Chapter 135 – End of Vacation (1)

The Swordmaster and Karon remained frozen for a long time. Their gazes shifted back and forth between Kang Geom-Ma’s face and the object in his hand Andvaranaut.

“I can’t believe he actually did it…”

The Swordmaster murmured. He was the one who had made the proposal to Kang Geom-Ma, but knowing the nature of the trial, his confidence in success had been only 70%, with 30% uncertainty.

A battle against oneself.

Not just a metaphorical phrase, but something literal.

To pass the trial, one had to enter a space similar to a pocket dimension and fight their own duplicate. A battle that would only end when one of them died.

It was like playing rock-paper-scissors against a mirror—but with swords.

The problem was that as the battle dragged on, the balance would begin to tip in favor of the duplicate.

The Swordmaster himself had attempted it once. For three whole days, he fought tirelessly against his other self. At first, he thought he could at least achieve a draw, but in the end, he was defeated.

He could still vividly recall the scene in his mind—his duplicate wielding the same sword as him, but executing techniques flawlessly.

It was his own swordsmanship, but perfected to a level he had never reached. Every strike was fluid, precise, and devastating.

As if his duplicate was showing him this is the true potential of your swordsmanship.

It was at that moment that the Swordmaster had an epiphany.

He went back to training from scratch, refining his technique based on what he had experienced during the trial.

And finally, by the age of thirty, he became the strongest human in the world.

“There is no better teacher than oneself.”

That was why the Swordmaster had assured Kang Geom-Ma that the reward would be invaluable.

Of course, he also intended to reward him materially and had already taken steps to ensure it.

While Kang Geom-Ma was undergoing the trial, the Swordmaster had anonymously transferred a massive sum of money to the Joaquin Academy Foundation.

‘Ten billion.’

An amount more than sufficient to cover any financial needs Kang Geom-Ma might have during his time at the academy.

He chose not to put it under his name or deposit it directly into Kang Geom-Ma’s account, knowing that the young man might take offense.

No matter how well-intentioned, receiving money like a handout could wound the pride of someone like him.

That’s why he arranged for the money to be managed by the Academy Foundation and distributed as a monthly scholarship.

The rest of the funds would be transferred directly to Kang Geom-Ma’s account upon graduation.

The Swordmaster observed Kang Geom-Ma.

The young man was deep in thought, staring blankly into space.

He didn’t say a word.

“…”

“…”

The Swordmaster knew that at that moment, Kang Geom-Ma was replaying the battle in his mind.

‘Despite achieving something incredible, instead of celebrating, the first thing he does is analyze the fight.’

A quiet chuckle escaped the Swordmaster’s lips.

Then, his gaze shifted to Andvaranaut.

The glow surrounding it began to fade, and as if it had a will of its own, the lid of the box slowly closed.

The Swordmaster furrowed his brow in resignation.

‘So only those who pass the trial have the right to see it…’

But it made sense. The privilege of victory was something only the winner could enjoy.

If it were shared with others, it would lose its value.

Shaking his head, he let go of any lingering frustration still within him.

…Meanwhile, Kang Geom-Ma narrowed his eyes in silence.

The golden ring in his hand was not what occupied his thoughts.

Something far more important had been etched into his mind.

***

[You have obtained the first memory fragment of 【???】: ‘Memories of a Girl with Starry Eyes.’]

Flash—

== ==

There was a girl with eyes that shone like stars.

Her lineage was nothing noble.
Every day, she carried water in buckets, filled the cattle trough, and milked sheep.

One day, with a steel sword at her waist, she set off on a journey. It was an impulsive decision, but she never stopped.

She followed the constellations in the night sky, using them as her map.

After wandering aimlessly for three years, she met a man. His face was as dark as midnight.

From that day on, instead of following the stars, she followed that man.

And she became his first disciple.

== ==

[NEW! The system is pointing the way forward.]

[The second memory fragment can be obtained by approaching the artifact ‘Monolith.’]

[Explore the seven artifacts that exist in this world.]

