Chapter 170 – Bartender! Another round here! (2)

While Speedweapon and Kane argued heatedly, Kane suddenly received a call. After hanging up, he looked at me cautiously and asked:

“Excuse me… Mr. Geom-Ma, would you be willing to accept a subdimensional duel with All Mute…?”

What kind of nonsense was that? Seeing my discomfort, Kane quickly clarified.

Even he didn’t know the exact reason, but All Mute insisted on facing me. They’d offer a good reward for participating, and other hollow excuses. It only made me frown deeper.

Since I saw Kane’s business card, clearly listing him as “Manager of All Mute,” I’d already suspected she was behind all of this.

But to suddenly show up, spout ridiculous praise, and now offer money to fight All Mute… Were they out of their minds?

Did they think I was some mercenary who fought for cash? That I’d throw punches just because someone asked? Ridiculous.

Granted, this was Lancelot Company, and the sum was astronomical. Ten billion won for a single duel. For a teenager, that was a fortune hard to refuse.

Still, beyond the money, I had no desire to draw my sword against someone without reason. I had no connection to All Mute. There was no reason to fight her.

The only ones who’d be delighted were the journalists, piling more fuel on the fire. And once again, I’d be thrust into the spotlight unnecessarily. In terms of gain and loss, it was clearly a loss.

‘I guess I’ll just scare her off.’

If I release a bit of killing intent, she’ll probably back off trembling. I didn’t want any more hassle.

“Let’s do it, boss,”

Speedweapon said beside me with determination.

“I think this duel will determine the next spot among the Seven Stars. She probably argued with the Director and changed course abruptly.”

Speedweapon was one of the few who knew I was the successor of the Sword Master. That gave weight to his words.

He continued:

“To make it clearer, if you refuse the duel, you’ll face more problems. The media will start attacking you with nasty articles.”

Now that I thought about it, that was true. The United States, experts at manipulating public opinion, wouldn’t miss this chance.

‘So the idea is to settle everything with one clean duel?’

Even so, I wasn’t fully convinced. Ever since my humanity level increased, I wanted to avoid unnecessary fights.

But just then…

========

[EVENT! Sudden event activated.]

Use the Blessing of the Driving Force to teach your opponent a lesson!

◆ Rewards:

1. You will obtain the “location” of the third Memory Fragment of 【???】.

2. Your mastery of the Blessing of the Driving Force will increase.

◆ Conditions:

1. The more overwhelming your victory, the greater the mastery increase.

[※ Optional event.]

[※ However, rejecting it may delay obtaining the third Memory Fragment.]

========

In that case…

There’s not much to think about.

***

This subdimensional duel unfolded in a somber setting. It hadn’t been long since the Joaquin tragedy. If another major incident broke out now, the academy’s image would suffer heavily. That’s why only those directly involved were present in the arena.

Kang Geom-Ma looked at All Mute. Her tight suit bearing the American flag stood out too much. Watching her stretch and warm up in that made him sigh.

‘Doesn’t she feel embarrassed wearing that?’

He’d thought it before, but that design really crossed a line. Maybe for cosplay, but as a functional outfit, it was even worse.

If he had sold himself for the blank check and signed that contract, would he be wearing a Korean flag suit now? Something like “Kimchi Warrior”? The mere thought gave him chills.

Kang Geom-Ma sighed and unsheathed his sashimi blade. Just yesterday, Volundr had sent the reforged Murasame.

Click.

His face reflected on the snow-white blade. Seeing it like a mirror cleared his mind. His favorite sword continued to evolve. A smile formed unintentionally.

Though this duel had been forced on him, it wasn’t a bad chance to test its performance. Kang Geom-Ma turned his gaze from the blade back to All Mute. More precisely, he observed the equipment she wore.

A pair of bracelets on each wrist: the Twin Rings. A top-tier S-class weapon. It paired perfectly with her blessing, [Blessing of Suppression]. A textbook example of synergy between user and weapon.

Noticing his stare, All Mute met his eyes. Rubbing her nose bridge, she spoke.

“Before the duel, I’d like to apologize for the sudden request. I was told you declined, but if you change your mind, you can demand any compensation.”

Her overly polite tone made Kang Geom-Ma uncomfortable. He had expected an aggressive look, but she seemed more apologetic. He nodded calmly.

“It was unexpected, but I don’t fight for money. And I suppose you have your reasons. Let’s give it our best.”

All Mute finally smiled slightly. Then her expression hardened, turning cold.

“…In that case, I won’t hold back. I’ll go all out—no exceptions.”

She muttered in an icy tone. A gleam of killing intent shone in her eyes.

[Subdimensional space barrier deploying.]

[May the blessing of the gods be with you.]

Whooosh.

An artificial current filled the distance between them. All Mute closed her eyes tightly, then opened them wide.

And at that moment, she activated her blessing.

Ssshh.

