The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 493

Extracurricular Story 6

6. A New Phase

“Karrl!!!”

At the Sword Demon’s cry, Karrl instinctively drew his sword.

[Kehek……! Cough!!!]

The darkness that had been cast was now gone, and inside Parel, the sun slowly rose as if it were another world.

The hot sun, as if intent on burning everything, shone down on the two. After the darkness disappeared, Karrl realized he was in the middle of a desert.

‘Was there a place like this back then……?’

Karrl thought, blocking the monster’s attack as it swung the huge battleaxe towards him.

[Kyaak! Krurrrr……!!]

When its attack was blocked, the creature roared at him. It had the face of a dragon, but its lower body was like that of a human, standing on two legs.

With a massive build reaching 5 meters, the blade of the battleaxe it held was stained with dried, dark red blood.

[Kuh heh heh heh…….]

As the creature flared its nostrils and exhaled, white vapor billowed out in two streams.

“That thing, called a Drenoah, is a pseudo-dragon. As befitting a floor boss of the 14th floor, its scales are tough, and its strength and stamina are exceptionally high. You better be careful.”

At the Sword Demon’s words, Karrl glared at him slightly.

“If you have time to explain, why don’t you help? How long are you going to stand there and watch?”

“Well, someone told me the weak should step back.”

He answered, playfully shrugging his shoulders at Karrl’s gibe.

His nonchalant attitude was absurd to Karrl, but on the other hand, his relaxed demeanor in the face of the enemy meant that the monster he was facing was not a dangerous opponent for the Sword Demon.

‘I’ve killed countless corrupted beings, but only a few of them were at this level… It’s hard to gauge his skill.’

Kwang-!!!!

Kwakwakwang—!!!!

Karrl evaded the Drenoah’s attack and instantly closed the distance, aiming for its chest.

Paaht! Paht!!! Pababat……!!

His figure moved zigzag in the air as if disappearing, and the monster seemed unable to keep up with Karrl’s speed. Flames from Agnel’s blade erupted from the monster’s entire body as if sparks were flying.

2nd Unicorn Posture.

Bending his sword downwards in mid-air, Karrl thrust his sword into Drenoah’s collarbone.

[Kuaaaaaa—!!!]

Agnel pierced through the thick scales and tore into the creature’s flesh, and with a whoosh…! the flames of the Flame Tyrant rose from the embedded blade.

The roar bursting from its massive mouth was filled with pain, and the creature began to swing its battleaxe frantically.

Whooooong……!!

The sound of the sharp wind pressure cutting through the air like a giant windmill made Karrl’s body stagger.

“Kuk?!”

He leaped into the air, dodging Drenoah’s attack. The axe blade narrowly passed under Karrl’s legs.

[Kuoohhhh!!!]

Drenoah raised its axe above its head towards Karrl, who had landed on the ground. The massive axe, falling vertically like a guillotine blade, scattered sand from the desert as it struck the ground.

It was then.

In that fleeting moment, a flash of light appeared and disappeared in the sand.

“Hmm.”

The Sword Demon, watching the scene, slightly narrowed his eyes.

Huddeudeudeuk.

The soaring sand fell to the ground like rain, and the Drenoah, who had struck the ground, stood still, gripping the handle of its axe.

“Hoo…….”

Karrl brushed the sand off his head and shoulders, letting out a low sigh.

Thud-

At that moment, Drenoah’s head, which had been frozen, fell to the ground. The cleanly cut surface showed no blood.

“Is this what they called the boss of this floor?”

Karrl asked, as if showing off to the Sword Demon.

“Nothing special.”

“He was quite a handful… A dimension where magic exists is definitely different. I have to admit it.”

The Sword Demon shook his head as if defeated by the sight, and ended up laughing.

“What was that just now? You used a unique swordsmanship when you cut off Drenoah’s head.”

“You have a keen eye. It’s called Seomgyeok (殲擊) [Annihilation Strike].”

Karrl looked at the Sword Demon, who had noticed his swordsmanship boasting extreme speed, and in another sense, he also gauged the Sword Demon’s skill.

“Is it a swordsmanship that can only be used with magic?”