[This will help you discover more about yourself ^^?]

[※ Total fragments obtained: (1/7).]

“……”

For several minutes, I stared at the message in disbelief. Finally, the only thing I could say was.

‘Damn it.’

That system, which had been silent for a while, was now showing up too often.

The phrasing that sounded like something out of ancient texts… Well, I could tolerate it. They were supposed to be memories, so it wasn’t that strange.

But what really mattered wasn’t the flowery language—it was what the message implied.

I shifted my gaze to the crucial part.

“Approach the artifact Monolith…”

And there was the problem. I had no idea where that artifact was.

‘Could you at least give me a hint, damn it.’

My expression twisted in frustration.

Dropping a vague message like this and making me search for something in a world with seven billion people—and an infernal dimension like Gehenna?

It was like searching for a grain of sand in the desert.

The least they could do was give me a clue… But no, they left me completely in the dark.

And to top it off, the tone of the message.

‘A smiley face? Are you laughing at me?’

It was absurd. Looking back, this system… It subtly scratched at people’s thoughts without them realizing it, as if it had some level of cognitive awareness.

At first, I thought it might be the ‘God of the Sword’ or the ‘G.M.,’ but I had already ruled out that possibility.

The first was clearly an entity within this world, while the second seemed to come from outside.

However, neither had manifested directly.

They only appeared in my dreams or tried to communicate, but something seemed to be preventing them from intervening.

The system, on the other hand, could affect reality.

〈God of the Sword〉 〈G.M.〉 〈System〉

Only the last one had a tangible impact on the world.

‘And the most unsettling thing…’

I didn’t know if it was good or bad.

Out of the three, the system seemed to be on my side…

After all, it gave me hints and rewards.

But that damn way of speaking pissed me off.

Suddenly, I remembered the feminine voice that echoed whenever I activated the Blessing of the God of the Sword.

“May the blessings of the gods be with you.”

If that voice also came from the system, then.

Did it have a human form? Was it silently watching me like some damn creep? Occasionally dropping hints and bait?

It was a plausible assumption.

I stroked my chin, organizing my thoughts.

At that moment, Karon interrupted with concern.

“Mr. Kang Geom-Ma, are you alright?”

Well, I had been standing there for several minutes, saying nothing, like a total idiot.

At least he had the patience to wait.

“Yes, I think so.”

“Then… Did you pass the test?”

I nodded. Karon’s eyes widened to twice their normal size.

“¡Hrk!”

He let out a choked gasp, his gaze shaking with disbelief.

Until recently, I thought he was a silent monk in constant meditation, but.

Turns out he was surprisingly expressive.

If Speedweapon reacted like an enthusiastic fan, Karon was pure, raw emotion.

There was something amusing about his reactions.

Karon adjusted his glasses and asked nervously.

“Then… Did you notice any changes in yourself?”

“Ah.”

Before answering, I glanced at the Swordmaster. His face was hard to read.

I refocused on Karon and calmly replied.

“That’s a secret.”

“……”

Karon was completely stunned.

Just the reaction I expected.

I couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.

But suddenly, I remembered something.

I turned to the Swordmaster.

“Ah, Swordmaster. I wanted to ask for a favor.”

“Go ahead, speak.”

“It’s nothing too difficult… Or maybe it is. Either way, I’d like you to seriously consider it.”

“If it’s within my power, I’ll do it.”

I shifted my gaze to the small box in my hand. The reward was valuable, but the experience of fulfilling a long-awaited wish was just as significant.

‘This isn’t something only I need.’

I looked away from the box and spoke.

“You know a guy named Leon at our academy, right?”

“If you mean the Hero candidate, yes, I know him.”

I spoke while rolling the box in my palm. The rough metal brushed against my skin.

“Since it’s an artifact, it can’t be taken out of here, so I’d like you to bring that guy to this place.”

“……!”

The Swordmaster’s eyes widened. His white eyebrows shot up in surprise. Then, he placed a hand on his forehead and burst into laughter.

