Chapter 59: The Shape of a Combined Art

Inside the Underground Fortress.

While winter was fading away, this place had been undergoing constant expansion and was now reaching the stage of completion.

In just a few months, a space large enough for hundreds of people to move around in had been created.

‘It would have been impossible without Magic.’

Even though they had utilized an endless supply of labor, it would have been an impossible feat if they hadn’t used Magic during construction.

Even now, the fortress was being progressively reinforced under Birence’s design.

The inside of the fortress was always filled with heat.

During the day when I was absent, it was filled with the training of the Iron Fist.

It had to be that way.

Over 200 people were currently being tempered in their own ways.

The newly added members were assigned under Birence, and they too were given missions.

“Survive. And become stronger.”

The four completed units ran toward a single goal.

“Hold on longer, you brats!”

“Uwaaaaah!”

“Run if you don’t want to die later! Don’t you know how persistent our Lord is? Huh?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Right. That’s it!”

They grew stronger in order to survive.

My word—that I would personally “handle” the weakest ones once spring arrived—had worked perfectly.

Even the lazy Hoden put all his heart and soul into training his unit members.

The Iron Fist members, filled with venomous determination, followed along well.

“Good! That’s the way!”

Whoosh—

The ones Hoden taught moved cleverly.

The ones Gajei taught were solid.

Thump. Thump.

United as one, they all moved with a single motion.

Those led by Birence were somewhere in the middle.

They were moderately clever and moderately solid.

Surprisingly, it was the ones Sian taught that stood out.

“Speed isn’t the only thing that matters. What’s important is efficiency and numbers.”

“…… Yes.”

Those led by Sian became quieter as time passed.

They weren’t slow; they were fast.

Nevertheless, they made no sound.

They were constantly shifting their eyes, scanning the surroundings.

They studied the environment at all times and moved their internal Qi every time they stepped so their feet could spring forward instantly.

Their training was always quiet.

Even with dozens of people moving, not a single footstep or sound of breathing could be heard.

‘She’s gained an interesting realization.’

Not long ago, Sian reached the sixth level of the Three Realms Steps.

It was a sudden, explosive growth!

At the heart of that growth was a realization she gained during a duel.

That realization was integrated into the Iron Fist unit she led.

Each battalion with its own characteristics was formed.

And the four who created those battalions…

“Push them harder!”

“Right here!”

Despite having completely different personalities, they worked together better than anyone.

Through daily duels, they naturally learned the Combined Attack Art.

“Reton!”

“Wait! Hold!”

Even Reton, who joined late, had managed to coordinate with them.

I showed them no mercy during these daily duels.

‘I crushed them every single day.’

I pushed them as if I intended to break them.

Even if I didn’t actually break their bones, I surged my internal Qi to inflict even greater pain.

They endured such training.

As a result…

Clang!

“Oh? You blocked it?”

Gajei had become an iron wall.

Standing at the front of the five parties, he read my attacks.

Moving with persistence instead of tricks, he finally succeeded in reading my sword.

While Gajei took the full brunt of my attacks at the front…

“Let’s go!”

“Got it!”

Hoden and Sian circled back and stabbed at my left and right simultaneously.

Sometimes they aimed for the front and back, strangely targeting my blind spots.

‘Sharp.’

Sometimes two stabbed at once, other times with a delay.

Either way, they aimed for spots that even an Expert would find difficult to evade.

Clang! Clang!

The attacks were fierce enough that even I had to unfold my Gyeong-gong to dodge.

“Damn it!”

“Aim again! Don’t give him an opening!”

Unleashing a series of attacks, they knew when to strike without needing a signal.

Surprisingly, the last one, Birence, didn’t use a frontal approach.

“Now!”

Booooom!

He aimed for a surprise attack.

“Didn’t I say your surprise attacks are too loud?”

“This is my way!”

As he threw his entire body forward, he was essentially a human weapon.

The Iron Blacksmith Sect tempered everything to be hard.

I had trained Birence using the Iron Blacksmith Sect’s methods, which hardened both the body and the sword held in the hand.

Although I had only trained him during the winter, he absorbed the teachings like a sponge.

And the result was that body of his.

‘He’s a natural.’

In the Murim, even warriors of the Iron Blacksmith Sect choose only one for their tempering: either the body or the sword.

It was always one or the other.

But he had chosen both.

Even though mastering one was overwhelming, he was rapidly tempering both.

Clang!

While throwing his whole body into the fray, he swung the swords in both hands.

His momentum was always fierce.

It was a surprise attack that used every opportunity, yet the attack itself was heavy.

“Not so fast!”

Crasssh!

The attack was heavy enough that I had to swell all the muscles in my arms to block it.

Birence managed to pull off such attacks…

Swish— Screeech—

…repeatedly.

‘For some reason, I can see traces of my Older Brother in him.’

Wang Chi-hun, the Sect Leader of the Iron Blacksmith Sect.

It was an attack style identical to his, my old acquaintance.

While Gajei handled defense and the other three handled the offense…

“Hold again! Magic Missile! Fire!”

Reton, positioned at the very back, provided all sorts of cover fire.

“Are you dodging again!”

“Of course!”

Tap.

My movements were so fast that general Magic couldn’t catch me.

Reton gave up on trying to bind me at once.

