Free Web NovelChapter 29: Twenty Years of the Sword
CLANG!
The ringing clash of steel echoed across the plaza once more.
Although the Guild Master had intercepted Rowan’s strike effortlessly, Rowan refused to withdraw; his blade twisted, sliding against the Guild Master’s sword before cutting horizontally toward his waist.
The Guild Master’s wrist barely moved, and another crisp sound reverberated through the air.
CLANG!
The attack was deflected as though it carried no weight.
Around them, the Streamers stood frozen.
No one dared interrupt, and no one even breathed loudly, as watching two Gold Rank Streamers exchange blows at such close range was an opportunity few would ever experience in their lifetime.
Dan quietly observed from several meters away, his eyes never blinking.
Level 125.
The translucent status window floating above the Guild Master’s head remained visible only to him:
Level 125.
Gold Rank IV.
It was a rank that countless Streamers could only dream of reaching. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Dan’s lips curved upward ever so slightly.
Twenty years.
That was what twenty years of streaming earned a person. It was not merely levels, titles, or wealth. It earned overwhelming mastery.
Another strike came.
CLANG!
Rowan attacked relentlessly, his movements explosive as his sword blazed with spiritual energy.
Every swing carried enough force to split boulders, yet every attack was stopped.
The Guild Master’s movements contained almost no wasted motion. He neither hurried nor retreated, his blade simply appearing wherever Rowan’s sword intended to land.
One strike.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Each collision produced showers of sparks that illuminated the plaza while the surrounding spectators watched with widened eyes.
"So this is what Gold Rank combat looks like..."
"I can’t even follow their swords..."
"They’re too fast..."
Dan, however, remained calm. His awakened combat instincts allowed him to perceive fragments of the battle.
Only fragments.
But even then, they were beautiful. Every movement contained purpose, every adjustment possessed meaning, and every swing flowed naturally into the next.
This wasn’t simply swordsmanship. It was experience condensed into instinct.
The Guild Master calmly stepped forward, and his blade swept upward.
CLANG!
Rowan’s sword was knocked several inches off course. Before Rowan could recover, the Guild Master’s shoulder lightly bumped against his chest.
It wasn’t a heavy impact, yet Rowan staggered backward several steps.
Complete control.
Dan immediately understood:
The Guild Master wasn’t trying to win, He was trying to teach.
Another exchange followed.
This time, the Guild Master finally spoke.
"Enough."
CLANG!
"You’ve embarrassed yourself enough today."
CLANG!
"Calm your mind."
CLANG!
"A swordsman who cannot control his emotions..."
Another effortless parry.
"...has already lost."
Rowan’s breathing grew heavier as his attacks became faster, more violent, and less disciplined.
The Guild Master sighed.
"For seven years..."
CLANG!
"I personally corrected your stance."
Another strike.
"I adjusted your breathing."
Another.
"I taught you patience."
Another.
"I taught you restraint."
The Guild Master’s eyes narrowed.
"I showed you the Sword Path."
His voice became noticeably colder.
"And today..."
CLANG!
"...you dare raise your blade against me?"
Those words echoed louder than any sword strike, causing several Guild members to lower their heads because even they could hear the disappointment within the Guild Master’s voice.
For a brief moment, Rowan hesitated.
His sword slowed, and reason finally seemed to return.
"Master..."
His voice trembled.
The Guild Master lowered his blade slightly.
"Stand down."
The plaza became silent, and it looked as though the conflict had finally ended.
Then, Rowan’s eyes drifted past the Guild Master toward Dan.
Dan met his gaze.
For a moment, neither spoke nor moved.
Then, Dan smiled. Only faintly, almost imperceptibly, but his lips moved, silently forming the word "Fool."
No sound escaped. Only the shape of the word, delivering a single silent insult followed by the slightest smirk.
Rowan saw everything. The fragile composure he had barely recovered shattered instantly, and his face twisted.
"You..."
Spiritual energy erupted once more.
"I’LL KILL YOU!!"
Ignoring the Guild Master completely, Rowan lunged toward Dan with murderous intent as the surrounding Streamers cried out.
"Vice Guild Master!"
"Stop!"
"He’s lost it!"
Dan remained perfectly still, having expected exactly this.
The Guild Master disappeared. Or rather, to everyone present, it merely looked that way. One instant he stood before Rowan, and the next, he was already beside him.
His sword had already returned to its sheath, and instead, his fist drove forward.
BOOM!
The punch landed squarely in Rowan’s stomach, forcing every ounce of air to explode from his lungs as his body folded inward and his eyes bulged.
Before Rowan could even react, the Guild Master’s fingers lightly tapped the side of Rowan’s neck in a single, precise strike.
It was nothing flashy or dramatic. Just one touch, but Rowan’s body froze instantly, as his sword slipped from his grasp.
CLANG
The blade spun across the floor before coming to a stop. Rowan himself remained standing, entirely unable to move.
His eyes widened with panic.
"My..."
"My body..."
"I can’t..."
The Guild Master calmly looked at him.
"I temporarily sealed your movement." freēwēbnovel.com
"It will wear off shortly."
His voice remained composed.
"But perhaps those few minutes of helplessness will accomplish what seven years of my teachings apparently could not."
Absolute silence blanketed the plaza as if it were frozen.
No one could believe what they had witnessed.
The feared Vice Guild Master, someone capable of effortlessly killing ordinary Gold Rank Streamers, had been neutralized in less than two seconds without the Guild Master even using his sword.
Dan couldn’t help smiling.
Amazing...
This was true power.
It was not reckless violence or an overwhelming aura, but absolute control.
Twenty years of streaming, surviving dungeons, refining techniques, and polishing the sword.
That was what stood before him.
Dan quietly memorized everything:
The footwork.
The timing.
The breathing.
The angles.
Every tiny movement carried lessons impossible to find inside books, and even watching this battle for a single minute held greater value than months of ordinary training.
While most Streamers would only see two powerful people fighting, Dan saw a masterclass demonstration where every movement answered questions he hadn’t even thought to ask.
Why had the Guild Master stepped with his left foot first?
Why had he redirected force instead of meeting it directly?
Why had each counterattack ended exactly where Rowan’s balance was weakest?
The answers gradually formed within Dan’s mind, causing his eyes to shine with a clear realization:
One day, he would stand at that height himself.
He would reach it not because destiny demanded it, but because, like the Guild Master, he intended to earn it.
The Guild Master slowly turned toward Dan, and for a moment, neither spoke.
Then the Guild Master sighed.
"I suppose you deliberately provoked him."
Dan offered a small, unapologetic smile.
"I merely spoke the truth."
Several nearby Streamers almost laughed before quickly suppressing it, prompting the Guild Master to close his eyes briefly.
"When the truth is spoken without wisdom it can become another kind of blade."
Dan remained silent as the Guild Master looked toward the immobilized Rowan.
"And today too many blades were drawn."
