Crack!
Jin mumbled absentmindedly as he watched the volley of arrows transform into a brilliant white light, caught in a cluster of lightning bolts.
“Did I… do that?”
There was no one else around. This meant that the phenomenon that had just occurred had been executed by his own hands.
Groaning, Jin stood up and, recalling the sensation from earlier, swung his sword again.
Swish-
The gleaming blade sliced through the air with considerable force.
“……”
But that was all.
Nothing like before happened. Even after swinging with all his might several times, the result was the same.
“……What’s going on? Was it not me after all?”
Feeling embarrassed, Jin scratched his head. Despite being alone, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of awkwardness.
“Oh right, I don’t have time for this.”
Before the next attack came, he needed to reach the summit. Jin, gathering his bloodied body, was about to take a step when—
“Haha, what an amusing fellow.”
A raspy voice came from behind. Despite being on high alert, he hadn’t sensed any presence.
“Who’s there!”
Startled, Jin shouted as he turned around. In his view was an imposing elderly man with white hair.
The old man was clearly no ordinary person. The heavy aura he exuded caused Jin’s tone to become a bit more respectful.
“Who… might you be, sir?”
“You little rascal, despite your appearance, you change your attitude like flipping a hand. Judging by your actions, you must have a long life ahead of you.”
“……”
A hint of sarcasm in the old man’s words caused a flicker of discontent to appear and then vanish from Jin’s face.
Instinctively, he knew.
This old man was someone he couldn’t touch, no matter how hard he tried.
Resisting would only bring harm to himself.
Seeing Jin’s reaction as amusing, the old man burst into hearty laughter.
“Can it be that a swordsman like you truly doesn’t know who I am? It seems quite a lot of time has passed indeed.”
Jin quietly racked his brain. There was something faintly familiar about the old man.
‘Wait…’
A thought suddenly flashed through Jin’s mind.
The old man’s appearance perfectly matched a portrait hanging in the mansion of the Storm Sword family.
Not only there, but his statues and portraits could also be found throughout the empire.
Even in the emperor’s palace.
“Could you be… Lord Idrian Stormchaser?”
“Haha, finally you recognize me! I almost felt slighted there.”
Idrian clapped his hands in satisfaction. With his gesture, blue sparks flew up.
This confirmed it.
The old man before him was the legendary swordsman, the first head of the Storm Sword family and the original owner of Stormbringer, known as the Sword Star of Thunder and Lightning, Idrian Stormchaser.
This was an unexpected situation.
According to the setting book for Deesa, Idrian’s legacy was supposed to be stored in Stormbringer in the form of a sort of mental image, passing on a piece of knowledge with each gate crossed.
‘Well, I couldn’t confirm it in my playthrough of Guion since the conditions weren’t met to learn the skills…’
Indeed, the setting book described it that way. Therefore, the appearance of Idrian himself was something Jin hadn’t imagined.
“How are you here…?”
“Hmm? Are you asking how an old man who went senile and died while playing around trying to conquer the Demon Realm is standing here alive and well?”
Idrian saw through Jin’s thoughts completely. Jin, about to nod in agreement, quickly halted his movement.
It was true, but agreeing would likely result in getting fried by lightning.
“Haha! It’s because I’m the ghost residing in Stormbringer. I woke from my long slumber to devour the rare sacrifice that arrived!”
Idrian showed his teeth in a mischievous smile, raising his hands as if to claw, his white teeth gleaming incongruously with his legendary reputation.
“Was that supposed to be a joke?”
“What? Why is the reaction so lukewarm to the Sword Star’s joke?”
Jin didn’t see the connection between being a Sword Star and telling jokes.
Moreover, it wasn’t even funny. Actually, he wasn’t sure it was meant to be funny.
‘Even kindergartners wouldn’t laugh.’
Not knowing how to react, Jin stood still, and Idrian, approaching closer, awkwardly scratched his nose.
“Hmm. It seems my humor was too sophisticated for you to understand. In the old days, people would roll on the floor laughing whenever I opened my mouth… Ah, well.”
Maybe that wasn’t due to your humor but rather your status as the head of the Storm Sword family.
Jin held back the words that reached his throat. He wasn’t tactless enough to say such things to the man’s face.
“Well… so, why are you here, sir?”
“Isn’t it obvious? A worthy fellow has come, so I thought I’d give him some guidance. Consider yourself honored. You are the first to awaken me from my centuries-long sleep… or perhaps it’s been even longer. I deliberately raised the difficulty, but you didn’t flee and persevered till the end. Quite impressive for a young one.”
“Pardon?”
“Pardon? Did you not hear? I said a promising lad woke me up, so I thought I’d teach him a thing or two. The fact that you won against the child means you understand the essence of the sword and tools. I don’t sense mana, so your body is suitable for learning Hyunchon… Your muscles and bones aren’t bad either… And also…”
Listening to Idrian’s endless, almost chatty narrative, Jin blinked unconsciously.
