Chapter 7
Chapter 7
I photographed the square box that had fallen to the ground with my terminal.
Title: Sword of Light. What the heck is this?
Author: ㅇㅇ*
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It looks like it'll explode if you touch it?
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Hahahaha boom-! Is it a bomb? Well, Magic Engineering items often have that kind of design too.
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Sword of Light) Don't worry. It'll be just as painful, but it won't explode like that.
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Yes*) If it doesn't explode, can it be painful?
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Sword of Light) We'll check that item later. For now, check the Sword Manual first.
Ah, the Sword Manual.
The Sword Manual's cover bore its name in a very concise manner.
Dragon Slayer Sword.
...A sword that hunts dragons.
Is there really a need to learn such a formidable sword technique? Hmm?
It seems like too high a barrier to entry from the start.
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Sword of Light) If this place were the outside world, not the Tower, I would have made you practice Mana operation endlessly. But the Tower isn't structured in a way that increases Mana quantity through Mana operation.
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Yeah, some people complain about that. For someone like me, from a farming background, it was actually an advantage. I didn't have the talent that would bloom from learning Mana operation.
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Archmage) You'll need to reach at least level 20 before you can perform plausible Mana operation as a swordsman or warrior. Things like Sword Qi, for example. Before that, you can only utilize the Mana stat amount gained from leveling up. Of course, as someone who was originally a mage, my starting point was a bit different.
As expected, it's absurd.
Those from 21st-century Earth were bound to have a more absurd start compared to those from the Martial Arts Earth or the medieval otherworld where Sword of Light resides.
But the world is inherently absurd.
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Sword of Light) For now, master the Sword Manual I wrote as much as possible. I've written it in a way that you can understand very easily, so read it.
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Scum Sword Saint) Even if you write it clearly and explain it in detail, won't it be nearly useless without practical experience?
The Scum Sword Saint, who had been unseen for a moment, interjected to Sword of Light's words as he appeared.
However, Sword of Light didn't seem particularly flustered and quickly posted a reply.
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Sword of Light) That's right. Even if you grasp it with your mind, if you don't put it into action, the technique won't fully remain in your mind and body and will quickly evaporate. To prevent that, I sent you the Sparring Golem Mk.2.
Sparring Golem?
...Is it similar to the 'training dummy' from games?
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Sword of Light) If you press the activation button, it will transform in front of you. Into a humanoid golem.
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Yes*) I have to fight it, right?
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Sword of Light) Yes, it's a golem implanted with the Sword Paths from the introduction to the middle section of the Sword Manual.
I'm starting to get a rough idea of what I'm about to go through.
A very ominous premonition.
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Hmm*) What's the strength level of that golem?
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Sword of Light) You can think of it as my combat power when I was seventeen. It's the one I used for training back then. Long before I entered the Tower.
Then, isn't it weak?
But to ask that... the opponent was a Hard difficulty end-boss.
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Hmm... If you use Monsters as an example?
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Sword of Light) It was when I killed the Ogre Chieftain and the Minotaur Commander. I also killed a demon named Nephegos, who was at the lower end of the Seven Fiends, around that time.
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...How could you kill guys that others can't even catch in a lifetime when you were just a little brat?
But if it's a golem with that much power, won't I die?
Actually, I don't know much even when it's described with monsters. I can only infer their strength from their names.
And the reactions of others are helpful for inference.
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Are you trying to kill me?
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Sword of Light) You won't die. The sword the golem uses is also a wooden sword.
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You won't die. It'll hurt like hell, but you won't die.
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Wow, Sword of Light, you're a really scary person. To come up with that kind of idea in such a short time.
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Then would the brain of someone who cleared Hard difficulty be normal? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Even if they look dumb, they're guys who survived by breaking through the path of slaughter. Even I, a Normal difficulty finisher, have my family complaining that my emotional state has become strange ㅋㅋㅋ
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Pioneer) I'll be mindful of my words, saying you look dumb.
Hearing their words, I was slowly starting to get the hang of it.
What kind of item Sword of Light had sent me.