Her pupils disappeared, leaving only white. Capillaries spread across her eyes like a spiderweb.

The Blessing of Suppression. A blessing that sacrifices one of the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste.

It seemed more like a curse than a blessing. But by giving up one sense, the remaining four intensified.

The more that was suppressed, the stronger it became. That’s why Khan Elizabeth was called All Mute.

For this duel, she gave up “sight.” Even though she couldn’t see, her hearing, now sharpened to the extreme, captured everything around her.

And it didn’t stop there. She clashed her bracelets together like she was applauding. A metallic ring echoed like a bell, quickly enveloping Kang Geom-Ma.

“…Sight suppressed and on top of that, the Twin Rings? Looks like Ellie is taking this seriously.”

Media, watching the duel, let out a dry laugh. Mao Lang, sitting with her legs crossed, commented:

“Yeah. The Twin Rings cause the opponent to lose the same sense the user gave up. But in Khan’s case, her perception isn’t normal. Losing sight isn’t even a drawback for her. It’s practically an enhancement. But the other guy…”

“Ninety percent of human perception relies on sight. Take it away all at once, and you’re practically helpless.”

Media paused and looked at Kang Geom-Ma. He still stood, unmoving. His eyes were white. Apparently, he had lost his sight as well.

Mao Lang uncrossed her legs and asked:

“Director, don’t you think his aura feels different than usual? He’s always had a stern expression, but now…”

Kang Geom-Ma’s face didn’t show the slightest tremble. Remarkable, considering he had just gone blind.

“Yes… it feels like he’s using his ‘mental domain’ in reality.”

Media replied in a thoughtful tone.

Meanwhile, Kang Geom-Ma felt a strange familiarity. It was like that dream where he met the God of the Sword.

“Heh.”

A small chuckle slipped through his teeth. All stimuli were suppressed. He couldn’t even tell if he was standing or sitting. But his mind was incredibly clear. Like a cool breeze had swept through it.

He closed his eyes. Without opening them, he tried to reorganize his scattered senses.

Without sight, he perceived things he hadn’t before. With external interference gone, his inner world began sending new signals.

Touch: the wind brushing his cheek felt like needles.

Smell: the scent of the earth reminded him of having his face buried in a sandy beach.

Taste: he could detect even the cells in his mouth.

And finally, hearing…

Boom! The sound of the ground being crushed hit him hard. The noise of All Mute launching herself from the floor formed a vivid image in his mind.

Kang Geom-Ma didn’t move. That sound wasn’t from the present… it was from the future.

The Blessing of the Driving Force. An ability that, for a brief moment, let him cross the line of time. Just what you’d expect from a blessing earned through the monolith.

[Blessing of the Driving Force – Mastery: 8%]

Kang Geom-Ma took a stance. Muscles prepared to execute the optimal movement according to the future he had seen.

It felt strange. Like solving a test with the answer sheet in hand. He didn’t need to decide—he already knew the answer.

Boom!

Another blast in the air. Present and future aligned.

Kang Geom-Ma held the sashimi blade in reverse grip and swung it upward. The blade carved a diagonal line through the air, not as a line—but a surface.

A strange scene. Even if he had predicted the attack, it looked rushed. Like slicing air for no reason.

But then.

All Mute, who had just left the ground, stumbled. She barely stopped herself mid-motion. Then she touched her left side. It was empty. Her left arm had vanished as if it had been eaten away.

Her eyes widened in shock.

‘H-how…?’

She had aimed to strike Kang Geom-Ma’s temple with her left fist.

But before she could even approach, that arm had already been severed.

How could she explain what had happened? Her mind went blank, just like her sight.

[Blessing of the Driving Force – Mastery: 12%]

Then, Kang Geom-Ma’s footsteps echoed, reminding her that this was real.

All Mute tried to retreat. But he moved the sashimi blade lightly, and her feet rooted to the ground. She couldn’t move. She had no strength.

Moments later, her torso leaned forward. That’s when she realized: her ankles had just been sliced.

[……15%]

She tried to scream. But a fine silver arc curved through the air, and her voice was silenced. Blood spilled from her throat—no sound.

[……17%]

Before she could even decide her next move, her body was being sliced apart piece by piece. Her freedom to think was gone.

Kang Geom-Ma didn’t read minds. If that were his blessing, this would make sense.

All Mute watched that figure step closer. The pressure was so overwhelming her brain stopped functioning. Even though she was blind, his image was etched clearly in her mind.

She knew Kang Geom-Ma was strong. She’d seen him fight Mao Lang.

In that battle, his style reversed cause and effect. But now… what was this? He was cutting before intention even formed. As if he could truly see the future.

All Mute’s eyelashes trembled. Her senses took in the data and sent it to her brain.

The sword demon approaches. (1)

T/N: This is a reference to the name Kang Geom-Ma which means “Sword Demon” so it’s fine.