“You are a hard man to predict, but without a doubt, a true gentleman!”

“Is it possible?”

“It goes against certain family traditions, but compared to the request you just made, that’s lighter than a feather.”

An enthusiastic response. I smiled quietly.

“If possible, I’d prefer if you didn’t tell him it was my request.”

“Understood. I promise.”

My first master taught me that even a single grain of rice should be shared. Besides, Leon was reaching a point where his growth would start to slow down.

Supporting the protagonist wouldn’t drastically alter the story. As a mere background character, this was the best I could do for him.

***

At the same time, in Geneva’s luxury district, Switzerland.

High-end brand stores lined both sides of the street, their signs glowing with extravagance.

Mannequins in the display windows wore outfits so elegant they provoked a sigh of admiration. The price tags on the shoes showed seven digits.

It was a space of luxury, inaccessible to most. But in the end, all of it was just a façade. They say that if a person has high-class charm, anything they wear will look refined.

Two women walked down this luxurious street—Abel and Shail. And all eyes were drawn to them as if they were magnets pulling attention.

“Miss! Should we go to that store? It looks like they’ve got new arrivals.”

“Huh… sure.”

Shail’s eyes sparkled with excitement, while Abel only felt uncomfortable. Spending thousands or even millions on clothes was something she simply couldn’t understand.

‘That money would be better spent upgrading combat equipment.’

Even so, Shail held her arm firmly, speaking enthusiastically.

“That other store looks nice too… No, wait! That shop already has next year’s S/S collection!”

“S/S? Does that mean clothing has rankings like combat gear?”

That would be interesting.

“It stands for Spring and Summer. Basically, it refers to clothes for those two seasons together.”

“Ah… I see.”

Abel felt a slight sense of disappointment.

‘But, well… If Shail is having fun, that’s enough for me.’

A faint smile appeared on Abel’s lips.

And so, nearly an hour passed as they browsed stores, led by Shail’s enthusiasm. Until

—

“Oh? Miss, look over there.”

Shail pointed with her finger.

There, in a corner, an old woman in tattered clothing sat on a rug.

She passed her hand over a crystal ball while murmuring strange words.

It was a scene that felt oddly out of place in such a bright and luxurious setting.

“Is she a fortune teller?”

“But would anyone actually want their fortune read in a place like this? It seems a little out of place.”

Just then, the old woman abruptly turned her gaze toward them.

She observed them with sharp eyes before curling her lips into a smile.

Her teeth, surprisingly white and well-aligned, contrasted with her wrinkled skin.

The old woman spoke.

“Why not try your luck with this fortune teller? I have inherited the energy of Mount Alps for 30 years. I am a spiritual master, a true shaman.”

She gestured with her hand as if inviting them to come closer.

Shail whispered to Abel.

“This looks fun. Why don’t we give it a try?”

“I don’t know… Most of these street fortune readings are just guesses. Spending money on something like this is a total waste.”

As they were talking, the old woman suddenly made a comment directed at Abel.

“You, the younger one.”

“Young…? Are you talking to me?”

“You still have a youthful look on your face. Anyway, I only charge fifty dollars for a reading.”

“It’s not about the money, I just don’t believe in—”

“You have someone who’s been on your mind lately, don’t you?”

The old woman closed her eyes and ran her hand over the crystal ball. Then, she murmured a prediction.

“Ah… I see it, I see it. A person with a very striking appearance. But… tch, tch, tch. He is surrounded by too many women. In all my years of fortune-telling, I have never seen a fate like this. Wherever he goes, people gather around him. It is a very difficult path to walk.”

“……”

“Oh! But I see a way out! It’s narrow, like a tiny knot in wood, but there is definitely a way through it.”

The old woman opened her eyes.

By that time, Abel was already crouching in front of her.

She pulled out a bill and handed it over.

“…Do you accept Korean won?”

The old woman’s lips curled into a wide smile.

“Of course. In this world, there is no place that refuses Korean won.”