A Sacred Covenant, Part 1
When I placed my hand on Heukgol's shoulder, I felt him flinch.
The fierce, aggressive aura that made it seem like he would pounce at any moment vanished completely.
The killing intent I had stacked endlessly while Ritardando Jin was active had utterly overwhelmed him.
"It was real..."
Heukgol finally spoke after a long silence.
"You really... could kill an immortal..."
He trembled.
Heukgol stared down at his uncontrollably shaking hands.
For some reason, his voice was laced with self-loathing.
It was likely because he realized that he, who had boasted of enjoying the fear of death, was nothing more than a coward.
It makes sense.
High-tier undead like Death Knights and Liches hadn't actually 'overcome' death.
Rather, they had chosen the path of immortality because they feared death more than anyone else.
They might have forgotten that fear over the past few centuries, but it was only natural for them to shrink back when faced with the threat of true death.
That's why I judged the Black Bone Sword Master to be the perfect opponent.
It was obvious that if I scared him just enough, he would back down on his own.
Even more so when I possessed a skill like Immortal Slayer.
"Go."
Heukgol muttered in a weak voice.
Stepping aside, he pointed to the area behind him.
The highest point of the temple.
At the top of the stairs, illuminated by hundreds of burning torches, a grand altar carved from white marble revealed itself.
"You have passed my trial."
"..."
"Now, ascend the altar and prove your worth to the Great Ones."
The final step to being recognized as a Sword Master.
Ascending the altar of the temple to forge a Sacred Covenant with the Elder.
I began to walk forward to perform the final ritual.
—What on earth just happened?
—Did they exchange blows so quickly that we couldn't even perceive it?
—No way...
—Neither of them even budged, did they...?
Murmurs rippled through the councilors.
With every step I took toward the altar, their suspicious voices drifted through the fog.
But I didn't care at all.
I knew that the moment I forged the Sacred Covenant up there, all doubts would turn into certainty.
—Wait just a momeeeent!
"...?"
It was right then.
Someone beyond the fog began to shout loudly.
Although I couldn't see his face, I could identify him by his voice and silhouette alone.
The level window floating above his head confirmed it.
—I, Cedric von Heibrun, cannot accept this!
Cedric von Heibrun.
One of the paladins guarding the Holy City.
Among the players of *Lost Elder*, he was far more famous by his nickname: 'Midtemple's Blockhead.'
...He's one of the most disliked NPCs in Lost Elder.
Aside from his frustrating personality, he was someone who had risen to a high position through his family's political influence rather than actual skill.
—The details of the trial must satisfy all councilors! Yet, this trial ended without a single swing of a sword!
"..."
—An absurd trial that ends with nothing but staring at each other! How can we recognize him as a Sword Master under these conditions?!
As Cedric finished speaking, the commotion grew louder throughout the hall.
The silhouettes of some councilors nodded as if agreeing with him.
On the other hand, those of higher levels merely glared at Cedric in pathetic disbelief.
"Sigh..."
Naturally, Heukgol belonged to the latter group.
"Hey."
Heukgol spoke in a voice that had turned freezing cold.
"Blame your own pathetic level, you dumbass. Stop screeching like a headless chicken."
—W-What...?!
"Look around. Don't you see that everyone stronger than you is keeping their mouths shut?"
Cedric's silhouette flinched as he hurriedly scanned his surroundings.
As mentioned before, the truly powerful figures in the temple remained tight-lipped.
"If you were any stronger, you would have felt something just now."
—...
"But while others were busy training, you were probably busy kissing the asses of high-ranking nobles. That's why you couldn't sense a damn thing. Am I wrong?"
Hearing those words, Cedric seemed to have his pride deeply wounded.
Jumping up from his seat, he began to yell at Heukgol.
—E-Even so, this is a sacred ritual! I cannot allow a trial that determines a seeker's worthiness to end so anticlimactically—!
It happened in the blink of an eye.
The Zweihander, which had been embedded in the floor, was suddenly in Heukgol's hand.
With a dark red flash, Cedric's silhouette was split in half.
The grating shout was instantly cut short.
—...
—...
—...
The temple fell into immediate silence. Not even a scream could be heard.
Only the sound of a corpse hitting the floor.
And the wet splat of blood spurting like a fountain echoed through the quiet hall.
"Fucking hell."
The massive sword let out an eerie hum.
As steam rose from the white-hot metal, Heukgol rested the Zweihander on his shoulder.
Letting out a deep sigh, he shook his head in sheer annoyance.
"Typical narrow-minded religious fanatics, always making a fucking scene. Huh?"
This was Heukgol's true nature.
He usually seemed easygoing, but once his suppressed temper flared, he exploded without a care for the consequences.
Anyone who underestimated him based on his usual lighthearted demeanor would end up just like that blockhead.
"You couldn't stand to see a sacred ritual end anticlimactically?"
—...
