The opulent room was filled with scattered corpses, and silence hung in the air. I pondered on how I should respond to his question in order to smoothly navigate the situation.
"Why aren't you answering?"
He really has no patience.
In the end, I blurted out anything that came to mind.
"I don't know its name either. It's just an ordinary sword passed down to me from my father."
"That sword, I want to buy it."
Sigh. This is the worst.
Of course, I had no intention of selling Galakshur.
But I couldn't tell that to Hosan either.
'Damn that Jones.'
If it weren't for him, I would have just taken the book and left.
But the reason I drew my sword was because of the fight.
"Why have you been hesitating to answer?"
Survival?
No, it was more of an oppressive pressure than a will to survive.
That strange aura mixed with his presence sent shivers down my spine.
'Can I escape?'
No matter how strong Hosan is, he isn't omnipotent.
If I could buy some time, even just for a moment, I could remove the mask, change my attire, and escape.
'The problem is whether I can buy that time.'
But before I could even think about it, Hosan spoke before drawing his sword.
"I'm truly sorry, but I can't sell my father's heirloom so easily. Please understand."
"Is the heirloom more precious than your life?"
Now he's openly threatening me.
Well, he did kill Jones just because he was noisy. Is there anything to fear?
In the end, I decided to swallow my anger and hand over Galakshur.
No matter how valuable the item, it wasn't more precious than my life.
'It's a Named-grade sword, widely known. I can find something else if I look.'
Of course, most of the widely known Named-grade swords are located in dungeons and dangerous areas where your life is at stake.
In games, there's always the option of reloading a saved game if a dungeon run fails.
But now, with only one life hanging in the balance, the Galakshur I acquired by chance felt too precious to give up easily.
"I'll sell it."
In the end, a sense of submission slipped out of my mouth, and Hosan nodded as if it were only natural.
"Since you mentioned it's an heirloom, I'll generously offer you 10 million will."
"Excuse me?"
Suddenly, a bewildered question slipped out of my mouth.
Although I quickly covered my mouth, it was ridiculous. It wasn't a joke, and a Named-grade sword like Galakshur was being offered for a mere 10 million?
"Is there a problem?"
"No, there isn't."
'Fine. Even if it's just 10 million, where is it?'
But my anger surged within me like never before.
Due to the absurdity I had just experienced, my anger reached levels close to that of an emperor.
'I will become stronger and reclaim Galakshur, no matter what.'
I struggled to calm my mind and rose from my seat.
Just as I was about to hand Galakshur over to Hosan, a tumultuous noise came from below.
It seemed that the women who had escaped earlier had spread the news downstairs.
"Jones!"
"That bastard! Did you kill him?"
As the soldiers holding shields rushed up from below, they aimed their weapons at me and spoke.
In the midst of the chaotic situation, Hosan spoke first.
"I killed him. It was nothing but a minor disturbance."
Sigh.
He truly acted like a self-righteous villain.
Thanks to him, the subordinates who came up to confront us looked bewildered, alternately looking at me and Hosan, before finally revealing their killing intent.
"Kill them both!"
The newcomers varied in their backgrounds.
There were mages, swordsmen, and even rare weapons that were not commonly seen.
"These bastards have gone mad because they want to die."
Hosan swung his sword.
Brown mana wrapped around his sword, and sword waves swept forward like a gust of wind.
Thud! Crack!
Despite a few casualties on their side, Jones' subordinates did not falter.
As individuals with a certain level of fame, they weren't easily brought down unless they were faced with someone of the Master's caliber.
Thud! Crack! Whoosh!
Various spells were cast, and arrows and incantations rained down upon us.
They seemed to consider Hosan the most dangerous figure, as their attention was mostly focused on him rather than me.
'But more importantly...'
Hosan unleashed the magic he had avoided.
The destructive power caused the entire building to shake
Soon, small cracks appeared on the floor beneath us.
Creak.
A faint sound.
But that sound quickly turned into a tremendous roar.
Boom! Boom!
The floor began to collapse.
I could feel my body falling, and the situation only worsened.
'No, now is the chance.'
Crash!
As my body fell, I heard a shout.
"Don't hesitate, attack!"
Amidst the collapsing floor, I sensed numerous killing intents.
Quickly retreating, I evaded the attacks, but the variety of attacks was overwhelming.
Whoosh! Boom!
Swish—Thud!
Swords and spears struck where I had been standing, and all sorts of magic, arrows, and projectiles flew towards me.
Even though I dodged them, I still received wounds here and there.
Using my heightened combat abilities, I managed to evade the remaining attacks and attempted to escape the chaotic battlefield.
That's when dust rose, obscuring my vision within the ruins of the building.
'Danger!'
Instinctively, I leaned back.
Crack!
A deafening explosion echoed as a wave of mana formed into a blade passed just above my drenched body.
Lying on the ground, I raised my head to assess the situation in front of me.
'Crazy. Truly insane.'
There, Hosan, the Sword Demon, stood with one hand holding a sword enveloped in brown mana. He looked at the surviving enemies with a stroke of luck.
Regardless, it worked out well.
Now was the opportunity to escape.
Fortunately, Hosan was preoccupied with the attackers, and the enemies' attention was focused on him, not me.
Silently, I took advantage of the situation and slipped away from the crumbling debris, heading towards the exit.
'First, I need to escape from the Pleasure District. I'll deal with the rest later.'
As I emerged from the Pleasure District, I could sense the commotion caused by the auction building among the people gathered in the red-light district.
Slipping through the crowd, I moved as far away from Hosan as possible.
In the midst of it all, I checked the booklet I had tucked away in my pocket.
Luckily, the booklet was in perfect condition, without a single misplaced page.
[Red Dragon Kribmaher's Tomb]
'A dragon's tomb?'
