The Old Man Tells You The Strategy

Chapter 5

Jun-hyuk is a seasoned veteran.

He knows nearly everything about this Endless Saga.

But what Jun-hyuk knows are merely “facts.”

He has never actually wielded a sword or used magic.

So, what Jun-hyuk had been doing was “playing a game,” which made it difficult for him to gain true insight into swordsmanship itself.

‘Does this guy think the Severance Sword is something taught at a neighborhood swordsmanship dojo?’

Thus, Jun-hyuk always had to rely on the vast database of information stored in his head to assess any situation.

And in this regard, Jun-hyuk was bound to misjudge Killian.

Everything Killian had shown so far was outside the scope of Jun-hyuk’s data.

In every way, Killian was far beyond the realm of common sense.

「…」

So, once again, Jun-hyuk couldn’t understand what Killian was doing.

In the first place, the idea that Killian had understood the Severance Sword wasn’t even a possibility in Jun-hyuk’s mind.

‘What in the world is he up to?’

Though he continued to observe, the more he watched, the more absurd it became.

The swordsmanship displayed by Killian was completely different from that of Gale Hilt, the King of the Underworld.

Compared to Gale Hilt’s sword dance, which carried the force of a raging storm that seemed to destroy everything in its path…

Killian’s rusted sword was like the feeble hand of an old man swatting away a fly.

In the end, Jun-hyuk couldn’t help but speak up.

「What in the world is this?」

“…”

They say that when someone is utterly speechless, they can’t even find the words to respond.

Today, Jun-hyuk deeply understood the truth of that statement.

‘This guy’s a master at driving people crazy.’

If even Jun-hyuk felt this way, what about the King of the Underworld?

As this thought crossed his mind, Jun-hyuk couldn’t help but notice something strange.

‘Wait a second. Why is the King of the Underworld so quiet?’

By now, the King should have been raging, yet there had been no response at all.

And Jun-hyuk’s sense of unease continued to grow.

“…Hoo.”

The King of the Underworld, who had always been sarcastic and cold…

Gale Hilt was now watching Killian’s sword with intense focus, his eyes wide open.

He even nodded in approval, seemingly satisfied.

‘Wait… I’ve never seen this kind of reaction before.’

This was the first time Jun-hyuk had seen him so concentrated.

‘What’s going on?’

At that moment, Killian suddenly stopped his sword and looked at the King of the Underworld.

Then he started spouting more insane remarks.

“So, that movement is the entirety of the sword dance, isn’t it?”

「What are you talking about-」

“That’s why I said it’s simple.”

Though the King’s reaction was unusual, that aside, this was definitely crazy talk.

How could Killian compare the seemingly useless movements he’d been making to the Severance Sword technique that the King of the Underworld had displayed?

But in the next moment, when the King of the Underworld finally spoke again…

“I thought you were just a reckless brat… but it seems I was wrong.”

Jun-hyuk couldn’t help but be completely shocked.

* * *

“To fully comprehend the Severance Sword technique at such a young age…”

For the first time, the King of the Underworld, who had scoffed at countless others, showed a gentle response.

“I’ve finally found someone worth teaching.”

The King’s voice had completely changed.

The Severance Sword technique is a style of swordsmanship that gathers all force and momentum into the tip of the blade, aiming for the ultimate strike.

However, the cost is high—if even slightly misaligned, the flow of power would become chaotic, causing the technique to backfire and harm the wielder.

Even the King of the Underworld had only mastered the technique after reaching adulthood.

So when Killian said the swordsmanship was “simple,” the King had initially been filled with anger.

But if Killian had said it after fully understanding the technique, that was a different story.

If his talent matched his boldness, it could no longer be dismissed as arrogance.

And so, the King was genuinely pleased.

There was only one thing that saddened him.

He had only now found someone with the talent he had long been searching for.

“So ‘her’ confidence wasn’t misplaced, after all.”

In the past, thousands of people had come to learn the King’s swordsmanship.

Some had gained a fair bit of fame, but none had ever met the King’s expectations.

Not a single one of them had ever fully understood the Severance Sword technique, which this boy had now mastered with ease.

