Max Talent Player - Chapter 249

Hyukjin stood in front of the blocked-off wall. He raised Isabel, feeling as though he had become one with her.

‘A stage slightly higher than one with the sword.’

Even Hyukjin himself didn’t know what to call this.

‘No.’

The ‘one with the sword’ he had achieved before wasn’t the true one with the sword. Where he was at now was the state of ‘one with the sword’ Rankers had spoken of in the past. That, he felt keenly.

Isabel’s blade began to vibrate, and an opaque aura rippled from her edge.

Sung-gu noticed it. ‘What’s that?’ He peered closer—the opaque aura soon turned black. ‘Blackfire?’

But it was different from pure blackfire. It was a new aura unique to Kim Hyukjin, one he created using blackfire as a base.

“I used a top quality energy called blackfire as a foundation.”

Senia was working hard to record the scene before her. They had to produce a scene that would whip the Guardians into a frenzy, and to that end, Hyukjin was going out of his way to provide information aloud.

“After exuding that energy…”

Currently, Hyukjin was in the true state of one with the sword.

“I processed it through a medium, Isabel, into a new type of energy possessing a powerful cutting force…”

He raised Isabel. The sword shimmered with black energy.

“…thus producing a unique wavelength only Isabel, and only I, can wield.”

Isabel’s abilities were partially unsealed. That, in combination with Hyukjin getting the Divine Sword Physique trait, gave birth to a new ability: Isabel and Hyukjin’s new authority.

[Using the innate authority Sword Ki.]

[The energy used as a base for ‘Sword Ki’ is set to ‘Blackfire’.]

Sword Ki, the technique used by expert period swordsman Players in the past. Hyukjin had achieved it at just level 39.

Hyukjin swung Isabel from top to bottom.

His sword felt perfectly right in his hand, and he felt something leave his body.

‘It feels way better than when I use the Blackfire Bow.’

It was easier, and it felt more right. Hyukjin’s talent as an ‘archer’ was second to none. But it seemed his talent for swordsmanship was even greater than his talent for archery. Relatively speaking.

‘I also had Isabel’s help.’

It was clearly far better to use an already existing transcendent item as a medium than to create a Blackfire Bow using the Ink Bow as a base.

[You are the first to discover ‘Sword Ki’.]

[A hidden condition has been fulfilled.]

[The hidden quest ‘By Following the Traces of the Sword Forest’ has been generated.]

Sung-gu saw it.

‘A path has been opened.’

A long, vertical slit appeared in the thick, tall wall.

The slit widened, parting into two halves. Sung-gu walked forward like he was entranced. He watched as a passage more than wide enough for two people to walk abreast appeared.

He touched the cut edge.

“The surface…”

The cut was impossibly clean. Hyukjin’s sword had cleaved the boulder like it was paper, cutting open a path ten meters high and who knows how deep. They would need to walk through to find out.

“…is almost like ice.”

It was so clean it was almost slippery to the touch.

“And here I was, wondering what you were gonna show that required so much buildup.”

The buildup seemed worth it. Sung-gu had never seen anything like this. Even Korea’s best swordswoman, Shin Yeonseo, couldn’t produce such sheer force. No, Sung-gu thought even Jo Sunghyun, a sorcerer who far outstripped a swordsman in sheer destructive power, and one who wielded very sharp wind magic at that, couldn’t achieve this.

“I don’t think even Sunghyun could do this.”

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Sung-gu accepted it quickly. Nothing would come of being surprised. It was a daily occurrence when Playing with this monster, anyway. He decided not to let anything faze him anymore.

Hyukjin took the lead, and Sung-gu followed.

“Hey, Hyukjin. I’m really curious about something.”

“Mm.”

“You’re honestly better at the sword than Yeonseo, right?”

“Hard to say.”

Hyukjin believed he was several steps above Yeonseo in producing cutting force like this by using sword ki. But PVP was another matter—Yeonseo had an outstanding sense for PVP.

“The way I see it, you’re stronger than Yeonseo.”

