Chapter 359
"She gave you this?"
"Yes."
Seong Jihan calmed his gaze upon seeing the book Yoon Seah handed him.
The four Chinese characters written on its aged cover read, Taiji Swordsmanship.
How had his sister ended up giving him this book?
"Didn't she say who gave it to her?"
"Well... she mentioned the owner of the Abyss gave it to her?"
Yoon Seah tilted her head, puzzled.
She too had seen the owner of the Abyss during the broadcast of the apocalyptic mission Seong Jihan had undergone.
The image of the giant covered in eyes was unfamiliar, as was the Taiji Swordsmanship.
However,
'Could it be from my counterpart within the Taiji's lost soul? This.'
Hearing her words, Seong Jihan speculated on the origin of the Taiji Swordsmanship.
Fragments of defeated Seong Jihans that resided within the Taiji's lost soul.
They proposed to join forces with him, to fully dominate the body of the owner of the Abyss.
Even during the mission, they displayed a similar power to that of the Taiji Swordsmanship.
Were they so proficient with the sword to give away such a book?
'Let's take a look.'
Swoosh.
Seong Jihan flipped through the book.
What looked like an ancient tome from the Joseon dynasty was actually empty when he turned to the next page.
"What's this? It's empty."
Yoon Seah mumbled in disappointment while observing with curiosity.
"No. It just appears to be an old manuscript, but when you open it, text appears."
"Only you can see it?"
"Seems so."
Seong Jihan watched as letters began to float up on the blank pages of the book.
[You've uncovered the sealed World Tree. You are the fastest among us.]
The 'us' that the owner of the Abyss mentioned was obviously Seong Jihan himself.
Seong Jihan turned the page.
[But no matter how fast, you cannot surpass the Taiji Swordsmanship. It's proven by 'Seong Jihan's' limitation, our very form.]
The remnants of Seong Jihan that had failed countless times against the Taiji Swordsmanship.
Remembering fragments of his own face, Seong Jihan turned the page.
[Yet, you will not accept defeat. You will challenge the Taiji Swordsmanship and ultimately fail. Before that, we will send the Taiji Swordsmanship to you first. Try mastering it.]
Sending the swordsmanship before falling to Dongbang Sak as a precaution?
Was the owner of the Abyss such an empathetic entity?
Flipping to the next page revealed its real intention.
[However, if you fail to obtain the Taiji Swordsmanship... you shall join us in full form.]
Then, a system message appeared before Seong Jihan.
[Would you like to receive the Gift - Mark of the Swordsmanship?]
-Gift - Mark of the Swordsmanship (Grade ??)
-A conditional gift granted by the owner of the Abyss, 'Taiji's lost soul'.
-Allows the inheritance and utilization of an incomplete Taiji Swordsmanship.
-However, if the swordsmanship proficiency does not significantly improve within a year, or if the player dies completely, the player's soul will be forcibly bound to the owner of the Abyss, 'Taiji's lost soul'.
-This gift will disappear if the owner of the Abyss, 'Taiji's lost soul', perishes.
The Mark of the Swordsmanship gift, offering an incomplete Taiji Swordsmanship, seemed worthy of an SSS grade at a glance due to its effects.
But the additional conditions caught his eye.
'If I don't improve the swordsmanship within a year, or if I die, I'll end up with Taiji's lost soul.'
This meant not to come as a fragment after dying to Dongbang Sak, but to join the Taiji's lost soul in full form.
Why send this now and not earlier?
The notable event was...
'Discovering the sealed World Tree seemed to mean that much to him.'
Reviewing recent events, Seong Jihan pondered the gift.
The Mark of the Swordsmanship.
Unappealing by name and tough by condition, but...
'If I can't improve the swordsmanship in a year, dying to Dongbang Sak would lead to the same outcome. And being bound after death is...'
Death was, in any case, the end.
Weighing the risks, Seong Jihan saw no need to decline.
