The Swords I Raised Are Too Strong - Chapter 3

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 3. The Truth (1)
The Sword Emperor, Reinhardt Euclid.
He had surely faced death.
‘Where am I?’
Though he believed himself dead, his eyes opened once more.
And he comprehended his circumstances.
He was trapped within a vast world.
To be precise―.
‘Within the sword itself.’
The blade that had accompanied him throughout his entire life.
Somewhere within it.
For reasons unknown, the sword he had wielded until his final breath rested in his hand.
“Abominable things….”
Reinhardt surveyed the sword’s world.
A space encircled by six inner worlds of consciousness.
The outermost one was Reinhardt’s own mental realm.
He realized that something deeply sinister and unsettling dwelled within the depths of these inner worlds.
And….
“A new sword, or is this the sword’s final form?”
Beyond himself, he perceived one more world.
A world so small, fragile, and delicate.
Reinhardt understood why he had come to this place.
‘I must protect that small world so it can grow properly.’
From what?
‘From those abominable things dwelling within….’
Reinhardt sensed the terrifying presence that dwelt in the depths.
They too were swords at their essence.
Yet the state of the souls dwelling within these blades was uniformly grotesque.
Reinhardt focused on the woman seated in the deepest place.
‘Could it be Bellatrice, the Demon of Delusion?’
A dreadful existence from legend materialized before him.
A bewitching beauty of a demon said to enchant mortals, bearing a massive violet greatsword—such were her defining characteristics.
And she was the legendary demon who had cast the Sword of Delusion across the continent, igniting warfare and leading civilization to ruin.
‘As for the others, I cannot discern their nature―.’
The five other swords also tensed at Reinhardt’s appearance, each emanating presence from their respective domains and sweeping across his mental realm.
Overcoming the tingling aura, Reinhardt recalled his purpose.
‘The life of a guardian.’
He must protect that small and precious final sword from such monsters.
That was his calling.
As he made this resolve―.
Crackle—crackle—crackle—!!!
The mental world began to twist entirely.
Reinhardt Euclid, along with all the grotesque entities inside that had been exchanging auras, lifted their heads and gazed upward at the sky.
“…The world trembles.”
A vast, hollow gaze swept inward.
The pupils dilated slightly, as if expressing surprise.
‘The Master of the Blade.’
What could he possibly be thinking to create such a world?
Why does he desire to forge a new blade when he already possesses a powerhouse like myself?
‘Is everything here insufficient—.’
Each aura within this place possessed enough strength to annihilate an entire continent.
Yet the Master of the Blade appeared dissatisfied even with that.
The Master of the Blade observed them.
The souls dwelling within the blade realized their enlightenment being drawn into that gaze.
And….
‘What are we, truly?’
That hollow gaze fixed itself only upon the ‘blade’ held in Reinhardt Euclid’s hand.
As though the souls dwelling in the blade were nothing at all.
—Ep. 02 Truth
‘The Ultimate Sword Technique?’
It was but a fleeting moment.
I obtained an extraordinary enlightenment.
A sense of omnipotence as though I had become the blade and the blade had become me.
I experienced it only for an instant.
Yet….
‘It remains.’
Considerable knowledge about blades flowed into my mind.
Perhaps it was experience.
No, it was enlightenment.
‘So I’m meant to extract only the best from the Ego Sword and nurture the Aga Blade.’
My primary weapon is the [Aga Blade].
The Ego Sword is a weapon imbued with an NPC.
To be precise, I embedded an NPC’s soul into a blade I created….
“Si-woo?”
That’s when Kang Seol-ah spoke to me.
I had been dazed for a moment, glimpsing into the blade’s world.
“Hurry and manifest your ability! Don’t you know this only lasts one minute?”
Artificially creating the environment of a [Gate].
The maintenance cost was steep, and the duration was short.
The maintenance costs are expensive and the duration is short.
I snapped back to my senses quickly.
‘I just need to draw it, right?’
I stood there dazed, my hand halfway inserted into empty air.
My other hand gripping the hilt of the sword.
I swiftly drew my blade.
Shing—
My sword rose upward, tearing through the void—
“…Ability confirmed. But, isn’t that sword a bit too small and shabby?”
—Kang Seol-ah dismissed my large, impressive greatsword with a disparaging remark.
I tilted my head and asked.
“It will grow larger and more impressive. Right now, it’s in a small and ‘precious’ state.”
“…Small and precious. Uh, right.”
Suddenly, Kang Seol-ah nodded with a reluctant expression.
There’s a saying that all naturally awakened ones are insane, so that must be it.
“I’m not insane.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Of course not.”
“Then this sword—”
“Summoning this small and precious sword is my ability.”
“Y-yes.”
Kang Seol-ah nodded again with that reluctant expression.
“Shin Si-woo, age 27, presumed to be a close-range combatant of the equipment summoning type. Should I categorize it this way?”
“Yes.”
Combat power tests can only be determined through actual combat experience, so for now, I could only be classified as a [close-range combatant of the sword summoning type].
“Si-woo really became an awakener…”
Kang Seol-ah handed me a small card, her expression still disbelieving.
