Chapter 178

Training was incredibly simple.

I started learning from the very basics, while Luna sharpened her skills by dueling with Rod.

I would have loved to join in, but Rod firmly refused.

He said there wouldn’t be a duel since I was using a sword as a blunt weapon. If that’s the case, I might as well use an axe!

Though it was a fact without a hint of falsehood, I sulked but obeyed. Still, I wasn’t completely apathetic.

Every time Luna got worn out and collapsed, I corrected her posture. Thanks to that, she’s making decent progress.

“There you are! I wondered where you went.”

Just when Luna and I were breaking our backs, Kara came to find us.

She’d initially looked around, found no sign of us, and came here just in case.

Very few people have free access to the Chancellor’s office, which is outside the main hall.

So she was worried we might be here, and bingo—she found us.

“By the way, swordsmanship? What’s got into you all of a sudden? And what’s that sword?”

Kara pointed at the blood-red greatsword in my hand with a puzzled look.

It was a bit too long to explain everything, so I summarized it. Of course, I left out meeting Erica.

Once she heard the reason, she nodded as if she understood. Then she playfully added,

“So, if you learn all the sword techniques, can I have Ragnarok? It is our father’s after all.”

“Uh…”

I rolled my eyes. Even though she said it jokingly, it was a serious dilemma.

Part of me wanted to ‘own’ Ragnarok. There’s no other weapon that fits my hand better.

But it’s something I have to return someday. Just because I want it doesn’t mean I can have it.

“…Is it extendable?”

“What are you talking about? It’s not a book or something. Anyway, I’m just joking, so don’t take it too seriously. We can get other weapons along the way.”

Sure, weapons can be acquired. The problem is that there are hardly any that can withstand my magic.

No need to explain Ragnarok, and the blood-red greatsword can handle my magic thanks to its absorbing ability.

I could find something else, but it would be disappointing. After all, didn’t I just gain Thunder?

‘To get Ragnarok in the Soul World…’

There’s only one way. Committing theft without even stepping into Tartar, or maybe the father and daughter die.

Even if Hector dies, it wouldn’t mean anything if Ragnarok ends up in Kara’s hands. Killing both would be a concept for a truly twisted scenario.

I don’t even want to think about Kara dying. Instead, it would be better to find another weapon.

Crack!

“Aagh…”

Another tree broke. I had my stance and balance all set, and yet this happened.

As I scratched my head in embarrassment, Kara let out a soft laugh. It was an adorable reaction.

“You don’t have to rush. Once you get the feel of it, the rest will come easy. I picked up swordsmanship quickly, you know? The real problem was the practical application.”

“Practical application?”

“Yeah.”

“Ahhh!”

Just then, a shrill scream rang out between us at the perfect timing. Of course, I, along with Kara, turned our heads in that direction.

Luna was sprawled on the ground, covering her head, while Rod stood casually in front of her.

It looked like she got hit on the head with the sword hilt. At this point, Luna seemed a little pitiful.

“That’s how it goes. In real combat, all sorts of variables pop up. Unless you train professionally, it’s better to view it as a battle of wits rather than technique. What’s more crucial is having an eye for the overall situation.”

“An eye?”

“Yeah. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like stacking up stones one by one to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses? You store it in your head.”

Kara explained while tapping her head with her finger. I didn’t quite catch it just by hearing.

Maybe it’s like building up some momentum, it’s generally true that people have certain patterns whether in games or reality.

If you can penetrate those patterns, that’s all well and good, but executing that requires individual capability.

“And even if you store it, there are situations where it doesn’t work. When there’s an overwhelming power gap. Like how I tried to beat you, but it was pointless, wasn’t it? That kind of situation.”

“Ughhh!!”

Following Kara’s explanation was Luna’s scream once again. This time, she clutched her hands and fell to the ground.

In front of her, Rod commented that people’s hands are the most important part and also the easiest target. So it would be wise to be careful.

It might seem like bullying disguised as training, but Rod was actually passing on valuable know-how. He’s a guy who attained the title of Sword Saint solely through basic techniques.

Sure, technique matters, but among us, there’s probably no one with as broad a perspective as Rod. That’s why Luna couldn’t put up a fight and ended up getting pounded.

“Anyway, don’t be too obsessed. In a fight, the strong always win. It’s not about being strong to survive; surviving is what makes someone strong.”

“I agree.”

“Haha. Speaking of which, you survived in the wilderness, didn’t you? There’s a reason you’re strong.”

Kara smiled brightly and pinched my cheek. This kind of act from her had been happening quite a lot lately.

Ever since I confessed during the recent freshman banquet, she’d become much more open. Moreover, I had half-heartedly gained a sort of approval from Gulrak.

I could take it further, but it doesn’t feel like the right time yet. I still need to mind others, not just Kara.

For now, it’s best to focus hard on mastering swordsmanship. I gripped the greatsword with both hands and fixed my gaze on the trees ahead.

‘It feels like slicing with speed rather than force.’

That sounds easy, but I’ve already shattered dozens of trees. Worth mentioning, I sold all those trees.