That was why the King of the Underworld had never found a successor.

Without understanding the essence of the Severance Sword, it was impossible to even begin learning the Underworld King Sword.

“Hoo… If only there was more time, I could teach you so much more.”

The King let out a dry sigh, pushing away his idle thoughts.

Even now, the time allowed by the contract was swiftly running out.

“What is your name?”

“Killian.”

“Killian, huh…”

So, this was the name of the one who would become his sole disciple.

“Now then, my disciple.”

As the King repeated the name in his heart, he spoke kindly to Killian.

“Take your stance. From now on, I will teach you the Underworld King Sword.”

The King raised his sword.

Though Killian’s attitude was as disrespectful as ever, once he was taught the King’s swordsmanship, his attitude would surely change.

Though the time was short, the King intended to impart as much knowledge as possible.

But there was one problem.

“…Huh? Disciple?”

“Yes, be honored…”

That assumption was only held by one person—Gale Hilt, the King of the Underworld.

“I’m not interested in swordsmanship, though.”

The King, unable to comprehend Killian’s desire to simply go home, was left speechless.

He even doubted his own ears for a moment.

“Be honored… What did you just say?”

“I’m not interested in learning.”

“Huh…?”

The King, who had been pursued by countless swordsmen, couldn’t understand Killian’s response.

But from Killian’s perspective, his refusal was only natural.

‘It was better than other sword techniques, but that’s about it.’

After all, Killian had already understood the sword technique the King had demonstrated with just one glance, so how much more impressive could the next one be?

Someone who could hear Killian’s thoughts, however, was growing increasingly frantic.

「Wait! Hold on! This is the Underworld King Sword we’re talking about! It’s on a completely different level from the Severance Sword!」

But Killian didn’t care.

“And it’s not fun.”

“What?”

“So, can I go home now?”

In the end, the only one who could stop Killian’s rampage was…

None other than the King of the Underworld himself, who was just as eccentric as Killian.

“Hoo. I suppose the Severance Sword technique is a bit boring.”

「Excuse me?」

“Well then, I’ll just have to show you something more exciting.”

「Wait… how did we get here…?」

Vwoong-!!

The Underworld King’s sword began to resonate.

And in the next moment,

Fwaaah-

The spirit’s eyes turned golden.

—

This was the first time even Jun-hyuk had witnessed the King of the Underworld teaching someone the Underworld King Sword.

He had no choice but to acknowledge it now.

Out of all the people Jun-hyuk had brought before the King of the Underworld, Killian’s talent for the sword was undeniably the greatest.

‘I never thought I’d live to see the day when the Underworld King Sword was revealed.’

Of course, not every character Jun-hyuk had guided had met the King. But if it had been “that one,” the only person who had come close to clearing the challenge…

The story would have been different if “that one,” who didn’t even need their talent tested, had encountered the King of the Underworld.

After all, “that one” was a genius who could effortlessly wield a sword style that rivaled even the Underworld King Sword.

Still, Killian’s talent was impressive in its own right.

For the first time, Jun-hyuk thought that perhaps being with Killian wasn’t a complete waste of time.

‘How had someone with this much talent been hidden away in obscurity?’

It was too soon to start expecting to clear the game, of course.

But the most important thing for Jun-hyuk was that Killian had never been a part of his extensive database, not even once.

This person, with such extraordinary talent and potential, had never appeared in any of Jun-hyuk’s countless regressions?

That fact alone was enough to excite him.

Maybe Killian was the trigger that could change the future, a future that had remained unchanging until now.

Someday, when Jun-hyuk met “that one” again…

Perhaps this Killian could be a valuable card to play.

‘So, there are still things in this world I don’t know…’

For the first time in what felt like decades, life began to return to Jun-hyuk’s spirit, which had long since withered.

After all, he had finally witnessed something new in this endless repetition.

“We don’t have much time, so let’s begin immediately.”

As Jun-hyuk pondered these thoughts,

Whooong-!

The Underworld King’s sword dance began.

Swish-!

Jun-hyuk turned his attention to Killian.

