WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Chapter 10: Entrance (2)

──────

"Yeah. I’m good at sensing the wind."

The man smiled. They wore a blue bandana, and their eyes were an even deeper blue.

"Even a ten-year-old child’s Three Talents Sword Art has sword wind. You can tell how they wield the sword and what sort of feeling they put into it. Here in Demon Wings, I have a friend named Baek Mir-yeo whose sword is full of ingenuity. Be sure to receive some guidance from them. Their instincts are exceptional."

"I’ll give it a try."

Yeon-shin did not ask any further questions.

As they circulated qi where they stood, the hem of their clothes began to flutter faintly.

The power of the Jeong Family Youth Technique rose throughout their body as the eyes of the Demon Wings martial artists, watching with keen interest, gleamed with fascination.

"My name is Cheong Myeong. I was born and raised here in Xiangyang."

"Jeong Yeon-shin, from Xinye."

"Ah, so there is a place like that."

Cheong Myeong laughed lightly. Their aura was as clear as their name. Yeon-shin reached for the sword issued by Desolate Fortress.

The Desolate Sword. It was a superior weapon incomparable to the iron sword Yeon-shin had used at home, and its sword resonance was so clear and loud that Hyeon Won-chang from the next room had rushed in.

‘They say there is a forge here run by short-statured members of the dwarven race.’

If the rumor was true, it would only be natural for even standard-issue swords to be of such fine quality.

Unlike the elven race, famed for both beauty and strength, not much was known about the dwarven race. Their smithing skills alone, however, were said to be unparalleled.

"I’m coming."

"Yeah. They say your swift sword is peerless. Let me see it."

"Then."

A tremor, one Yeon-shin had grown accustomed to over the past week, rose from the hand gripping the sword.

Before Cheong Myeong drew their sword, Yeon-shin noticed the calluses on both hands, as hard as armor.

The firm, lean muscles visible through Cheong Myeong’s sleeves and their upright posture attested to lofty martial prowess.

As though they had never been casual, Cheong Myeong’s gaze changed. Eyes that seemed to pierce through Yeon-shin’s mind were overwhelmingly intense.

‘There is no need to worry. This is a chance to display my skill.’

They erased everything else. Within their aura sense, they left only Cheong Myeong’s breathing. An inhale, then an exhale released very slowly.

‘Now.’

The qi meant to flow to Yeon-shin’s left foot instead flowed to the opposite side and overlapped. A thud rang out.

With a single leap using the Ultimate Realm of the right foot, Cheong Myeong’s upper body drew so close it seemed about to fill Yeon-shin’s vision.

They shattered the floor beneath their feet and drew the Desolate Sword.

The five-pace distance was cleaved apart by a single sword draw.

They explosively released tightly contracted muscles and inner energy, then followed with a strike from the Quick Sword Formula.

A sound like swimming through a typhoon battered their ears like a drum, and their lower abdomen tingled.

Having gained sword resonance, Yeon-shin had changed once more. It was a sensation they could feel completely.

Bang!

They collided with a sword force too powerful to bear. Yeon-shin had moved in after spotting Cheong Myeong’s open flank, but suddenly their vision flashed white.

As their body was flung away, an immense shock traveled from their grip to their elbow.

They had no idea when Cheong Myeong had raised their sword to block.

‘Still, it is not as bad as I thought...’

Just before being sent flying, Yeon-shin concentrated qi in the Liangqiu, Xuehai, and Xiyangguan acupoints of the right knee.

The moment the calf muscles on either side of the knee writhed like a beast’s muscles, the right foot drove into the Training Hall floor.

At the same time, they detonated qi from the Yongquan acupoint in the heel.

Crack! Whoosh!

‘This is manageable.’

Their body spun half a turn around the right foot. Instead, they had taken the blind spot behind Cheong Myeong.

At the end of the Desolate Sword’s arc, which carved a semicircle along with Yeon-shin’s body, was the trapezius muscle behind Cheong Myeong’s neck.

After the sound of the air being cut apart like a curtain, Cheong Myeong’s entire body suddenly twitched as though pulsating.

Their body seemed to blur, and in an instant, Yeon-shin’s vision turned white once more.

Cheong Myeong’s sword had drawn near.

Shhh!

‘The Rotational Strike’s rotation was properly executed.’

They had not realized it by seeing it.

The sword humming in their grip detected the grain of the air for them.

The inspiration gained from Cheong Myeong’s words about sensing the wind was deepening Yeon-shin’s unity of sword and self.

Clang!

With a sound like a gong being struck, force imbued with qi scattered in every direction and tore at their clothes.

