Ep. 02 Truth
Reinhardt Euclid, the Sword Emperor.
He had clearly met his death.
Where is this place?
He had thought himself dead, yet he opened his eyes once more.
And he realized his situation.
He was trapped inside a vast world.
To be precise—
The interior of a sword.
It was somewhere within the sword that had accompanied him his entire life.
For some reason, the sword he had wielded until his dying breath was gripped in his hand.
“Vicious abominations...”
Reinhardt surveyed the world of the sword.
A space encircled by six imaginal realms.
The outermost one was his own mental domain.
He sensed that something terribly ominous and chilling had taken root within it.
And...
“A new sword? No, is this the final one?”
Beyond his own realm, he saw yet another world.
A very small, fragile, and thin one.
Reinhardt understood why he had come here.
I must protect that small world so it can grow properly.
From what?
Those vicious things inside...
Reinhardt examined the terrifying aura dwelling within.
They were swords at their core.
But the states of the souls embedded in them were all grotesquely twisted.
Reinhardt focused on the woman seated at the deepest point.
The Illusion Demon God Bellatrice?
He saw the horrific entity passed down in legends.
A peerless beauty of a demon who bewitched people with her eerie allure, wielding a massive purple greatsword—that was her hallmark.
And she was the archdemon who had hurled the Sword of Illusion across the continent, sparking wars that led to its utter ruin.
I don't know what the others are—
The other five swords, tense at Reinhardt's arrival, were emanating presences from their domains, probing his mental realm.
Pushing back against the chilling energies, Reinhardt reaffirmed his mission.
The life of a guardian.
He had to protect the small, precious final sword from those monsters.
That was his duty.
As he steeled himself with that resolve—
BOOM—!!!
The entire imaginal realm began to twist.
Reinhardt, along with the vicious things inside who had been firing their auras at one another, all looked up at the sky.
“...The world is shaking.”
Whoosh—
A massive, hollow gaze peered inside.
Its pupil dilated slightly, as if in surprise.
The sword's master.
What on earth was he thinking, creating a world like this?
Why seek to forge a new sword when he already possessed powerhouses like us?
Is even everything here insufficient—?
Each aura within could annihilate a continent on its own.
Yet the sword's master seemed dissatisfied with that.
The sword's master observed them.
The souls embedded in the sword realized their insights were being drawn into that gaze.
And...
What are we, exactly?
That hollow gaze fixed solely on the 'sword' in Reinhardt's hand, staring intently.
As if the souls within the sword were utterly insignificant.
—Ep. 02 Truth
The pinnacle of the sword?
It was but an instant.
I gained an immense enlightenment.
A feeling of omnipotence, as if I had become the sword and the sword had become me.
I felt it for only a fleeting moment.
But...
It lingered.
A vast amount of information about swords flooded into my mind.
It might have been experience.
No, enlightenment.
Extract the best from the Ego Swords and raise the baby sword—that must be the point.
My main weapon is the baby sword.
Ego Swords are weapons infused with NPC souls.
To be precise, the souls of NPCs that attached to the swords I created...
“Si-woo?”
Just then, Manager Kang Seol-ah called out to me.
I had been dazed, peeking into the sword's world.
“Hurry and manifest your ability! Don't you know this lasts only a minute?”
Artificially recreating a Gate environment.
It was expensive to maintain and short-lived.
I snapped back to reality.
Just draw it, then?
I had been standing there blankly, hand half-thrust into empty air.
Gripping the baby sword's hilt, no less.
I swiftly drew my sword.
Shing—
Tearing through the air and surging forth—my—
“...Ability confirmed. B-but isn't the sword too small and pathetic?”
—massive, imposing greatsword was dismissed by Manager Kang Seol-ah.
I tilted my head and asked,
“It'll grow big and mighty. Right now, it's in its small and 'precious' state.”
“...Sm-small and pre-precious. Uh, yeah.”
Suddenly, Manager Kang Seol-ah nodded with an awkward expression.
Probably because Natural Awakeners are all said to be crazy.
“I'm not crazy.”
“Right?”
“Nope.”