Instead, he constantly cast multiple spells and fired them at me.

Each one was fast enough that an ordinary warrior would have found it difficult to dodge.

“Where are you looking!”

“Again!”

Ta-tap.

It was just that I was faster as I kicked off the ground and dodged.

Surprisingly, Reton also had a talent for casting multiple spells.

In Magic, casting even one spell causes significant fatigue.

Therefore, a Ma Beop Sa usually clings to one large spell.

However, he was better at performing small calculations in succession rather than one large one.

‘An unexpected talent.’

He fired his Magic, making the most of that talent.

Although he couldn’t land a clean hit, he was able to put on pressure.

And through that pressure…

“Now! Attack now!”

“All-out attack!”

He created an opening for the other four to move.

‘It’s noisy, but… it’s a proper Combined Attack Art.’

Combined Attack Art!

Even though it was performed by five people with such different personalities and traits that didn’t seem to match, it was as precise as if it were cast from a mold.

An Aura Expert would crumble easily, and even a Master would be troubled by such diverse types of interference!

But.

“…… Heavenly Ears Infinite Change!”

“There it is again!”

“Damn it! What exactly is that!”

Wuuuuuung—

The second move of the Great Heavenly Star Sword Art, which could only be achieved when the Soulforce of the entire body synchronized with the Heavenly Secret Movement.

Heavenly Ears Infinite Change.

A sword that listens to heaven and earth and can create infinite variations by following the changes.

Chinnng—

The moment the sword resonated with my body and moved flexibly while reading the changes in the surroundings…

Swish—

“Guh.”

The sword, which had turned like a snake, struck Hoden’s foot first.

“Ahem…….”

It weakened Gajei’s iron wall.

“Uwaaaaah!”

It sent Birence tumbling into the ground.

While Sian hesitated, I suppressed her by striking her pressure points, and my body was already…

“It’s over.”

“……”

…Reaching Reton.

The tip of my sword touched Reton’s neck.

In an instant, the Combined Attack Art of the five was shattered.

“Damn it! Isn’t this cheating?”

“How on earth do you do that? That!”

They had utilized their specialties to create a Combined Attack Art, but it was still not enough to reach me.

They had put in the effort, but they hadn’t quite grasped it.

I smirked as I looked at them.

“Isn’t it your job to figure that out?”

“…… Damn it.”

“Phew…….!”

The five of them, falling over as if all their strength had left them, could only look at me with fed-up eyes.

Interestingly, Sian was still scanning the surroundings even in that moment, as if trying to read my move.

‘She’s always studying.’

Though she was the quietest, Sian was learning the fastest.

She was an interesting person.

Even after the duel, they were growing in a quite fun way, acting according to their own characteristics.

It was a fierce speed!

Perhaps I was pushing them harder because it was fun to teach them.

According to my nature, I wanted to stay up all night teaching them, but I had other work to do today.

“Alright. Let’s call it a day.”

“Oh? Already?”

“Why? Want to do more, Hoden?”

“…… No way.”

“Right. Let’s stop here for today. Either practice on your own or rest.”

“Yes!”

“…… I will go handle the remaining work.”

Excluding the lazy Hoden, the other four moved to handle their respective duties.

Three would likely train, and Reton seemed ready to organize the group.

As for Hoden…

‘He’ll probably play…… Tsk. Still, he does his job well. I’ll leave him be for now.’

I left them behind and began to move separately.

Today, there was something I needed to do instead of training.

‘If it’s now…… she should be alone.’

I left the fortress and flew toward the mansion.

At the same time, I assessed the current situation.

I had prepared the people who would become my hands and feet with my own strength.

Those who were lacking would naturally become stronger as time passed.

“But it’s too focused on martial power.”

In order to have proper subordinates, I also needed people with intelligence.

I needed someone to use their head and execute the plans I made in detail.

‘Myuron is good, too. But he’s not completely my person.’

It would be even better if they had a natural talent that others didn’t, like Birence.

‘The problem is where to find such people. I also need an informant.’

As expected, I needed more people.

My current move was to create a new person for myself.

In addition…

“I need to make the Spiritual Land itself solid, not just me.”

This was preparation to make everything in the Opern family strong.

I needed help to execute these preparations.

Tap.

While I was organizing my thoughts, I arrived at the mansion in no time.

“It should go well.”

I calmed my breathing, feeling a bit of tension.

I jumped down.

It was only after I unfolded the Heavenly Qi Movement that I landed in the family’s training ground.

Even though it was past evening and into the night, there was someone already there.

Whirrrr—

“Ha-ah!”

It was my Older Sister.

As always, she was swinging her sword.

‘Her movements have improved. Is she starting to integrate the Mugong?’

My Older Sister was a natural martial genius.

Even though she chose to learn Mugong on her own, she was doing it quickly.

Considering I hadn’t taught her intensively…

‘She really is amazing.’

Her growth was remarkable.

‘I need to make the Spiritual Land grow that quickly too.’

In order to make it grow fast…

“I’ll have to quit the position of Agriculture Official. It was nice that things moved on their own once I laid the foundation, but still.”

It was a shame, but it was time for me to change as well.

Today, I planned to quit being the territory’s Agriculture Official.

In order to bring about change to the Spiritual Land…

‘I must be the first to change.’