"I'll accept."
As he responded.
Rustle...
The book crumbled away.
Simultaneously.
[You have received the 'Gift - Mark of the Swordsmanship'.]
[You can now use the skill - Taiji Swordsmanship (Incomplete).]
The system prompted that the skill was now usable.
'That was easy?'
Seong Jihan immediately checked the skill window.
[Taiji Swordsmanship]
-Skill Grade: EX
-A sword that reverses the natural order, annihilating the world.
-Incomplete state, using it may consume a portion of the 'Martial Soul' stat.
Despite its incomplete state, the Taiji Swordsmanship was rated EX.
The description was brief, but the grade alone implied overwhelming power.
Yet, what caught Seong Jihan's attention was the latter part.
'...It can also use Martial Soul?'
Regardless of its incompleteness, a stat reduction for using it?
Thankfully, the skill description suggested 'may be consumed' rather than 'will be consumed'.
Still, the risk of losing hard-earned stats for a single skill use was too great.
Moreover,
[Using Taiji Swordsmanship in a public area and catching Dongbang Sak's attention will result in him coming to kill you.]
The final page of the disintegrating book revealed:
Using it in places like the Space League was out of the question.
'I guess I'll have to practice in the Void Training Room.'
For now, Taiji Swordsmanship was merely for training.
Yet, Seong Jihan was content.
'There's no need to use it in the Space League as there's no opponent to match me right now. Being prepared for Dongbang Sak is good enough.'
Advancing the Taiji Swordsmanship might even synergize with other martial arts.
Thinking thus, Seong Jihan was eager to head to the training room to unsheathe the sword.
"Seah, I'm off to train a bit."
"Again?"
"Yes. Any pending schedules?"
"The Space League is about 15 days away."
"That's plenty of time."
"Uncle... aren't you leveling up?"
"I've got more pressing matters now. Off I go."
Zoom!
With a light wave, Seong Jihan vanished into a purple mist.
Yoon Seah blinked in surprise.
'Is he rushing off because of the Taiji Swordsmanship?.. Why so urgent, unlike him?'
Normally, one would take a breath after emerging from the training room.
Just secured the Worlds Champion League, and now he's gone again.
Watching her uncle's disappearance, Yoon Seah decided,
"If the top ranker is doing that, I should train too...."
She stretched and got up from the couch.
Even as one of the top archers amongst humanity, sitting idle wasn't an option with such a monstrous family.
"Dad's the second-best warrior. Mom's a Constellation. Uncle's humanity's top ranker...."
What kind of family is this?
Smirking, Yoon Seah stood up and headed to the training room, but before she could leave the living room,
Pop!
A purple portal opened, and Seong Jihan fell out.
"...How long has it been?"
"...A minute? Why are you back already?"
"The training room's destroyed."
Seong Jihan grimaced, recalling the recent incident.
* * *
EX-grade skill, Taiji Swordsmanship.
Though it came with conditions, Seong Jihan, who had easily acquired the skill, was eager to use it.
'Even a kid at Christmas isn't this excited.'
Filled with anticipation, Seong Jihan entered the training room and activated,
"Taiji Swordsmanship."
Then,
Swoosh...
Behind him, the Taiji naturally emerged, similar to when Dongbang Sak manifested in a Taiwanese player.
'How long will it keep growing?'
The expanding Taiji behind him seemed boundless.
Growing endlessly, the Taiji's swirl absorbed the map and levitated in the Void Training Room.
'The energy consumption is enormous, even before completing a single rotation...'
The Taiji Swordsmanship, depleting the entire force within his body while continually expanding, most heavily drained the void.
Seong Jihan employed the Crimson Divinity technique Dongbang Sak had passed down, contemplating,
'But didn't Dongbang Sak claim he didn't manipulate the void because it doesn't grant eternal life?'
Even though he didn't actively use Crimson Divinity, he claimed since he made it, it would be useful and passed it down.
