Chapter 269: Holy Relic (2)
1xwUI’ve picked up a new habit recently.jE1NhA
oNSulOiOne where I instinctively estimate my chances of victory against whoever stands before me—be they ally or enemy. This past year has been so chaotic and brutal that I’ve had to keep my senses razor-sharp at all times. Even now, that habit kicks in unconsciously.iVjzAN
78LYqMVI stared at ‘him,’ forgetting even to blink. A cold sweat trickled straight down my back.MXD
tsN3gV‘I can’t see it.’rPlRmdC
kSQfTnI can’t see a chance of winning. No matter how many times I run simulations in my mind—hundreds, thousands, millions—the outcome is always the same. I lose. I’m not even sure I could land so much as a scratch the size of a fingernail.nbrf
CWKOLately, I’ve faced or at least crossed paths with nearly all the Corps Commanders, except Basmon. Fifth Commander, Agor; Fourth, Fermush; Third, Vesna; Second, Kuarne. Even the First, Lycan—I saw him in dreams and recorded his power in memory.aKpBk
nC3cqGyBut this being—the God of the Sword—is on a whole other level, in the most literal sense. His mere presence renders the Commanders’ magic like child’s play. Even though my “soul adaptation” is supposedly complete, everything still feels clouded—that must be from the pressure he radiates.bSMBM5
dVzr5hThe fact that even in this second encounter I’m still breathless only proves I’ve grown enough to vaguely sense his enormity. But that’s as far as I get. I can barely perceive it.BVnXir
licr‘And to think this was the one lending me his power all along…’AURUr
WD7aIt’s absurd. How strong do you have to be to distort all space around you? Even as I see it with my own eyes, this goes beyond the physical—this verges on the abstract. I stand before proof that natural laws alone can’t contain a god.lls0zPL
ZUNKh1— I see things have gone well for you. I can tell from your eyes.vva
MTWXJust as I was about to let out a breathless laugh, the God of the Sword spoke with a smile. His voice echoed as if layered with multiple tones.0X2tn
Xekfk— I knew you’d get here eventually, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon.B0cD
XyVndHis words were clear, even though his lips didn’t move. I sensed he had waited for me to regain my composure before speaking.yUX1Z
HCxmfGrateful for that courtesy, I took a deep breath and asked, steadying my heartbeat.2sVWEyo
jJ4QfD“Is there something a god doesn’t know?”jlUR
FmJxH— That’s a common misunderstanding. People think gods are omniscient and omnipotent. That they know everything, can do anything. But that’s not really the case. It’s just that what we know and can do belongs to a different plane. Shall we sit?05tdXP
tlDUI gave a slight nod. The God of the Sword smiled even more and plopped down on the ground.Cz18
UiQCPr— We don’t have much time, but at least let’s sit comfortably.9uH3TE5
lQEk8He raised one knee and rested his elbow on it, like an old man on his porch. Then he gestured for me to come closer. Hesitant, I sat down three paces away.BgKb8Ba
myR— I think I can answer about three questions. So, if there’s anything you want to ask, go ahead.s8DnH
9vpOi94Yeah… This kind of setup is typical of transcendent beings talking to humans. Though his tone was friendly, almost like chatting with a buddy, the lack of arrogance helped put me at ease. Thanks to that, I was able to decide quickly what to ask.thpj6QA
skwbbrO“God of the Sword are you the Demon King?”udLI3Y
ykLP— Whoa, going straight for the jugular with the first question.qsx
WnixHe grinned broadly.LRPI
MHj— I told you before—names don’t matter to me. If you call me God of the Sword, that’s what I am. If you call me Demon King, then I’m that too. But yes, you can call me that. After all, I did wipe out those once called gods. From certain perspectives, that makes me the ‘absolute evil.’9q9Mj
7JAdP“And it doesn’t bother you? Demons worship you, after all.”mVtUJs
uyE0V— Why would it bother me?6zk
UsqbEHe shrugged.Hv8
dNHatI— I don’t exist just for humans. I exist to fulfill the role I was given. I don’t care who worships me or what they call me.qSu
MdUK“……”oIC
kbXe— By the way, I can tell what you really wanted to ask was whether I’m the true villain behind everything, right? Well, no. I mean, it depends on your perspective, but I’m not that kind of ‘hidden villain’ you’re worried about. So relax. Next question.ghhXM
