Chapter 85: The Silent Swordsman’s Hidden Fame

– Martial Arts Training

People with heightened sensitivity tend to overreact to even the smallest stimuli in their daily lives.

[Top]

“Oh! I hit it!”

“I hit it too, Silent Swordswoman!”

[Top, Middle, Top, Top]

“Wow, I hit them all!”

“Is there a prize if we keep hitting these?”

[Top, Down, Down, Top, Top, Top, Down, Top, Middle, Middle, Top, Down, Top]

“Ack, this is making me dizzy!”

“I feel like I’m losing my mind!”

Excessive sensitivity isn’t just an inconvenience in daily life it’s a significant drawback in combat.

Reacting to every hint of danger can leave someone exhausted before they’ve even swung their sword once.

“How’s your assessment coming along?”

[Their sensitivity is too high. Until now, you’ve focused on training to enhance their wild instincts, correct?]

“That’s right. Enhancing our wild instincts to dodge enemy attacks and land ours unilaterally was the easiest path to growth.”

[Before we start learning martial arts, that training method needs to change. Otherwise, it’s like pouring water into a bottomless pit.]

“Do you have a method in mind?”

[First, I’m planning to lower their sensitivity to a level suitable for training.]

The guild members, who reacted as if subjected to sensory overload from the smallest stimuli,

were divided into three groups on the first day of martial arts instruction.

The first group was bound to pillars with bandages.

“Um… Silent Swordswoman? Does this have anything to do with training?”

“What are you planning to do, tying us to these pillars in a row?”

“I know what this is tag: bondage, right? Some kind of subtle restraint play?”

“How is this subtle? This is public restraint.”

The guild members’ chatter was as chaotic as a live-stream chatroom.

[Now, Group 2, swing your weapons toward Group 1 but don’t let your attacks hit. Aim for the air.]

As Group 2 stood before the bound members of Group 1 and swung their weapons at the empty space, Group 1 began to twist and cry out.

“Aaagh! This is so frustrating!”

“I want to run away, but I can’t!”

“Ughhh!”

The reactions were far more intense than expected. Some guild members seemed to be reacting to something entirely different, but the training began showing results quickly.

“Hey, look at this guy. He’s still twitching, but he’s much calmer now.”

“Seems like the desensitization training is working!”

“But why do their eyes look so unfocused? They’re even pulling these desperate expressions.”

[Stop. Ten minutes have passed, so now it’s time to switch. Group 1 isn’t ready to dive into training yet, so tie Group 2 to the pillars, and Group 3, grab your wooden swords.]

Group 1 smirked and taunted Group 2 as they were bound.

Once Group 3 began swinging their wooden swords, the previously confident Group 2 members finally understood what Group 1 had endured.

“Ahhh, I need to dodge, but the bandages won’t let me move!”

“No, don’t swing that close! My body is reacting!”

“This is invading my personal space 15mm of my boundary, gone!”

Flailing wildly to escape their restraints, trembling in response to unavoidable stimuli, the members of Group 2 were left mentally and physically drained.

“Ha, just look at these guys. What a pitiful sight.”

“This is so embarrassing in front of the Silent Swordswoman. Did you… pee yourself?”

“Hey, get it together! We’re supposed to switch now. You can rest in the corner after we untie you!”

Group 2 staggered to the side, looking dazed and forlorn.

As Group 3 confidently took their place before the pillars, Group 1 now holding the wooden swords exchanged mischievous grins.

“Time to pay them back.”

“Let’s make sure someone’s really humbled.”

“Let’s send those smug Group 3 folks straight to Hong Kong!”

Though the training seemed to shift from desensitization to a bizarre mix of teasing and public shaming, its effectiveness was undeniable.

“Ahem. Silent Swordswoman, I’m not doubting your methods, but… is this really the right training? It’s just that the men are making some… strange noises.”

[By not avoiding the stimuli and instead adapting to it, their threshold will naturally increase, leading to sensory adaptation. Their sensitivity will drop as a result.]

Seeing the worried expressions of the senior members, Hae Eung Eung decided against mentioning that it would be their turn next time.

She didn’t want them to preemptively flee in fear of the intense training.

[Let’s assess today’s results.]

The bandages were removed, and the guild members stood before the Silent Swordswoman once more.

[Top]

As she unleashed her killing intent toward them, something remarkable happened.

Instead of the usual overly sensitive reactions, the results began to show…

“Urgh.”

A muffled groan escaped from a guild member as they struggled to endure in their spot.

[Upper-Middle-Upper-Middle]

“Ughhhh!”

[Upper-Middle-Lower-Middle-Middle-Middle-Upper-Middle]

“Ahhhhhh!”

Thud.

Though some guild members fainted mid-training, their hypersensitivity still lingering, this was a sign of progress.

For the first time, they were fighting back against their heightened senses instead of being dragged down by them. This brave effort left Cheoldaesan nodding in satisfaction.

“It was an outstanding lesson, as exceptional as your skills. If you could come to our guild daily for an hour to oversee our training, we’d compensate you generously.”

The contract Cheoldaesan had prepared offered 1 billion won upfront and an annual salary of 200 million won.

