hotmtlnovel Chapter 170
Chapter 170
1.
Dashman’s movements were different from those of other awakened individuals.
His stride was constant, yet his body was light.
His expression was light, yet his vision was broad.
He was always prepared to run somewhere.@@@@
“That’s like a soldier on the battlefield.”
[It also seems like a martial artist with a sword at all times.]
Because of this, Saint Eve took an interest in him.
And because of this, Ha Eung Eung took an interest in him.
“No matter what you’re tangled in, if you can overcome it, you’ll go far. The key is breaking out of the rules and limitations you’ve set for yourself.”
She had seen countless people who died under the weight of their own burdens, so much so that there were no tears left for them on the battlefield.
Ha Eung Eung fully understood the weary smile that showed the fatigue of Saint Eve.
‘Countless martial artists are still bound by the tragedies of the past. The ones who couldn’t endure the painful memories and dropped their swords are even more common.’
Especially those who were unable to save someone due to their lack of skill, they were not unusual for falling into ruin.
In that sense, Dashman was strong enough not to abandon the path of the awakened.
‘A true martial artist is born when they overcome their past.’
Would Dashman become a true martial artist?
Or would he fall into ruin as a washed-up individual?
When Gwang-A Sword Lee Jeong-un’s sword fiercely cut off his retreat, driving him to his limits,
the moment Eve and Ha Eung Eung had been waiting for arrived.
Slash!
The 50cm Dash gap.
Lee Jeong-un, following that gap like a shadow, cut through Dashman’s torso.
Before the blood on his blade was shaken into the air, Eve stood up sharply from her seat.
“He’s crossed the line.”
Dashman, who had been staggering, almost about to collapse, did not fall even though his body was cut.
Kaang!
Underneath his thick clothes,
the hidden armor absorbed most of the shock.
His steps, steady and precise.
His movements, disciplined.
Every restriction had its purpose.
Self-restraint, not wanting to repeat past mistakes, left Dashman with the strength to endure.
He was not outplayed by Lee Jeong-un.
His weakness was intentional.
He had drawn Lee Jeong-un in with a carefully crafted flaw.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Like attracts like.
Dashman had matched Lee Jeong-un’s crazy fighting style.
“I’ll give up my belly. Instead, I’ll take your neck.”
“!!!”
As soon as Lee Jeong-un’s sword cut through Dashman’s armor,
Dashman’s sword struck at his neck.
Dashman knew.
He understood why Lee Jeong-un, with his dishonorable code name "Gwang-A Sword," willingly embraced danger.
‘A necessary evil to keep distance. Lee Jeong-un, that’s who you were.’
Had he not joined Myunho Guild, the illegal awakened individuals who were as much enemies of the self-defense forces could have been hired by the guild.
That’s why he boldly brought the heads of those illegal awakened individuals to Myunho Guild.
“The two-man team ends here. We can’t keep the distance with this method. You know that, right?”“I’ll try to make my own opportunity in the guild. Don’t fall just because you’re alone. I’ll make the spot for you.”
Lee Jeong-un, dirtying his hands, stepped forward so that those more ruthless than him couldn’t destroy the district.
He ignored his own shame and bore the reputation of being the guild’s lackey, enduring all the disgrace for the sake of the district’s residents.
‘I could only be righteous thanks to your secret support.’
Was there truly no eternal belief?
Six months later,
small doubts began to form.
‘Has he really changed?’
The bribes Lee Jeong-un secretly returned had become thinner.
The information that had once been passed discreetly was dwindling, and his actions had grown more violent.
Suppressing the complaints of the residents had reached its limit.
‘But I endured.’
Five years.
Lee Jeong-un’s sword had grown heavier.
But Dashman’s body had grown stronger.
自彈自歌 不容置疑
Self-drawn, self-sung, no doubt.
Without relying on anyone else,
he stepped forward,
leaving no room for doubt.
‘The weakness was not in the skill, but in the will.’
What had made him anxious wasn’t the inability to trust Lee Jeong-un.
It was because he hadn’t been able to trust himself.
Had Lee Jeong-un changed? Could he really defeat him now?
Could he truly label the friend who had dirtied his hands for him as evil?
Was he innocent for wanting to remain clean?
‘Now I understand.’
A strong body creates a strong mind.
A strong mind creates a strong mission.
A strong mission creates strong justice.
‘The Dash born of distrust is not the same as the Dash born of absolute belief.’
Having cast this technique tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of times,
he had fully absorbed Dash.
He understood the movements of the muscles performing it,
and how to manage his mana.
The distance is still 50cm,
but unlike the uncertain 50cm before,
this 50cm is filled with certainty and immense power.
Boom!!
The shock, like being hit by a tank, pushed Lee Jeong-un back three steps.
Though he barely managed to protect his neck,
the blood flowing from his cheek told another story.
“If I had hit directly, you would have been dead.”
“I guess so.”
“Why did you twist your approach? This was your perfect chance for revenge for Su-young.”
Dashman sheathed his sword and pulled out a silk pouch, throwing it.
The pouch was crumpled and worn with traces of time,
containing an accessory artifact for attaching to a sword.
“This was meant to be given at the funeral. It’s the gift Su-young kept until the end, the one we bought that day at the department store.”
Lee Jeong-un’s eyes trembled harshly.
“Don’t you blame me?”
“I tried to throw it away many times. I thought it was too precious for someone like you. But when I look at this accessory, I realized something.”
The period of doubt,
why they bought the gift for him,
was to reaffirm their trust in each other.
“We wanted the same goal.”
Dashman reached out his hand.
“Come back to the light. Now, you can correct your mistakes. The Haenam faction is different from Myunho Guild. You’ll be able to regain your awakened status, your experience, everything.”
Closing the 50cm gap that Lee Jeong-un couldn’t,
Dashman tore down the obstacles that had stood in their way for the last five years.
“Let’s start again. From Haenam faction.”