Chapter 8 – Qualities of a Martial God (1)

Chapter 8 – Qualities of a Martial God (1)

The barracks of the Sixteenth Order of the Sword Infantry.

Now, about a hundred new soldiers were gathered here in groups of twos and threes, chanting in unison. The tactical training that lasted until late at night was finally over.

The barracks were noisy, but no one came close. Because the impression of the Il-gwang next to me was so scary. A stocky body weighing over 200 pounds and a grim face. He was threatening other recruits with his mere presence.

Il-gwang, lying on his side with his arms on a pillow, stared at Cheong-hae, who was sitting cross-legged.

“You said you were from the Mount Hua Sect, right?”

“Yes, but I have no ties to that place anymore.”

Although Il-gwang was naturally lowered, it did not look awkward due to the large age difference.

“But why did you come here? You must have learned martial arts. Wouldn’t it be better to go somewhere and get a stable job, whether it’s wreaking havoc or working as a guard?”

“Originally, my goal was to become the best martial arts expert in the world. But now that that path has been blocked, I will try to become the greatest general in the world.”

It was then. As soon as Cheong-hae finished speaking, Il-gwang started rolling around holding his belly button.

“Puhi! Puhahaha! So-mu, did you just hear that?”

A smile appeared on So-mu's face as if he couldn't bear it anymore. Looking at Cheong-hae's serious face, he even thought it was funny.

“From trainee to general. I can’t even calculate how many levels I have to go up.”

Cheong-hae was in tore at Il-gwang and So-mu's reactions.

“Phew…. You are truly amazing. Just watch. You will definitely make a big contribution in the coming battle.”

“Giggle. Get some sleep. The real training starts tomorrow, so I need to take care of it.”

Il-gwang, who had been lying down and laughing for a long time, soon fell asleep. Cheong-hae was still sitting cross-legged and concentrating.

The new soldiers in the barracks fell into sleep one by one, and the surroundings gradually became quiet. So-mu lay down with her clasped hands behind her head, lost in thought.

He was looking back on the conversation he had with Heo Gyu of Openness. Because there was some interesting information.

‘I already guessed that there was someone behind the State of Hui, but that was Shadow Sect…’ … . There was no information about them.’

It was a name that even he, who had a lot of experience as a strongman, had never heard of. How long had he been working in the shadows and storing up his strength? It was a more secretive and sophisticated force than you could imagine.

‘There’s nothing I can do now. For now, let's stick with the original plan. First, you will start as a soldier and get to know the world. If you do that, you will be able to find the answer and make a decision about anything.’

While So-mu was deep in thought, most of the new soldiers were asleep. Cheong-hae was expected to replace sleep with good luck.

‘To make life easier in the future, I need to improve my Il-gwang and Listening skills… … .’

So-mu looked at the two of them once and felt a severe headache.

‘Il Gwang has outstanding backbone. He was a naturally boneless person that was hard to find even in martial arts. However, if you learn martial arts at a late age, your body will be full of dirtied energy, so it will not be easy to accumulate internal skills. On the other hand, the basics of listening comprehension were good, but the muscles were not so good, so you have to make up for it with effort. ‘This must be a long way to go.’

It was a sleepless night for the first time in a while. So-mu closed his eyes and concentrated on meditation. That's two o'clock. Suddenly his ears perked up. This was because a loud noise could be felt outside the barracks. There was still a long time left before the sun rose.

‘I thought everyone would have a good rest on the first day, but were my expectations for nothing?’

It was then. A drum sounded outside the barracks, and someone's shout woke everyone from their sweet sleep. It was the voice of Wi Jin-cheol, the leader of the sword infantry.

“New recruits, training is starting! Gather everyone right now! The last five to come out, you better be prepared!”

thud-! thud-! thud-! thud-!

Fifteen soldiers were walking around each barracks, beating drums. In So-mu’s barracks, Il-gwang stood up and groaned.

“You damn bastards, you just fell asleep!”

As soon as he lay down, he fell asleep and even snored. Cheong-hae kept giggling and laughing.

“Kuh. Don’t lie! Il-gwang was the first to fall asleep in our barracks.”

“I just closed my eyes!”

While they were talking, dozens of new recruits were already running out of the barracks. So-mu also moved out of the barracks and spoke to Il-gwang and Cheong-hae.

“I heard there will be some sort of penalty for the last five.”

There were already only a few people left in the barracks. Il-gwang and Cheong-hae also moved quickly and lined up behind So-mu. The three, who had barely reached a stable level, were relieved to see the new recruits who showed up late being punished.

“I barely survived.”

Il-gwang looked at Cheong-hae and nodded.

“That’s right. If I did it wrong, I would have been embarrassed.”

After a while, all the new soldiers of the Sword Infantry moved to the training ground along Wei Qincheol.

It was not yet dawn. A cool breeze blew, and the sound of passing through the outer walls of the barracks could be heard. Each of the new recruits' faces were flushed as they strengthened their resolve.

After a while, all new recruits lined up at the training ground. Thirty miles away, a group of soldiers were carrying wooden boxes. Soon after, each new soldier was issued a sword for combat use.