SAnUe7THe encouraged me to continue. Just then, a crack split across the white sky. Fissures began forming above, releasing a drifting white mist. Just as he said, we didn’t have much time.HLy6X
7xrTOCeI quickly turned back to him.prZ
R2d“Were you the one who brought me to this world?”Jd14
dk2BrvP— No.q4o
FamXEGHe shook his head slowly.fP5
N8eH— I wasn’t the one who brought you here. To be exact, it was you who chose to come. Though, from your perspective, it probably felt like you were forced.kzMio6S
gmlN3And what does that mean? Is he speaking in riddles because he’s a god?eWT
i6D5PCLI’ve been wielding a blade for over twenty years, and no one’s ever called me slow to understand—but his words were too vague, too hard to digest.MNc
BwuzCi— Did I phrase that poorly? Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve had a real conversation.lQCi
lp3He seemed to notice my expression and scratched his head, visibly sheepish. His relaxed demeanor slightly shook my perception of his divinity.q7lbi
OdI— Let me put it another way. The decision to come here was yours. That’s a fact. But there were those who made it easier for you to do so. One of them, as you’ve probably guessed, was the founding hero, Balor Joaquin. The other… I can’t tell you yet. But you’ll find out soon enough.TxsrbNU
XNh“…Why did my master, the founding hero, help me come to this world?”dOYbMr
ysuHbC1— Hmm, I don’t know. I’m not him, you know?IR3zWku
QudVMy face twisted in disbelief.a2T9Btj
apD“A god who doesn’t even know that?”inN
YYt— How many times do I have to say it? Being a god doesn’t mean being all-knowing.VSPjE7
oJPfA god cannot interfere with human will. At most, they can nudge it. That’s an unbreakable law of the world line. Besides—31J9
5NuKAVjThe God of the Sword’s mouth tightened. For the first time, his smile vanished.JqS
tHhZBn— The reason I wiped out the gods of this world was because they tried to meddle with human will.bnIH
9102His voice only sharpened slightly, yet the entire space trembled. The cracks in the sky widened. The firmament, shattered into scattered fragments, looked ready to collapse.wiRSYS
OBQouqlMy mouth was completely dry. I couldn’t even swallow.t5YMA6
qoe6PThe God of the Sword caught that fleeting emotion and resumed a calm smile.jY4p1
IIEAKtM— If you get the chance, why not ask him yourself?Q3jGJ4q
b79NUh“But the Chief and I… we live in different worlds now. How am I supposed to ask him? Or are you telling me this is one of those ‘Ah, damn, it was all a dream’ things?”55l
lfgz6i8— Hahaha. A dream, you say. Makes sense if you’re from Earth. And if, right then, you hear someone say, ‘Brother, this guy’s laughing,’ in the background—that’d be perfect.H3Z
GFDqrNIThe God of the Sword doubled over with laughter, slapping his thighs. I was speechless. What the hell was so funny?3xB
ryqWfc— But no, it’s not a dream. Nor an illusion. Kang Geom-Ma, everything you’ve experienced is real.CanSb
TAJrWrHHe wiped his eyes with his thumb—or at least rubbed where his eyes should have been, since he had no eye sockets.NbZWM
O3ct— And if you truly wish to reunite with the founding hero, I’m sure it will happen. That, I can promise you—in the name of a god. Balor Joaquin also used my power, after all.TJMS
M6TqSuMy heart pounded hard. The possibility of reuniting with my Chief—the one lingering thorn in my past life—and now, the God of the Sword was saying it could really happen.P6UqN
rKIMeanwhile, the sky kept crumbling, and now even the ground was beginning to fracture.p70OGM
NTEoKRRRRMM…FsAZH1
JoFAlBEThe darkness beyond the cracks slowly devoured the white background. The fissures looked like giant, jagged fangs. What had been a world of blinding white turned pitch black in an instant—like a broken boat adrift on an oil sea. Only the small patch of land where we stood remained, isolated in the void.nFF7A
VTDt— That’s why I told you to come closer. Seems I made a mistake, and the collapse accelerated. Nothing can be done now.HLCbhsQ
R6ETSYHe spoke as if it were nothing.UxHPof
hAUo2— Anyway, let’s go to your final question. You should leave here with all doubts resolved.zjSSPJP
