Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The End of the Tutorial (6)
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Swordmaster and Berserker—the difference is simple.
A Swordmaster is a class that perfects "technique." It's a path of refining and awakening the martial art of swordsmanship to grow stronger.
That's why they're weak before mastering techniques. Pathetically weak. They get pushed around even by ordinary warriors and rank at the bottom among peers.
Of course, once they grasp some techniques, they become incomparably stronger than any average warrior. But until then, they're below average.
In contrast, a Berserker is strong from the start. Because they fight with "instinct," not "technique."
If technique is a puzzle pieced together through effort and will, instinct is an innate ability.
So there's no need to train it. They unleash 100% power right away.
That's why Berserkers are strong. Unlike Swordmasters who must awaken techniques, they wield full power from step one.
It's no exaggeration to call them the strongest in their grade, and they don't weaken even as ranks rise.
Their power scales with rank, but their strength remains constant. Instinct is their technique.
Yet the Berserker class is the worst.
Despite being able to stand against Swordmasters, Heroes, even Demon Kings, it's trash.
Because the more blood they stain their hands with, the more they lose their "self."
Think about it.
A being who doesn't know who they are or what they want, consumed by instinct, rampaging madly.
A monster that has forgotten "me."
Does such a human, stripped of reason to exist, have any meaning?
No. Nothing at all.
Not even the value of existence.
Utterly meaningless.
Originally, Lee Sang-hyun, having chosen Berserker, was fated for that path.
Drenched in blood until he forgot himself, becoming a madman craving only more blood...
But that changed after absorbing the Water's Origin.
The heart pumps blood to every corner of the body.
When tense or excited, it surges faster, hotter than usual. Hot blood rushing to the head paralyzes rational thought.
"Cool your head" exists because hot blood to the brain prevents normal thinking.
Berserkers lose reason easily for the same reason—scalding blood floods their brains.
Hearts far more powerful than an ordinary warrior's produce that heat, boiling straight to the brain, "cooking" it and making judgment impossible.
That's why they become madmen—their brains literally melt into mush.
Not hyperbole; the brain melts for real, erasing reason entirely.
But Lee Sang-hyun was different.
Even after staining his hands with the blood of thousands of cave dwellers, his brain didn't boil.
Incredibly, it stayed cool.
Thump...!
How could that be? Fighting like a maniac, hands sticky with gore—how could he stay rational?
Thump...!
The reason lay in the Water's Origin.
The Water's Origin he'd absorbed regulated his blood flow to protect him, preventing the hot blood from surging to his head.
Thump thump...!
Even now, after the fight, his blood flowed steadily. Unshaken.
'So calm. Even after cutting down thousands... still calm.'
Not even a day since absorbing the Water's Origin, yet Lee Sang-hyun realized it.
The Water's Origin was protecting him.
Anyone but a fool would notice. Just days ago, he'd struggled desperately to suppress the slaughter urge.
And the mystery unraveled.
'Now I get it. Why, out of all classes, Nameless recommended Berserker.'
'A Berserker who doesn't go berserk? Totally broken.'
Because a Berserker without that flaw outshone even Swordmasters, Heroes, and Demon Kings.
With the constraint that made Berserker the worst class gone, there was no longer any hesitation. 'Those hellish five days... consciously or not, I've been holding back. But no more. Time to unleash it all.' Lee Sang-hyun cast off the leash binding him. And charged forward. Kroooaaar!! In the vast cavern, the roaring beast was a troll. A nine-meter monster with two heads. On another level from anything faced before—yet Lee Sang-hyun swung his sword the instant he spotted it. Slash!! Lightning-fast strike severed the Twin-Headed Troll's left arm.
"Krooaaak?!!"
Only after blood sprayed from the clean cut did the Twin-Headed Troll scream. Slash!! This time, both calves. Not one—both sliced clean. Thud!! With its tough calf muscles torn, the Twin-Headed Troll dropped to its knees.
"Kraa... aaak?!!"
A pitiful wail as its right arm swung—but Lee Sang-hyun was gone. He'd dodged to the left arm side, severing the remaining wrist. Slash! Thunk. The detached left arm hit the ground. Unsatisfied, he carved deep into its side.
"Kraaaak!!"
