Chapter 73
The trainees assigned to Elain Callisto stood in front of him, their faces stiff with tension.
‘So it’s Ludwig and Eurik, huh?’
Luin glanced around to see who else had been placed in Elain’s group along with himself.
Those not present—Seron, Maylin, and Selena—had clearly been assigned to Grandmaster Seol Amdaeju Preon’s group instead.
‘Tch. For once, I’m actually jealous of those guys.’
And just then—
“Welcome to hell, everyone.”
With an oddly cheerful grin plastered on his face, Elain muttered those words as if he were genuinely delighted.
“Ah, don’t look so terrified. What, you think I’m actually going to eat you? ‘Hell’ is just a metaphor, you know—a figure of speech.”
Despite his constant chatter, the trainees couldn’t relax.
“……”
He was one of the Eleven Swords of the Azure Tiger, known across the continent by his ominous epithet—the White Night Demon.
Just standing before such a man was enough to make anyone feel crushed by pressure.
Especially Luin, who could feel Elain’s gaze lingering on him longer than anyone else.
‘Of all people, why did I have to end up under this guy?’
[Hmph! Judging by that maniac’s eyes, he’s clearly taken some twisted interest in you.]
Luin didn’t respond to his sword spirit’s words—he simply shook his head slightly.
While Preon’s group across the field radiated calm discipline, Elain’s group had… chaos.
“Ha! Teaching people like this for the first time, but hey—it can’t be that hard. I was called a genius, after all!”
He chuckled to himself, speaking whatever came to mind. The more he spoke, the stiffer the trainees’ faces became.
After scanning them with that infuriatingly carefree smile, Elain finally said,
“Well, since Luin Reingrime is under my care, I guess I’ll have to put in extra effort.”
Naturally, everyone’s eyes immediately darted to Luin again—filled with envy, jealousy, curiosity, or even pity.
‘Seriously… why bring me up again?’
He couldn’t understand Elain’s strange obsession with him, and irritation began to bubble up inside.
But there was no way he could just walk out.
Unaware of Luin’s feelings, Elain simply tilted his head with a confident grin.
“Alright, listen up. What I’ll teach you today isn’t something as dull as swordsmanship.”
His voice carried a rare note of seriousness, and the tension in the trainees’ faces began to shift toward concentration.
“This Reingrime family is one of the Four Skies that uphold the continent—masters of the North.
But tell me, how have we managed to remain the strongest for so long?”
He spoke ambiguously, somewhere between a question and a monologue. The students held their breath, waiting for what would come next.
“Our swordsmanship? Inner power? Or maybe… some special elixir?”
He smirked.
“But no. Every great family has those things. They’re nothing special.”
“……”
“Come on, what’s with the silence? I expected at least one of you to guess something interesting!”
No one dared to speak.
“Tch. Boring.”
Shaking his head, Elain curved his lips into a sly grin.
“Fine, then I’ll tell you myself—the reason Reingrime has never fallen from its throne of strength!”
The trainees’ eyes focused sharply. Elain’s tone dropped low.
“It’s because only Reingrime possesses the True Sword.”
“The… True Sword?!”
“Ah, now I’m getting some reaction. Yes, the True Sword.
Today, I’ll give you a glimpse—just a taste—of the [True Sword of Reingrime].”
With that, he waved a hand in the air.
Ziiiing—
A dark, shimmering aura began to rise from his fingertips, faintly tinting the surrounding space.
“……?!”
The trainees instinctively held their breath—the energy emanating from him felt wrong, heavy, oppressive.
At the same time—
‘Wait… that aura…?’
Luin stared with growing unease.
[What’s wrong, Luin?]
‘Master, you don’t recognize that energy?’
[Hm? Just feels nasty to me.]
The sword spirit sounded genuinely puzzled.
‘How could you not know—’
Before he could finish the thought, Elain’s voice rang out again.
“The swordsmen of Reingrime pour their entire being into their blades—their paths, their experiences, their emotions…”
He paused, then moved his other hand.
Ziiiiiing—
The aura grew stronger, spreading like a storm that swallowed the air itself.
