“You're not going to fight?”
“I have no intention of dying.”
Atria looked at Taesan with a face full of wonder.
“You are a monster. The four of us together could bring down a kingdom.”
Atria slowly put down her weapon.
“In any case, I still want to live. If you're going to kill me, I'll resist with all my might, but if you show me mercy, I'd be very grateful.”
“Then stay still.”
Unlike the other Sword Masters, Atria wasn't seriously aiming for him. It meant she wasn't the type to follow Harmon’s revelation. He had things to ask anyway, so he planned on keeping her alive.
If she was begging for her life on her own, she would likely answer Taesan's questions obediently, so this might be for the better.
Atria grinned.
“I'm grateful for that. I'll do as you say.”
“First, let's clean this up.”
Taesan pointed at the corpses of the Sword Masters.
“Ah…”
Inside the cave, Anetsha opened her eyes. She stared blankly at the ceiling, then shot up in surprise.
“Oh, no.” She quickly got up and ran outside.
Amidst the scene of widespread destruction, Taesan was nowhere to be seen.
“Ah, ahhh…”
She shed tears. He died too. He died like that because of me.
Self-loathing, guilt, everything mixed together and ate away at her emotions. As long as she was alive, people would just keep dying one by one. Wouldn't it be better to just die at this point?
It was then that despair was about to swallow her.
“What. You're awake?”
She hurriedly raised her head. Taesan was looking down at her. He was alive.
“Where... did you go?”
“To take care of some bodies.”
He had thrown the three Sword Masters' corpses at the entrance of the forest. With this, others would learn. That even a Sword Master was no match for Taesan.
Anetsha, who was staring blankly at Taesan, suddenly shot up.
“Hey?”
She hugged Taesan. Taesan raised both his arms and looked down at her awkwardly. He wanted to tell her to let go, but since she was trembling like this, it was hard to say anything.
Atria, who was watching, whistled.
“A fine sight.”
“Shut up.”
“Ah…”
Belatedly, Anetsha let go with a flushed face. Having been raised as a princess, this was the first time she had ever hugged someone other than her family. As she was feeling shy, her gaze fell upon Atria.
“…Atria?”
“It's been a while, Princess.”
Anetsha flinched and put some distance between them. She reflexively gripped her weapon. Atria held out her hands.
“Don't worry, I didn't come to capture you. I'm a loser, you see.”
“A loser…?”
“You saw the four of us arrive earlier, right?”
Atria pointed at Taesan with her chin.
“Three of us died to this guy. I barely survived by begging for my life.”
“Ah…”
Anetsha realized.
She had thought Taesan would die because four Sword Masters had come to capture her. Which meant that Taesan being alive signified he had won against them. The reverence and dependence in Anetsha's gaze grew even deeper.
Taesan ignored that light and asked, “Do you two know each other?”
“Ah, yes. She used to visit occasionally when my father was alive. …You also came to capture me.”
“Well, I did. But I lost. A loser has no intention of trying again, so rest assured.”
Atria shrugged.
“I wasn't really serious about it in the first place. I came because I was curious what kind of person this renowned protector of the princess was.”
“For someone following a god's command, you're quite listless.”
“Harmon may be my main god, but I don't particularly believe in him.”
At the unexpected words, Taesan looked at Atria. Atria said indifferently.
“A god not even a hundred years old has massacred the demons who have coexisted with us for thousands of years. You, who have the Demon God at your back. Do you think that's a normal god?”
Perhaps because she was a Sword Master who had surpassed human limits, she seemed to have all sorts of thoughts. Atria smiled faintly.
“Then there must be a reason you spared me, may I ask what it is? You wouldn't have spared me simply because I begged, would you?”
“You know well.”
Taesan opened his mouth.
“Aura. Explain it to me.”
“Aren't you going to sleep?”
“I'm alright.”
Anetsha sat on a log, staring blankly at Taesan. It seemed Taesan knocking her out and going to fight had become a trauma for her, as she showed no intention of looking away. Atria watched with a broad smile.
“Well, what are you curious about? Ask anything. I should at least pay for my life.”
“As I said before, how to use Aura. And how to obtain it.”
“Hmm.”
Atria stroked her chin.
“At your level, you should have been able to learn Aura. Are you saying you haven't obtained it?”
“Because I'm from another place.”
“Another place.”
Atria's eyes shone.
“Are you perhaps talking about the Labyrinth said to have been made by a Great Mage?”
“You know about it?”
“I've heard the rumors. I was particularly interested, so I looked into it. You came from that place made by a mage… Well, well. I never thought it actually existed.”
After a moment of exclamation, Atria nodded.
“So that's why you can't use Aura.”
“Right. Because in my world, there was no Aura.”
“Hmm.”
Atria tapped her forearm with her fingers.
“It's just something I've heard, but you probably won't be able to learn it. My apologies.”
Hearing something different from what he expected, Taesan frowned.
“This is a power of our world. If what you say is true, you must have come from a world without Aura, right?”
Taesan nodded.
Atria shook her head.
“Then you probably can't learn it.”
“Why not?”
“Because in your world, there was no Aura. One who never had it in the first place cannot learn it even if they come to another world. That's the law. At least, that's what I've heard.”
“My world didn't have magic either, but I was able to learn it.”
“Magic and Aura are different.”
Atria cut him off sharply.
