Chapter 208 – Choice and Surrender

[The causal deviation caused by the use of the ‘Ring’s Eye’ has concluded.]

[Due to the resonance, a part of the past has been slightly readjusted.]

[In addition, the ‘location’ of the fifth fragment has been discovered.]

[The location of the fifth fragment of 【???】 is…]

[…]

[…]

[…The area near the Gate of the Demon Realm, Gehenna.]

[Sync rate and the three levels of ‘Rank’ have increased significantly.]

[Furthermore, the competition for the ‘Secondary Power Blessing’ has also risen.]

[※ A new ability under the Secondary Power Blessing has been unlocked.]

***

The moment I opened my eyes—without even time to react—the status window appeared, flashing new notifications.

“Shit, can’t they give me even a moment to clear my head?”

Rubbing my throbbing forehead in frustration, I closed the status window reluctantly.

A low sigh escaped through clenched teeth as the headache lingered for several minutes.

Thanks to my spiritual level, I’m usually able to handle these mental jolts pretty well.

But this time was too much. The sheer amount of information that had been injected into me left me completely drained.

“Haven’t had proper sleep in four days, I’m a wreck…”

The curses came out on their own. My body was already on the verge of collapse.

And yet, I was forced to witness—no, to experience—a scene straight out of an age of savage war.

I had entered the body of the First Corps Commander, Lycan, and fought using his senses.

My fingers were still trembling from the sensation.

I stared blankly at my palm. I felt like if I recited a spell now, lightning would burst forth on the spot.

That’s how vivid the connection to Lycan was. An uncomfortably vivid fusion.

“It’s like we were always… ‘one and the same’…”

I went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. Then I looked up into the mirror.

Black hair. Black eyes. The reflection of Kang Geom-Ma—those traits I had believed to be unique in this world.

Out of curiosity, I once asked Speedweapon. He said he’d never seen anyone with black hair and eyes before me.

That the first time he saw me, I scared him. Something like cosmic horror. That confirmed it—these features didn’t belong to this world.

“No wonder everyone believed I was Yu Sein’s cousin without a doubt.”

Yu Sein, the black-eyed saint, is also an exceptional figure.

She’s closely tied to the system and claims to be a channel of communication with an “external deity.”

I deduce that, in this world, dark physical traits signify a connection to that deity.

At first, I thought it was a dumb theory. But this mission just gave it some weight.

I wiped the fog off the mirror and muttered, recalling that face so similar to mine.

“Balor Joaquin.”

My first teacher turned out to be the Founding Hero. The headache? From that revelation.

And it wasn’t just that. The power he used by sacrificing his left arm—

It was, without a doubt, the ‘Blessing of the Sword God.’

And now, I’m its bearer.

That overwhelming speed and the ability to cut even magic—no doubt about it. It’s the same blessing.

The dizziness tightened around my skull again.

“Shit… how the hell did all this get so tangled up?”

The former bearer of my blessing came to Earth using the Ring’s Eye. Later, his disciple—me—ended up falling into this world.

Too many coincidences to be accidental. Yet it would be strange if this was all part of a plan.

When we first met, my master tried to kick me out. If he had been looking for me, he would’ve welcomed me with open arms.
Not with that cold, detached attitude.

And then there was the time gap between our meeting and my arrival in this world. Twenty years had passed. During that time, I wasn’t with him. I just wandered around aimlessly.

Even Miracle Blessing M—

That was something I started almost by accident.

Twenty years of planning? If that were true, then that guy’s a god.

But the master I knew was not someone so calculating.

I lived with him for five years. I know him well. That guy couldn’t even decide what to eat for dinner.

And now I’m supposed to believe he orchestrated all this? Not a chance. He only knew how to teach and wield a knife.

‘But if, by some one-in-a-million chance, he really did plan it all—then that raises even more questions.’

Could it be that the “Lord” Lycan wanted me to find…?

In that moment—

“Agh.”

A stabbing pain ripped through my head, as if my skull were being twisted from within.

It was the same pain I felt when manifesting the Blessing of the Sword God without the Blessing of Insensitivity to Pain.

As if warning me not to delve any deeper.

A foreign force blocked the flow of my thoughts like a dam.

“Damn it, seriously.”

I cursed while rubbing my face vigorously.

Then, dragging my exhausted body, I staggered over to the window ledge and sat down.

Outside, the noisy bustle could still be heard. Echoes of the succession ceremony. Thanks to that, Joaquin Academy was basking in unexpected celebration.

“And me—the star of the show—sitting here with my head in a mess while everyone else looks so relaxed.”

Despite the complaint, a wry smile slipped from my lips. I suddenly recalled what my master used to say.

‘You—go to school. Do it, no matter what.’

He said it every chance he got. And I didn’t need to ask to know it came from the heart.

Now, I carry his legacy. And that legacy is full of people, full of intense bonds.

Maybe what he meant by “school life” was exactly this.

As I gazed absentmindedly at the scenery outside, the window glass fogged up with moisture.
The night air was cold.

“Looks like it’s starting to get chilly…”

From now on, as a new member of the Seven Stars, hectic days await me.

And I still have to visit the Gate of Gehenna to search for the fifth fragment.

So until then, there’s one thing I must do first—get some proper rest.

I climbed down from the windowsill and collapsed straight into bed, determined to make up for the sleep I’d been missing.

***

On one of the paths inside the Joaquin Academy campus, far from the noisy center, someone walked along a deserted stretch.

“Huff… places full of people really drain me.”

Abel wiped the sweat beading on her forehead.

At least the cool night breeze helped ease the heat.

She looked around to get her bearings.

“This place…”

Scattered lampposts and a bench.

It was the spot where she first met Kang Geom-Ma.