Then, a message he hadn’t checked in the chaos appeared.
- The soul of [Idrian Stormchaser] sealed within Stormbringer has awakened in response to the user’s potential.
‘So that’s it.’
Realizing why Idrian hadn’t appeared before, Jin clicked his tongue.
Even Guion’s seven-star potential wasn’t enough to wake the soul sealed in the sword.
“Hmm… and your face is quite decent too. To claim to be my successor, one must at least look the part. Oh, by the way, just in case you didn’t understand, ‘face’ refers to your looks. And furthermore…”
Idrian, seemingly tireless, continued his endless talk. Jin interrupted him with a question.
“So, the reason you appeared before me is…”
“Can’t you tell by looking? I’m here to teach you personally!”
Snap-
Idrian lightly snapped his fingers.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning from the sky struck and pulverized half of the hill where the Sword Star’s legacy rested.
Only the area right in front of Jin remained untouched, leaving the Sword Star’s grave charred.
“W-Why did you destroy that?!”
Jin exclaimed, aghast at the sudden action.
“You seemed to know what was in there. Feeling regretful?”
“Of course! Damn it, I went through all this trouble to get that…”
Seeing Jin’s outburst, Idrian laughed, showing his teeth.
“Haha, you fool. That was a half-assed version for those lucky enough to take Stormbringer. Forget that; I’ll teach you the real deal.”
“…What?”
“Young one, your ears are failing already? As they say, ‘seeing is believing.’ Experience it firsthand.”
Whap-
With that, Idrian lightly tapped Jin’s forehead with his palm.
At the same time, Jin’s consciousness began to be pulled away into a distant place, regardless of his will.
“What the… Aargh!”
Jin opened his eyes and abruptly stood up. Bang! He hit his head on the carriage ceiling with a loud crash and screamed in pain.
“What is it, brother!”
“A-Are we being attacked? Bandits? Or monsters?”
Buta and Rat, awakened by the sudden commotion, hastily grabbed their weapons.
Dried drool marks were evident around their mouths.
“…It’s nothing.”
Jin, trying to act calm, waved his hand, and seeing nothing was wrong, the two closed their eyes again.
‘Damn it. At this rate, I won’t be able to master the technique before reaching the Jerfelt territory.’
His plans were going awry, making him anxious.
Checking the two who had started snoring again, Jin closed his eyes as well.
Soon, a message appeared.
- You cannot enter the mental realm right now.
- You cannot enter the mental realm right now.
No matter how many times he tried, it was the same. Then, a familiar voice echoed in his mind as he struggled to enter the mental realm.
- Haha, why are you in such a rush? It’s been a while since I’ve done this, so it took some time.
It was Idrian.
With his voice, Jin felt Stormbringer, which had been absorbed into his body, pulsating.
‘What’s going on?’
Jin asked in his mind, and Idrian replied.
- What’s going on is that I’ve infused my soul into the sword. For someone of my level, this is nothing. Stormbringer is part of you, and I’ve become one with Stormbringer, so I’m now part of you too. It’s refreshing to be out in the world again!
Idrian’s excited laughter echoed.
But Jin wasn’t interested in that.
‘You became part of me? But more importantly, why did you destroy the legacy? Damn it, I needed a technique I could use right now…’
Jin’s anger was simple. He was pressed for time.
The skill forms of techniques allowed only to players didn’t take long to acquire. In-game time, it would take just an hour or two to start using mana.
However, learning a technique directly from someone was different.
Just sensing mana could take at least two months of in-game time.
Accumulating mana within his body took over half a year.
That meant he would be unable to do anything at Jerfelt, the starting point for his external activities.
He had a backup plan for emergencies, but using it would cost him Belkan’s trust.
‘Damn it… that old man.’
Great Sword Star, my foot.
Cursing Idrian for ruining his plans, Jin heard the old man’s indignant voice.
- You don’t think the technique I developed myself is just like any other, do you?
‘What else could it be?’
- I told you. Seeing is believing. Do you think I sealed my soul in Stormbringer for nothing?
Realizing there was something serious, Jin softened his tone slightly.
‘How would I know?’
Sensing Jin’s shift, Stormbringer, which had settled near his heart like a liquid, began to move slowly through his veins.
- Watch carefully. For someone like me, opening someone else’s qi sense is easier than breathing.
As soon as Idrian finished speaking, a strange sensation began to permeate Jin’s body.
Whoosh-
It felt as if he was breathing through his entire body rather than just his respiratory system or drinking a refreshing liquid.
‘What is this…’
Surprised by the unfamiliar sensation, Jin heard Idrian’s arrogant voice in his ear.
- Feel it clearly. This is mana, the force that forms the world and the source of everything.
