Chapter 97
The moment I got his call, I immediately secured an outing permit for the next day and headed straight to the Chiwoo Workshop.
After a long wait, the Guardian’s Sword was finally complete.
Seriously, how long had I been waiting for this moment?
Every time Park Siwoo or Helena bragged about their completed weapons, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
Above all, not having the Guardian’s Sword had caused me countless inconveniences.
If I’d had it back when I met Berid at the fountain, I could’ve wrapped things up neatly.
As soon as I arrived at the Chiwoo Workshop, I went straight to the 7th Smith’s workroom.
His workspace was still filled with incomprehensible devices.
And among them stood the sight I would never get used to—an orc wearing a white lab coat.
He greeted me warmly.
“I thought you’d show up on the weekend. Guess you couldn’t wait any longer?”
“Of course not. How could I not be excited? So, where’s the item?”
“I’ll bring it over. It turned out to be a masterpiece beyond expectation.”
He disappeared into a corner of the workshop and soon returned, holding a sword sheathed in a scabbard.
He handed it to me.
“Take it.”
“Yes.”
I stared blankly at the sword.
I never thought I’d say this about a weapon, but it was truly beautiful.
The ornate scabbard had an elegant, refined curve to it.
And even though the blade was still hidden within, I could sense the faint aura of mana radiating from it.
It was an art piece—impossible to believe that it had once been a pile of scrap metal.
As I held the Guardian’s Sword, the smith’s eyes softened, as if reminiscing about the process of forging it.
“I’ve been a smith for nearly thirty years, but I can count on one hand how many times I’ve had such a grueling job.”
“The sword looks a lot fancier than before.”
The Guardian’s Sword had originally been a simple longsword.
But in the hands of the 7th Smith, it had become quite extravagant.
The scabbard and hilt were engraved with various patterns and inscriptions, exuding the aura of a magical artifact.
Even the shape of the blade had subtly changed.
The smith bared his hideous teeth and smirked.
“It’s no longer a replica of Hero Baek Hyun-joong’s Sword. I made my own modifications. You don’t dislike it, do you?”
“No, not at all. I’ve never cared much about how a weapon looks anyway.”
For veterans, the best weapon could be just a stick and a pair of underwear.
Though, of course, that setup wasn’t possible in Become a Hero.
At my words, he clicked his tongue.
“You’ve got no sense of romance. You’re just like my master.”
“Your master?”
“Yeah, Master Gu Ryun. He always preached about the essence of weapons—said every weapon has the soul of the life within it.”
“People who’ve reached the pinnacle in one field always end up saying incomprehensible things like that.”
Even the Heavenly Demon, who’d reached the peak of martial arts, often said things that were hard to grasp.
“You sound like someone who’s actually met such an eccentric.”
“Well, just saying. Anyway, I’d like to test the sword’s abilities. Do you have a place for that?”
“Follow me.”
I followed his lead to a testing ground where weapons were put through trials.
It resembled Hanul Hall at the Academy—a wide training arena.
A few people were already testing their weapons.
“……Hmm?”
Then, I stopped for a moment when I saw a familiar face.
A beautiful woman with long black hair flowing down to her waist—she looked just like Dan Chun-woo.
“Sword Empress?”
“She came by recently to have her sword repaired. Looks like it’s done.”
She seemed to recognize me too, as she waved in greeting.
“Seongwoo, it’s been a while. What brings you here?”
I explained the situation, partly to express my gratitude for the Swordmaster Family’s engraved badge that allowed me to make this commission.
“I came to pick up a weapon I commissioned.”
“It’s been quite a while since that request, hasn’t it?”
“I asked for something rather difficult.”
Her gaze fixed on my hand.
Or, more precisely, on the Guardian’s Sword I was holding.
“That’s the weapon you commissioned?”
“Yes.”
“That’s unexpected. I thought you’d go for a high-quality gauntlet, given you’re a martial artist. Didn’t know you could use a sword.”