“From now on, treat it like your life! If anyone loses his sword, I will kill him!”

Looking at his booming voice and facial expression, it seemed like he could really do that.

“From now on, I will show you our corps’ Heavenly Martial Sword Technique. Watch carefully!”

Wi Jin-cheol raised the sword to eye level and pulled it over his shoulder. When he waved his wrist, the blade reflected the moonlight and he let out a cry.

Kiiiiing-!

At that moment, the tip of the sword moved and the sword dance began.

He continued his movements slowly so that the recruits could see them. Demonstrating swordsmanship like this was difficult to imitate unless you were a top-notch expert.

Slow and fast movements were repeated, drawing the attention of the recruits. Cheong-hae, a member of the Mount Hua Sect, opened his mouth in admiration.

“It’s amazing. The techniques may not be flashy, but the power will be enormous.”

Everyone was watching with fascination, but So-mu had different thoughts. He had already understood the basics of the Heavenly Martial Sword Technique after just one look.

‘It consists of a total of eighteen forms. All form thoughts give up the qualities of fantasy and pleasure and focus only on pleasure and strength. After all, was this a martial art that was only used on the battlefield? Because it was specialized in its ability to kill people, its power was inevitably halved in one-on-one combat. If you have a little irregularity and softness, you will be able to evolve it into an even better swordsmanship. 'It's a shame.'

Once your swordsmanship reached a certain level, it doesn't matter what swordsmanship you use or what weapon you pick up. So-mu was like that now.

‘Still, since it was not difficult for forms, it was not bad as an introductory sword technique for new recruits.’

For So-mu, military service for the government was nothing more or less than a way to kill time. But that's only when seen from the eyes of the Sword Saint. The recruits were filled with passion as they looked at Wei Jin-cheol and opened their mouths.

“Everyone should follow along from now on! The most form evolutionary assault!”

Wi Jin-cheol's long sword, which was kicking up the ground, turned and rotated once at shoulder height. Then, about 2,500 new soldiers followed suit.

“Yeoyeop!”

“Uracha!”

Loud shouted were coming from their mouths, but the results were spectacular. Many people fell, and some even cut and injured the person next to them. Even Cheong-hae, who had mastered swordsmanship, must have found it difficult to follow along in one go, stumbling and barely able to complete the movement.

When the situation reached this point, Wei Jin-cheol's frown narrowed sharply. He seemed angry. Then his eyes suddenly flashed sharply. This was because among the new recruits, a person was found who perfectly digested form.

Wi Jin-cheol's gaze was fixed precisely on So-mu.

“Hey, you there! Come out here!”

So-mu, who made eye contact, looked around and realized that he was being pointed out.

No matter how much I thought about it, I didn't do anything wrong. I just followed what I was told. There was a mistake in not predicting that no one would succeed just once.

So-mu silently trudged towards Wi Jincheol.

By the time the distance narrowed to one foot. Suddenly, Wei Jincheol’s sword flashed.

It was a surprise attack.

The tip of the sword, coiled like a snake, was pointed exactly at So-mu's throat. Although it was a desperate situation, So-mu's expressionless face did not change one bit.

‘There was no lethal force in the sword.’

The tip of Wei Qin-cheol's sword stopped exactly in front of Su Mu's uvula. The difference was just one piece of paper.

It was So-mu who was surprised, but it was Wi Jin-cheol who was dumbfounded.

‘That’s strange. Anyone who has learned martial arts should have reacted somehow. Did I see it wrong? But how was it possible to completely digest a single portion of the Heavenly Martial Sword Technique in just one go? … .’

His eyes lit up and he looked up and down Su Mu's whole body. However, no outliers could be found. There was no trace of any martial arts training.

“Just now, this is One Sword Limitless , this herbal method of the Heavenly Arms Sword Technique. Can you try following it?”

So-mu was dumbfounded by Wi Jin-cheol's bold behavior. But isn’t this a situation where we can argue?

‘There’s nothing I can do about it now that it’s like this. It won’t be a problem to imitate the movements.’

So-mu fixed the blade under his eye. His left foot took a step forward. At the same time, the tip of the sword that shot out pierced the entire front, turning at an angle as if it were alive.

Phew!

It was a perfect movement. The only difference was that it was less powerful because it did not contain internal power.

Wi Jin-cheol, who was watching, widened his eyes. I stared at So-mu blankly for a long time. He quickly gathered his thoughts, nodded and said.

“Sometimes people with a natural talent for martial arts appear in the world. This is the case. However, if you discover your talent too late, you may soon reach your limit, so never be overconfident!”

Contrary to what he said, he was caressing So-mu's shoulder with his right hand. They just don't show their joy.

What could be happier than having a talented subordinate come under your command? I felt like I had obtained a secret weapon.

After sending So-mu away, he took his stance again and shouted.

“For those with talent, Wi Jin-cheol will treat them accordingly! This means that if you have the skills, you can become a ten-commander or a centurion-general after training! Now, everyone, follow me again! The best form evolution rampage!”