Looking back, it made sense.
The Cheol Clan is a family of blacksmiths who craft treasure artifacts.
If it was a sword with the kind of power only mentioned in ancient records, it was only natural they would know about it.
“When I first arrived, he stared holes through Skybreaker… so he already knew back then?”
Fortunately, both Cheol Muguk and Cheol Sopyeong viewed me as a powerful person.
Especially after absorbing the Flame Jade, Cheol Muguk had started calling me a benefactor and looked at me with a strange, almost reverent gaze.
“It is the Skybreaker Sword, yes.”
“The demonic blade that once brought the downfall of ancient nations, a cursed sword that devoured its wielder... and yet you wield it unharmed?”
I used my go-to move for when I had nothing to say—a casual shrug.
“There’s a legend that says all who are not acknowledged by it are destroyed, which is why it was sealed away in an unreachable place... So the delay in your appearance in Martial World was due to Skybreaker, then.”
“Something like that.”
“To think you possess such immense energy, and now even Skybreaker... It’s like giving wings to a tiger—and then adding horns on top.”
Immense energy, huh.
Perhaps as a side effect of absorbing the Flame Jade, Cheol Muguk had sensed the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art sleeping within this body. That might explain the subtle shift in his demeanor.
“But there’s something people don’t know.”
“Something they don’t know?”
“Skybreaker is incomplete.”
Even Skybreaker was surprised by those words, but the one who was most shocked was me.
Even as a Return of the Murim setting nerd, I had never known that.
“Well, the sword was only briefly mentioned in the epilogue as firewood... maybe they just left the lore blank.”
Cheol Muguk continued.
“Draw the sword.”
I drew Skybreaker. I’d practiced drawing it obsessively, to the point where I could make it look quite natural—even like a seasoned master.
“Even you must notice something odd. The blade has no clear distinction between the spine and the edge. It's entirely black.”
“I just assumed that was Skybreaker’s unique trait.”
“It’s not. It’s like that because it’s incomplete.”
So that means even in its unfinished state, Skybreaker had shown this level of power?
“I’ll complete it for you.”
You? Cheol Clan Head?
“I’ve lit the Blue Fire and melted Unma Iron. I am now a Heaven-grade blacksmith.”
Cheol Muguk pointed at the forge. The molten metal, still glowing with golden light, rippled inside.
“To be a Heaven-grade blacksmith means you're allowed to inscribe the character ‘Heaven’ on the artifacts you forge. In other words—”
“Skybreaker was named that for that very reason?”
Cheol Muguk nodded.
“Moreover, only Heaven-grade blacksmiths can repair and upgrade existing Heaven-grade artifacts.”
“What will change when it’s completed?”
“For starters, it won’t be that ghastly all-black color anymore. And its durability will increase.”
“It’s already strong enough as it is.”
“No.”
Cheol Muguk shook his head firmly.
“This is not that level. The true, completed Skybreaker Sword can even sever sword energy.”
Now that was shocking.
I played it cool to keep up appearances, but honestly, it was enough to knock someone off their feet.
Sword energy—that is, qi-blades—are not just symbols of reaching Transcendent Peak.
They’re the manifestation of a martial artist’s will, something that shouldn't exist physically but is forced into reality through sheer intent.
They destroy anything not imbued with the user’s will—like an eraser scraping away ink.
“To not just withstand it, but cut through sword energy...?”
It was madness. It meant an inanimate sword could sever a martial artist’s willpower itself—even one strong enough to reach the Transcendent Peak.
If what Cheol Muguk said was true, it made sense why ancient wars were waged over Skybreaker.
“And there’s one more function.”
“What is it?”
“Jade absorption.”
At this point, I couldn’t even tell whether to call this jackpot or pure absurdity. My poker face was being pushed to the limit.
“To be precise, Skybreaker can use the power of any jade without restriction. You can even swap jades at will.”
Honestly, when Cheol Muguk underwent Reversal of Age, I had felt more than a little regret.
If it made an old man young again, wouldn’t it have made me even healthier if I had used it myself?
Not anymore.
Giving him the Flame Jade might have been the best decision I’ve made lately.
Jades always carry risk. Even if I obtained another through the Treasure Hoarders, I no longer had to worry about those risks—because Skybreaker could absorb and regulate their power.
“How long will the restoration take?”
“I am a Heaven-grade blacksmith,” Cheol Muguk said proudly.
“I’ll finish it before the sun sets.”
But Skybreaker sounded oddly dissatisfied.
“What’s wrong?”
[I liked the way my blade looked—completely pitch-black. Now they’re going to change that.]
“It’s not just cosmetic, the functions are being upgraded.”
[Don’t speak lightly just because it’s not your body.]
Typical Skybreaker—obsessed with its black color.
“But there’s one problem. If anyone other than its master touches the Skybreaker Sword, it destroys everything they have. Of course, I can solve that.”
Cheol Muguk stomped on a specific spot on the floor.
Zzzing—
The ground opened like some futuristic mechanism, and a massive metal workbench rose up.
It looked about three jang (9 meters) long and one jang (3 meters) wide, filled with tools.
I had been wondering why the forge had no tools—this explained it.
This was what you’d expect from the Iron Mountain Cheol Clan. The earlier work had just been preliminary.
“Let’s see... ah, here it is.”
Cheol Muguk bent down to pick something up. Thanks to the reversal of age, he no longer groaned or winced doing so.
“These are the Armor of the Flood Dragon.”
A pair of gloves—dark, rough, and somewhere between leather and metal in appearance.
“Made from the hide of a flood dragon, they repel anything unclean. They’re a Cheol Clan heirloom, passed down to handle items filled with dangerous energies. Hand it over.”
