“…It hasn’t changed.”
Seol-yoon muttered, her fingers brushing against the parched earth.
Beyond the desolate wasteland and the yellow horizon where sandstorms howled, an orange sunset was sinking. A familiar scent filled the air—the scent of the East, a pungent blend of dry earth and the metallic tang of blood. The sounds, too, were not foreign. Instead of the refined language of the Sky Empire or the continental common tongue, she heard the rough dialects of the Eastern Continent.
At the same time, a rhythmic clattering reached her ears.
The sound of galloping hooves.
“A Ronin?”
“…”
“No, she’s a woman. Too refined for a Ronin. Is she a Plains Attendant, then?”
A group of men armed with spears appeared alongside the thundering hooves. They didn’t carry the straight swords favored by the knights of the Western Continent; instead, they brandished long spears, heavy staffs, and guandaos.
“Why are you silent?”
“Chieftain, isn’t it because she’s terrified of the spears pointed at her? You might not know, but women are like this. When they’re scared, they shut their mouths tight.”
“Then you make her open it.”
“I’ll make her open more than just her mouth. Heh.”
Seol-yoon watched them in silence.
Soon, a man carrying a long spear dismounted and approached her. Even as the black-haired man drew near, Seol-yoon remained quiet. It wasn’t that she had forgotten how to speak after being away from the Eastern Continent for so long. There was only one reason for her silence.
“You’re quite the looker. Such fair, smooth skin—”
Seol-yoon.
She preferred a different method of communication over spoken words.
“I think I’ll like… ugh.”
The Conversation of the Sword.
“…!”
In the next instant, the man’s head was severed from his body.
A chilling silence fell the moment the smirking man’s head hit the ground. A heartbeat later, the spear of the man called the Chieftain flew toward Seol-yoon. But the spearhead never reached her. A perfect Taiji arc was drawn in the air. With a sharp crack , the spear was sliced into pieces and driven into the wasteland.
A single strike of the Sword.
In the flash of a blade, the heads of everyone approaching Seol-yoon fell. She moved like a dancer performing a ritual, or perhaps a farmer harvesting grain. The Chieftain looked down at his own body. An exquisitely beautiful blade was piercing his heart.
“It seems… we disturbed a fierce beast…”
With a low murmur, the Chieftain’s breath stopped. Seol-yoon withdrew her blade and flicked it through the air, shaking off the viscous blood. Amidst the red stains left on the wasteland, Seol-yoon looked at the remaining horses. The eyes of the masterless animals shone clearly.
“…”
Seol-yoon stared blankly at the horses and gave a light wave of her hand. As if reading her mind, the snorting horses turned and began to gallop away in different directions—toward the horizon of the burning sunset, toward the open plains.
Turning her gaze away from the departing horses, Seol-yoon began to walk again. She did not ride across the plains; she relied only on her two legs and a single Sword.
The Eastern Land.
A girl who had lost everything, taken in by defeated soldiers and sold to the far West, had returned. She had returned having blossomed the talent she hadn’t realized in the past, clutching a blade that could cut through anything.
The girl who returned was no longer insignificant.
* * *
Let’s recap the situation.
The foothills of the Sky Mountain Range were treacherous, but breaking through wasn’t difficult. With the contract with Dragon Aion and the authority of Earth Spirit King Gaia shining bright, I didn’t even need to utilize the knowledge of the Old Adventurer; I simply had to climb the mountain on my own two feet. The path was incomparably steeper than the mountain behind the Caravan estate, but I am no longer an ordinary human. Physical abilities that surpassed those of a superhuman allowed me to traverse such mountain paths in no time.
After walking for a few days, I passed the foothills and quickly reached the mid-slope.
There were no signposts or markers, but I felt the air change the moment I reached the mid-slope. That was where the problems began. The dragon’s aura and the Earth Spirit King’s authority were no longer of any help. From the moment I stepped onto the mid-slope of the Sky Mountain Range, every living creature began to oppose me—like sentries trying to drive out an uninvited guest.