“Their swordsmanship, their inner power, even their human connections—all melted into one. And then—”
He stopped again, every gaze fixed on him.
“We called all of that our Karma (業).”
Then—
Whoosh!
As he lowered his hands, the dark energy that had filled the space suddenly tightened, pulling inward.
“And by manifesting that karma through the sword—by twisting reality itself to one’s will—that is the unique secret art possessed only by Reingrime swordsmen.”
Tap!
In an instant, the entire space was swallowed by pure darkness.
“That art is called—Karma Sword Domain (業化劍域).”
Before them, only one thing shone in the void—
a blindingly white sword, floating like snow in the dead of winter.
In the pitch-black world where not even a hand could be seen,
Luin couldn’t feel his own body—no sound, no air, no warmth.
If this had been an illusion or a psychic attack, his <Heavenly Seamless Defense> would’ve triggered automatically.
But no alert came. This wasn’t mental—it was real.
‘It’s like… sinking into a swamp.’
His body was completely immobilized by an unseen force.
The only thing visible was that radiant white sword.
‘Is that the White Night Demon’s sword?’
Then, the sword turned toward him—aiming directly at his heart.
Snap!
A sharp sound like a finger snap echoed—
and suddenly, the darkness and the restraining force vanished without a trace.
“……”
[Hey, Luin! You alright? You just froze for a bit there.]
‘…Yes, I’m fine.’
Shaking off the lingering sensation, Luin steadied his breath.
‘So that was the Karma Sword Domain?’
Having inherited all of Unit 1872’s memories, Luin knew of Reingrime’s secret techniques—
he’d even faced them personally.
But—
‘This was completely different from what I experienced before.’
Elain’s “Karma Sword Domain” wasn’t the same as what Luin had once witnessed in battle.
“How was it? Heart still pounding?”
Elain grinned as if nothing had happened, but his students were pale and trembling.
He nodded in satisfaction.
“Each of you felt it differently. To some, it was pure terror. To others, it might’ve seemed like a dream.”
Then his eyes shifted to Luin.
“Karma is everything you’ve built in your life—and you channel it through your sword to dominate your surroundings.”
“……”
“Inside the Karma Sword Domain, a Reingrime swordsman gains power shaped by his own karma.”
He spoke with authority.
“Some push their strength to the limit. Some brand their foes with the mark of karma itself, weakening them.
Others reshape the battlefield entirely, rendering their opponents helpless.
Its form depends solely on the karma one carries.”
Luin was quietly astonished.
Even <Heavenly Seamless Defense> hadn’t detected it—
Reingrime’s ultimate secret technique wasn’t merely a skill. It was the manifestation of one’s entire being.
‘So that’s why it was different.’
He nodded slightly to himself. Without Elain’s explanation, the difference between past and present would’ve made no sense.
[I can’t make heads or tails of this. What in the world are they teaching these days?]
Even the sword spirit—who had once fought alongside the First Patriarch Bellion and knew every art of the Reingrime family—seemed unaware of such a technique.
‘Must’ve been developed by later generations.’
Luin reasoned it out. He recalled the scene he’d just witnessed:
the lone white sword shining in the abyss of darkness.
‘No wonder they call him the White Night Demon.’
If he were to face Elain head-on, he wouldn’t even have time to counter.
That was how overwhelming Elain’s domain had been.
Elain, meanwhile, looked utterly pleased.
“That’s why the karma you build throughout your life as a swordsman matters most.
Not trivial sword forms or inner power—but the essence of who you are.
In the end, when all else fails, this art will become your final lifeline, your ultimate strike.”
He raised a finger.
“But beware. The Karma Sword Domain embodies your very karma—it cuts through the existence of your opponent.
So if it’s broken, the backlash is devastating. You’ll wish you were dead.”
Finishing his explanation with a crooked grin, Elain clapped his hands.
“Alright, for today, we’ll start with the basics of this art!
You won’t be able to manifest it yet, of course, but someday—you’ll all have to.”
Then, glancing at Luin again, he muttered in a teasing tone,
“Still, maybe one of you will surprise me. Who knows?
Maybe a crazy bastard will pull it off on the first try. Heh… just thinking about it gives me chills.”
