Chapter 599
Combined Sword Art was the ninth form of Vacuum Style, and its principle itself was nothing special.
Because it was simply the use of two techniques mixed into one.
For example, if he used Diamond Cut and Sky Severing together, he would be able to use Diamond Cut across the range covered by Sky Severing.
‘And not only that. I’ll be able to mix it into all sorts of things, like Slow Slash and Slow Thrust.’
This was exactly what Su-ho had practiced to death from the beginning.
Because among all the forms, the easiest things to use were cutting strongly and cutting far.
That was why he had first grasped the feeling through those, then mixed the other forms into it and made the realization entirely his own.
‘Of course, I still can’t mix the others perfectly yet....’
For a Player, there was an enormous difference between simply being capable of doing something and being unable to use it instantly because they had not acquired it as a skill.
He felt proud.
Because he had finally obtained the Semi-Ultimate.
‘After this came Formless Sword, which was called the ultimate secret of Vacuum Style.’
Formless Sword.
In his previous life, he had only barely managed to acquire it with Sword Demon’s help before he died.
If he reached that realm, where he could use a sword even when he had no sword, he would be able to prevent situations like the last Conclave, where he had been put in a difficult position because he had no blood sword.
‘Truly, everything is thanks to Master’s blessing.’
He was grateful to Sword Demon.
Without Sword Demon’s blessing, even if this was a technique he knew, it would have taken him a long time to learn Combined Sword Art.
Of course, that did not mean he intended to start practicing Formless Sword from now on.
Formless Sword was also a technique he could train as much as he wanted even without a target, but there were two reasons he had no intention of doing so.
The first was that, unlike in his previous life, when he had not known of Sword Demon’s existence, this time, he knew Sword Demon existed.
The second was that because of that, he felt Sword Demon would only acknowledge his realization of Formless Sword after he had perfectly raised his mastery of the Semi-Ultimate.
Su-ho recalled the countless hours he had spent practicing in his previous life to learn Formless Sword.
‘In the end, I only became able to use that because Sword Demon suggested it to the system.’
That was why he planned not to rush, and to continue practicing the Semi-Ultimate first.
Just as he thought that and was about to grip his sword again—
“Congratulations.”
Master Pyo appeared before his eyes.
At the unexpected appearance, Su-ho put away the blood sword and pressed his fist into his palm.
“You’ve come.”
“You look happy.”
“Yes. I just reached a higher realm.”
“I see. Congratulations.”
“But I don’t think I’ve crossed the entire desert yet. What brings you here so suddenly?”
He asked because he was genuinely curious.
Pyo turned his body toward the desert and said,
“Shall we walk first?”
“Gladly.”
The sunlight was still hot, but neither of them paid it any mind as they walked as though taking a stroll.
Pyo was the first to speak.
“How was the desert?”
“It was good.”
“Good, you say?”
“Yes. It felt like I finally had some personal time after so long. Thanks to that, I was able to reach a higher realm.”
“I see. But in the process, it must have been hot and cold, and you must have been thirsty and hungry. Were those not painful?”
“I didn’t sleep, either. But it was fine. At some point, my body has reached a transcendent level, so such things do not pose much difficulty for me. But I couldn’t do anything about being bored.”
“So that is why you trained in swordsmanship?”
“Yes. Once I changed my thinking from that point on, the time no longer felt dull or boring. I actually came to like it. I’ve lived as though time were gold for so long that I wondered when else I would ever have the chance to devote myself entirely to swordsmanship training like this.”
As he continued speaking, Su-ho once again pressed his fist into his palm and smiled.
“In that sense, allow me to thank you once again. Thanks to you, I was able to improve.”
“Heheh, that was entirely the Pope’s own effort, not thanks to me. More importantly....”
Pyo’s words trailed off.
His eyes were not visible because of his thick gray brows, but his tone carried many thoughts.
The trailing end of his sentence rose again.
“What does the Pope believe Monks are within the Pantheon?”
“You’re asking the same question again. As I said before, I believe they are the strongest shield protecting the Pantheon. More precisely, armor.”
“At that time, you said that was what you had heard. You did not tell me what you thought.”
Had he?
Thinking back, that was true.
At that time, Su-ho had said he had heard it, not what he himself thought.
So this time, he thought a little more seriously before answering.
“Is there really such a thing as the meaning of their existence? Monks are simply Monks. I heard Monks described as shields, and Master compared Monks to armor, but I do not think that is the true reason Monks exist. Monks are just Monks.”
“Monks are just Monks?”
“Yes. Are Monks not practitioners? But the Monks I heard about, and the Monks Master spoke of, felt somewhat strongly like war machines.”
“War machines....”