“Then that sword—”
“Summoning this small, precious sword is my ability.”
“R-right.”
Manager Kang Seol-ah nodded awkwardly again.
“Shin Si-woo, 27 years old. Estimated close-combat class specializing in weapon summons. Is that how we log it?”
“Yep.”
Combat potential can only be assessed in real fights, so for now, it was just close-combat class specializing in sword summons.
“Si-woo actually Awakening for real...”
Manager Kang Seol-ah, still incredulous, handed me a small card.
[Awakener: Shin Si-woo / Rank: Undetermined]
It was the temporary Awakener ID given to fresh Awakeners.
Pass a field test to prove lethality, and you'd get a full Hunter license.
“When's good for the field test?”
To the outside world, Natural Awakeners were just personality-wrecked civilians.
Plenty would beat them to death without a second thought.
So the government did everything to protect them.
If we don't clear Gates, the country falls—
Thus, you needed to complete tests and get properly classified before any real activity.
A safety measure.
No need to drag it out, so I asked right away.
“Now okay?”
“Hmm... You're too nice— Ahem. No, induced Awakeners take two days minimum.”
“To get it now, go with a Natural Awakener?”
“Yep.”
I was natural-born too.
Honestly, considering my case—
The high rate of personality breaks among Natural Awakeners might be bullshit.
Maybe a vocal minority taints the majority...
More than that—
I wanted to see my sword again soon.
That meant entering a Gate.
“Let's do it now.”
“You sure?”
“My job was dealing with those types...”
“True—”
My exact role was in the Awakener Management Agency's new Awakener division.
Coaxing and soothing supposed Awakeners to send them packing.
Or sweet-talking crazy ones into proper tests for registration.
“Not on your level, Manager, but I'm confident handling jerks.”
I flashed a suave grin, and Manager Kang Seol-ah smirked.
“Good, at least that's a relief.”
One upside to the Gate crisis: everything could be fast-tracked via 'connections'.
Thanks to Manager Kang Seol-ah's pull, I got my temp ID and a field test slot in 30 minutes.
More precisely, validation time.
“Hunter Park Chang-seok?”
Hunter Park Chang-seok, who endured 30 years trapped in a magic tower during his Awakening trial, came for me.
I vaguely remembered him as one I'd handled.
Chatty guy.
B-class mage.
Specifically from some Aindro Hamelstia school or whatever...
Trials vary wildly for everyone.
Usually lumped as mage, warrior, swordsman, etc.
I'd probably be a swordsman type.
“You the test subject?”
True to Natural Awakener form, manners be damned.
Didn't even recognize me.
I nodded anyway—I saw him plenty.
“Yeah.”
“Let's go.”
Hunter Park Chang-seok strode off, robe billowing dramatically.
Outside Gates, only a tiny elite could use powers.
Just your standard 21st-century South Korea otherwise.
Yet he insisted on mage garb...
Pretty warped, huh?
Meant a long, grueling trial.
Also the type eager to flaunt their Awakener status.
At least he was quieter than I remembered.
“Turned into a lowly sword-slinger?”
“Yes.”
He led me to the Awakener Management Agency basement in Yeouido.
Safe spot for public Gates.
“Sir!”
Armed soldiers guarded Gate entries.
Hunters had lost loot to thieves post-clearance before, hence the measure.
“Beginner Gate entry?”
Gates came in varieties, FYI.
This was a public one for tests.
Spawned basic hunting grounds: beginner, intermediate, advanced.
Can't hit the real ones yet.
The bizarre Red Gates popping up worldwide.
Super dangerous.
But great rewards, fast leveling—strict entry conditions.
Still...
Why's the escort so quiet?
This mage might be more twisted than thought.
His glare at the soldiers screamed 'unawakened trash'.
Some Hunters oozed superiority like that.
Before they got offended, I spoke up.
“Beginner Gate entry. I just Awakened today.”
“Congratulations!”
After their perfunctory salute, I followed protocol.
“Gate open.”
The public Gate linked to the agency basement reacted to my Awakener voice.
Options appeared before me.
Fwosh!
[Beginner]
[Intermediate]
[Advanced]
I selected Beginner without hesitation.
