I Give Up on Conquering the Heroines chapter 105

105 – Chapter 105. A Tendency to explode…(1)

“So, it’s sword force? Is that the confirmed term?”

“I’ve just decided to call it that for convenience. There must be a different original name.”

“No, there isn’t. You’re the first to manifest the fake sword force that Dakia was chasing.”

So I’m the first?

I just coined the term sword force based on what I vaguely remember from the martial arts novels I read.

I’m not sure if it actually reflects the characteristics of the sword force as depicted in those novels.

“Hmm…”

Drawing my sword, I reach out.

Energy flowing from the innermost part of my body…

Or should it be called a vibration at this point?

I can feel the vibration echoing my trembling hand.

Of course, it’s not simply about matching the frequency on a physical level – hinting the resonance.

It’s the process of synchronizing the vibration of the sword with my energy, turning it into my ‘real sword’.

If I’d been advised to try resonating when I initially learned the false sword force, I would have struggled for long.

It’s just called ‘resonance’ as a convention.

Because its essence is not that.

I pour my extreme concentration only onto my fingertip perception and the sword.

And slowly, gradually, when I resonate the sword, it feels the same as my hand.

The feel of the sword’s surface feels familiar, just like the feel of my hand.

In this context, it might be similar to unifying the sword and the human.

The process of focusing doesn’t benefit from any magic control or basic stats.

Instead, they could be a hindrance.

In the art of Dakia-ryu swordsmanship, only the ‘sword’ and ‘I’ are essential.

Feeling myself, and feeling the sword.

Everything else is either supplementary aid or simply useless.

Still, once accustomed to the sword’s energy, body reinforcement through magic control seems to be quite helpful.

“Hmph!”

With a body enhanced to its limits by magic control, I unleash a slash.

Swoosh…

The sword’s energy surpasses its limits.

A white blade of energy extends from the metal, reaching out.

Sharper and thicker than what I had previously released, it strikes the tree.

A thick branch is severed and falls to the ground.

If Rex had been struck by this, he would have been dismembered.

But still, it’s not powerful enough to cleave the trunk of the tree.

“I have become much stronger. Does it matter what kind of sword I use?”

“As long as it takes the shape of a sword, perhaps.”

“What about a wooden sword?”

“Umm… Not sure.”

It’s not about the form of the sword.

A sword is merely a tool after all.

For I am the one who unleashes the sword’s energy.

“I think with enough training, I could even use a tree branch. But for now, it seems difficult without a steel sword.”

However, likely due to insufficient enlightenment, it’s difficult to find a resonance point with the tree.

Even picking up a branch and trying to channel energy into it is incredibly challenging.

It’s difficult, of course, but not impossible.

Perhaps it will be possible in the distant future.

I have that intuition.

“What about a spear, if it’s not a sword?”

“Umm. It seems hard to concentrate the sword energy at a single point while thrusting.”

“And what about a moon-blade?”

“That actually might be easier than a wooden sword.”

Transylvia, who keeps probing unremittingly.

Whilst answering, I realized that the Dakyarui swordsmanship really doesn’t discriminate the medium.

Of course, a well-forged, long, straight steel sword is more convenient.

Because then, the frequency of vibration remains constant, making resonance easier.

Actually, after putting down my own sword, which has lost all its teeth, and grabbing the well-forged sword of Dakya, I gained enlightenment.

But things are different now.

Somehow, the increased proficiency made it fully feasible even with the toothless sword.

It seems I’ve found the knack.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s single or double-edged.

Then, assuming limitless proficiency, you could generate the sword’s aura, regardless of what you grasp.

If it doesn’t matter what you hold,

Then, could you, perchance, even with bare hands…?

It doesn’t seem impossible.

The problem is that it’s certain I’ll grow old and die before reaching that level of mastery.

Even if you’ve realized the swordsmanship, not all the stages are the same.

If one reaches the point of emitting the sword’s aura with a hand blade, it would indeed be a human weapon.

“How do you feel having mastered the swordsmanship?”

“Feel?”

“Your honest thoughts.”

Transylvia looks at me expectantly.

For a moment, I pick my words carefully.

Honest feelings, then.

I think I know what kind of response Transylvia wants to hear.

