Mars Swordsmanship — Part 2
“Mars Swordsmanship doesn’t have any set movents.”
Baek Sorin spoke softly and carefully.
“Well, um, it might be hard to believe, but it’s all just a few principles and guidelines.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
“I’ve heard about Mars Swordsmanship before.”
If I were to explain Mars Swordsmanship in martial arts terms, it would be called a wild beast’s sword style or a practical combat style.
There are no set techniques.
Instead, there’s only intent—pure sword intent.
It’s as if the practical experience of gladiators from the Colosseum has been compressed and injected into it.
That’s the true essence of Mars Swordsmanship.
“The only way to teach this is through sparring.”
“That makes sense. That’s what I’ve heard as well.”
“Be careful. I’m not the sa person I used to be.”
“Don’t hold back. Co at .”
Underestimating Baek Sorin after she awakened Mars Swordsmanship?
That would be an absolute mistake—one only a suicidal fool would make.
Baek Sorin pointed the Holy Sword at .
The worried look in her eyes had completely vanished.
All that remained was the Heavenly Killing Star, a lioness hungry for blood and craving battle.
“Haaaah!”
Her war cry rang loudly through the training room.
In the blink of an eye, Baek Sorin closed the gap between us.
Even though I equipped her with the [Rampaging Train] trait, her sheer speed was stunning.
In the ti it took to blink, her sword aura was already slicing toward .
The blazing sword energy crackled like a bolt of lightning.
It was the perfect angle for a shield block.
But I suppressed the urge to deploy Aegis.
To inherit Mars Swordsmanship, I had to rely solely on my sword.
Using Aegis, Mjolnir, or the Dasan Rifle was out of the question.
I carefully raised the Black Tiger Sword and parried the Holy Sword.
[Swordsmanship Expert], [Mana Soul], [Close-Combat Mastery]
[Bright Eyes], [Sixth Sense], [Training]
This was my current trait setup.
It leaned heavily into the senses, turning
into a pure martial artist.
This was the optimal condition to inherit Mars Swordsmanship.
Even so, it would likely take months.
Even factoring in Warrior Kim’s blank slate physique and the [Training] trait, it wasn’t a quick process.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of swords clashing echoed dozens of tis.
Baek Sorin’s eyes glead fiercely.
She charged at
recklessly, over and over again.
Her gaze wasn’t one of a student looking at a teacher.
It was as if she were staring down a mortal enemy.
She thrust, slashed, struck down, parried, swung, and slashed again with the Holy Sword.
And she didn’t stop there.
Light kicks and punches were a given.
She ramd
with her shoulder, threw her body weight into , slamd
with her elbow, kneed
in the ribs, and even headbutted
without hesitation.
Thud! Smack!
I didn’t just sit there and take it.
Using [Close-Combat Mastery], I returned the blows to Baek Sorin.
Soon enough, both of us were covered in blood.
Our bodies were bruised all over, and sothing was broken in both of us.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
“Phew… Huff.”
As ti passed, the gap between us beca apparent.
Our breathing.
While I calmly regained my breath, Baek Sorin was panting heavily, as if she would collapse at any mont.
‘My body’s superior.’
Even at the sa level, an SSR-grade character’s overall stats are far higher than those of an N-grade character.
However, because I had taken a reconstruction elixir that used four mutated mana cores, my physical abilities far surpassed those of SSR-grade Baek Sorin.
Even without using trait swaps, I had this much of an advantage.
Baek Sorin, now gasping for air, collapsed onto the floor in a spread-eagle position.
“I give up! Ugh, this is exhausting. Let’s take a short break before continuing.”
“Drink a potion.”
“What about you?”
“I’m fine.”
Leaning against the wall, I took a brief rest.
With the [Undying] trait equipped, my broken arm healed quickly, and the bruises on my body faded away at an equally rapid pace.
Baek Sorin drank her potion, staring at
as if I were so kind of monster.
“Teacher, are you really human? Are you sure you’re not so kind of Troll Reinforced?”
“I’m just a bit strong, that’s all.”
“Hehehe. Still, this was the first ti we’ve had a proper fight.”
“Was I holding back?”
“Of course. Swordsmanship is your weakest skill, isn’t it?”
What era was she living in?