“If the conditioning process is completed successfully, we’ll give an additional bonus of 120 million won per person. On top of that, if you provide us with practical martial arts training tailored to combat, we’ll include a performance bonus of 10 billion won.”

It was perplexing that all their previous investments recruiting professional trainers, martial arts instructors, and relentless efforts had been outperformed by a simple sensory suppression training method involving being tied to a post. Regardless, there was no reason for Hae Eung Eung to refuse.

‘I don’t have any prior achievements yet, and this was only my first successful attempt at sensory suppression training. Asking for more compensation would be greedy.’

The training and contract concluded with mutual satisfaction.

Now, it was time for Hae Eung Eung to turn her attention to another pressing matter.

[There’s something I’d like to ask you.]

“Eek!”

[Training’s over, so don’t be so tense.]

The guild member, startled to the point where their hair stood on end, tried to calm themselves.

“R-Really?”

[Before the lesson, didn’t you all say you were my fans?]

“Yes! Oh, right. Could you sign something for me?”

[You mean “sign” as in cause of death?]

“Yes! And please make it big!”

Big, huh?

After a brief pause, Hae Eung Eung filled an entire notebook page with large, bold lettering. In one corner, she carefully jotted down the time and date.

[November XX, 2050, Dragon Hour ]

“Wow! Your handwriting is so cool! By the way, what does it say?”

[Blade of Decapitation.]

“Whoa! That’s so badass!”

Though it was hard to understand from a martial artist’s perspective, she decided to let it slide since he seemed thrilled.

[What made you take an interest in me?]

“A reason? Well, I saw a clip of you online. It said a remarkably skilled newbie streamer had appeared! It was trending in the awakened community forums, and since it’s rare for streamers to be acknowledged there, I got curious.”

[A streamer?]

“Yes, a broadcaster!”

[Who?]

“You, of course!”

[Me?]

“Yes!”

The Silent Swordsman froze in place, like a malfunctioning robot.

Her brain, with its heightened intelligence, suddenly spoke up.

Intelligence: I’m a stat related to memory retention. If raising intelligence automatically increased general knowledge,

then someone with an intelligence stat of 100 would comprehend the laws of the universe and ascend to immortality. Understand?

Indeed, intelligence was simply a measure of memory retention and nothing more.

In situations like this, the stat most needed next to charm was “Five Stars.”

Her brain, powered by her impressive Five Stars stat, offered a sarcastic quip:

 Five Stars: I represent the intuition and enlightenment of martial artists.

If heightened intuition allowed someone to grasp everything instantly,

that person wouldn’t be a martial artist they’d be Siddhartha, the Enlightened One, the Buddha. Got it?

Indeed, Five Stars was a stat solely tied to martial intuition.

It was a skill meant to aid in grasping martial truths not a catch-all ability that made someone instantly exclaim “I get it!” and comprehend everything.

If such a thing were true, the ancient Greek philosopher Archimedes, who yelled “Eureka!” in his bathtub, would have been the first martial artist in history with a naturally maxed-out Five Stars stat.

And Siddhartha, the Enlightened One, would have been the greatest martial artist humanity had ever seen.

‘I must’ve lost my mind for a second… Hearing imaginary voices from my stats?’

It was merely a fleeting delusion caused by the shock.

Hae Eung Eung quickly regained her composure.

[You’re saying I did a livestream?]

“Y-Yes… You did, so… you did?”

[How exactly?]

“Ah, you’re just being modest, right? I get it. Honestly, if someone made me rewatch a PowerPoint presentation I gave during a guild interview, I’d feel embarrassed too.”

Hae Eung Eung’s face turned serious as she fell into deep thought.

Finally, she spoke cautiously.

[Show me the broadcast. In exchange, I’ll watch your PowerPoint presentation.]

“Wait, what kind of embarrassing deal is this? It’s not like I turned my presentations into a live broadcast or anything!”

[Fine. I’ll duel you instead.]

“Say less. I’m in.”

The guild member sprinted to Daesan Guild’s HR department, returning breathlessly with a USB in hand.

“You’ll need to view it in our audiovisual room. External access is restricted.”

“What on earth are you two up to?”

Seo Kyungseok, who had just returned from the restroom, was visibly baffled.

[Perfect timing. Follow me.]

Hae Eung Eung led Seo Kyungseok to the audiovisual room.

The guild member, though dreading the humiliation of exposing their past, couldn’t help but beam.

After all, not everyone could boast about getting an autograph, having a conversation, and even receiving a personal request from the enigmatic “Silent Swordsman.”

[Search: Silent Swordsman livestream clips]
[No results found]

Their cheerful expression faltered.

[Search: Silent Swordsman highlight reels]
[No results found]

Their face darkened.

“Huh? Is there a search error? Whatever, it’s fine! I saved the videos on this USB anyway, just in case!”

The guild member plugged the USB into the computer.

[Removable Disk G]
[Silent Swordsman]
[HR Interview Presentation_Jeong Yohan]
[Namubalbali (Random Folder Name)]

Hae Eung Eung’s eyes were drawn to the “Silent Swordsman” folder.

Guild member Jeong Yohan’s gaze locked onto the “HR Interview Presentation_Jeong Yohan” folder.

Seo Kyungseok, meanwhile, curiously eyed the “Namubalbali” folder.