“People all look like ants.”

“Exactly! Same with you! When one achieves the mastery of the sword oft can humans look weak and inferior, as if looking down at ants from the sky-“

“No, not to that extent. It’s just a feeling that, unless they are superhuman, I can push back against anyone, no matter how many there are.”

I repress Transylvia’s sudden burst of excitement.

Seeing people as ants doesn’t mean looking down on them.

It means being unstoppable, like a human crushing hundreds of ants underfoot.

It signifies that no amount of ordinary soldiers could stop me, no matter if there are hundreds or thousands of them.

He had always been quite confident in one-to-many fights before.

However, it was only up to at most three people.

After practicing Yeomdong, he believed he could take on up to five skilled mercenaries at the same time.

But if the number increased and he was surrounded, he did not believe he could win.

But now, having mastered the Dakiaryu’s moves, it was different.

The power of his swordsmanship was such that it could pierce even the body of an elf who had burned its entire lifespan.

Even if many people came and surrounded him, they would be cut down before they could even approach him.

“Hmm. Our perspectives are slightly different, but generally, the impressions of those who step into the realm of superhumans are similar.”

“I hate to admit it, but…..”

“It’s a state where human life seems trifling. I can decide a person’s life or death without much effort.”

This is what the world of superhuman is like.

A wall that humans could never surpass.

I too am in a human body, but after regressing and monopolizing the energy, I was finally able to surpass it.

I feel the view changing as I pass through that wall.

Despite my reluctance, the way I see people changes.

All human life begins to seem as light as a fly’s life.

‘Is this the weight of power…and its fear.’

The essence that was lying dormant within me slowly starts to reveal itself.

The morals that I had believed in crumble away.

And my primitive nature, which had been merely pressed down by the logic of power, comes alive.

“That’s why you should ponder more. I didn’t worry or try. If weaker creatures crawled up, I just killed them. Most of the problems were solved by killing, so I chose the easy way. That’s how I ended up becoming a monster named Transylvania, a serial killer.”

“……”

From Noble mtl dot com

“Do not stop thinking. Do not stop agonizing. I stopped worrying in the past. I could have had a human heart in a monster’s body, but I threw away that opportunity. How are you going to live? With a monster’s heart in a human’s body, or remain human. It’s all up to you to decide.”

Transylvania casts a bitter smile and poses a question to me.

He passes on his old dilemma, which he had long given up, to me.

Transylvania has crossed a river that can’t be returned from.

He became a monster, both body and mind.

The thought that he might be my future is dizzying.

If Mijung or the main heroines die before my eyes.

I wonder if I can control this power at that time.

“Can I, remain a person, not a monster?

‘I must build my strength.’

The conclusion is always the same.

With great power, one loses nothing.

I have to become stronger.

[Trait: Mental Strength Enhancement]

[A strong soul dwells within a strong body. The mental strength increases proportionately to the overall stats.]

Moreover, I possess the trait to enhance mental strength.

As I get stronger, so does my mental strength.

Even with great power, there’s no need to worry about a rotten mentality damaging the mind and producing adverse effects.

“What! The mood has considerably sunk! After all, getting stronger is a good thing, isn’t it! So, let’s seize this opportunity to test our skills, shall we? We can’t cause fuss, so without magic, let’s only use our bodies and swords.”

“Sounds good.”

Transilbia, who draws his sword and points the tip at me.

If it were before, I would’ve been taken aback and avoided it.

But now, I can handle it.

Now my body, too, has broken the code of a sword technique.

Moreover, unlike Transilbia, mine originates from the source.

Mine is clearly superior.

Besides, the restriction on the use of magic benefits me.

Because I can maintain my stats through the guardian knight.

“······Prepare.”

With a raised hand signal, Mijeong signals the start.

Transilbia and I walk towards the opposite sides, creating a distance.

And then, we unsheathe our swords.

Though my teeth are mostly gone due to the aftermath of the duel with Rex, it’s okay.

It’s not like I’ll use the sword to slit Transilbia’s throat anyway.

I can just sharpen it later on.

“····Start!”

Mijeong’s starting signal explodes out.

With a brutal energy swirling, Transilbia and I simultaneously stomp on the ground, causing it to vibrate.

