Michael's Sword Awakens

Beorn was absolutely certain that his gauntlet would shatter the human's sword into pieces and then rip out his heart—right up until that moment.

Clang!

But Beorn's gauntlet was blocked by another sword.

And when he saw what it was, Beorn's face twisted in horror.

It was a rusted, half-broken sword.

The announcer latched onto the chance to mock Jae-jun mercilessly the second he spotted something to nitpick.

Jae-jun smirked as he listened to the sneering voice echoing through the arena.

'Let's see if you'll still be laughing once you realize what this really is.'

Beorn's attack came flying at him again.

Jae-jun blocked it once more with the half-broken sword, using the force to leap backward.

Thud!

Thud!

Seizing the opening, Jae-jun's summons charged at Beorn.

Fifty stone golems, the lich, the ogre, and the troll swarmed from all sides, blocking Beorn's path.

Grrrrr!

A massive earthworm burst from the ground, clamping down on Beorn with its enormous jaws.

"Annoying pests!"

Smash!

Smash!

Each time Beorn shook off one of his arms, the summons crumpled into bloody heaps.

Jae-jun's gaze flicked toward Beorn for a split second before shifting to the window that popped up in front of him.

'Michael's Sword!'

Jae-jun had been stunned when he first received the sword from Lucifer and saw its description window.

Michael was Lucifer's younger brother, the supreme commander of the heavenly host leading the angels.

It was a famous tale: when Lucifer rebelled against God, Michael drove a sword of fire into his chest and cast him down to the demon realm.

And Lucifer had kept that very sword—Michael's sword—embedded in his own chest all this time.

With one of his soul fragments sealed inside it.

'Awaken it!'

Michael's sword began absorbing Jae-jun's mana.

It drained so much that the mana bar in his status window blinked wildly, plummeting in huge chunks.

The mana pouring out of Jae-jun's body gathered into the blade.

The half-broken blade slowly began to lengthen.

Whoooosh—

Beorn whipped his head around.

'Danger!'

The orc god was warning him directly.

'That sword is dangerous!'

Beorn's instincts screamed the same thing.

'What the hell does this puny thing have?!'

Rawr!

Roaring, the orc unleashed mana from his entire body, smashing the earthworm's head and hurling himself at Jae-jun.

Splat!

Splat!

Hestia intercepted, sinking her teeth into Beorn's shoulder, but his fist slammed into her torso, sending her crashing to the ground.

The human's face came into view.

'Die!'

Beorn unleashed the power he'd been holding back.

Black smoke billowed from his gauntlets, surging forward.

"Death Strike!"

It was a technique that had never once failed to claim its victim's life.

Shwoooosh!

Jae-jun dodged back swiftly, but Beorn grinned triumphantly.

The strike was far faster than Jae-jun could evade.

"It's over!"

Slash!

Beorn couldn't comprehend the sound for a moment.

It was a noise—and a pain—he'd never felt before in his life.

'What...?'

His body tilted, then collapsed to the ground.

Something fell from the sky.

His right arm.

The fully awakened Michael's sword didn't spew flames or anything dramatic.

Its blade was far longer than a normal sword's, and the edge gleamed blood-red, as if soaked in gore.

Whoosh!

Just a slight swing split the air with a sharp whistle.

Jae-jun saw Beorn charging, his hand cloaked in ominous black energy.

Even without using Acceleration, everything around him—the objects, time itself—seemed to slow.

And for some reason, he felt certain he could now slice through Beorn's body.

Michael's red blade traced a semicircular arc.

Slash!

"Gaaahhh!"

The sword cleaved Beorn's right arm effortlessly.

Blood gushed from the stump.

Beorn flailed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in midair before crashing messily to the ground.

Beorn's face, embedded in the dirt, was frozen in shock.

Jae-jun didn't miss this golden opportunity while Beorn was rattled.

'Time to end it!'

Gripping Michael's sword in reverse, Jae-jun leaped down toward Beorn's head.

Whoosh!

Beorn desperately raised his remaining left hand.

Stab!

But the sword sliced through even the gauntlet on his left hand, piercing straight through Beorn's skull.

