TL: enigma
PR: SWAN
Chapter 10 [Episode 2: Luck is also created (3)]
“So that’s why I was directly possessed by the story of ‘I’ll Miss You’?”
As I checked the reward for the second hidden quest, I realized the reason behind my experience of being possessed along with the reward.
Swordsmanship is not something that can be learned simply by reading about certain techniques or thinking about them in one’s head.
It must be embodied directly in one’s body, requiring extensive practice and numerous experiences.
There are advanced techniques beyond the basics, and there are also practical applications of those techniques. That’s why it takes time and effort to truly master swordsmanship.
However, the feeling of Taeseng GilgeoI’s sword in my hands remained intact. I had personally experienced it for many years through possession.
But that wasn’t all.
“You have to become stronger. Only when I become strong can I protect myself, my comrades, and the weak.”
The will to fight with the sword lingered in my heart.
A desire to protect others.
Soon, this manifested as a new attribute.
“Level 1: Acquire the Will of Guardians.”
[Passive Skill: Level 1. Will to Protect – When the will to protect others is expressed, all stats increase by 5%.]
I had heard that in swordsmanship, not only the sword and body movements were important, but also the mindset.
Body and mind. The key was to combine the two through experience.
After obtaining these two rewards, the sword skills and the attribute, I understood the reason for the possession, but I felt the need for further confirmation.
I walked over to the treasure pile and picked up two old wooden swords that I had seen earlier. Then, I threw one to the person who had possessed me.
“Shall we spar?”
“… Are you talking about Dalian?”
“Huh. I’ve learned a new sword technique.”
He tilted his head in confusion at my unexpected suggestion.
Well, it was understandable. I had fainted and then suddenly suggested sparring.
So, instead of explaining, I decided to show him.
Hiss!
In a surprise attack, I swung the wooden sword towards Taeseng GilgeoI’s chest.
Taaak-!!
At the same time, he blocked the attack.
“This… It’s the swordsmanship of the Imperial Knights.”
I had figured out the identity of the swordsmanship.
“That’s right, it’s the swordsmanship that Master Mustache was proud of. It was sealed in an old book.”
“I see. Then, let me take a look at your sword for a moment.”
“Okay, here we go.”
Since there wasn’t much mana left to sustain the attack, the sparring session concluded without delay.
In reality, if we were to judge solely based on skill, the game wouldn’t be fair. Just by looking at our levels, there was a difference of over 900 between him and me.
If he put his mind to it, he could defeat me in a single strike, just like killing a monster with one blow.
But I didn’t expect that to happen. The important thing was to test my swordsmanship.
In that sense, I’m Gonna Miss You was the perfect sparring partner.
This was because it meant that even if I gave it my all, he would still be able to take it lightly. And my prediction came true.
Whoosh! Whi-profit-!
After stabbing the sword with sincerity, as if dealing with a monster, he unexpectedly raised it and struck in that state.
Compared to directly dealing with ordinary goblins before, the swordsmanship was so systematic that it could be called Ilchwiwoljang.
However, instead of blocking with his wooden sword, he effortlessly evaded my attack by deftly moving his body twice.
He read the trajectory of my sword perfectly.
Instead of immediately launching another attack, I jumped back to increase the distance between us.
As expected, the wooden sword passed by where I had been standing.
“Your movements are light. Even a graze on the armor would be a victory for you, my lord.”
“Indeed? There’s no room for leniency.”
As if he had gauged my strength, he made a wager.
There was no reason to back down.
I accepted the challenge and kicked off the ground once again.
From top to bottom, from bottom to side.
If a strike failed, the wooden sword that had been swung horizontally would be brought back to the center and transformed into a thrust.
It was the same movement I had used when fighting the assassins.
I was replicating the swordsmanship of I’m Gonna Want It.
Of course, it was still just an imitation.
But even so, it was a remarkable achievement. Just a little while ago, I was a beginner who didn’t even know the basics of swordsmanship.
Although I lacked experience, he seemed somewhat surprised to see me using the same Imperial sword technique as him.
“… You are truly amazing. In such a short period of time, you seem like a completely different person.”
“I’m Gonna Miss You,” he said, adjusting his sword.
In an instant, the powerful sword energy overwhelmed me. Taeseng GilgeoI, who had been focused on defense, switched to offense.
Having seen enough of his offensive moves, I now wanted to test his defense.
“I’ll take the offensive this time, my lord.”
Taeseng GilgeoI, who responded with agility to my attacks, leaned back slightly and swung his sword for the first strike.
It was a blow with a clearly visible trajectory, giving me the freedom to dodge or defend.
However, I had no intention of being satisfied with just being on the defensive.
[Imperial Knights’ Swordsmanship Type 2 – Half Moon Slash]
“…!”
I moved on to the next stage of my attack. I went beyond simple swordsmanship and attempted techniques that utilized mana.
The Half Moon Slash.
It was a swordsmanship technique that used mana to create a sharp aura about 10cm from the tip of the sword and swung it. Even among the Imperial Knights, only knights of a certain rank or higher could learn this technique.
I never thought I would actually use it.
For a brief moment, bewilderment deepened in Taeseng GilgeoI’s eyes.
Taaak-!! Puck-! Kuung-!
“Ugh!!”