Since Jun-hyuk couldn’t comprehend the swordsmanship itself, his curiosity lay in how Killian would react when faced with the Underworld King Sword.

And Killian’s reaction was fascinating.

At first, his expression remained as indifferent as when he had watched the Severance Sword technique.

Whoong!

But as the Underworld King’s movements became dramatically more intense…

Killian’s demeanor shifted completely, much like the time he first heard about his mother’s keepsake.

Swish! Swoosh!

Jun-hyuk’s gaze returned to the sword dance.

The blade that had crossed the upper-left diagonal in one blink was now slashing in the opposite direction.

Swish-! Shluk…

A thrust that had been heading straight ahead suddenly moved with the grace of a snake, deceiving the eyes of the onlookers.

Despite these unnatural movements, there was no inconsistency in the Underworld King’s swordplay.

Paradoxically, the King was preparing for the next attack the moment his blade struck, leaving no room for error.

Even to Jun-hyuk’s untrained eyes, it was clear that this was on a completely different level from the Severance Sword technique.

‘What about Killian…?’

Jun-hyuk glanced at Killian again.

And there, for the first time, was a side of Killian that Jun-hyuk had never seen.

‘Does he have this side to him?’

Killian was intensely focused.

His eyes were bloodshot from not blinking even once, a stark contrast to the relaxed demeanor he had always shown.

「Hey, what’s gotten into you?」

Jun-hyuk spoke to him, but Killian didn’t respond.

It was clear that Killian was determined not to miss a single movement.

The boy remained motionless until the sword dance ended.

—

Vwoong-

Clack-

The Underworld King sheathed his sword, which had been resonating so clearly, and turned his gaze to Killian, who stood silently.

There was a subtle sense of expectation in the King’s expression.

And why not?

The sword he had just displayed contained the essence of everything he had ever learned in his life.

It was, without a doubt, a masterpiece far beyond the Severance Sword technique.

‘He must feel a sense of awe after seeing that.’

Moreover, the boy standing before him was the first to ever be recognized by the King himself.

It was only natural to be curious about how this boy would react to witnessing the Underworld King Sword.

“Surely, you still don’t find this boring?”

The King smiled, and Killian shook his head.

“No. That was fun.”

“Hahaha.”

Though the King was pleased, he thought Killian’s response was just bravado.

To truly find it fun, Killian would need to understand it.

And no matter how talented Killian was—having already grasped the basics of the Underworld King Sword—the idea that he could comprehend the full essence of the sword dance in one go was absurd.

At least, that’s what the King thought.

“Thanks to your generous display, I’ve almost understood everything…”

The King found Killian’s youthful confidence amusing.

Given the immense talent Killian possessed, a little youthful arrogance was to be expected.

“So, I was wondering… could I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

‘Confidence is a good thing.’

While the King mused on this, Killian drew his sword once again.

Shing-

The King watched the scene unfold with great interest.

Shraaak-!

Killian swung his sword without hesitation, and the King observed him with a cool, analytical gaze.

‘Hmm…’

Watching Killian’s swordplay, the King involuntarily nodded his head.

Even if Killian hadn’t fully grasped the technique’s depth, the basic form of the swordsmanship was astonishingly similar.

‘Indeed, his talent is remarkable.’

The King swallowed a sigh of admiration.

Killian had only witnessed the sword dance twice, yet he was already replicating it to this extent. His talent exceeded the King’s expectations.

However, the King still believed Killian’s boast of “almost understanding everything” to be just youthful bravado.

If Killian had truly understood the essence of the sword, the “mark” would have appeared by now.

‘Still, if nothing else, my judgement wasn’t wrong.’

It was impossible to impart the full mastery of the Underworld King Sword in such a short time.

The King’s task was to plant the seeds of understanding, and it would be up to the successor to nurture those seeds.

In that regard, Killian’s talent provided fertile soil more than capable of fostering those seeds.

But just as the King was having these thoughts…

Killian suddenly halted his sword dance and murmured softly to himself.

“…So this is it.”

And at that moment,

Shwaaah-

A white aura began to rise from Killian’s body.