episode_0013

It was during my fight with Vulcan.

“I will accept everything you have. Hold nothing back—unleash your full strength,” Vulcan said.

‘An opportunity like this is rare.’

A situation where I could reveal everything I had.

To be honest, I don’t even know myself. Since I’ve never properly experienced real combat, I’m not sure of my own capabilities.

And there was more.

With every swing of my sword, I could feel it more clearly this time.

‘Information flows from [Thief’s Pinnacle (S)].’

With every swing.

How to adjust my stance, how to evolve further—thoughts like these poured into my mind.

And then—

‘What the…’

Information on the elves’ swordsmanship flowed into me.

Darkmoon’s Crescent Shadow.

The swordsmanship that emerged when I used the techniques Lissiel had wielded.

‘Dual swordsmanship?’

The sword traced its path—different from before, an arc forming in its wake.

—You’re in danger!

Lissiel stopped me.

I didn’t even question why. Vulcan had already shifted into a stance, poised to strike downward.

‘I have to block—’

No, I had to dodge. I leaped back in a flash.

Then Lissiel spoke urgently.

—Elven swordsmanship can only be wielded by elves.

‘Huh?’

—Look at that old man’s eyes. Don’t they seem to be spinning wildly?

Well, to be fair, his eyes always looked like they were spinning.

But upon closer inspection—

‘Ah, this might be a bit dangerous.’

His gaze was even more frenzied than before.

I’d charged in thinking it was a safe way to test my skills, but—

‘This might be a bit dangerous.’

Then I should just run.

I was about to surrender when—

[Encounter Quest]

You have encountered the Sword King, Vulcan.

Either capture his interest in some way or make him lose interest entirely.

Reward: ??? Failure: No penalty.

‘Oh.’

An Encounter Quest popped up just in time.

‘If I surrender now…’

His interest will fade, right?

I quietly raised both hands and surrendered.

As expected, Vulcan let me go without a word.

—Wait, isn’t that just the face of someone who’s lost their mind?

Lissiel chimed in.

No, hold on.

‘I only just thought about it…’

—I heard your thoughts. Must be because we’re connected.

‘Really?’

—By the way, your actions and thoughts are completely different… We should run first.

I quickly moved my feet at Lissiel’s words.

I already thought I heard shouting from behind me.

“Hey, where’d the old man go? Did you come alone? And you’re completely unharmed?”

A smirking man looked at me and asked.

I couldn’t answer—I was too busy running away after ditching the old man.

“Huh? Mr. Yuseong? You’re leaving already?” “Let’s go.” “W-Wait, where are you—?!”

I grabbed Erme’s hand and walked out briskly.

Now that we were outside the guild, I could relax a little.

“What happened?” “Ran into a weird old man.” “An old man? Wait, don’t tell me—Sword King Vulcan…?” “You know him?” “Of course! He’s insanely famous… Did you fight him?”

So that old man was famous for picking fights with anyone.

Good thing I ran.

‘After running this far, he’ll probably lose interest, calling me spineless or something.’

I know that type well. I didn’t even show him anything.

—No, the moment you used elven swordsmanship, you were already doomed.

‘What’s so special about elven swordsmanship?’

But that swordsmanship—the one that traced a circle—was strange.

‘It looked really impressive, though.’

Even I, who knew nothing about swordsmanship, could tell it was different. I couldn’t put it into words, but—

‘Crescent Shadow, was it?’

Might as well find an open space and practice it.

Just as I was thinking that—

“Wait, hold on. You met Vulcan and came back unharmed?” “Yeah. And I ran because it seemed like a hassle.” “…Did you land a hit on him? Or did he just look stunned?” “The latter?” “……”

Erme made a face I’d never seen before.

An expression of utter disbelief.

“I—I worked so hard just to get his attention…” “…?”

Erme slumped in despair.

But that wasn’t important right now.

“Can you sell [Whisper of the Wind]?” “Whisper of the Wind? Oh, you mean the rapier the elf used?” “Yeah.”

—Hey, wait! That’s my precious keepsake!

That’s not even your job.

Surviving comes first, doesn’t it?

“Probably impossible. If a weapon of that caliber leaked outside, hiding my name would be near impossible.” “Really?”

It’s B-rank, but it’s that valuable?

‘What about the Bloodfang Dagger? Can I use that somehow?’

It’s too noticeable.

I’d rather keep it hidden.

“Then how’s the settlement?” “Huh? Oh, because of Whisper of the Wind?” “Yeah.” “Whisper of the Wind is a big deal, but it’s stolen goods and a dangerous weapon, so the payout won’t be much.” “Can’t be helped.” “Still, if you become famous later—well, you might already be? Once the stolen goods issue is resolved, you can exchange it for money or use it, so it’s actually a win.”

Fair enough.

It’s not like I’m desperate for money.

‘I do feel a little bad, though.’

For mooching off Erme like this.

But she seems to have some money, and I’ll work hard later to pay her back.

“Shall we head back now?” “Yeah. Training today would be good, but after leaving the labyrinth, a day of rest is necessary.”

Erme trudged along as she spoke.

I followed behind her.

‘I really want to check the rewards.’

Until now, all the attention I’d drawn ended with just that—attention.

But now?

I repeated actions he seemed to dislike.

‘This time, I can finally get the failure reward.’

Better to get the failure reward than to remain ambiguously noticed.

And look at this.

[Encounter Quest Completed.]

I wasn’t wrong.

[You have drawn Sword King Vulcan’s interest to an unprecedented degree!] [Additional rewards available.]

“…?”

Huh?

What?