I thought a big clash was about to happen.

“Hmm…”

Unexpectedly, it’s quiet.

We both kicked the ground, but we’re halted, unable to progress.

Neither of us dares to make the first move prematurely.

‘Damn it. Can’t find an opening.’

The Aura of Dachia Style greatly expands the range of sword attacks.

Among swordsmen who are unaware of the Aura, they must inevitably approach and fight by clashing their swords.

But Trancilbia and I both have mastered the Aura – no matter where, we are inside the range of the sword attacks.

Therefore, not only must we expect the enemy’s charge, but we should also expect long-range sword strikes thrown from afar.

If one charges first, a sword strike will swoop in to slash your throat.

We carry on with a breath-taking struggle from a distance, trying to find each other’s weaknesses.

“Man, this sucks. We’ll die by each other’s piercing gaze at this rate. I never liked these eyeball battles!”

Swooosh!

Trancilbia initiates, swinging his sword and stirring the wind.

A thin gust of wind following the blade of the sword rushes towards me, cutting through the field of grass.

Undoubtedly, although different from the original, this too could be called the Aura of Dachia Style.

The flow of wind is hard to track with the eye, thus forcing one to deduce the direction and shape of the opponent’s sword strike from their posture – it’s superior to my Aura in this respect.

But there was one deadly flaw.

This absolutely required the medium of wind, thus greatly limiting its speed.

‘I can react to this.’

The sword strike itself from Trancilbia was lightning-fast.

Impossible to catch with my eye.

But the wind that grew from the tip of the sword, I could see and respond to that.

Shwick…

A slash coming down diagonally from above.

With my energy infused in the blade, my sword traces the empty air and a sword strike explodes.

And right in the middle, my strike clashes with that of Trancilbia’s.

Clang!

“What?!”

As always, it’s my sword aura that wins.

Crossing directly through the winds of Transylbeia, my sword aura scatters the wind as it advances.

Though its force has greatly weakened, it still possesses considerable power.

Transylbeia blocks the sword aura with his own blade, and steps back.

“Huh… Even though the wind might be sharper, I guess there’s a difference in strength. The nature of its existence is unfavorable.”

Transylbeia’s wind can cut down a tree, but mine can just slash a branch.

Yet, despite this, my sword aura seems to have the upper hand in sturdiness.

Even while both of us wielding Dakhia-type Fifth Form, Transylbeia has to swing his sword again to block it.

It’s a game that cannot be lost.

“The difference in nature! Overcome it!!!”

At that moment.

Transylbeia kicks the ground and charges forward with a variable action.

Weakened by the intensity and speed of the blade, he makes the decision to engage.

It’s an extremely proper judgment.

Because in reality, Transylbeia’s body is faster than me, even while being pumped up as a guardian knight.

If I allow for engagement, there will be no chance of winning.

However, on the contrary.

Obviously, there’s no way I would allow Transylbeia to engage me.

“Dakhia-type Fifth Form.”

Heave.

Taking a deep breath.

I modify the Dakhia-type 0th Initial Form.

Unable to benefit from the power of magic control, I burden my body to the max for speed.

Twisting my joints and preparing to etch cracks into my bones, I put the force into my body.

And then, while swinging down my sword.

I release the energy infused within the blade.

“Iron Blood Storm Slash!”

Sheeek.

Linking together the initial techniques of Dakhia-type, I let loose a barrage of slashes at top speed.

The blade spans and fills every direction.

The sword energy he extends overlaps again and again, whitening everything before me.

It’s literally a web in the sky.

A net of inescapable sword energy.

Already rushing forward at high speed, there’s no way to change direction and flee now for TranSilbia.

Got you.

Or so I thought.

Instead of avoiding the net of sword energy, TranSilbia leaps into the center and begins to strike back.

The origins of these sword energies become indistinguishable, neither first nor last, neither front nor back.

He parries and cuts through each and every one of them, meticulously.

The severed sword energies dissipate into nothingness as if oxidized; however, right before disappearing in front of TranSilbia, the very tips graze his limbs and etch wounds on them.

And yet, TranSilbia does not stop. Instead, he advances forward, simply cutting down my sword energies.

