Return

Dwarfneer’s castle gate.

I stood before it.

I loosened my body lightly.

I looked at the [Map] and set my course for Gospel.

I bent my knees,

And kicked off the ground.

A straight line to Gospel. The mountain range blocked the way, but I jumped over it.

The mountain peaks passed beneath my feet, and rivers and forests sped by, with the monsters in between catching my eye.

I crossed the mountain range and ran across the plains.

I sped through the forest.

I drew the [Mithril Sword] in one hand and cut down the goblins, Orcs, Ogres, and other monsters that blocked my path with a single stroke.

I felt nothing.

I didn’t have to kill them, but,

I killed the monsters as if to soothe the thought that it would be nice to have a worthy opponent.

Such monsters could no longer be found in these Fields. Americano had grown too strong too quickly in a short period of time.

I didn’t dislike becoming stronger, and I clearly had a desire to overcome even stronger adversaries.

The basis of this desire was probably the desire to save others.

Not helping.

Saving.

After hearing Emily say thank you for saving her, I thought about the people who were indirectly saved by catching monsters.

It felt good.

I felt a sense of accomplishment.

I felt that I had become strong enough to pursue that in reality, so I wanted to return to reality as soon as possible.

It was nice to receive thanks from the children and to indirectly save people, but after all, this world was just a game, so it wasn’t easy to be purely happy.

To escape, do I have to climb to the 100th floor and see the ending after all?

Since it’s an online game, there might not be an ending, but it was worth a try.

The subjugation of the Great Devils was for the same reason.

“….”

I stopped.

Roughly the midpoint to Gospel.

Americano called Chocolat from the shadows.

“….”

“(….)”

Words were unnecessary.

We fought first.

I replaced the [Mithril Sword] with the [Black Sword], and Chocolat also drew the [Dark Sword].

We clashed,

Kicked,

Cut,

We would have torn the forest to shreds, but it was settled before that.

The [Black Sword] pierced Chocolat’s neck.

I pulled it out and left her alone to recover on her own.

While she recovered, Americano swung the [Black Sword] around, slashing at the air.

‘It’s definitely easier without breasts.’

I touched my flat chest.

It was subtly annoying.

No, it was just annoying.

The weight of my breasts hasn’t been a burden since I reached 100 points in [Strength], but,

Breasts have their own inertia, and since they’re so big, part of my arm’s range of motion keeps getting blocked by them.

They were big, soft, squishy, fluid, and large, so they were always in the way.

I swung my sword, ready to have my breasts torn off, but,

But my flat chest allows my arms to move freely.

Even when I jump up and down, my breasts don’t jiggle, and even when I shake my body from side to side, I have perfect stability! It’s been a long time since I’ve been this comfortable.

“Force.”

This time I called Force.

He poked his head out of the shadows.

Force listlessly raised his body. Even though he was caught by the power of [Possession], Force’s eyes were quite arrogant.

I stood face to face with him and knew.

He didn’t acknowledge me.

Whatever happened when we fought last time, Force was stronger now that I wasn’t a [Sword God]. That’s why he was giving me that look.

It was a look that said he hadn’t satisfied his desire for his master to be flawlessly stronger than him.

But,

“Lie down.”

He lay down.

“Stand up.”

He stood up.

Americano ordered Force to do this and that, and Force followed all of her instructions.

“Draw your sword.”

He drew it.

“Come at me.”

“(….)”

Force didn’t point the [Dark Sword] at me.

Instead, he turned his head.

‘I guess he doesn’t intend to listen to the order to fight.’

“Then teach me swordsmanship. I want to become stronger than you using only swordsmanship.”

“(….)”

Force turned his head back.

“(It will be difficult.)”

“That’s what I want.”

I swung the [Black Sword] and struck the [Dark Sword].

We began a practice match.

It continued until sunset, and as night fell, I suddenly became curious.

When the [Dark Sword] touched Americano’s neck and stopped the match, I asked.

“Are you guys okay even when the sun is up?”

For reference, Chocolat also participated in the practice match.

“(Fearing the Heavenly Realm is the essence of the Underworld. Now that we are disconnected from the Underworld, there is no reason for us to fear the Heavenly Realm.)”

Heavenly Realm?

I roughly understood it as the sun.

“So, according to that, it’s okay now because it’s operating with my power?”

“(Because it is the power of the Underworld stained with your power, it was able to avoid the influence of the Heavenly Realm.)”

Still, he added that they were stronger at night than during the day.

“Hmm.”

I sat down and called Hite to prepare dinner.

I ordered him to do it because it was possible, and the fact that a High Devil was even preparing human meals meant that he was definitely a capable guy.

“Just one question.”

I was curious.

“If you only look at swordsmanship, what level am I at?”

“(Pathetic.)”

Pathetic, huh.

Haha.

It hasn’t been long since I started learning swordsmanship.

“Specifically?”

“(You were like a novice who had just started learning the sword, relying on strength and swinging it around.)”

“….”

“(Swinging a sword alone is not called swordsmanship. You are relying on your dynamic visual acuity, reflexes, and predictive abilities. Just because you overcome something by relying on your senses does not mean it can be called swordsmanship.)”

“I relied on my senses?”

“(The essence of strength is specs and performance, so there is nothing to point out about your strength. However, as far as swordsmanship is concerned, you are unskilled.)”

Unskilled.

“But I can use Sword Aura if I want to?”

“(To think you can’t even distinguish between swordsmanship and swordplay.)”

Force rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache.

“(Swordsmanship refers to controlling the sword. It starts with wielding the sword with the body and engraving the sword in the heart.)”