Indeed, as Dongbang Sak said, Crimson Divinity was exceptionally helpful for Seong Jihan in manipulating the void.
If Dongbang Sak's words hold, then Taiji Swordsmanship shouldn't use the void.
'Hmm... Is it because this is the Abyss owner's version of Taiji Swordsmanship?'
If he was to follow Dongbang Sak's version, limiting the use of the void would be better.
Seong Jihan deliberately suppressed the use of void through Crimson Divinity.
Substitute energy sources were then used, especially the Martial Soul and the stat Eternity's life energy, combining in its place.
These contributions, unlike the void's, halted the Taiji's limitless expansion and began to accelerate its rotation.
[Martial Soul decreases by 1.]
'...Investment. An investment.'
And the vanishing Martial Soul stat.
Seong Jihan, though reluctantly, aimed to understand and develop the technique after such an expenditure.
Now, having used his stats, he needed to maximize understanding to evolve.
Watching the world get sucked into the spinning Taiji and expanding his comprehension of the swordsmanship,
Whoosh...!
As the Taiji continued, the world's collapse accelerated.
"Change map settings."
Focusing on the Taiji while watching the disintegrating world, Seong Jihan tried to swap it out, but,
[The Void Training Room is on the verge of collapse.]
[Changing settings is not possible.]
Instead of the map, the entire training room was crashing down.
The Taiji was disrupting not just settings but the entire room's foundation.
'I can't lose this place.'
The Void Training Room, where he controlled the flow of time, had enabled such progress till now.
Losing it to the Taiji Swordsmanship would be a regrettable mistake.
Seong Jihan strived to contain the Taiji's force, but
Whoosh...
The Taiji's spin slowed but persisted.
'Handling the aftermath is tougher than creating chaos.'
Removing the Taiji turned out to be more difficult than summoning it.
Engrossed in halting the Taiji's flow,
[...What are you doing?]
Above the collapsing world in the sky,
Two stars and a crescent moon appeared.
Positioned like a mouth and two eyes, it was a phenomenon Seong Jihan had seen before.
"The owner of the Arena?"
[Yes. I came because the training room is being destroyed.]
"I wasn't aware you also managed repairs."
[This is exceedingly rare. But that power...]
Flash!
The two stars shine brightly upon seeing the Taiji.
[...You've acquired something dangerous. That power can cause internal collapse.]
"Do you know about this?"
[To some extent.]
"For an entity of the void to know... Is the Taiji Swordsmanship not solely Dongbang Sak's enlightenment?"
[I cannot provide details.]
"Then, give me a brief explanation."
[One man's enlightenment alone is insufficient. That's all the information I can give.]
Seong Jihan's eyes lit up.
Taiji Swordsmanship.
Even for a monster like Dongbang Sak, it wasn't his enlightenment alone that perfected this power.
[Regardless, do not use that power here anymore.]
"Why?"
[As you can see, the training room is collapsing.]
Seong Jihan looked around.
The Taiji, failing to cease, absorbed the entire world.
The only presence revealing itself here was the Arena's owner.
[This time, I will repair it under my authority... But if this happens again, the training room will be confiscated.]
"...The Void Training Room is confiscated?"
[Yes.]
"Huh. Then I have nowhere to practice the Taiji Swordsmanship...."
[At level 500, you can upgrade the Void Training Room. Maybe you can practice there.]
Hearing that, Seong Jihan found it absurd.
What kind of martial arts is so demanding?
Even practicing once is a challenge.
[Please log out now for repairs. I'll message you once it's done.]
"Ah, okay...."
So, Seong Jihan, in the end, was expelled from his own training room.
'Taiji Swordsmanship... I've got the skill but can't use it.'
Risking the loss of the Void Training Room if he used it again.
Seong Jihan resolved to meet the upgrade condition mentioned by the Arena's owner.
'Looks like I need to level up.'
He decided to access BattleNet, which he hadn't visited lately.