The wild beasts on the mid-slope of the Sky Mountain Range were not things that could be called mere animals. These creatures, born from divine mana, all possessed Mana Hearts like a Swordsman. Spirit Beasts. Monsters comparable to those of the Northern Continent’s Monster Land were crawling everywhere. Even the insects and plants were of that ilk. My spine chilled the moment I saw mana dwelling in the vines that snagged my ankles.
I realized the true reason why the Sky Mountain Range was classified as a Continental Forbidden Zone. Gaia’s authority didn’t even work on the creatures here. Master said that to control this land, one would need the full authority of the Spirit King, not just a fragment. This was a place where even a rabbit running through the brush wielded Mystery. Within this terrifying ecosystem, I somehow managed to climb.
If I hadn’t possessed the memories of Ascension , I would have died within a day of entering the mid-slope. Tom’s worry wasn’t an exaggeration. This was not a land permitted to outsiders. The seasoned answers the Old Adventurer had obtained through countless trials and errors—if the memories of an old man who burned his life away to fulfill his son’s dream hadn’t shown me the way, I would have become nutrients for the mountain.
My food supplies ran out quickly.
Even closing my eyes for a night’s sleep was an ordeal. I found things to eat while avoiding poisonous fruits and plants and insects carrying fatal curses. I couldn’t even drink water easily. Deadly poisons that could instantly dissolve the body of a Sword Runner were scattered everywhere. Once I found clear water, the process of purifying it was mandatory.
It was a grueling process, but I was capable of handling it. The Old Adventurer within Ascension had walked a much harder path, climbing the mountain while protecting his son, yearning only for the sky even as his body broke down. His will was leading me.
However.
“…Whew.”
I couldn’t reach the place he had climbed to.
“What is this?”
Too many ordeals poured down. Not only were there attacks from various Spirit Beasts, but perfectly fine fruits would suddenly turn into deadly poisonous ones. My body broke down rapidly right after I ate a fruit to sate my hunger. Walking became difficult; I lost hearing in one ear and sight in one eye. Amidst my mangled senses, my skin sagged and my body creaked as if I had become an old man. Even breathing was hard. It wasn’t a lack of lung capacity; it felt as if oxygen itself was fleeing from me. As if I wasn’t permitted to breathe.
In the midst of all this, the attacks from Spirit Beasts continued. Each beast was nearly as strong as a knight. In fact, the combat process was even harder than fighting a knight. Beasts that ran on four legs, unburdened by systems, moving freely by relying on instinct. I fought such Spirit Beasts more than ten times a day. There wasn’t a single part of my body left unscathed, and I hadn’t been able to close my eyes for even a moment for over ten days. My head spun, I had no time to check if I was going in the right direction, and my lips and tongue were so parched they tasted of sweet rot.
Meanwhile, the solid ground turned into a mucky swamp. The swamp was rife with crocodile spirit beasts, insects the size of giants, and plants that exploded when stepped on. The feeling of walking covered in mud and filth was utterly wretched. To make matters worse, the mud and filth were poisonous.
My skin was covered in sores and pus, my body was so exhausted it wouldn’t move properly, and the vision in my remaining eye was constantly fading. Then, a heavy rain began to fall. Raindrops of an unnaturally large size. A terrible storm rose with the rain, and my body was pushed by the gale, falling. Down, down into the depths.
This is the result of passing through all those insane situations.
The place where the Old Adventurer of Ascension fell.
Sprawled on the cool floor where no light reached, I looked up at the sky. To be honest, a thought crossed my mind: Is this really something a human can do?
From the moment I reached the mid-slope of the Sky Mountain Range, everything in nature became an enemy. It felt as if the entire world was rushing at me with malice to exclude me. It was utterly daunting. It wasn’t just a matter of low probability; it felt simply impossible…
「The sky is rejecting you.」
“What does that mean?”
「The Sky Mountain Range is the place closest to the sky. It is the first mountain created on the continent, and the place that has received the energy of the sky for the longest time.」
“…”
「Did you feel that the sky rejects you, the mountain rejects you, and the world you face rejects you? It is not your imagination. The mountain is actually rejecting you. The Sky Mountain Range is alive.」
Liam looked at me.