“(Swordsmanship is about training the body and mind to reach the sword itself. That state is Soulbound. Reaching the state where the sword is me and I am the sword, and projecting one’s own image onto the Sword Aura.)”

“(Like this.)”

Force used [Sword Aura].

A showy [Sword Aura].

He held the [Dark Sword] straight up with both hands. He slowly gathered Magical Power, and as Magical Power gathered, the Blade of the [Dark Sword] turned jet-black.

The Blade, which was originally a dark black color, was like a hole, and my gaze extended beyond the jet-black Blade.

“Sword Aura?”

“(I have condensed everything I have. There is nothing my sword cannot cut.)”

Swoosh.

He cut through the air.

The air was cut.

A scar remained in space.

A faint breeze blew through the vertical scar in space.

“…Space Slash.”

“(It has no name.)”

He released the [Sword Aura].

“(Only by reaching the state of Soulbound does Sword Qi finally reach the realm of Sword Aura.)”

“(But what I want to say is not Sword Aura. I feel like my mouth is getting lighter when I’m with you. Is this also the influence of the power that took me away from that person?)”

“(What you lack is not swordplay, Sword Qi, or Sword Aura. What you lack is the basics. Your senses and your talent have accomplished a lot and reached a high level of skill in a short period of time, but as a result, your foundation has become woefully inadequate.)”

“(You said you can use Sword Aura? But that Sword Aura must be a mimicry of the Sword Aura of others.)”

“(It may be absurd, but if you don’t master the basics, you will never reach your own Sword Aura.)”

“(If you don’t reach it, no matter how many Sword Auras you imitate and acquire, I will never be defeated by your swordsmanship.)”

So learn the basics.

That foundation was not theory, so practice swinging the sword.

…That’s how Force presented a basic training method for swordsmanship.

“….”

I didn’t want to.

I didn’t want to, but.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“(If you can complete your Sword Aura, your superior senses will easily defeat me. I look forward to it.)”

[Gospel]

I could see the village in the distance.

I entered the village,

And first went to the inn I stayed at last time.

I couldn’t have been asleep for a month, so I couldn’t have gone back for more than a month as promised. They wouldn’t have taken all my luggage out, would they?

“Welcome!”

The inn Auntie’s daughter greeted the new guest while serving.

“Huh? …Huh?”

She stared intently, then her gaze went down to my chest.

She smiled brightly and headed to the guest table with the tray she was serving.

There were many guests.

People who had come in advance to wait for the martial arts tournament finals to be held in Gospel were already crowded.

Americano went up to the second floor and entered her inn room, and fortunately, the items were left as they were when she left.

The Basilisk’s fangs, etc., were still in the box by the bed.

I sat on the bed.

“Hoo…”

Gospel.

How long has it been since I came here?

It felt like it had been almost three or four months.

Let’s rest for a while, meet Skilla, and then go meet Chris.

Yuha will be by Chris’s side.

“….”

I lay flat on the bed with my flat chest and rolled around on the bed.

Good. Just being able to get into a comfortable position freely makes me feel good.

‘Tower…’

Let’s just go.

What does the Emperor’s face matter?

Cappuccino was right.

The Emperor needed Americano’s help to safely catch the Great Devil.

‘How many people can catch the Great Devil better than me?’

Chris or Jua?

I have nothing to say if it’s those two.

‘Unlike them, I can still raise my level more.’

Americano’s level is 34.

The reached floor is the 34th floor.

I can still raise it a lot more. I was confident that I could easily climb up to the 70th floor.

Since Chocolat is higher than level 70, I should be able to climb up to the 70th floor in one day.

I don’t think the Emperor would refuse to cooperate just because I tarnished his face a little.

If he doesn’t cooperate?

‘He’ll have to cooperate?’

From the Emperor’s point of view, there was no option to not cooperate in the subjugation of the Great Devil.

Whether the Emperor discovered and subjugated the Great Devil or Americano discovered and subjugated the Great Devil, there was a risk to the Emperor.

‘(Besides, you might join the King of Dragonote.)’

‘You’re here? What have you been up to?’

‘(Thanks to someone, I’ve been very busy.)’

Cappuccino must be giving her a lot of work.

‘(It’s you.)’

‘Me?’

‘(You asked me to develop Magic before.)’

‘Did I?’

‘(It’s a Magic that specializes in Magic Missile. I especially focused on the casting speed when making it. I’ve been making it day and night. Praise me for developing it so that it can be used right away in preparation for the day you wake up.)’

‘Good job.’

‘(Hehe.)’

After listening in detail, she said that she made it with advice from Cappuccino.

In summary,

Magic that deals with Physical Power.

Abbreviated as Physical Magic.

Win boasted that the Magic she developed focused on Physical Power, so it would be compatible with warriors.

For reference, Physical Magic was based on non-attribute Magic such as Magic Missile, Strength, Mana Blade, and Blink.

It’s impossible to know how helpful this will be in actual combat until I try it myself.

Knock knock.

I opened the door and saw the visitor.

It was the inn Auntie’s daughter.

“So you were Americano, the Hero?!”

“Uh… you saw me earlier, right?”

“But your chest…”

Was gone.

“I used Magic to reduce my chest.”

“I can’t believe it.”

Her expression darkened.

Why is she so upset that a woman’s chest has shrunk when she’s a woman herself?

“More importantly, why did you come?”

“A guest is looking for you, Hero.”

“A guest?”

“It was a Sister. She’s wearing a nun’s habit. Do you know her?”

“….”

I think I know who it is.