Chapter 2. Asura King (2)

The vision went dark and then returned, and General Salin-nim appeared before their eyes.

"Right. I'll give you a room, so let's start learning from each other tomorrow."

Sura, who had quickly adapted to the game, replied immediately.

"Understood."

"You've been acting so rude until now, and now you're using formal speech?"

"I just don't want to get caught up in petty arguments."

"Hmm. Interesting."

With that, Salin-nim put her sword back into its scabbard and left the training ground, telling him to come back tomorrow morning.

As she left, Roland, who had been watching from afar, approached Sura with sparkling eyes.

"Wow! Sura! That was amazing! To overwhelm General Salin-nim like that!"

Seeing Roland, the Tusu's chat started scrolling up.

While the Elderbook Specters were chatting amongst themselves, the conversation between Roland and Sura continued.

"General Salin-nim is one of the top-tier fighters even on this Salas Continent! You should be proud!"

"Really? Then who's number one?"

Sura suddenly became curious.

The existence of the strong was always a subject of his interest.

At those words, Roland stroked his chin and pondered.

"Hmm! I'll tell you the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places!"

Roland prattled on, explaining the three individuals.

"3rd place is the leader of 'Dear Friends.' It's 'Darhan'!

He's the head of an assassin guild, and he's famous for 'annihilation assassinations,' where it's only an assassination if there are no witnesses left."

When Darhan's name came up, the Tusu reacted.

Sura briefly turned off the in-game microphone and spoke.

"Oh. I should try that later. Thank you."

Turning the in-game microphone back on, Sura listened to the rest of Roland's story.

"2nd place is the King of this Salas Continent. The High Lord, commonly known as the Knight King!

It's Vahan Mashas Malius-nim. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say his Chivalry is the best on the continent!"

Nodding at those words, Sura listened to the description of the final person.

"The long-awaited 1st place is the leader and Champion of the Demon Duke Garuan Mafras's faction. His name is Mar Subius. His swordsmanship skills are somewhat buried by Garuan's infamy, but his swordsmanship is the real deal."

Hearing the rankings, the Tusu expressed their doubt.

After looking at the chat for a moment, Sura asked Roland.

"What about Lord Merbian Abiana? I heard that person is also considered quite strong."

At that, Roland gave a smirk as if he knew something.

"Well? Not in my opinion."

Roland shrugged his shoulders.

The Tusu chatted with reactions wondering what that meant, but Sura ignored it, thinking about fighting them later.

"Hmm. This should be fun."

After their talk, Sura thought about what to do next and decided to ask the Tusu for their opinions.

Of course, with the in-game microphone turned off.

"What should I do now?"

"Since the in-game time is a bit awkward right now... I'll just sleep."

For reference, the in-game time in Ancient Booklet passed faster than in reality. Sura told Roland he was tired and would sleep until tomorrow, and then they parted ways.

Entering the designated lodging, he looked at the bed, set the sleep time in-game to tomorrow morning, and Sura fell asleep.

"It's morning. Now, I'll go learn Chivalry."

Sura came out of the lodging and headed to the training grounds.

Roland, who had woken up at some point, followed behind Sura.

"You're awake? Let's go quickly."

"How did you know I was awake?"

"Your servant knows everything! This is all part of a servant's skill."

Roland puffed out his chest proudly.

Watching that, Sura gave a pishik chuckle.

"Then let's go together. Oh, and Roland. Do you have any interest in learning swordsmanship?"

This was Sura's consideration. He had grown fond of him before he knew it.

"Oh! I'd love to. To learn the sword from our knight!"

"I'm not a knight yet."

"If you master Chivalry, you're treated as a knight! You're a knight now, Sura."

The Tusu also agreed and typed in the chat.

Roland, who had been given a nickname, began to be called Roland Wiki from then on.

Regardless, Sura arrived at the training grounds with Roland. General Salin-nim was already there.

"You've come."

"I'm here. Can you teach me Chivalry first?"

"Hmm. So you're saying you'll only take without giving."

Sura sneered at Salin-nim's playful tone.

"Shouldn't I master Chivalry so we can properly cross swords?"

"That is true."

And so, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Salin-nim's Chivalry lecture began.

"Chivalry can be called conviction. Conviction in one's own values. Conviction to assist one's lord. Conviction to protect a beautiful lover. Many types exist.

The first thing you must decide is this. Sura. What is the conviction you wish to protect?"

As she said that, a title appeared on the screen.

[Lesson 1. Knight. Have Conviction.]

At those words, Sura replied without a moment's hesitation.

"The strongest."

"Hmm?"

"It is to become the strongest person in the world."

At that, Salin-nim nodded.

"Is that so. It is an arrogant but good conviction."

At her words, the Tusu's chat scrolled up.

Looking at the chat, Sura felt no shame at all.

