Chapter 653

Thud—

The fallen head.

It was Su-ho’s.

And then.

“Huuuaaaagh!”

Su-ho came to his senses as if waking from a nightmare.

He felt around his neck.

His neck was attached.

It was strange.

It had clearly been a severed head that had fallen, so how was it attached again?

He had clearly felt himself being cut.

Cold sweat broke out, and his eyes widened.

At the end of his flustered gaze, Sword Demon was looking at him and smiling.

- It is not as if you have died only once or twice, so why are you so surprised?

“D-did I die just now?”

- Yes, you died. And as I always have, I brought you back to life.

Right.

It had not been an illusion.

My neck had definitely been cut off, and I had died.

Sword Demon had brought me back to life.

And this was the Sword Demon Realm.

In this place where Sword Demon existed as a god, nothing was impossible.

Su-ho, who had only just regained his composure, plopped down where he stood.

“What did you do? How?”

- You asked me to show you the pinnacle of the Formless Sword, did you not? So I showed you. What you saw and experienced just now is the final form of the Formless Sword. The ultimate Formless Sword.

“The ultimate Formless Sword.......”

Su-ho touched around his neck again and savored the words ultimate Formless Sword.

Goosebumps rose on his skin.

There had clearly been neither sword nor mana nor anything else in Sword Demon’s hand.

And yet my neck had been cut, so how could I not be shocked?

He had not even sensed any approach or energy right before his neck was cut.

Not even killing intent, at the very least.

Was this really possible?

It was possible.

Because Sword Demon before his eyes had done it and shown it to him directly.

Sword Demon smiled.

- The end of the Formless Sword is neither the body nor mana. It is cutting with the mind. It may sound like a joke, but if I make up my mind to cut, I should be able to cut my opponent with only a glance, without swinging my hand even once. That is why the end of the Formless Sword is called the Mind Sword.

“Mind Sword...... That sounds like the most legendary and fairy-tale-like story I’ve heard until now.”

- But you just learned that it exists, so you now know it is not legend, but reality. Therefore, your goal from now on is the Mind Sword. A realm where, as long as you possess the will to cut, you must be able to cut anything. That is the Mind Sword. Remember it well.

“Mind Sword...... Understood.”

- Handling the Mind Sword requires neither mana nor anything else. All it requires is an intense will. It will not be easy by any means. Even in my world, including me, there were only two who reached the realm of the Mind Sword.

“Where did that person go?”

- Left. After fighting me.

“Ah.”

His expression looked complicated.

There seemed to be a story behind it, so he did not ask any deeper.

Instead, he showed respect.

He was sincere.

“I will devote myself even more from now on.”

- You should. But as I said earlier, it will truly not be an easy path. Because from now on, the training of the Formless Sword that you must do is an area where I cannot help you. This is something you must practice and realize alone. That is why I said it was the first stage. Only when you can create and maintain a new blade with your Sword Energy on a sword without a blade can you ultimately reach the Mind Sword.

“I will work hard.”

- For reference, in order to pass the first stage of the Formless Sword, the blade you newly create will have to be much harder than the swords you normally use. Otherwise, there is no meaning to it.

In the end, swordsmen used the swords that suited them best.

However, the prerequisite for a sword suiting them well was that it had to be extremely sturdy and sharp.

Most swords that swordsmen settled on were selected from among the sturdiest and sharpest swords they had used.

That meant the Formless Sword Su-ho had to use needed to be at least above the Blood Sword and the Guiyeong Sword.

‘Above the Blood Sword and the Guiyeong Sword...... The hurdle really is high.’

But he would have to do it.

Because the higher the hurdle, the moment he crossed it, he would be able to obtain a sword stronger than any other sword.

When Su-ho’s expression became serious, Sword Demon tilted his chin.

Then a Subspace Gate leading outside was created.

- The teaching is over. Now go back.

“What? So suddenly?”

- I told you, did I not? From now on, you must do it alone. From now on, it is not something that will be done because I push you, and it is not something that will be done because I hold a blade to your neck, so train whenever you have time. If you do not train, you will not become stronger, and if you cannot become stronger, you will not be able to protect the things you want to protect. The choice is yours.

“I will keep that in mind.”

He had said it lightly, but the meaning contained within was by no means light.

It was heavier than any of the words Sword Demon had said.

That was why he engraved it into his heart several times over.

Su-ho clasped his fist and bowed.

“I will make the blade of the Formless Sword soon.”

- I look forward to it.

After saying goodbye, Su-ho rode the Subspace Gate and left.

When he came outside, Jack was leaning back on the sofa almost as if lying down while watching TV.

- You’re back?

“I’m back.”

- The result?

“I’ve only just barely taken my first steps.”

- What kind of comparison is that? Looks like you rolled around quite a bit. You met Shiva earlier too, didn’t you?

“That’s.......”

Su-ho explained to Jack what had happened until now.

Then Jack raised his body, sat up straight, and exclaimed in admiration.

- Wow, I didn’t take that Sword Demon fellow that way, but he’s no ordinary guy, is he?

