Then something strange happened. The old, worn sword suddenly flashed with a brilliant light and floated gently into the air, as if it had come alive with its own will.
But the phenomenon lasted only a moment. Before I could even examine its condition closely, the sword scattered into sparkling dust and began to dissolve into me.
And then,
『Strength, endurance, and agility stats have increased!』
『Special and potential abilities in slots 1 and 4 have evolved!』
『Hidden power, “Apud Migra Eego Gladium” has blossomed!』
『Hidden power, “Summon Sea Steed, Garion” has blossomed!』
『Hidden power, “Sovereign, command your will.” has blossomed!』
『Hidden powers are event-triggered evolutions and are included in the original power slots.』
Six messages streamed across the screen.
『Please confirm user information.』
The final message appeared. I immediately loaded my user information.
Name: Kim Suhyun (4th year)
Class: Sovereign of the Sword (Arousal Secret, Master)
Nation: Free Mercenary
Clan: Mercenary (Clan Rank: S Zero)
True Name / Nationality: 1. Sovereign (君主) 2. Demonic Nature (魔性) • Republic of Korea
Gender: Male (28)
Height / Weight: 181.5 cm / 75.5 kg
Alignment: Moderation • Chaos
[Strength 99 (+2)] [Endurance 95 (+2)] [Agility 99] [Vitality 101 (+2)] [Mana 96] [Luck 90 (+2)]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
The Flame Heart is embedded in my chest. (Currently in the third stage of awakening.)
The ancient priestess’s seal is engraved on my heart. (Mana circuits are greatly stabilized, improving efficiency.)
No impurities remain in my body. (Mana flow speed has doubled.)
Due to “Sovereign, command your will,” a constant S Zero-level Charisma effect is active.
<Achievements (9)>
<Unique Ability (1/1)>
<Special Ability (1/1)>
(Description: Beyond becoming one with the sword, this is the state of perfect unity with the sword’s will. A level above the Divine Sword Unity, it is a legendary supreme swordsmanship. All sword-related actions receive positive effects. Essential for activating the “Apud Migra Eego Gladium” technique.)
<Potential Abilities (5/5)>
(Description: The sword is the king of all weapons in existence. A sword that has sworn blind loyalty possesses unmatched devotion and will not tolerate the defeat of its sovereign. This will overwhelms enemies from the moment the sovereign draws the sword until the foe falls. Unless the enemy wields a divine weapon, they are intimidated and weakened by the sword’s intense hostility.)
(Description: Never gives up in battle. Does not entertain defeat. This will allows fighting even when gravely wounded, though combat effectiveness is greatly reduced.)
(Description: The mind’s eye that sees beyond appearances to the core of things. The ability to observe oneself and perceive all things clearly. A mind and body trained to the extreme can maintain clarity even under mental corruption spells below S rank.)
(Description: The blessing of Tyr, the god of swords and war. The user gains high resistance to all external mana effects. When combined with “Mind Sword” and “Apud Migra Eego Gladium,” it enables an automatic sword interception system. The number of swords and interception efficiency depend on the user’s mana and luck stats.)
(Description: An ability outside the user’s preset assumptions.)
(Remaining ability points: 0)
<Sovereign of the Sword Powers (4/4)>
Resolution.
Apud Migra Eego Gladium.
Summon Sea Steed, Garion.
Sovereign, command your will.
<Blessing of the Dragon: Powers of Magna Carta, the Dragon of the End (2/5)>
Polymorph (Restricted)
Dragon Transformation (Restricted)
“…”
How much time had passed? When I suddenly came to my senses, I realized quite a while had gone by. I’d been so absorbed in reading my user info that I lost track of time. Blinking a few times, I stared at the screen filled with countless messages. Still, I couldn’t quite believe it. Was this really my user info?
Then,
Suddenly, Hwa-jeong’s voice echoed in my mind. My dazed state began to clear a little.
‘That?’
I asked, and then suddenly understood what Hwa-jeong was referring to.
“Oh, right.”
On one side of the cluttered desk sat five potions, left alone. From left to right: potions to boost strength, endurance, agility, mana, and luck. I could only drink one. I’d already decided which one to take.
Well, more precisely, I planned to decide after seeing how my stats would change with the class advancement. After the succession, strength rose by 3 points, endurance by 1, and agility by 1. Not exactly huge, but definitely something to be grateful for. I’d worried that an angry Gabriel might slash the gains drastically, but it seemed personal feelings were set aside.
Of course, it was a shame that vitality didn’t increase… but I’d expected that.
At first, I’d aimed for the mana potion. I usually consider vitality and mana my most important stats, and figured I wouldn’t lose out by choosing mana.
But now, my mind had changed. Here was a chance to reach 101 in agility—a stat I’d sacrificed for vitality all this time. How could I pass that up?
Besides, I’m a swordsman, not a mage. Sure, mana is important according to my user info, but fundamentally, I’m a fighter who moves and battles with my body. So it made more sense to pick a potion that directly affects my combat ability.
