A knight in a realm that ordinary talents could never reach.
Verdin.
At a young age, he reached the peak with unmatched skills.
Even the Emperor bestowed upon him the grand title of 'Sword King.'
He graduated from the academy at the age of nine.
He went to the battlefield at the age of fourteen.
At the age of twenty, he annihilated a legion of monsters single-handedly.
This was an unprecedented and unparalleled record.
'Yes, that's right….'
Unrivaled.
This word was created for him.
At that time, Verdin believed he had reached the realm of the gods.
No one can defeat me.
Whether they are monsters or adventurers.
As a result, he grew increasingly arrogant.
He respected no one he met. He considered the word "respect" only in its dictionary sense.
He was that strong. Strong enough for everyone to acknowledge.
[Who could possibly surpass this absolute and invincible Sword God, 'Verdin'?]
This question was frequently asked among adventurers.
There is no one stronger than me.
Not in the past. Not in the future.
Verdin lived with that belief.
But the time he thought would never come eventually found him.
He thought he could never be defeated by anyone.
'Damn….'
[The Lord of Calamity, the Red Dragon.]
No matter how many times he cut it down, it wouldn't fall.
'If I could just defeat this one more creature, I would have been able to claim the title of the strongest being on earth.'
Simply cutting it down was not enough to win.
As expected, was a dragon something that couldn't be dealt with by human power?
Indeed, it was said that this single creature had the power to destroy the world. I was a fool to come after it alone.
'…Damn it!'
Thud!
The Red Dragon's massive, sharp claw pierced Verdin's chest. With a gasp, he was flung to the ground.
The intense pain made him groan involuntarily.
Cough-
Blood gushed out of his mouth.
His clothes and the ground had long since been stained red.
Defeated.
A complete defeat.
It was overwhelmingly strong.
Stronger than anyone he had ever encountered.
The Red Dragon stared at Verdin with its pitch-black eyes devoid of whites.
"Grrrr-"
Its eyes were more terrifying than any forest predator's. Verdin felt a chill run down his spine.
'I have to run.'
The thought surged through his mind, but his body wouldn't move.
He was deeply shocked by his first-ever defeat.
The fear of an unbeatable enemy. The misery of his own helplessness. The resulting fury stormed within him like a tempest.
"Hah."
All he could do was take shallow breaths with all his might.
His body was already in tatters. His hands and feet wouldn't move. He had lost too much blood, making his mind hazy.
He was too weak to even lift his head.
Sleep was overtaking him. His eyes closed on their own.
'Phew.'
As time passed and his thoughts cleared, Verdin accepted his defeat.
At the same time, he was able to think calmly. The outcome had already been decided. Today, I lost.
This fact would not change.
So how could he defeat the dragon?
Even in the face of defeat, Verdin longed for victory. It didn't take long for the answer to come to him.
'Yes.'
The reason I lost to the dragon today wasn't because I was human. It was simply because I was weak.
If I had been stronger, the outcome of this battle would have been different.
This fight was not between a human and a dragon. It was a duel between Verdin and the Red Dragon.
White breath puffed out through his exhale, spreading like mist.
Verdin let out a few hollow laughs and placed the back of his hand on his forehead.
'…Damn.'
I want to become stronger.
I really want to become stronger.
Desperately stronger.
Stronger than now. Beyond the limits of a human. Strong enough to defeat a dragon. Enough to reach the realm of gods!
Verdin truly was a figure worthy of being called the incarnation of the battlefield. Even in the face of death, he longed for greater power.
Before he died, he prayed one last time.
If there truly is a being called God, grant me just one more chance to fight.
Next time, I will become strong enough to kill that dragon.
I swear.
-Fwoosh.
The Red Dragon prepared its final strike.
The red flames filling its mouth swirled and then poured down upon Verdin's head.
Boom!