And Heavenly Demon's comment below further confirmed that the hypothesis I had just thought of was correct.
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Heavenly Demon) You do not die in the Tower's waiting room. Unless your head is completely severed by an ultra-fast Sword Path. All wounds are healed by the waiting room's effect.
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Heavenly Demon) ...Indeed. A space where such Sword Paths unfold. You can gain practical experience instantly. By enduring pain, you can also quickly raise the rank of related skills.
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Translation: You can quickly raise related skill levels. ㅇㅇ
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Heavenly Demon) But then, couldn't you just give the golem a real sword? That would be a more certain way to help increase skill rank.
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Translation: This guy is even more of a lunatic. What kind of personality is this?
A real sword, you say. What a crazy thing to say.
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Sword of Light) I wondered if a real sword would be possible, so I set it to 'Trade Designated' while it was a real sword, but it said trade was impossible. As I expected, though.
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Jjuhdak) It's acceptable to moderately utilize the waiting room's recovery system, but they're saying not to cross the line.
In other words, a space where you can fully recover even after being beaten countless times by the golem.
That's the result created by combining the Sparring Golem that Sword of Light gave me with the effect of this 'Tower Staircase Waiting Room'.
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Sword of Light) The golem's durability isn't that high. When I implanted the Sword Paths capable of wielding the Dragon Slayer Sword in its previous state, its durability decreased further.
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Sword of Light) 30 times. It will break if you land 30 effective hits on that golem.
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30 times ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ With that gap in skill, it'll take half a year to land 30 hits, is that even possible?
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Golem with 30 durability remaining, scheduled to survive for several more years.
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Scum Sword Saint) ...It's not entirely impossible, so it's hard to say it can be broken outright.
I felt like crying.
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Sword of Light: This was the best I could prepare in a short time. You don't need to be too grateful.
...Wow, thank you so much.
If the recipient wasn't me, I would have applauded Sword of Light and praised them for being smart.
But I'm the one involved.
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Yeah... Thank you for sending me something like this.
From now on, I need to get my act together.
Even if these veterans look like people, you shouldn't think of them within the bounds of ordinary common sense.
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Sword of Light) Won't you try it now?
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Jjuhdak) Hey, you're going to be stuck in this sword's prison that you gave me anyway, so you should at least sleep properly. Sleep and then do it.
As expected, Jjuhdak is the only normal one.
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Jjuhdak) Anyway, with your current state, you won't even get half the training done. Rest is also training.
Was it for such calculative reasons? I retract that. There is no normal person here.
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Jjuhdak) Ah, I kept meaning to ask, but you always cause accidents whenever you return, so I can only ask now. What's your name?
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Yes, Han Yoo-seong.
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Han... Yoo-seong? That's a unique name, as expected.
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Jjuhdak) Nice to meet you, Han Yoo-seong. Don't die.
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Sword of Light) I'll remember it as my disciple's name.
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Heavenly Demon) It's a name with a pleasant resonance.
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Shrine Maiden) Hawaawa, now that I know your name, I'll divine your fate soon, wa-yo.
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If you look at Climbing Gallery, people from 21st-century Earth all have unique names.
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We have people with long names and short names too, it's strange.
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There are so many countries too. But they don't have ranks, do they?
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Archmage) What did you do in your original world?
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Hmm... To make you understand, a shop clerk?
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Was there nothing before that?
What should I say?
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Yes*) Throwing a ball. When you play ball games, you need someone who throws the ball well.
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Scum Sword Saint) Throwing a ball...?? What kind of world is it where that can be a profession?
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For real, haha A world of dreams, hope, and peace.
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Ice Queen) Frozen?
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Archmage) Then you must be confident in throwing a ball?
Well.
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Yeah, I'm confident in that, at least.
If you take that away from my life, what's left?
After all, I dedicated my teens to it.
As Jjuhdak said, I decided to sleep first.
Just one day.
I never thought my life would change so much in just one day.
I fear tomorrow. I fear the future even more.
But I have to endure. If I'm to break through this Tower and ascend.