The inn’s training ground.

A suitable place for practice, free from prying eyes.

So I calmly checked my quest rewards here.

[Encounter Quest Completed.] [Acquired Gift: Sword Prodigy (B).] [Innate Combat Sense (B) and Sword Prodigy (B) have merged.] [Acquired Gift: Sword Master (A+).]

“…Oh.”

I checked immediately.

[Gift] Sword Master (A+) (Growth-type)

◇You wield any weapon categorized as a “sword” with masterful skill. ◇Enhanced combat sense, speed, and slashing power. ◇Swordsmanship (Lv.5) correction. If absent, unlocks swordsmanship.

What about abilities?

Now that I have this Gift, something must’ve changed.

I checked my status screen right away.

▼ Name: Han Yuseong (Lv.1)

Strength: 4 Agility: 4 Stamina: 4 Magic: 4 Spirit: 4 Perception: 4

◈Gifts -[Thief’s Pinnacle (S)], [Absolute Combat (S)], [Sword Master (A+)], [Fatal Constitution (A)] ◈Skills -[Hidden Space (B)] ◈Techniques -Swordsmanship (Lv.6) (1+5)

The status screen had changed drastically from before.

My stats had improved significantly.

Now, how do I use this swordsmanship?

I swung my sword experimentally.

Swish.

The sensation was different. Before, I relied on instinct, but now, my swordsmanship felt sharp and precise.

A faint embarrassment crept in.

Like looking back at my first day at a job years later and cringing at how clueless I was.

‘Why was I so pathetic back then?’

Still, at least I could grasp the direction now.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The sword cut through the air. The blades in both hands moved freely—faster, sharper.

The only swordsmanship I knew now was the elves’ style.

But the elven swordsmanship was more than satisfying.

—…This is absurd. ‘How is it?’ —What do you mean, “how”? It’s incredible.

I see.

But I didn’t take Lissiel’s words at face value. She’d naturally try to flatter me.

After a few more swings, the moon had fully risen.

‘Did I lose track of time?’

But it was fun.

I never liked exercise, yet here I was, enjoying this.

‘Maybe I was secretly athletic.’

Well, it was a satisfying day.

Today, we headed to the guild again.

Erme for the final settlement.

Me to find a swordsmanship manual.

‘Will that old man be there?’

A little worrying.

I ran away without thinking, but instead of losing interest, I’d drawn even more attention.

‘Still, he probably won’t be.’

When I stepped into the ring, he called my actions “girly.”

Someone like that wouldn’t wait around for me.

“Heya.”

As we entered the guild, Terrisa waved lazily in greeting.

Next to her, a half-dead glasses-wearing man lay sprawled out.

“What’s wrong with him?” “He had a drinking contest with the elemental mages yesterday.” “Men are all the same.”

Erme gave him a disdainful look before subtly glancing at me.

“Of course, Mr. Yuseong is a bit different.”

What’s the difference between me and him?

Was it because of [Fatal Constitution]? Even without it, people often overestimated me.

But that wasn’t important.

Erme finished calculating and brought over a heavy pouch, stuffing it into her bag.

“We’ll handle the settlement in the settlement room.” “Settlement room?” “Doing it out here is just asking to get robbed. There are adventurers here, but also drifters.”

Hence the scavengers.

With that, our party headed to the settlement room.

“Before we start, one thing—the sword taken from Lissiel belongs to Yuseong.” “No complaints.” “That guy was strong. I’m just glad we made it out.” “Moving on to the settlement—Yuseong’s share is 3 silver coins, excluding the sword.” “Thanks.” “Glasses over there gets 3 gold and 45 silver.” “My name is Marcel. But thanks.” “Terrisa gets 3 gold and 50 silver. Plus an extra 30 silver for helping Yuseong.” “Thanks.” “The rest is mine—6 gold and 75 silver.” “That’s a fortune.” “The elves’ gear was high-quality. Took some effort to sell, hence the delay.” “So, when’s the next labyrinth dive?” “We went yesterday, so how about tomorrow?” “After what happened, I’d like a break, but I’ll be ready by tomorrow.”

Marcel said with a stiff expression.

He’d manage.

“In the meantime, I’ll recruit one more party member.” “Another member?” “Yeah. As long as they can pull their weight, I’ll make it work. I’ve got connections here.”

Well, Erme would handle it.

“I’ll visit the orphanage.” “Orphanage?” “Terrisa’s from one. Her physical abilities got her selected as a paladin.” “But I can’t heal.” “…Sacred power can’t be used without the right Gift.”

A shame.

But didn’t Erme call her a “berserker saint”?

‘What kind of paladin earns that title?’

Curious, but I let it go.

She had her own life.

As the group dispersed, I went to find a swordsmanship manual.

I’d already asked Erme for directions.

‘Problem is, it’s near the training grounds.’

I peeked through the training ground’s doorway.

Unlike yesterday, a woman stood at the entrance.

‘At least he’s not here today.’

I slipped inside and headed for the training materials section.

Not many people were there.

Then again, swordsmen wouldn’t bother with this place.

As I browsed the manuals, I realized something.

They were…

‘Surprisingly low-level?’

Most techniques I could grasp at a glance.

Nothing particularly impressive.

‘Are these just foundational drills?’

But their names were flashy—Explosive Slash Style, Asura Sword Style.

Just as I was about to check them—

“…You ran away yesterday. What are you doing here now?”

Vulcan’s incredulous face appeared.

“Ah, shit!” ‘Scared the hell out of me.’ —Your thoughts and words don’t match.

Lissiel stayed silent.