◈ Episode 233. Karma (2)
I stared at the soaring flames of hell.[Your level has risen.][Your level has risen.][Your level has risen.]……
They felt even more welcome than the level-up messages.
Fallen into a demon.
Then defeated by me and cast down into hell.
The Sword Saint.
Shegwin.
Step—he emerged from within the wavering flames.
If you ask how I was able to summon Shegwin.
Someone unrelated to Akshan.
With [Akshan’s Legacy]
……
—“It is pride that even death cannot break.”……
Should I call this another case of beginning, development, turn, and—pride?...
It happened while I was going through my daily routine as always.
To be precise, that damned grinding class.
I was in the middle of carrying out a demon hunter training quest.
“Good-natured competition is always welcome.”
Suffering through hardship alone is unfair.
I wasn’t sure about the saying that sorrow shared is sorrow halved.
But I knew for certain that hardship shared really did become half as hard.‘Even grinding is better when someone helps carry it.’To be honest, if I were to evaluate the Akshan demon hunters coldly.
Was there anything they were good at besides hunting demons?
It was true that such doubts arose.
Still, weren’t they my seniors?
At the very least, I thought they might teach me something—like a more efficient way to develop [Tenacity], or some trick to skip training. That was why I took out the [Torch of Hell].
Fwoosh!
But the one who appeared from the flames of hell.
Was none other than Shegwin.
I didn’t show it, but I nearly fainted for real……!
I had summoned an Akshan demon hunter.
So why had Shegwin popped out of the flames?
Before I could grasp the situation in detail.
Tingle!
Shegwin’s gaze, fixed on me, was brimming with killing intent.
At first, I thought it was because of the grudge he held from when he was alive.
After all, Shegwin had suffered a complete defeat at my hands.‘Well, to be precise, he lost to Gwicheol…….’But no matter how hard he glared at me.
I wasn’t the type to be intimidated.
So I calmly continued the training quest and said,
“You have become more prideful than before.”……
More prideful.
Grandfell, are you now creating and using words that don’t even exist in the dictionary?
I watched him warily, not knowing what answer would come back.
Thankfully, Shegwin said nothing.
No, he could not.
The laws of hell.
Just like the Akshan demon hunters, Shegwin could not converse with me, a living person.
If you ask when I learned about something like the laws of hell, I would simply hold out Gwicheol at my waist.
—So that is what happened, Atlas.
My Gwicheol and Shegwin’s beloved sword, Atlas.
It seemed swords could freely converse with one another, regardless of the laws.
Thanks to that, I was able to hear through Gwicheol what had happened to Shegwin.
And I understood.‘He has every reason to resent me!’The effect of [Sublime] had activated.
Because a small change had occurred.
Shegwin had fallen into hell not as a complete demon, but as a demon with pride still held in his heart. And in that hell, there were others in the same situation as Shegwin.
That’s right.
Though they had fallen into demons while hunting demons.
Our Akshan seniors, who had not abandoned their pride, were there.
Fellow sufferers.
That was the very reason Shegwin had been reborn as a demon hunter.
Then what was with that resentful look?
What else could it be?
Even the Sword Saint shuddered at the amount of Akshan training, which was practically grinding.
But who was Grandfell?
In a way, an even worse hardhead than the Akshan seniors.
He didn’t even let Shegwin go after their unexpected reunion…….
“Then, let us set aside idle talk and begin training.”
“……?”
“This time, it is good-natured competition, Shegwin.”
“……!”...
Clank!
Shegwin joining in.
Even I could not estimate Shegwin’s full strength.
However, one thing was certain.‘He’s probably stronger than he was back then……?’Putting aside the senior-junior relationship.
I compared them coldly.
The level of the Akshan demon hunters and Shegwin.
Above all, wasn’t I a demon hunter myself?
Thanks to that, I knew better than anyone that demon hunters were a class with more than a few screws loose when they weren’t hunting demons. Compare such demon hunters to Shegwin?
A transcendent.
And not only that, the pinnacle of the sword.
A being called the Sword Saint.‘It’s an insult to Shegwin.’Even I had only been able to win because Shegwin had fallen into a demon.
And [Natural Enemy Relationship] had activated.
If Shegwin had not fallen.‘Even if he hadn’t grown young again, he wouldn’t have been easy.’Now imagine that Shegwin grew stronger by repeating that brutal training. On top of that, if he hunted demons fallen into hell, his battle sense would have no chance to rust.
As expected, my prediction was accurate.
Gwicheol spoke.
—Shegwin’s sword aura has become sharper.
Swaaaak!
Every time Shegwin swung Atlas, the charging mechanical dolls were cut down like leaves in an autumn gale. Mechanical fragments were brutally sliced apart by the dozens in a single exchange.
—Of course, it cannot compare to us.
Your confidence is unchanged, Doppelgänger No. 3 Gwicheol.‘Meanwhile, I’m busy being impressed.’Swift swordsmanship.
