Chapter 5

Chapter 5. Demon Worshipper (1)

【As expected, you were a savior, Master of the Sword. That you grant this humble servant the path of great deeds even in death— I am grateful beyond measure.】

It was Reinhardt's voice, the same one I'd heard in [Raise a Sword].

The NPC who had borrowed my sword.

He greeted me.

I tilted my head at the sudden mention of a 'path of great deeds' when—.

【The aura of demon worshippers— the very ones who sought to destroy our world— fills this place.】

Reinhardt said something deeply alarming.

'Demon worshippers?'

As a twelve-year veteran of [Raise a Sword], those were words I absolutely could not ignore.

Skipping the pleasantries, I cut straight to the point.

"There are demon worshippers on Earth?"

Demon worshippers were an evil breed that summoned the Demon King, called forth dark gods and outer gods, and laid waste to continents.

【From within the world of the sword, one can sense what occurs on the surface.】

Reinhardt Euclid.

These were the words of the man who had saved the world of [Raise a Sword]. I couldn't afford to dismiss them.

【I sensed the aura of a demon worshipper from the mage who was killing goblins alongside you, Master.】

He delivered a deeply shocking revelation.

'B-rank Mage Park Chang-seok is a demon worshipper?'

There was one condition for becoming a demon worshipper.

'Kill 100 or more people.'

In other words, if I hadn't been a natural, I really would have died.

'Why are there demon worshippers on Earth?'

This was the moment the currents of the world around me shifted.

I had repeated the world of [Raise a Sword] over ten thousand times.

Meaning I'd accumulated that much indirect experience.

'The starting point.'

Every playthrough began the same way.

An NPC, fleeing from demon worshippers, leapt into the [Abyss] and picked up the sword I'd placed there.

The Abyss over there was similar to the Gates on this side.

Here they were [Red], but over there they were the far more vicious [Black]— that was the difference.

Anyway—.

'So I've been tipped off about an impending crisis in advance?'

I looked at the large, imposing greatsword in my hand and nodded.

'I shouldn't be thinking of them as mere NPCs.'

This wasn't a game anymore.

The time had come to accept that beings who had witnessed the end of the [Raise a Sword] world resided within my sword.

It was far sooner than I'd expected, but.......

【The presence that felt on the verge of Falling—.】

That urgency actually felt like a blessing in disguise.

To Fall meant to be cast down from the world.

'What would that look like on Earth?'

Awakening was the overcoming of bizarre and special experiences.

And Falling meant those experiences became twisted.

'It'll probably follow a similar trajectory to Raise a Sword.'

Of course, Awakened hadn't appeared in that world the way they had on Earth.

Instead, that world had been overflowing from the start with superhumans who wielded aura and mana.

'They even had other races.'

When the World Tree that guarded nature Fell, the elves had transformed into monsters that used humans as fertilizer.

The likelihood of something similar happening on Earth was high.

"A mage's Fall always produces a dark mage, so at least that part's straightforward."

I nodded calmly.

Then thought back to my seventeen-year-old self.

'I thought the Earth, with its opened Gates, was a world just like Raise a Sword.'

That's why I'd believed I would Awaken on my own.

I'd harbored the ambition of becoming an Awakened, eradicating the Gates that had taken my parents, and saving the world.

I'd believed I was someone special, burdened with that kind of destiny.

'Of course, getting dismissed as a gaming addict cured me of that in one shot......'

But now that I'd actually Awakened, things were different.

My delusions had been real.

'It's different from when I was young, but—.'

My resolve was set.

Not some grandiose resolve to save the world.

'Let me raise my sword well.'

Before long, Earth would probably transform into a world like that of [Raise a Sword].

My ambition was to grow the [Baby Sword] into something large and formidable in such a brutal world.

Steeling myself with that mindset, I looked ahead.

GRRRR—.

Inside a grayish-brown cave, eyeless wolves had encircled the safe zone, drool pooling from their jaws.

And in my hand was a truly magnificent, splendid sword.

My final sword, Reinhardt.

"I've got about ten minutes."

The [Tower]'s safe zone would disappear in thirty minutes.

I'd spent twenty minutes discussing demon worshippers, so the remaining ten needed to be spent sorting things out with Reinhardt.

'I'm not as impressive a Sword Master as he thinks.'

Reinhardt was currently operating under a misconception.

He seemed to think I was some incredible Sword Master.

I could leverage that misconception to maintain the upper hand, but it would inevitably be exposed sooner or later.

I didn't want to carry that kind of risk.

Being straightforward and honest was my charm, wasn't it?

"—And that's how I ended up meeting you. I'm just an ordinary person, is what I'm saying."

I'd spent ten minutes recounting the story of my twelve years.

To which Reinhardt answered without a shred of hesitation.

【You repeated my world...... over ten thousand times...... guiding it toward salvation...... G-good heavens—.】

Reinhardt was even more astounded.

He was visibly showing me reverence.

'What?'

I'd played a game called [Raise a Sword].

Over twelve years, through countless attempts, I'd discovered six endings and Awakened.

I had absolutely zero swordsmanship, let alone combat experience.

