“Phew……”
Jin took a deep breath as he came to his senses. The cold air of the armory brushed past his neck.
“It ended easier than I thought. Stormbringer was no big deal after all.”
Jin muttered quietly to himself. It was an instinctive act to calm himself and alleviate the mental shock he had just experienced.
He had thought there wouldn’t be any issues since he knew the strategy by playing the scenario, but that wasn’t the case.
Knowing something and actually experiencing it were entirely different. It wasn’t something he could handle with a half-hearted resolve.
The excruciating pain he felt in the mental world was still vivid.
“Yeah. It was nothing.”
Despite his nonchalant tone, his fingertips trembled slightly, proof that he was not as unaffected as he appeared.
Try as he might to forget, the pain he experienced kept resurfacing.
“……”
Just thinking about the moment his limbs were mercilessly severed made his stomach churn.
Even with the enhanced mental fortitude provided by his avatar, it was a torment difficult to endure.
“Ugh……”
In the end, Jin couldn’t hold it in and began to vomit.
After a moment.
Straightening his hunched back, Jin wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Vomiting had cleared his dizzy mind a bit.
He would get used to it eventually.
It’s better than dying, right?
In any case, it was something he would face countless times in the future. In this filthy world, there was no way to survive without getting hurt or feeling pain.
It wasn’t even a real injury, just something experienced in the realm of consciousness. If he was shaken by something like this, he couldn’t accomplish anything.
“Yeah. Let’s think of it as a rehearsal.”
He needed to stay positive.
Jin steadied his mind and lowered his gaze. What he saw was the hilt of Stormbringer, the blade now absorbed by its new master, leaving only the useless part behind.
“At least the absorption seems to have gone well.”
The problem was whether he could use Stormbringer in his current state.
He already knew how to do it.
As soon as he passed the trial, the image imprinted in his mind showed him the way.
“I should keep this since it might come in handy… Now, how does this work?”
With the handle of Stormbringer tucked inside his coat, Jin recalled the image of the sword in his mind.
Swoosh—
Simultaneously, a small dagger, more akin to a toothpick, emerged from his palm.
“……Tsk. I can’t use it yet.”
Jin muttered in disappointment as he looked at the small dagger floating above his palm.
It couldn’t be helped.
Unlike the completed mystical weapon, Nebula, the growth-type Stormbringer’s power depended on its user’s abilities.
Having just reached the second star level, this was the limit of his power.
For now, the cheap sword he received from Belkan was much more suitable for use as a weapon.
“Well, I expected this.”
What mattered to him now was not the weapon’s ability but the ‘treasure’ stored within Stormbringer.
The legacy of a great swordsman recorded in history, a power he couldn’t obtain while playing the scenario due to unmet conditions. Now, he believed he could claim it.
“To do that, I need to unlock this first.”
Jin glanced at the bracelet on his wrist before standing up. He was heading to find Belkan, who was probably troubled by now.
“It’s time to leave this damn place. I need to resolve the issues tied to my body and pick up something useful.”
Jin organized his thoughts and started walking towards the exit of the armory.
Rumble—
As the heavy iron door closed, the armory was once again engulfed in deep darkness.
A small spark flickered above the last footprint Jin left behind.
The office of the leader of the Dark Order.
Leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, Belkan spoke in a scornful tone as he looked at the knights lined up in front of him.
“So, you failed to catch him? I sent four mid-level knights.”
The knights, overwhelmed by Belkan’s fierce presence, hung their heads low. Instinctual fear washed over them.
They were skilled warriors in their own right, but in front of Belkan, who had reached the master level, they were like children.
“If you have mouths, speak. Is it so difficult for four expert knights to deal with one demon that appeared in a backwater territory?”
“Well, that’s…”
One knight, looking to the others for cues, stammered as he began to speak.
“Sorry, sir. The target was very meticulous…”
The other three knights quickly chimed in as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“Even though we disguised ourselves, he spotted us right away…”
“We searched the entire territory, but couldn’t find anyone we suspected of being a demon.”
“We think we need additional support…”
“Enough!”
Bam!
Belkan slammed his fist on the desk. With a loud crash, his handprint was clearly marked on the thick wooden surface. This was a sign of his immense strength, achieved without using any mana.
“……”
The faces of the knights turned pale as they faced Belkan’s rage. Looking at them with disdain, Belkan let out a deep sigh.
“While you were in Jerfelt territory, there were two more victims. I made bold promises to the lord, and now I look like a fool.”
“……”
“It’s just a minor demon in a backwater territory, not even the capital. And you so-called knights can’t take down one lowly demon?”
“Sorry, sir!”
The knights straightened up and shouted in unison.
Their faces flushed with embarrassment. Belkan’s words had hit home. The opponent was just a low-level demon, one that could be handled by a dozen regular soldiers.
Yet, four expert knights, skilled in wielding aura blades, had been dispatched and still failed to catch even a glimpse of the demon.
They had no excuse.
“Maybe we should ask the first young master for help… He’s as skilled as the head of the family and might find the target easily…”
The knight, who was speaking hesitantly, clammed up as Belkan’s expression twisted.
But it was already too late.
“So, you’re saying I should bow my head to that brat again? If he rejects me again, should I kneel next time?”
