– The Path of the Sword. The Great Being who was approaching the end presented an extremely dangerous training.
– With high concentration, I skillfully absorbed the training.
– The trait [Penetration] is fixed at 20% (+4%).
– Achieved an amazing feat that cleaves through space!
– Obtained the achievement [Void Slash]!
[Void Slash]
– Enemies damaged by Void Slash have all regeneration-related abilities reduced by 50%.
‘……’
It was an astonishing achievement that would usually make me drop my jaw in surprise, but it didn’t catch my eye at all.
How long had I been trapped in this space?
When I was curled up, I had tried to count the time, but this time, I couldn’t gauge it at all.
‘Yeon… Hee…’
After that endless period of endurance, the only name that floated in my mind was hers.
And soon, darkness spread like ink, making it impossible to think at all.
Thud-!
(Aaah! No! Il-wol has died!)
When Il-wol collapsed, Rainy jumped in fright and started shaking the long branches wildly.
(What the hell have you done, you damn old man! You’ve killed my one and only friend!)
Rainy had no hesitation blaming the orb for all of this.
[Hey! Can’t you be quiet for a moment? Who dies just from a bit of training—oh? Why is this guy like this?!]
Despite confidently claiming he wouldn’t die, he became greatly panicked when he saw the armor of Il-wol on the ground slowly turning to powder.
It was evidently a dangerous situation.
[H-how long were you in that space to become powder like this?!]
Seeing Il-wol gradually disintegrating, the former hero ‘Azamun’, now an orb, hurriedly flailed about in confusion.
The tree and the orb just spun around Il-wol, helplessly unable to find a way out.
Now Il-wol’s body was gone, leaving only the bones, which glowed softly.
(Do something, you damned orb!)
[Ugh— I can’t do anything myself, this is a big deal!]
While time cruelly ticked by.
‘Azamun’ felt a strange energy rapidly rushing towards them from somewhere.
[Hmm?! What is this energy?!]
The unfamiliar scent triggered a memory he had experienced once.
As an unidentified something approached, the orb and tree did not move away from Il-wol and held their ground.
Whoosh──!
And shortly after, they sensed a very fine collective of particles in their presence.
(The smoke is pouring in!)
[Hmm… I wonder why this is here.]
The vast amount of smoke closing in did not slow down as it rushed straight into Il-wol’s open mouth.
Whooooosh──!
(Aaaah!! Strange smoke has filled my friend’s mouth!!)
They tried to stop it somehow, but all they achieved was flailing in the air.
(······.)
[······.]
Both were left with no choice but to remain silent.
As friends, as a master.
The feeling of helplessness and self-reproach surged because there was nothing they could do.
“…… Clap.”
(Huh? You woke up?!)
[Hooh…? To think you could absorb that murky energy without any discomfort? Being undead is truly a blessing.]
Swish—
After Il-wol absorbed the smoke, his disintegrating armor slowly started to regain its form.
[Phew─ That was close.]
I didn’t know exactly what went down, but the massive dark energy prevented Il-wol’s death.
[That smoke must be the energy that Il-wol infused. As soon as it’s placed here, ownership shifts completely.]
When his master was in danger, it was energy imbued with enough self-awareness to fly to him on its own.
[You’ve managed to gain something so precious. Your extraordinary talent is quite remarkable given the power you possess.]
‘Azamun’ spoke calmly as if pondering the situation, but he was flitting about everywhere as if to cool down the rising heat.
(Sigh… You bad orb! You’ve gotta limit the training to some extent!)
[Ahem… This time, it’s largely my fault.]
The training method was something he had painstakingly crafted by analyzing thorns he had previously removed from Il-wol’s body for the amazing mental strength that had endured in this place for a long time.
Of course, while it was based on a secret art passed down since ancient times, he never expected it to unleash such powerful energy.
As Rainy said, too much can be worse than not doing it at all.
Watching the traces of Il-wol still swirling in the air, ‘Azamun’ deeply reflected on his actions.
‘Alright. Next time, I need to set a clear limit on the time.’
Of course, the depth of his reflection didn’t seem very profound.
He wasn’t even considering not doing it, only thinking about how to improve.
Both silently watched Il-wol, who was struggle to lift his upper body.
“Clap… Clap clap…”
‘I feel a bit nauseous.’
It felt like I was dreaming, a muzzy feeling taking over.
‘Hmm… There definitely seems to be a change in my body, but I can’t quite tell what it is.’
After meditating for a few minutes, I felt a powerful force coiled deep within my consciousness.
‘This is… the energy of the Great Beast. How did it get into my body?’
No matter what it was, it was still writhing and not fully blending with me, so when I tentatively reached out to touch it, it pushed my hand away as if saying it’s not time yet.
