episode_0103

A black cloud.

It symbolized the Duke of Black Fog.

Like a black cloud driving away the daylight.

The battlefield shrouded in that black fog.

Left nothing behind.

Hence, it was called “Black Desolation.”

Those who faced him had to feel as though they were adrift in a boundless sea, confronting an inescapable darkness.

And they weren’t wrong.

Those who had witnessed his full power had spoken thus.

There was even a famous tale from the past.

A kingdom that once dared to challenge the empire’s might.

It was during the time they had formed an alliance.

They waged war against the empire to diminish its influence.

The empire dispatched only a single force.

A terrifying army of ten thousand.

Most of them elite soldiers, at least Level 2.

And yet.

They were annihilated by a single swing of the Duke of Black Fog’s sword.

The “Sword Cloud,”

The “Black Sword Amidst the Clouds”—that was his swordsmanship.

It was his everything.

The culmination of a lifetime of training.

“…And he mastered it in one go?”

The Heaven-Slaying Genius, So Yeon-hwa.

Even she had taken time to properly learn it.

If the Duke of Black Fog had taken a year to grasp it.

So Yeon-hwa had done so in just a month.

And so, from his position as the Duke, he began supporting her.

Giving her whatever she desired.

The empire, which ruled most of the Western Continent.

A duke standing at its pinnacle.

From that position, granting So Yeon-hwa’s wishes was trivial.

‘Except for one thing.’

A worthy rival.

So Yeon-hwa had none. There were many opponents against whom she could unleash her full strength, but none in her age group.

She had even traveled to the distant Eastern Continent in search of one.

Yet, all she gained was the title of “Heavenly Dragon,” signifying the most outstanding prodigy of her generation.

She never found her match.

And so, she found Han Yu-seong intriguing.

Who was Vulcan?

The only monster who could cross swords with her.

No—perhaps even stronger than her.

That being had taken an unusual interest in a certain boy, which was why she had come here.

“Haha.”

The Duke of Black Fog let out a hollow laugh.

He had met the rival of the child he had raised.

And so, he had provoked a fight with the one he thought was that rival.

‘But that—’

Sword energy bloomed.

Weaving together, forming clouds.

A technique that unleashed dozens of strikes at once, leaving no room to evade.

The sword-energy clouds clashed.

Entwined, then dissipated.

It seemed the battle would end in a draw.

But then—

The remaining sword energy coalesced.

Even in broad daylight.

The Duke of Black Fog felt as though darkness had settled.

“Dark Moon.”

Han Yu-seong’s voice echoed softly.

And with it, the darkness descended, swallowing everything whole.

Thus, the match was decided.

After replaying that scene in his mind countless times.

The Duke had no choice but to admit it.

‘A monster has appeared.’

He had thought So Yeon-hwa was the pinnacle of this era.

But something beyond her had emerged.

—

Ever since creating Cheong-ju, my daily routine had changed.

I had to cook every day, but now.

I just ordered the dishes Cheong-ju made.

“Hmm, this tastes a bit worse than yesterday’s.”

“You’re mistaken.”

“Hmm…”

I forced Vulcan to accept my words under his suspicious gaze.

Then, armed with the potions Cheong-ju had brewed (since she didn’t need sleep), I headed to the alchemist’s shop.

“Such high-quality potions! Do you possess a gift related to elves?”

“I do have a related gift.”

Elves were a race that loved nature.

Here, their love for nature took a slightly different form, but they were still specialized in drawing out the innate power of ingredients using mana.

In my case, I leaned more toward enhancing flavors with MSG, but originally, this gift was used for potion-making.

After selling an entire box of potions Cheong-ju had brewed overnight.

‘Net profit’s about 20 gold coins.’

It was nothing short of a jackpot.

The only problem was the supply of ingredients.

‘Cheong-ju can handle that much, but—’

I looked at Cheong-ju.

A spider-shaped robot glowing blue.

It was far too conspicuous.

She might be mistaken for a monster that had escaped the labyrinth and attacked.

‘I should talk to the old man and have her make more discreetly.’

As I was staring at Cheong-ju with that thought.

She emitted a blue light and spoke to me.

[Cheong-ju suggests: I am a far more useful robot than this.]

“It’s fine. You’re perfect as you are.”

[A Cheong-ju robot, forged from Retinal Alloy that memorizes the master’s mana signature and can utilize the master’s gift, is far superior. It can recover even after venturing into dangerous areas and possesses exceptional combat knowledge.]

“It’s fine. Safety first.”

I had no intention of giving up Cheong-ju, who had mastered elven tea ceremonies.

Unless I ended up making a second unit.

Anyway, sipping the black tea Cheong-ju had prepared, I sank into thought.

‘The Hero Selection Competition.’

I had to go.

I had already defeated So Yeon-hwa, and many had recognized that I had learned the orthodox swordsmanship and footwork of a hero.

That much might be overlooked, but—

‘…’

Occasionally, I saw glimpses of something—perhaps the future, or maybe the past.

Those scenes kept replaying in my mind.

So Yeon-hwa trampling everything in what appeared to be the imperial castle.

