episode_0015

A place where everything lay in ruins.

There, Erme realized she was dreaming.

This was a remnant of the past.

An image of the sky dyed crimson, with black, toxic rain pouring down relentlessly.

‘How absurd.’

The arrogant had fallen.

They had overestimated their own strength, and their enemies had exploited their pride time and again.

That was why.

That was all.

The reason humanity had lost.

The reason the heroes had failed.

‘What a joke.’

No, that wasn’t it.

Everything was because of that Demon King.

That being, composed entirely of darkness.

It was he who had brought ruin to the world.

That was the simple truth.

“An unpleasant dream.”

Her back was damp with sweat.

A cold sweat had drenched her entire body. On days like this, she just wanted to take a quick bath and be done with it.

Occasionally, she had dreams like this.

Strange dreams that felt like glimpses of the future. Yet, they were dreams of a time too distant to grasp.

Even as she thought this, she forced herself to move.

There was much to do.

She had to prepare for the future.

Even now, that being was moving diligently, scheming to bring about humanity’s downfall.

‘An infuriating bastard.’

Despite possessing overwhelming power, enough to crush humanity single-handedly—

That being was also terrifyingly intelligent.

That was why humanity had been helpless against him.

Now, barely a decade remained.

No—considering how her actions might alter the future, that being would surely adjust his plans as well.

‘How did she do it?’

She thought of a certain woman.

Unlike herself, that woman had stood tall and unshaken. Yet, even emulating her felt like an impossible task.

‘Haah.’

The path ahead was thorny, fraught with hardship.

Surviving here was already grueling enough.

‘……Still, at least I have information.’

She could manage somehow.

With effort, she pushed herself up. Fortunately, she had met better people than expected.

‘The Berserker, Teresa. The Master of Support, Marcel. And Han Yu-Seong.’

Teresa and Marcel were renowned figures.

Even in the future, their influence would be immense.

But Han Yu-Seong was an unknown.

One thing was certain, though.

‘He’s not someone destined to die by Han-ul’s hands.’

Han-ul’s goblin hunt.

She had headed there, partly to save one of the future sprouts he would later kill—

And there, as if by some twist of fate, she had met him.

A dangerous man whose very presence made her body tremble as if sensing peril.

Though his robe concealed him, his gaze was endlessly cold.

‘A dangerous man……’

The moment she saw Han Yu-Seong, she knew.

This man was unlike any existence she had encountered before.

At the same time, a question arose.

How had Han-ul killed him?

Had he truly been overwhelmed by goblins?

She had wanted to witness the process.

‘He died too easily.’

There was still so much hidden beneath the surface.

Her heart pounded.

The more she observed him, the more layers seemed to unravel—

Like peeling an onion.

Too extraordinary.

That was why unease gnawed at her.

She couldn’t reveal too much of what she held.

But how long would he remain by her side? With such worries weighing on her, Erme stretched lightly.

The settlement was done, and she had taken a short nap.

Now, it was time to head to the training hall and hone her body.

Training was familiar.

Far better than fighting. After checking in with Hilda at the entrance, she stepped inside—

And saw it.

The training dummy she had planned to destroy upon reaching Level 2—

‘……What the—’

—being obliterated by Han Yu-Seong.

The training dummy had been destroyed.

According to Vulcan and Lucia, it wasn’t something that could be broken easily.

Shattering it would mark one as a prodigy, drawing the attention of prestigious clans eager to recruit them.

‘……Too many eyes on me.’

It was uncomfortable.

No—extremely uncomfortable.

“……He destroyed it in one strike?” “Isn’t he a first-class adventurer? I heard he’s only Level 1.” “Incredible potential. It’s rare for a Level 1 to break it.” “Rare, but not unheard of.”

Vulcan casually tossed out those words.

“Do you even realize what you’ve just done?”

His tone was grave, but his eyes told a different story—bright, gleaming with excitement.

And his mouth? Twisted into a wide, gleeful grin.

‘This guy…’

If he was going to speak so seriously, he should at least look serious.

Why was he staring at me like this was the most entertaining thing in the world?

Or was the situation itself just that amusing to him?

Whatever it was, I wasn’t thrilled.

I glanced at Lucia’s reaction.

Lucia’s eyes had turned into hearts as she muttered:

“Fuck, I wanna ride him so bad.” “……?”

What?

Did I mishear?

It was so quiet, maybe I imagined it.

Then—

Erme, staring at me with wide, round eyes, mouth slightly agape.

Why was she making that face?

“Y-You destroyed it.” “……Yeah.” “H-How?”

Her gaze trembled as she looked at me.

I turned back to the dummy.

‘Even if you ask how I broke it…’

I just did.

But there was no way to explain it.

‘I can’t exactly say I used elven swordsmanship either.’

Risiel had told me.

Elven swordsmanship was something humans couldn’t wield.

Likewise, human swordsmanship was difficult for elves to master.

Each style was tailored to its respective race, making cross-usage nearly impossible.

There were cases where techniques were adapted, but—

Those were rare, and even then, the degraded versions were barely functional.

I looked at Risiel.

She was staring at me with a dazed expression.

-H-How did you perform that strike just now?

‘How? I just did.’

I was in unusually good form today.

Even if I tried to replicate it, I might not succeed.

But if I could recapture the sensation, maybe I could do it again.