That might’ve been true back when I didn’t have [Swordsmanship Expert] or other swordsmanship traits.
But now, I had mastered the sword.
Not to ntion, I was strongest when mixing Mjolnir, Aegis, and the Dasan Rifle with seamless trait swaps.
“You’ve rested enough. Let’s start again.”
“Wait, wait! I’m not ready yet. I need more rest.”
“You’re Level 5 and have Mars Swordsmanship. This much is sufficient. Oh, I forgot to ntion—Mars Swordsmanship isn’t just a combat technique; it’s also a mana cultivation thod. Try using Mars Swordsmanship to recover while you rest.”
“What? How?”
“I have no idea.”
Baek Sorin pursed her lips, lost in thought.
Then, she began to move.
Her sword dance unfolded, not graceful or elegant, but fierce and wild—like a frenzied warrior’s dance.
Swoosh.
Mana began to gather.
A whirlwind of sword energy swept through the room.
Particles of light stread around Baek Sorin like rainfall.
Through my [Bright Eyes], I could see the potion’s effects taking hold far faster, rapidly restoring her mana and stamina.
I smacked my lips, watching the scene unfold.
‘Absolutely broken.’
As I’ve said before, the Big Three Sword Arts are both martial arts and mana cultivation techniques.
They replenish mana and stamina during battle.
Earlier, Baek Sorin hadn’t realized this, which is why her mana and stamina had depleted so quickly.
But going forward, that would change.
“I’m coming!”
Boom!
She charged at
again.
Unfortunately, Baek Sorin hadn’t yet managed to fully utilize the effects of Mars Swordsmanship.
All she could draw upon was its explosive attack power and reckless aggression.
That alone was impressive, but she wasn’t able to tap into the near-infinite stamina and mana the technique offered in the ga.
Even as I focused on the sparring session, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointnt.
‘It’s because of her low level.’
To fully utilize a supre martial art, one must be at least Level 7.
Baek Sorin was still Level 5.
While she could use Mars Swordsmanship, she couldn’t unlock its full potential.
It couldn’t be helped.
At least the transmission process was working, so I had to take solace in that.
“Huff! Huff! Huff!”
Baek Sorin collapsed again, completely drained.
I sheathed the Black Tiger Sword at my waist.
“Hungry? Let’s eat before continuing.”
“Food!”
“I’ll make sothing special, so look forward to it.”
“You’re cooking yourself? I’m so excited!”
With my [Cooking] trait, I decided to show off my skills for the first ti in a while.
I prepared dicinal cuisine, a type of food well-known in the ga for its doping effects.
It greatly boosted stamina and mana recovery.
While I didn’t have the [dicinal Cuisine] trait, I could replicate the recipe perfectly.
“This is delicious!”
“Teacher, you’re amazing at cooking. You could open a restaurant!”
“It’s even better than the dishes our chef makes!”
Baek Sorin wasn’t the only one eating enthusiastically. Janet and Kali practically devoured the food with their eyes lit up.
Days passed in a similar pattern.
I would spar as soon as the day began, feed Baek Sorin dicinal dishes when she collapsed from exhaustion, spar again, and when she got tired again, I’d give her an expensive healing potion.
At first, she loved the dicinal dishes, reacting with great enthusiasm. But eventually, even the best als had their limits.
After eating the sa food for several days straight, Baek Sorin started whining.
“Teacher, isn’t there anything else to eat? Can’t I have so ran? I swear I’m going to die!”
“No ran until the training is over.”
“Ugh! When will it end?”
“Just stick it out for two weeks.”
“Two weeks… Fine. But where are Janet and Kali?”
“They said they went off to hunt in a Forbidden Zone or sothing.”
“Those traitors!”
Clearly, they had escaped to avoid eating dicinal cuisine.
Even the tastiest food becos tireso when eaten every day for a week.
And when it’s healthy, non-spicy dicinal cuisine with no added salt or chili powder, it gets even worse.
In the end, Baek Sorin was the only one stuck eating dicinal dishes.
What about ?
I ate regular als, including rice platters and ran.
With [Mighty Body] and [Undying], I didn’t need doping.
Two weeks passed like this.
I sat Baek Sorin down and pulled out a magic pouch.
When I turned the pouch upside down and shook it, dozens of Diamonds spilled out.