If I fail any more, I might get branded as an environmental destroyer. In fact, Rod is already brainstorming something other than trees.

I took a deep breath and slowly raised the greatsword I held with both hands—just slightly angled to slice cleanly.

Then, as Rod advised, I put in some force and gently sliced diagonally. Making sure there wasn’t even the slightest tremor.

Scrape!

“Uh?”

The sound was different. Until now, it had been the sound of wood snapping, but this was something else.

The result that followed was the same. No wooden splinters flew around; instead, a crack appeared right along the path I sliced through.

Gradually sliding down, the upper part of the tree bent due to the crack. Then the tree finally succumbed to its weight and toppled over.

Perfectly executed slice. All the training I’d done so far had paid off.

“Wow! I did it!”

“You finally succeeded. Congratulations.”

As I genuinely celebrated, Kara praised me with a warm voice.

But my joy was short-lived, for the system remained completely silent. Apparently, slicing once wasn’t enough.

But that’s all right. I’ve grasped the sensation itself, and now all I need to do is refine it. I couldn’t hide my excitement as I continued my training.

Woosh—

Amidst it all, a faint vibration echoed from the blood-red greatsword. It seemed to be whining that it was hungry.

It seems like it had completely depleted the magic contained within. Rod must have infused enough magic into it for it to last quite a while.

‘My magic should be sufficient, right?’

I poured magic into the blood-red greatsword as it desired. Then the sword vibrated strongly in response.

The sword itself seemed to redden slightly. The eye embedded in the hilt was also trembling—though maybe that was just my imagination.

My red magic, if anything, was definitely less than Rod’s blue magic.

‘Is it complaining that it tastes bad?’

That’s highly likely. Guess it’s trying to be picky now.

I lifted the sword, not caring if it whined or not. This time, I planned to slice horizontally rather than diagonally.

Slicing horizontally is a bit more challenging because the stance makes a difference.

‘Rotating my waist slightly…’

And then slicing horizontally.

Whoosh!

The horizontal slice went well, but what was with that sound?

It felt more like shooting something rather than chopping wood. And I didn’t even adjust anything.

I looked ahead in disbelief, witnessing a spectacular scene.

Whoosh!

A wave of red magic sliced through the whole forest.

Because I sliced horizontally, all the trees were merely brushed aside by the red blade. As I mentioned, this wasn’t intentional.

“……….”

“……….”

Both I and even Kara were left speechless by the sight. What in the world just happened?

I had no clue what had occurred either, but it didn’t matter. What matters is that every process eventually reveals a result.

Crash! Boom!

Countless trees began to fall helplessly. The trees that the red blade had swept past.

So many trees fell that it could easily build a few houses.

No, it was more than that—it was like creating a giant path. A bulldozer was completely unnecessary here.

“Wow… looks like we’re really preparing for winter, huh? No worries about firewood.”

“…”

Kara let out a wry laugh in awe. But more than that, I feared Rod’s reaction.

Cautiously turning around, I saw Rod wearing a stiff smile while looking at me. Luna beside him had the same expression.

I was worriedly scanning for clues. Quite frankly, this was the exact opposite of what I wanted.

…Of course, every time I caused a scene, it ended up being the same. The results were nowhere near what I had hoped for.

[Skill: Swordsmanship acquired!]

After making a grand mess, the message popped up. Who the hell was that for?

[Wilderness Instinct activates!]

[Skill: Swordsmanship transforms into Skill: Weapon Techniques!]

The swordsmanship I worked hard to learn had transformed into weapon techniques. I didn’t know whether I should be pleased or upset about this.

Furthermore, I hadn’t even learned spear techniques, yet it changed to weapon techniques. All I had done was slice, stab, and block.

‘…Let’s set this aside for now.’

I gazed at the scene of destruction I had caused. Cleaning this up would be a huge headache.

What’s worse is that there’s something even scarier. Just then, that terrifying person gently approached me and said,

“It seems that every time you gain something, you cause a ruckus, Sivar.”

“……”

In contrast to before, his tone was gentle this time. He even placed a hand on my shoulder.

If there’s an odd sense of pressure in that hand, is that just my imagination? Absolutely not.

As I pondered what excuse to make, the blood-red greatsword I was holding suddenly popped into my mind.

This wasn’t my fault. It’s this sword that absorbs all my magic and spits it back out!

“This is the problem.”

“The sword is the issue? Then I’ll just take it away from you.”

“I’m sorry.”

Exactly, it’s all my fault.

[Faith increases!]

It seems Chaos is quite pleased with this situation. Seriously, he seems to enjoy it whenever I cause a mess.

As I grumbled internally, Rod tugged at his hair while gazing at the havoc I’d wrought.

Even for him, fixing the forest would be hard. Plus, dealing with the aftermath is a hassle too.

“Sigh… selling all this is awkward… And if we just leave it, all these trees will rot away.”

“Should we build a house? A big one.”

“Shut your mouth.”

Looks like it’s contagious for Luna. I could only roll my eyes and say nothing.

“No, damn it! Which bastard smashed my acorn stash?! Huh?! My acorns!!”

Another victim (Porori) has emerged.

It’s all my fault.

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