As the time for descent approached, I felt a sense of regret and tried to reduce my sleep and focus more on training.
'What is he doing every night?'
Deshurun would enter the cabin before me and I could sense him doing something throughout the night, but it could have been personal matters, so I ignored it.
"Psh!" Clap Clap!
I successfully performed two consecutive sword auras.
Of course, I still felt uncertain about using them in actual combat.
'Come to think of it, Nickel also used sword auras during fights.'
I had always believed that he would handle things well in combat, so I didn't pay much attention to how he fought.
But now, faint memories of his unique movements and not just fluidity remained.
'It's frustrating.'
I had asked him to teach me sword techniques, but he only focused on basic swordsmanship.
Of course, I also hadn't properly communicated my request, but I hesitated to ask him to teach me those intricate details.
Now it was time for me to sleep, so I put away my sword and entered the cabin.
"Are you finished?"
"Yes. I'll go in first."
"Alright. Rest well."
What is he writing?
I glanced at him, sitting at a small desk and writing something, but I didn't pay much attention and went into the room to sleep.
'In a day or two, it'll be time for the descent. I should be able to arrive on time.'
It felt like I was trying too hard to fit into his schedule, but his teachings were too valuable.
Especially when it came to mana manipulation, there was still much for me to learn, to the point where I was tempted to just enroll in the Academy.
'Of course, that wouldn't be possible.'
Soon, Louis and the other important playable characters would enroll.
In order to prevent the world's destruction, I had to subtly guide them in the right direction.
When playing the game, I had quests to follow the main storyline, but now there were no reins holding them back.
'Of course, I can't control them as I please.'
But it would still be better than doing nothing.
Especially in the case of Louis, I had high expectations for him.
It was only natural since I had played as him for half of my two-year gameplay, creating a strong attachment.
The thought of meeting him soon kept me awake on that sleepless night.
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As I woke up during the early morning hours, feeling the crispness of the air, I stepped out of my room and noticed the empty cabin.
I thought that Deschurn must have briefly stepped out, so I contemplated whether to go for a short mountain walk. But in that moment, I noticed a book lying in front of the door.
'Why would he leave it here?'
Is it for me?
When I picked up the book, I saw the title, the ink still fresh.
[Muageom (Sword of Selflessness)]
It's an item label. Could it be...
"A swordsmanship manual?"
I tried to calm my racing mind as I held the book.
But it was difficult to remain calm.
A swordsmanship manual written by Deschurn Polon, the renowned master of swordsmanship.
Deschurn had always been a mysterious figure, and apart from Louis, I had never encountered any episodes related to him.
And even Louis had never received personal instruction from Deschurn.
'Is this truly a swordsmanship manual left by Deshurun?'
I walked around the cabin with the book in my hands, searching for Deschurn, but he was nowhere to be found inside.
Eventually, I went outside and searched the surroundings, but there was no trace of him.
Returning to the cabin, I slowly opened the book.
'Adrias Cromwell. I apologize for leaving this sudden gift and departing abruptly. As someone of my age, I find such sentimental gestures embarrassing. But forgive me for expressing my feelings in writing like this.'
It felt as if I could hear Deschurn's laughter.
Unconsciously, a smile formed on my face as I continued reading.
'To be honest, if I had enough time and circumstances allowed, I would have preferred to continue teaching you under my guidance. However, both my circumstances and yours would likely make that an unreasonable desire. So, I have transcribed my teachings into this book. I believe that you, of all people, will be able to accomplish great things with just this. When we meet again, I hope your skills surpass what is written in this book. P.S. It would be best if you memorize everything and then burn it. Don't get involved in unnecessary trouble.'
That was the extent of Deschurn's letter.
After that, it covered everything from the basics I had already learned to his advanced sword techniques.
I closed the book for a moment and sat quietly in the chair.
Receiving kindness from someone was not something I was accustomed to.
And once again, I felt grateful to return to this world.
Although the burden of knowing the impending doom of the world occasionally weighed on me, the presence of my family and these human connections gave meaning to my life.
"Then, has Deschurn already left the Krates Mountains?"
There was no reason for me to stay here any longer.
I had already planned to descend, and it seems Deschurn beat me to it.
Before leaving, I briefly left a note expressing my gratitude after taking a quick look around Deschurn's desk.
― Farewell, Master.