“Ha…”

A sigh of disbelief escapes me.

I threw an unavoidable net, and yet he tore through and emerged from it.

He’s out of his mind.

It would be one thing if he was manipulating magical power, but without magic, with nothing but his bare body…

That bastard doesn’t deserve to call himself ordinary.

He’s like a madman, overflowing with talent.

“Iron Blood Storm Slash, huh? Quite the apt name. Shall I write up an article about it for the paper? The successor of Dakiaryu, establishing a unique technique and naming it Iron Blood Storm Slash…”

“Shut up, will you.”

They exchange banter, assessing each other’s state.

The wounds TranSilbia has sustained are merely superficial.

Numerous shallow cuts from fragments of my sword energy fill his arms and legs.

It’s somewhat strange that no blood flows from the open flesh.

‘I, too, am not unscathed.’

In wielding Iron Blood Storm Slash with my bare body, I suffered substantial recoil.

My wrists and shoulders eventually could not hold up, just gave up.

My ankle creaks too.

Feel like an 80-year-old, having used every ounce of my strength.

“You look quite worn out! Can you keep going?”

“Can you really afford to make a mistake? Even one would mean chopping your head off.”

“There’s no way I’m going to make a mistake!”

While I realign my wrists and joints, Tran Silbia waits.

Finally, the moment I regain my stance, Tran Silbia dives back in with a deranged smile.

Shriek!

It’s too much to handle another Iron Bloodstorm Blade with my mangled arm.

I launch a light three-hit combo in rapid succession, infusing each stroke with my sword spirit.

“hahahaha! As I thought, you are becoming overpowered!”

Tran Silbia, who did not miss a single hit from my dozens of combos, finds deflecting my three-hit combo as easy as pie.

Tran Silbia’s phantom sword easily smashes all of my sword spirits.

But this time, my sword spirit will be a little different.

“What?!”

Knowing that the fragments of sword spirit could cause damage, I had to use it.

The waist of the sword spirit, skilfully angled, breaks, scattering the fragments.

And the shards curve around to Tran Silbia’s ankle, cutting the Achilles tendon.

As if she’s asking whether all of this was planned,

Tran Silbia’s eyes widen and she shows a light of bewilderment.

“Think I’ll yield!!!”

Almost instantaneously, she kicks the ground with her broken foot and runs back in.

I retreat with a two-hit combo.

Rather than randomly breaking the waist of the sword spirit like before,

Tran Silbia safely removes the sword spirit thinking about the angle at which the fragments would fly off.

Certainly, the same trick wouldn’t work twice.

“I’ve caught up…”

In an instant, the distance narrows down.

With a fierce look in her red eyes, Tran Silbia finally catches me within the radius of her sharp double-edged sword.

“Clang…!”

“You blocked with your foot?!”

At this point, driven into a corner, Dakia-style techniques are pointless.

Casting a technique from the Frost-style, better suited for defense.

Averting the sword with footwear reinforced with steel, TranSilvia’s eyes once again fill with shock.

“What kind of mixed technique combo is this…!”

I then switch to Merida-style for a rising bend.

Attacking the weakness of the single-edged sword, which can only defend with one side of the blade, I thrust the tip, but…

TranSilvia, although flustered, skillfully retreats a step backward to evade.

This gains me a slight distance.

Furthermore, TranSilvia’s stance crumbles somewhat in the rush to dodge.

‘I knew I was being outpaced in speed. I have to see it through with an unpredictable combination of three different swordsmanship styles!’

My turn to attack returns.

I must finish it this turn.

Immediately I activate Unique Weakness.

“Huh…?”

I activate it. I should attack right away.

But I can’t see TranSilvia’s weakness.

Or rather, to be precise,

The weakness is there but doesn’t stay in one spot; it keeps moving.

If I spot and aim for the weakness, TranSilvia subtly shifts, and it moves.

If I target another spot, it changes again.

Weaknesses exist, but all I can foresee is a future where every attack gets parried no matter where or when I strike.

I can’t break through.

At least not without using magic, I can’t penetrate that dense defense.

Even though one of the Achilles tendons in my foot has been cut.

“I lose. I surrender.”

“What! That’s so anticlimactic!”

