The Sword Saint’s Awakening
It has been one month since I fell into this other world. And right now, I am on the verge of death.
“Because you ran away here, an innocent beggar is going to die with you.”
It seems they have no intention of letting me live.
As soon as I grasped the situation, I moved quickly.
Tap! Tap!
“Hahaha! Look at that! Are you trying to threaten us right now?”
“This is so scary, I might just have to run away! Hahahaha!!”
As I swung my cane against the wall, the men began to mock me. I ignored them, focusing my mind on the reflected sounds. Based on the returning echoes, the situation in the back alley took shape in my mind.
‘Three large figures, one small figure…’
The small one is likely the woman who fled here. Currently, the three men are blocking the entrance that leads to the main road.
‘The front is blocked.’
The left is a wall. The right is a pile of trash. Then—
‘I have no choice but to run deeper into the alley.’
I didn't hesitate; I kicked off the ground. I grabbed whatever I could reach. A damp piece of cloth, a broken bottle, unidentifiable food scraps—it didn't matter what it was. As long as it bought me time.
Whoosh!
I threw it with all my might. Since I had already pinpointed their positions, hitting them was child's play.
“Ugh—what the hell!”
“You stupid bastard! You couldn't dodge that?!”
Did they really not expect me to fight back? I felt the three men momentarily falter as the trash hit them precisely. In that split second, I lowered my body and dove deeper into the alley.
I don't need to see. The path is already in my head. As long as I get inside the alley—
THUD!
At that moment, a heavy impact slammed into my side.
“Gah—!”
The breath was knocked right out of me. My body flew through the air and crashed against the wall.
CRASH!
My vision flashed—no, wait, I couldn't see anything to begin with. Regardless, it was the most intense pain I had ever felt in my life. My body curled up instinctively, and I began to tremble uncontrollably.
Heavy footsteps approached me as I crawled on the ground.
“Haha, look at this.”
Poke.
A toe pushed against my shoulder. A relaxed voice filled with mockery drifted down to me.
“Is this girl blind?”
“Stop playing around and bring her over here.”
“Alright, alright.”
A rough hand grabbed me violently.
“Ugh….”
The man dragged me somewhere, completely indifferent to my pain. Even as I was being hauled away, I focused on the sounds. All I could hear were the men’s jeers, contrasted by the sound of someone else’s breathing, which held a hint of frustration.
The man spoke up.
“See this? She’s dying because of you. She’s dying because you ran away. If it weren't for you, this beggar girl wouldn't have to die.”
This guy, he’s got a sick sense of humor. He isn't killing me immediately; he’s using me to provoke the other person. I felt so frustrated that I had been taken down by such trash.
Just then, a soft but strong, strangely familiar voice reached my ears.
“Why is that my fault?”
“What?”
“I said, why is that my fault?”
At the woman’s words, the alley fell into silence. As if that silence had nothing to do with her, the woman continued.
“Did I order you to kill her?”
Saying that, she took a breath. Even though I couldn't see, I could easily imagine the look on her face—it was a sigh so full of pity that it was almost pathetic.
“No, you didn't. Why are you blaming me for the fact that you’re just pieces of trash who like to kill?”
“This girl, she really…”
“Stop showing everyone how poorly you were raised. It’s disgusting.”
Wow, she’s got guts…
I inwardly admired her words and agreed. Who are these pieces of trash to blame anyone else?
The men, flustered by the continued verbal abuse, radiated waves of anger.
“…Don't think you’re going to die easily. I’ll tear you apart and display you in this alleyway.”
The man holding me threw my body aside violently. I rolled across the ground several times, my breath hitching as if it might stop. Immediately after, I heard angry footsteps heading toward the woman.
The moment I heard that, my resolve hardened. Even if I am a beggar with no money and no balls…
‘Do I have no pride?’
I didn't want to let these pieces of trash have their way, even if it meant I died.
I staggered to my feet and lunged at the man.
“Hey!!!”
CRASH!
“What the—you crazy—!”
I grabbed his waist and clung to him. Obviously, I couldn't overpower him. I was just holding on. That was enough.
“Run away!!!”
I screamed with all my might. I didn't know if the woman had run away or not. After all, I couldn't see a thing. I just poured all my focus into the sensation of holding onto him.