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A young boy stumbled along the wet road at night.
In his arms, he held a long object wrapped in purple fabric.
Growl.
How many days had it been since he had eaten?
The boy, who looked pitiful, aimlessly walked without a sense of direction.
"I'm hungry."
The reality that had changed in just a few days made hunger lose its meaning.
Other than the object he held, wrapped in the fabric, the boy had nothing else.
He became trapped in the thought that he might starve to death without anything else to his name.
"I have to protect it... even though..."
His consciousness gradually became hazy.
Unable to bear it any longer, the boy leaned against a wooden pillar on the roadside and lost consciousness.
'I have to protect it. There's no one else now.'
The boy, aware of his impending death, decided that he had to bury the object he held, even though he could barely muster the strength to dig the ground.
The object he possessed was the "Dark Sword Rubens."
It was an item that should never be revealed in this world.
And until now, it had been sealed by the sacrifice of generations in his tribe.
But a few days ago, during an attack by monsters, the boy barely managed to escape with the sword and fled.
Determined to gather a little more strength, the boy concluded that it would be better to head into the depths of the forest rather than remain on the roadside.
As he entered the forest, he caught a whiff of the scent of roasting meat.
Growl.
Unbeknownst to himself, the boy walked towards the direction where the scent was coming from while clutching the dark sword in his arms.
And there, he discovered a man grilling a whole rabbit on a skewer.
Tap, tap.
"Ah."
The boy turned around and locked eyes with the man who was looking at him.
Then, in his haste to retreat, he stumbled and fell.
The man got up from his spot and approached the boy.
"Don't... don't come any closer!"
The boy shouted, but his appearance was more like a frightened kitten hissing than anything threatening.
However, the man, who had set up a campfire, did not approach the boy any further. Instead, he returned to his spot and gestured after cutting the meat.
"Do you want some?"
The boy's throat audibly gulped, but he shook his head.
"T-Thank you, but I should be going."
However, contrary to his words, he couldn't easily leave.
Observing the boy, the man added spices to the cut meat and took a bite.
Just watching how much he enjoyed it made the boy's stomach roar.
"Uh..."
Tears welled up in the boy's eyes for some inexplicable reason.
He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die in a place like this, guarding a mere sword.
But for the sake of the noble mission and for the villagers who had died protecting it, he had to do his best to hide this sword.
At that moment, the man grilling the meat tore a leg off the rabbit, sprinkled some spices, and licked his fingers.
Then, he got up from his spot and approached the boy.
"D-Don't come any closer..."
"There's water here too, so eat together."
The man placed a water jug and the rabbit leg in front of the boy and then stepped back.
With a blank expression, the boy reached out with trembling hands and took the meat and the water jug.
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'Why are you here?'
I struggled to hide my complicated feelings as the figure suddenly appeared before me.
'Benjamin Anikios.'
The boy standing in front of me was none other than the second playable character following Louis.
Since it was still before the start of the game, he should have been in the secluded village of Lujin, isolated from the world.
From his appearance, it seemed like he had gone through quite a struggle.
Fortunately, he still possessed the Dark Sword, Rubens.
'He was the master of the Dark Sword and a genius with the sword.'
While Louis was a multi-talented prodigy who excelled at everything, Benjamin, on the other hand, was a genius who received tremendous bonuses when it came to swords, thanks to his special ability as the "Master of the Sword," a unique attribute that only he possessed.
It was originally set that he could become the owner of the Dark Sword due to this special attribute.
'But how did he end up wandering around with the Dark Sword like this?'
According to the original plan, he was supposed to be recognized as the owner of the Dark Sword in the village and embark on a journey to seal the true power of the Dark Sword.
Until he set off on his journey, his main story was supposed to revolve around training in the village, similar to how other characters trained at the academy.
It was puzzling why he ended up in this sorry state.
It was pitiful to see him dozing off immediately after eating the meat, clearly exhausted from his struggles.
'This reminds me of Seongbo.'
I recalled Park Seongbo, the youngest member of the special forces team who would behave exactly like this after tough training or missions.
As I gently covered him with a blanket, a random thought crossed my mind.
'How should I handle this guy?'
Let's think positively.
He is a child with tremendous potential, enough to become the second playable character.
Since things have turned out this way, what if I make him completely on my side?
'It would be a complete win-win situation.'