Her eyes gleamed with interest—eyes that said she was about to suggest a duel.
“I can use it a little. But this sword’s more like a magical artifact.”
“Hm, what a shame.”
Phew. I’d narrowly avoided a hassle.
Then the smith beside me, Chilho, spoke up.
“What do you mean, ‘hard to use as a weapon because it’s an artifact’?! Do you know who made that sword?! In both durability and cutting power, it surpasses most famed blades! This sword is one of the greatest masterpieces of my life!”
Why was he suddenly getting worked up…?
At the same time, a smile appeared on the Sword Empress’s face.
“Since that’s the case—if you want to test it, how about a spar with me?”
“……Ah.”
Chilho, are you secretly a Villain?
Well, a duel with the Sword Empress wasn’t a bad thing.
It wasn’t often I got such a chance to level up.
But taking her Spirit-Controlled Sword Technique head-on was mentally and physically exhausting.
Considering I needed to stay alert for Berid’s next move, I wanted to conserve my focus for now.
Besides, relying solely on swordsmanship wouldn’t let me perform as well as during our previous duel.
Even with the A-rank skill Weapon Mastery, which let me handle any weapon at a master level, it didn’t mean I could go beyond that.
If I couldn’t gain a definite level-up from this, it was better to hold back.
“I know you’re a martial artist, so I’m not expecting much. Just a light exchange of blows. Besides, I’m curious about that sword’s abilities. It looks like a fine blade.”
“Come to think of it, what brings you to Chiwoo Workshop, Sword Empress?”
Now that I thought of it, she already had her beloved sword, Mirinae—a blade crafted by Master Gu Ryun himself. There was no way that sword had dulled.
“Ah, I came to repair the one that broke during our last duel. Chun-woo wouldn’t stop pestering me about it.”
“Ah.”
So it was my fault.
I think I broke about four of her blades back then.
Now it made sense why it had taken this long.
“It cost me quite a bit, you know.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“I’m joking. So, shall we duel?”
When she asked like that… well, how could I refuse?
I had something to ask her anyway, so this was perfect timing.
And so, an impromptu duel began.
As we faced each other, Chilho—now acting as referee—took a coin from his pocket.
“When this coin hits the ground, the duel begins. And no using overly destructive techniques. This place is for weapon testing, after all. I’m talking to you, Yehwa.”
“I’ll go easy, don’t worry.”
Chilho flicked the coin into the air.
Clink! It spun several times midair.
The Sword Empress’s opening move was always the same—an ambush-like strike using Spirit-Controlled Sword.
I braced myself for the incoming attack.
The coin hit the ground with a metallic clatter.
And the Sword Empress vanished before my eyes.
Startled, I immediately raised my sword and expanded my domain.
The radiating mana condensed into immense density, flooding me with information.
And then—
I felt it.
Clang!
Sparks flew as our swords collided.
Had I not expanded my domain right away, I would’ve taken the full hit.
She pressed down on my blade with sheer strength.
“Didn’t I tell you not to be so tense?”
“How am I supposed to relax when you’re not even using your Spirit-Controlled Sword Technique, and are moving your body yourself?”
“If I used Spirit-Controlled Sword, it’d be even harder for you. This way, it’s easier for me to control my strength.”
I angled my sword and deflected hers.
Asura Divine Art activated, dyeing my blade a deep crimson.
Now it was my turn.
Bang!
The air burst apart with scorching heat.
“At least your fundamentals are solid.”
With a short remark, she easily blocked my strike.
Then came her next assault.
Her sword split into dozens of phantom blades and rushed toward me.
I channeled mana through my sword via the Asura Divine Art.
A red haze shimmered along the blade.
I couldn’t form Sword Aura, but at least I could use Sword Energy.
Asura Divine Art.
Discipline Through Punishment.
The crimson-stained sword split apart into multiple afterimages and clashed against her storm of blades.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted, thick smoke spreading through the area.
Without releasing my domain, I stayed on high alert.
Through the hazy smoke, her voice reached me.
