Chapter 16
The wyvern, covered in red scales, charged at me.
‘Holy shit!’
I hurriedly rolled aside to dodge its attack.
If it had been an ordinary monster, it would’ve been my turn to counterattack, but…
“Kieeek!”
I couldn’t keep up with its speed.
-KABOOM!
The wyvern kicked off the ground and soared into the sky.
The impact made the earth tremble, throwing me off balance. I dropped my sword.
I hurried to retrieve my weapon, but…
‘…!’
I felt its killing intent and instinctively backed away.
At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to retrieve my weapon—
-KWA-KA-KA-KANG!
The wyvern crashed down where I’d just been, shattering the ground.
If I’d picked up my sword, my body would’ve been crushed.
“…Phew.”
I calmly surveyed my surroundings, trying to predict the wyvern’s movements.
‘I need to pick up my sword.’
The wyvern was smart enough to take advantage of the situation.
Its last attack was proof of that.
‘Let’s find some way to use that.’
I stared at the creature without moving.
“Grrr…”
It seemed to have grown cautious, too, and wasn’t moving recklessly.
‘…Aura.’
I imbued a little aura with mass, then fused it with my Stigma.
-Crackle, crackle!
I was a little injured in the process, but it didn’t matter.
‘There.’
The Sagittarius Stigma on the back of my left hand began to glow turquoise.
That was all the preparation I needed.
“Kieeek!”
The wyvern saw me move and immediately charged.
It probably thought I was casting a spell, but…
-Thud!
I rolled forward, barely dodging the wyvern’s attack.
A brief opening appeared at that moment.
‘Fire.’
The wyvern wasn’t my target in the first place.
-KABOOM!
A blue arrow shot toward my sword, lying on the ground.
“Kieeek!”
At that, the creature immediately lunged toward the sword.
It seemed intent on sending it flying, but…
‘Lucky me.’
It moved exactly as I’d expected.
-Whoosh!
I used the aura in the arrow to change the sword’s angle.
The blade, suspended in midair, pointed toward the wyvern’s eye.
-Squelch!
“Kieeek!”
It screamed and began thrashing about.
It had been born an S-Rank creature, so it had probably never been wounded before.
‘That must hurt like hell.’
I took advantage of its pain and quickly retrieved my sword.
At the same time, I followed up with strikes to other parts of its body, but…
-Clang!
I couldn’t even scratch its scales.
“Kreeek!”
“…!”
The creature swung its wing and struck me.
-KWAANG!
‘How can it be this strong…?!’
With the sensation of my bones being crushed, my body went flying a long way.
“Ugh, aah…!”
I couldn’t breathe.
My vision turned red in an instant, and all the strength drained from my body.
‘I can’t move.’
I tried to get up, but my legs wouldn’t obey.
Just then…
-Rumble…
The sound of the wyvern approaching slowly echoed through the area.
‘I have to do something…’
I imbued my entire body with mass-laden aura.
Again and again. I poured aura into myself without stopping until my body could move.
-Thump, thump, thump.
My heart pounded as if it would burst, and my muscles writhed as if they were about to tear apart.
It hurt. It hurt so much I’d rather die right away, but…
‘I still have to do it.’
Just as I steeled myself and poured in one final surge of aura…
“Kieeek!”
I saw the wyvern charging to finish me off.
‘…It’s slowed down.’
The creature’s movements, which had been too fast to see, now seemed sluggish, as if they were in slow motion.
I didn’t have time to think about why.
I couldn’t dodge this attack, and if I stayed where I was, I’d die.
‘I have to think of something.’
At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind.
-If we’re talking pure aura strength, yours is much greater than mine… No, there’s no comparison.
Back when I’d split the wyvern in two with GreatswordFan’s help…
‘If I use my aura like I did then…’
I could kill it.
Of course, without GreatswordFan—Reiya’s—help, recreating that attack would be impossible.
But…
‘Maybe I can imitate it a little.’
I recalled how it had felt back then and focused on controlling my aura.
The wyvern charging at me no longer mattered.
All I focused on was whether I could imitate that beautiful movement of aura.
‘Aura.’
Black mist spread throughout my body.
It began to seep into my sword through my arm and hand.
‘Just pouring it in won’t work.’
What GreatswordFan had shown me was like a picture.
She had drawn an image with her aura.
She had tried to express the world within it—the world her aura contained.
‘…Can I do that?’
I still didn’t understand my inner world.
That meant it was impossible for me to fully draw the image held within my aura.
But…
‘I can do it my way.’
Certain of myself, I moved my aura.
The black mist that had seeped into my sword slowly began to draw something.
