Chapter 16

“Wow… This is amazing. I never thought I’d get to wear a knight’s uniform in my life.”

“So, how do I look, Rat? Does it suit me well?”

“It looks awesome. You look like a real knight. All you need is a white horse to be perfect.”

“You look just like a knight, too. Even better than Captain Ged. Black suits you well.”

Inside the carriage speeding towards the Jerfelt territory, Ratand Buta, both wearing the uniforms of the Dark King Knights, gave each other a thumbs-up.

These uniforms were provided at Jin’s request.

Thanks to Jin, the two of them were able to enjoy the fresh air outside for the first time in a long while, and their faces were full of excitement.

“Thanks to our brother, we get to wear these uniforms, and on top of that, we’re on a secret mission from the Captain… amazing.”

“It feels like we’ve taken on something incredible. Like we’re heroes or something.”

The copper star-shaped brooches, symbolizing their status as trainee knights, hanging on their chests glinted brilliantly in the winter sunlight streaming through the window.

“Stop fooling around and don’t forget what I told you,” Jin, also dressed in the knights’ uniform, restrained the two excited men.

On Jin’s chest was a silver star, symbolizing a full-fledged knight.

“Answer me.”

The two, exchanging glances, immediately shouted in unison, “We’ll thoroughly hide the fact that we’re prisoners. And we’ll never act on our own without your orders, brother.”

“Good. And one more thing,” Jin added.

“This is just in case, but don’t even think about running away just because we took off your shackles. The moment that gets out, the Shadow Pavilion of the main house will come after you. That’s the condition the Captain set for letting you go.”

“We understand that much. We’ve never thought of escaping,” Rat quickly replied, turning pale at Jin’s warning. They were well aware of the Shadow Pavilion’s infamous reputation for information gathering.

If they made up their minds, it wouldn’t take half a day before they found themselves in a dark torture chamber.

“Good thinking.”

Jin, nodding in satisfaction, looked at Rat and Buta sitting opposite him.

They seemed uncomfortable without the bracelets that had been restraining them, frequently rubbing their wrists.

“Both of you, stand tall. Don’t act like scared dogs. We’re visiting Jerfelt territory as official knights of the Dark King Knights.”

“Hehe… I’m not used to being outside for so long. But brother, what kind of relationship do you have with the Captain to be given such secret missions twice?”

“Yeah, I’ve been in the corps for a long time, but I’ve never seen anyone like you.”

“It’s complicated. Don’t ask any more. I won’t answer anyway.”

Although he planned to reveal his true identity to them soon, it wasn’t the right time yet.

So Jin answered nonchalantly and looked out the window.

“The scenery is breathtaking.”

The carriage was traveling down a deserted path. The landscape covered in white snow was quite beautiful.

If it weren’t for the mission, he would have loved to sit back and enjoy it.

“But I can’t afford that.”

It would take about a day by carriage to reach Jerfelt territory, meaning he had a day to himself.

This precious time couldn’t be wasted.

Jin adjusted his posture and spoke to the two in an unusually serious voice, “I’m tired. I’m going to take a nap now, and don’t wake me up for anything. If you do, you’re dead.”

Rat looked at him incredulously.

“…Is that the face of someone about to sleep? It looks like… Ugh!”

Rat leaped up from his seat, having been kicked in the shin. Jin glared at him.

“So, are you going to wake me up?”

“Absolutely not. Even if the carriage catches fire, if bandits attack, or if a giant monster crashes into the carriage, I won’t wake you up.”

“Do you want to die? Then you should wake me up. Are you telling me to die in my sleep? Is that what you really think?”

‘…What does he want me to do?’

Muttering inwardly so that Jin wouldn’t notice, Rat shut his mouth.

From experience, he knew staying quiet would result in fewer beatings.

“Good. Anyway, you two get some rest too. We’ll be busy once we arrive at the territory.”

Satisfied with the silence of the two, Jin folded his arms and closed his eyes.

At that moment, a message appeared in the dark field of his vision.

• Entering the mental domain of the true owner of Stormbringer, the Sword Saint.

Killing the sentient spirit of the cursed sword and gaining ownership of Stormbringer was just the beginning.

The real game to obtain the legacy of the Sword Saint and the supreme cultivation technique, Heavenly Profound Art, was about to begin.

When Jin opened his eyes again, he was standing on a windy plain.

He saw a hill rising in the distance. It was the place known as the Sword Saint’s grave, where Stormbringer’s twisted spirit first appeared.

The only difference from before was that the fierce storm that had seemed to want to kill him was gone.

“Everything is as I remember it…”

Muttering softly, Jin began walking towards the hill.

After a few steps.

“Krurrrk-”

A sound similar to that of a beast’s cry reached his ears. A chill ran down his spine.

“Damn, this is the same too.”

Sensing danger, Jin rolled his body without hesitation.

Whizzz—

An arrow made of ground beast bones, used by goblins, one of the typical demihuman species, struck the spot where Jin had been standing.

Straightening up, Jin turned towards the direction the attack had come from but saw nothing.

