Chapter 226
Chapter 226
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 226
>Chapter Title: The Forgotten King's Swordsmanship
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“ Astonishing...! ”
The Lion King’s spirit couldn’t contain its awe.
How long had it been since he’d felt this level of shock? Even in life, moments like this had been rare.
It was simply that unbelievable.
‘To grasp the test’s condition so quickly.’
Inflicting damage not with skills, but with pure personal strength.
That was the hidden stage’s requirement.
A true knight must trust in himself at the moment of crisis.
The test reflected the Lion King’s conviction: one who sought answers from elsewhere instead of within at the decisive moment could never become a great knight.
‘Coincidence? No, that doesn’t matter.’
But what truly astonished the Lion King’s spirit wasn’t just meeting the test’s condition.
‘Not only did he land a hit, but he earned recognition through swordsmanship... Unbelievable.’
Thus, the signature swordsmanship was unlocked.
To reach something even the Sword Emperor couldn’t obtain.
The Sword Emperor hadn’t needed to take the test since he wasn’t an Apostle, but who knew more about the ?? King than he did?
No one could have earned recognition so easily.
This was acknowledgment of the challenger’s very qualities, including his swordsmanship.
‘Normally, the test would end here...’
But recognition changed everything.
An additional trial to qualify for the signature swordsmanship would commence, and only after completing it would the test truly conclude.
And if—though unlikely—he proved himself worthy...
‘That swordsmanship would be passed down to him.’
It would be unprecedented in history.
It was the forgotten king’s swordsmanship, never passed to anyone.
And inheriting that swordsmanship would mean...
‘...we’d stake our fate on him.’
It meant the ‘knight of true qualities’ they had awaited for so long had finally appeared.
How many ages had they waited to find such a knight?
It was impossible to suppress the excitement.
Of course, realistically speaking, further expectations were unrealistic.
‘Reaching this point is impressive, but a mere Apostle can’t wield that sword.’
Though only a rotting corpse remained, unable to muster even a fraction of its former power, it was still the sword of one who had reached the supreme realm.
Not even a single exchange could be withstood.
Yet for some reason...
‘Yes, that’s surely true.’
The Lion King’s spirit couldn’t shake a strange sense of anticipation.
A feeling that this one might show something extraordinary.
It wasn’t baseless hope.
‘If what I saw was real... no one possesses greater qualities.’
Why else had he mobilized Eternal Night for the test?
It was to verify what he’d witnessed through the True Lion King’s eyes. The sight had been that staggering. The moment the ability activated, an vast unknown space unfolded before him.
And filling that space were countless possibilities.
Infinite potential no ordinary human could hold.
‘Above all, those six immense auras that followed...’
They held power beyond what any mere human could bear.
But only up to that point. No further insight.
Even the True Lion King’s eyes, which pierced all possibilities and qualities, glimpsed only faint fragments, like the tip of an iceberg.
Unthinkable for a mere Apostle’s potential.
More precisely, for the current Apostle’s potential.
‘According to the prophecy, a knight of true qualities won’t appear for at least three years from now.’
The prophecy of the promised day, when a qualified Apostle would emerge.
The prophecy that only that Apostle would bring the salvation they sought.
It felt almost as if that prophesied Apostle had arrived.
But that was three years away.
This was happening now.
Thus,
“...Show me.”
Prove it. Show me you’re truly the one who can save us.
Swallowing the words that wouldn’t pass his lips, the Lion King’s spirit watched intently with clear eyes.
The forgotten king’s corpse gripping its sword with both hands in stance, and Do-hyun standing before it.
* * *
[Signature Swordsmanship Quest: ‘The Forgotten King’s Swordsmanship’ has been generated.]
[Receive the Forgotten King’s Sword.]
[The Forgotten King’s Swordsmanship]
-Rank: Signature Swordsmanship
-Description: The Forgotten King’s rotting corpse acknowledges you. It wishes to pass down the forgotten swordsmanship it wielded in life.
However, its swordsmanship is perilous, belonging to one with an iron heart. It does not yet fully trust you.
Receive its sword and prove your worth.
-Quest Success: Signature Swordsmanship, Bonus points added to Great Lion King’s Trial score, Linked event triggered
-Quest Failure: Disqualified from Signature Swordsmanship and quest canceled, Great Lion King’s Trial rewards downgraded by two tiers.
[Accepting will end the trial immediately.]
[Declining will tally results based on prior performance and cancel the linked event.]
“Huh...?”
Do-hyun alternated between the sudden messages and the Eternal Night assuming a sword stance before him, letting out a hollow laugh.
He understood the situation now.
‘So the passing condition was inflicting damage with pure skill, no abilities? I scored well enough to unlock a bonus quest.’
It was an utterly insane requirement.
Who in their right mind would face that monster without using skills and try to land a blade?
No, even thinking it would be hard to execute.
That armor and body were so tough that without targeting vitals, you wouldn’t even feel a prick.
‘What kind of crazy difficulty is this?’
He’d only considered it because he’d learned from the Sword Emperor.
Against something this hard to damage even with every skill, it was absurd.