I clearly felt the baseball in my right hand.
The whole world was silent.
My gaze was fixed on the catcher's mitt.
I slightly lifted my left foot and rotated.
KWAAAK!
Extending my leg forward, I thrust out my right arm, which had been pulled back.
The ball cut through the air.
The ball slipped into the mitt as if it were its home.
Strike!
The umpire's heavy shout rang out.
Everyone cheered and rushed over.
My fingertips tingled.
Clutching my right arm, I gave a wry smile.
Winning isn't what's important. Yoo-seong, why did you use your arm so roughly when you were evaluated as one of the Big 3? You're going to keep playing baseball, right? Get well soon.
It was the coach's voice.
The coach was the one who had demanded I push myself harder than usual. A person's body breaks so easily.
Divorce. I never liked you since you made Yoo-seong play baseball.
It was my mother's voice.
A family breaks so easily. The screen flowed rapidly.
Returning to the mound. The spikes on my baseball shoes felt alien that day.
KAAANG!
My mindset. The trajectory of my pitch. Nothing had changed.
The ball, hit by the batter's bat, soared into the sky. Pain flared in my shoulder again.
My eyes were bloodshot. I kicked at the ground in frustration.
The future that seemed so certain was so easily shaken.
I grabbed my junior, who asked if I was okay, by the collar.
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I couldn't hear what he was saying at all.
As if I were underwater.
My breath caught in my throat.
"..."
My eyes opened.
It wasn't a particularly welcome dream. I drank the water I had bought with crypto yesterday.
My dream was unpleasant, but my body felt refreshed.
I looked at the clock.
7:32 AM.
The perfect time to start the day.
Title: Yo, I'm awake
Author: ㅇㅇ*
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I feel refreshed after sleeping for a bit.
Comments quickly poured in.
The main conversation was with Sword of Light. He explained again about the Sword Manual and the sword's prison he had given me. I turned off the Climbing Gallery and began reading the Sword Manual given by Sword of Light.
Dragon Slayer Sword.
I couldn't easily understand what it meant.
But I moved past those parts for now.
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Sword of Light) If you don't understand something, just note it and move on.
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Sword of Light) The golem will show you anyway.
As Sword of Light said, after quickly skimming through the initial part, I held the small square box in my hand.
A gray, square box.
He told me to take out the red piece in the center and press the button.
Click-
Inside the part that detached like a cube piece, there was a black button.
Pressing that button would activate it, and pressing the white button on the detached red cube piece would stop it.
Beep-
After pressing the black button that activated the golem, I placed the box on the floor.
The surface of the box vibrated, and mechanical arms suddenly protruded from both sides.
Fine gears were visible to the naked eye.
A blue light glowed, and another set of square boxes formed below transformed into legs for bipedal movement.
As soon as the golem recognized my existence, it turned and took a step.
─CHWAAAK!
Before I could even react.
A wooden sword was embedded in my shoulder.
CRUNCH-
The sound of bones being crushed echoed.
"Ah."
Even though it was a wooden sword, it hurt like hell.
Every time the sword strike hit my body, even with 'Pain Suppression' activated, the pain was still pain.
And soon, it was healed by the waiting room's effect.
[Focus Enhancement Lv.1 - Activating skill.]
The jewel embedded in the center of the golem looked like a red, single eye.
I was hit three more times.
[Skill 'Pain Suppression' level up. Lv.3]
Only then did I realize.
These slashes that had cut my body countless times were the first form of the Dragon Slayer Sword, Thursahǫgg.
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Sword of Light) It's going to hurt a little.
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Sword of Light) It's a wooden sword, but it's made of special, famously sturdy Sette wood.
These were the comments Sword of Light had left before I turned off the gallery.
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Sword of Light) Even if you feel wronged, annoyed, or hate it, there's nothing you can do. Just do it.
I know.
It makes me want to cry that the progress of these veterans is so fast, but still.
Because I was hit, I can see.
How to swing it. If I make a mistake, I just need to get hit a few more times.
You said it would break after 30 hits.
Good.
I will definitely break you.