difference between thirty and ten seconds, but the feeling on the receiving end would be on a whole different level.

Everyone was surprised and confused.

With their skills, they were confident they could beat up anyone.

Ten seconds passed absentmindedly, and before he knew it, the sword was aimed at his neck. In an instant, the sword was stabbing his heart. The chilling sword was tapping his arm. If he hadn’t been careful, his neck would have been cut off, his heart would have been pierced, and his arm would have been cut off.

Their initial confidence or pride was no longer to be found. This must have been the feeling that Kwon Ma wanted his subordinates to feel. Don’t call me a black master. There are masters who can tear apart the black uniforms you’ve worked so hard to wear in an instant.

That gave everyone a ten-second surprise.

What surprised everyone wasn’t just his swordsmanship. He was dealing with so many people in succession, yet his breathing wasn’t even ragged.

Now it’s time to wrap up the session.

“Now, there are some first-rate experts. They may not be easy to meet, but they definitely exist in this world.”

Everyone was tense at the mention of the word ‘first-minute’.

They tried to come out one by one, but this time I dealt with them differently.

I let out my prayer completely. My prayer took over the space, and made the black fists fall into the deep abyss. The black fist that had been walking ahead also felt out of breath and took a few steps back without realizing it.

Swish.

The black magic sword was pulled out on its own.

Rrrrrrrrrrr.

And then it started to split in front of my chest.

The Black Fist were shocked at the sword energy that split into twenty pieces in an instant. It was the first time they had seen it. The sword splitting into sword-shaped sword energy.

Shhh shhh shhh shhh shhh shhh!

The black energy shot out in all directions as fast as light.

Screams erupting from all directions.

The sword-shaped sword energy stopped in front of the faces of the black fists standing in front. It flew so fast that I couldn’t even dodge it. None of them could stop my Yoo Cheon-sik who had achieved the Twelve Great Stars.

Everyone looked at the sword-shaped sword floating before their eyes with astonishment.

They wouldn’t know. It’s a much more difficult method to stop them all in front of their faces than to pierce them all at once with a sword. At this moment, the only person who thinks that far is Kwon Ma.

Ssssssss.

As the brilliant light dispersed, the darkness before my eyes completely disappeared.

The real black magic sword floating in the air was in front of Cheon So-hee. I had thrown the real sword at her, the strongest of the black swords. It was consideration and respect for her. And I put my heart into the sword.

What you see now is reality. The sword that is flying towards you from now on will never disappear from your sight. Please do not forget this moment.

The black magic sword that had been floating in front of her crossed the air and returned to me. The black magic sword returned to its scabbard on its own.

I spoke calmly to the blacksmiths while listening to the clear, clanging sound of metal.

“You all just died.”