Chapter 11
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The Joy of the Sword
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Yuhyeon, lightly gripping the wooden sword, swiftly raised both arms to the sky.
Soon, with a sound of cutting wind, the wooden sword slammed into the scarecrow.
Thwack!
A dull impact traveled up his wrist. A shiver. It was a heavy sensation, entirely different from playing an instrument.
I could never do this in real life.
For a musician whose life revolved around performing, any sport that strained the hands was practically taboo.
This was a pleasure he could only experience here.
He swung again, and again, and again. When he had completed a total of four slashes.
Ding!
Quest Complete.
You have acquired Basic Swordsmanship as a reward.
You have acquired the skill Sword Mastery (F-Rank).
Yuhyeon had finally completed the tutorial quest.
Olsen, who had been watching him intently from the side, spoke in a low voice.
Good, you've finally completed the tutorial. Check your skills to see Sword Mastery. It should be there.
Yuhyeon nodded.
Ding!
Sword Mastery (F-Rank): Deals 110 damage when attacking with a one-handed sword. Attack speed increases by 2.
Mastery is a rank-up skill that can be upgraded to the next level once you fill its proficiency gauge. Rank-up skills don't require skill points.
Olsen continued his explanation.
Also, the higher your mastery, the greater the damage of all your attacks, including skills, so I recommend you train diligently. No matter how many skills you have, they're nothing but a hollow shell if your mastery is low.
Yuhyeon nodded.
The same was true when handling an instrument.
Nothing is more important than the fundamentals.
No matter how impressive the technique, it was only natural for listeners to be captivated by the musician who could produce a truly fine sound.
You can raise proficiency through training and practical experience. You'll gain less when fighting weaker enemies, and more when fighting stronger ones. See for yourself.
Yuhyeons eyes turned to the skill description.
Sword Mastery (F-Rank): Current Proficiency 0.00
Proficiency increases by 0.5 when striking with the correct posture. This may vary depending on the skill rank.
It stated that for practical experience, fighting monsters of a weaker grade increased proficiency by 0.1, similar grades by 1-2, and stronger grades by up to 10.
Posture must be really important.
Considering that fighting weak monsters only gave 0.1, he could guess just how crucial it was to maintain proper form over simply hunting.
Now, I will teach you basic swordsmanship as your reward. The very first thing you will learn is the slash. Watch carefully and follow me.
Olsen said, lightly gripping his wooden sword.
He then raised both arms above his head, and as he exhaled, he sliced through the air below.
Whoosh!
As the wooden sword cut through the air, a powerful sound of wind followed.
The movement was as fluid as flowing water, as if the sword and his body were one.
Yuhyeon swallowed hard.
Is that a sound you can make with a wooden sword?
Even though it was just a swing of a wooden sword, he felt an indescribable pressure.
It was a sound that could only be produced after a lifetime of honing one's craft.
Give it a try.
I will.
Yuhyeon gripped the wooden sword tightly, his eyes serious.
He recalled Olsens movements from a moment ago and did his best to replicate the posture.
Was it like this?
He raised both arms above his head and swung down.
An awkward motion was accompanied by a faint sound.
Olsen spoke in a calm tone.
Head up, back straight. Raise your arms as you inhale, and as you put pressure on your core, strike downward. As if you're releasing all your power at once.
As Yuhyeon assumed the posture Olsen taught him, his entire body tensed up.
The posture was so uncomfortable that he wondered if it was even possible to swing down, but he maintained the tension and brought the wooden sword down.
Vwoom-
A rather pleasant, sharp sound reached Yuhyeons ears.
Sword Mastery (F-Rank) proficiency has increased by 0.5.
Olsen nodded.
Not bad. Maintain that posture and do it 20 times. That is your next quest.
Ding!
Quest: Basic Swordsmanship (1)
Rank: E
Requirement: One who has learned Basic Swordsmanship.
Reward: Increased favorability with Instructor Olsen, additional rewards based on contribution.
Failure: Cannot proceed to the follow-up quest Basic Swordsmanship (2).