「The Caravans have never been loved by the sky since ancient times.」
“…”
「What you’ve experienced is only the beginning, young descendant.」
His words were enough to break my spirit. To think the mountain rejects me so much simply because I am a Caravan.
‘Damn it.’
The bloodline of Steel flowing through the Caravans. As I moved further out into the wider continent, numerous grudges tied to the blood of Steel were tormenting me. Things I hadn’t done, hadn’t experienced, and couldn’t even remember were following me like shadows.
「Do you feel resentful?」 Liam said, looking at me. 「If it is too hard, give up. Go back to the Empire, make all sorts of preparations, and climb again with the help of the many who follow you. Without a steadfast will of your own, you can never overcome the trials of the sky. Never.」
“…”
「But if you do that,」 Liam’s eyes sparkled, 「you will never obtain the legend contained within that blade.」
The high, high sky. Master, floating in the air, stood with his back to the sun.
「Do you remember the moment you took your first step in the Sword?」
“You mean the training for a Sword Beginner ?”
「Yes. Back then, you hung from a cliff with a pathetic and miserable body. I pushed you to the boundary of death, where a single slip would end your life.」
“…”
「That was training for a Heart of Steel . A training for a Heart of Steel that would be permitted only to Caravans—one that would not even be scratched no matter what it collided with.」
I remember. There was no way I could forget. Like a lion pushing its cub off a cliff, I risked my life for the second heart that is born in extreme situations. To become strong.
「To your terrified self back then, I said: to achieve the revenge you desire, you must become a Swordmaster . In the end, you must forge a sword.」
“Yes, you did.”
「That has not changed even now. You must become a Swordmaster . Because only a Swordmaster can kill a Swordmaster .」
“…”
「Do you remember my words? That even among my past descendants who inherited my blood, those who gained a Heart of Steel were rare. One in ten, or perhaps one in twenty.」
“I remember.”
「And do you also remember me saying that only those who endured that training could become Swordmasters ? That the minimum condition for becoming a Swordmaster is having a Heart of Steel ?」
Yes, he had said those things.
「You had the weakest body among the Caravans and the most insignificant talent, yet you fulfilled the small condition to forge a sword.」
“…”
「And this is the second condition.」 Liam’s eyes glowed like fire. 「Achieve a Legend, young descendant.」
“…”
「A Sword that does not become a legend cannot transcend. If it cannot transcend, it cannot become a Swordmaster . So, even if you are lonely and daunted, even if it is hard and you waver, never break. Become Steel that would rather snap than bend. Stand straight before the world that constantly hammers at you.」
The moment I met Master’s eyes, my heart began to beat violently.
「I will say again what I said long ago.」
A body in tatters. A body broken as if it would collapse at any moment. I struggle to raise that body.
「Endure, young descendant.」
There is no strength in my arms. While trying to push myself up from the ground, I fall and roll on the floor. I hit a jagged rock, my skin peels, and red blood flows. The flowing blood seeps into my eyes, stinging. But I do not bow my head. Even if I have to use my chin against the ground and push with my forehead, I somehow raise my body. Even if I fall, I get back up. No matter how many times I fall, I get back up again and again.
「If you want revenge.」
I remember Master’s words. What is built easily collapses easily.
The ordeal that has come to me is not a crisis. For a Caravan, an ordeal is an opportunity, not a crisis. The blade obtained at the end of harsh and grueling waves will be brilliant.
With great effort, I raised my body and lifted my head. At the end of the infinitely high cliff, I saw the pitch-black night sky and the stars lighting up the world. It was the sky that the Old Adventurer and his son had yearned for. The chillingly beautiful sky resonated in my chest.
But what I yearn for is not the sky. What I want is not romantic, not emotional, and not some grand thing for the world or a great cause.
I want the Sword. And I want revenge.
That is enough.
“I will climb again.”
Yes, that is enough.