That was all I'd said.

【The supreme and great one who showed this servant— bereft of his family— the path, and guided a mere commoner's talent all the way to the pinnacle of the sword.......】

Yet Reinhardt seemed even more deeply moved.

【With this unworthy body that came to be called Sword Sovereign.】

【I, Reinhardt Euclid, swear eternal and unwavering loyalty to Sword Master Shin Si-woo.】

This was a knight who hadn't even sworn fealty to his emperor.

And he had just pledged his loyalty to me.

 

—-------------------------------

—Ep. 03. Demon Worshipper.

Paat!

[The 1st Sword's loyalty has reached the highest level.]

[As a special reward, manifestation value increases by +3.]

[1st Sword, Reinhardt Euclid. [4/100]

The status window presented its reward.

I now clearly understood the meaning of the [4/100] figure written beside the sword.

【This humble servant can remain at the Sword Master's side for approximately 4 hours in this place.】

'So that was the time the sword could be manifested.'

Filling it to 100 would mean 100 hours.

It was longer than I'd expected, and I wasn't entirely sure what significance it held, but…

'There must be something to it.'

Awakened abilities were, by nature, uncharted territory.

You didn't know the half of it until you figured it out yourself.

So I took up the sword, looking forward to what came next.

"Thirty minutes have passed."

Time to deal with the monsters from the world my swords had lived in.

I was steeling myself with that resolve when—

【Is there any need for the Sword Master to soil his hands? Please leave it to this humble servant.】

Reinhardt suddenly addressed me in a deeply earnest tone.

What could a soul dwelling in a sword possibly do?

No sooner had I thought that than a change occurred.

'Huh?'

Paat!

['Sword Will, Meteor Shower' activates.]

It seemed my sword could release the sword's power on its own.

Vvng—.

The jewel at the sword's tip glinted.

Then, swords beyond count — enough to blanket this enormous space — soared high into the sky.

Sword-shapes forged from aura.

Every single one of them moved as though it possessed a will of its own.

Thwack! Thwackthwackthwack!!!

A blue meteor shower rained down.

And with it, every monster surrounding me was slain.

Paat!

[You have cleared Floor 1 of the Tower.]

[Clear Time: 1 second]

[Grade: SSS]

[Preparing rewards…]

The beautiful spectacle of swords filling the sky and the chilling sight of them raining down to annihilate every last demon — all of it in a single second — was beyond belief.

And my eyes had perceived every bit of it with perfect clarity.

'Is this really the sword's level of perception?'

It was on an entirely different plane from simply absorbing enlightenment.

The world was slow.

Omnipotence filled me.

Even though I hadn't been the one to wield the power…

'It feels like I could do it too.'

That thought arose naturally.

I considered trying to replicate it, but the messages that followed left me no chance.

An absurd stream of rewards cascaded down.

Paat!

[Level Up!!! 1→2]

[Communication Ability with swords is unlocked.]

The level that hadn't budged after dozens of goblins rose by one in an instant.

That was just the level-up reward.

The real prizes came next.

Paat!

[Floor 1 Tower conquest rewards are granted.]

1. [Baby Sword]'s growth begins.

2. Tower Entry Ticket x 3.

3. SSS-rank Random Box.

4. 10,000 Coins.

Paat!

The moment I finished receiving the rewards, I was forcibly transferred out of the Tower.

I was back home.

'I cleared Floor 1, and…'

Three tickets worth a billion won each had appeared.

Selling just one would more than repay the 40 million I'd borrowed from Seol-a noona.

But ticket prices were volatile, so there was no reason to sell them.

Other rewards existed, after all.

'10,000 Coins.'

The market rate for 10,000 Coins was 1 billion won.

Conversely, you could buy 10,000 Coins for 1 billion won.

Coins were a medium solely for purchasing growth items for [Awakened].

Since every Awakened's method of Awakening differed and abilities varied wildly, the Coin shop was provided as an 'individually customized' setup.

"For now—"

I set the sword down on my bed while pondering how to proceed with the journey ahead.

And then…

"Huh?"

My eyes went wide with surprise.

I could take the sword out of Gates and the Tower?

Just as I was marveling.

Pasaseuk—.

After sitting on the bed for roughly 4 seconds, the sword scattered like dust and vanished.

It seemed that once it left my hand, it returned on its own to where it belonged.

There appeared to be no risk of theft, either.

"Still, being able to bring the sword out in reality…"

Among the greatest of Awakened, only an extreme few could manifest power in reality.

And yet I could just do it.

【Most likely… it is because this humble servant's Caliber surpasses the laws of this world.】

Perhaps because I was so stunned, Reinhardt offered an explanation on his own.

'Caliber, is it—'

Then that meant I could pull out [1st Sword, Reinhardt] whenever I was in danger.

'Hearing about demon worshippers, this really does put my mind at ease.'

Cultivating those who Fall.

That was their objective.

And I was nothing more than a freshly Awakened rookie Hunter.

"First things first — I need to grow quickly."

Now that I knew the world was in crisis, I had to get stronger as fast as possible.