At the words war machines, Pyo narrowed his eyes.
Then he slowly replied.
“But surely the Pope also knows this. Peace is not simply given.”
“Yes, I know. Justice without power is incompetence, and power without justice is violence. And one must have power to protect the people one loves. But if you ask me which comes first, the chicken or the egg, I believe that for Monks, practice must come first. And practice is something one does alone. That is why I answered that Monks are Monks.”
“Hm.”
Pyo fell into thought.
But he did not seem particularly convinced.
“Does it sound like sophistry?”
“To be honest, that thought does occur to me.”
“Well, everyone thinks differently. Then, if I may borrow the concept of armor that Master spoke of and ask you this... Is that armor not a concept meant to prepare against external evils that may threaten the Pantheon anytime, anywhere?”
“That is correct.”
“But why do the Monks have to play that role?”
“...Pardon?”
“Are Monks not practitioners to begin with? It is not as though all of them started down the path of practice from the beginning in order to protect the Pantheon. So no matter how specialized the Monks’ Holy Arts may be in defense, why must the Monks specifically serve as armor?”
“Then who protects the Pantheon?”
“Everyone, of course. But before that, there is something I want to ask. Who exactly threatens the Pantheon?”
“That is....”
A troubled expression.
Su-ho did not press further.
“You asked me, Master, whether I wanted the power of the Monks. Yes, I do. The more power one has, the better. But after meeting Master Roland once, I began to wonder whether the current Monks of the Pantheon, like the Paladins, may have lost much of their original meaning.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean that the Pantheon can be protected like armor even without relying specifically on Monks. As the saying goes, offense is the best defense. If there is a power everyone fears, not armor-like toughness, then that alone can bring safety to the Pantheon even without wearing armor.”
“Offense is the best defense....”
Pyo sank into thought.
Because from the time he became a Monk, passed through the position of Pope, and reached the seat of Master, he had never once considered such an idea.
‘I always only thought that I had to become the largest and strongest armor protecting the Pantheon.’
But when he suddenly thought about it, he had not become a Monk of the Pantheon in order to protect the Pantheon.
He had joined this Pantheon in order to receive greater realization and greater teachings.
“The same goes for the Paladins. I believe Monks can distinguish and judge evil in their place. Paladins can also protect the Pantheon in their place. Clerics are the same. Of course, roles can be divided for higher efficiency, but are you not priests and practitioners? Try remembering why you wanted to become priests and practitioners in the first place.”
“......”
Pyo had nothing to say.
Because everything Su-ho said was correct.
Thinking back, he could not even remember when the Pantheon had last suffered an attack from the outside.
“I was the Rage Crusader and Blood Cardinal you all rejected, and I became the Black Pope, a color that has never once existed in the history of the Pantheon. And my purpose is only one thing: to destroy the great evil I see and bring salvation to everyone. Of course, my personal feelings are mixed into that process, so it may also be seen as personal revenge. But by now, too many things have come to rest on my shoulders for it to be called merely a personal goal.”
Still walking at the same light pace, Su-ho continued.
“You said it yourself, Master. The Monks do not reject me. However, if I truly wish to understand and use your power, then I must prove I possess the proper qualifications.”
“Yes, I did.”
“You asked me what Monks are, so I answered that Monks are Monks. But if you ask me what the true power of Monks is, I believe it lies in their armor-like symbolism. The symbolism that because the Monks exist, the Pantheon cannot be threatened carelessly. But can I not also become a symbol of the Pantheon in the same sense as what the Monks pursue, even as someone who values power most of all? After all, I am no ordinary being. I am the Pope of the Pantheon.”
Su-ho turned as he walked and looked at Pyo.
“Is there truly a need to protect it with your bare body? Knights fight with swords, farmers fight with plows, and woodcutters fight with axes. Unless they are thieves, everyone does it to protect what they consider most precious. I am the same. I am someone whose revenge comes first, but that does not mean I am someone without responsibility. Before I became Pope, I worked tirelessly to protect my own world. Now, having received the betting of other Constellations, I will work tirelessly to protect their worlds as well.”
Su-ho’s and Pyo’s gazes tangled in midair.
“I have a fist art I learned from someone else. But when I use a sword with the greatest confidence, is there truly a need for me to gain the Monks’ acknowledgment through physical ability alone? I, too, am a Pope who understands responsibility. And if I must become a shield that protects the Pantheon, then I will stand together with the Monks in my own way, not through the Monks’ way. So....”
Su-ho summoned his blood sword, grasped it by the blade, and offered the hilt to Pyo as he spoke.
“Will you not accept my sword, and acknowledge me as armor that protects the same Pantheon as the Monks?”