Description: Strike the scarecrow 20 times with the correct posture. You can receive additional rewards based on your contribution by performing extra slash practice.
Yuhyeons eyes narrowed.
What are the additional rewards based on contribution?
Your interest in rewards proves you're a stranger, alright. Just focus on the 20 reps first. That won't be easy either.
A hint of sarcasm was hidden in Olsen's words.
It seemed he was still holding a grudge about Yuhyeon leaving in the middle of a quest two days ago.
Yuhyeon didn't bother making excuses and simply nodded.
Understood.
Then get to it. Im going to check on the other strangers for a moment.
Olsen left, and Yuhyeon, now alone, lightly gripped the wooden sword.
He held his breath and swung his arms down forcefully.
But nothing happened.
No notification of increased proficiency appeared, nor did the quest window update the count to two.
It meant only one thing.
He had failed to execute the slash with the correct posture.
What did I miss?
Yuhyeon carefully recalled Olsens teachings.
The angle of his head, the straightness of his back, the direction of his wrists, the timing of his breath.
He reviewed each point Olsen had taught him and, like building on a blank canvas, slowly corrected his posture.
Only after he had formed a posture so unfamiliar and uncomfortable that it was difficult to move.
Ding!
Remaining Reps: 18
Sword Mastery (F-Rank) proficiency has increased by 0.5.
He had finally found the right answer.
Whew, I'm out of breath after just one.
At this rate, completing 20 reps would take a considerable amount of time.
This is going to take at least an hour.
But Yuhyeon had spent his entire life dedicated to repetitive training.
It's been a while since I've felt this challenged.
As he swung the sword, his eyes sparkled.
Meanwhile, Olsen.
Wow! Finally done! What a pain-in-the-ass quest. Instructor, just give me the skill already!
Confirmed.
Ill come back for the next quest later. Now that Ive got a skill, I should do some hunting, right?
Olsen stared with narrowed eyes at the stranger, whose expression screamed of utter boredom.
Well, do as you please.
All he did was swing a sword twenty times, yet he acted as if it were the most difficult and tedious task in the world.
And this was from someone who hadn't even learned the first thing about swordsmanship.
How pathetic.
Olsen settled his body onto a worn-out chair in the corner of the training ground.
I should rest for a bit.
It was almost time to leave, so the stranger who had just left would likely be his last visitor.
How dull
Though he was now just an instructor in a beginner's village, he had once reached a position just shy of the pinnacle as a knight.
He was, after all, an honorary knight who had served alongside Kenneth, the pride of the kingdom.
From the moment he first held a sword at the age of seven until now, he had never missed a single day of training.
He possessed no special talent, nor did he have a great sword master as a teacher. The only reason he had been able to rise through the ranks was one thing.
A tenacity and perseverance more dogged than anyone else's.
If his father were younger and in better health, he might still have remained a knight.
An instructor position opened up back home, so I came to look after my father, but its just so, so dull.
He had come with the noble intention of fostering the next generation, but as expected, all he encountered were pathetic strangers.
They complained that everything was too hard, demanded rewards for every little thing, and were lazier yet more greedy than anyone.
The count isnt going up. Seriously? It only goes up if I use the perfect form. Can't I just forfeit this quest
I wont even use basic swordsmanship once I learn skills anyway. They just made a time-wasting quest for no reason.
Just as youd expect from Wonderland, tsk. Trying to squeeze out connection fees by making us waste time on stuff like this.
For Olsen, who had dedicated his life to the sword, it was a difficult sight to comprehend.
You don't need talent. But at the very least
He knew well that not everyone could possess innate genius.
But couldn't they at least put in the effort?
If he had seen such a person, he would have given them more, not turned them away.
No matter how special one's abilities are, they're all meaningless without a solid foundation.
Hadn't this already been proven once at the royal palace?
The time when the honorary knight Kenneth and the representative of the strangers, Hwarang, had a sword duel.
Hwarang's special skills and sword strikes ultimately failed to overcome Kenneth's wall.
