Chapter 28 - Acquiring

『Skill Duplication』. A skill that could copy skills. Its usefulness was so immense that it was called the most broken of all the Monarchs' skills.

But people didn't know that this skill had an offshoot rendered unnecessary by the sheer usefulness of the original: 『Technique Acquisition』, a skill that let its user acquire techniques as skills.

In truth, Lee Cheon-gi had considered it more trouble than it was worth. A renowned maestro's playing, a world-famous actor's performance, a legendary gambler's tricks—in this Iron Age, even the finest human techniques fell short of a high-level player's skills. It was far more efficient to copy existing skills like 『Instrument Playing』, 『Perfect Acting』, and 『The Art of Gambling』 than to acquire such techniques as skills. After trying it a few times, Lee had written it off as useless and left it alone.

But now, he was realizing anew that 『Technique Acquisition』 was anything but useless.

"You thieving bastard! How dare you steal my swordsmanship?"

"Steal is a bit strong. I prefer to think of it as receiving instruction."

"The hell you did!"

Perhaps furious at having his swordsmanship stolen, Limon swung his sword like a madman, a vein bulging on his forehead. A moment ago, the onslaught would have cost Lee an arm or two in an instant. But that was a moment ago.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Lee met the blade aimed at his fingers with his own, then turned his wrist, coiling his blade around Limon's like a snake to strike at Limon's fingers in return. Limon knocked it away and slashed at his chest; Lee twisted clear and thrust. Limon leaned back to evade the point. Lee cut downward at his lower body, but Limon struck the ground with his sword and used the recoil to spring away.

It took time to describe, but all of it happened in an instant. It was a clash so fast that most high-level players—and ordinarily even Lee himself—could barely have kept up. Not anymore. He was every bit as fast as Limon, thanks to the 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』 he had just acquired from him.

"What remarkable swordsmanship."

Lee was impressed. He had known Limon's swordsmanship was extraordinary ever since watching him counter skill after skill. But now that he had acquired it himself, he had to admit he'd underestimated it. The 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』 was several times more formidable than he'd imagined.

Its various bonuses alone proved that. Bonuses were only natural for a swordsmanship skill, but the 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』 was in another league. Major boosts to strength, speed, accuracy, critical-hit chance, and all resistances were merely the basics. It also dealt extra damage to demonic and dragon-type targets, had a high chance of triggering instant death on a critical hit, and offered special effects such as danger detection and skill destruction. Even the combined bonuses of every swordsmanship skill Lee had acquired amounted to less than half of its own. Comparing them almost felt unfair. The gulf made painfully clear why a Sword Master was called a Sword Master.

And its true terror lay beyond its bonuses. "I never knew swordsmanship alone could predict more accurately than foresight."

A shift in the fingers gripping a sword. The faintest twitch of a muscle. The movement and contraction of the pupils. The position and angle of a footstep. As a master go player could read the course of a game to its end from a board bearing only a few stones, observing each movement let him predict his opponent's next move and bring his sword to bear. This was beyond insight; it was mastery. Foresight that never missed, a formula for certain victory that cut away the possibility of defeat. The 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』 was like a compendium of that formula.

Lee understood why Limon had been called an absolute power. This swordsmanship alone would have made him invincible in an age without players. No—at this level, he might even have held his own against a Monarch. As long as that Monarch wasn't Lee himself. The thought filled Lee with elation.

"You should be proud. Your swordsmanship is worth more than a thousand skills."

"Oh, really? When the hell did I ask you to rate my swordsmanship?"

"I'm not rating it. I'm acknowledging it."

"What did you say?"

Lee was undoubtedly one of the strongest people of the present age, but he had limits. He couldn't copy unique skills. That was the limit of 『Skill Duplication』, and of Lee himself. Unique skills such as 『Absolute Defense』, 『Deification』, and 『Rule of Law』 could each be wielded by only one person and possessed powers no other skill could imitate. Even combining countless skills to produce a similar result couldn't reproduce their unique properties. That was why Lee remained merely one of the ten Monarchs, unable to become the sole, true absolute ruler. An Absolute Skill could overturn thousands of other skills on its own. Such was the power of the Monarchs.

But things were different now. 'With this, I can do it.' The 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』 surpassed most unique skills in effect. It would be no exaggeration to say it reached halfway into the realm of Absolute Skills. That made him an unprecedented being with two Absolute Skills. He could even be certain of defeating Monarchs whose matchups had once been too close to call, provided he drew them into close combat.

'And if I get my hands on the Black Dragon Clan's treasure as well...!' The Black Dragon Princess had been his only target. He hadn't given Limon a second thought, regarding him as nothing more than a relic of the old age. Who would have thought he'd gain such a treasure from him? Delighted by his unexpected fortune, Lee calmly worked through his plans to obtain the Black Dragon Clan's treasure next, utterly ignoring the man in front of him.

"... You crazy bastard. Are you thinking about something else while you're fighting me?"

"The outcome has already been decided."

