Lee Do-hyeon stood in stillness, letting his breath settle as he scanned the quiet cave. In his hand, the Ego Sword pulsed with a faint, resonant hum that subtly stirred the air around him. This place—known as a sanctuary of recovery—was more than just a resting ground. It was a crucible, a place where he could refine his power and regain control over himself.
But today, the flow of qi was different.
A strange tension, alien to the usual peace of the cave, hinted at another presence. A shadow moved—silent, calculated. Just as he had suspected, she appeared: the Cheongeom Mawang.
Emerging from the darkness with her signature poised calm, she looked no different from the first time they met. But this meeting wasn't the same. Now, they knew each other.
"I didn't expect to find you here," she said, her voice low and composed, carrying an undercurrent of curiosity and intrigue.
Do-hyeon adjusted his grip on the sword, his eyes fixed on her without lowering his guard."Why are you here?" he asked bluntly.
She gave a small laugh."That's exactly what I was going to ask. This place—I read of it once, in an old forbidden manuscript. No one ever uncovered its secrets. Yet here you are. How did you know of it?"
Her words stirred unease within him. He had hoped to keep this place hidden, but clearly, that was no longer possible. Even so, he maintained his composure."It's just a good place to rest," he replied calmly.
At that moment, the Ego Sword flared with light and vibrated sharply. At the same time, one of the seven swords hanging at her waist let out a low hum in response. The air trembled between them as if the two blades recognized each other—perhaps even called out to one another.
Cheongeom Mawang smiled faintly and glanced at the reacting sword at her side."This reaction… is it the swords recognizing each other? Or is it something between us?"
She drew one of her Seven Swords. It floated from her hand and emitted a soft glow, suspended in the air like it had a will of its own. The Ego Sword in Do-hyeon's hand responded instantly, its light intensifying. A resonant frequency passed between them, a silent exchange through the air—as if the blades were assessing one another.
The Ego Sword whispered in Do-hyeon's mind.
"That sword… it resembles me. But it's incomplete. It carries the essence of another world, yet lacks true harmony."
Then, the ancient will sealed within the Ego Sword added its voice.
"She is formidable. None in my era matched her strength. Her blade… it echoes the energy of the world I once knew."
Do-hyeon's expression shifted subtly. The sensation of the sword reacting on its own—moving almost with a will separate from his own—unsettled him. He tightened his grip and muttered,"Calm yourself. I have no intention to fight."
Cheongeom Mawang watched him with interest, spinning her sword slowly with a flick of her fingers."With reactions like this, would it not be a waste to simply walk away?"
Then, with a graceful motion, she unleashed her Seven Sword Dance.
The swords formed a ring around her, rotating with perfect precision. Each sword released a distinct aura, dispersing into the air and pressing subtly against the Ego Sword's presence. In response, the Ego Sword flared even brighter, its resonance escalating.
"Fascinating. Your sword is unlike anything in the Murim. It feels… foreign. As if it came from another world," she observed, guiding the movement of her swords effortlessly."But my sword dance isn't just a technique. It's the culmination of everything I've mastered—beyond the bounds of this world. If your blade can rival mine, then it is no ordinary weapon."
Do-hyeon struggled to suppress the Ego Sword's will, steadying himself with focused breath. He didn't wish for a clash, but the resonance between their blades had begun something neither of them could fully control.
Then—abruptly—she halted her swords in the air."This is enough for now."
She sheathed her blade and smiled."Your sword, my sword… you and I. This meeting wasn't coincidence. I have a feeling we'll cross paths again—and not just in battle."
Before leaving the cave, she offered a final word."You and your sword possess a power that could reshape the Murim. But what form that takes… remains to be seen. I'll be watching."
As she vanished into the shadows, the Ego Sword slowly dimmed and returned to silence. Yet its voice lingered in Do-hyeon's mind.
"She surpasses anyone I've known. A clash with her is inevitable. You must be ready."
Do-hyeon looked down at his blade and responded with quiet resolve.
"Then I'll prepare. Anyone who stands in my path—I will overcome them. But if she walks the same path as I do, then I won't turn away from that either."
Drawing a deep breath, he let the cave's healing energy wash over him. This meeting wasn't just a test of strength—it opened new possibilities. The resonance between their blades had shown him a different horizon. A new thread in the journey.
As he stepped out of the cave, Lee Do-hyeon made a silent vow to himself.
"I will grow stronger. No matter where this sword or my convictions lead me, I will walk the path to the end."
And with that, his journey entered a new phase.