Vmmm—
A portal materialized in the air.
Only then did Mage Park Chang-seok haughtily flick his robe.
“Let's go.”
His robe fluttered stylishly.
Shaken by his hand, though.
A bit off.
Still, decent.
I nodded to the soldiers and followed.
Crossing the Gate—
WHOOOOSH———
A forest whipped by biting winds appeared.
Branches thrashed wildly in the gale, and small green monsters rained down like hail on the gusts.
A vast, immense forest.
Just me and this mage.
And...
Crackle—zap.
“Ahh, this omnipotence.”
Hunter Park Chang-seok's eyes gleamed madly as his robe billowed.
Unlike outside, his hand wasn't flapping it now.
It fluttered on its own.
Prickling mana surged everywhere.
Magic power, huh?
Known as a 6th-circle mage.
No history of violence issues.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
He asked in an even more arrogant tone.
“Know why I bother escorting newbies like you?”
“No idea...”
Something felt off.
But the odds of him being a psycho killer were slim.
Clean record.
That's why they assign for newbie escorts.
Plus, low threat.
B-class couldn't affect outside Gates.
Just a civilian out there.
One gun could handle.
I eyed him calmly.
Feels sketchy.
My gaze conveyed a warning.
—Kill me here, and soldiers turn you into Swiss cheese the second you exit!!!
But nope.
“I love farming. Slaughtering these puny goblins is a blast. And showing noobs like you the hopeless gap? Pure joy.”
This guy was just plain nuts.
I gave a curt, professional “I see.”
Still feels off, but...
Focus on my test.
That rationalized it.
Then—
Fwoosh—
“Hind—Ramuha!!!”
Mage Park Chang-seok raised his staff and chanted.
Gusts intensified, countless goblins pouring toward me.
“What the hell are you—”
“Kuhuhu, I'll save you if you're dying. No worries.”
I was pretty thrown.
His eyes were rolled back—talking pointless.
Lunatic.
Goblin numbers were insane.
Way too many for a fresh Awakener test.
Still, he won't actually kill me, right? I gripped my sword calmly.
Default state: baby sword.
Wonder if I can summon others just in case?
Ego Swords hard to reveal casually.
Tried anyway for emergencies.
But—
Fwosh!
[Condition not met.]
Conditions?
Currently wielding my small, precious baby sword.
Lv. 01, same as me.
Stalled a bit too long?
“Pfft—”
The mage sneered at my precious sword.
“That's it? Fake after all. Pathetic primitive power.”
'Fake' felt off.
This guy...
A fringe group of natural Awakeners views non-Awakeners as subhuman.
Just rumors till now.
...Awakener supremacists?
Awakener supremacists.
They call induced Awakeners 'fakes'.
Though I'm natural.
“You're a fake bastard, right?”
The sketchy vibe intensified.
Pondered saying I'm natural.
I am natural, after all...
No time.
Goblins were upon me.
Scary-looking bastards.
Goblins, orcs, trolls, ogres, etc.
Common monsters.
Like game mobs, but with one deadly difference.
—KIIEEEEEEK!!!
Insane murderous intent toward humans.
Despite the wind, the goblin lunged with bloodshot eyes for my neck.
“Say you're natural or die—know that!”
I ignored the mage's bullshit, angling my blade obliquely.
He never planned to let me speak.
Just shoved more goblins my way.
No need to panic. It's just a test.
I steadied myself.
Then considered sword-raising methods.
Raising the sword.
Brutally slaughter anything, feed it blood—turns demonic.
Wield with upright honesty—holy sword path.
Basic concept.
Stick to basics early.
Slash.
I spun diagonally without hesitation, swinging the baby sword.
Enlightenment made it flow naturally.
Like I was a true swordsman.
The sword's wisdom transferred fully.
Thud—roll—tumble.
Goblin head severed in one stroke.
“Oh... Weapon's better than it looks? Tough for a fresh fake to decapitate in one hit—”
Mage Park Chang-seok let out a brief exclamation.
Sketchy vibe eased a tad.
Then he asked,
“You're natural-born after all?”