“Initially, it was based on magic, but now it’s not necessarily so. You can apply spirit energy instead of magic, but Seomgyeok is created by the repulsive force of colliding two attributes at once, so whether it’s spirit energy or magic, something other than swordsmanship must support it.”

“Hmm…….”

At his answer, the Sword Demon lightly snapped his fingers.

Pazzzik……! Pak!

Then, a spark containing sharp flames erupted between his fingers.

“……?!”

“Is this how you do it? Difficult.”

Karrl was speechless at his nonchalant demeanor.

‘It’s different from Seomgyeok, but to be able to control different attributes simultaneously without any repulsion like that… Just what is he?’

“If only the limitations of attributes can be resolved, does that mean other people can use it too?”

“A sword doesn’t originally discriminate against people. But to learn swordsmanship, you ultimately need talent. If that’s supported, then maybe… it’s not impossible.”

“I see. If that swordsmanship becomes known, it would be quite helpful in fighting the corrupted.”

Karrl chuckled in disbelief at his sincere contemplation.

Seomgyeok (殲擊) was his ultimate skill, newly created through the swordsmanship of Judex, the first Blader.

It wasn’t simply a matter of whether it could be learned or not, but the person in front of him seemed to be genuinely looking for a way for others to learn the secret technique.

“You really seem to be preparing for a fight against the corrupted.”

“Do you remember what I said? That the Godslaying is not over yet. It wasn’t just to provoke you. The Lord who governed my world has disappeared, and the Great War in your world has also ended, but the Blader’s fight is still ongoing. Even if it’s not in our dimension, the things we’ve experienced are continuing to happen in other dimensions.”

The Sword Demon said in a low voice.

“I truly want to end this war. To do that, we have a duty to make up for the mistakes we’ve made.”

“Mistakes?”

“Due to the fragments of the shattered Dimension Spiral after the Lord’s Godslaying in Kaie Aesir’s will, the remaining gods gained power, and the 77 dimensions under the Lord are now linked together to form a new independent dimension, calling themselves the Multi-Gods.”

“But I don’t think you can call that your mistake. Achieving Godslaying is for humans to live like humans. Of course, a perfect ending is best, but the deviations that occur in the process are ultimately because we are human.”

The Sword Demon gave a bitter smile at Karrl’s words.

“I’m somehow grateful. It’s comforting to hear you, the cold one, say that.”

“I’m just stating the facts. If you put it that way, I’ve also made mistakes.”

“Hmm?”

“When I experienced the disaster and entered Parel, I realized that each floor symbolizes the power of the Multi-Gods. That’s why I sensed that Godslaying wouldn’t simply end with killing Yula.”

“That’s right.”

“So I planned meticulously. A plan to deceive the gods, hide my power, and kill all ten gods.”

Gwak-
The hand holding Agnel tightened.

“But I missed one. A god named Rakshumu. It was unexpected. I didn’t expect a god to be conceiving another god. The tenth god died, but the seed of the god remaining inside escaped to another dimension. Perhaps… the humanity of another dimension will suffer at the hands of that god who will inherit Rakshumu’s name.”

“Don’t worry. Just as I killed the Lord and you destroyed Yula, achieving Godslaying, the humanity of other dimensions will also survive. Humans are not that weak.”

Karrl smiled bitterly at the Sword Demon’s words.

Woo woowoowoong…….

As he stretched his palm towards the sky, an opaque model of the tower appeared.

“The ten gods, including Yula, who was the master of this world, were once just one of the gods of the 77 dimensions.”

The video looked like magic, but Karrl watched in wonder because he couldn’t feel any magic power.

“But after the Lord’s death, they gathered together to create a new dimension and even created Parel, which only the Lord could create. Of course, it’s a degraded lower level version of the Lord’s Parel.”

“Wait. What does that mean? Are you saying that the Parel I conquered is weaker than the Lord’s?”

“That’s right.”

Karrl frowned at his words.

How long had he endured and overcome the pain in Parel, which he had challenged to go back in time?

But to hear that the Parel he had climbed was actually a lower level, he was more dumbfounded than upset.

“Don’t misunderstand. It can’t be helped. What the Multi-Gods created and what the Lord created are different from the beginning. You must have felt it was strange too. The Parel you experienced didn’t have a 14th floor. It’s a situation where one god can create one dimension, that is, one floor of Parel.”