That was the power of fundamentals. It was something made possible only through relentless effort to polish the basics.
Why did Father introduce me to that person?
Olsen's gaze drifted to Yuhyeon.
His father had never asked him for anything in his entire life.
But he had introduced Yuhyeon with eyes like a devout believer.
However, Yuhyeon seemed no different from the other strangers he had seen so far.
Ah! I shouldn't be just swinging a wooden sword like this!
There's something more important than this. I'll be back later!
Hadn't he given up and run away because even the tutorial quest was too hard?
If that was the kind of person he was, Olsen had no intention of giving him special treatment, even if he came with his father's introduction.
Well, we'll see soon enough.
However, that didn't mean he would hold any prejudice against Yuhyeon.
If he got tired and gave up, their connection would end there. If he proved himself, there was no reason not to give him a reward.
In the end, a swordsman speaks with his sword.
Still, he seems to be trying quite hard for now.
Seeing him drenched in sweat, Olsen figured he must have done about 10 reps by now.
To complete the remaining 10, it would take at least another 30 minutes to an hour.
Maybe Ill just close my eyes for a bit
It was already approaching nine o'clock.
He should have already been heading home, but because of Yuhyeon, he couldn't close the training ground.
Normally, he would have sent him away to continue tomorrow, but seeing him so focused for once, he didn't want to interrupt.
He'll come talk to me if he can't do it anymore.
Olsen's eyes slowly closed.
Vwoom.
Vwoooom!
In the deserted training grounds at night, only the sound of a wooden sword cutting through the wind could be heard.
Yuhyeon, drenched in sweat from head to toe, was still swinging the wooden sword.
He had long since passed the twenty reps of perfect form, and at some point, he had lost count of how many times he had swung.
When he swung with perfect form, there was a certain feeling.
He thought that feeling started around the two-hundredth swing.
Vwoom!
Now, with every swing, the muscles all over his body screamed.
His arms and legs had been worn out for a while, and even his core, which he used for breathing, was trembling.
And yet, Yuhyeon swung the sword.
No one had told him to do this. So why couldn't he stop?
At first, it was simply because he felt something was lacking.
When he assumed the posture Olsen had taught him, it reminded him of the time he first held a violin.
When he had scraped the strings with a clumsy motion, it produced not a beautiful sound, but a screech.
Fortunately, he was able to produce a sound quickly, but it took over a week to produce the proper sound he wanted.
The process wasn't easy, but he had eventually succeeded, and at that moment, he had felt an indescribably immense ecstasy.
The more I do this, the more it reminds me of music.
Wielding a sword had a similar quality to music.
First, the fundamentals were the most important.
Just as one practices correct posture and breathing for a single perfect note, swordsmanship also required the correct posture to strike the target precisely for maximum efficiency.
Second, effort was rewarded.
Like the violin, where a week's time produced a perfect note, he could physically feel himself improving with swordsmanship training the more he did it.
This alone was proof enough.
Vwoom!
A sound he couldn't produce just a moment ago, he was now making naturally.
Of course, it wasn't as impressive as Olsen's, but compared to when he first started training, the difference was night and day.
He was even confident that if he continued training like this, he might one day be able to produce the sound Olsen had made.
That's why it's fun.
Yuhyeon wanted to do this thing, which was as fun as music, properly. And if he was going to do it, he wanted to be better than anyone else.
He didn't want to just swing a wooden sword; he wanted to perform a true slash like Olsen.
With that as his goal, he couldn't give up swinging the wooden sword.
Because he knew that just like with an instrument, with diligent practice, he would eventually get used to swordsmanship and become good at it.
So he kept swinging.
Once, twice, three times
He grew breathless.
Ten times, eleven times, twelve times
His arms began to cramp.
A hundred times, a hundred and one times
Sweat poured down. At the same time, he felt alive.
Two hundred times, two hundred and one times
He started to block out his surroundings. The world blurred.
The only thing in his vision was the sword before him.
This is fun!
He never knew that wielding a sword could be so enjoyable.