“That might be true now.” Hyukjin’s mind flickered to Yeonseo’s Guardian, the True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain. “But there’s no doubt Yeonseo will become stronger than me.”

“What are you saying? Didn’t you say you’re stronger now?”

“The art Yeonseo is learning is far better than the one I’m learning. Yeonseo is learning a martial art.”

“A martial art?”

This was a world of magic and martial arts. That in itself wasn’t strange.

“And that martial art is the best in the world.”

Hyukjin bet that the True Master would be extremely happy to hear this. He was a Guardian who loved when people acknowledged and extolled his merits. He was also a Guardian who would answer in turn with generous sponsorships.

“Once Yeonseo absorbs the Tome of the Divine Sword Physique, she’ll probably become stronger than me.”

“Mm. That so?”

Sung-gu’s eyes narrowed skeptically, but he nodded in the next beat, noticing what Hyukjin was intending.

‘This rascal’s saying that on purpose.’

Hyukjin was hooking in the True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain right now. What would happen if Hyukjin said all this and Yeonseo ended up being weaker than him? That would mean the True Master’s martial art was weaker, considering both Yeonseo and Hyukjin had the Divine Sword Physique.

Hyukjin grinned.

‘He’ll shower Yeonseo with investments, if only to make her stronger than me. For the sake of his pride.’

They walked further.

“Hey, Hyukjin. I can feel the Clear Crystal!”

The fire magician sensed the Clear Crystal first, something Hyukjin was happy to see. Despite Hyukjin having Eye of Perception and Observer’s Eye, Sung-gu sensed it first, meaning the other man was more sensitive in this respect.

‘That’s great.’

He might be kicking up a fuss with loud complaints all the time, but Choi Sung-gu was growing as he should. Before long, Hyukjin began to sense the Clear Crystal as well.

Sung-gu shook his head back and forth.

“Holy cow.” He raised the Clear Crystal into the air. “It’s on the verge of shattering into pieces.”

Sung-gu’s gaze alternated from the Clear Crystal to Kim Hyukjin in bafflement.

“You’re really something. I think we walked a good one hundred plus steps to get here.”

With a single slash, not only did Hyukjin cut a crisp passage through the wall, but he also nearly destroyed the Clear Crystal.

“I’ll break it,” Sung-gu declared, before destroying the Clear Crystal.

[The ‘Centipede Cave’ has been cleared.]

[Distributing the ‘Black Pearl Centipede’s Corpse’ as the clear reward for the ‘Centipede Cave’.]

The Black Pearl Centipede’s Corpse was sent to Sung-gu’s Inventory. No wonder it had disappeared—it had been converted into a System reward.

“Eurgh, I don’t want this shit!”

Sung-gu shuddered in disgust as he took out the Black Pearl Centipede’s Corpse from his Inventory. The great corpse appeared with a resounding thud, looking exactly as it had when it was alive. It was clickable, and therefore, it could be transferred into one’s Inventory. Hyukjin stowed the Black Pearl Centipede’s Corpse away.

“I’ll take this.”

“Okay, please do.”

They cleared Plum Blossom Island’s Centipede Cave. As Hyukjin thought, there was something special about the place.

‘I obtained and absorbed the Tome of the Divine Sword Physique here.’

That wasn’t the only important milestone.

‘Through that, I acquired a new ability called Sword Ki.’

And that allowed him to get ‘By Following the Traces of the Sword Forest’. Ever since he met Elder Bufafa, he knew that the Sword Forest was an actual place. Here, he managed to get another clue about Isabel and Elder Bufafa’s homeland, the Sword Forest.

‘For now…’

He decided to go back home and rest a little.

* * *

* * *

Kim Ahyoung cooked a gochujang stew. She made the stock with anchovy and radish, then plopped slices of pork neck she had seared into the boiling red soup.

‘Are the braised short ribs done?’

She marinated the short ribs in a specially made BBQ sauce for over twelve hours, then slow-braised them another twelve hours in a steamer.

“Kim Darong. Wait.”

Kim Darong froze in the middle of reaching for the short ribs like he was bound by magic.

“Sit.”