"And what's that outcome?"

"Surely you know. You can't beat me now. Not a chance."

"Say that after you've won, asshole!"

Limon spat the words savagely. He seemed too worked up to notice that his sword's path had grown simpler; only its speed had increased. Calmly parrying the reckless strikes, Lee thought, 'What a foolish struggle.'

Once Lee had stolen the 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』, the two were equals in swordsmanship. But unlike Limon, who wasn't a player, Lee had bonuses from his player level and additional bonuses from his other swordsmanship skills. If two people used the same technique but had different stats, the winner was all but decided. That was precisely why Lee was fighting Limon with swordsmanship alone. If victory was assured, defeating the Sword Master with his own swordsmanship would be the greatest courtesy Lee could offer him.

'Seventeen more exchanges, and it's over.' Lee foresaw the conclusion of the fierce fight: every step from evading Limon's final attack to driving his sword into Limon's heart. Limon would likely see it coming too. But that would change nothing. Like a king facing checkmate, he had no way out. Or so Lee judged.

CLANG!

Then came the seventeenth exchange, the one that should have ended it—and Lee failed to evade Limon's attack. '...What?' Only 『Future Foresight』 had let him block it by a hair's breadth. He was baffled.

The timing of the attack. The speed of the swing. Even the force behind it. None had differed from his prediction. Why, then, had he failed to dodge a stroke he'd seen coming? Still, Lee didn't panic. Thinking the ending had merely been delayed, he met Limon's sword again and predicted a new one.

In twenty-one exchanges, a stroke to cut his neck. In thirty-four, a slash to sever his arm. In seventy-nine, a counterthrust to his knee. Lee had calculated each attack against Limon's swordsmanship and was certain each would land a decisive blow.

Yet the stroke that should have landed missed. The slash aimed at an opening was blocked. The perfectly executed counter was beaten back. He had predicted them all, yet the results kept defying him. The discrepancy only grew as their swords crossed, and Lee's face gradually stiffened.

"What's wrong with you?" Limon seemed to sense his unease. He swung his sword and sneered. "You said you stole my swordsmanship, didn't you? Then why are your swings so pathetic?"

"What trick are you playing?"

"You're the one playing tricks."

Limon feigned innocence, which only convinced Lee that Limon was behind his failed predictions. From then on, Lee focused less on ending the fight and more on studying him.

"... I see. So that's it."

"What's what, asshole?"

"There's no use pretending. I've seen through your trick."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

『Observation』, 『Accelerated Thinking』, 『Master Detective's Deduction』, 『Walking Encyclopedia』, and more. After bringing a host of skills to bear and crossing swords dozens more times, Lee finally worked out the trick. He smiled coldly.

[Unique skill 『Technique Acquisition』 activated.]

[Acquiring 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword Countermeasure』.]

[『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword Countermeasure』 has been integrated into the related skill 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』. Skill effects have increased dramatically.]

So that was why his sword had gone astray at every decisive moment. Having copied the 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword Countermeasure』, Lee was genuinely impressed. 'The old veteran still has it.' Limon had even devised a sword style to counter his own, in case it ever got out. Such thoroughness was worthy of a legendary hero who had fought countless battles over a long life.

"The games end here."

Now that he'd seen through the trick and acquired the countermeasure Limon had kept up his sleeve, Limon was no match for him. Lee had no doubt of it—until they exchanged dozens more blows and he found he still couldn't gain the upper hand. He studied Limon's swordsmanship again.

[Acquiring 『Revised Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』.]

[『Revised Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』 has been integrated into the related skill 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』. Skill effects have increased dramatically.]

At that point, Lee merely frowned at Limon's obsessive preparedness. But he soon learned that this was only the beginning.

[Acquiring 『New Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』.]

[Acquiring 『True Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』.]

[Acquiring 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword: Improved Edition』.]

[Acquiring 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword EX』.]

[Integrating... into the related skill 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword』. Skill effects have increased dramatically, increased dramatically, increased dramat...]

"...!"

No matter how many times he stole a technique through 『Technique Acquisition』, a new sword style emerged: an ultimate form beyond the ultimate form, a counter to the counter, a way to defeat the way to defeat it. Lee could no longer hide his bewilderment. This had gone well beyond obsession or thoroughness.

[Acquiring 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword Version 3.7』...]

[System error, error code xi111a0o44. Bug: target has no technique available to acquire.]

[Acquiring 『Demon-Cleaving Dragon-Slaying Sword Version 3.8』.]

"... This is insane."

As if Limon could no longer be bothered naming each new style, only the version numbers kept changing. Lee was using 『Technique Acquisition』 frantically on each one when the bug message appeared. He swore at the sight—uncharacteristic of him, but he couldn't help it. He had finally realized the truth. Limon hadn't prepared a countermeasure in advance for just such an eventuality.

"Don't tell me you're creating new sword styles right now, in real time?!"

He was simply inventing new ways to counter the swordsmanship Lee had stolen, faster than Lee could acquire them as skills.