Curses nearly escaped, but Do-hyun held them back with a sigh.
‘Haa, fine. That’s what makes it the first hidden stage.’
Whatever. He’d cleared it.
And not just cleared it—he’d excelled.
‘Signature Swordsmanship...’
Something normally requiring six months of blood, sweat, and tears.
If regular skills were mass-produced, this was bespoke.
Thus, all ‘signature’ skills held great significance, but signature swordsmanship especially so.
‘Signature swordsmanship outpowers signature magic, generally speaking.’
It had a foundational framework as its core.
Swordsmanship was typically passed down through schools.
Signature swordsmanship derived from renowned arts handed down through generations, allowing one to forge a personal sword skill.
Naturally, it outperformed rootless signature magic in performance and stability.
‘But it takes that much longer...’
You had to seek out a Knight Citadel that provided the base swordsmanship and learn it directly.
Six months was actually short in that context.
There were rumors of other paths to signature swordsmanship...
But those derived from short-lived arts were usually inferior to basic skills, so most joined the Knight Citadel obediently.
But a king’s swordsmanship?
Especially one presumed to be from the Lion King, who’d reached the supreme realm?
Gulp.
He swallowed hard.
‘...I have to clear this no matter what.’
He absolutely had to obtain it.
Signature swordsmanship’s caliber was generally set by its originator’s level and fame.
One from the Great Lion King, who’d ascended to the supreme realm? Self-explanatory.
The pinnacle skill.
And obtainable instantly, without the time sink?
“Ah, how am I supposed to resist this?”
-...Master, maybe wipe your drool first?
-Liza...
“Wow, the Lion King’s signature swordsmanship... How fun will it be? Signatures are at least Heroic-tier, but what if it’s Legendary?”
-Huh? Charlie, did you just flinch? Acting cool, but you’ve got PTSD too?
-...I believe you’re mistaken. How could I? My lord’s joy is this humble sword’s joy.
-Nope. I saw it.
Do-hyun chuckled at the chattering bunch.
But only for a moment. His expression soon turned serious.
For all his talk, it wouldn’t be easy.
Sss—
As if awaiting his choice.
The one standing there, gripping its sword with both hands and staring this way, showed no openings whatsoever.
If anything, it felt like facing a towering mountain, an immense pressure bearing down.
‘Fail, and the event vanishes with rewards dropping two tiers.’
A risk that could nullify all his progress here.
Declining only canceled the linked event, with no downgrade.
Logically, rejecting the tempting bait was wiser.
‘Like hell.’
How sweet would that signature swordsmanship taste?
And the linked event afterward—how much sweeter?
Do-hyun was the type who’d get stomach pains just thinking about it.
Better to go all out, fail, and taste bitterness than cower and miss everything.
‘High risk, high return.’
The principle that always defined his path.
He’d follow it again now.
[Will you accept the Signature Swordsmanship Quest?]
“Yeah.”
Ding—
[Signature Swordsmanship Quest: The Forgotten King’s Swordsmanship is now in progress.]
[The Forgotten King, ‘?? King’s Rotting Corpse,’ will now, just once, nearly perfectly recreate its swordsmanship from life.]
[Receive the Forgotten King’s Sword.]
[Successfully receiving it will trigger the linked event.]
Accepting the quest changed the thing’s aura.
As if the wait was over.
The faintly leaking, suppressed energy erupted explosively.
-Ugh...!
-Liza...!
-Tremendous energy... Immense focus. Be careful, my lord.
The guardians grimaced as the overwhelming energy not only burst outward but permeated the entire space.
Do-hyun felt it too.
The moment it touched him, chills ran down his spine—an eerie sensation.
It felt like his skull and body were cleaved in two at once.
Step, step.
And it didn’t end there.
The moment the thing—no, the king—slowly advanced, closing the distance...
Fwoosh—!
The immense energy surged, forming a shape.
A massive white lion materialized overhead, then whipped into a ferocious blizzard, engulfing the space.
[You have witnessed a sword of an unfathomably high realm.]
[An unendurable sword strike descends.]
[Warning! You may lose your life.]
Even then, the king merely held its sword.
But the next instant.
Sss—
The king’s hand fell. An agonizingly slow motion. Like gently dropping the sword.
It was an overhead strike.
Visible clearly to his eyes, yet utterly unavoidable.
Do-hyun’s eyes widened, feeling like a man facing a raging blizzard on a snow-buried cliff.
-----!!
The king’s sword fell to his head, and Do-hyun desperately thrust his own sword upward.
That was it.
KABOOM—!!
An explosive roar swept the area, and messages appeared.
[The Forgotten King’s Sword Strike has ended.]
[The trial has ended.]
……….
[Signature Swordsmanship Quest has concluded.]
……….
Messages signaling the trial’s end.
-Wha, what happened?
-Liza...
-I can’t see anything...!
Dust blinded them, leaving the guardians to wait anxiously.
Finally, after an eternity, a hazy silhouette emerged.
-Huh, holy...?
-My god...!
-L-Liza!?
The three guardians let out stunned groans.