-……N-No, I phrased that poorly. How did you know that swordsmanship?

‘That swordsmanship?’

Risiel’s eyes were deadly serious.

I realized this answer would be crucial to our relationship.

‘Well, she’s bound to me anyway, but…’

If she ever decided to abandon everything and rebel, I’d have no choice but to kill her.

And if that happened, I’d gain nothing.

‘There’s still more to squeeze out of her.’

So I needed to give a proper answer.

A convincing one.

‘Your swordsmanship felt incomplete when I copied it.’

-You felt my swordsmanship was incomplete when you copied it?

‘Yeah.’

-S-So you supplemented the missing parts yourself?

‘……I guess?’

Saying it like this made me sound like some kind of genius, but—

That wasn’t the case.

‘A Thief’s Pinnacle.’

Innate combat talent.

And its evolved form, Sword Mastery.

These three factors aligned to make it possible.

Risiel stared at me, momentarily speechless.

-That was Eclipse—a forbidden swordsmanship.

‘Eclipse?’

-Didn’t I mention it before? If you wished, I could teach you the secret techniques of the Darkmoon family.

‘You did.’

I briefly recalled the past.

-By any chance… would you be interested in learning dual-sword techniques?

And right after, she had added:

-No elf alive knows them. Because it’s a forgotten art.

That was the gist of it.

‘Strange.’

When I learned Risiel’s swordsmanship, I’d felt something was missing—like gaps in the technique.

That sensation, combined with my fight against Vulcan, had triggered a vision.

Thief’s Pinnacle provided the knowledge.

My innate combat instincts drew the lines.

All I did was follow them.

But if this swordsmanship could be learned like this—

‘Is there something wrong with it?’

Yet its destructive power was undeniable.

Or had the elves simply lost the ability to wield it?

Hard to say.

[Skill: Swordsmanship has increased by 2 levels.]

‘……Oh.’

-What is it?

I didn’t say it was because my swordsmanship leveled up.

That was valuable information—best kept to myself.

She was an ally now, but—

One day, she could become an enemy.

‘Just good news. Anyway, what about it?’

-Could you teach me that swordsmanship?

‘Teaching it wouldn’t be hard, but—’

After using it once, I understood.

Mastering it wouldn’t be easy.

‘Even for me, stacked with gifts, it felt difficult.’

I’d stumbled upon Eclipse by chance, but—

Formally learning it would be another challenge.

-Are you underestimating me? Even if you’re a once-in-a-generation genius, I was once called the hope of the elven race!

‘……You were that good?’

-I-I only lost because of your bizarre technique! I wouldn’t have fallen for it otherwise!!

Risiel’s protest was almost comical.

Our battle had been close, but—

‘It didn’t feel like that much of a gap.’

Of course, Risiel had held back.

And I had given it my all.

‘Even now, I’d still be at a slight disadvantage.’

Without Desperate Strike, I’d have died.

But back then, she was Level 3.

I was only Level 1.

Level differences were absolute—overcoming them wasn’t easy.

‘And yet, you lost despite being two levels higher.’

And now she had the nerve to make excuses.

‘Pathetic.’

What a pitiful elf.

-……Y-You’re the abnormal one here! I possessed an S-rank and an A-rank gift—I was the pride of the elves!!

‘An S-rank and an A-rank?’

-Yes! With that, I could’ve even become a Sword Saint!

‘What were the gifts called?’

-One was Waltz of the Wind. The other was Sword Mastery.

‘Sword Mastery?’

-That’s right. An S-rank Sword Mastery!

S-rank Sword Mastery?

Strange. Mine was A+.

I opened my status window to check.

[Gifts] Sword Mastery (A+) Growth-type. ◇You wield a sword like a true master. ◇Enhances combat instincts and speed. Enhances slashing power. ◇Provides a bonus to the Swordsmanship skill (Lv 5).

Mine was A+.

-Heh, even you’re surprised, huh? Sword Mastery is an S-rank gift—one that can evolve into Sword Demon, Sword King, or even Sword Emperor!

‘What’s that?’

-……You don’t even know that?

The elf looked stunned.

-If you master Sword Mastery, it can evolve into higher forms. For example, that old man Vulcan likely evolved his into Sword King—a well-balanced form.

‘So it tailors itself to the user’s preferred style?’

-Exactly. Those who pursue speed and fluidity become Sword Demons. Greatsword users become Sword Emperors. Those who master all blades earn the title Sword Sage.

‘Is there a hierarchy among them?’

-No. It’s all about compatibility and the wielder’s skill.

On a whim, I asked:

‘What about Pinnacle-type gifts?’

-Pinnacle? Where’d you hear that nonsense? Those are just legends. Gifts said to unleash one’s full potential. Rumor has it they can evolve into a non-existent rank beyond S.

‘A non-existent rank?’

-Researchers speculate about it. If S-rank exists, why not something higher? But it’s nonsense. Even among elves, only a handful have S-rank gifts.

‘I see.’

I glanced at Thief’s Pinnacle.

Much of what Risiel said didn’t align with my situation.

‘Starting with Sword Mastery’s rank…’

Perhaps if I kept evolving it, something would change.

With a sigh, I scanned my surroundings.

The gazes fixed on me now gleamed like those of men who had stumbled upon gold.

‘Well, surviving comes first.’

The days ahead looked exhausting.