Absolute Sword Sense - Chapter 13

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 13: Gamble

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‘A way to handle internal energy without a dantian?’

Countless thoughts swirled through my head at Evil Heaven’s words.

For one thing, I had no idea why this mad old man was making such an offer.

Besides, did it even make sense to handle internal energy without a dantian?

I had never heard of such a thing in my life.

“Heh heh. Of course it’s hard to believe.”

The old lunatic had read my thoughts again.

The SoDam Sword whispered, though no one else could hear it.

- Hey. Don’t you think that old man has some scheme up his sleeve?

‘I was thinking the same thing.’

I had met many people throughout my eventful life.

Yet I could not even begin to guess what this mad old man was thinking.

Everything forced upon me so far had already gone beyond common sense.

“It’s not a bad offer for you, so why are you making that suspicious face?”

I could not tell whether Evil Heaven was mad or not.

The old lunatic saw through my thoughts with astonishing accuracy.

Still, no matter how eccentric Evil Heaven might be, this was someone who had roamed the harsh martial world for decades.

Compared to Evil Heaven, I was little more than a greenhorn.

- WoonHwi, I think you should be careful. You know how much that mad old man has put you through.

Whew.

The sword was right.

Then I needed to know why this old lunatic wanted to teach me such a method.

After giving it some thought, I dropped to my knees.

Thud!

“Venerable One. You told me to remain only so I could attend to your needs. This humble one cannot understand why you would suddenly teach me such a precious art.”

Evil Heaven snickered at my words, then clasped his hands behind his back.

“I kept your mouth shut until now, so I didn’t realize you had quite the silver tongue.”

“...This humble one only speaks out of fear.”

I was being honest.

If such words alone offended Evil Heaven, then this went beyond eccentricity. The old lunatic was truly insane.

Yet a deep furrow formed between Evil Heaven’s brows.

“Hmph. After I went to all that trouble to build your body...”

‘Built my body?’

Thud!

“Urgh!”

Evil Heaven irritably kicked me in the chest.

No internal energy had been put into it, but that brutal foot still hurt terribly.

As I wheezed in pain, Evil Heaven said, “It seems you’re the sort who won’t listen unless spoken to harshly.”

Then Evil Heaven pulled a flute from inside his robes.

It was the flute that sent Blood Worms into a frenzy.

It was useless against me, but I still had to act when it was played.

Wheeeeeee!

Evil Heaven blew hard into the flute.

At once, I curled up and screamed as if I had been waiting for it.

“Aaaagh! My chest! My chest!”

I tried my best not to let Evil Heaven see my face.

Then...

“Chest, my ass!”

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Evil Heaven suddenly kicked me in the back.

I truly rolled several times over the rough stone floor.

Evil Heaven shook his head as I writhed in pain.

“I can’t stand the sight of that clumsy acting.”

“What?”

“You’ve worked so hard pretending there’s a Blood Worm inside you when there isn’t. Heh heh.”

‘!!!’

I was so shocked that I could not speak.

Two things had caught me by surprise.

I had already been half certain, but a master like Evil Heaven had confirmed that there was no Blood Worm in my body. My senses had not been wrong.

But this was hardly cause for celebration. I had no idea how this old lunatic knew.

Flustered, I tried to make an excuse.

“W-what do you mean?”

“Enough. Do you think I never examined you lot?”

‘Ah...’

Come to think of it, Evil Heaven had come into contact with me countless times.

From carrying me under one arm while climbing cliffs to all the beatings.

‘This is driving me mad.’

Then why had Evil Heaven turned a blind eye to it until now, despite knowing the truth?

Every Blood Cult member below a high-rank warrior had to carry a Blood Worm within their body.

Evil Heaven spoke to me as I stood there, dumbfounded.

“I don’t know how you got rid of the Blood Worm, but you understand that alone gives me grounds to dispose of you at once, don’t you?”

“...”

My mind was in turmoil.

I could not fathom this eccentric old lunatic’s true intentions.

But one thing was certain.

Since Evil Heaven had known I lacked a Blood Worm and pretended otherwise until now, I would never be killed for that reason.

‘...If this keeps up, I’ll be pushed around forever.’

It would be no different from my previous life.

I could end up dragged about at this old lunatic’s command, only to be discarded in the end.

If so, I had to seize some measure of initiative.

‘Have courage, So WoonHwi. If you want to rise above the life of a third-rate Spy, you must know how to gamble with your life.’

- You’re talking to yourself, right?

I barely heard what the SoDam Sword said.

Perhaps the sword knew I was undergoing a major inner change, because it said nothing more.

After calming my breathing, I opened my mouth.

“...Then dispose of me.”

“What?”

“Didn’t you say you would dispose of me?”

“Ha!”

Evil Heaven was dumbfounded by my suddenly forceful attitude.

It looked as though a fist might fly at any moment, but I did not stop there.

“The Blood Worm’s absence from my body was not something I caused deliberately. After I accepted it during the initiation ceremony, my stomach hurt, then it suddenly became like this.”

“...”

“And I only learned of it after you played that flute.”

“I’m the reason you learned of it?”

“Yes. If you ask why I did not report it, I am also a person who values my life. I joined the Blood Cult of my own accord. Wouldn’t I be afraid if I were told to carry such a thing for the rest of my life?”

“Hmph! You only need to build up enough merit to have it removed...”

“The Blood Worm’s purpose is to control Blood Cult members without loyalty. I carry Blood Cult blood and joined willingly. Is there truly any reason I must possess one?”

“Ha...”

Evil Heaven’s expression turned strange at my relentless words.

It was less like the previous disbelief and more as if the old lunatic had begun to see me in a new light.

Then Evil Heaven burst into mad laughter.

“Khahahahahahahaha!”

Suddenly turning serious, Evil Heaven grabbed my throat.

Grip!

“Ghk!”

It seemed my gamble had failed.

As I struggled for breath, Evil Heaven spoke in a voice filled with killing intent.

“Is your life not precious to you?”

“Khk, khk.”

“Do you think anyone would blame me if I got rid of you?”

“Khk... Haa...”

“This is the privilege of those with power. Your dantian has been destroyed, and you will never escape a third-rate life. What gives you the nerve to spout such nonsense?”

I could barely breathe, let alone speak.

Strangely, though, my mind was clear.

It seemed the two months of clinging to cliffs and suffering the fear of death had properly strengthened my courage.

I looked Evil Heaven straight in the eyes and spoke.

“Haa... haa... I’m afraid. But... if I live like this, as you said... I’ll spend my whole life... being used as a third-rate nobody... then die. Rather than... live that way... I’ll die now.”

“You dare!”

Grip!

“Ghk... K-kill me!”

The world before my eyes gradually turned white, but I did not look away.

Evil Heaven stared at me with an unreadable gaze.

Then the grip suddenly loosened.

“Cough! Cough!”

As air returned to my lungs, I coughed madly.

Evil Heaven’s lips twitched while looking down at me.

“Perhaps you’re not all chaff.”

“Cough... Pardon?”

“You’d do well not to show such reckless bravado again. If someone without strength, authority, or anything else shows off a little courage, the ending is obvious.”

Though Evil Heaven spoke that way, the old lunatic’s expression was not entirely displeased.

I could not be certain of the true intent, but it seemed Evil Heaven had looked favorably upon my risking my life in reckless defiance.

“Haa...”

A relieved sigh escaped me.

It had been nothing less than a gamble, but I felt as though I had shed more of my former self.

Still, this incident made me realize more clearly than ever that I needed strength.

Reckless courage without power was a shortcut to death.

- You really nearly died! Why would you take such a risk? If you die, I...

The SoDam Sword could not finish the sentence.

‘Don’t worry. I won’t die.’

- But you almost did.

‘No. If Evil Heaven had intended to kill me from the start, something would have been done as soon as the Blood Worm’s absence was discovered.’

That was what I had gambled on.

Evil Heaven had turned a blind eye because the old lunatic wanted something from me.

I was certain there was something more to this than teaching me how to handle internal energy without a dantian.

Once my coughing had settled somewhat, Evil Heaven spoke.

“Good. I’ll make you an offer that should interest you.”

“Interest me?”

“If you follow my orders well, I’ll continue turning a blind eye to the fact that you have no Blood Worm inside you. What do you think? Not a bad condition, is it? Heh heh.”

It was certainly not a bad condition for me.

Evil Heaven could have put another Blood Worm inside me, yet was offering to overlook it.

“In return, after you learn ‘that,’ you will have a Martial Arts match with the twin brothers I taught.”

“What?”

I was momentarily stunned by the completely unexpected words.

I had never imagined that the reason Evil Heaven would teach me to cultivate internal energy without a dantian was so I could fight those twins.

“...Why?”

“Hmph! Don’t question unnecessary things just because I’ve done you a favor!”

Evil Heaven glared fiercely in warning.

I was curious, but it felt as though I should not ask.

There seemed to be some reason behind it that greatly displeased the old lunatic.

“You only need to fight them as I command. Do you understand?”

“Am I not allowed to ask this either?”

“What is it?”

“From the way you speak, ‘that’... it is not your own art, is it, Venerable One?”

Evil Heaven fell silent for a moment.

It seemed I had struck the mark.

After a while, the old lunatic replied with a hardened expression.

“That is correct.”

That was enough.

I did not know the exact reason, but it was clear Evil Heaven intended to have me learn “that” and then confirm its results through a match against the twin brothers.

“If you ask any more questions, I’ll break your legs.”

“...Understood.”

“Then I’ll take that as your agreement. Let’s go!”

Whoosh!

“Huh?”

Evil Heaven suddenly picked me up again and tucked me beneath one arm.

Then the old lunatic swiftly headed somewhere.

After crossing to the far side of the mountaintop, Evil Heaven descended the cliff face and entered a cave.

Tap!

“Here.”

Since the cave was positioned where sunlight reached it, its shallow interior was clearly visible.

Yet shattered skeletal remains lay scattered inside, along with a rusted iron sword stuck in the ground.