The Sword's Domain
“Huff! Huff!”
Jin-ho Lee swung his sword through another monster, gasping for breath. No matter how many he cut down, their numbers only seemed to grow. He was completely surrounded now, monsters closing in from every direction. Their roars drowned out even the sound of his own ragged breathing.
Yet the light in his eyes never faded.
I knew it would come to this. I can do it.
When he first saw the horde, Jin-ho had felt a moment of despair. The plain was overrun with monsters, far more than he had expected. Any other Conqueror would have run back to the village and called for help. But Jin-ho’s thoughts were different.
Monsters from the 11th floor? Pathetic.
They had just cleared the tutorial. These creatures were beneath him. The idea that he had felt even a shred of fear toward them was unacceptable. If he couldn’t slaughter them alone, he had no right to keep climbing.
He recalled the events of the past few dozen minutes and swung his blade again.
Swish!
“Boom!”
His sword aura sliced straight through a shaman’s fireball. The explosion scattered flames in every direction. Monster screams pierced his ears, but he ignored them.
I’m moving forward. I’ll kill them all and overcome this feeling.
Jin-ho gritted his teeth and ducked. A poisoned needle aimed at his eyes clinked harmlessly off his helmet. He beheaded the goblin holding the blowpipe in the same motion.
He had no idea how many monsters he had killed, but his stamina was draining fast. Shamans, poisoned needles, crude arrows—everything about these creatures grated on him. Countless attacks had been deflected or blocked by his armor. His eyes alone couldn’t track every threat.
Feel the wind. Make its flow your own.
He sharpened his senses, letting the breeze flowing across his body speak to him. Every scent, every sound, every direction and distance was carved into his mind. He pushed his five senses to their absolute limit, refusing to miss even the smallest detail.
A rough map formed in his head. He could sense the monsters’ positions, their types, even the weapons they carried.
I’m moving forward!
Facing death had triggered his awakening. The concept of “domain,” something he had never grasped before, now burned clearly in his mind. He had crossed the wall. A fierce grin split his face.
Whoosh!
Clang!
“Guh…”
An arrow from his blind spot was knocked aside with his sword. He smashed the spine of a rotting undead with his hilt, dislocating it. Kicking aside scattered limbs and gear fragments, he intercepted more monsters. His gauntleted fist crushed another creature’s face.
Every nerve in his body screamed with information. His brain felt like it was melting.
“Nngh…”
Even through the pain, Jin-ho kept advancing. The moment he hesitated, the horde would crush him. In this no-retreat situation, a memory of Yoo Ji-sung surfaced.
Extend beyond your body. Claim the space around you as your domain.
That was the inspiration he had received from Ji-sung’s words.
I won’t lose!
Jin-ho roared. Only after reaching this breaking point did he finally understand the view Ji-sung always seemed to have.
This is my first time touching this realm. But Ji-sung is different. He reached it before me and has already developed it further.
The thought of Ji-sung being so far ahead filled him with urgency. He couldn’t afford to stand still.
[Crazy bastard. You’re really insane.]
“Insane. I noticed him back in the village, but… is that guy really a newbie?”
“No way. This is just…”
Yoo Ji-sung and his three companions had spotted Jin-ho and rushed over to help. When they arrived on the battlefield, their jaws dropped.
Monster blood flowed through the small furrows of the earth. Countless torn corpses were piled so high they were impossible to count. That alone proved how extraordinary Jin-ho’s feat was.
Ji-sung frowned at their awestruck expressions.
“Shouldn’t we be helping right now? He looks like he’s in serious danger.”
“Y-you’re right! It looks like he’s awakened, but that’s exactly when it’s most dangerous! He could run out of energy and collapse at any moment. We can’t just stand here!”
At Ji-sung’s words, Dong-cheol Ma quickly readied his shield. He charged forward with a battle cry while A-reum Jeong cast healing and buffs on Jin-ho. Su-ho Jang’s arrows flew, piercing monsters without mercy.
Watching the scene, Ji-sung nodded.
My judgment was correct. These guys will make the perfect party.
Jin-ho and Dong-cheol on the front line. A-reum in the middle and Su-ho in the rear. It was the ideal combination for handling monsters in any situation.
The storm that was Jin-ho and the wild boar that was Dong-cheol refused to let any monster slip past. A-reum supported them both, striking monsters with attack skills and her staff. Su-ho covered the three of them, scattering traps and snares.
[You created this situation yourself.]
Ji-sung clicked his tongue at the message Kairas had sent.
Guess he was really worried about Jin-ho. The guy’s grown a lot since yesterday. This is satisfying.
Yet Kairas had to butt in and ruin the moment. Ji-sung spread his mana wide, creating his own domain. Information flowed back from everything the mana touched.
He’s taken out over two hundred. Plenty of them weren’t finished off properly, so the numbers haven’t dropped much… but he never follows the plan.
At Ji-sung’s gesture, the earth and flowing blood began to writhe. Massive earthen spikes and blood-formed thorns erupted, shredding the monsters apart.
Meanwhile, he couldn’t help but feel exasperated at the sight of Jin-ho and Dong-cheol chatting in the middle of the battlefield.
What the hell are those idiots doing? Is this a damn social gathering? Who has time to talk right now?