“This is better than I expected. Not quite at your martial level, but impressive. Ever thought about learning proper swordsmanship?”
I didn’t answer.
I couldn’t sense her presence at all.
I couldn’t afford to relax.
“You’re better than I thought, so I’ll show you something interesting.”
“Ah, wait—”
When she said things like that, it was usually anything but interesting.
Thud!
Before I could even register the attack, pain exploded through me with a dull impact.
My body flew and rolled across the training ground floor.
What the hell?
I couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
I’d clearly deployed my domain—
Yet I hadn’t detected her attack at all?
It was as if the strike hadn’t been swung at me but had teleported out of nowhere.
Through the fading smoke, Sword Empress walked out.
With a light swing of her sword, the thick haze scattered with a sharp whoosh.
“How’s that? Impressive, isn’t it?”
“What was that technique?”
“It’s a counter-technique that works even against domain users. Think of it as a move that lets you land at least one hit on someone using a domain.”
I stared blankly at her.
A domain counter technique?
She was right—I hadn’t even realized she’d attacked.
My domain was supposed to be a space completely under my control, and yet she’d managed to invade and strike through it.
That was downright broken.
Good thing she’d hit me with the back of her sword—if she’d used the blade, I’d have been split clean in half.
As I replayed her mysterious strike in my head, she spoke again.
“I showed you something interesting, didn’t I? So don’t you have something to show me too?”
“I did say that.”
The reason I’d agreed to this duel—
Was to test the enhanced power of the Guardian’s Sword.
I turned toward Chilho, the sword’s craftsman.
He nodded confidently.
Holding the sword in reverse grip, I drove it into the ground.
Instantly, a strange sensation coursed through me as the runes and engravings on the blade glowed crimson.
A shiver ran down my spine—a sensation I’d never felt before.
It was as though the sword and I were connected.
One body, one flow.
The sword, now linked with me, began greedily absorbing the mana I was channeling through the Asura Divine Art.
The mana consumption felt as immense as when combining two divine powers.
The drain shocked me—but only for a moment.
The sword that had devoured my mana suddenly unleashed it outward.
Rumble…!
The Sword Empress’s eyes lit up in surprise.
The dueling arena—no, the entire space—began to warp.
The area around the sword transformed into something resembling hell itself.
Scorched earth, and the faint screams of the dead echoing from nowhere.
It was like the warped interior of a dungeon spilling into reality—a surreal, apocalyptic sight.
“Wow… this is insane.”
I couldn’t help but admire the sight before me.
Chilho had boasted about this sword’s capabilities, but this…
From behind, his laughter rang out.
“Kuhaahahaha! You see this? This scene! The pile of junk you brought me is no more! This sword, ‘The Reader (獨本)’, generates an optimal field suited to its wielder’s power!”
“So this sword manifests the user’s intent into reality through mana? I can’t believe such an artifact exists.”
The Sword Empress gazed at my sword with open fascination.
Can’t blame her—it was worth coveting.
This thing was practically an endgame weapon.
The moment I activated its ability, I instinctively understood everything about it, as if I’d become one with the blade.
This sword could create a specialized field tailored to me.
Within that field, my power was amplified, while my opponent’s was weakened by a debuff effect.
Chilho had mentioned earlier that this weapon was designed to grow.
Meaning, the stronger I became, the larger and more refined the field it could generate.
For now, it could only project a field roughly twenty meters in diameter, but with time, I’d eventually be able to manipulate space freely.
The only issue was the extreme mana consumption.
My other skills already drained a lot of mana—at this rate, I’d need to find some kind of mana amplification item soon.
When I withdrew the sword, the hellish scenery began to fade, the dueling arena returning to normal.
Though we hadn’t truly fought, the Sword Empress looked satisfied just from witnessing The Reader’s power.
The smith looked at me.
“Well? Satisfied?”
“Satisfied? This goes beyond satisfaction—it’s euphoric.”
At last, I held in my hands a weapon worthy of being called endgame gear.