…Though honestly, I wanted to gulp down all five potions at once.
After sorting my thoughts, I picked up the potion glowing with a blue hue in the center. I downed it in one gulp, chewing and swallowing. It didn’t taste like much, just like before.
『You have consumed the Agility Boost Potion.』
『2 new stat points have been generated.』
Two messages popped up. Since my user info window was already open, I immediately applied the stat increase.
Before: [Strength 96 (+2)] [Endurance 94 (+2)] [Agility 98] [Vitality 101 (+2)] [Mana 96] [Luck 90 (+2)] (Total 575 points)
After: [Strength 99 (+2)] [Endurance 95 (+2)] [Agility 101] [Vitality 101 (+2)] [Mana 96] [Luck 90 (+2)] (Total 582 points)
“…Hah.”
I couldn’t help but exhale in awe. I’d finally raised my agility to 101 points. Even now, looking at it, it still felt unreal.
Closing my eyes gently, I felt an overwhelming power coursing through me.
How could I describe this feeling?
…I don’t know.
It’s like something spinning wildly, or maybe swirling explosively inside me. A refreshing, invigorating energy flows through every circuit, making my whole body feel like it could soar.
My breath quickened for no reason. I wanted to leap off the terrace and challenge anyone to a fight. I knew I shouldn’t, but somehow, controlling this energy was difficult.
I wanted to test it. To unleash this immense power freely.
‘Hwa-jeong.’
‘Am I… really stronger now?’
I asked, trying to hide my growing embarrassment, but Hwa-jeong’s tone was indifferent.
‘Potential to grow further?’
‘Is that so.’
The world is vast, and monsters are many. I nodded instinctively at Hwa-jeong’s sharp reminder.
‘Angel? Seraph?’
‘He… was grinding his teeth?’
‘…….’
At that moment, Hwajeong, who had been speaking so clearly, suddenly trailed off, her words fading away until silence settled between us.
…Okay, don’t panic. This isn’t the first time we’ve been here. Let’s calmly predict what’s coming next.
If I question her or tease her now, Hwajeong will definitely lose her composure and erupt in a fiery outburst. In other words, I’d probably end up worse off. So absolutely, under no circumstances, must I make a sound. Even a cough could be dangerous.
On the other hand, if I act like I didn’t hear a thing, everything will be fine.
‘Right. Seraph said that too. It’s good to look out for others, but you have to take care of yourself as well. Yeah, you’re right.’
With that, I murmured calmly and quietly moved over to my desk. I’d already taken care of my own share (?), so now it was time to hand out the things I’d brought. Opening the drawer, I saw the call stones neatly lined up.
Let’s see… first, Seonyuwoon… Shin Jaeryong… Im Hanna… An Sol… and finally…
That’s when it happened.
Flash!
Suddenly, a sharp spark flew right in front of my eyes.
“Ugh!”
‘W-what? Is she ignoring me? Am I being ignored?’
“Hey, uh, no, Hwajeong. First, calm down…”
‘M-my pride!’
Hwajeong shouted back sharply.
Flash!
Another spark flew.
“Then what exactly do you want me to do?!”
In the end, I couldn’t help but shout back.
Time passed, and by the time the sky had turned a deep red,
“Ugh, this is so annoying!”
A tall, slender woman was striding down the long corridor that stretched eastward. With every step, the floor echoed loudly, betraying her irritation. The woman was none other than Jegal Haesol.
“This is just perfect! I thought I was finally getting the hang of things! Why all the fuss, calling me like this? So annoying!”
The reason for Jegal Haesol’s anger was simple: she had just been forced into the one thing she hated most in life (?).
To be precise, Jegal Haesol’s personality was such that when she got absorbed in her research, she would lock herself in her room completely. Not just for a few hours, but sometimes days on end without stepping out.
During these times, she became extremely sensitive and fragile, hating any interruptions with a passion. So when a maid suddenly barged in to deliver a message from the clan lord, inviting her to dinner, it was a shock.
At first, with her usual boldness, Jegal Haesol refused, saying, “I’m in the middle of very important research right now. I’ll come later. And I’m not that easy to persuade.”
But the reply was a harsh warning: “Don’t mess around. If you don’t come willingly, I’ll drag you there myself.” Faced with that, she had no choice but to stop her work and get up.
“Ugh, just wait. If this turns out to be nothing, I swear…”
Of course, there wasn’t much she could do about it, but still, Jegal Haesol huffed as she stared at the door to the office. She had already arrived at her destination. Brushing her hair back fiercely, she knocked half-heartedly before flinging the door open.
“Hey! Clan—”
But the moment she burst inside,
“Lo—”
She suddenly froze in place.
A moment later,
“…rd.”
Jegal Haesol’s cheeks flushed faintly as she lowered her eyes and straightened her posture.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Ah, I’m cutting back. These days, I only smoke about a pack or two. It’s kind of inconvenient, honestly. I think I could manage if I just held out a little longer, but at home, they’re subtly hinting that I should quit altogether. ㅜ.ㅠ