Claiming the Full Chilya

I hurriedly scanned my face and body. In that instant, my entire body froze solid, and I wondered if I was dying. But as my vision, which had turned pure white like melting ice, returned to normal, I let out a ragged breath and looked around.

"Where... is this?"

"Your first time, I see."

A voice came from behind me at that moment.

"...!!"

I whipped around in alarm.

"Someone beyond my expectations has come. To think I'd meet someone other than a Hero who undid this sword's seal."

"You..."

I recognized the man before me at once. Just his gaze alone sent chills prickling across my skin—he could only be the War God Gullak.

To encounter him like this, when his whereabouts had been a complete mystery. Even after repeating history countless times in my dreams, I'd never found a way to track him down...

As I stared at him intently, Gullak instead tilted his head in confusion.

"Have we met before? I don't recall any connection with someone as young as you..."

"Haha, no. I was just a bit startled. When else would I get the chance to lay eyes on the continent's famed War God in person?"

"I'm little more than a spirit left behind in this sword. What I am now is merely a remnant of memory—an arrangement I made in preparation for the day my disciples would comprehend the essence sealed within the Chilya sword and come seeking me."

He regarded me.

"But to think an utter unexpected guest would arrive. And one who hasn't even learned a single Chilya sword form, at that. How did you enter this space?"

Gullak's fighting spirit was exactly as I'd imagined, but his face was younger than I'd pictured. If he was just a memory left in the sword, as he claimed... there must be a significant time gap between his era and ours.

"War God. Do you remember giving Aishira the shortsword of Amur in the past?"

I bowed lightly in respect before asking.

"Yes, I did. Amur, the fourth Hero, excelled my disciples in every way, but the congenital illness he bore from birth was too severe to cure, and in the end, he couldn't inherit the sword."

Gullak's face darkened as he answered.

"His disease is Blue Blood, the rare condition where one's blood freezes solid. A Dragon Heart could have cured it."

"I know. But by the time I learned of his condition, his heart and organs had already frozen over. Even a Dragon Heart couldn't have saved him."

He gave a faint smile and shook his head.

"It was heartbreaking, but to honor his memory, I decided that whoever hunted a dragon with that shortsword would receive my blade. Aishira of the Naba Tribe who came seeking me was young, but her eyes burned with spirit."

I couldn't help but give a wry smile at Gullak calling her "young"—she was one of the most seasoned hunters in her tribe.

"I came here through that shortsword she gave me."

"No way...?"

"I used it to behead the Spirit Devourer, ruler of the north—your fourth sword."

Gullak couldn't hide his shock at my words.

"Ha, haha...!! So that little kid ultimately succeeded. Back then, I half-thought it was just childish bravado. Though Amur died, his shortsword now carries dragon blood... You're worthy of learning my Chilya."

But after his laughter faded, Gullak eyed me with curiosity.

"Yet how could you, who hasn't mastered even a single sword form, wield the fourth Chilya blade?"

"I must apologize, but the Aishira you remember is now the north's most experienced hunter. Your Heroes likely won't unseal the sword just to hear your final words."

In that moment, Gullak's expression hardened.

"What?"

"Time has passed. The swords they wielded are scattered, and only Tesaro's blade—the first Hero's from the Kalun Tribe—is preserved."

"Whether they lived or died, their fates are all unknown."

"That can't be..."

Gullak muttered in disbelief, but confronted with Tesaro's sword in my grip, he had no choice but to accept reality.

"I got lucky. I alone could use divine beast powder, which let me slay the dragon with this shortsword."

"Divine beast powder? It still remained in the north...? But using it requires mana. You're no disciple of the magic tower, yet you possess mana?"

"Yes."

"Don't tell me... You're one of the tower's people?"

Gullak stared at me in astonishment.

The tower...?

I tilted my head briefly, but quickly realized he meant the dimensional gate of Parrel Tower.

Well, in the game lore, players enter through dimensional gates...