[Awakener: Shin Si-woo / Rank: Pending]
This was the temporary awakener identification card that newly awakened individuals receive.
After receiving a practical test here and proving one’s lethality, a [Hunter] license is granted.
“When would be a good time for the practical test?”
Outside, naturally awakened ones are nothing more than personality-disordered civilians.
There are quite a few who could get beaten to death if things go wrong, aren’t there?
That’s why the government does its best to protect them.
‘If Gates aren’t cleared, the country falls—’
Therefore, everything must be tested and proper ‘classification’ must be completed before full-scale activities can begin.
It’s a kind of safety measure.
I saw no reason to drag things out, so I asked directly.
“Can we do it now?”
“Hmm… good personality—. Ahem. No, if you want to receive it from an induced awakener, it’ll take two days.”
“If I want to do it right away, I have to go with a naturally awakened one?”
“That’s right.”
I’m a natural awakener myself.
To be honest, when I think about my own case―
The claim that natural awakeners have a higher rate of personality disorders might be complete nonsense.
Perhaps it just seems that way because the tyranny of a few makes the many appear the same….
‘Above all else―’
I want to see my sword again soon.
To do that, I need to enter a Gate.
“Let’s get started right away.”
“You’ll be alright?”
“That was literally my job before….”
“Right―”
My exact position is in the New Awakener Management Department of the Awakening Management Bureau.
The work involves coaxing and persuading people who seem to have awakened, then sending them on their way.
Or coaxing and persuading awakened individuals who’ve lost their minds, getting them to take the proper tests, and registering them as awakeners.
“I may not be at Manager Kang Seol-ah’s level, but I’m confident in handling difficult customers.”
I smiled coolly, and Manager Kang Seol-ah let out a soft laugh.
“Well, that’s reassuring at least.”
* * *
If there’s one good thing about the Gate incident, it’s that everything can now be processed quickly through connections.
Thanks to Manager Kang Seol-ah’s consideration, I received a temporary awakener certificate and was able to take the practical test in just thirty minutes.
More precisely, it was a verification session.
“Hunter Park Chang-seok?”
Hunter Park Chang-seok, who had supposedly been trapped in a magic tower for thirty years during his awakening trial, came looking for me.
I vaguely remember him since I’d handled his case.
‘He talked quite a lot.’
A B-rank hunter with the [Mage] class.
Specifically, something about the Aindro Hamelstia school or whatever….
‘Everyone goes through different trials anyway.’
The trend nowadays is to lump them all under categories like [Mage], [Warrior], [Swordsman], and so on.
I wonder if I’ll end up being classified as a [Swordsman] or something?
“You’re the one being tested?”
True to form for a natural awakener, he had no regard for courtesy.
He didn’t even seem to recognize me.
Since I’d seen him so often, I simply nodded.
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
Hunter Park Chang-seok walked confidently, his robes billowing behind him.
Outside the Gate, only an extremely small number of the powerful can exercise their strength at all.
In other words, it’s just an ordinary landscape of twenty-first century South Korea.
Yet he insists on wearing a mage’s robes regardless.
‘Is that excessive?’
It means he endured the [Trial] for an extended period.
He’s also the type who wants to flaunt that he’s an Awakener.
The one saving grace is that, contrary to my memories, he speaks very little.
“You’ve switched to being a lowly swordsman?”
“Yes.”
Park Chang-seok led me to the basement of the Yeouido Awakening Management Bureau.
A place where one could safely use a [Public Gate].
“At attention!”
Armed soldiers with rifles guard our entry into the Gate.
This measure came about because Hunters had been robbed of their spoils multiple times upon exiting Gates.
“Will you be entering a Beginner Gate?”
For reference, there are several types of Gates.
The place I’m entering is a public Gate designed for testing.
Here, basic hunting grounds are classified into [Beginner], [Intermediate], and [Advanced].
‘I still can’t enter the real ones.’
The bizarre Red Gates that have appeared across the world.
Those are genuinely dangerous.
In exchange, the rewards are excellent and levels rise steadily, but the entry conditions are stringent.
Yet…
‘Why is the guide so quiet?’
That mage might be a more twisted case than I thought.
The way he looks at the soldiers is quite contemptuous—as if he’s gazing upon “non-Awakened trash.”
Hunters with such intense superiority complexes appear from time to time.
Before the soldiers could take offense, I spoke first.
“I’m entering a Beginner Gate. I just awakened today, after all.”
“Congratulations!”
After receiving the soldiers’ perfunctory greeting, I proceeded according to protocol.
“Gate open.”
In response to my command as an [Awakener], the public Gate connected to the basement of the Management Bureau reacted.
Options materialized before my eyes.
Whoosh!
[Beginner]
[Intermediate]
[Advanced]
I selected the Beginner Gate without hesitation.
Hummmmm—
A portal then appeared in the empty air.
Only then did the mage Park Chang-seok speak arrogantly, his robes billowing.
“Go.”
A robe fluttering with theatrical flair.
Yet it was Park Chang-seok’s hand that stirred it.
‘He’s a bit off.’
Still, this was passable enough.
I nodded to the soldiers and followed him.