-Slice, slice.
The world I was trying to draw probably wasn’t whole enough to contain anything.
It was a world that fit nothing at all.
It had no color, no form, and might not even exist in the first place.
‘…It’s empty.’
I didn’t know why that thought came to me.
But there was one thing I knew for sure.
I now understood the nature of that world.
Emptiness.
-Ssshh…
The longsword in my hand was coated in an ink-black sheen.
At that moment…
“Kieeek!”
The wyvern let out a shriek and charged right up to me.
-Squelch!
I drove my sword into its skull.
The scales and flesh that touched the blade rotted black, and…
-KRRR-CRACK!
The rotted section crumbled in an instant and turned to dust.
‘Ah…’
My attack had worked.
Against a wyvern that even most A-Rank Hunters could only manage to scratch.
I’d pierced its scales and flesh, broken through its skull, and damaged its brain.
But…
‘Is this the end?’
I didn’t have the strength left to move my aura anymore.
“Kieeek!”
I gently closed my eyes.
I was waiting for the wyvern to hurry up and take my head off when…
-Slice.
I heard something being cut with a light swish.
When I opened my eyes…
“Sion, you did great. You did even better than I expected.”
A red-haired woman stood before me, holding a greatsword.
GreatswordFan, Reiya.
“…Master. I think I’m going to die.”
“Come on~ You won’t die from that.”
“Really?”
“Well, you would if I left you alone… but I’m right here. You think I’d let you die?”
After giving me a confident smile, she suddenly turned serious and crouched in front of me.
“I was a little cruel, wasn’t I? I’m sorry for tossing you into a situation like that without warning.”
-Peck.
She gently kissed my cheek and whispered,
“You did so well. Now get some rest.”
I tried to smile and answer her, but…
-Ding!
I heard a familiar sound.
[Objective: Confirmed that the wyvern has been defeated.]
[Final objective complete!]
[Hidden Stage cleared.]
[The climber’s body will be fully healed, and you will be moved to the reward room.]
My vision turned completely white.
…There wasn’t time for a conversation.
***
[The Tower is astonished that you have achieved an impossible feat!]
[You have been awarded the Mythic item ‘Greatsword That Twists Causality’!]
---
[Greatsword That Twists Causality]
Rank: Mythic
First Owner: Reiya
Second Owner: Lee Sion
A masterpiece crafted by the hands of a blacksmith who should have had their name inscribed in myth.
Indestructible (Mythic)
-Nothing can destroy a being of myth.
Rewriting Causality (EX)
-The user can temporarily ignore the laws of the world.
(This ability was engraved by the first owner.)
Subspace (EX)
-A subspace where this weapon can be stored is provided.
.
.
.
.
---
“….”
A greatsword with unbelievable abilities was placed in my hands.
Normally, I’d be excited to have gotten such an awesome weapon, but…
[First Owner: Reiya]
I froze when I saw that.
‘It’s the one GreatswordFan used.’
I stared blankly at the weapon.
It was undoubtedly better than anything else on Earth.
But right now, I couldn’t bring myself to care.
‘…Is this it?’
I felt… empty.
I’d known from the start. This was the Tower, so I’d eventually have to part with her.
But wasn’t this a little too abrupt?
“Whatever. I give up.”
Figuring I’d somehow meet her again someday, I put the greatsword into its subspace.
Besides, the real GreatswordFan was right here, wasn’t she?
[Swordsmanship Gallery]
-Newbie death announcement, season 5,613
-If the newbie takes any longer, we’re really going to have to break out the copypasta…? ♿
-The newbie will be back in just one day!
‘It’s been a while.’
I’d been unable to visit the gallery for several weeks. From their perspective, I might as well have been dead.
I clicked on a random post to get a feel for the place.
[Title: The newbie will be back in just one day!]
Author: HeavenlyEmperorSwordMaiden
Because starting now, every 24 hours,
I’m going to hit my head really hard and erase my memories!
-As expected, Heavenly Emperor Sword Maiden’s logic is on another level
-I did wat Sword Maiden said, an I realy dont remember anythingㅇ=like!
└Holy shit lol, how many times did you hit this guy?
-But isn’t she Genius Sword Maiden? Why ‘Heavenly Emperor’?
-GeniusSwordMaiden) Don’t impersonate me!!!
└Split personality is Sword Emperor lol
└GeniusSwordMaiden) I don’t have a split personality!
└GeniusSwordMaiden) Grrr!!! I’m telling the blue-tag mod and getting your name changed…!!!!
“Hmm.”
Nothing seemed particularly different from usual.
Good. Looks like nothing happened.