Ji-sung opened the 11th-floor screen and zoomed in on the two men. Their conversation echoed in his mind. He let out a dry laugh.
“Crazy bastard.”
“Huh? Oppa, what did you say?”
“Nothing. I was just muttering to myself because he looks so impressive.”
Ji-sung focused on their exchange.
[These are my prey.]
[Cut the bullshit! There’s no such thing as “my prey” in the Tower!]
[Back off. You’re interfering with my training.]
[Training? Are you out of your mind right now?]
“He’s serious. That guy is the real deal.”
Jin-ho was telling Dong-cheol to pull his party members back. Dong-cheol also looked dumbfounded, but he still swung his hammer and shield at the monsters.
[I’m warning you…]
[I get what you mean, brother. Training by hunting monsters is natural for a Conqueror! But look at your condition!]
[My body is fine. It’s much better than before…]
[Stop talking nonsense!]
“Dong-cheol oppa and that person… something feels off, doesn’t it?”
“They’re probably coordinating tactics. They’re both close-range fighters, so they need to avoid overlapping movements to fight safely.”
“Ah! That makes sense!”
A-reum nodded, impressed by Ji-sung’s explanation. Ji-sung marveled at her wrinkle-free brain and kept listening.
[Brother! Your improved condition is all thanks to our A-reum! She healed your wounds and gave you buffs, so of course you feel better! Your adrenaline is pumping like crazy—calm down and check your actual state! Does your body really feel normal right now?]
[Hmm…]
Kid, Kairas didn’t chew me out for nothing. You would’ve died without us. You’d have been torn into so many pieces the monsters would’ve swallowed you whole.
Jin-ho let out a low groan. Dong-cheol’s words seemed to have brought him back to his senses. He bit his lip hard, visibly enduring the pain.
Of course it hurts like hell. People don’t die just from getting stabbed or blasted with magic. They die from pushing their bodies past the limit. Stupid brat. If he were a normal person, every joint and tendon would already be destroyed.
Only after feeling the pain did the surroundings finally register in Jin-ho’s vision. Su-ho’s scattered traps were hindering the monsters’ movements. Distant monsters were melting from poison before they could even reach them. Even with A-reum’s healing, Jin-ho’s body was still in the middle of recovery. The fact that a skilled priestess hadn’t finished treating him spoke volumes about his condition.
Jin-ho seemed to realize it too. If he had kept fighting alone, he would have died for certain. His expression hardened.
[I made a mistake.]
[Hah! At least you realize it now! I’m Ma Dong-cheol!]
[…Lee Jin-ho.]
[Now that we’ve introduced ourselves, we can talk properly! Our party members came to help you! Since you’ve already thinned them out quite a bit, how about we wipe the rest out together? We can count it as part of your training!]
[Training…]
Hey, kid. Why are you so polite? And why is he so accepting? Wasn’t this your first meeting? Jin-ho, weren’t you supposed to be the aloof, noble wolf who barely speaks?
Ji-sung stared blankly for a moment at Dong-cheol’s shout. Even he had needed layers of fabricated settings just to get Jin-ho talking. Back in the village, some people thought Jin-ho was mute because he spoke so little. Seeing him converse naturally with Dong-cheol now felt almost like betrayal.
[You finally realized how embarrassing that sounded! Anyway, we should combine our strength for the 11th floor conquest! A-reum and Su-ho hyung-nim are here too, and Ji-sung hyung-nim will support us properly!]
[Ji-sung hyung-nim? Ji-sung is here as well?]
[What? You know our Ji-sung hyung-nim?]
[Yes, I do.]
Jin-ho, hyung believed in you!
Jin-ho’s gaze flicked toward Ji-sung for a moment. Ji-sung ignored it and focused on slaughtering monsters with even more spectacular displays. Walls rose, pits opened, and countless spikes erupted from the ground.
[Have I been overtaken?]
[What?]
[No, never mind. Understood. Let’s combine our strength. I apologize for my earlier rudeness.]
[Good! That’s how a man should be! How’s your body?]
[Thanks to A-reum… I think I can move now.]
[Great! Let’s go wild together!]
Dong-cheol taunted the monster horde and began rampaging. Inspired, Jin-ho joined in, cutting down monsters with renewed vigor.
Ji-sung watched Jin-ho and frowned.
He said he sees me as a rival, didn’t he?
Ji-sung continued casting spells while thinking to himself. Whenever he had spare time from managing the Tower, he had observed Jin-ho. He had realized exactly what emotion Jin-ho harbored toward him.
Jin-ho was burning with competitive spirit against him.
What did I even do?
It was unfair, but Ji-sung had no intention of changing the situation just to alter Jin-ho’s feelings. As long as Ji-sung remained his rival, Jin-ho would keep growing. Besides, he didn’t have the luxury to focus on Jin-ho right now.
The original plan had been to help Jin-ho when he charged in and tried to retreat. That would have been the moment to introduce the party members and build familiarity. But Jin-ho’s unexpected actions had completely derailed everything.
Damn it. There are way too many!
Ji-sung vented his frustration inwardly and kept casting magic. Contrary to the plan, he had been forced to dive straight into the heart of the monster nest. Because of that, he had no choice but to overwork his mana core far more than usual.