Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 28: Karon’s Plot (3)

‘I didn’t sense him at all.’

The man in the black cloak stiffened slightly.

Before revealing himself, he had carefully observed the situation from the shadows, monitoring everyone within his sensory range and accounting for all possible variables.

Though he had stepped out earlier than planned to save Bembo, it was still within his calculated expectations.

But then, to his surprise, the black sword—clearly an infernal weapon—had cut down the gang members and vanished into the darkness, as if it had returned to its master.

That meant Lekki, lying collapsed in front of him, had been nothing more than bait.

‘Could it be… I’ve stepped into a trap?’

He looked down at Lekki’s corpse, frowning at his own hasty judgment. The infernal weapon had momentarily clouded his thinking.

But even so, someone capable of approaching so closely without alerting his senses wasn’t ordinary.

And that person was wielding an infernal weapon.

Infernal weapons were an evolved form of cursed artifacts, far more powerful and dangerous than enchanted objects.

“Who are you?”

His deep voice cut through the shadows. A boy slowly emerged from the other end of the alley.

The man in the black cloak didn’t let his guard down. Judging someone by their appearance was a rookie mistake. The boy might have a monstrous power hidden inside him.

In the boy’s hand was none other than the infernal weapon. Yet, strangely, he showed no signs of suffering from its effects. He seemed calm, far too composed for someone wielding such a weapon.

This alone told the man that this boy wasn’t someone to be underestimated.

Though the boy’s hair obscured his eyes, the man could clearly see the deep, black pupils, like the abyss itself.

Even standing there, the boy’s presence was faint, like a mirage. His stealth was so perfect that it almost seemed supernatural.

The man expanded his senses, scanning the area around the boy for any other signs of life, but detected none.

What confidence this boy had to approach alone, saying nothing, walking forward boldly.

“Where did you get that weapon?”

“Blue hair. Red orb.”

The boy’s voice was indifferent and emotionless, causing the man to grit his teeth. It was clear the boy had no intention of engaging in a conversation, but the meaning of his words was undeniable.

‘Does he know about the commander?’

The man narrowed his eyes. It seemed this boy knew that he was a member of the Blue Raven gang. He had expected the situation to be linked to the Hinjo or Megamon gangs, but this was entirely different.

He had no intention of confirming the boy’s suspicions, as doing so would only acknowledge the truth.

Nor did he need to ask how the boy knew. He would kill him before it mattered.

The man reached into his coat and gripped the ash-colored orb within. The moment he activated it, the orb’s light dimmed, and a gray energy flowed into his body.

At the same time, the man’s form seemed to disappear.

Whoosh—

Karon instinctively tilted his head back, just as a gray streak of light slashed across where his face had been.

The man had closed the distance in an instant, attempting to grab Karon by the throat.

Even as Karon dodged, he was tracking the trajectory of the man’s movements. He could feel the deadly force behind that hand—anything it touched would be torn apart.

Unfazed by the failed surprise attack, the man swung both hands again, as if expecting Karon to dodge.

Karon found himself forced to evade the attacks without even having a chance to properly wield the black sword. The man was faster and more precise than any opponent he had faced before.

And his strikes were deadly accurate, leaving Karon no room to counterattack or regain his footing.

‘He’s different!’

The man’s movements were so swift that Karon’s body was beginning to bear small cuts. His heightened senses allowed him to avoid fatal injuries, but he needed a different approach to turn the tables.

His rudimentary swordsmanship wouldn’t be enough against an opponent like this.

Earlier, the man hadn’t unleashed this level of power. He must have activated something—likely the orb he had used.

‘That orb…’

Karon wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but based on what he had heard from the desert chieftain, it wouldn’t be surprising if the orb granted its user immense strength.

Thunk!

As Karon retreated, his foot hit something. He had run out of space. The alley wall loomed behind him, trapping him.

Sensing victory, the man lunged, slamming his hand against the wall to pin Karon. Karon instinctively dodged to the right, but the man was already reaching for him with his other hand, intending to crush him.

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, the man pulled back, twisting his body to the side.

Thwack!

The black sword shot through the air, narrowly missing the man and embedding itself in the wall next to Karon’s head.

The sword had driven in so deep that only the hilt remained visible.

“Tch.”

The man, for the first time, showed signs of frustration.

Karon had deliberately thrown the black sword earlier while dodging the man’s attacks, leading him into a trap. As the man closed in, Karon had called the sword back like a magnet, nearly striking him in the back of the head.

With some distance between them, Karon reached for the hilt of the sword.

He absorbed all the energy from the infernal weapon into his body.

“Hah…”

The man in the black cloak let out a breath, impressed by what he was seeing.

There was only one other person he had seen control an infernal weapon this effortlessly—the commander.

For someone so young to wield such power was nearly impossible.

And then, Karon vanished.

“Huh?!”

The man’s instincts kicked in, and he jerked his head back.

A crimson streak of light passed right over his face.

Karon had closed the gap in an instant, aiming to grab the man’s throat.

Even as the man dodged, Karon remained focused on his movements.

The crimson energy surging from Karon’s hand was terrifyingly potent—if it made contact, it would rip the man apart.

Karon, unfazed by the miss, continued his assault, swinging both hands in quick succession.

Now it was the man’s turn to be on the defensive, dodging desperately. The boy, whom he had been overpowering moments ago, was now moving with such ferocity that the man’s cloak began to tear in places.