"Well, I couldn't stand to see a piece of shit like you running his mouth. Got it?"
Murder had been committed inside the holy temple.
Yet, no one could hold Heukgol accountable.
He was the proxy executing the will of the Great Ones, possessing higher authority than anyone else in this room.
Furthermore, Heukgol had a perfectly valid justification to cover up this sudden execution.
"Now, listen up, everyone. I'm only going to explain this once."
Heukgol spoke in a mocking tone.
"This fellow here passed every single legal procedure set by Midtemple. He perfectly executed the trial handed down by a Sword Master."
—...
"I verified his qualifications myself. What more do you want?"
—...
"Objecting here is denying the will of the Elder! Got it? That is absolute blasphemy! Blasphemy! It's grounds for summary execution, just like that guy."
Heukgol scanned the room.
"So, if anyone has a problem with my testing method, raise your hand."
—...
"I'll kindly explain it until you all understand. Hmm?"
Though his final words sounded light enough to be a joke, the glint in Heukgol's eyes was chilling.
Faced with the deadly warning of a Sword Master, no one dared to raise a hand.
"Alright, no objections then?"
Scanning the councilors one last time, Heukgol turned to me and urged.
"What are you waiting for? Go and finish the final step."
"..."
"I don't want to stay in this dreadful temple any longer either."
With those words, Heukgol slumped down onto the bare floor of the temple.
I silently resumed my walk toward the altar.
To forge the Sacred Covenant with the Elder.
And to reach the culmination of my 'true purpose' for coming to this Holy City.
The Sacred Covenant.
It was a contract forged between the ancient god, the Elder, and a Sword Master.
While it recognized the seeker's qualifications, it was also a form of restraint that restricted their power under specific conditions.
Players speculated that it was inspired by the concept of geas in Norse mythology.
A means to keep Sword Masters in check.
A mechanism to limit the overwhelming power possessed by Sword Masters.
Although its principle was similar to a regular restriction, the terms themselves were far more potent and strict.
For instance, in Heukgol's case, he was forced to entrust his life vessel to someone else. This was to ensure he could be killed by another's hand at any time.
That was why he behaved 'relatively' cooperatively.
Though it's rather funny that murdering someone in the middle of the temple is what he considers 'cooperative'...
In any case.
Lost in thought, I approached the altar.
The white marble altar, illuminated by blazing torches, held thousands of years of history. It was here that numerous Sword Masters had forged their covenants with the Elder.
Countless gazes locked onto me through the thick fog.
Some held awe, some harbored doubt, and others burned with hostility.
"..."
The types of covenants varied widely.
Some sacrificed their sight, others agreed not to use one of their arms in battles against fellow Sword Masters, and some restricted themselves from using specific swordsmanship techniques.
There were even extreme covenants that restricted breathing frequency and heart rate.
Normally, such restrictions were more than enough.
"However..."
I stepped onto the altar.
"Conventional restrictions cannot bind me."
The moment I finished speaking, a voice echoed from above.
"It is the truth."
The Saintess.
It was the voice of the Saintess, who resided somewhere deep within the underground temple of Midtemple.
The entity who spoke for the oracle and the will of the divine.
The moment she confirmed my words as 'truth,' murmurs broke out in the temple once again.
—I-It's the voice of the Saintess.
—Restrictions won't work on him? Just how powerful is he...?
—He looks like nothing more than an ordinary mercenary on the outside...
Normal restrictions could not bind me.
The reason was simple: the existence of the skill Soul of the Sword Master.
No matter how powerful the restriction, the moment I activated this skill, any shackle became utterly meaningless.
In that fleeting instant of 0.01 seconds, I became an omnipotent being capable of shattering any shackle.
Therefore...
"I require a far greater restriction."
The moment I finished speaking, the Saintess's voice echoed through the temple once more.
"Then state the restriction you have envisioned."
The heavier the restriction, the greater the power that followed.
This was the fundamental principle of both the Sacred Covenant and restrictions.
I would impose a restriction upon myself that no one else would ever dare to.
And that was a grand task only I could accomplish.
"I, Gaon, swear."
Had I not said it earlier?
Even though I had failed to state my justification as a seeker, or even any mission during this trial...
It was fine.
Because the moment I forged this covenant, all doubts would inevitably turn into absolute certainty.
"I swear that all my actions from this moment forth shall follow this premise."
A world where the blessings of the Great Ones were fading.
A world where the domain of the evil gods expanded day by day.
A world where humanity slowly marched toward extinction.
A world overrun by monsters. A world where all great civilizations of humanity have collapsed.
Lost Elder.
In this despair-filled world, this was a promise that would inevitably win everyone's support.
And a covenant that would justify all my actions hereafter.
"I..."
A feat that no other Sword Master would ever dare to achieve.
The goal I had set for myself from the very moment I was reincarnated into this world.
And without fail.
The destiny I had to fulfill.