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Was it called 'Eternal Bind"
It was an item I had obtained from the archives of the Heavenly Academy in the past.
It was probably the name of a bandage that appeared to be a mystical object from Mount Hua.
Tied around my left arm, it was something that for some reason could never be untied.
At first, I thought to myself, "What kind of mystical object is this?"
Aside from its unique purplish color and the faint fragrance of plum blossoms it gave off, it was just an untying bandage.
However.
'It wasn't that simple.'
As Elder Shin awoke, I was able to learn the true name of the bandage.
What I had thought was just a trivial bandage was, surprisingly...
'...This is a sword?'
'Eternl Bind' was an enchanted sword that Elder Shin had used.
He scolded me, asking how I could use such an extraordinary item as just a bandage to tie up my arm.
To me, however, it was simply unfair.
'...Then, why didn't you at least tell me how to use it?'
He had handed it to me without a word and vanished. How was I supposed to figure this out on my own?
Later, he criticized me for using it incorrectly, and I couldn't help but feel incredulous.
'So, this is a sword?'
I asked myself how a bandage could possibly be a sword, and I was told that my assumption was completely wrong.
[This was not a cloth from the beginning.] Although it looked like cloth, according to Elder Shin, it wasn't just cloth.
Furthermore,
[If you think of it as a sword, that too is wrong.] He told me not to think of it as a sword.
He had called it a sword himself, but now he told me not to think of it that way. What did that mean?
Just when I was about to get annoyed from all the incomprehensible words,
Elder Shin revealed to me the true power of Gwijung, the mystical object.
[If you think of it as a sword, it will become one. If you think of it differently, it will take that form. 'Eternal Bind' is an object like that.]
It will take whatever form I desire.
This was how Elder Shin explained Eternal Bind.
So how should I use it?
I knew it was a mystical object and had a specific way to be used.
But how exactly should I use it?
The way to use Eternal Bind, which could become either a sword or anything I desired, was simple.
[Just believe.]
It was simply about believing.
Believing that Eternal Bind would transform as I wished.
Oddly, those insignificant words were all I needed.
When I truly believed, Eternal Bind moved according to my will.
It seemed to have its own will as it moved, even grabbing things at times.
Just as Elder Shin said, I was able to use it in the form of a sword.
The only downside was that it couldn't change into two forms at once.
It was impossible to extend the bandage in its sword form to grab something.
That was the only issue.
Even with that limitation, I was satisfied with how I wielded Eternal Bind.
After all, Eternal Bind's power wasn't limited to just changing its form.
The true power of Eternal Bind was far more than that.
According to Elder Shin, the true power of Eternal Bind was none other than the fact that:
'It is indestructible.'
It couldn't be torn, broken, or even destroyed.
Once Eternal Bind was solidified, it could withstand any attack without breaking.
That was, according to Elder Shin, the true power of Eternal Bind.
'That's unbelievable.'
When I first heard it, I was so incredulous.
Even the strongest material in the Central Plains, the Eternal Iron, would eventually break.
Could it really be true that something was indestructible?
While I doubted the veracity of that claim, I couldn't deny that Eternal Bind's durability was extraordinary.
Look at it now.
Even after being struck by a sword infused with the power of the monstrous force, Eternal Bind didn't break or even get scratched.
It simply blocked the attack, and when the sword clashed, it left an opening for me to seize.
I quickly took advantage of the opening, untied Eternal Bind, and wrapped it around the monstrous sword.
In the blink of an eye, the distance closed.
I didn't waste this moment and released my internal energy, Elomok (?).
As a result,
Flames erupted...
The traces of blue flames lingered between the shattered ground.
I reached out.
Huff—!
The heat that had been floating in the air and the flames on the ground swirled toward me. As if being sucked into me, the heat returned to my body.
I could feel the energy accumulating in my heart.
'I didn't use that much.'
Considering I had used Elomok(?) twice and continuously blasted fire, I still felt like I had more energy left than expected.
Was it because my body had changed, increasing my energy?
No, it was probably because the force I controlled had grown stronger.
'The ability to withstand compression has increased.'
Compression, rotation, and release.
I realized this after listening to the advice of Elder Shin and my father.