Though it was just flavor text, the NPCs of Dimension World recorded player logins as historical events or natural phenomena. Tribal and kingdom records described the login screen as pillars of light, dimensional gates, or towers—but all under one name: Pharel.

"That's right."

Since it was mere setting, I answered nonchalantly.

Gullak nodded slowly, as if it made sense.

"I see. That explains it—outsiders like you sometimes wield power that defies the natural order."

He looked at me.

"So, do you wish to inherit my sword?"

"Any who grip a blade would never pass up the chance to learn Chilya, the continent's mightiest sword art."

I clearly remembered the alert window from before entering this sub-space.

Mythic-grade skill.

The rumors about Chilya were true. Even the Dragon Assault Sword Style passed down in the Iron Kingdom's royal family was merely Legendary-grade.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Then will you become my disciple?"

Gullak regarded me.

He, Hero's Successor?!

I nearly shouted aloud.

What is this...? Jackpot! I can learn the Chilya sword forms without the sword's restrictions?

That meant job-changing to Hero's Successor would let me immediately access True Chilya 1st Sword from Tesaro's blade.

For me, who'd held off on my first job change, this was the perfect class to effortlessly acquire Chilya swordsmanship.

The ultimate opportunity to claim the supreme sword art I'd never even achieved in my dreams.

"Of course..."

I started to answer Gullak without hesitation, eyes on the new job change quest window.

Or rather, I tried to.

A chill ran down my spine—

...What?

The moment I saw Gullak's face, awaiting my reply, an inexplicable sense of wrongness hit me.

Before entering the sub-space, the alert clearly stated Chilya 4th Sword was Mythic-grade.

Yet the hidden class for learning Chilya swordsmanship, Hero's Successor, was only Legendary-grade.

That was off. A class lower-grade than the skill itself...?

—My liege. Before devising tactics, never trust the strength before your eyes.

The moment the unease struck, Dark Army leader Bazarr's final lesson flashed through my mind, though I couldn't pinpoint why.

The strength before my eyes...

"I see..."

I reread the unfinished quest window and let out a wry smile.

Even in the game, you're helping me out. Thanks, Bazarr.

With my mind settled, I finally grasped the source of my unease.

"Don't test me, Gullak."

"..."

Gullak's face stiffened.

"A petty trick unworthy of the War God. Though I nearly fell for the sweet bait myself, so I'm still lacking too..."

I said to him.

"I have no intention of becoming your lackey."

"I don't follow. Didn't you ask to learn my sword forms first? And I offered to pass Chilya to you first, as payment for breaking the seal in Amur's shortsword."

"Right. Hero's Successor means inheriting all the Chilya forms you taught the Heroes, free of restrictions."

"And?"

"I acknowledge Chilya as the continent's strongest sword art. And it's something I must learn."

"Then you shouldn't refuse."

"Up to where?"

"...What?"

"Let me ask, then. Up to which of the Chilya sword forms did you plan to pass to me?"

"..."

As expected, he didn't answer.

"You had five Heroes follow you. Five sword forms sealed in their blades."

Seeing Gullak's frozen expression, I smirked, lifting one corner of my mouth.

"But Chilya consists of seven forms."

"The remaining two forms you never taught the Heroes."

I said slowly, facing him.

"I intend to take those as well."

In that instant, Gullak's expression shifted subtly.

"Kuh, kuahaha!!!"

Even with my sword tip inches from his face, he rose unfazed, leaning even closer into it.

As his face loomed before mine, he bared fangs like a beast's, laughing.

"You're boldly declaring you'll take ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠everything from me, the War God Gullak himself? You green little punk?"

"How do you know if I'm green or not? Don't get cocky. Even if you've reached the pinnacle in swordsmanship, you can't claim your world—your history—was more brutal than my experiences."

"Insolent brat... Talking like you've seen it all. Your arrogance pierces the heavens."

"Then come and take it."

As expected, the job change quest window blurred.

I gazed at the newly appeared quest and slowly curled my lips.

"Yes. Now we're talking."