799 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 799 of "The World's Greatest Friend" - Novel Archive Drip. Blood trickles from the spot where the blade grazes the neck. At a moment when even breathing is cautious for fear of a cut, the body of Eunranggeom stiffens, feeling the flow of blood and cold sweat. How did this happen? Forcing his trembling gaze downward, he looks at the woman. The woman pointing the sword at his neck. Namgung Bia, the Sword Dancer. As he looks at her, Eunranggeom’s brow gradually furrows. 'What on earth.' How did this happen? When did this woman get so close? Just a moment ago, she was far away, and before he knew it, she had slipped into his embrace. It was an absurd situation. 'Did I really not notice?' Could it be that she approached him without him noticing? Could it mean that her skill level is that high? 'That can't be.' Eunranggeom quickly dismisses the thought. Nothing has changed. To Eunranggeom, the Sword Dancer’s skill level is still clear as day. She cannot defeat him. Thus, the idea that he didn’t notice doesn’t make sense. 'What trick did she use?' She must have used some trick. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense. Could it be some kind of bewitching technique? As various thoughts crowd into Eunranggeom's mind. Shhhh. The blade touching his neck slowly begins to move away. Swoosh—thud—! Namgung Bia lowers the sword she was holding and slightly steps back to extend the distance. The exact distance they had at the start. She stands just that far away and looks at Eunranggeom. Her expression is the same as when they first met. That expressionless face makes Eunranggeom bite his lip. He wraps his hand around his wounded neck and injects his qi. It was to stop the bleeding. As his qi sinks in, the flow of blood ceases. Only then can Eunranggeom exhale a deep breath. Moreover, the once quiet surroundings begin to regain their sound bit by bit. "Wha, what just..." "Did the Sword Dancer defeat Eunranggeom?" "It happened so quickly that I didn’t even manage to watch properly..." Everyone is in a state of bewilderment. And it’s only natural. Even if someone witnessed it, it would have been an unbelievable sight. It happened in an instant. It was too brief to call it a duel. There were no signs or process, only the outcome remained before the blink of an eye. Eunranggeom had yielded to Namgung Bia. Once a sword touches your neck, that's it. It’s an unspoken agreement known even to those not familiar with martial arts. With such a result, it wouldn't be a stretch to say Eunranggeom had lost. As this realization dawns upon everyone. "...What... are you doing?" Namgung Bia suddenly speaks. Her voice makes Eunranggeom frown. "What did... you say?" "...Is it over?" "...!" This time, Eunranggeom's eyes widen slightly. He finally understands what Namgung Bia is asking. Is that it? Is that the end of the duel? That was the meaning behind her words. "Haa..." Upon hearing this, Eunranggeom sighs. "Do you intend to continue?" The outcome has already been decided. Whether it involved carelessness or trickery no longer matters with so many having witnessed the outcome. Why would she want to continue? As Eunranggeom wonders this aloud, Namgung Bia quickly responds. "...We haven’t... truly finished yet." "..." The duel hadn't ended. Hearing this, Eunranggeom brushes his hand through his hair. There was something peculiar about Namgung Bia's desire to continue purely for the sake of more sparring. Isn’t it enough to have won? Even as he thought this, he found himself oddly amused by his own predicament. He remembered her swinging the sword thrice and asking why he conceded. Eyes still upon him, he bit his lip amid the intense gazes. 'Damn it.' Something was very wrong. Realizing this, he raises his sword. "Lady." At Eunranggeom's words, Namgung Bia tilts her head slightly. "First, I must apologize. I underestimated you." Whatever method she used, he must accept the result. He had underestimated the Sword Dancer, and in doing so, had given up his neck. Additionally. "...Furthermore, thank you for your instruction and leniency." Woooong—! The sword in Eunranggeom’s hand begins to hum softly. "Please, grant me a second chance." "..." This time, he promised not to let his guard down, hoping for one more duel. In response to this request, Namgung Bia did not reply with words. Sreung. She instead pointed her sword at Eunranggeom again. Seeing this response, Eunranggeom turns his gaze away. Below the fighting platform, where the Star King stands. The duel they originally wagered upon. While having another chance is welcome, the Star King’s reaction was also crucial. Would he object to this? Eunranggeom cast a worried glance, but the Star King merely watched in silence without uttering a word. Seeing this, Eunranggeom swallowed his unease. "..." Does it really not matter if they continue? Does this imply that fighting without letting his guard down poses no big issue? 'It couldn't be...' No way. Although he wanted to dismiss the thought, he hesitated. What you see isn’t always everything. Wasn't that what had just happened? Clang. With tension in the air, Eunranggeom grips his sword tightly. "Hoooo..." He regulates his breathing. Woooong! Woooooong—!! As Eunranggeom breathes, the resonance of his sword grows stronger and stronger. Ssshhh—!! Soon, the very instant qi permeates the blade. Thunk! Eunranggeom moves. With one step forward, a flash cuts through the air. A crescent-shaped sword energy emerged. "..." Seeing this, Namgung Bia crouched slightly and tightened her grip on the sword. Crackle—!! As lightning energy exploded forth. Bzzzzzz—!!! Boom! The clash of lightning and sword energy created an explosion. Shards of energy scattered into the air, and in that moment, Namgung Bia moved swiftly through the gap. Woooong—!! The sword in her grasp howled fiercely. With a step forward, she executed a move, and the lightning-speed Azure Dragon Step quickly brought her before Eunranggeom. Crackle—! As she swung her sword, a series of blue arcs formed consecutively. Dozens of arcs rained down upon Eunranggeom. "..." Eunranggeom didn’t dodge the attack. He simply swung his sword through the visible arcs. Clang. Eunaggeom Technique. Eunseombeeyuyeon Technique. With swift swordplay, he slashed cleanly through all the cascading arcs. Crackle—! Crackle—!! Each slash carried a tingle, suggesting that all of the attacks held a charge within them. After cutting through the last of the attack, Eunranggeom quickly stepped back to create distance. Namgung Bia, having diverted his gaze upwards, charged towards Eunranggeom in a low stance. Her speed was astounding. No, rather than speed, it was— Rumble—!!! The pressure emanating from Namgung Bia's body seemed to hold Eunranggeom’s feet in place. ‘Imperial Blade Technique!’ Recalling the martial art, Eunranggeom frowned. He couldn't be sure earlier due to its indistinct aura, but now he knew. The pressure clutching Eunranggeom's ankles was the Imperial Blade Technique, a secret art of the Namgung family. Namgung Bia had cunningly shifted his attention to the arcs, allowing her to use the Imperial Blade Technique unnoticed. ‘Ah.’ Impressive. A sense of admiration escaped him. He knew well how difficult it was to execute the Imperial Blade Technique. One needed not only an abundance of qi but also the strength to sustain it. To control it without it being obvious seemed near impossible. Yet this woman was not only maintaining the Imperial Blade Technique but controlling it effortlessly. ‘She’s using the Imperial Blade Technique more for utility than for actual combat.’ Traditionally, the Namgung family centered around the dominance of the Imperial Blade Technique, wielding both sword and lightning skills. Namgung Bia appeared to focus solely on swordsmanship instead. To question if that was a flaw— ‘…No.’ It seemed it was not. Screeech—!! The tip of the sword scraping across the ground grazed the tip of Eunranggeom's nose. In dodging the attack, Eunranggeom spun rapidly backward, swinging his sword in a wide arc. Crackle—!! As he dodged the sword attack, a lightning bolt struck from behind. He had no idea when that had been launched. Clearing away the residual lightning. “Hoo-!” Taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip. His senses were flooded with information. Namgung Bia never gave him any room. Lightning was raining down from all directions, and his ankles were ensnared by the Imperial Blade Technique. It was a complete bind. However. ‘Indeed.’ Watching this, Eunranggeom reaffirmed his conviction. Namgung Bia was formidable. Having fought her, he understood even more. If this was the measure of her ability, she was either nearing the Flowering Stage... or was already there. It was an absurdly high level. ‘Still.’ Still, he was stronger. Crunch—!! Amid the terrifying onslaught of swords and lightning, Eunranggeom suddenly drove his sword into the ground. In that instant. Rumble—!!! A burst of power swept out in every direction. It was an immense release of energy, indicating he had poured a significant amount of qi into it. The energy spread like waves, devouring the lightning and taking on a mist-like form, obscuring his vision. This was his domain. A fog-like field created by Eunranggeom. In such mist, discerning qi was easy. Blocking the opponent’s vision while creating a favorable situation for himself. This was a technique employed by Eunranggeom, who had reached the Flowering Stage. He hadn't intended to use this in front of others, but he had no choice. “...” Instantly suppressing his presence, the opponent wouldn’t know his whereabouts now. Though he couldn’t see, the surroundings were clear to him. Thanks to this, Eunranggeom was able to easily locate Namgung Bia. She hadn’t moved from her original spot. Swoosh. He positioned himself and readied his grip on the sword. A single strike. With this strike, he intended to end the duel. And then. ‘The wager will be void.’ Even at this stage, he couldn’t fault her for using it as leverage. Given that she had overlooked some things, he couldn’t press the issue either. With this decision made, Eunranggeom summoned his sword energy. Rumble—!! A spiraling force wrapped around the blade. This was a preparation for thrusting rather than cutting. With the energy quickly prepared, Eunranggeom raised the tip of his sword and launched forward. Whoosh—!!! His strike pierced through the silence, aiming for the unsuspecting Namgung Bia. “…Huh!?” Eunranggeom suddenly gasped. Surely, there was no way she could know, unable to see ahead. ‘How…?’ Suddenly, Namgung Bia turned her head to look at Eunranggeom. Her blue eyes were indeed looking directly at him. As if to confirm this wasn’t a mistake, Namgung Bia moved. She withdrew, raising her sword to block the thrust. Screeeeech—!! The clash of blades sent a jarring sound through the air. How did she know? It was a mystery, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. ‘The next move…!’ He needed to prepare the next move immediately. It was good Namgung Bia blocked it, but if he rotated his waist to break through, transitioning to the next move... He hesitated. “...” Eunranggeom, contemplating his offensive, paused for some reason. With trembling eyes, he looked at Namgung Bia. Sssss—!! The mist dispersed suddenly. The blocked view came into clear sight. Namgung Bia stood there, holding Eunranggeom's sword at bay. It appeared she had barely managed to block it. Yet. “I’ve lost.” Strangely, it was Eunranggeom who spoke of defeat. How could he mention loss when the duel wasn't over? As confusion made its way through their minds. “…Lady, may I ask you something?” He asked Namgung Bia with a face marked by surprise. “At what point?” “...” At first, there was no response. But Eunranggeom, desperate for an answer, repeated his question. “At what point...?” His voice was shaky. “When did you implant the Heart Blade (Simgeom) behind my neck?” Eunranggeom remained visibly still. Even the slightest movement would trigger the invisible blade at his nape. Realizing this, Eunranggeom asked. Upon hearing his question, Namgung Bia replied. "…From the beginning…." "…" It was an answer that naturally extinguished any remaining fight within him.