Looking back at the ground, the arrow was dissolving into white light.

“As expected…”

This was a memory imprinted in Stormbringer. It was a reenactment of an experience the previous owner had gone through.

It was also an attack that directly impacted the mind rather than the body.

Just like last time, if he died here, his mind might break, leaving him a vegetable.

“But I have no choice.”

Even with the risk, he had to attempt it.

With the mana-sealing bracelet removed, now was the best time to acquire the Heavenly Profound Art left by the Sword Saint.

Once they entered the territory, they would be under the surveillance of the Demonic Sect, leaving no time to enter the mental domain.

“Damn game-like situation. Nothing’s ever easy…”

Jin grumbled softly.

The silver lining was that unlike last time, he could use the full power of his avatar here.

It would be nearly impossible with just his bare hands, but with his combat prowess and heightened focus, it was doable.

Jin quickened his pace.

“Alright. Let’s break through in one go.”

His target was the top of the Sword Saint’s grave. If he reached the destination without falling, victory would be his.

As Jin recalled this, he was about to leap into action when he heard a faint whistling sound.

“Hup!”

Letting out a sharp breath, Jin quickly bent backward. A sharp poisoned needle narrowly missed the tip of his nose. It was a paralyzing needle commonly used by the lower-level monsters called gnolls.

Jin regained his balance and immediately drew his sword. Whoosh—a stone axe suddenly appeared from thin air, rushing toward him. It was a weapon typically used by trolls, another type of demihuman similar to goblins.

Crash!

The attack came too suddenly to dodge. Jin blocked the axe by angling his sword, but the force of the impact pushed him backward.

“Ugh…”

Grabbing his wrist, Jin let out a short groan. His wrist felt weak, likely sprained from the blow. The trolls were known for their immense strength, second only to the strongest demihumans. Even though he had blocked the attack with his full body weight, his wrist had still taken a serious hit. If he had taken that blow directly, he would have been a bloody mess.

“Stay calm. Stay focused.”

Swallowing hard, Jin barely had time to move before another attack came.

Shh-shh-shh-shh!

This time, a rain of arrows filled the sky. It was a tactic used by gnoll archers, the elite class of gnolls known for overwhelming their enemies with numbers.

“Damn it. What kind of experiences did the previous owner go through?”

Grimacing, Jin gripped his sword tightly with his uninjured left hand. While his physical abilities had improved dramatically, he still knew nothing about proper swordsmanship. Even using the genius combat technique couldn’t completely defend him since it only allowed movements he was capable of performing.

He had to avoid any critical hits. Making a quick decision, Jin threw himself to the side.

At the same time, clink-clink-clink!

The barrage of arrows clashed with his sword, sending sparks flying.

Thunk! Despite his desperate concentration, some arrows pierced deeply into his right thigh.

“Grr.”

The pain was blinding, but Jin bit his tongue to stay conscious.

It was an extreme measure, but it worked. Regaining his focus, Jin dragged his leg and ran up the hill.

“Damn it. Faster…”

Occasionally, a few spears and blades aimed at his neck flew his way, but luckily, they lacked enough force to be difficult to block.

Jin had reached halfway up the hill in the blink of an eye when he saw another wave of arrows materialize out of thin air.

“Damn it.”

Jin’s face paled, not because of the arrows but because of the crossbows mixed in among them.

The thick, heavy bolts loaded in the taut crossbows were twice the size of regular arrows.

“This wasn’t here before!”

Jin shouted in frustration. When he had played through this in his previous life, it hadn’t been this difficult. There was only one arrow barrage, and clearing it wasn’t too hard if he could withstand it.

But now, things were different.

For reasons unknown, the difficulty had increased.

The fear of becoming a vegetable, unable to control his bodily functions, loomed over Jin.

With his body already battered, trying to fend off the next attack would make him look like a porcupine or a cactus.

There was no time to hesitate. There was only one option: run like hell toward the goal.

“Aaaargh!”

Screaming to block out the pain, Jin dashed forward. It was an undignified display, but dignity didn’t matter now.

Thwack-thwack-thwack—

Arrows landed right in his footprints. They were clearly aimed at him, another pattern he hadn’t encountered before.

Thunk!

One arrow pierced Jin’s shoulder. Immediately after, a curved blade appeared from nowhere and grazed his side.

A searing pain spread through him like a burn. Jin staggered, lost his balance, and tumbled to the ground.

Looking up, he saw the sky darken with arrows aimed right at him.

“Shit.”

Jin muttered hopelessly. With his body in tatters, there was only one fate left for him.

Thwack-thwack-thwack—

The rain of black arrows seemed to slow down, as if in slow motion. Was this what it felt like to face death?

“Screw that. I’m not dying here.”

Gritting his teeth, Jin grasped his sword.

The situation was desperate, but he couldn’t give up. Summoning every ounce of strength, Jin half-rose and swung his sword.

Bzzzzt!

A brilliant bolt of lightning suddenly struck from the sky, reducing all the incoming arrows to dust.

“…Huh?”

This was new.

Caught off guard, Jin’s mouth fell open in astonishment.