I had to raise my primary armament, the [Baby Sword].

To what extent?

'At least until it has enough Caliber to pierce the laws of the world.'

That would mean I could see my sword 24 hours a day.

* * *

A day passed.

For now, I headed to the Awakened Management Bureau in Yeouido as usual.

【There are no demon worshippers in this vicinity.】

Even without drawing the sword, I could now converse with Reinhardt.

Thanks to the Communication Ability gained at Level 2.

'No demon worshippers around, so let me go see Seol-a noona first.'

I headed up to the rooftop and called for Seol-a noona.

Shortly after, Kang Seol-a appeared with her long straight hair swaying.

For reference, ever since lending me the money, Section Chief Kang Seol-a had been promoted to 'noona.'

"Here's the money."

"You're insane — you earned this in a single day?"

"They said Hunters make good money, and it was beyond anything I imagined."

I cracked a joke while handing over 45 million won, interest included.

"Why are you giving so much?"

"I was hoping to ask a favor."

"Now what…"

One day's interest: 5 million won.

That included a cooperation fee as well.

"Remember the guy who evaluated me?"

"Oh, B-rank Mage Park Chang-seok?"

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

I debated whether to bring up the demon-worshipper matter.

'It's a concept that hasn't even been introduced to the world yet.'

Raising pointless suspicions would most likely just get me treated as a 'crazy natural Awakened.'

Or the unidentified demon-worshipper group might target me…

'I have the sword, but there are already way too many powerhouses out there.'

I broke the unpleasant news about Park Chang-seok in a roundabout way.

"He looked like he was about to cause trouble."

"Trouble?"

"My sword has the ability to read 'killing intent.' That man is harboring intense murderous intent toward an unspecified number of people."

I framed the Awakened as a psychopathic lunatic.

That he was a 'demon worshipper' was a fact Reinhardt had already confirmed.

'Only killers can become demon worshippers.'

You needed to have killed about 100 people to qualify.

It was the same in the [Raise a Sword] world.

For reference, when I was young and didn't know any better, I'd even tried a cultivation method where a demon worshipper picked up the sword — but every last one of them failed to grasp it.

"That guy's going to carry out a mass slaughter soon."

"I can't believe it, but I guess I have to…"

Seol-a noona mumbled incoherently.

"Even if a B-rank Mage is an ordinary person outside…"

"You know ordinary people commit more murders, right? There are bomb-terrorists, and the Middle East is still a mess."

"That's true."

Soon, Seol-a noona made up her mind.

"You're saying this with my father in mind, aren't you?"

"That's right."

Her father was an outstanding prosecutor.

Several years ago, the SSS-rank Awakened — the Patriot — had turned the prosecution office upside down.

It was Kang Seol-a's father who had recited the charges of the ten monstrously corrupt prosecutors publicly executed at that time.

And he was still on good terms with the Patriot.

"I can't just deal with a B-rank Mage on my own authority, you know."

Seol-a noona hesitated briefly, then quickly nodded.

"If he's really going to commit indiscriminate murder, that's…"

* * *

Senior Prosecutor Kang Mu-jin reviewed the documents with a hardened expression.

"B-rank Mage, Park Chang-seok."

Just moments ago, his daughter had delivered grave news.

There was, apparently, a lunatic planning to carry out a terror attack in the Republic of Korea — under the Patriot's watch, no less.

'Hmm… an ordinary philosophy grad student who Awakened after undergoing a trial in a mage tower.'

No matter how he looked at it, the man didn't seem like someone who'd commit a mass slaughter.

———————

Temperament: Absorbed in the arcane arts, filled with pointless curiosity, the type to ramble on until he's said everything on his mind.

Social Skills: C—

Communication: D

Aggressiveness: F

———————

'Good social skills, solid communication, and essentially zero aggressiveness.'

For a natural Awakened, this was practically a saint.

He didn't look at all like a terrorism candidate.

Still, wasn't this something his precious daughter had asked of him in all seriousness and sincerity?

"Get the Special Task Force — let's take a look at this man."

Senior Prosecutor Kang Mu-jin.

His position granted him authority so vast that his actual title was almost meaningless.

Because the unit he belonged to was the [Hunter Special Team].

And he was a prosecutor under the Patriot's protection.

—Special Task Force, deploying.

Destination: the Yeouido vicinity where B-rank Mage Park Chang-seok resided.

"Hmm—."

Kang Mu-jin felt a nagging unease.

His daughter's workplace — the Awakened Management Agency in Yeouido — was extremely close to Park Chang-seok's residence.

'He probably volunteered for the Awakened tests because it was right by his house.'

Preferring a short commute was a universal truth that transcended the Awakened/non-Awakened divide.

Kang Mu-jin went back to other work, thinking 'Surely nothing will happen.'

A short while later—

—S-sir!!!

An urgent transmission came through.

—Park Chang-seok has manifested power externally!!! He has currently seized the Awakened Management Agency in Yeouido and…

Kang Mu-jin was struck speechless at the news that his daughter's workplace had been seized.

But more than that—

'A B-rank has become a Transcendent?'