They emphasized that these were the most important elements when dealing with internal energy and fire.
Even with a small amount of energy, I was learning to maximize my power using these techniques.
Compression and rotation exerted a lot of pressure on my body.
There was a limit to how much I could bear, and I always felt disappointed by this.
'...But as my body grows stronger, my limits have expanded.'
As my body grew stronger, the time I could endure also increased. This allowed me to wield greater power through compression and rotation.
'So, this is the result?'
I looked ahead.
In the center of the ruined ground, a huge crater had formed.
This was the aftermath of my release of Elomok(?).
It seemed I had grown stronger. I had used the same amount of internal energy as before, but the result was far greater.
And from the center of the crater, I heard a voice.
"Heh..."
The half-kneeling Monstrous Force, Gwiseon(Hermit), was laughing.
"I don't know what to say."
Gwiseon (Hermit) was checking the surroundings, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.
I nodded as I examined him.
Luckily, it seemed his body was fine.
'I managed to control it well.'
Although I had released Elomok(?), I had controlled it so that Gwiseon(Hermit) wouldn't be harmed.
Of course.
'If he had taken it head-on... I'd be in trouble too.'
No matter what my intentions were, it would have been a problem if he fought with the intent to kill me.
Gwiseon(Hermit) had wielded his sword without malice, and I knew that.
'Since he's my friend's teacher.'
Gwiseon(Hermit) was the master of Woo-hyuk, so I didn't want to hurt him.
That's why I had forced the control to make sure only the surroundings exploded, leaving Gwiseon(Hermit) unharmed.
It had cost me some backlash, but my body was fine. That was an advantage.
"Heh. I never thought I'd lose."
Gwiseon(Hermit) said awkwardly, laughing. I tilted my head and replied.
"I appreciate your leniency."
Perhaps the final blow was genuine, but up until then, I knew that Gwiseon(Hermit) hadn't fought seriously.
'If he had fought seriously, I would've lost.'
If Gwiseon(Hermit) had used his full power from the beginning, things might have been different.
I also thought I could have landed a hit if I had used all my strength.
'Winning would have been tough.'
Victory seemed out of reach, despite the fact that I had used Eternal Bind to handle the situation.
'I still have some conscience left.'
[What?]
'Be quiet.'
Before Elder Shin could butt in with something else, I stopped him.
This was one thing I was sincere about.
'He didn't even use the 'Thunder Fang'.
Gwiseon(Hermit) had only used a regular iron sword. He hadn't used the mystical Thunder Fang.
Of course,
'I don't know if Gwiseon(Hermit) can use Thunder Fang.'
Since he was using the Wudang sword, I wasn't sure if he could wield the Thunder Fang, which maximizes internal energy.
But it was unclear.
'What would have happened if Gwiseon(Hermit) had used Thunder Fang?'
If I had fought Gwiseon(Hermit) in that state, would it have been a completely different level?
I felt a bit curious and somewhat regretful when thinking about it.
-[Using Eternal Bind...]
From somewhere in the pit, I heard a voice.
It sounded like Namgung Myung. It seemed that he knew about Eternal Bind as well.
-[Shin Cheol, are you out of your mind? Handing over Eternal Bind…!]
[What's this? If I say it's mine, I'll take it, what's your problem?]
-[Do you really think it makes sense to give the symbol of Mount Hua to some child?]
[Is that so?]
[What are you mumbling about? Tsk, tsk, unable to even fight. No wonder Namgung ended up like that.]
-[You bastard!]
He was scolding me, saying my words were too harsh, but this old man wasn't someone to take lightly.
"...Ugh."
I sighed and walked over. How many steps would it take to get there?
There was something lodged in the ground, and I was heading there.
In front of me was a dark blue stick stuck in the ground. It looked like Thunder Fang.
The moment it hit the ground, a loud noise reverberated throughout the area. I instinctively looked around, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Suddenly, a chilling presence filled the air.
The ground trembled as the sky seemed to darken for a brief moment. A figure appeared from the shadows, a presence so overwhelming that it seemed to freeze the air itself.
This was no ordinary person. The aura around them felt like the weight of countless battles, the embodiment of absolute power.
Without hesitation, they called forth the strongest being they knew.