The Free City of Vertas (3)

Adelia paused.

A deeply moved expression washed over her face at my words.

After staring at me blankly for a long moment, she bowed deeply at the waist.

"Thank you, Lord Gaon. To think you would set aside your precious time for me despite your busy schedule..."

Well, it's fine, Adelia.

I'm not actually doing this for you, though. I just want to test my own swordsmanship talent.

Of course, I couldn't tell her my true thoughts, so I bluffed as I usually did.

"If you understand, then give it your all."

"Yes, my lord."

Shring!

Adelia nodded and drew her sword.

A breeze swept through the backyard, fluttering her platinum hair.

"..."

"..."

A brief silence fell over the yard.

Then, Adelia's first strike sliced through the air.

Whoosh!

Her movement was so fast that the eyes could barely follow it.

The sharp sound of tearing air repeatedly assaulted my eardrums.

This is...

Every time Adelia took a step, a cloud of dust kicked up.

Her heavily weighted lower body left deep tracks in the dirt.

Whoosh!

This was no leisurely sword dance.

It was a desperate, fierce movement that crossed the boundary between life and death.

Indeed.

Adelia was currently engaged in a violent battle with an imaginary enemy.

...Image training?

With that thought, I closely watched her every move.

Her sword raged like a storm.

My dynamic visual acuity still couldn't fully track her movements, but I could just barely follow the afterimages.

Left, right, up, down.

Adelia relentlessly parried various points in the empty air.

It was as if she were deflecting attacks flying at her simultaneously.

Swish!

Adelia's sword drew a smooth arc.

Her stance—lowering her center of gravity while guarding in all directions—felt strangely familiar.

Ah.

Only then could I picture Adelia's "enemy."

An attack targeting six directions at once.

The identity of the opponent charging like an Asura with a massive greatsword was...

...It was Peter Pan.

Flutter!

In the very next moment, the imaginary enemy materialized before my eyes.

A hazy silhouette of Peter Pan appeared, locked in a fierce battle with Adelia.

Now that the opponent was visible, every single one of Adelia's movements finally made sense.

Ha...

A dry laugh escaped my lips.

Her movements were on a completely different level compared to just a few days ago when she was only level 77.

Having surpassed her limits in the meantime, Adelia unleashed an even sharper, more precise swordplay.

Whoosh, whoosh!

The fierce sound of her sword slicing the air continued.

Unlike in the past, when she couldn't even last five minutes, today's Adelia was perfectly keeping up with Peter Pan's movements.

...Incredible.

I couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

Adelia's growth was astonishing, but what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠truly amazed me was that I could clearly read the swordsmanship unfolding before my eyes.

Even if I couldn't track every single lightning-fast movement in detail...

At the very least, I could identify the enemy she was imagining and fully comprehend her intentions in countering him.

"..."

At the same time, another "path" became visible.

The sword path.

How to break the opponent's sword. How to move just a bit more efficiently.

All of it began to appear before my eyes in vivid detail.

I couldn't explain the principles behind it.

I just instinctively understood the subtle flow of the sword and the answers hidden within it.

Yes.

It was just like how one learns to breathe in and out naturally, without anyone ever having to teach them.

Is this the power of a talent with all points dumped into it...?

It was absurd.

After all, my average stats were still scraping the bottom.

My dynamic vision, strength, agility—everything was below the level of an ordinary person.

Yet, to be able to perfectly comprehend the high-level swordsmanship of a level 80 powerhouse...

...means my potential for growth is limitless.

A thrilling shiver ran down my spine.

This monstrous talent possessed far more terrifying potential than I had ever imagined.

If it was already this good, how much stronger would I become once I actually raised my stats?

Well, I couldn't say for sure, but it felt like I could take on enemies far stronger than me in terms of level.

In this world, there aren't many geniuses with talent overwhelming enough to bridge the gap in levels.

The so-called "Irregulars."

Such anomalous existences could be counted on one hand, even including Adelia.

It wasn't that the other characters had small vessels of talent. It was just that level acted as such an absolute metric in this world.

Under these circumstances, having awakened my talent for the sword...

I had now become one of those "Irregulars" who shattered the limits of levels.

"Phew."

Thud.

It was at that moment.

Adelia, who had been swinging her sword like possessed, suddenly came to a halt.

The illusion of Peter Pan had already vanished.

Catching her breath, Adelia glared at her new enemy.

...Looks like she's about to start image training with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her next opponent.

Sssss...

A suffocating confrontation unfolded.

