Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Swordsmanship Genius Who Transcends Through a Pact Chapter 3

The instant Tarian gripped the wooden sword, his entire presence changed.

I could feel killing intent sharp enough to make it seem as though he might cut me down at any moment, but I calmly stared back at him.

‘That sends a tingle down my spine.’

A knight who had reached the realm of Sword Expert. He was a formidable opponent for me at my current level.

Holding the wooden sword loosely, Tarian drew a circle on the ground.

“I'll face you from inside this circle, using only my left hand.”

He was probably right-handed, so he was giving himself a handicap.

And if he restricted his range of movement on top of that...

‘If I only need one hit, there might actually be a chance.’

Right. There was no reason to get scared before I'd even tried.

“Hoo.”

I let out a low breath and slowly raised my sword.

If I didn't move, completing the Pact would be impossible.

And I had no intention of letting a Pact go to waste.

In that case...

‘I move.’

Whoosh─

I immediately rushed him and swung, but Tarian evaded with a single step.

“As expected.”

The instant an opening appeared, his sword came at me.

‘Fast!’

If I tried to read it and then react, I'd already be too late.

I managed to block through pure reflex, and a tremendous impact slammed into me.

“Gh...”

The skin of my palm split open in an instant, and blood I hadn't shed in quite some time dripped onto the ground.

A strong opponent really was a strong opponent.

The difference was overwhelming.

The killing intent in his sword was intense enough that, for an instant, I genuinely thought I might die.

‘Still.’

If I can't do it, I just keep trying until I can.

That's the only reason I made it this far after clinging to that damned game for so long.

“Hup!”

I swung the sword.

Crude and heavy, but solid.

I poured everything I'd trained into my Northern Swordsmanship.

Thunk-

But my sword was easily knocked aside.

And at the same time.

“One.”

I slowly looked toward Tarian when I realized the wooden sword was already touching my neck.

“Would you like to go again?”

I readjusted my grip without hesitation under his cold gaze.

Now I understood for certain.

‘The gap is enormous. Even if I throw everything I have at him, it'll be difficult.’

No, I didn't even fully understand everything I had in the first place.

We sparred several more times after that.

And each time, Tarian toyed with me.

Tak-!

Thud-

Attacks I couldn't even block came flying in, and wounds began accumulating across my body.

In the middle of it all, I came to a realization.

‘Wait. Hasn't he just been beating the shit out of me without explaining anything?’

Wasn't he supposed to be here to teach me?

And on top of that, this bastard had been getting on my nerves for a while now.

“Ghk.”

“It's because you lack practical experience.”

“Gah!”

“If you don't know, you learn by getting hit.”

“Gugh!”

“You really can endure quite well, Young Master.”

This lunatic.

I don't remember him being like this in the game.

‘Brother, this is the instructor you hired...? You said he was famous.’

“Hmm. Continuing like this would be meaningless. I acknowledge your persistence, but we should stop here.”

“...”

The instant I heard that, irritation surged inside me.

‘Ha. This bastard.’

The corners of my lips twisted before I knew it.

Suddenly, I remembered my past.

‘The kind of person who has to see everything through to the end.’

That was how I'd lived.

Born an orphan with no one in the world, I'd had to survive however I could.

So I'd believed that if I simply worked hard enough, I could accomplish anything.

-Why do you try so hard?

I'd heard that countless times.

Effort didn't always guarantee a reward.

And at some point, that was why I'd fallen into games.

Because when you put in effort, games rewarded you.

Then I found ‘Last Savior.’

At first, it was no different from usual.

I'd clear it quickly and move on to something else.

I never imagined it would last five years.

I gathered information, developed methods of progression, and learned the world inside and out.

Whenever I encountered a wall and overcame it through effort, another wall appeared.

‘It was fun.’

I was always breaking through walls, growing stronger, and earning rewards.

Which was precisely why I wanted even more to shatter that final wall.

So I could take one more step forward.

And now that world had become reality.

I'd worked harder than ever before.

‘So.’

As if I'd ever consider giving up here.

“Hey. Again.”

“Continuing would be meaningless...”

“You said you'd teach me swordsmanship.”

At this point, even the Pact no longer mattered.

Only one objective remained.

‘I break him.’

One way or another, I was going to land a hit on that bastard.

Otherwise, I didn't think I'd be able to sleep tonight.

* * *

“Haa, hoo...”

I let out a quiet breath and picked up the sword that had fallen to the ground.

“Again.”

“...”

I pointed my sword toward Tarian, whose expression had stiffened slightly.