As the name suggested, it was Shegwin’s swordsmanship that placed emphasis on speed.
It was perfect to a degree that my incomplete swift swordsmanship could not compare to.
Crunch!
Shegwin’s muscles surged.
Without physical ability to support it, one could never produce that kind of speed.
From the moment I awakened as a player.
I had never skipped a single day of physical training.‘But I still can’t match Shegwin.’Simply put, there was also the difference in the years we had lived.
And I had invested most of the points I gained through level-ups into [Magic]. Perhaps if, someday, I could develop [Tenacity] to several hundred points, it might be another story—but that someday was far, far away.
However.
“Is that your sword path (劍路), Shegwin?”
This damned confidence was even worse than Gwicheol’s!
Before such a Shegwin, I ended up raising Gwicheol.
A message appeared before me.[B402
-You have entered the Deep Laboratory.]
At the same time.
A gigantic mechanical doll entered my vision.
If the prototypes I had seen on the previous floor were human-sized.
This one seemed to be the size of a decent building.
It was obviously a named monster.
But I did not check its information.
“Did I not say it? Numbers and letters are meaningless.”
Grandfell might have had some grand reason for that.
But I simply didn’t have the leeway.
Wouldn’t it be a waste to let this brilliant talent rot?『Grandfell’s talent was not limited to a single thing.』Before my eyes was not incomplete, but perfected swift swordsmanship.
Moreover, the situation was different from before.
We were not standing as enemies, but cooperating as allies.
Which meant I could witness Shegwin’s swift swordsmanship from another angle.
To summarize in one line.‘I might be able to get it for free!’Perhaps in this battle, I could complete swift swordsmanship.
And unlock my second accomplishment after Circle.
Just as I was about to start counting my chickens.
A resolute murmur came out.
“A path one follows in another’s footsteps has no meaning.”
Seriously, I knew this would happen……!
Grandfell’s pride.
There was no way it would tolerate simply imitating someone else’s swordsmanship.
As if refusing to lose, Gwicheol added a word of his own.
—You are absolutely right, Master!
If it were only Grandfell, I might have tried to rationalize it somehow and bend that stubbornness……. But now that Gwicheol had chimed in, I cleanly gave up on the idea.
Fine, such is my lot in life.‘I have no choice but to open my eyes even wider.’To find my own damned sword path!‘Let’s think positively.’In fact, depending on how one looked at it.
The thorny path I had chosen now might be the correct answer.
As I said, Shegwin’s sword path was not a path just anyone could walk.‘Even if I pour everything into physical ability from now on, it might not be enough.’Why did Shegwin fall in the first place?
With that dazzling talent of his.
Even though he clung to nothing but swift swordsmanship.
It was because he could not reach the end of that sword path.
Because his aged body could not endure swift swordsmanship.‘……
But I’m worse off than aged Shegwin.’Just in case Grandfell scolded me.
I stealthily.
Checked the status window.[Name: Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo][Titles: Last Adventurer, Sublime, Transcendent][Class: Demon Hunter][Level: 630][Stats]
Strength: 150 / Agility: 145 / Magic: 537 / Luck: 12 / Aesthetic: High / Tenacity: 2[Available Points: 9]
Numbers might not be everything, but…….‘My strength and agility are far too lacking.’I didn’t know about Grandfell, but I had no confidence in keeping up with Shegwin. In the end, completing and using my incomplete swift swordsmanship in my own way might be the best choice.
So.
“Prepare yourself, Gwicheol.”
I was telling him to brace his heart so he wouldn’t be disappointed in me.
My full strength, dragging in everything I had and didn’t have.
Would be far more shabby than he imagined.
—I have been waiting for this very moment, Master!
Creak—the giant prototype activated with a metallic sound.
It was a machine, but its form was closer to a four-legged beast. Its forelegs were especially short, so at a glance, it looked like a toy and was even cute……. But its combat power definitely wouldn’t be cute.‘Even the humanoid one was level 1,000.’This one was at least a named mob, and its size was incomparable.
My swordsmanship was pathetic compared to my magic.
Facing something like that without entrusting my body to Gwicheol?
And on top of that, without [Natural Enemy Relationship] activating?‘You could say I was desperate to die.’However, as you can see, I was not alone.
Because beside me stood Shegwin, raising Atlas.
Shegwin looked at me.……
What is this? The corners of his mouth have subtly lifted?
Gwicheol said,
—He says he wishes to determine who will bring it down first!
What is this?
Are you going on about good-natured competition too, Shegwin?
Besides, there’s only one monster, so what kind of competition……?
I looked toward Shegwin and flinched.
Damn it.
I had forgotten.
The quest Raymon Sean had issued.[Quest: Route Selection]
Intruder.
In order to proceed onward.
Choose one of the two diverging paths.─B401
-Deep Laboratory (Select)─B402
-Deep Laboratory (Select)
Deep Laboratory.
There were definitely two, right?
It would be more natural for there to be two named mobs appearing too, but…….
Ominous predictions have a way of coming true.