The man’s attacks were being mirrored—Karon was mimicking his exact techniques. But Karon’s counterattacks were sharper and more aggressive.

The man’s eyes widened as realization dawned on him.

‘This… he’s copying my style?!’

In that instant, Karon’s gaze locked with his.

Within Karon’s eyes, a mixture of wild, ferocious energy and cold arrogance swirled.

‘No way! He’s replicating my moves after seeing them just once…!’

Grab!

Karon’s hand shot out, grabbing the man by the collar.

It was an unexpected angle and perfect timing.

The man in the cloak finally understood the nature of Karon’s attacks.

‘No… it’s not just an imitation. He’s improved it!’

Shlack!

As Karon shook his hand free, the cloak tore apart, sending the man hurtling into the opposite alley wall.

Bang!

Rumble—

“Ugh!”

The moment he crashed into the wall, a loud sound echoed as a deep dent formed in the shape of a circle, and the wall began to crumble.

Blood welled up in the man’s mouth, but he had no time to recover. Karon was already moving toward him, swinging a powerful kick.

Wham!

The man’s head jerked to the side. Karon was too fast—he didn’t give him any chance to dodge.

The man slammed back into the wall, his face filled with shock as he looked at Karon.

Swoosh—

Without missing a beat, Karon approached again, and with a quick flick of his hand, the black sword lodged in the wall came loose and returned to his grip as if by magic.

Klonk, klonk!

A crimson aura radiated from Karon’s entire body, casting an eerie glow in the pitch-black alley. He looked like a grim reaper walking straight from the depths of hell.

Shhh—

Karon placed the black blade at the man’s throat.

“Talk. Where is it?”

“You madman! Do you think you can just…”

Thwack!

Karon didn’t hesitate. He thrust the sword into the man’s shoulder, right above his heart. The man’s face contorted in pain as he gritted his teeth.

“Ugh!”

“A little lower, and you’re dead.”

Karon’s voice was ice cold.

The man instinctively knew—if he didn’t talk, he was going to die. But even if he did talk, he wasn’t going to survive. Betraying the organization meant a fate worse than death.

In that case, there was only one option left.

“You think… I’m going down alone?”

Grab!

Thrust!

The man pushed the sword deeper into his own body while grabbing Karon’s arm with both hands.

At the same time, his body began to turn gray, cracks spreading across his skin. Bright light started to seep through the cracks.

A violent surge of energy within the man began spiraling out of control, heating his body like a burning furnace.

Karon frowned. He hadn’t expected the orb’s energy could cause the man to self-destruct.

Even if he fully unleashed the black sword’s energy, he wouldn’t be killed, but he wouldn’t walk away unscathed either.

The man’s body rapidly expanded beyond recognition, turning into a bloated mass of energy. It was all happening in an instant.

Just then—

“Move!”

Out of nowhere, Shong leaped between them, pulling off his cloak and throwing it over the man. He grabbed Karon and yanked him back just in time.

Flash!

Boom!

The man’s body ballooned into a blinding white light before exploding.

An enormous blast of fire and shockwave erupted, but in a stunning display, the flames were sucked into Shong’s cloak.

The cloak turned a deep crimson, sparks flying off its surface as it absorbed the explosion, its power mesmerizing to witness.

The blazing light and heat that had filled the alley vanished in an instant, and the cloak returned to its original state as if nothing had happened.

Underneath, there was nothing left of the man but ash.

Thud, thud!

With the heated wind finally calming down, Shong shook the cloak, dusting off the remaining ash. Then, he dug through the pile of ashes and pulled out a faded orb.

“Tsk. Just a low-grade one.”

Shong clicked his tongue, while Karon stood by, his expression indifferent.

“You’re curious, aren’t you?”

Not at all.

“Let’s get out of here first,” Shong said, glancing around. The explosion had drawn attention—footsteps could be heard approaching from various directions.

There was no need to draw more attention, so Karon gave a slight nod and followed him out of the alley.

Back at the inn.

Shong paced the room, his expression serious, as though preparing for a major revelation. Karon sat quietly in a chair, waiting for him to speak.

Once his thoughts seemed to be in order, Shong sat across from Karon and finally began.

“The truth is… this cloak is one of the infernal weapons, like your sword. But it’s different—it’s a lot more docile. If it weren’t, I’d have gone mad by now.”

“I see.”

Karon’s response was flat, without a hint of surprise. Shong frowned, clearly disappointed by the lack of reaction.

“‘I see’? You’re not amazed? You saw the cloak’s abilities for yourself! It hides your presence and blocks out other energies!”

“And?”

Shong leaned back, staring at Karon, who gazed back with the same calm expression. This feeling—Shong had experienced it too many times before.

“You knew, didn’t you?”

When Karon didn’t respond, Shong pressed him again.

“Since when?”

“From the beginning.”

Shong’s face twisted in disbelief. So, he had been putting on a show all this time by himself?

‘Now that I think about it…’

Looking back, it wasn’t hard to believe. He had been too flustered to notice before, but Karon had found him hiding in the desert king’s lair. It wasn’t a lie.

But how?

“How did you know?”

“The cloak might have hidden your presence, but it couldn’t conceal its own energy.”

“You’re telling me… you could sense the energy from the cloak?”

“Yeah. Faintly.”

Shong’s jaw dropped in astonishment. Until now, no one had ever detected the cloak’s existence—not even members of the Blue Raven gang.

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