Kim Darong sat.

[;;;]

Saliva dripped from his mouth. Kim Ahyoung stared at the squirrel. Kim Darong being here meant Hyukjin would soon arrive as well. It was obvious that the squirrel had scrambled up in a frenzy after smelling the short ribs, incapable of waiting for the elevator.

Ahyoung said firmly, “Wait. You’ll get some after we eat.”

Ahyoung made her standing clear. Darongi didn’t dare defy her. He waited, sucking hungrily on his paw.

Beep–beep–beep–beep.

The front door lock beeped.

“Smells good.”

“I just threw something together out of boredom.”

There was clearly far too much work put into the meal for it to have been made out of boredom. On the table was a pot of piping hot gochujang stew, delicious-smelling braised beef short ribs, and a flourish of bright red kimchi that looked freshly made.

“I just made it for practice, so eat it or don’t eat it, I don’t care,” Ahyoung said curtly.

“Thanks. I’ll gladly eat, Noona. I was pretty hungry. I’ll do the dishes—or actually, Darongi will do them.”

Darongi was good at doing the dishes, too. He was a pet of many talents.

[;;;]

Darongi expressed his reluctance with sweat marks,

“I’ll give you plenty of short ribs.”

…but he quickly accepted the deal.

“Noona. Thank you so much. It’s really, super good.”

“…”

She was definitely good enough to aspire to become a chef.

“Have you looked into getting a new instructor? That, err, super famous chef you told me about?”

Ahyoung was currently doing assistant work in a Korean restaurant. Even though she was working hard, she wasn’t learning anything satisfactory, so she told him she wanted to find a better instructor.

“I did, but…” Ahyoung’s expression darkened a little.

“What? He’s too busy?”

“Guess so. It’s not like I have any particular work experience or anything. Just some shabby kitchen assistant work.”

“That so?”

Hyukjin placed a tender chunk of short rib on his white rice, then put a piece of fresh kimchi on top. When he brought it all to his mouth, the rich flavor of the short ribs and the sweet and sour aroma of the fresh kimchi melted in a harmonious symphony on his tongue.

“What’s that chef’s name?”

“Michael.”

“Ah. Michael?”

Hyukjin remembered who that was.

‘Michelle’s little brother?’

He was a world-famous chef.

‘From the looks of it, she didn’t even have a chance.’

Michael probably didn’t even agree to meet Ahyoung.

‘She’s still my sister. He should have at least given her a chance.’

He wasn’t just making it up—Ahyoung’s cooking was really delicious. Hyukjin couldn’t force Michael to teach his sister, but he could make the chef meet her once. He could give her a chance.

‘If that doesn’t work out, it’s fine. I can just open a restaurant for her.’

If his sister wanted, of course.

Ahyoung interrupted his thoughts.

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

“Did you get a girlfriend?”

Hyukjin coughed. Even the mighty Kim Hyukjin who had top Rankers and Guardians dancing on his palm was blindsided by Ahyoung’s question.

“What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“You’re sus.”

“Sus how?”

“You’re just sus. There’s a weird vibe around you.”

“…”

“Why aren’t you denying it?”

“Well…”

Should he call her his girlfriend? How should he introduce her? She was his bride, but it was contractual. Should he say that she was a sword?

His thoughts were a bit of a mess.

“Be good to her.”

“Huh?”

“Anyone who’d date a boring guy like you must be a pretty nice girl.”

“…”

He wanted to refute her, but she was also kinda right. Hyukjin finished eating, did the dishes with Kim Darong, and went back to his room.

Today, like always, there was a Yellow Charm stuck to the underside of his desk.

‘It’s there again.’

His sister replaced the charm every day. She didn’t seem to tire of it. It was stupid, but Hyukjin was truly grateful for such foolishness. He sat at the desk and organized his thoughts. There was much to do. He decided to start with the task he could finish most quickly and easily.

Hyukjin contacted one of the members of Giantgod, the future Typhoon, Jo Sunghyun.

“Let’s have a quick chat.”

There were a few things they needed to discuss about the contract.