Not satisfied, Jae-jun activated another skill.

'Shadow Slash!'

Stab!

Stab!

Splat!

Only when Beorn's head exploded into a bloody pulp did Jae-jun stop.

Silence blanketed the arena for a moment.

"Hah...

Hah..."

Jae-jun felt his vision blur as he collapsed sideways.

The announcer's begrudging voice boomed through the arena, and the crowd erupted in roars.

Roooar!

"Newbie!

Impressive!"

Barik and Nariel rushed over, supporting Jae-jun.

Aside from a slight dizziness, Jae-jun's condition wasn't bad.

No reward, for real.

'Well, I got something even better.'

Jae-jun's eyes turned to the sword in his hand: Michael's sword.

Click!

The moment Jae-jun descended to the arena's underground, he slumped to the floor.

He could feel Lucifer staring at him with a complicated expression.

His face looked noticeably more haggard, as if the stress had aged him in moments.

"Whew.

If not for this, I might've lost..."

"...I see."

He had to give him at least that much lip service.

But Lucifer's eyes gleamed with desire as he eyed Michael's sword.

As if he could even use it if he had it.

Jae-jun promptly stored Michael's sword in his inventory.

Lucifer shot him a sharp glance.

"Ahem.

Anyway, good work today.

No matches for a while, so rest up."

"What?

That's your response?"

Nariel bristled.

"Then what?"

"We barely scraped by with that shitty win, and you think 'good work' wipes the slate clean?"

Even Barik, who would've normally held her back, watched Lucifer expectantly.

Lucifer glanced between the three of them.

His stomach already hurt from handing over Michael's sword—what now, they wanted more?

But considering how close he'd come to being sealed away today, he could afford to give a little.

"...Follow me."

Nariel and Barik's faces lit up as they trailed after Lucifer.

Jae-jun followed behind.

Click—

Lucifer entered what looked like an office—the same room Jae-jun had first visited.

Barik and Nariel poked around curiously, as if it was their first time.

Lucifer pulled out a large chest and set it before them.

"Pick one each from here."

The chest was filled with various items—all gear from fallen gladiators.

Lucifer acted generous, but Nariel's excited expression soured with disappointment as she rummaged through.

In the end, she picked a small dagger, and Barik grabbed a battle axe.

"I've always dreamed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of using twin axes.

Hahaha!"

It was Jae-jun's turn.

He examined each item carefully.

Even the armor was inferior to his arena set with its set effects, and the accessories were worse than his Lucifer set.

'Maybe I'll just grab a dagger.'

Then something familiar caught Jae-jun's eye.

'This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is...?'

It was a small stone tablet, about the size of his palm, etched with unreadable script.

'Ancient stone tablet?'

"I'll take this one."

Jae-jun said as he pocketed the Blood Bond Stone Tablet.

A treasure from an unexpected place.

"You have peculiar tastes, picking something so odd."

"Not as peculiar as your looks, dwarf.

Let's leave our newbie to rest."

Barik flushed at "dwarf."

"Whew.

Good work today.

Won't call you again for a bit.

Probably... about three days.

We'll talk details then."

Lucifer's final words were directed at Jae-jun.

Jae-jun nodded, and his vision went black as he returned to his room.

"Whew.

That was rough."

Jae-jun flopped onto the bed.

'How much time passed?'

It was morning.

If the arena trip hadn't been just a few hours, a full day had gone by.

'Gotta check rewards and rest.'

First, he pulled out the Blood Bond Stone Tablet he'd just gotten.

He knew how to use it from last time.

Smash!

He slammed it onto his palm.

'S-grade too!'

Truth be told, Jae-jun cared more about the skill's effect than its grade.

He'd learned it the hard way in this arena.

Numbers were everything.

He'd forcibly built an army with Legion Summon and his subordinates, but they were too weak compared to the orcs.

Especially the subordinates—their ranks could grow, so they started weak upon summoning.

But with Blood Bond, leveling them up would be easy.

They called it "bus riding."

'Status window.'

One line caught Jae-jun's eye.

"Class Change Quest?"

Jae-jun's brow furrowed.