Seeing that he wasn't even particularly tired only made my irritation flare hotter.

We had sparred throughout the entire day, and I had lost again and again.

‘I'm definitely getting better.’

Simply gaining a skill and raising its proficiency through Pacts was completely different from moving my own body and learning through experience.

“Are you really going to continue?”

“Again.”

The sun had already set, and deep darkness covered the training grounds.

But I still had no intention of giving up.

If I kept going to the end, I'd find a way.

‘A knight?’

An existence beyond ordinary reach.

Knights were practically treated as tactical weapons, but at this moment, I couldn't have cared less.

‘How the hell do I hit that bastard in the face?’

We repeated it several more times, until the night grew even deeper.

At first, it had merely been my palms splitting open like they did during training.

But as time passed, I gradually lost sensation.

Eventually it became difficult even to move the hand holding the sword, so I wrapped it in bandages and bound it to the hilt.

“...”

Tarian merely stared at my hand.

“Again.”

I let out a low breath.

Only then did Tarian finally look as though he was about to say something.

“Keep your mouth shut until the end. I'll show you.”

At that one sentence, Tarian closed the mouth he'd been about to open.

I settled into a still stance and calmly observed him.

‘Northern Swordsmanship.’

Crude, simple, and heavy.

That was why, until now, I'd generally tried to take the initiative.

But.

‘I think I understand now.’

I recalled every instance of Northern Swordsmanship I'd seen.

And Tarian, who was using the same swordsmanship against me right now.

Whenever he used Northern Swordsmanship...

‘He never moved first.’

He responded to his opponent's attack.

Heavy and calm, without end.

Yes.

That was Northern Swordsmanship.

‘Rush forward carelessly, and you break easily.’

So I waited.

Until he moved.

And then.

Flash-

In the blink of an eye, Tarian's wooden sword was already right in front of me.

‘I block it.’

Bit by bit, I began to understand what Northern Swordsmanship truly meant instead of knowing it merely as a skill.

The movement itself was simple. Watch the opponent and block their sword.

Tak-!

As expected, it didn't break easily.

Even through the heavy impact, I watched his next movement.

Half a step.

He moved to the side and continued his attack.

‘Now.’

I aimed heavily for the opening.

From vertical to horizontal.

I swung hard into the gap between the naturally connected movements.

Crude, but solid.

Tak-!

A sharp sound rang out, followed by pain.

Tarian's sword struck me squarely on the shoulder. The force was so great that the agony nearly lifted my body off the ground...

Tap-

But my sword had struck Tarian's side as well.

As I lay sprawled on the ground, I could see the sky.

And Tarian's expression.

“Finally...”

Seeing his slightly crumpled face, I burst out laughing before I knew it.

“I did it! I fucking did it, you bastard!”

An overwhelming rush of pleasure flooded me. I hadn't injured him, but the thought that I'd actually succeeded sent dopamine exploding through my brain.

“Meaningless? If I keep going to the end, I win. I always fucking win!”

“Young Master.”

“...?”

As I celebrated by myself, Tarian approached me with a serious expression.

“What?”

“Please forgive my rudeness in testing you without permission.”

I went speechless for a moment when he actually bowed his head in apology.

“From this day forward, I swear upon my honor that I will help you grow, Young Master.”

“...”

“And.”

Tarian's complete acknowledgment.

But it didn't end there.

After putting away his sword, Tarian looked me over and continued.

“You seem to have gained some enlightenment regarding Northern Swordsmanship. I'm impressed. For the time being, you should rest...”

Listening to him, I opened my mouth without thinking.

“What are you talking about? We're sparring again tomorrow.”

“Pardon?”

“Isn't that obvious?”

There was a way to get stronger right in front of me.

Only an idiot would let it go to waste.

-Ha! You little monster!

[You have successfully completed your Pact with the Old Training Iron Sword (Normal).]

[You have acquired ‘Frost Step (F)’!]

[The proficiency of ‘Northern Swordsmanship (D)’ has increased!]

[‘Northern Swordsmanship (D)’ ▶ ‘Northern Swordsmanship (C)’]

[‘Northern Swordsmanship (C)’ ▶ ‘Northern Swordsmanship (B)’]

I smiled as I watched my proficiency rise explosively thanks to my training with Tarian.

It felt as though an immense rush of exhilaration and accomplishment was coursing through my entire body.

‘This is only the beginning.’

My growth had only just begun.

* * *

While sparring with Ian, Tarian realized cold sweat had begun running down his back.

When Cain Rashid first offered him the position of swordsmanship instructor, he hadn't thought much of it.