“This girl, seriously—!”
THUD!
My body went flying again. I crashed into the ground, my breath shaking as if it were about to cut off. But—
I didn't let go. I tightened my grip, tearing at him.
RIP!
The sensation of fabric tearing. And—a rough piece of cloth remained in my hand.
“…Ha.”
A dry laugh escaped me.
Shing.
At that moment, along with angry footsteps, I heard the sound of a sword being drawn. It seemed they really intended to kill me this time. But I had no intention of dying quietly. I groped the ground to find something, anything.
Something touched my fingertips. Something cold and hard. It must have fallen when the man’s clothes tore. It didn't matter what it was, as long as I could swing it! I grabbed it and lifted it with all my strength.
At that moment—
Thump!
I felt something pulse.
[You have picked up a sword at the crossroads of life and death.]
[The trait is activated.]
[ is nullified.]
Something appeared in my vision, but I didn't have the mental capacity to care about that.
“Ah….”
I was simply captivated by the scenery revealed before me. A sense of wonder, like facing the sun after being trapped in a dark cave, filled my heart.
“…I can see.”
The alleyway I had been living in, the appearance of the trash trying to kill me, and even the woman in the corner of the alley with a look of bewilderment on her face!
I instinctively realized that what I was holding was a sword. And I knew exactly how to use it.
‘First, those pieces of trash.’
The moment I held that will, the world slowed down, and blue lines filled my vision. I naturally swung the sword along those lines.
I had never touched a sword in my life, and this was my first time swinging one, yet my body moved as naturally as if I had been wielding a blade for a lifetime.
Swish—
The moment I swung the sword, the frozen world began to move again. The blade I swung sliced across the throat of the blonde trash in front of me.
Thud!
Leaving the head that fell without any resistance behind, I pushed off the ground. My body felt light, as if it could fly. I approached the black-haired man standing there, caught off guard, like a bullet.
The man, noticing my approach, tried to draw his sword with his right hand, but my blade severed his hand before he could.
“Gyaaaaaah!!!”
Ignoring the man screaming while clutching his blood-spurting right hand, I cut off his legs and turned my head away from the man crawling on the ground like a bug.
The remaining brown-haired man was muttering something with eyes full of terror. Soon, a fireball the size of a soccer ball appeared in front of him.
‘A mage?’
“Die! You monster!!!”
Simultaneous with the man’s shout, the fireball burst forth. Heat filled my vision. It was my first time seeing magic in person, but I could tell at a glance that it was dangerous. Any ordinary person would be reduced to ashes in an instant if they were even grazed by it.
But it was fine. I knew it instinctively.
‘…I can cut it.’
I lunged straight forward. And I swung my sword.
Swish—
The sword sliced through the fireball. The flames that should have exploded parted and vanished as if nothing had happened. Not even a stray spark remained.
“…What?”
The man’s voice trembled.
“No way… You… you cut magic?”
I didn't answer. There was no reason to. I was already right in front of him.
The man hurriedly raised his hands. A movement to cast his next spell. But it was too late.
One step.
And—
Whoosh.
The sword passed through.
Thud.
The man’s head rolled once on the ground. His body collapsed a beat later.
Splatter.
Blood soaked the alley floor.
“Haa. Haa.”
I exhaled slowly. My heart was pounding as if it would burst. As the excitement subsided, my body began to ache as if it were breaking. It was a fatigue like finishing a long-distance marathon.
[ is activated.]
My breath came in ragged gasps. The sword in my hand was trembling minutely. No, my entire body was trembling. The body that had felt so light just a moment ago became heavy as a lie.
My knees felt like they were about to buckle. My vision distorted in an instant.
“…Huh?”
The alley that had been so clear just a moment ago blurred. I struggled desperately to hold onto my consciousness.
Just then, I heard footsteps approaching me. As I turned my head, a woman’s face entered my vision through the blur. The moment I saw that face, I realized.
Why that voice had felt so familiar.
She looked much younger than I remembered—but there was no mistake.
Before I fell into this place. The last face I saw.
The strongest hidden boss of the Saintess Hero.
‘Iolet… Dranice….’
With the face of Iolet looking at me with eyes full of shock as the last thing I saw, my consciousness finally sank into darkness.