Awakening (2)

Sword Emperor Reinhardt Euclid.

He was the last descendant of a famed swordsmanship family, the protagonist of a tragic tale whose clan was wiped out by heinous demon worshipers.

As a child, Reinhardt fled to escape the massacre.

"My sword……."

In a desperate bid for survival, he threw himself into the Abyss—a last resort that had begun encroaching on the world.

A place some called a dungeon.

There, he picked up a mysteriously gleaming sword.

The sword spoke.

A fragment.

Just the tiniest sliver.

The talking sword was small and shabby.

But Reinhardt, having lost everything, picked it up anyway.

Could this be some kind of Mystery?

He cherished it dearly.

Together with the sword, he overcame countless brushes with death.

At times, the sword demanded long years of training from him.

Ten years.

He endured.

In return, he gained the power to slay demon worshipers.

The pure power of the sword.

"My sword……."

He achieved his revenge.

What came after, he didn't know.

Then the sword spoke.

Reinhardt pressed on with even greater diligence.

Growing ever stronger.

When he finally emerged from training into the world, the remnants of the demon worshipers had regrouped and summoned a Demon King.

The empire was in chaos.

That was when Reinhardt understood the mission the sword had given him.

Salvation.

And so, he slew the Demon King and earned the title of Sword Emperor.

The emperor of the great empire permitted it, honoring his feats by dubbing him the Emperor of Swords.

Reinhardt had grown old enough that he should have lived out his days in glory, raising the next generation before passing peacefully.

But—

The sword whispered.

He didn't know what that end entailed.

After all, he was so old that death could come ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at any moment.

Yet Reinhardt always pursued his training.

Growing ever stronger.

So he followed.

"I have beheld the ultimate essence of the sword. Oh sword…… nameless sword—how I long to see you."

That end was death.

But a death accompanied by total enlightenment.

The sword had granted him the most magnificent finale.

"If I have one lingering regret for eternity, it is leaving you behind like this……."

Reinhardt's eyes slowly closed.

That was when it happened.

Thud—————.

His inner world shook.

The heart realm of one who could summon his sword with a mere thought.

Infuse it with will and swing.

Ultimately becoming one with the sword.

Such a supreme warrior's heart realm.

Whoosh—.

"Wha—my sword……."

Reinhardt saw pitch-black eyes staring back at him.

Eyes utterly devoid of emotion.

And then…….

So the one who spoke to me was never the sword—.

Enlightenment dawned.

About the true identity of the being that had defined the old man's entire life!!!

It was no sword.

Rumble—.

Those hollow eyes changed.

Into a gaze thick with viscous intent.

"Master of the sword—."

The once-empty eyes now fixed on the sword in Reinhardt's hand with that sticky stare.

And Reinhardt, who had reached the realm of unity between man and sword, was sucked into the blade.

I had seen the ending with my sixth completed sword.

A happy ending, no less.

How thrilling is it to discover something new in a game you've played for 12 years?

"First time."

My heart pounded.

Enough to let out a gasp of admiration aloud over a mere game.

I'd played over 10,000 runs.

Yet this was my first happy ending.

So even the NPCs have to die satisfied, huh?

An astonishing discovery.

And it wasn't just my imagination.

As always, I engraved the name of the one holding the sword at the end as its true name.

An NPC, sure, but a commemoration for sticking with me till the credits.

With only six proper endings in over 10,000 runs, it deserved it.

Six like this.

Embarrassing to admit, but I wasn't all that talented at the game.

As a kid, I thought I was a genius at Raise a Sword…….

How is it that in 12 years, I've only seen six endings?

Over 10,000 runs, and only six true endings.

The rest were mostly repeats of the same tech tree for efficiency research or failed experiments.

At least that middle schooler earlier actually hit rank 1…….

A bittersweet memory surfaced, but I soon wore a pleased smile.

Happy ending.

The first time it ended on a good note.

This might unlock a new sword.

More precisely—

The sword's potential.

A new training method, maybe.

Anticipating the next screen, I waited.

But…….

"What?"

A message ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠type I'd never seen before.

As a kid, I'd have bolted to the Management Agency yelling, "This is it! Awakening!"

But I'm 27 now.

A fifth-year civil servant who skipped college for the exam.

(Military exemption, for the record.)

Wonder what it'll be.

Just as an explorer of Raise a Sword.

As the master of the final sword.

I waited for what came next, as always.

Six endings total, huh…….

This might actually be the true end credits.

The real conclusion to Raise a Sword.

A bit bittersweet, I scanned the next message.

Three instances?

That's weird.

I don't remember bonding with any NPCs beyond two.

The last one with Reinhardt counts, sure.

That makes two, though…….

Why three?

As the question crossed my mind, the messages continued.

This one's right.

I cherished every sword.