The Sword Demon’s words were correct.

The inside of Parel was a kind of miniature version of a disaster, and just like the ten gods and ten disasters, the number of floors in Parel was also limited to 10.

“How many floors were there in Parel in your world?”

“15 floors.”

“……I’m at a loss for words. There are five more floors than the Parel I experienced. Just how strong is the Lord you faced?”

“It’s not something that can be distinguished by strength. However, we went through countless trials and errors to achieve Godslaying. Many people sacrificed themselves, and sometimes they paid the price for their sins. You also went back in time to avoid repeating mistakes.”

The Sword Demon said so, but Karrl found it difficult to accept this situation easily.

“Besides, the Drenoah you killed is the boss of the 14th floor in my world. You killed such a guy easily? Your strength is already close to that of a god. You actually used divine power, didn’t you?”

He pointed to the black scar remaining on Karrl’s neck.

“We call it Black Blood (黑血) [Heuk-hyeol; divine residue]. It’s a scar that occurs when the residue of divine power remains in the blood vessels. In fact, it’s difficult to survive the moment Black Blood progresses… but you were able to because you are someone who has reached the realm of the gods.”

At the Sword Demon’s words, Karrl recalled the others who had used the Dimension Spiral during the Great War.

Aidan and Suan Hazar, Jarka Hochi and Tosca, and even Kwell…….

Certainly, like he said, they all died without being able to handle the power of divine power.

“You can truly be said to be proof of human potential.”

“What about you then? Leaving behind your swordsmanship that killed a god stronger than the god I faced seems like a more certain method.”

“I’m sorry, but mine is not common. Even if I wanted to tell you, I can’t. No, to be exact, it’s more like you can’t learn it even if I tell you.”

The Sword Demon gave a bitter smile as if he was sorry at Karrl’s question.

“Does that mean my Seomgyeok is at a common level?”

However, Karrl rather asked back at his answer.

“Hahaha, don’t misunderstand. It’s just a story of possibilities. Even among the strong in this world, there are very few who can learn your swordsmanship. All I’m trying to say is that you also need to expand your perspective on the scale of strength. Into the realm of dimensions, not just the world.”

“Hmm…….”

“The reason I’m telling you this is not just to recover the scattered Dimension Spiral. Like the god you missed, there are still gods left in the dimension. Our war will not end unless they completely disappear.”

“You’re going to keep fighting.”

“This fight has never ended from the beginning.”

The Sword Demon picked up his greatsword and slowly walked forward. The huge door visible at the end of the desert was recognizable as the door leading to the last floor of Parel.

“But if you don’t give up and climb, there is eventually a summit in the tower. In our world, we called Parel a lighthouse. We said it would lead humanity to a new future.”

“That’s a funny story. Parel is just a plaything of nasty gods.”

“That’s right. I thought so too. But now that I look back, it’s not wrong either. Because humanity eventually faced a new future due to the appearance of Parel.”

The Sword Demon replied in a low voice.

“The future of Godslaying (神殺) [Shinsatsu; God-slaying].”

Thump-

At that moment, Karrl felt his heart pounding loudly without him realizing it.

“You said that the end is the last floor? Let’s finish it quickly and go back. I’m sick and tired of war now.”

But he ignored the pounding and moved his feet.

“Well, whether that end will be the last or another beginning will depend on your choice.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? You said that if I destroy Parel, I can find the memories I missed. That’s all I want. There’s no such thing as a new beginning. This is the end of my repayment to Kaie Aesir.”

The Sword Demon shrugged his shoulders lightly as he looked at him.

“Well, now our fight is not limited to just one world. Whether we like it or not, everywhere can be a battlefield.”

“I won’t let anyone invade my world.”

“It’s a preparation for that.”

He said in a low voice to Karrl, who was glaring at him.

“Just like you changed the future by overcoming Parel. In this Parel that you have found again, Karrl, you will face a new moment of awakening. It’s not too late to decide then.”

Karrl looked at him.

“The last floor of Parel. The place where everything began.”

Whooooeeeeeeng—

The sound of the wind crossing the hot desert sounded as if it were calling Karrl.