– The dark energy is settling in.
– The weight of existence is becoming heavier.
– Becoming slightly cooler and bolder.
‘……’
Wasn’t I already sufficiently cool?
Receiving a reward that affects my traits rather than just boosting unique powers was a fresh feeling.
‘Becoming cooler and bolder… That can’t be bad.’
Moreover, the weight of existence related to self-destruction had also increased; it couldn’t be any better.
(Friend, are you okay?)
Friend… That’s a word I haven’t heard in a long while.
‘I’m fine. Thanks for worrying.’
(Huh? Hmmm…)
[You should ask for help if it’s too much. How long were you even in there?]
I thought the Master would know better, but his question made me tilt my head.
‘Even you don’t know, Master.’
[That secret art is something I’m still researching. I barely managed to fragment an ego capable of teaching you and slip it in, so it’s natural I wouldn’t know.]
(No, you old man! How can you experiment on Il-wol without fully understanding it!)
Rainy immediately pointed out the part I wanted to criticize.
Embarrassed, the Master chuckled, while he emphasized the incredible potential of this training method.
[Next time, let’s refine it even further and try again.]
‘… Sure.’
Rainy shook my thigh, questioning why I would try that dreadful thing again, but I reassured her while gently patting the tree’s head.
Then, I pulled out the great sword from the spatial pocket and swung it absentmindedly at the air.
──
[Ooooh…]
It was a thin line barely detectable by my senses, but I saw a beam of light flash in the dark space.
[Hahaha! I knew it! I knew it!]
The Master was delighted, as if his idea had been validated.
I watched him for a moment when I felt time running out.
‘Ah- Rainy.’
I felt like I was forgetting something, and then it dawned on me that I hadn’t supplied her with nutrients, so I approached the tree.
(Ah, no. You don’t need to give me any today— Ah!)
Rainy, who had been hesitantly pulling back from absorbing my mana, quickly succumbed to the mana wafting in and started sucking it down eagerly.
(Yum, yum, yum— whoa! What is this—)
‘What is it?’
I got worried, thinking maybe the energy of the Great Beast was negatively affecting Rainy.
(What, it tastes super sweet and good now! Best flavor!)
After that, Rainy’s eyes rolled back as she wrapped her branches around me and began sucking my mana.
‘The Master has vanished without a trace.’
If he had a technique that could move that fast, I wish he’d teach it to me first.
(Aaaaah— I’m going to burst!)
After gorging on my mana, Rainy ripped herself from the ground and plopped down on the floor.
‘It’s almost time for me to go back.’
Rainy waved her droopy branches at me, expressing her deep reluctance as she bid farewell.
Clank──!
I heard Yeon-hee’s call, and when the door opened, an overwhelming joy filled my body.
“Il-wol~!”
‘Yeon-hee…’
I walked forward and hugged her tightly.
“Umm…”
Just for a moment, having crossed the threshold of death.
This moment of holding her felt so precious.
‘You don’t understand.’
*
We re-entered the Frog Folk Dungeon.
The party members we met at the gate tilted their heads when they saw me.
It seemed they could vaguely feel the change within me, being all talented friends.
Without delay, we entered the gate.
“Ugh— What is that smell?”
“I recommend wearing a mask. Holding your breath is also part of the training.”
The first three who entered this dungeon had to face the pain we endured.
A damp dungeon, monsters lurking while being hidden, and the dangerous terrain where stepping a little wrong would plunge you into sticky mud and draw a monster ambush.
But even if the environment is poor and dangerous, it’s still wise to clear it in preparation for future promotion tests and guild memberships.
Each guild may vary, but most value having cleared every dungeon at least once.
Just to verify that you have the ability to handle any foe you may encounter.
“Ugh… To think I have to go through this again.”
Bae Joo-ah shuddered at what was clearly a more dreadful environment than the Lizard Swamp.
But she also seemed to genuinely enjoy utilizing her grown abilities.
“I just won’t step on this stuff!”
Thud! Titter-titter-tit!
A stone path stretched before us like train tracks.
“Joo-ah, it looks like your abilities are most suited for this dungeon.”
“Just wait until the next dungeon; I’ll show you it’s not just this one!”
“Please do so.”
Noh Ha-yoon and Joo-ah were getting closer as friends.
Yeon-hee seemed to have paired with Ah-rin.
I wondered if Ham Eun-young would feel a bit lonely, but on the contrary, she seemed just fine, and her flow of magic was quite stable.
“Rock Way!”
Thud thud thud thud—!
Thanks to Joo-ah, even the most annoying swamp terrain posed no issue, which drastically reduced the dungeon’s difficulty.
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