When I picked it up earlier, I hadn't noticed the item's description due to Jones' summons. But now, I realized it wasn't a dragon lair, but rather a dragon's tomb.
Interestingly, unlike dragons depicted in other media, the dragons in this game didn't die in lairs but had predetermined locations where they met their end.
Most of these locations were inaccessible to ordinary people.
'And before they die, they destroy their lair and head to their chosen place to die. That's why lairs are rare.'
Finding either a tomb or a rare was incredibly challenging.
However, if I had to choose, I would prefer finding a lair.
Occasionally, when dragons died due to unforeseen accidents or events, they couldn't destroy their lairs and were discovered with valuable treasures hidden within them.
'But wait, that's not the important thing.'
Dragon's tomb?
That meant there would be a dragon's corpse inside.
What's a corpse?
'A necromancer.'
I must be crazy. This is insane.
I had to survive no matter what and investigate that place.
To encounter a real dragon... the thought alone was mind-boggling.
Successfully escaping from the Pleasure District, I returned to the rented room before entering the district. I took off the mask, changed my clothes, and packed my belongings.
Just to be safe, I put Galakshur into the expanded bag and strapped the 3 million Will sword I bought at the blacksmith to my waist.
'I managed to overcome the crisis.'
But it was too soon to let my guard down.
First, I needed to catch a train and leave Muriel.
I observed my surroundings as much as possible and eventually managed to board a train bound for the capital.
By now, I should have felt relieved, but my intuition continued to emit a sense of unease.
'What's going on? This should be fine...'
And my ominous premonition proved to be correct.
Thud!
Less than five minutes after boarding the train, a noise echoed as if something had fallen from the ceiling of the train compartment.
And I had experienced this kind of noise before.
Could it be...?
Hasn't someone followed me?
Clank!
As a sword suddenly burst out of the ceiling of the train compartment and created a hole, I immediately got up from my seat and rushed to the next compartment.
'I never expected this.'
Surely, without my mask and with a changed appearance, it would be impossible to recognize me, especially since I was carrying a different sword. But now that I thought about it, I always encountered random events no matter where or when I was in the game.
Back then, I didn't think much of it and assumed it was just a random event. But now, it was clear that there was a separate ability related to tracking and pursuit.
Swish!
Feeling a chill running down my spine, I quickly turned my body sideways while running.
As a result, a sharp force flew past me from behind, shattering the end of the train compartment.
'Crazy bastard.'
So much for the quiet temperament of the Sword Demon, right?
I take back what I said earlier. Being called a villain wasn't for no reason.
Realizing that I had nowhere else to run, I threw myself out of the train compartment that had been punctured by Hosan's attack.
Thanks to activating my body with mana, I was able to land safely. But the problem was what would happen next.
"I didn't intend to kill you if you just handed over the sword. It's a shame."
Hosan, who had followed me, revealed a malicious aura.
How did he recognize and track me?
However, it was a meaningless question at this point.
'I have to make a move.'
Since I had already escaped once before, there was no way Hosan would spare my life.
I slowly drew my sword.
Even if I had to fight the undead and even if it meant using my laziness, I had to survive.
.
.
.
.
The sun had set, and the night had grown deeper.
Dianne was engrossed in reading her favorite magazine, "Monthly Shining Knights."
Fortunately, this month's issue had just been released, and she had been eagerly awaiting this moment since morning.
It had become her habit to indulge in her hobbies only after completing all her daily tasks.
This month's issue featured an article on the newly enrolled freshman at Rodren, Louis Artman, as Dianne had expected.
'Not bad at all.'
Curious about the rumored underclassman, she had attended the entrance ceremony herself.
Louis Artman, as rumored, had the typical appearance of a gallant knight, which perfectly matched Dianne's taste. She couldn't help but have complicated thoughts about him for a while.
'But still, I have someone.'
The Masked Swordsman.
Even though she didn't know his name or face, the memories of that day left a strong impression on her that she would never forget.
She had hoped to meet him again someday, but at the same time, there was a contradiction in her heart, hoping that he would remain mysterious like a childhood dream.
"Hmm..."
Dianne stopped her imagination and continued reading the magazine.
It contained anecdotes and small episodes of famous knights, as well as poems by a poet.
As the magazine neared its end, she turned the page with a feeling of disappointment, only to find unexpected content.
'The emergence of a powerful genius to succeed the divine beings of Monas?'
Although the article seemed somewhat shabby, she found herself drawn in by the name mentioned in the following paragraphs.
'A talent recommended by Adrias Cromwell, who made a name for himself with the Everlast Potion.'
Recommended by Adrias?
The article stated that a boy with exceptional talent had been admitted to the Monas Academy.
It even mentioned that his talent was comparable to that of Louis Artman, but whether it was true or not was beside the point. It was difficult to accept the fact that Adrias had recommended such a person.
'No, I guess I have to admit it now.'
She had been deliberately ignoring him all this time, but her perception changed after the last final evaluation.
Perhaps she had clung onto a childish thought that she should have given up long ago.
Adrias. He was now a truly remarkable individual.
Of course, he was still far from her level, but she had to admit that he was not someone to be ignored.
When she saw a picture of Benjamin Anikius, the talent recommended by Adrias, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He appeared to be a skinny boy who didn't even look capable of wielding a sword.
'But still...'
Unlike others, he's at least good-looking.
Now that she thought about it, she remembered that Adrias was her opponent in the tournament duel on Monday. She had been so relaxed that she had even forgotten about her opponent.
'I should ask him when we meet.'
Benjamin Anikius. Honestly, she couldn't help but be curious since he was said to be comparable to Louis. Moreover, if he was recommended by Adrias, there might be a connection between them.
Dianne saw this as an opportunity and thought it wouldn't hurt to meet him once.