When he was in Murim, the conviction of being the strongest was no lie.

The World's Best (The World's Best).

If one felt shame in their conviction, they could never reach that position.

"Now then. For the sake of Chivalry, you shall swear to the gods. Which one will you choose from the 'Throne of the Eight' to swear to?"

The Throne of the Eight.

A collective term for the gods who encompass this vast world, the Salas Continent, and all other continents.

A knight gains the power to prove their conviction from the Divine Throne by swearing their conviction before a god.

This was the principle of Chivalry.

Sura, who pressed pause for a moment, asked the Tusu.

"Who's good?"

Then the Elderbook users posted various advice in the chat.

"Yes. I'm going with the sword."

"Adrin? Was that... the God of War?"

"Right? I don't need corrections."

At those words, the Elderbook Specters talked back and forth in the chat.

"What is it?"

"...You crazy people. Surely not that Divine Throne?"

Only then did Sura realize which Divine Throne the Tusu were talking about.

The alias used among players. The God of Madness.

Commonly known as the God of Madness, Lunans Abervich.

Among the eight gods who govern this vast world of 'Moranas,' she is the most unpredictable, and her actions are said to be comparable to a Demon Duke—a crazy Divine Throne.

The Elderbook Specters were recommending that Divine Throne.

"It sounds like a crazy idea...."

At those words, Sura immediately opened his mouth.

"Let's do it right now."

Then the Tusu went wild.

Sura, who nodded saying he understood, unpaused and spoke to Salin-nim.

"I wish to choose Lunans Abervich-nim."

"...You're crazy."

This wasn't an insult to Sura, but a remark born from pure impression.

"It is known that the followers of Lunans are all insane... but come to think of it, looking at your actions so far, it's not incomprehensible...."

Whether Roland was holding back laughter with his hand over his mouth or not, Sura did what he had to do.

"Please."

"...I understand. Then follow me. Let us go to the sanctuary that serves the eight gods."

After following Salin-nim for a while, they left the Lord's Castle and found a sanctuary prepared on the left. It was a place that served the eight gods.

"Welcome, General Salin-nim."

"May you reach peace today as well."

"May you reach peace today as well."

There was a priest in the sanctuary, and he greeted General Salin-nim.

"What brings you here? Is it for prayer? Or healing?"

"I have come for a knight's oath."

"I heard rumors that General Salin-nim doesn't give recommendations often.... This is unexpected."

That was right.

Chivalry was a recommendation system.

The priest, who had gone somewhere for a moment, had a box in his hands, and when he opened it, a necklace appeared.

"This is a Divine Relic that must be worn when swearing to the god. Treat it with care."

At Salin-nim's words, Sura carefully picked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up the necklace and put it around his neck.

"Follow me."

Following the priest, a massive space was revealed, and the Divine Relics of the eight gods were placed at regular intervals.

"It's narrower than I thought."

When Sura spoke with the in-game microphone off, the Tusu answered his question.

"Oh, I should look forward to that. I see. Thank you."

Focusing back on the game, Sura stood in the center under the priest's guidance.

"Have you decided which god you will choose?"

"Ah. Yes. I wish to swear before Lunans Abervich-nim."

"...It has been a very long time since I've seen someone choose Lunans-nim...."

The Tusu's chat went up again at the priest's indirect way of speaking, but Sura ignored it to focus on the upcoming prayer.

"Then kneel before her and pray while earnestly thinking of your conviction.

Then the god will answer your conviction."

At those words, Sura nodded and knelt.

And he thought of his conviction.

'I am The World's Best.'

A Murim-style way of speaking, influenced by his former master, came out of Sura.

His prayer continued.

He began to recite the conviction he believed in.

'I have resolved to crush any hardship or adversity and become the strongest.'

'Starting from a simple anecdote,

Going beyond the heroes who dominated an era,

Surpassing the legends of distant ages,

I have pledged to finally become a myth.'

'And that narrative shall continue here as well. I swear it.'

As Sura thought up to this point, a voice was heard in his head.

And Sura's vision went dark.

"W-What is the meaning of this? Priest. Where did Sura, who was right here, go...."

Salin-nim, Roland, and the priest were flustered by Sura, who had vanished before their eyes.

After thinking for a moment, the priest hurriedly explained as if something had occurred to him.

"It is a summoning...! Lunans Abervich-nim has summoned Sura-nim! To her divine realm, 'The Other Side of the Moon'!"

"My god! Is such a thing even possible?"

At Salin-nim's words, the priest ran somewhere in a hurry and brought back a book.

"It is written right here. Although it is a very rare case, a knight who has sworn the oath of Chivalry and shown a conviction and mental strength strong enough to turn the god's gaze receives the blessing of being called by the Divine Throne...!

We have just witnessed the calling of the Divine Throne!"

"Oh... Oh my god...."