YRjzaHe opened both arms like he was offering a hug. Strangely, it calmed my heart. And in that moment, with clear eyes, I asked my final question.059itjr
7exjj‘The final question.’wbF
uY8IwwI parted my lips.U8c
U7gyXj“You said you were assigned a duty, God of the Sword.”lyVjCc
6tSp4M— Yes, that’s right.XLWpUP
d4PKgf“Did you succeed?”X54CS4R
fcwVI— You’re asking that even though you know the answer? I failed.xgn
dBzLAHHe said it in an irritated tone, but a smile still curled his lips.OHa
b10rc3I stared at him. That featureless face, with only a mouth, made me chuckle a little.ZUQYcKc
RJpBy now, it was obvious—the God of the Sword had a deep fondness for me, and wanted to help in every way he could.9dVTXp
dV2KfXk“And do you think I, a mere human, can complete the mission where you failed?”k3olgc
37cmZeH— It’s because it’s you, Kang Geom-Ma, that I believe you can.rfxdT
sKkHvThe God of the Sword stood up, pressing a hand to his knee. He looked down at me.jxC
j6grq— I failed. Your master—who was also human—failed too. But you’ll succeed. Because you carry the ‘weapon of a god,’ the ‘soul of a human,’ and the ‘body of a demon.’QcZJ67J
dtrzHbMy eyebrow rose.YM9O4
yMLdjcJ“…Body of a demon?”gFXErH
4yWybHzHe leaned forward and offered me his hand. I took it, somewhat uncomfortably, and he helped me to my feet.VHteKAL
ZfnD— Hup.COORB
6kITNow we stood at the same height.zFuXPEP
qo5— Kang Geom-Ma.U0gOhsh
6hcSETJust as there was barely any ground left under our feet, he went on.TtJ
taN— The power you use from me is simply that of cutting. But think about it—your style is built on speed, on lightning-fast blades. That’s not my power.fXI
WeUcs“…What are you saying?”C09v0I
QazCK— That comes from your own body. From the original owner of the body you took in this world. An opponent who once cornered Balor Joaquin, even while he used my power. A mortal who mastered the sword like no other. Though he was defeated, he came close enough that I, the God of the Sword, acknowledged him.258nBB
IHedxBefore finishing, he sighed softly.CUaFay
574jru— The true owner of the body you now inhabit… was Lycan. The real “Demonic Sword Lycan.”IoVKFra
bGNVnf“……!”I6Qa
bxnLBOOOOM!yncg24
4AHThe thunderous roar shook everything. The ground beneath my feet crumbled, and my heel slipped.bzf4wb
GbAFtI tried to grab the God of the Sword’s shoulder, but it was too late. His figure had already begun to fade, turning translucent.WYtL0W
b7Xf7xThe last sliver of land vanished too. As I plummeted into the dark abyss, I flailed my arms toward the God of the Sword, who still stood firm.FskCul
FkLZDJust then, another question came to me. Damn it.Wqz
3V42QH— Don’t underestimate your potential. Precisely because you’re not a god, you can keep growing. Because you’re not a demon, you can tell right from wrong. And because you’re not human, you can act justly without being bound by morality.2vkHwb
CPdwdJAs I descended, he looked at me calmly, waving gently.ZeqlBPs
b9ndPe— And if you can’t trust yourself, look around you. You have friends who will help keep you on the right path. That’s why your master created the stage called the Academy.XL1SS
yM2sbAs the absolute blackness swallowed me, his final words echoed in my mind like an eternal refrain.P7aPQ
leKYb— The next time we meet, you’ll be far stronger than us.OteSHv
fJTBVCB***UJ5qOH
ZcIWjZ1[The True Name of 【???】 has been unlocked.]KCK
uOpseW[※ The result is mixed with the sealed entity. This is not a memory exclusive to 【???】.]OWfm
zuKFX[Would you like to view the unlocked True Name? (Y/N)]bOkn3T
Z7NM[Y/N]iJhk
vJu9oS7▲8c6VSGV
QRXOnb[Opening the True Name of 【???】 using “Synchronization Coefficient” as catalyst.]1Khfs7
FtN7BY[Loading… ■■■□□□]IUtJxTm
hHSoO[……]ayTWka
RgFZ[……]iT7pC
InjR[Complete ■■■■■■]ciC
YUl···AjTS
KnNZkR···aSVVsJi
ThNyivq···qUk
iGAdSVWFlash!YFdEA3
WoZIram【Demonic Sword Lycan】RsNYyq
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationABSOLUTE CINEMA.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationWhat?
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationBro he’s giving so many important stuff here.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationWhat does he mean by it was him chose to come?
BlackLotus
Qi RefinementPeak indeed.
Sergey Kononov
MortalCinema