***
Chapter : 검과 검의 공명 – 2 (The Resonance of Blades – Part 2)
Cheongeom Mawang sat alone in the depths of the Magyo's forbidden library.Before her lay a collection of ancient tomes—scrolls that had been classified as taboo for generations, with access granted to only a select few.
Her eyes lingered on one particular page, its ink faded with age but its meaning still potent.
"The five Heavenly Talismans (Cheonbu) are scattered across different lands.When united, they open a gate that connects the laws of Heaven and Earth.Yet this gate is a blade in itself—one that may consume all. Do not attempt it."
Cheongeom Mawang lightly ran her fingers across the page, a faint smile curling her lips."A gate between Heaven and Earth... It resembles the energy I sensed in that sword. That blade was no mere weapon."
Her mind drifted back to the moment she first encountered the Ego Sword.What Lee Do-hyeon held was not simply a powerful blade—it pulsed with an energy foreign to this world. She suspected it might be the byproduct of a failed forbidden ritual from another realm.
But instead of taking direct action, she chose a subtler approach. As the strongest force in Murim, she knew sometimes power lay in restraint.She would let the information leak—deliberately. Let Lee Do-hyeon move first.
"Those who gather the scattered Cheonbu shall grasp the order of Heaven and Earth."
That line was quietly seeded into the undercurrents of the Murim. Whispers spread like wildfire, until eventually the rumor reached the base of the Cheonuhoe.
Upon hearing the report, the organization began its analysis immediately.In the meeting chamber, Baek Wolhui delivered the findings to Lee Do-hyeon.
"Commander, this intelligence is suspicious. It feels too perfectly timed—as if someone wants us to act on it."
Han Soyeon added calmly,"While vague, the contents overlap with what we observed at the place of recovery. It's almost as if we're being lured back."
Do-hyeon fell silent, gripping the Ego Sword. The blade vibrated gently, its energy subtly resonating.
The sword's consciousness whispered:
"That place... its energy mirrors what I once knew. You must return."
But the ancient thought embedded deeper within the blade murmured something else:
"This may be my chance... Perhaps I will find a way back."
Feeling the dual resonance, Do-hyeon made up his mind."I'll go. And this time, I'll see it with new eyes."
Baek Wolhui's expression turned tense."Commander, are you planning to go alone? It's safer if we accompany you."
But Do-hyeon shook his head."No. The more who move, the greater the target. This is something I must confirm myself."
Under the cover of night, Lee Do-hyeon departed the Cheonuhoe base, heading alone toward the fifth recovery site—a quiet cave nestled deep in the mountains.Though familiar, it now felt different. The rumors had shifted his perspective.
At the cave entrance, he examined his surroundings.Etched faintly into the stone—markings he had never noticed before. These weren't mere decorations. They resembled components of a ritual—a link in a greater design.
"This wasn't just a place to restore qi," he whispered.
Suddenly, the Ego Sword flared to life, casting a brilliant light through the cave.Its consciousness spoke:
"This energy... It's familiar, yet alien. It resembles the world I once knew."
Then, the deeper voice of the ancient will followed, heavier in tone:
"Even in my era, such a place did not exist. If this is a remnant meant to open a gate, then..."
Conflicted and intrigued, Do-hyeon pressed deeper into the cave, tracing the carvings with his fingertips.Among the inscriptions, one stood out—an old phrase referencing the Cheonbu.
"The five points that link Heaven and Earth…"
He realized then: the recovery sites were never just sanctuaries.They were the key to a dimensional gate—scattered nodes of a long-forgotten power.
Far away, in the Magyo's underground archive, Cheongeom Mawang already knew of his movements.She continued her own research into the Cheonbu and the true function of the recovery sites—watching closely to see how Do-hyeon would decipher the puzzle.
"When the five Cheonbu unite, the gate will open.It is the echo of an ancient summoning ritual that once shook the Magyo.But whoever opens the gate must be prepared."
Though unaware of the Ego Sword's inner voices, she could feel its resonance.She sensed the potential of this blade—and the places it pointed to—to upend the balance of Murim.So she allowed events to unfold, quietly guiding Do-hyeon toward discovery.
"Let's see how far the sword and its master can go.If that blade carries echoes of the past, I must be ready when that gate opens."
Cheongeom Mawang watched his journey from afar, waiting for her moment to claim a new order.
Meanwhile, Lee Do-hyeon, now armed with new insight, resolved to re-explore the remaining sites.And as he did, the twin voices within his sword began to reveal their own diverging agendas.
From the boundary between Murim and forbidden lore,Lee Do-hyeon and his sword continued their march toward a deeper truth—one that could reshape their world.