In truth, I didn’t need the gloves.
Ever since Skybreaker reached a partial Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, it could now prevent uncontrolled energy absorption—and even stop midway through.
But I couldn’t say that out loud. I couldn’t tell him Skybreaker had its own consciousness.
Besides, Cheol Muguk looked far too proud of himself, eyes sparkling with excitement.
“I’ll be careful.”
I untied my waist strap and handed Skybreaker over to Cheol Muguk.
He looked at the sword with a mixture of excitement and tension, then swallowed hard and took it.
Naturally, Skybreaker was controlling its energy output on its own.
“Whew. As expected, the Flood Dragon Armor works as intended.”
Cheol Muguk let out a sigh of relief.
The protagonist’s “intelligence nerf” was doing its job splendidly once again.
Anyway—
“Sit over there. I’ll have it completed in no time.”
Cheol Muguk placed Skybreaker on the workbench, then pulled out a pair of glasses.
He brought his face close enough to the blade it looked like he might kiss it, muttering “Hmm,” “Ohh,” “Indeed,” and other such exclamations.
“As expected of the Skybreaker Sword. Even after being sealed for over a thousand years, the internal artifact circuits remain completely intact.”
I took that to mean I’d lucked out with a high-quality pull.
After setting Skybreaker down, Cheol Muguk returned to the forge.
With a wave of his hand, the Blue Fire roared to life, burning even hotter.
Honestly, I had no idea what exactly he was doing—blacksmithing was a total mystery to me.
But what I could tell was this: his work was incredibly delicate, and incredibly fast.
One moment he was pouring molten Unma Iron into a mold, and the next he was already pulling out the cast piece, cooling it in oil, hammering it—
Kkang! Kkang!
—and just as I was getting used to the sound, he’d melted it all again.
At some point, Cheol Sopyeong arrived with the clan seal, but Cheol Muguk didn’t even notice—he was completely absorbed in his work.
Sopyeong, watching with a warm smile, handed me the seal and whispered, “I’m sorry about earlier,” before quietly leaving the forge.
“If you’re sorry, you could’ve thrown in an extra treasure or two… Nah, that’s greedy.”
Come to think of it, Cheol Muguk had promised to provide artifacts as long as he was alive.
Back then, he said it assuming his remaining lifespan was short. But now that he’d reversed his age…
The deal would last a lot longer than expected.
With that in mind, I decided to forgive the earlier outburst as a small matter.
As I drifted in thought, Cheol Muguk approached Skybreaker on the workbench.
Ffwoosh!
The Blue Fire swirled around both Cheol Muguk and Skybreaker.
[Mmm...]
“What is it?”
[It’s warm. A sensation I haven’t felt in ages.]
Skybreaker sounded drowsy, like a cat purring contentedly.
[Feels good.]
“Well, glad it’s not painful, at least.”
And soon after, the work was done.
Exactly two sijin—about four hours—had passed. True to his word, it was just before sunset.
“Perfect.”
Cheol Muguk lifted Skybreaker with something like reverence, then handed it to me.
I’m not someone who’s good at showing emotion—but I was genuinely impressed.
It wasn’t just flattery. The sword looked like a piece of fine art.
The formerly all-black blade now had a striking change.
Along the central blood groove, a gold band ran as if it had always been there.
The hilt had also changed—now wrapped in white leather instead of the old dark grip.
More importantly, where the hilt met the blade, there was a diamond-shaped socket.
That must’ve been the slot Cheol Muguk mentioned—for inserting jades.
The blend of black, white, and gold came together in a beautifully refined design.
“Give it a swing. The balance will have shifted.”
Even if Cheol Muguk wasn’t a martial arts expert, if I swung it awkwardly, he’d notice.
So instead, I faked a sword flight technique and sliced the air.
[The balance has changed slightly… but it’s perfect. Now I understand why it was incomplete before.]
I relayed Skybreaker’s comment directly.
Cheol Muguk smirked, lifting the corners of his mouth in satisfaction.
“I also replaced that tacky tassel while I was at it. Turns out it’s a treasure artifact that emits a flash of light. I coated it in Unma Iron for a cleaner appearance, but the function hasn’t changed.”
Sure enough, the tassel was no longer a shabby tri-color thread.
It was now a golden tassel adorned with elegant decoration.
“I also made a few upgrades to the scabbard. I lined the inside with Unma Iron. It’s unlikely, but if the Skybreaker Sword ever gets chipped or damaged, storing it in the scabbard will allow it to auto-repair.”
This level of upgrade was honestly beyond reason.
[Hrm. Hrrrm.]
Considering how Skybreaker had been whining about losing its dark blade earlier, it seemed pretty satisfied now. Truly, a simple-minded sword.
“With this much change, few will recognize it as the Skybreaker Sword.”
“Thanks to you.”
“Naturally. You’re my benefactor.”
My title had even been promoted—from “that guy” to “you.”
“Now get lost.”
“Clan Head Cheol.”
“What now?”
“If it gets cold… may I stop by sometime?”
“You brat!”
Cheol Muguk snorted and turned his head.
“Next time you come, bring some rice wine. My body’s young again—time for a good drink.”
Martial artists. All tsundere, through and through.
“I’ll be off, then.”
With Cheol Muguk’s not-quite-farewell behind me, I stepped out of the forge—where Saweol was waiting.
Seeing the transformed Skybreaker, she asked,
“Things must’ve gone well.”
“They did.”
“Then... next is, of course—”
“Yes.”
I answered her.
“Tomorrow, we head to the Gwak Clan.”
To become the teacher of none other than the son-in-law of Bill Gates—no, the master of Gwak Jeong.