The wooden sword that had been swung towards Taeseng GilgeoI soared upwards, hitting the ceiling of the treasure house, and then came crashing down to the ground.
“Gwae, are you okay, my lord?”
“Oh, it’s alright. Don’t worry.”
Perhaps because he had expected me to naturally block or dodge, he was taken aback and rushed towards me, who was lying on the ground.
“I apologize, my lord. I failed to control my strength…”
“No, I said it’s okay. And…”
Instead of continuing, I pointed to a spot on his armor.
There was a faint but distinct mark where something had grazed his silver chestplate.
“How is it?”
“… Yes. It’s your victory, my lord.”
Normally, my sword would never make contact with I’m Gonna Miss You’s armor.
However, due to the extended reach of the aura from the unexpected use of the Half Moon Slash, a small blow had landed.
“Excellent, my lord.”
“Alright. I’ll ask you to spar with me often. There’s still a long way to go.”
“Thank you. It’s an honor for me to share the sword with you, my lord.”
The faint smile on his face began to fade.
As mana slowly reached its limit, the summoning was canceled.
And then…
[Character: Understanding of ‘I’ll Miss You’ has increased.]
[Character: Loyalty of I’ll Miss You increases by 50.]
[Character: I’ll Miss You]
[Current Loyalty – 630 / 999]
[Loyalty exceeds 600, so the mana consumption of Character: I’ll Miss You is reduced by 6%.]
A message suddenly appeared, indicating that the loyalty of I’m Gonna Miss You had increased.
I was informed that as loyalty increased, I could receive additional effects, although I wasn’t exactly sure what they were. However, the mana consumption of [Character Summon] had been reduced.
This further reduced the burden of maintaining summons.
In addition, by obtaining the Imperial Knights’ Swordsmanship, I gained the power to fight on my own without relying solely on the summoning of the Dragon. It was a great achievement.
“It would be good to gather more miscellaneous items… I can’t help it. Let’s gather as much as we can.”
Come to think of it, I had gone through the dungeon ten times without stopping at the exchange in between, and my inventory, along with I’m Gonna Miss You, was full.
I packed the remaining miscellaneous items in my bag, just in case, and left the dungeon.
***
“Ha, it’s not showing up as expected.”
Item exchange at Seoul Station hunting ground.
Shin Dae-hoon stopped wandering around the lobby and let out a sigh.
How many hours had it been?
He had been tirelessly searching the Seoul Station hunting ground from morning till evening, but there was no sign of the blonde hunter.
He had been to every place possible.
From F-level to D-level, he had visited every dungeon in the Seoul Station hunting ground and explored all the floors of the item exchange.
Now, he could navigate the Seoul Station hunting ground with his eyes closed.
“If I’ve searched this much and still can’t find him, then he probably isn’t here.”
He had tried his best.
In fact, he had been following his intuition from the beginning, and logically speaking, it was unlikely for a high-level hunter to come to the Seoul Station hunting ground, which was populated mainly by D-level hunters.
Even if the hunter had indeed come yesterday, there was a high possibility that it was just a brief visit.
“Did he go somewhere else? Or perhaps he has never been here at all?”
Shin Dae-hoon, who had given up on his search and was sitting in the lobby, entered the store in front of him.
Even though he didn’t have any specific items in mind, he was feeling stressed and wanted to buy something.
“Welcome, how may I help you?”
“Oh, let me take a look at the items for a moment.”
“Yes, please feel free to browse, and let me know if you need any assistance.”
As he entered the store, he was greeted kindly by an employee who appeared to be in his 50s.
After a brief conversation with the employee, Shin Dae-hoon looked at the items displayed on one side of the store.
“Equipment is expensive, but there’s no need to buy potions and such…”
He had come here with the intention of making some retaliatory purchases, but now that he was actually buying, he couldn’t find anything that he needed.
His worry continued for over 10 minutes as he struggled, looking at low-priced items.
Click! Chrrrrrrrr-!!
Suddenly, a commotion erupted next to him.
“Wow, you have a lot of items, Hunter. Today… E-class number 46, you’ve been to the dungeon. But isn’t that the amount you would raid once or twice?”
“Yes, I received some help from someone else. But I don’t have much time right now, so please settle the bill quickly.”
“Oh, yes. I’ll finish it in 5 minutes. Please wait a moment.”
Were they here to sell raided items?
Judging by the aura he exuded, he didn’t seem to be a very high-ranking hunter.
However, despite that, the amount of items being settled was quite substantial. And the mention of receiving help piqued Shin Dae-hoon’s interest.
He had a hunch that there might be a connection to the hunter he was looking for.
Upon closer inspection, they seemed to resemble the group of blonde hunters he had seen yesterday.
Pretending to look at the items, Shin Dae-hoon discreetly observed and followed the hunter who left after the settlement was completed.
As Shin Dae-hoon followed the hunter, there was no indication of anything unusual. No signs of being noticed. Being a scout by profession, Shin Dae-hoon was well-versed in this kind of discreet tracking.
As the subject entered a progressively secluded alley, Shin Dae-hoon couldn’t help but anticipate that it was leading to a meeting place with the hunter he was searching for.
But little did Shin Dae-hoon know that he was not the one doing the chasing, but rather, being chased.
“Stop.”
Suddenly, a blonde hunter appeared and pointed his sword at Shin Dae-hoon’s neck.