Belkan’s shout echoed in their ears. Realizing his mistake, the knight bowed his head.
“No, sir. I apologize!”
“Useless fools. It would be better if I handled it myself. Get out of my sight.”
With a cold voice, Belkan turned away.
Knowing it was best to leave, the knights quickly exited the office.
“Damn them.”
Once they were gone, Belkan gritted his teeth.
Though he had said he would handle it personally, the thought of doing so was distasteful.
Facing a low-level demon and personally intervening? That’s like using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken, no, a worm.
Ignoring it wasn’t an option either.
The Jerfelt territory was ruled by the Jerfelt family, a branch of the Meteor Sword family.
Ideally, his knights or the heir from the main family should handle this.
But the knights had failed, and the esteemed first son of the main family had flatly refused his request, saying he didn’t want to dirty his sword on a mere low-level demon.
“Nothing ever goes as planned. Damn it.”
He felt like he was boiling inside.
Normally, he would have summoned a concubine to cool his temper, but today he felt like a stiff drink would do better.
“Hoo…”
Just as Belkan let out a deep breath and was about to call for a servant, the tightly closed door swung open.
“Hello, Master.”
Belkan’s jaw dropped at the sight of Jin confidently greeting him.
A mere soldier had barged into the master’s office as he pleased. It was so absurd it left him speechless.
“There should have been knights guarding the entrance. Did you bribe them?”
“I just walked in. No one stopped me.”
“…”
Belkan, having called him to the office a few times before, realized his knights must have let him in, knowing how he disliked unnecessary procedures.
Recognizing his own part in the lapse, Belkan frowned and asked,
“So, what’s your business?”
“I know it’s rude, but I have something to say to you.”
His words and actions didn’t match at all.
Jin casually sat down in a chair and poured himself some tea from a pot on the table. The cold tea filled the cup.
“Hah…”
Belkan was at a loss for words, letting out a sigh.
No one had ever behaved this boldly in his presence. Not even the first son, favored by the family head.
Curiosity sparked in him. What gave Jin such confidence?
Perhaps he had a death wish.
Belkan’s mind raced with thoughts, most involving violence.
“You…”
As Belkan, having missed his chance to act, began to speak, Jin set down his cup and interrupted.
“I can solve your problem, Master.”
“…?”
The statement came out of nowhere.
Seeing Belkan’s confusion, Jin smirked and continued,
“The Jerfelt territory, I mean.”
Belkan’s eyes widened at the mention of Jerfelt.
“How do you know about that… don’t tell me…”
The trouble in Jerfelt with the demon was a highly classified matter within the knight order.
The fact that a mere soldier like Jin knew meant…
“That blabbermouth Violet must have had a hand in this. I should have known when she mentioned you… Damn woman.”
“The medicine dect leader had nothing to do with it.”
Jin emphasized ‘nothing’ with a sly grin, and Belkan’s temple throbbed with a prominent vein.
“Not her, my ass. If it wasn’t her, it’d be the Sword Master, and it’s definitely not him.”
With his simple logic, he was sure Violet was the culprit.
“Come on, it’s not her.”
“Are you defending her now? You two must be quite the pair.”
“Hey, come on. There’s quite an age gap between us. I don’t see anyone over five years older as a woman.”
Jin shrugged off the insinuation with a joke, stifling a laugh inside.
He sensed a bloody conflict brewing between the two heads soon. A small revenge on both Belkan, who beat him, and Violet, who dismissed him.
“Anyway, what’s important is that I can handle the Jerfelt territory issue for you.”
“…How?”
“That’s a secret. If I tell you how, what would I live on?”
Jin waved his index finger. Belkan clenched his fist.
He wanted nothing more than to punch that smug face.
But he had to hold back.
“Here’s my thought. The second son might be lacking in skill, but he has potential. Why not give him some experience?”
Belkan recalled a conversation with Violet from a few days ago.
As arrogant and loose-tongued as she was, she wasn’t one to make unfounded claims.
In other words, she saw enough in Jin to believe he could replace his brother.
‘As much as I hate to admit it, she has a better eye for people than I do…’
The opponent was a low-level demon.
If Jin could find the demon’s main body, even his meager abilities would be enough to handle it.
Moreover, Jin had already proven himself by locating Remut’s nest.
Perhaps he knew something about the demon in Jerfelt that they had overlooked.
As he stroked his wiry beard and pondered, Belkan spoke cautiously.
“…You’re saying you can handle what even expert-level knights couldn’t?”
“I’ll have the demon’s head at your feet within a fortnight.”
“What if you fail?”
“I’ll stake my life on it.”
“This isn’t something to take lightly. The lives of the villagers are at stake.”
Jin’s expression was more confident than ever. There was even a strange sense of certainty in his eyes.
As he looked at Jin’s face, he kept seeing the image of the former family head in his younger days.
Whenever Vergo had that look, he would easily accomplish things that seemed impossible to others.
‘Comparing my brother to this scoundrel, what a pointless thought…’
Even as he tried to deny it, the image of Vergo kept coming to mind. It was a feeling he never got from the eldest, Pierre.
‘Alright. Giving him a chance once isn’t a bad idea.’
Having made up his mind, Belkan spoke softly.
“Tell me what you need. But know this: if you fail, you must be prepared to risk your life.”