As I drop my sword and raise my hands in surrender, TranSilvia bursts out in frustration.

Of course, now that the real fun was about to start, anger is the only natural response.

There are things you can know without directly experiencing them.

From Noble mtl dot com

Regardless of who approaches, it is an undeniable fact that Transylvania is the strongest.

‘Monsters are monsters, after all.’

Transylvania isn’t utilising any specific swordsmanship.

Over a long period of time, it has mastered countless sword techniques, and has fused with all of them.

‘I who have learned only three forms of swordsmanship couldn’t beat such an opponent with the element of surprise.’

The ultimate form that compensates for weaknesses while extracting the advantages of all swordsmanship.

Even if the opponent shows irregular movements, it’s capable of responding to all of them.

The lacking talent was all compensated for through time and learning.

Transylvania is the embodiment of swordsmanship history itself.

“Ahh, it hurts.”

“Do bloodsuckers feel pain?”

“Obviously, if I couldn’t feel pain, I wouldn’t know when I’d hurt myself. That would be disastrous.”

“·····I don’t feel it, most of the time.”

“That just means you’re dense.”

While applying potion to Transylvania’s arms and legs.

We exchanged various small talks.

Of course, the potion here is not a low-grade one.

A low-grade potion only enhances the body’s healing ability, and it doesn’t work on a bloodsucker, which is already dead.

Therefore, I’ve had to use a high-grade potion that heals wounds themselves, I’ve already used up three vials.

I’m thinking of charging for the cost.

“It’s impressive. If you combine the power of magic, who knows how much the sword energy will be strengthened. Maybe I couldn’t stop it, or even if I could, the fragments might be fatal enough to scar my arms and legs. If we both go all out without restrictions, I will surely lose.”

“·····.”

“Why are you silent? You think the opposite, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I believe if we both give it our all, Transylvania, you will surely win.”

“Ha ha ha ha! We’re both creatures far from modesty! This is strange!”

Transylvania bursts out laughing.

Who would have thought we’d have differing views here?

I thought that if we gave our all, of course Transylvania would win.

But Transylvania thought the opposite.

In real combat, there are so many variables that you can only know what will happen by facing it head on.

However, there shouldn’t be such a case.

Just based on physical strength alone, they both have weak bodies.

If they gave it their all, one of them would surely end up injured.

“It’s such a shame. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t care whether I died or the opponent died, I would have rushed in unhesitatingly. The problem is that you’re the opponent. I don’t want to die and not see the future you dream of, nor do I want to see you die…”

I feel the same way.

There a part of me that wants to have a do-or-die battle and test our limits.

There were always people who felt euphoria from fighting that I never understood in my life.

I never thought I would understand that feeling by facing Transilbia.

There’s a feeling of connection when we cross swords.

“It looks like your side got sliced too. Stop with the nonsense and check on the wound.”

“Ah, that. It’s just a scratch.”

“Scars will remain. Check it out.”

“What’s wrong with a swordsman having scars? You’re not one of those weaklings who’s afraid of getting scars, are you?”

“That’s enough. I don’t care but your skin is so fair. It would look strange to have a scar on such a flawless body. Quit the chit-chat and check on your wound.”

“Hmph…”

Only after arguing does Transilbia reluctantly raise his shirt.

The abs slowly reveal themselves.

Though I expected a well-defined six-pack,

Unexpectedly, the abs were a v-shaped cut.

“Oh.”

Their shape is quite nice.

The lower abdomen looks soft, and I suppressed the urge to press down on it.

‘What am I doing here; he’s a man.’

This is a man’s belly. This is a man’s belly. This is a man’s belly.

After closing my eyes and repeating that three times, I open my eyes.

Yet, I was met with a completely unexpected sight.

“Huh? What? What’s this?”

“What’s the problem?”

“Do you have a hernia?”

Tran Silvia had bandages tightly wrapped around her chest.

Despite the seemingly tight compression, her chest felt like it would burst at any moment.

That is definitely fat, not muscle, right?

“You mean gynecomastia, what a term. A woman’s breasts are supposed to be this big.”

“Ah.”

After a brief pause.

I understand Tran Silvia’s meaning.

I.

Was not gay.