Taking a standard yet rock-solid middle stance, Adelia pointed the tip of her sword at her opponent's throat.

Naturally, the silhouette of the enemy began to take shape in my eyes as well...

"..."

At that exact moment, a cold shiver ran up my spine.

My vision warped, and a certain "existence" revealed itself within Adelia's imagination.

...What on earth is that?

Rumble!

An overwhelming presence crushed the space.

Though the figure was clearly human, Adelia looked infinitely small standing before that "existence."

An opponent shrouded in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a dense darkness that seemed capable of swallowing all the light in the world.

His majesty exuded an incomprehensible terror and pressure.

"...Ah."

Adelia let out a low gasp and dropped her sword.

The weapon fell limply, clattering onto the dirt floor with a clear ring.

Adelia's hands trembled uncontrollably.

Her face, cast in shadow, was filled with nothing but despair.

Even in the world of her imagination, Adelia could not summon the courage to face that existence.

A chilling silence fell.

Although the illusion of the enemy had vanished, its presence still lingered like an afterimage.

Who on earth is that...?

A sudden question arose.

Who was the final enemy Adelia had faced?

A presence that froze even me, whose mental strength stat was MAX.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a disaster akin to cosmic horror.

I racked my brain, but I couldn't think of any character in the world of Lost Elder who possessed such an immense presence.

...Could it be the target of Adelia's revenge?

But even if that guy was strong, he shouldn't be that strong.

Did it feel that terrifying because her trauma was projected onto it?

Questions piled upon questions. My head felt like it was about to burst.

Unable to hold back any longer, I threw a question at Adelia.

"Who was your final opponent?"

Adelia flinched, her body shuddering as if having a fit.

Barely escaping from the enemy in her mind, she picked up her sword.

Then, she slowly turned toward me and spoke.

"Lord Gaon."

Adelia called my name.

I wondered why she was suddenly calling me.

But in the next moment, Adelia's answer resolved all my doubts at once.

"My final opponent... was you, Lord Gaon."

Tremble, tremble...

Adelia stared down at her hands in silence.

Was it because of the fear engraved in her body? The arm holding her sword was shaking like a leaf.

"..."

She had finally scaled the high wall that blocked her path.

Even Peter Pan, who had been so difficult to deal with, was now someone she could easily handle.

With that confidence, she had decided to try an imaginary battle against Lord Gaon, but...

...I'm still far from it.

His martial prowess was at a level she couldn't even dare to approach with her current achievements.

"Adelia."

At that moment, Lord Gaon spoke.

Snapped out of her thoughts, Adelia quickly raised her head.

And she couldn't help but be immediately taken aback.

Huh?

And for good reason—in Lord Gaon's hand...

...A sword?

He was holding a sword, though she had no idea when he had drawn it.

"There is no need to fight in your mind when the opponent you wish to face is standing right in front of you."

"...!"

"Try attacking me. With all your might."

Slide.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lord Gaon took a stance with his sword still in its sheath.

Although the blade was covered, halving its lethality, and no presence—not even killing intent—could be felt from him...

Adelia could not bring herself to let her guard down.

"..."

Her body wouldn't move.

The fear she had felt in the imaginary battle just moments ago had not yet faded.

As if noticing this, Lord Gaon added.

"I will not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠attack."

"...Ah."

"I will only defend, so rest assured and strike with your best blow."

Hearing those words, Adelia finally nodded and took her stance.

She had no intention of wasting this opportunity to receive a precious lesson.

"..."

Gulp.

Swallowing hard, she gripped the hilt tightly.

The distance between her and Lord Gaon was barely three meters.

It was a distance she could easily close with a single leap.

Creak!

Adelia shifted her weight onto her legs, and...

Clang!

"...Huh?"

A dumbfounded sound escaped her lips.

Her palms stung. The sword she had been gripping so tightly was nowhere to be seen.

Spin!

Only then did she spot her sword in the corner of her vision, spinning high into the air before plunging down toward the ground.

"W-what... just happened...?"

Adelia's eyes widened.

She couldn't understand what had just transpired.

The moment she resolved to attack, before she could even swing a proper blow, the weapon had been ripped from her grasp.

"..."

Thud!

A moment later, the sword embedded itself in the ground.

With a dazed expression, Adelia turned her head toward Lord Gaon.

Having deflected her decisive strike with absolute ease, he was still standing in the exact same posture as before.

Hum!

The tip of my sword vibrated. A tingling sensation wrapped around my fingertips.

Savoring that pleasant feeling, I smiled contentedly in my mind.

This is...

...The performance is way better than I thought.