And a demon destroying everything in a cradle. And that was probably—

‘Veronica.’

Perhaps that was Veronica from a future where Clara had died.

…What a terrifying dark fantasy this was.

Returning home was my ultimate goal, but my next objective was to live safely for a long time.

To do that—

‘Simple.’

I needed influence. Not just to protect myself, but a force that could act in all sorts of places.

I didn’t particularly like standing out, but—

‘This is the surest way.’

To surpass all others in the Hero Selection Competition.

And stand at the top.

Nothing could be more certain than that.

‘About two months.’

If I left now, I’d arrive within a month.

And I needed that month for myself.

-With your talent, leveling up wouldn’t be a bad idea…

When I voiced my concerns, the Holy Sword agreed with me.

-Are you even using your power properly right now?

‘No.’

Honestly, I felt like I was being swept along by my power. I wasn’t utilizing what I had to its fullest.

-Well, that’s understandable. But now that you’ve surpassed Level 5, you can move on to the next stage of the hero’s orthodox swordsmanship and footwork.

‘…?’

This was already cheat-like, and there’s more?

-Yes. What comes next is on a completely different level from what you’ve learned so far. Keh-keh.

The Holy Sword laughed in a strangely sinister tone.

-But there’s one problem. Most hero candidates collapse at this stage.

‘…?’

-Simply put, it’s excruciating. Most of those called hero candidates never overcome it.

I grimaced at the Holy Sword’s words.

What could possibly be so bad?

But I had no choice.

‘Pain is temporary.’

Death is oblivion.

If I died, there’d be nothing. This was a fantasy world, so I might’ve thought a god would claim my soul, but—

‘Wait, wouldn’t that mean I could end up an eternal slave?’

That didn’t sound great.

Better to endure the pain.

Maybe it was just trying to scare me.

‘Well, worst case—’

There were ways to avoid feeling pain.

I’d manage somehow.

-There’s a way to avoid the pain?

‘A loophole, but yes.’

I explained my idea.

The Holy Sword responded in a disbelieving tone.

-…I suppose it’s not impossible. Truly, the techniques of a demon.

It sounded almost disappointed.

Was it because its personality was embedded in the sword? It had turned into some kind of bizarre pervert.

Enjoying others’ suffering.

“Then I should prepare.”

-Hm? Prepare?

Amidst all this, I realized something.

‘I need to go into seclusion for training.’

If so, I should at least inform those around me.

But there was a problem.

What would happen to labyrinth exploration if I disappeared?

A month’s absence wouldn’t hurt me, but—

‘Others might not be fine.’

Alternatively, I could train while traveling.

Since I’d be going with So Yeon-hwa and others, they’d probably use comfortable transportation.

As I was lost in thought.

[Master, a guest has arrived.]

“A guest?”

Cheong-ju’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

Who could it be?

Likely Veronica, Clara, someone from the clan, the crown prince, the Duke of Black Fog, So Yeon-hwa, or Vulcan.

But my expectations were completely off.

“Hello.”

A woman stood there, smiling brightly, holding an umbrella.

Eyes like crimson blood. Hair cascading like spilled red ink.

The Villainess—no, the Executioner Princess, Lucia.

Just as I was about to greet her warmly.

Flick.

Something caught my eye.

What was it? A bat made of blood?

‘What’s that?’

It was an eerie bat.

A new ability? But Lucia herself didn’t seem much different…

‘Something—’

Hadn’t changed.

Her outward appearance, that is.

But her essence was different.

I had thought I could definitely win against her before.

‘What is this?’

Now, I didn’t feel that way.

Instead, a chill ran down my spine.

An unsettling sensation.

As if fangs might sink into my throat at any moment.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, she looked at me with a sly smile.

Lucia’s eyes curved.

Her blood-red eyes simply stared at me. They glimmered.

Just as I had realized something about her.

She, too, seemed to have realized something about me.

“You’ve grown incredibly strong, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

I answered awkwardly.

Unintentionally, I felt like I had glimpsed another side of her.

‘Now that I think about it—’

When I spoke with Vulcan, the people around her had feared her.

The Executioner Princess.

That title wasn’t for nothing.

With that thought.

I also felt something distinctly non-human about her.

“Oh? Did you notice it?”

“Notice what?”

“Hehe.”

She didn’t answer, only smiling mysteriously.

It was deeply suspicious.

But her eyes were filled with goodwill toward me.

That made sense.

I had stolen her obsession.

‘…If anything, I should be grateful it’s a benign obsession.’

Obsessions came in many forms.

This one was relatively harmless.

At least it wasn’t laced with murderous intent.

“I’m glad I came. You look so flustered.”

“Were you hiding your strength?”

“Ah, there wasn’t much reason to show it outside. Even though I’m part of the empire now, people’s perceptions don’t change easily.”

Lucia said this, then looked at me with narrowed eyes.

“By the way.”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever considered getting involved with me?”

“…”

Her blunt question.

Made me stare at her with a stiff expression.

“Not really.”

At my firm refusal, she—

“Hmm.”

Let out a soft hum and studied me.

“Really?”

Her voice was sweet, as if savoring something delicious.