Waltz of Guns and Swords (1)
Aspiring Warrior - 3 quests cleared.
Rewards granted.
Job skills acquired.
Enjoy this world freely!
Sword Tower, huh... I fluttered the recommendation letter in my hand.
It was the reward Philip had given me after passing the test... but honestly, it meant nothing to me.
Who founded the Sword Tower in the first place? It was me, back in my youthful prime.
The basic swordsmanship the trainees learned was something I'd created myself.
...Well, visiting when I had time later wouldn't be so bad.
Come to think of it, who was the current Sword Tower Master? It couldn't be my one and only disciple—he had a wandering spirit. Probably... Bertio.
He had talent, and considering his diligent personality, it suited him well.
Memories of old connections flooded my mind.
What had become of that disciple? Twenty years had passed, so he must be around fifty now. He'd boasted about inheriting the Sword Saint title—had he succeeded?
His talent was undeniable, so as long as he wasn't dead, he probably had.
...I should've looked up the current Sword Saint.
The title went to only one person, the strongest swordsman of the era. Even if it wasn't my disciple, it'd be someone I knew.
Bertio was promising, and there were famous swordsmen in the Empire too.
Anyway.
The reward for clearing the final quest wasn't just the recommendation letter.
[On Quest Success: Class change to 'Warrior', massive EXP, Sword Tower recommendation letter, ???]
The ??? marked part—the mystery reward from Philip—was equipment items.
◈ A plain armor forged in the local smithy. Yet, it bears a simple enchantment disproportionate to its quality. Why?
◈ [Durability] - Vitality +3
◈ [Lightweight] - Reduced weight
◈ Plain shoes made in the local leather workshop. Yet, it bears a simple enchantment disproportionate to its quality. Why?
◈ [Wind's Blessing] - Agility +3, Movement Speed +5%
◈ Plain gloves made in the local leather workshop. Yet, it bears a simple enchantment disproportionate to its quality. Why?
◈ [Sturdiness] - Strength +3, Attack Speed +5%
...And as a bonus, the [Beginner Warrior's Sword].
In short, the full Beginner Warrior set.
Perfect gear for my new [Title: Rookie Warrior].
"..."
I recalled Philip's words as he handed over this gear and the letter, his face blank with shock, speaking in polite formal speech.
—Just... who the hell are you?
—Just an ordinary player. Was what I did really that weird? I just caught the instructor off guard and gave him a little shove.
Yeah, what I'd done didn't seem all that impressive to others.
I'd simply walked up casually and nudged his shoulder.
They wouldn't understand why the instructor fell for such a ridiculous move.
Or why he stood there frozen, doing nothing as I approached.
What the...?
What the hell?! That's cheating! Why's everyone spacing out against that guy?!
The other players there couldn't accept the result.
—But what you just did...
—Shh.
...Well, even the one who'd experienced it firsthand felt the dissonance and didn't believe it. So I just tapped his mask silently.
If you were gonna tell him, why'd I wear the mask in the first place?
Weapon Mastery Lv.1
Smash Lv.1
Overdrive Lv.Max
Soul-Bound Equipment: 1 confirmed
Anyway.
After snapping out of my reminiscing, I sat cross-legged and opened my status window.
The tutorial class-change quests were done, and there were a few changes.
Level up to 7, class changed to Warrior.
And... a total of six titles.
I clicked [Titles] to check my list.
Hmm, hmm.
Let's see. [One Who Steps into a New World] seems standard for all players.
[Aspiring Warrior] and [Rookie Warrior] from choosing Warrior.
The important ones are below.
I knew how I got [World's Top Physical] and [VVIP Member], but the effects intrigued me.
First, the skill.
—Overdrive.
Overdrive
Forces a Zone state. The world slows dramatically—floating dust, wind currents, even your breath freezes in place.
The moment I willed it to activate, the world slowed.
A force that forcibly induced a No-Self state.
...Less useful than I thought?
I pondered in the slowed world.
I could already enter No-Self at will.
No thrill from a skill granting what I could already do.
I skipped it quickly and moved on.
VVIP Member... achievement-related, huh.
I hadn't even known achievements existed.
I tried opening the Achievement Shop.
Shop available after Lv.50.
"..."
Yeah. Totally useless.
...Well, I can check later. Can't use it now, but Lv.50 won't take long.
Finally.
[Master of Myth].
The Myth-grade item in question... I had a guess.
—...
I closed my eyes and gazed inward.
Down, deeper.
Consciousness sank into the depths until it reached my soul.
There, I beheld the soul buried in darkness.
Once radiant beyond all else, now faded and frail, on the verge of collapse.
A soul cracked hideously in all directions.
One strand of brilliant radiance barely held it together.
The Four Divine Swords, Radiant Sword.
I whispered its name.
Myth Grade
One of the four divine swords wielded by Sword Saint Yuri. Known as a holy sword for its sacredly brilliant light. Its whereabouts became unknown after Sword Saint Yuri's disappearance.
Effects: Light affinity +Lv.Max, Swordsmanship Mastery +Lv.1, Exclusive Technique &%@! usable
The pillar forcibly propping up a soul that could shatter any moment.
The number one contributor extending my precarious terminal life.
On a small hill near Dakein Territory, two men stood gazing down at the territory.
"The Sword Saint's dungeon, huh..."
The speaker was a tall young man, over 190cm, with a sharp-faced ordinary look.
Behind him, a subordinate-looking youth frowned.
"You sure about that info?"
"Who knows. We don't even know the tipster. We just do the job we're paid for."
"If it's real, it's a big score... but fighting Sword Tower swordsmen is a tall order..."
The tall man snorted at that.
"Don't worry about it. He's just a gimpy cripple who can barely walk."
"But..."
The subordinate grumbled worriedly, but the tall man smiled leisurely.
"And above all, we've got this."
He said, gently stroking something in his hand.
—Click.
The thing that made all humanity equal on modern Earth.
A tool that sent a lifetime-trained warrior to Valhalla with a single finger-pull.
The weapon that ended the romantic era of knights charging across plains on horseback.
A gun.