“I was curious myself, so I looked into it. Gaining a power like magic through wielding a sword. Isn't it strange? At least, I thought it was strange. It's not a normal occurrence.”
Atria continued with a joyful expression.
“It's from old sayings and legends, but I was able to find it. They say Aura is a power personally granted by the God of Swords. A power he bestowed upon worlds he favored. Conversely, it means that inhabitants of worlds not granted this permission cannot learn it.”
It was a plausible story. The Ghost was surprised that Taesan's world had no magic, but didn't say a word about Aura. And he never said he had learned Aura either.
It meant there was a clear distinction between worlds that could learn it and those that couldn't. ‘The God of Swords.’ The God of Magic was in the Labyrinth. It was highly likely the God of Swords was there too.
Atria let out a groan.
“Well, this is awkward.”
“No.” Taesan glanced up at the empty air.
“It'll probably work.”
[Special Passive Skill: Qualification: Proof of the Sword] [You have been granted permission for the Proof of the Sword.]
An inexplicable skill he'd gained from defeating the Sword Master. This was probably the permission granted by the god.
“You think it's possible?”
“I've gained the qualification.”
“Hoh? Is that an ability you gained in the Labyrinth?”
It was obtained through Soul Rank Ascension, but Atria, not knowing this, had her eyes shine even brighter.
“Does the God of Swords exist in the Labyrinth? That's interesting. Very interesting…”
After muttering for a moment, she smiled faintly.
“Alright. I'll tell you after a simple explanation.”
Atria began her explanation.
“What do you think Aura is?”
“I just learned about it from seeing you all, and you're asking me?”
“Is that so? I always start by asking, it's become a habit.”
Atria awkwardly drew her sword. A blue light rose on the blade.
“When one handles a sword, those with talent will eventually obtain Aura. They talk about it being a noble state and all, but in the end, it just means having a much sharper, unbreakable sword. It's not that amazing by itself. But it's a different story when you become a Sword Master.”
Her Aura erupted like an explosion. It overlaid Atria's sword. Its size was incredibly large and massive.
“You can transform Aura to suit yourself like this. You've seen it, so you know how it works.”
The red-haired Sword Master controlled multiple swords with Aura. The blue-haired Sword Master shot it out like sword energy, and the white-haired Sword Master controlled Aura like a living creature. They all used Aura in their own way to perform feats that transcended the realm of swordsmanship.
“How one handles Aura differs from person to person. I just wanted a big sword. That manifested as my Aura.”
“You can't control your sword?”
“It's not that I can't. But it's at a level where it's better not to.”
Atria threw her sword. The sword stopped in mid-air and began moving on its own.
“Think you can't block it?”
“I think I could catch it.”
The sword's movements were very clumsy. It was at the level of a three-year-old child handling it.
“It's like this. Though we surpass humans, the limits are clear. It's very disappointing.”
A hint of regret was on Atria's face. He could roughly understand. Aura was something that changed its method based on the individual, and while it could be used in other ways, it would be very clumsy.
Then, to the main point.
“How do you learn it?”
“It's very simple.”
Atria grinned.
“Just swing your sword.”
“…That's all?”
“That's all. Just swing and swing, and swing again in a state of selflessness, and one day, you'll reach it.”
At the incredibly simple words, Taesan stared blankly at Atria. Atria waved her hand.
“It sounds like a joke, but it's true. Some say you need to attain enlightenment, some say you need to meditate, but that's not it. Training until you reach your limit. That's all there is to it.”
“No different from what I've been doing. I spared you for nothing.”
Taesan grumbled as he picked up his sword. He now had the qualification. He could now truly obtain Aura.
Atria raised her hand.
“What should I do?”
“My business with you is done. If you want to go back, go back.”
“Umm.”
When he let her go so easily, Atria scratched her cheek.
“If you don't mind, would it be alright if I stayed by your side?”
“I'm curious, you see. About whether you can really learn Aura.”
Atria's eyes held deep interest.
“If you're worried I might harm the princess, I can swear an oath. That I will do nothing here.”
Taesan glanced at Anetsha.
She nodded.
“If it's alright with you, Taesan, then I'm fine.”
“Then I don't care. But let's make a deal.”
[Kang Taesan has requested a Contract with Atria. Atria cannot perform any threatening actions against Kang Taesan and Anetsha.]
“Hmm?”
Atria had a surprised look on her face.
“I feel something in my heart.”
“It's a temporary contract that you can't touch us. If you accept, I'll allow it.”
“Is that also a power from the Labyrinth? It has all sorts of things.”
Atria pressed her chest with an interested look.
[The Contract has been accepted.]
After that, time passed tediously. Perhaps because the four Sword Masters had died, no one came looking. It was so quiet that he asked Atria, who replied as if it were obvious.
“There are eight Sword Masters in the entire world. Except for those with circumstances or in seclusion, everyone who could come, came. And they all died. So what kind of madman would come looking now?”
No enemies came. Since Taesan couldn't move until the demons came to him directly, he calmly continued his training. He grips his sword and swings.
He repeatedly performs the Sword of the Storm Scar. Out of 24 hours a day, he swings his sword for 22. He takes a two-hour nap, then wakes up and swings his sword again. Atria watched with a face full of wonder.
Three days of that repeated, and then, the demons came. Leveling up through battle