Awakening of the Ritual Sword

More shocking than the sword's purification was the notification about Chilya.

I had definitely unsealed the sword of the hero and learned Chilya 1st Sword as a skill.

'Of course, learning the skill doesn't mean it's over.'

Chilya, like other skills, had levels and proficiency.

But while normal skills increased proficiency through repeated use, the Chilya sword styles had all stalled at 3% ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and refused to budge.

I'd thought it was just because they were Mythic-grade skills and took longer, but in this single moment, the proficiency had surged far beyond anything before.

"……What the hell is going on?"

My bewilderment lasted only a moment. At Black Eye's shout, I tossed aside Tesaro's broken sword and drew Amur's dagger.

"Hoo……."

I drew up the surging Qi and resumed hammering the blade.

……The first time was tough, but after that, the Chilya sword styles began growing at a terrifying pace.

Clang—

Kagagang—!!

Forgetting the purification entirely, I lost myself once more in the blade, continuing the sword styles in a trance.

Taaaaang—!!

As I brought down the final strike, the rust on the worn sword flaked off with a pattering sound.

"Haa, haa……."

The moment I gasped for breath,

Fwoosh……!!

It felt like my vision had been wiped clean, sharpening crystal clear.

"Fhew—"

Brushing off the rust and dust from the purified sword revealed a keen edge that had been hidden until now.

The acquisition path alone made the level requirement meaningless.

The odd part was that normal weapons showed attack power as a numerical value, but this one used percentages.

'Percentage-based attack boosts mean this sword deals higher damage the higher your level—a growth-type weapon, in a way. But more importantly……'

Buuung—!!

I lightly swung the ritual sword through the air.

Holes pierced the blade, producing a wailing cry like shrieking ghosts with every movement.

'The real prize is its exclusive effect.'

The First King's Will was a whole new way to absorb and amplify divine power.

'What the hell was the First King? Clearly human, but how did he craft something like this?'

My curiosity faded as I examined the ritual sword.

Nothing special at first glance, but then I spotted a faint engraving beneath the hilt.

"This is……."

Yeomhwa-ryeong caught my glance and quickly fetched the hilt of Tesaro's broken sword from the floor.

"As I thought."

I alternated between the emblem on Tesaro's sword and the one on the ritual sword.

The difference: Tesaro's had two intertwined emblems, while the ritual sword's had one.

'Emblems engraved on weapons usually symbolize the creator. But sometimes, if special materials are used, they add a second emblem for that material.'

I recalled Tur Mah's words in Sandorim Forest.

'Faded with age, but this emblem is definitely dwarven. The other symbolizes the tower.'

"One is the dwarven emblem, the other the tower's."

I recognized the ritual sword's engraving as the tower's symbol.

'Proof the First King was tied to the tower.'

That was when—

"……M-Master?"

Yeomhwa-ryeong's cry rang out.

Hwaaaaak—!!

In that instant, my vision locked on the sword felt sucked in, consciousness slamming into it.

"Cough……!!"

A dizzying wave of sensations threatened to sweep me away.

Crack……!

Craaaack……!

My vision cracked like fracturing glass.

"……!!"

Before I could react, the sword's memory flooded in fiercely.

"My liege."

A massive ice cave. A voice called to a man before it.

"It is complete."

"……Well done."

Several people stood before the man—not just humans, but aged gnomes, vampire-pale figures, northerners, even a young girl and an elf.

The man slowly raised the sword.

Its blade had six peculiar holes midway up, perfectly matching fragments in a box beside it.

'That's…….'

I knew this was the ritual sword I'd just purified, held by a man I'd never seen.

'Hmm, must be the sword's memory. So…… is he the First King?'

Fwoosh……!!!

Black smoke billowed, forming a shape.

"This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is all thanks to your sacrifice, Alrn Zabius."

"Thank you."

The black shape waved off the crowd with a low chuckle.

"All, receive it."

As Karil spoke, the 7 clan heads seized their fragments in unison.

"This sword, forged with divine power, shall carry my will—the Blood Oath Dagger shall symbolize the eternal 7 kingdoms."

Woooong…….

The sword trembled lightly in his grasp.

"And should one claim the Blood Oath Dagger and gather the remaining fragments, they shall gain power beyond all others."

His voice echoed.

"I name it thus: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Those who truly seek the will of Godslaying shall surely claim our weapon."

'……?!'

For a split second—illusion or not—his eyes met mine as he gripped the sword.

"May…… this sword lend even a sliver of strength to any in other dimensions who would enact Godslaying."

Tsssss……!!

'……Huh?'

As his voice faded, the scene blurred like a screen transition, the landscape shifting.

"Anyway! The boss is the problem!! Charging into the enemy camp alone like that—what were you thinking?! Your body isn't just yours anymore, you know? The real war hasn't even started yet."

"……Someone get rid of this nag."

The millennium ice cave vanished, replaced by a grand hall.

A man in gleaming armor stood there, a boy trailing him.

"Haha, how could we treat the strategist leading the grand army so roughly?"

"It's all because we care about you, Mu-yeol."

A sturdy man and woman behind them smiled warmly, like fond siblings.

"Bring them in."

'……Where's this?'

Unlike the ancient castle-like scene, the four in the hall felt out of place.

'Mu-yeol?'

The woman had called the central man's name, but I couldn't recall it from memory.

Drumdrumdrum……!!

The massive hall doors swung open, revealing seven figures beyond—varied in appearance, unlike the four. They ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠knelt before the man called Mu-yeol.

"This."

One produced a gemstone and offered it.

'That's…….'

My eyes locked on the gem and the sword in the man's hand.

'Blood Oath Dagger.'

The same sword from the First King's memory, now held by another.

Unlike before, its holed blade was filled—the gem fitting the final slot perfectly.

Woooong……!!!

The embedded gems glowed, light flooding the hall from the sword.

Tssss…….

As the light faded, the hand gripping the hilt burned red, blistered like severe frostbite.

"Ooh……."

The onlookers gasped involuntarily at the sword.

"Can't call it a dagger anymore."

The sword's wielder murmured lowly.

'That's…….'

Like peeking into a dream, I watched him.

The long sword radiated lethal sharpness—clearly no ordinary blade.

But flipping it revealed the hilt emblem matching the ritual sword's.

"The Blood Oath Dagger is for the true leader. But it hasn't shown its full form yet."

It had transformed into a longsword, yet it was undoubtedly the same.

'So…… this is another of the sword's memories.'

The wielder changes with eras—that's natural.

But I wondered: If the first memory's man was the First King, who was this one in the hall?

"Rise, all."

His voice filled the hall.

"As lord of the 7 kingdoms, I command."

The kneeling heads rose at his words.

"Now, it's time to settle this."

Waaaaah—!!

Cheers erupted in the hall.

"As the boss said, now it really begins."

"Mm……."

The man nodded slowly to the boy beside him.

'……That face.'

It was the boy from my first arrival here, speaking to the man.

Seeing his face shook me—it felt familiar, like I'd seen it somewhere.

"We can go back, right?"

"Yes."

Short, but his voice carried inexplicable power.

"Follow close. Choi Hyuk-su."

As he stepped forward, the hall doors opened.

"Ignite the Flames of Blazing Heaven Migration."

Waaaaah—!!!

Waaaaah—!!

Cheers mingled with the sight beyond the doors: countless soldiers waiting, their weapons wreathed in sacred flames like holy fire.

'……What?'

Amid the staggering sea of fire, I doubted my ears.

'Choi Hyuk-su?'