This world was filled with so many fun things besides music.
The way his swordsmanship became more precise with every swing was incredibly fun.
Sword Mastery (F-Rank) proficiency has increased by 0.5.
Strength has increased by 1.
Stamina has increased by 1.
Agility has increased by 1.
.
.
Strength has increased by 1.
Stamina has increased by 1.
It was also fun to see the notification windows that appeared every time he practiced.
It felt as if the world itself was acknowledging his efforts, and his heart swelled with emotion.
It was so enjoyable that he completely forgot he needed to log out.
Just like when he had first played the violin, lost in a trance, playing nonstop.
Yuhyeon swung the wooden sword without rest.
It was then.
You! Hey! Are you still at it?!
Huh?
A loud voice that instantly shattered his concentration reached Yuhyeons ears.
It was Instructor Olsen, the one who had given him the quest.
You, how long are you planning to keep this up? No, thats enough. It's already three in the morning!
He was staring at him with a look of utter disbelief.
What do you mean
Yuhyeon raised his head to look at the sky. A pitch-black darkness had long since fallen.
Are you doing this for the reward? Even so, this is just brutishly foolish!
Because it's fun.
What?
Olsen asked again, looking as if he had misheard.
All you're doing is swinging a wooden sword at a scarecrow and you found that fun?
Yuhyeon smiled faintly and said.
It felt just like playing an instrument.
His expression as he spoke was filled with pure joy.
It was fun feeling my proficiency and stats go up, and my posture getting more familiar each time. I got so absorbed that I completely forgot about everything else.
Hah
Olsen stared intently at Yuhyeon.
Swinging a sword is like playing an instrument
There wasn't a hint of falsehood in Yuhyeons expression.
Olsen had seen this kind of expression before.
That's what Kenneth used to say. That nothing made his heart flutter like swinging a sword. That joy was what brought him to where he was.
It was the same for Olsen himself.
When I first held a sword, I was so happy just swinging it. That's why I dedicated my life to the sword.
There was a time for him too, when he had found swinging a sword so enjoyable that he practiced his swordsmanship whether it snowed or rained.
The look in Yuhyeons eyes right now was exactly that.
A look of ecstatic joy. The firm gaze of those who push forward towards the peak without giving up.
To think I'd meet a stranger like this, here of all places.
How long had it been since he met a stranger like this?
No, perhaps this was the first time.
Olsen was so taken aback, both pleased and bewildered, that he couldn't respond.
Ugh!
Yuhyeon staggered and then collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
He tried to use the wooden sword to push himself up, but it wasn't enough.
Ugh, Im dying
The only thing he could do was lie spread-eagled and stare at the sky.
A shadow fell over Yuhyeons face.
It was Olsens thick hand.
Get up. If you fall asleep like this, you'll catch a cold. The muscle pain must be severe, but it should get a little better after a night's sleep at the inn.
Yuhyeon looked up at Olsen blankly.
Nngh.
Anyway, just how many times did you do it? I'll reward you sufficiently, so speak freely.
Yuhyeons gaze turned to the notification window.
Additional Swings: 401
Sword Mastery (E-Rank) - Proficiency 50.25
It says four hundred and one times?
F-four hundred? Four hundred with the correct posture?
Olsen looked down at Yuhyeon with an expression of disbelief.
Most strangers struggle with even 20 reps and in the short time I was asleep, he did 400?
And that was only because he had been stopped. There was no telling how much more he would have done otherwise.
It was a frighteningly astonishing display of dedication and perseverance.
Now I see why Father introduced him.
His father had probably seen this side of Yuhyeon and recommended him.
Olsen felt the same way.
It's been a long time since my heart has burned like this.
A burning desire to teach him properly was welling up inside.
Perhaps this was the one who would carry on his will.
Just as Olsen was thinking this to himself.
Ding!
A familiar sound reached Yuhyeons ears.
A sound that always made his heart flutter, a sound that always brought him something special.
It was.
Olsen's favorability has risen dramatically!