It seemed that in trying to avoid the crowd, she had wandered here without realizing.
Abel let out a nervous little laugh.

She had walked without thinking and ended up right at the place where she first saw him. Considering what day it was, it was a curious coincidence.

Or maybe it wasn’t a coincidence—maybe her subconscious had led her here.

Her face suddenly flushed.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and attempted to calm her pounding chest. Then she sat down on the bench—not in the center, but to the side.

‘Just in case…’

This was a place few people passed by. At most, it would be just her—or Kang Geom-Ma.

She exhaled deeply.

She had spent hours since the afternoon being jostled by crowds. She was exhausted.

She could swing a sword all day without tiring, but mingling with people somehow drained her energy like magic.

And yet, the cool night air was beginning to recharge her body and mind. It was then that Abel finally started to sort through her thoughts.

“Kang Geom-Ma became a new Seven Stars hero.”

Though half a day had passed, she still hadn’t fully processed it. At the start of the semester, that absent-minded-looking guy turned out to be first in the class.

And soon after, he became a rising star in the world of heroes.

At first, she tried to catch up to him.
But at some point, she simply accepted his ability as something natural.

It was also during that time that she began to feel deeply indebted and grateful to him.

He saved her father, Orion Nibelung. And hunted the S-class monster, the Draugr.

That story had been revealed earlier today by her grandfather, the Swordmaster, during the announcement. The reporters, stunned by such revelations, couldn’t stop furiously typing.

They used every trick in the book to glorify Kang Geom-Ma’s accomplishments.

『Heavenly Sword, Kang Geom-Ma. Is he a god?』

And so, within hours, the internet was filled with the name ‘Kang Geom-Ma’.

What people talked about most was his new title.

Heavenly Sword.

The Sword of Heaven.

The Sword that Cuts the Sky.

The Sword that Reigns over the Skies.

A name open to many interpretations.

And precisely for that reason, it was perfect for sparking excitement.

Some said things like, “Who does this guy think he is?” or “Sword of Heaven? Then my kitchen knife must be the Sword of the Universe,” but—

Most were completely captivated by the name.

For one simple reason it sounded cool.

It was easy to remember, impressive, and left an immediate impact.

And because it had multiple meanings, it was versatile too. A name that created expectations on its own.

‘It’s way better than my grandpa’s.’

From Abel’s perspective, as Siegfried’s granddaughter, the title ‘Heavenly Sword’ far surpassed ‘Swordmaster’.

Swordmaster?

It reeked of bureaucracy and sounded outdated.

But Heavenly Sword… The first time she heard it, she actually got chills.

As a swordswoman, it stirred a pang of jealousy.

But more than that, she knew—there was no one that title suited better than Kang Geom-Ma.

“If you wander off that far, what’s the person following you supposed to do?”

Though she grumbled quietly, a smile crept onto Abel’s lips. She was no longer the same girl who only knew envy. She didn’t even resent him for surpassing her grandfather.

Just as she felt that pure sense of satisfaction, footsteps approached from the side.

Instinctively, she turned her head. The first thing she saw was a pair of black eyes. Realizing who it was, her face turned a soft pink, like a puppy seeing its owner return. But it didn’t take even two seconds for the color to fade.

“Oh… it’s you…”

Abel’s words faded. It was as if her wagging tail had suddenly curled up. The disappointment in her voice was unmistakable.

The one who had arrived smiled wryly. It was Yu Sein.

“Isn’t your disappointment a little too obvious?”

A line that didn’t just hit the mark—it drove it in. Abel’s eyes twitched slightly.

Seeing her flustered reaction clearly, Yu Sein narrowed her eyes playfully and added with a teasing tone.

“Just kidding.”

“….”

Without another word, she casually took the seat beside her. And as if she were a fortune-teller, added.

“You need to work on your reactions. If you’re that transparent, people will swindle you easily in this world. Especially with that innocent face.”

Abel felt a strong sense of déjà vu. She could swear she’d lived this moment before.

‘Come to think of it… how did Sein know I was here?’

She had let it slide back at the training field, but the more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Every time she thought about Kang Geom-Ma, Sein showed up like a ghost. As if she could read her mind.

As her suspicions grew, Sein interrupted her train of thought—as if she were reading that too.

“Can I ask you something?”

“So suddenly? What is it…?”

“It’s nothing big. I’m just curious about what you think of my cousin—I mean, Kang Geom-Ma. Do you have feelings for him or something?”

Abel bit her lower lip. Then, in a small voice, nodded and said.

“Yes.”

Sein was a distant relative of Kang Geom-Ma. If Abel couldn’t be honest with her, then who could she be honest with? Since it had come to this, she decided to speak frankly, at least to Sein.

“Hmm. I’m a bit surprised… you were more direct than I expected.”

Sein looked at her with a deep expression. It felt like the gaze of a mother-in-law judging her future daughter-in-law.

“…But if you go too far off-script, this world might become very dangerous.”

Abel instinctively swallowed hard.

Yu Sein smiled softly and continued.

“Do you know the ‘choice game’?”

“You mean where you choose between two options, right?”

“Let’s play a round.”

“……?”

So sudden again? Abel looked more bewildered than ever.

Despite how abrupt the suggestion was, she nodded without knowing why. When she saw those intense black eyes, her head moved on its own.

“Then let’s begin right away.”

“Ah, y-yes…”

Abel agreed without realizing it.

Yu Sein didn’t hesitate and asked.

“If you and Kang Geom-Ma end up together, but the world gets destroyed because of it—what would you do?”

Abel’s expression changed completely. Sein, unfazed, pressed on seriously.

“Do you stay with him, or do you give him up for good? Choose.”