Terror bloomed in the Twin-Headed Troll's eyes. No reddish flames needed; the scream told it all. But this was just the beginning. Slash!! The remaining right hand fell. Slash!! Then the right shoulder. Slash!! The right leg trying to stand and flee. Slash!! The left leg scrambling to crawl—hacked apart mercilessly.
"Kr... aa... aa... aak...!!"
Finally, the left and right heads screaming last were severed in turn. Thruuud! Headless, the Twin-Headed Troll collapsed.
"......"
Stale dust rose in the darkness. But Lee Sang-hyun didn't grimace. He gazed down impassively. Then plunged his sword into the Twin-Headed Troll's back. Stab!! The blade pierced the heart. No margin for error—perfectly through the center. Thump... thump...... That ended the tenacious life. Death.
Eternal rest.
Even the fearsome ogre was no exception.
"Kroooaaaa!!"
Boom!! A strike shaking the ground. Yet nowhere near Lee Sang-hyun's level. Snick! Tough hide over sturdy ribs sliced like paper.
"Kuwaaak?!!"
Never imagining a flank slash, it panicked visibly. Lee Sang-hyun seized the gap. Circling back, he severed the Achilles tendon. Snick! Then climbed its back and slashed the nape.
"Kreaaak?!!"
The ogre hastily guarded its neck. A fatal mistake. Lee Sang-hyun, already down, thrust into its armpit. Stab!! A chilling sound, followed by the ogre's scream echoing.
"Kraaaak?!!"
But his assault didn't stop. Circling like peeling an apple, he ravaged legs and flanks relentlessly. Whoosh! Slash! Swish!
"Kuwaaak!!"
The ogre fought back, swinging steel-hard arms to chase him. Bang! Boom!! Two punches cratered the ground; kicks shredded air. Whooom!! A spine-chilling force. A hit would've crushed him like an aluminum can. But to Lee Sang-hyun, it was slow. 'Tougher than the troll. That's it.' He dodged effortlessly, widening wounds bit by bit. Slash! Repeated strikes shredded hide and muscle. Thick blood gushed. Mortal wounds.
"Kuaaa...!!"
Like the Twin-Headed Troll, death's terror gripped the ogre's eyes. Lee Sang-hyun closed on the retreating beast and leaped high.
"?!!"
Too late—the blade was already in its throat.
"...Guh? Ke... er... aak...!!"
Clutching its neck, the ogre staggered back. Wide eyes flickered with eerie death.
"......"
Landing, Lee Sang-hyun shook blood from his sword and watched. His gaze unchanged from start to finish. Pure coldness.
"Kr... er... aak...!!"
Sensing that icy stare, the ogre thrashed desperately. Futile. Stab!! The sharp thrust pierced its heart.
"Kr... uh... uh......"
Stagger. Its steel-tough body held briefly. But soon, it knelt on cold stone. Thud.
The ogre's end.
Beyond the ogre, Lee Sang-hyun felled Black Wolves and vampire bat swarms, Lycanthropes, zombies, ghouls, troll packs, gargoyles—powerful monsters all. Each too much for rank 1-2. Even scraping a win would've exhausted them for the next. Thump...! To rank 4 Lee Sang-hyun, no real threat. Overwhelmingly boring, even.
"......"
Hoping the next was stronger, he pressed on. He ignored Nameless's talk of "rest."
He'd already granted it to thousands of cave dwellers—enough. Honestly, he didn't care much. Just "take them all down."
Or so he thought. Until he realized what "rest" truly meant.
"......"
Torches lit a vast space. High-ceilinged dome, flat floor—packed with more cave dwellers than before. Exuding every "evil" humanity could imagine. .............................................................................................................................. Lee Sang-hyun blinked quietly at malice testing imagination's limits—questioning if limits even existed. ...As one human. ...He couldn't help feeling disgust. ...Couldn't help the rage. ...Couldn't help the sorrow. ...Thump. He beheld every evil humanity could conjure. And it was horrific. Part of him wanted to bolt, erase it from his mind. Pray it was a dream. ...Thump. Yet he didn't look away. He faced all that malice head-on. And pondered rest. Relief, liberation, life, death. What did the undying, eternally suffering need? The answer was simple. Too simple...
"......"
Lee Sang-hyun exhaled softly. Raised his sword toward the abyss of evil. ...Thump. Tethys, once pure, rotted black, reeking—destroyed world's denizens awaited endlessly. A death someday to come. A... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a... a...