“It was my first time hearing of something called the Mind Sword and my first time experiencing it. When my neck was suddenly cut, I can’t even tell you how chilling it was. Among all the deaths I’ve experienced until now, that one made my liver and gallbladder the coldest.”

- I suppose the feeling of death differs depending on the type of killing. But if that is the case.......

Jack, who had been speaking, trailed off.

Then his admiring face changed into one with a little worry.

- This is serious.

“What is?”

- If you think about it, it is like that. If the power of that Sword Demon fellow is at that level, he is not someone who would go somewhere and listen to anyone’s orders, is he? But seeing as he is now teaching swordsmanship under the System’s command.......

“Ah?”

- Do you understand what I am worried about?

“......Yeah, I understand.”

What the two of them were worried about.

It was Overment’s power.

Even someone like Sword Demon was under the System’s control, so just how strong was the System?

Perhaps because he had experienced the tremendous realm called the Mind Sword, he could not gauge it even more.

Su-ho also grew gloomy for a moment, but soon corrected his expression.

“No. Even so, I won’t give up.”

At those words, Jack grinned.

- Right. You cannot become frustrated and give up here. If you had, I would have been even more disappointed.

“Whatever it is, there has to be a way. I want to land a blow directly on the System itself, but in any case, when looking at the big picture, the most urgent goal is winning the indie game.”

Surely, if I reach even the realm of the Mind Sword, I won’t fail to beat one Overment?

Thinking that, only then did he lie down comfortably on the sofa.

Then he summoned the Blood Sword.

Naturally, he summoned only the hilt.

“Hup.”

He focused his mind and sprouted Sword Energy.

Thread-like strands of mana gathered together and emitted smoke.

But that was all.

According to what Sword Demon had shown him, he had to liquefy this, but he could not yet reach that point.

Jack, who had been watching, said,

- As if that would happen overnight. You worked hard, so rest for now. Then practice steadily. If you do that, it will work eventually.

“Yeah. You’re right. I should rest for now.”

After throwing aside the Blood Sword’s handle, Su-ho picked up the pad and began ordering delivery food.

Because the timing when he could truly rest had finally come.

Jack, who saw him ordering food delivery, sidled up beside him.

- Order me some pizza. About ten pies, generously, the largest size.

“You’re eating again?”

- Are you really going to be petty about food?

“Fine. No need for beer?”

- Of course you have to order it. I saw it on TV earlier, and beer is essential with pizza. They call it pimaek. Do you know?

“Before there was pimaek, there was chimaek first. Okay, let’s drink beer too. I finally feel like I can rest now.”

He ordered quite a lot, generously.

More than just resting, it was also meant as a small celebration.

What he was celebrating was, naturally, reaching the entrance of the Formless Sword.

Soon, when the food arrived, Jack opened a can of beer and said,

- So, where is the next destination?

“Next is the Giants. Master told me to deal with the Giants first.”

- Specifically?

“I didn’t want to do that either, but he said it’s better to resolve the difficult work first.”

- How do you know whether Giants will be difficult or Fairies will be difficult?

“He seemed to consider the difference between the two to be about the difference between an elephant and an ant?”

- Why decide that with volume and mass? But well, what can you do? If your master tells you to do it, you have to do it. After hearing about the Mind Sword, I think you should just do as he says.

“I think so too.”

Su-ho also opened a can of beer and leaned back against the sofa.

‘By the way, Giants.’

The bloodline of Giants.

If he went, he had to compete for the throne to become the Giant King.

Would Seolmundae Halmang still be there as the leader even now?

That was probably highly likely.

According to what he had heard from Seolmundae Halmang, in the current world of Giants, because of me, her strength as Korea’s greatest Giant was the strongest.

‘But if I become the Giant King, what good is there?’

He could not really gauge it.

When he thought of Giants, the only thing that came to mind was growing larger.

But he was not particularly afraid.

They called it a competition for the throne, but in any case, if it was the rule of the strong and survival of the fittest, didn’t he just have to become the strongest being?

Now that he had even obtained the power of the First Blood and the power of the Arc Dragon Lord, Giants did not feel very threatening to Su-ho.

“Mm.”

Was that why?

Rather than the battle with the Giants he had to undergo immediately, his interest leaned more toward another side.

After thinking for a while, Su-ho said,

“Jack, you rest a little more by yourself.”

- Why?

“I’m going to go do something else. Now that I think about it, I don’t think the battle with the Giants will be that difficult.”

- What is with the sudden confidence? What else?

“Training.”

- Suddenly?

When Su-ho threw the pad to him, Jack caught it.

- Okay. Honestly, as long as I have this and the TV, I’m fine. I’ll order and eat whatever I want, okay?

“Yeah.”

Right after he finished answering, Su-ho picked up a pizza, put it in his mouth, and opened a Subspace Gate.

The place he arrived after crossing the gate was the Demon King Palace.

And when he arrived at the Demon King Palace, there was a welcome face waiting there, having sensed Su-ho’s will.

- Hey, I didn’t expect you to come find me already?

A welcome face.

It was Shiva.