Baek Sorin swallowed nervously as she stared at the pile of Diamonds.
“Teacher, what’s that for?”
“To replicate Mars Swordsmanship. You’ve got your own life to live. You can’t spend months—or years—training here with .”
“Hehe, I don’t mind, though.”
“Really?”
“Hehehe.”
Instead of answering, Baek Sorin giggled and grinned.
Her expression betrayed her restlessness.
Keeping a Heavenly Killing Star confined in a basent training room for two weeks… it must have been unbearable.
If not for her sense of gratitude, she would’ve bolted long ago.
“With enough Diamonds, we can shorten the ti needed for transmission. Mars Swordsmanship is no exception.”
“That’s such a relief. I thought it was going to take years.”
“How could we stick together for years? Save that kind of thing for when you’re teaching your own disciple soday.”
The reason I hadn’t used Diamonds earlier was simple.
The seed of Mars Swordsmanship hadn’t yet been created within .
In ga terms, the progress bar hadn’t even appeared.
You need at least 0% progress before you can use Diamonds.
Thankfully, after the last sparring session, the conditions had been t.
‘This took forever.’
Even with the [Training] trait equipped 24/7, it still took this long.
If it had been any other character besides Warrior Kim, it would’ve taken two months instead of two weeks.
“Let’s begin. Focus on Mars Swordsmanship.”
“And?”
“That’s all you need to do. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
Baek Sorin began swinging her sword.
There was no ditation involved.
Mars Swordsmanship was a purely dynamic martial art and mana cultivation technique.
When she perford the warrior’s dance, she was able to focus completely.
I used [Bright Eyes] to examine Baek Sorin.
After confirming her total imrsion, I grabbed the Diamonds in both hands.
I pushed them forward gently, imagining myself pressing them into place as if I were enchanting a magical artifact.
As soon as my mana wavelength was transmitted, the Diamonds dissolved into the air.
To be more precise, they dissolved into Baek Sorin.
Her mana wavelength absorbed them.
They flowed toward the mana circuit where her mana was originating.
Flash!
A burst of light.
Her mana circuit emitted a blinding radiance.
As the Diamonds dissolved, they etched a new mana circuit into the void.
The mana circuit of Mars Swordsmanship.
Mars Swordsmanship itself.
I watched the mana circuit intently, feeling nervous.
According to my calculations, I had just enough Diamonds. But you never know.
Mars Swordsmanship is such a powerful technique that it might require more than expected.
That would be a problem.
I didn’t have any extra Diamonds to spare.
Rumble.
Thankfully, it wasn’t insufficient.
The mana circuit was perfectly ford.
It compressed and materialized, taking the shape of a jewel.
A Diamond.
It was as solid as steel and as steadfast as an aged warrior.
I reached out.
The trait jewel wrapped around my hand as if it had been waiting for .
It resonated with the seed of the trait within , forcing it to sprout and grow.
“Guhhh!”
The mana circuit was engraved.
The sensation was entirely different from when I had acquired previous traits.
It felt similar to when I combined high-tier traits, only much worse.
It was excruciating, like branding my veins and nerves with a heated iron.
Like hamring jagged nails into every inch of my body.
In the ga, when characters used Diamonds to accelerate the transmission process, they often collapsed from exhaustion afterward.
Now I knew why.
I doubled over, my body contorted like a shrimp, and coughed up blood.
Then, I heard whispers.
A god’s voice.
[Kill]
[Dismber the flesh]
[Sever the bones]
[Rupture the heart]
[Cut the throat]
[Devour the flesh]
[Drink the blood]
[Kill them all]
The world turned crimson.
Baek Sorin’s sword dance filled
with hatred.
I wanted to charge at her and snap her neck.
To sever her arms, slice her legs, and stab a hole through her stomach!
‘So this is the Heavenly Killing Star…’
It only lasted a brief mont.
There was no need to equip [Indomitable] or use [Resolve] or [Purification].
It was just an echo, a residual sensation accompanying Mars Swordsmanship.
But in that brief mont, I understood the madness Baek Sorin constantly suffered as the Heavenly Killing Star.
I also understood why, without [Indomitable], she could never fully ascend to SSR-grade status and would remain an SR-grade Heavenly Killing Star.
“Phew.”
Mars Swordsmanship had successfully taken root.
Power surged through .
My senses had sharpened.
The world looked completely different.
Even though I deliberately unequipped all my other traits aside from Mars Swordsmanship, I could clearly perceive every weakness in Baek Sorin’s wild movents.
‘This is incredible.’
I couldn’t suppress the excitent welling up inside .
My body brimd with joy.
Gripping the Black Tiger Sword tightly, I charged at Baek Sorin.
[Giant’s Strength], [Mighty Body], [Undying]
[Mars Swordsmanship], [Close-Combat Mastery], [Grand Assault]
This was the Mars Swordsmanship-oriented build I had planned from the start.
Baek Sorin reacted imdiately.
She swung her sword to et my charge.
Her instincts guided her blade, deflecting the Black Tiger Sword and striking toward
like a serpent.
A deadly strike aid straight for my chest!
Before I could even think, my body reacted on its own.
The Black Tiger Sword, along with the mana circuit, roared like a wild beast.
The Black Tiger Sword twisted in an arc, deflecting her Holy Sword.
Then, it lashed out violently, targeting Baek Sorin’s neck.
Baek Sorin didn’t falter. She lunged at , refusing to back down.
In turn, I leaped into the air and launched myself toward her.
Our swords clashed repeatedly, sparks flying with every collision.
Our bodies slamd against each other, producing dull thuds.
The intensity of the battle was unlike anything before.
Mars Swordsmanship versus Mars Swordsmanship—our duel was savage, relentless, and blood-soaked.
And I an that literally.
Blood sprayed everywhere, as if it were raining red.
Both Baek Sorin and I were once again covered in blood.
The pace was faster than anything we’d done so far.
And the bleeding… it was incomparable.
“C-Congratulations.”
Baek Sorin gasped, struggling to stay upright.
Her face was pale, her lips bloodless.
She’d endured so much.
No matter how incredible a Heavenly Killing Star she was, there was no way she could overco a Mars Swordsmanship build based on a trinity of synergy.
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to you.”
“Is it over now?”
“Yes. It’s completely over.”
“Yahoo! I’m going to go eat so ran!”
She wanted ran that badly?
Without even drinking a healing potion, Baek Sorin bolted out of the room.
Soon, the fragrant aroma of spicy ran wafted from the small kitchen.
It made my mouth water.
“Teacher, you’re going to eat so too, right?”
“If you offer
so, I won’t say no.”
As I ate the ran, I thought to myself.
‘I need to hit Level 6 soon.’
And one more thing.
I also needed a top-tier mana cultivation technique.
Even though Mars Swordsmanship is technically a mana cultivation thod, I couldn’t rely solely on it. Its inherent mana attributes weren’t compatible with the Nephilim Sword or Kalaratri.
I had to refine my mana attributes with a cultivation thod I’d already planned out, so I could seamlessly switch between the Big Three Sword Arts during combat.
‘Should I drink Nectar?’
Not yet.
My instincts whispered that my body and mana circuits weren’t ready.
I was just one step away.
One tiny step.
A bit more activity and experience, and I’d reach it.
‘The Terror Alliance has already been annihilated.’
Unlike in the ga, the Terror Alliance didn’t put up much of a fight in this world.
They were crushed by a combined operation involving the national military, the Eastern Army, and the Western Army.
Their leader, Massacre Empress, along with a few key mbers, had managed to escape. But it seed unlikely they’d be able to rebuild the organization.
Still, remnants of the group lingered.
The governnt was currently working with the Superhuman Union and other superhuman organizations to hunt them down.
‘Maybe I’ll go after them.’
That seed like the best option.
It was better than staying cooped up at ho doing self-training.
But I couldn’t just head out without any information.
After so thought, I made a call.
To soone who was perfect for situations like this.
[Ah, Black Tiger Swordmaster!]
Manager Choi’s cheerful voice ca through the smartphone.
He sounded thrilled.
[You called at just the right ti! There are a few requests that specifically nad you, Black Tiger Swordmaster!]
“Do you have any recomndations?”
[Of course! Two of them are particularly interesting. I think they might be worth your ti.]
“What are they?”
[One’s from the Hunter Association, and the other’s from Monster Village. From what I’ve gathered, it seems the two groups are fighting each other.]
They’re fighting each other?
What in the world is going on?
–TL Notes–
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