Creeeak—another identical giant prototype appeared.
I had thought we would take them down together nicely.
But to compete over who would bring one down first?
In such an urgent situation, there was no way our Grandfell would go along with…….
“If that is what you desire, so be it.”
No, why are you accepting this kind of request now?
“I shall respect your pride in wishing to repay your debt in full.”
At any rate, this damned noble pride was causing trouble again.‘Tsk, this isn’t a common opportunity.’In truth, Shegwin was an ally so strong that he was practically a cheat key among our forces.
Considering that he would continue grinding in hell from now on—no, training and hunting—and grow endlessly stronger…….
He was beyond reassuring. I was worried that later on, Shegwin might end up stealing my experience points.
However.‘I can’t summon him whenever I want.’[Akshan’s Legacy].
As the name suggested, it was a skill that carried on Akshan’s pride.
Using such a skill for selfish desires would undoubtedly go against both Grandfell’s integrity and the demon hunter’s code. In other words, unless there was a justifiable reason, I could not abuse it.‘The same goes for Shegwin.’Only because the opponent was Raymon Sean.
Was I able to summon Shegwin.
Someone worn down by social life might ask.
Even so, if he’s a new recruit, can’t you work him however you want?
It was the kind of remark that deserved Grandfell’s venomous tongue.
As if pride would ever allow such a thing.
To think I had to use this rare opportunity on a dangerous wager.
As if he knew or did not know the fire burning inside me, Gwicheol said,
—How admirable you are, Sword Saint, pressing on without yielding even to defeat!……
I’d rather die than keep suffering over this, seriously.
The moment approval was given.
Shegwin had already gone into action.
Swaaaak—the blue sword aura swept forth.
Fast and splendid.
That was the Sword Saint, one with Atlas in body and sword (身劍合一).
That was Shegwin’s true worth.
The sword that represented an era of the Arcana Continent.
Of course, this was no time for me to stand around watching in a daze.
I kicked off the ground.
I could not be swifter than Shegwin.
But I was confident I was more desperate and more ferocious than he was.
If Shegwin had walked his path of the sword with eyes only for the Swift Sword Technique. Because I was someone who had traversed a road filled with hardships and adversity, even floundering desperately just to keep from sinking.
That meant I could not betray that original resolve now.
Gooooo—Gwicheol, dyed in black.
A silver sword aura coiling around it.
And at the same time, mana flickering from my body.—……
What is this?
At last.
Have you realized it, Gwicheol?
Indeed, this is the way your master has lived.
If speaking humbly, a mongrel. If speaking plausibly, Demonic Sword Art. If speaking grandly, this too is a marvel.
Ssk—Every time the sword was swung, magic blended into the blade aura.
When slashing, magic suitable for slashing manifested; when blocking, magic suitable for blocking manifested. It meant simultaneously wielding swordsmanship and high-level magic.
A master of both literary and martial arts.
One possessing innate talent so prodigious in both sword and magic that it was almost embarrassing.
A combat method that only Granphel could execute.
Suddenly, Gwicheol's voice rang out.
—My goodness, this is absurd... [Natural Enemy]
didn't activate against my true form, so I thought you might be surprised, but...
It seemed that wasn't the case after all.
Because Gwicheol's pulse was being transmitted from my right hand.
—I have finally realized, Master.
What did you suddenly realize...… My true form?
So what if it's disappointing? This is who I am, so accept it.
—The reason you did not give me a 'name'...!!……
Wait, what did you say?
Gwicheol, what are you suddenly talking about?
Why is a name suddenly popping up?!
'How would you know a reason I don't even know?'
Thump—Regardless of my question, Gwicheol's heartbeat grew louder and louder.
That heartbeat reached not only me, who held Gwicheol.
"!"
It was so resonant that it even reached Shegwin, who was swinging his sword.
—It was a misconception. To walk your path of the sword together, I could not be satisfied with a single name. Foolishly, I had ended up envying Haiel and Diend.……
What, were you sulking because I didn't give you a name?
You should have just said something.
Then I would have given you a name that wouldn't lose to those two.
A name that would leave you breathless in more ways than one.
—But today, I have realized.
So what did you realize?
Anxious.
Truly.
Soon, Gwicheol's solemn voice continued.
—That I was an existence which could not be bound to a single name!……
What?
—Indeed, Master.
—As you desire.
—For this moment alone, I shall be reborn as the 'Sword that Cuts Illusions.'
Il... Illusions... What?
For some reason, it felt like Granphel would flash a smug, satisfied smile.
What the hell kind of name is that?!
The answer to my question came in the form of a flickering message.
[?][Rank: Legendary][Restriction: Unknown][Effect: Unknown][Description: An Ego Sword possessing a noble ego.]→[Sword that Cuts Illusions: Illusion Breaker][Rank: Legendary]
...…
Sword that Cuts Illusions, Illusion Breakerrr?
More than that, this... No, hey, Illusion.
Where the hell did you get such a cheat effect?!