[Title: The newbie will be here in just one day!]
Author: WokeUpAsATSGirl
Actually, I’m lying. I’m out of the Tower now.
Leave your questions in the comments, and I’ll answer them when I get home, yeah.
-DaggerTechniquePro) You bastard, why’d you only show up now and make us worry?
└This bastard is way too good at pretending he was worried
└PureAndLovely*) Nah, he really was worried. Dagger was always saying he was worried about the newbie, then asking me to spar and crying while begging me to hug him
└So what did you do?
└PureAndLovely*) I talked to him for a bit and sent him on his way. If I cut him up like usual, I thought he might actually be in danger;;
└Wow, the blue-tag mod just let him go?
└How dangerous does a yandere Daggercel have to be for that to happen
-GreatswordFan) Hey!!!!! Why’d you take so long to come back!!!!!
-GeniusSwordMaiden) We’ve been waiting for you, newbie…! Are you feeling all right?
As I browsed the gallery, a blue message window blocked my view.
[You will be automatically removed from the Tower shortly.]
***
“Inhale… exhale.”
The air outside, which I hadn’t breathed in for so long, was absolutely unpleasant.
‘Why is the air so bad?’
Maybe it was because I’d spent weeks in a forest without a hint of exhaust fumes. It felt like I’d lost my resistance to fine dust.
Anyway…
‘Our Hwasan Guild Master must be worried.’
I hurriedly opened the Tower’s system messages.
The flow of time in the Tower and the outside world was a little different, but it was more or less proportional.
I couldn’t even guess how worried she might be.
[87 messages from ‘HwaseongIsNice’.]
“Wow.”
That was a lot.
Worried she might be furious, I cautiously read through the messages, but…
‘There’s nothing much here.’
Most of them were just what I’d expected, asking if I was okay or if I was unable to send messages, and so on.
‘Still, less than two weeks passed out here.’
That was one small blessing.
Reassured, I scrolled through the messages, soon reaching the last few.
[HwaseongIsNice: I don’t think I’ll be able to contact you for a while.]
[HwaseongIsNice: A serious diplomatic issue has come up, and all S-Rank Hunters have been ordered to mobilize.]
[HwaseongIsNice: I’ll explain everything in detail later… For now, you should get a general idea if you check the news in a few days.]
After those messages, sent three days ago, she’d stopped contacting me altogether.
‘A diplomatic issue?’
Something serious seemed to have happened, but I wasn’t worried. It probably had nothing to do with me.
Even if it was a big deal, our ‘Kwon Dohwa, Hwasan Guild Master-nim-nim-nim’ would take care of it herself.
I went home with a peaceful heart.
At first, I was so tired that I wanted to go straight to bed, but…
[Hunter Gallery]
I should at least find out what had happened.
‘She sent those messages three days ago, so the news should’ve spread online by now.’
I browsed the ‘Hunter Gallery,’ the voice of the world—or perhaps the world itself.
Most of what I knew about current events came from here.
-Korean president abducted in real time lol
-Did the Republic of Korea’s service just shut down!!
-(Proof pic included) Just now, Rum-hwang jumped out of a fighter jet and launched an airstrike on the presidential office
“What the hell does this mean?”
Even a quick glance left me completely confused.
I wondered if everyone had developed multiple personality disorder, but then…
[Title: Korean president abducted in real time lol]
I live in Sejong City.
Yesterday, I was out for a walk like usual,
And out of nowhere, a fighter jet flew across the sky.
So I just stood there watching, and then…
(Photo of a blond foreigner falling from a fighter jet)
The U.S. president jumped out of the plane without a parachute and went into a full-body dive.
He slammed straight into the presidential office and launched an airstrike.
-That’s so fucking badass
-Rum-hwang<< This guy’s always been on a whole different level
└How the hell did a guy like that get elected five times?
└He was about to die after taking a sniper bullet to the head, but awakened as an S-Rank right there and has been clinging to the job ever since
[Title: So why was our president abducted?]
Honestly, I don’t care whether our president lives or dies,
But what the hell was Rum-hwang<< doing?
-Maybe he was bored
└I think that’s the most likely answer, yeah;;
└No way lol. Surely the U.S. president wouldn’t do that just because he was bored… Actually, I can see it
-The Sword Maiden disappeared about two weeks ago, right? He invaded because he thought the Korean government had pulled some bullshit
└Is that for real?
└Yeah. I’m an A-Rank Hunter affiliated with the U.S., and I heard something along those lines
After looking through the gallery,
I was able to realize one thing.
“…What the fuck?”
The U.S. president had personally abducted our country’s president.
And all because of me.