Lessons for the second son of an insignificant noble family. He assumed the boy himself wouldn't be particularly serious either.

He intended to teach him the basics, spar with him a few times, and then leave.

That had certainly been his plan.

He'd never imagined that a spar meant merely to discipline the boy would leave him this unsettled.

‘Why doesn't he get tired?’

‘No, he's actually training until this hour?’

‘Why won't he give up?’

Question after question followed.

“Again.”

“...!”

Ian suddenly spoke and immediately assumed his stance once more.

How many spars had that single word led to by now?

Tarian had wanted to suggest a break several times out of concern for Ian, but every time he saw the boy's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

‘Those are the eyes of a swordsman.’

Tarian had thought Ian would be afraid because he lacked practical experience.

Or at the very least, that he'd barely manage to remain standing as he endured the ordeal.

But neither was true.

He challenged him again and again.

Even after his hands split open and nearly broke, he simply wrapped them in bandages and forced himself onward.

Before the bruises covering his body had even faded, he skipped meals to continue sparring.

‘How can someone do this?’

Tarian couldn't understand why Ian was in such a hurry, or why he was so obsessed with growing stronger at any cost.

House Rashid might have been insignificant, but it was still a noble family that ruled its own territory.

And there was no reason for the second son of such a family to work this hard.

‘Madman.’

It was something he would never dare say aloud to a noble, but Tarian found himself thinking it anyway.

Alongside that thought came another.

‘I should stop him.’

If they continued any further, Ian might truly break.

But whenever Tarian began thinking that way, Ian took another step forward instead.

Like a man determined to break an unbreakable boulder no matter what it took.

Stopping him would be disrespectful to someone who had truly taken up the sword.

Tarian instinctively understood that doing so wouldn't be consideration for Ian.

It would only obstruct his growth.

And even in the midst of all this, Ian's skill continued to improve.

Of course, that didn't mean Tarian intended to let him land a hit easily.

For a swordsman, understanding one's limits and learning how to deal with them were more important than almost anything else.

“Hoo...”

But Ian was the kind of person who shattered those limits.

And then came Ian's final strike.

‘This is...!’

It was a blow that startled even Tarian.

He'd thought Ian was still merely inexperienced, yet he'd chosen to sacrifice flesh to take bone? And he'd done it while making full use of Northern Swordsmanship's strengths?

That wasn't a judgment even experienced swordsmen could make easily.

Even with wooden swords and a trained body, there was no way such a hit wouldn't hurt.

‘This is genuine madness.’

Without realizing it, exhilaration began rising inside Tarian.

Ian Rashid was obsessed with victory.

And in his pursuit of growth, he had hurled himself against the wall that was Tarian.

As though the pain he suffered in the process meant nothing.

Judging by how much sharper his Northern Swordsmanship had become, he'd unquestionably attained some enlightenment.

‘As far as Northern Swordsmanship is concerned, there's hardly any need for me to interfere.’

Perhaps it was still too early to judge him this way, but he was a genius.

Or perhaps a monster.

Even as Tarian frowned from the strike Ian's sword had landed, he felt as though a smile might escape him.

‘Perhaps being with this man will help me break through my own wall as well.’

And then the next day came.

“Done.”

“Have you finished?”

“Yeah. We're sparring again today, right?”

Ian approached naturally, still wearing a smile.

Apparently landing a hit on Tarian the other day had pleased him immensely.

‘Well.’

No matter how much of a handicap Tarian had given himself, and no matter how many times they'd sparred, Ian had still landed a clean hit on someone several levels above him.

‘That's nothing but an excuse.’

Ian Rashid had simply been exceptional.

So it was understandable for him to look that triumphant.

“...Very well.”

Tarian hesitated for a moment, but in the end he couldn't refuse.

A good teacher should help his student.

He should never stand in the way of the student's growth.

‘Innate talent.’

There had never been any rumors that the second son of House Rashid possessed remarkable talent with the sword.

If anything, the rumors had always centered on Cain Rashid, the current head of the family.

But what Tarian had witnessed firsthand was entirely different.

An obsession bordering on madness.

It was presumptuous for Tarian to judge him, but if he had to put it into words, it was talent granted by the heavens themselves.

That was how Tarian now saw Ian.

“What? Why are you spacing out?”

“It's nothing.”

“Weird.”

Watching Ian speak with a faint chuckle, Tarian found himself thinking something he never had before.

Perhaps being the one to teach Ian swordsmanship was, for Tarian himself, a fortuitous encounter.