As the sparring match crossed ten exchanges—
For the first time, Seohwan’s voice wavered.
“No... This can’t be real. But this aura... Surely not...?”
The longer the battle continued,
The more stunned Seohwan became.
He murmured as if ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) unable to believe what he was witnessing.
“Could it really be... Celestial Execution Star?”
Unlike the previous spars, which had ended in less than ten exchanges,
Jeon Gwangil, fighting at full power, had forced Seohwan into a prolonged match.
They exchanged dozens—no, perhaps nearly a hundred—attacks before it finally concluded.
“Huff...!”
“Cough!”
Jeon Gwangil collapsed to his knees, panting.
Even after the battle was decided, the aftereffects of his Madness still lingered.
“Grrrr...”
“Hey, you okay?”
“...Ah, Sergeant Shin.”
The beastly growl in Gwangil’s throat softened at the sound of Shin Youngjun’s voice.
As he examined Gwangil’s condition, Youngjun scowled.
“You sure this isn’t just you taking out your frustration? It’s just sparring, and yet you beat him up like this.”
“...If I hadn’t gone that far, he wouldn’t have stopped.”
Seohwan, still catching his breath, looked down at Gwangil.
“...You’re quite something.”
“Heh... Something? That’s rich coming from the guy who just beat the crap out of me.”
Gwangil scoffed, blood trickling down his lips.
But Seohwan shook his head.
“You misunderstand. I wasn’t impressed by your strength.”
“...?”
“I’ll say this clearly. Even in my current, weakened state, I could still defeat you every time. If we fought a hundred times, I’d win all hundred.”
“...Tch! Then what’s so impressive?”
“Your talent.”
“...What?”
Seohwan’s mask concealed his expression,
But sweat trickled down his face.
“...I never thought I’d see Celestial Execution Physique with my own eyes.”
“Celestial what?”
Jeon Gwangil frowned, not understanding.
Seohwan continued, his voice tinged with excitement.
“You struggle to maintain rationality in battle, don’t you?”
“...You mean my Madness?”
Gwangil narrowed his eyes.
But Seohwan’s expression held undisguised enthusiasm.
Excitement at witnessing an extraordinary talent firsthand.
“Martial arts... While they are techniques to allow the weak to overcome the strong... they are also a means of training the mind.”
“Oh, you’re talking about that ‘Shin, Gi, Che’ thing? The mind part?”
“Exactly. My race is born with wild instincts. That’s why we train in martial arts—to discipline our minds. But you... Your Celestial Execution Physique—or Madness, as you call it—is even stronger than my race’s instincts.”
“...Wait. Are you saying—”
Gwangil’s expression froze.
“...That I could control my Madness?”
[Madness] was both his greatest weapon and his biggest weakness.
Not long ago—
He had almost attacked a monk because of it.
If he could truly control it...!
But—
Seohwan’s expression suddenly darkened.
“That’s why this is so frustrating.”
“...?”
“I can’t teach you.”
“...What?”
“The heavens have granted you an extraordinary talent... And yet, I must let it rot away, untamed...”
What the hell is this guy talking about?
According to Seohwan,
Jeon Gwangil’s Madness was something his world had encountered before.
It had a different name—
Celestial Execution Star.
His race was already naturally wild,
But those born with this trait were destined to become crazed, bloodthirsty killers.
However—
“On rare occasions, there were those who learned to control it. They became legendary martial artists, their names recorded in history.”
In other words—
Jeon Gwangil had immense talent for martial arts.
The problem was—
Seohwan couldn’t teach him.
“You forget our contract?”
I reminded him.
He swore to give me everything he knew in exchange for his life.
That included all of his knowledge.
I considered using force to remind him.
But—
“...I told you. It’s not a matter of will.”
“...?”
“I don’t refuse because I don’t want to. I refuse because I can’t.”
With a sigh, Seohwan turned and began walking.
“Follow me. I’ll show you why.”
Still puzzled, Gwangil and I followed him.
Seohwan led us to another room inside the pavilion.
“This place?”
“A library for martial arts manuals.”
The room was filled with wooden bookshelves.
Ancient scrolls and bound manuals were neatly stored within.
“This is where the martial arts of this world are kept.”
Seohwan ran his fingers along the spines of the books.
“I specialized in staff techniques. For other martial arts, I only know their general traits. To teach them, I must rely on these manuals.”
“There’s a lot here.”
“My master collected them. He enjoyed stealing the techniques of the warriors he defeated.”
...That sounded kind of messed up.
“That’s why he was feared. But he was so strong, no one could challenge him.”
“...Hah.”
Flipping through the shelves, Seohwan selected a book.
[Martial Arts Manual – Hancheon Sword A+]
“The first swordsman I fought... What was his name?”
“You mean Private Lee Byungmin?”
“...Strange name. But yes, I believe this style would suit him. He lacks agility, but his ability to track his opponent’s movements is sharp. A sword technique that relies on small, precise movements should be a good fit.”
“Oh...”
It seemed legit.
One by one, Seohwan selected manuals for the other soldiers.
Most of them were A to A+ rank martial arts.
‘That’s the same level as Monk Seungju’s technique.’
At the very least, these were high-level martial arts.
But—
‘Why is he suddenly showing me all this?’
I was still wondering when—
Seohwan led us to a corner of the library.
“And here... is the martial art for Celestial Execution Physique.”
At the end of the hall stood a massive iron door—
Wrapped in heavy chains and sacred talismans.