Crossing the Gate—
Whoooooosh———
A forest swept by knife-like winds materialized before us.
Branches thrashed wildly in the violent gale, and small green monsters poured down like rain in its wake.
An immense, sprawling forest.
Yet only two people inhabited it—myself and this sorcerer.
And…
Crackle— snap.
“Ah, this omnipotence.”
Park Chang-seok’s eyes gleamed with an unhinged fervor as his robe billowed around him.
Unlike before entering, his hand no longer stirred the fabric.
The robe simply fluttered of its own accord.
A tingling aura radiated from all directions.
‘Is this mana?’
Officially, he was a 6-Circle sorcerer.
Not someone with particular issues regarding violence or instability.
“Listen.”
“Yes?”
He asked me in a tone grown even more arrogant.
“Do you know why I bother dragging around beginners for this nonsense?”
“I’m not sure…”
Something felt off about this.
Still, the odds of him being a psychopathic killer were infinitesimal.
His paperwork was spotless from the start.
That’s precisely why he was assigned to guide new awakeners.
‘Besides, his rank is low.’
B-rank hunters cannot influence anything beyond the Gate.
Outside, he’s just an ordinary person.
Manageable with a single bullet.
I regarded him with calm indifference.
‘This feeling is unsettling.’
Of course, my eyes conveyed a warning.
―If you kill me here, the soldiers outside will turn you into a sieve the moment we exit!!!―
That was the message I silently communicated.
But to my surprise.
“I enjoy hunting. Slaughtering these pathetic goblins is entertaining enough. And showing you newbies the despair of our level gap? That’s even more delightful.”
This bastard was simply, purely insane.
I responded with a curt “I see” in a businesslike tone.
‘Something still feels off about this….’
Regardless, what matters is my test.
As I was processing this reluctant acceptance.
A violent gust swept through.
“Hainde—Lamuha!!!”
Park Chang-seok, the mage, raised his staff and shouted something incomprehensible.
The wind intensified, and countless goblins began pouring toward me in a relentless tide.
“What are you doing—”
“Kekeke, don’t worry. I’ll help if you look like you’re about to die.”
I was genuinely taken aback.
From the wild look in the mage’s eyes, dialogue seemed pointless.
‘Lunatic.’
The number of goblins was staggering.
By any measure, this wasn’t a test meant for someone who’d just awakened.
Still, thinking ‘Surely he won’t actually kill me?’, I calmly drew my blade.
My default state was the [Aga Sword].
‘Should I test whether other swords can be summoned, just in case?’
The [Ego Sword] was too risky to reveal carelessly.
But I decided to attempt it as a contingency.
And then—
A sharp crack echoed.
[Conditions not met.]
‘There were conditions?’
In my hand now rested the small, precious [Aga Sword].
A blade at Lv.01, matching my own level.
Perhaps I’d wasted too much time hesitating?
“Pfft—”
The mage laughed mockingly at my precious blade.
“That’s all? So you really are a fake. What pathetically crude power.”
Something about the word “fake” struck me as peculiar.
‘Could it be…’
There existed a small faction of “naturally awakened” individuals who regarded non-awakeners as inferior beings.
They were merely rumors, whispered about.
‘…An awakener supremacist?’
An awakener supremacist.
They called artificially awakened individuals fakes.
Of course, I’m a natural-born Awakener.
“You’re a fake, aren’t you?”
The oppressive aura grew even more intense.
A fleeting hesitation crossed my mind—should I answer that I’m natural-born?
‘Well, I am natural-born, technically….’
But there was no time to answer.
A goblin had already closed the distance to me.
‘Looks absolutely vicious.’
Goblins, orcs, trolls, ogres—and so on.
These are the monsters that commonly appear in the world.
They resemble the common enemies from games, but with one fatal difference.
And that difference is―.
―Kyieeeeek!!!!
An overwhelming murderous intent toward humans.
Despite being buffeted by the wind, the goblin’s bloodshot eyes locked onto my throat with deadly precision, slashing downward.
“You’ll die if you’re not natural-born, so remember that―.”
I dismissed the mage’s nonsense and angled my blade diagonally.
He never intended to give me a chance to speak anyway.
I pushed the goblin further toward myself.
‘No need to panic. This is just a test, after all.’
I steadied my mind with composure.
Then I considered how to cultivate the sword.
‘Cultivate the blade.’
If I kill indiscriminately and feed it blood, it grows into a cursed sword lineage.
Conversely, if I wield it with an upright heart and honest intent, it grows into a holy sword lineage.
This is the fundamental concept.
‘I should stick to the orthodox path at the beginning.’
Swish.
Without hesitation, I pivoted diagonally and swung the small blade.
Thanks to the enlightenment in my mind, the movement flowed as naturally as water.
It felt as though I had become a swordmaster.
‘So the sword’s enlightenment was fully transmitted after all.’
Clang―. Thud― roll roll.
The goblin’s head was severed in a single stroke.
“Huh… the weapon seems better than it looks? For a fake who just awakened, decapitating in one blow is usually difficult―.”
Mage Park Chang-seok let out a short exclamation.
The oppressive aura diminished slightly.
Then he asked me.
“Were you actually natural-born?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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