Their arm was flung high into the air.

The clash of power had been so tremendous that Yeon-shin was amazed they had not dropped the sword.

Whoosh!

They let their body fall backward as though collapsing, using the Iron Bridge technique.

Thanks to the right foot being embedded in the floor, the technique was easy to perform.

A white sword blade barely grazed the tip of their nose.

The sight of hair that had not fallen with their backward movement being sliced away sent a chill through them.

Yeon-shin pulled free the foot embedded in the floor and kicked out.

Anticipating that Cheong Myeong would evade, they threw a feint kick, then turned a somersault through the air before landing.

They immediately lowered the sword and stared at Cheong Myeong with clear eyes.

Something seemed to catch on the tip of their upward-kicking foot, and Cheong Myeong’s bandana came off.

‘As expected, an elf.’

Ears pointed like sword tips and golden hair were features no Han Chinese person could possess.

Having seen the elven race often lately, Yeon-shin did not think much of it and readied the sword again.

‘Next, I’ll use the Ultimate Realm with the Desolate Sword... Hm?’

Completely immersed in the match, they suddenly realized that silence had filled the surroundings.

Even Cheong Myeong, their fearsome opponent, was looking at them with a bewildered expression.

Yeon-shin could not tell when it had begun, but everyone present was staring with astonishment in their eyes.

In any case, Cheong Myeong’s identity did not seem to be a secret.

"..."

They did not know why, but they could tell the atmosphere was no longer suited to continuing the spar.

Yeon-shin carefully sheathed the sword as though they had only just used it, then asked out of curiosity.

"How was I? You said you were going to judge my talent."

"..."

"I know you held back for several exchanges. Tell me honestly."

"Uh..."

The Demon Wings experts who had crossed swords with the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, and even Cheong Myeong, who had crossed swords with Namgung’s First Sword, seemed to have forgotten how to speak.

They merely stared at Yeon-shin. Only after some time did Ma Jin finally speak, the movement distorting the scar beneath their mouth.

"You. How old did you say you were?"

"I’m fifteen, but does that matter? Enemies do not spare someone for being young. Only what one has accomplished now matters."

Yeon-shin answered with a frown. When they were liable to die young, what use was there in considering age?

However, no one seemed to have heard the latter words.

Beginning with Cheong Myeong, who had suddenly thrown away the sword that was a martial artist’s life, the Demon Wings martial artists sprawled about and each began chiming in.

Their lax, undisciplined behavior was unbelievable.

"That’s a monster."

"No. It would be more accurate to call that a mistake by the heavens."

"I even attended the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, but I have never seen anything like that. Even if someone trained the Path of Sensation from birth, they would not be like that."

"In my city, I was an unmatched prodigy."

"Unmatched, my ass."

Ma Jin did not bother to quiet them and instead gestured to Hyeon Won-chang.

"Next. Hyeon Won-chang, you said you came from Shanxi."

"M-Me? Now?"

"Take your position. I will test you."

Hyeon Won-chang’s spar, with them looking ready to cry, drew no close attention from any of the Demon Wings martial artists.

Only Yeon-shin, who now belonged to the same martial generation, watched closely to see whether there was anything to learn from it.

* * *

"Demon’s Light is a martial art that does not discriminate among weapons."

Ma Jin, who had apparently returned from a mission just days ago, immediately began teaching.

When carrying out missions throughout the vast Central Plains, it was common to be away for several months. After returning, at least a month of rest was guaranteed.

Together with Hyeon Won-chang, Yeon-shin began studying Desolate Fortress’s Demon’s Light.

For Yeon-shin, it was the first time in life that they were properly learning a high-level martial art.

"Sword, saber, spear, fist, palm, hand, foot, axe, staff, whip. And countless other exotic weapons. Demon’s Light rejects none of them, provided you learn it properly."

"How can such a thing be possible? Then sword schools would have no reason to deliberately study the sword."

Hyeon Won-chang asked, their eyelids swollen blue.

Whenever Ma Jin taught with words, they answered every question gently, as though they were the most broad-minded teacher in the world.

"Its nature is different. Demon’s Light is about how to use the body. It encompasses every consideration of what the body is capable of doing. Excluding the bow, it encompasses everything from close-range unarmed combat to mid-to-long-range spear fighting."

Then Ma Jin added,

"That is why it is shallow. Hyeon Won-chang. As you said, its depth with the sword cannot compare to that of a sword school devoted solely to sword use. But we are not Wudang Sect Taoists who clutch a single ancient pine-patterned sword and practice alone in hopes of ascending as immortals."