Even the [Vampiric Magic Sword] I made in my rebellious teen phase yelling "Die, all of you!!!"

It felt good to be recognized like that.

Like I was acknowledged.

A message teasing DLC, almost.

"Wha—?!"

I yelped aloud in shock.

DLC for a 12-year-old game?

That wasn't why I was surprised, though.

"Why is this……."

The final message hovered right before my eyes.

Floating in midair.

Just like the status windows that true Awakeners described experiencing.

Proof of overcoming a bizarre, extraordinary trial.

Did I become an Awakener?

A strange feeling washed over me.

Awakeners were otherworldly beings.

Among them, the elite transcended laws—some even created them.

Of course, there were fatal downsides.

High mortality rates, working with lunatics, etc.

Weigh the risks, and skipping Awakening made sense.

But…….

Who cares?

I'm not that rational a guy.

I've lived as a civil servant supporting Awakeners all for the indirect revenge of my parents—need I say more?

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

My heart was honest.

Truth be told…….

Revenge aside, after 12 years, a bigger emotion surged ahead.

Wielding the swords I raised in real life?

12 years devoted to Raise a Sword.

This Awakening message emerged from witnessing its conclusion.

My love was genuine.

And so—

"Seeing my raised swords in the flesh? Holding them myself? Smashing Gates with them?"

No reason not to.

I hit [Yes] immediately.

"27 years old, Mr. Shin Si-woo. So…… you Awakened while playing a game called Raise a Sword?"

My same-year colleague and close noona-like figure.

Manager Kang Seol-ah tilted her head, staring at me.

Her gaze screamed "lunatic."

"You ditched drinks with me yesterday…… went off to play some weird game and suddenly think ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you're an Awakener?"

For the record, I was sitting at the Awakener Management Agency reception.

Usually behind the desk as counselor, but today I was the client.

Across from me, Manager Kang Seol-ah just gawked in disbelief.

"You're not the type to joke like this……."

"It's not 'think'—I Awakened."

Even I could hardly believe it.

Yet I really had become an Awakener.

"We'll do the real test, right?"

"Yep."

Awakeners take tests.

Normal ones can't use powers outside Gates or the Tower.

This equipment's pricey, too—false reports mean a 10 million won fine.

"Test first, then."

Still skeptical eyes.

Manager Kang Seol-ah led me to the massive room next to reception.

Hummm—.

A giant cube shrouded in blue barriers.

Semitransparent walls let you peer inside.

Our government's "Awakener Test" gear, made with Mystery from Gates.

Called the Cube.

"Enter the Cube and open your status window first."

Whoosh—.

I stepped through the blue veil without hesitation.

The Cube artificially replicated a Gate interior.

Since normal Awakeners can't use abilities outside Gates.

Powers manifest here.

Status windows open properly, too.

"What form does your status window take?"

Some see scrolls or parchment.

Others lack listed stats entirely.

Mine was—

"Standard status window."

"Oh, good—intuitive format."

I got lucky.

The most straightforward, easy-to-read type.

A bit simplified, but…… feels just like Raise a Sword.

A bizarre experience.

That's why some call Awakening "the uncanny."

Forms vary wildly.

Though there are baselines.

F to SSS ranks.

Current Awakener grades.

Combat types become Hunters; unique ones go support.

My ability is probably—

My class: [Sword Master].

With my Raise a Sword experience, I get it.

1. Raise swords like in the game.

2. Summon and use the swords I raised from the game.

Either way, growth likely comes from hunting monsters in Gates or the Tower.

As if reading my mind, Manager Kang Seol-ah asked.

"What're your powers?"

I possess those two abilities I mentioned.

Sword Summon is the one I raise; Ego Sword Summon is the ones I already raised.

But I won't spill everything here.

What if.

Even if just hypothetically.

By some miracle, if my raised swords summon exactly as-is—

I could become the world's strongest Hunter.

Can't let that slip carelessly.

Too dangerous.

The swords I raised and the NPCs who wielded them obliterated every dungeon and Gate in their worlds.

And that's not all.

Some perfectly annihilated the world; others saved it outright.

Raise a Sword lets me observe every detail of the swords and their wielders as an omniscient spectator.

Its backdrop is a hellscape beyond Earth's wildest nightmares.

In some form or another, my swords have witnessed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the end of such worlds.

"Gotta test it out to know details. Si-woo, draw a sword?"

Time to manifest a power.

Calling an Ego Sword first could cause a catastrophe.

So I mentally summoned my small, precious [Baby Sword].

This is my exclusive sword, right—

One untouched by NPC hands. Purely mine.

Thud————.

The air trembled at my call.

Then space itself crumpled.

Crackle—.

The atmosphere tore open.

From the rift, a gleaming sword hilt slowly emerged.

I grasped it.

Vast enlightenment flooded in as my consciousness sank into the [Baby Sword].