‘So one can speak of Wudang Sect’s Taiji Sword that way.’

Thinking it was a sword art they wanted to witness at least once, Yeon-shin listened closely.

"The martial arts of Desolate Fortress are always for fierce battles. Even when on a solo mission, assume a chaotic melee. A fight is a collection of variables! Would you insist on holding a sword if a misplaced step caused your stance to collapse? If you learn Demon’s Light, you will not hesitate to discard your sword in that moment. Better choices often mean a greater chance of survival."

Ma Jin looked at Yeon-shin for a moment.

They seemed to be thinking of the kick that had sent Cheong Myeong’s bandana flying.

In contrast, Yeon-shin recalled Cheong Myeong throwing away their sword immediately after the spar.

"Oh... Indeed."

The Desolate Fortress Divine Hero, now deeply moved, let out an exclamation of admiration.

Ma Jin’s eyes took on a peculiar glint as they glanced at Hyeon Won-chang, seated formally beside Yeon-shin.

"However, Demon’s Light is a martial art that requires innate adaptability and insight.

"If you lack those two things, you must work hard enough to force it into your body. But do not worry."

Ma Jin continued, drawing up the scar beneath the corners of their mouth.

"That is what Demon Wings and I are here for. The fact that you passed the Desolate Exam means your aptitude has already been verified. If you keep up, you will be able to take the next mission with us."

And so Hyeon Won-chang’s ordeal began.

* * *

"Ugh..."

The next day, something resembling a corpse stood motionless in the Demon Wings Training Hall.

It seemed that the talk of imprinting it onto the body had not been an exaggeration. Ma Jin taught the mnemonic formula of Demon’s Light, then demonstrated the martial art they had mastered on Hyeon Won-chang’s body through sparring that resembled real combat.

"My Demon’s Light unarmed combat is precise. I know that you can still move. The fact that you have not collapsed is commendable. Reconstruct it exactly and draw out your own attainment."

After speaking indifferently to Hyeon Won-chang, Ma Jin turned to Yeon-shin.

Compared to Hyeon Won-chang, Yeon-shin looked as though nothing had happened to them.

The black Desolate Sword hung at their waist, and the hem of their White Uniform fluttered in the wind.

Despite their still-youthful appearance, their bearing was already that of a Desolate Fortress martial artist.

"You have finished. Did you grasp the core of the mnemonic formula?"

"Unimpeded adaptability."

"...Correct. The body always has room to move in any situation. The flow of the movement path continuing without interruption or obstruction is the true essence of Demon’s Light. Insight, creativity, and adaptability. If you fully understand the mnemonic formula, you must now comprehend the essence of the movement path."

"The essence of the movement path?"

"There is no point prattling on about it. Seeing it once is better than hearing it a hundred times."

Ma Jin stood before a brick tower at one side of the Training Hall.

Members of Desolate Fortress rarely used cut timber.

With the Lord of Desolate Fortress being a member of the elven race, everything from the halls to the surrounding structures was built of stone. There was no possibility of setting up something like a wooden training post.

"Watch."

In an instant, a powerful presence settled over Ma Jin’s body. Then it vanished just as quickly.

They seemed to be showing that they had completely relaxed their strength.

Ma Jin threw a straight punch, and their callus-covered fist struck one side of the tower.

Thunk!

The blunt sound made one wonder just how extensively they had trained their external arts.

At the same time, the brick tower collapsed in a heap.

"The optimal moment and the finest strike. The movement path is the trajectory that draws them. Following a perfect movement path produces a supreme strike. It could be called a realm of eye techniques, but the principle I wish to convey is different. Eye techniques are for seeing the opponent’s attacks. But the movement path you draw already begins in the realm of instinct. There is no need to see your own attack."

Without even dusting off their hand, Ma Jin turned to Yeon-shin. Yeon-shin, who had been looking at the tower’s wreckage, thought,

‘The servants will have a hard time.’

After briefly wondering how much the servants of Desolate Fortress were paid, they immediately cleared away the stray thought.

‘It is about using the body at the right moment.’

It meant identifying when and where to unleash one’s strength.

Having instantly grasped the essence, Yeon-shin flexed their hand.

"This belongs to the realm of practice. You cannot do anything with it after seeing it once. The more you train, the more instinctively you will find the optimal movement path. It is something you must make your lifelong task."

"Is that so...?"

That did not seem right, Yeon-shin thought.

Already, an inspiration that went even further had begun to summon flashes of lightning in their mind.

‘I think I can do this differently. Right now, even...’

A sky-blue glimmer passed through Yeon-shin’s eyes, and their hand lifted slightly.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried