The Swords I Raised Are Too Strong - Chapter 7

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

Chapter 7. Demon Worshippers (3)
“It’s a secret only you and I know. You understand, right?”
As I applied pressure, Kang Seol-ah nodded with a reluctant expression.
“Y-yes, a secret only we know… That’s right!”
What had unfolded was simple enough.
The Sword Intent Meteor Shower had blanketed Yeouido entirely, and through it, the fallen B-rank Hunter Park Chang-seok had been annihilated.
Naturally, it could never be revealed that I was the source of that power.
‘I had to conceal it.’
By nature, living with secrets didn’t suit my temperament… but circumstances demanded it.
Demon worshippers had appeared.
Those bastards were like the very catalyst that had driven the world of Sword Cultivation toward destruction.
‘Absolutely infuriating creatures.’
That’s why I had to hide my identity until I accumulated sufficient power.
Because―.
‘Four seconds.’
The First Sword, Reinhardt Euclid.
[4/100] had been four hours within the Tower.
But outside, it was merely four seconds.
Even with momentary omnipotence, four seconds left precious little I could accomplish.
What would happen after those four seconds elapsed?
I needed to prepare for what came after.
【Master, only when you grow further will I be able to wield my full power.】
I was still insufficient.
That much was undeniable.
‘I only awakened yesterday as a Level 2, after all.’
Moreover, I hadn’t yet absorbed all the enlightenment regarding the sword.
In any case, organizing these scattered thoughts, I completed my statement as an Awakener Management Agency employee regarding the incident.
Thanks to Kang Seol-ah’s cooperation, we were able to return home without drawing any suspicion.
Before heading back.
“….”
Kang Seol-ah regarded me with an odd expression.
I recognized that look well—it was one of astonishment.
After all, wasn’t this the situation where my close younger sibling, who had awakened just yesterday, suddenly summoned an enormous, magnificent sword and utterly demolished a villain?
“Impressive, isn’t it?”
I asked for her thoughts on my sword.
She then leaned back slightly and answered with an “Um….”
Then she smoothly changed the subject.
“Secret. Promise kept.”
It seemed she still felt too embarrassed to praise my sword.
“Thank you.”
I let out a soft chuckle and nodded.
That smile carried my own quiet resolve.
There’s no way I could shoulder a ticking time bomb like a demon worshipper all by myself.
I had to conceal my identity, but their existence needed to be revealed.
“How long do you plan to keep this secret? I doubt you’re the type to do anything reckless, but….”
I cut off Kang Seol-ah’s words and got straight to the point.
“Park Chang-seok is a demon worshipper.”
“A demon worshipper?”
B-rank Mage Park Chang-seok’s corruption was strange.
When a mage falls to corruption, they become a dark mage.
That was the truth within [Sword Cultivation].
But on Earth, it’s different.
‘He fell to corruption and can use power in reality?’
If this were the absolute value of corruption, this world wouldn’t be as safe as it is now.
If it were Kang Seol-ah’s father—a prosecutor with connections to the Patriot, noble and impartial….
‘At least he could make minimal preparations.’
After finishing this explanation, Kang Seol-ah tilted her head and asked.
“Is it okay for Father to know your identity?”
“I’ve met him several times before.”
Chief Prosecutor Kang Mu-jin.
He is truly a virtuous and righteous man.
The fact that he’s a prosecutor favored by the Patriot speaks volumes.
Chief Prosecutor is merely a title—the power he wields far exceeds that of the President.
‘If he ever ran for the presidential election, he’d be elected by a landslide.’
His approval rating among the people is extraordinary.
That’s why he’s trustworthy.
“Suddenly it feels like we’ve become some secret society… What kind of awakening did you even have―.”
“Sword Master—that’s my job title.”
With those words, I left the Management Bureau.
* * *
“Seol-ah, that eunuch bastard… he awakened and became a transcendent being, is that what you’re saying?”
Chief Prosecutor Kang Mu-jin.
He was so flabbergasted by what his daughter told him that he couldn’t find words.
Shin Si-woo, his daughter Kang Seol-ah’s fellow recruit.
And….
‘That eunuch bastard.’
Kang Mu-jin’s daughter was a peerless beauty by any standard.
She had inherited her mother’s delicate features, coupled with consistent exercise and meticulous self-discipline.
Naturally, as a father, he had to be strict about matters concerning men.
But Shin Si-woo was different.
“Hello! I’m Shin Si-woo, your fellow new hire!”
Kang Mu-jin recalled the first time he met Shin Si-woo.
Tall and strikingly handsome.
With an impressively toned physique to match.
Standing beside Seol-ah, they looked like a perfect pair.
A young man who inexplicably drew his favor.
“Dad, I’m going out for a drink with Si-woo!”
From that day forward, Kang Mu-jin granted Shin Si-woo his blessing.
Permission to be worthy of his daughter’s affection.
That bastard was something else.
“10 o’clock… like clockwork.”
Kang Mu-jin, axe in hand as he waited for his daughter’s return, witnessed the impressive side of this man called Shin Si-woo.
No matter how drunk Seol-ah got, by 10 o’clock sharp he’d bring her home.
At first, he appreciated it.
But…
‘Spineless bastard.’
He never expected it to go on for five years straight.
Shin Si-woo seemed to view Kang Seol-ah as nothing more than a close older sister.
Yet he subtly left the door open—a truly despicable move.
Like this, for instance.
“Dad! Don’t call him that! Words have power, you know?”
Kang Seol-ah, thirty years old.
Shin Si-woo had condemned her to over five years of solitude without a single boyfriend.
And yet she defended him gladly.
Kang Mu-jin reluctantly got to the point.
“So Park Chang-seok is a demon worshipper who fell to corruption, and that’s what caused this mess?”
“Yes.”
His chest felt heavy.
In Yeouido, 126 casualties—civilians and soldiers combined.
The death toll was only this low because that mage targeted the Awakener Management Agency; had slaughter been the goal, at least a thousand would have perished.
“A B-rank Awakener suddenly wielding power like a transcendent being. We didn’t even know the cause… how did that bastard come to know such things? What did he awaken as?”
Kang Seol-ah handed over Shin Si-woo’s file.
[Shin Si-woo: Swordsman / A-rank Hunter]
It contained information about his awakening and basic personal details.
Nearly empty.
“Did you erase it?”
“Yes. Si-woo asked me to keep it confidential.”
“But he said it was okay to tell me?”
“That’s right.”
Kang Seol-ah recounted Shin Si-woo’s occupation and the circumstances of his awakening.
Upon hearing those words, Kang Mu-jin’s fist clenched tightly.
“Cultivating a sword?”
“Apparently he became the master of a sword he raised himself… Well, I don’t know the details either. This enormous blade appeared out of nowhere, and then Park Chang-seok just vanished.”
“So nobody knew he was playing such a game all this time?”
“Right. I only heard about it when he registered as an Awakener! I was completely dumbfounded….”
Shin Si-woo is the second SSS-rank Awakener to emerge in South Korea.
Moreover, he’s an unprecedented existence who awakened while already in a transcendent state.
‘He’s someone I absolutely must protect, but―.’
Kang Mu-jin trembled with rage.
Now he finally understood why he’d kept his daughter isolated for five years.
“Since he’s also a natural Awakener, he must have been obsessed with something.”
“But who knew that obsession would be cultivating such an ominous blade.”
Father and daughter exchanged glances and released heavy sighs.
“Are you alright with this?”
“Honestly, I’m fine with how things are now.”
Kang Seol-ah let out a soft laugh.
Her relationship with Shin Si-woo wasn’t bad at its current state.
‘What’s the point of dating in a world that could collapse at any moment.’
In truth, she had never been particularly interested in romance.
Yet everyone around her kept pestering her about it.
Her father was especially persistent.
─You’re not interested in dating, right?
─Neither am I.
─Let’s just stay close friends.
Shin Si-woo felt the same way.
The two of them made quite the handsome pair, didn’t they?
So they deliberately spent more time together to avoid all the unsolicited romantic commentary from those around them.
‘Of course, Si-woo was obsessed with his sword―.’
Up to that point, it was manageable.
But Kang Seol-ah sensed a different problem.
‘It looked absolutely terrifying.’
The massive greatsword Shin Si-woo had drawn.
Though it vanished within seconds, that brief moment was enough to instill fear in Kang Seol-ah.
There was a hypothesis that an Awakener’s power was proportional to the intensity of their trials. If that were true, Shin Si-woo must have undergone incredibly dense experiences.
“Sword Cultivation was a game that shut down on Steam ten years ago. The fact that he alone played it on a computer while everyone else used WorldNet―.”
In any case, a conclusion had been reached.
No information about the game Shin Si-woo had been playing could be found.
However, she knew well that he wasn’t the type to lie―.
“I’ll arrange a license so he can clear Gates solo. And I’ll conduct my own investigation until the Patriot returns.”
* * *
As I thought….
Is she a senior?
[A-Rank Hunter License]
—Solo Conquest Authorization.
I gazed at the small card in my hand and smiled with satisfaction.
There are only about 300 A-Rank Hunters in South Korea.
Even if an Awakener’s rank is high, they almost never receive an A-Rank classification outright.
‘That’s how brutal the Gates are.’
I’m not talking about the public Gates where goblins appear.
The [Public Gate] accessible from the Management Bureau’s basement is essentially a place to gain experience.
The Gates I’m referring to are the [Red Gates] that have eroded the world.
‘The cause of my parents’ deaths.’
[Red Gates] vary in difficulty depending on their size.
Even the smallest Gate cannot be entered alone by an ordinary Hunter.
The mortality rate is so high that the government strictly controls entry to protect Hunters.
You can only enter after forming a stable party and receiving approval.
‘But not me―.’
The Hunter License that Kang Seol-ah gave me.
Along with the A-Rank Hunter classification, it bears the seal of ‘Solo Conquest Authorization.’
In a way, it’s only natural treatment.
‘Since I’m something like a pseudo-transcendent.’
I immediately drove toward the outskirts of Goyang City.
To nurture my small and precious ‘Baby Sword.’
The fact that the Fall’s final form would exercise power outside the Gate like a transcendent was no trivial matter.
I had to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
Vroom—.
“Ominous.”
A crimson sea came into view.
On an ordinary road, right next to Seoul, a red sea stretched out.
A deeply bizarre sight.
Yet it was also a familiar one.
‘Erosion.’
Goyang City was completely eroded.
One of South Korea’s greatest headaches, endlessly spewing Gates and expanding its territory.
“Yes, sir! May I see your Hunter License?”
Soldiers manning the roadblock stopped my vehicle.
I showed them my Hunter License.
“Solo Conquest….”
The soldier’s eyes widened as he examined the license, muttering to himself.
His gaze was as if he were beholding a war hero.
‘Solo Gate clearance is indeed special.’
A moment later, with an even more disciplined demeanor, he returned my license to me.
The bearing of someone with iron-clad resolve.
“Entry confirmed!”
I had become a Hunter.
It was starting to feel real.
Look at those eyes brimming with respect.
Of course, not just any Hunter earns such admiration.
The ‘solo Gate clearance permit’ carried that much weight.
It meant having impeccable character while being devoted enough to the nation to conquer a Gate alone.
‘Good money, respect, and….’
Well, they die pretty easily too.
Regardless, receiving such a gaze felt peculiar.
I parked the vehicle and headed toward Goyang City, that crimson sea.
Uuuuuuung———.
A strange resonance echoed from all directions.
The [Red Gate] calling out to Hunters.
‘It really does feel compelling.’
In truth, if I only wanted to raise my level, I could simply enter the [Tower].
But that way, my [Aga Sword] wouldn’t grow.
My level would increase, but….
‘I wouldn’t gain the experience.’
Certainly, when I cleared Tower Floor 1, a message appeared saying the ‘Aga Sword’ would begin its growth.
That meant I had to wield the sword myself, just like the NPCs in [Sword Raising].
Wielding the sword.
Fighting alongside it.
‘The secret to growing the sword fastest.’
I walked across the crimson sea near Goyang City.
In the submerged Goyang City, one could walk across the water.
Among the countless Gates floating on the sea, I chose a slightly smaller one and threw myself in.
* * *
Splash!
[Entered the Red Sea.]
I had entered the Gate.
The reason for choosing Goyang City’s Gate was simple.
Information about this place was extremely well-known.
‘A sea that isn’t quite a sea.’
Shhhhhhhhh————.
The sound of waves echoed from all directions.
Yet I stood upon solid ground.
Did Jesus part the Red Sea?
To my left and right, I saw the ocean flowing upward toward the sky.
I walked along the path carved through the sea.
Small and precious blade in hand.
Everything around me was red.
The Red Sea was the source Gate that had eroded Goyang City.
Because of that, the small Gate I had entered also fell under the Red Sea’s laws.
The enemy here was the sea itself.
More precisely, monsters born from the torrents of water surging up from the depths.
‘Serpents will pour forth from the sea.’
I expanded my perception.
Not quite as sharp as when I wielded Reinhardt Euclid—the First Blade—but close.
‘I can feel it.’
The senses of a perfected swordmaster dwelled within me.
My goal was to hone and refine these senses until they became one with my flesh.
The method was simple.
‘Just like the last blade.’
This time, my objective was to nurture the Small Blade.
I couldn’t follow the path of that crude sword I’d made for amusement as a child.
So I gripped the blade with perfect posture.
Whoooosh—
I heard a sound.
The roar of water torrents erupting behind me.
I spun my body toward it.
Shrieeeek—!!!
A serpent emerged from the sea.
A serpent forged from thick, crimson water.
There were countless others like it.
I stepped forward without hesitation.
Then I swung my blade.
Whoosh—! Crack!!
The serpent was torn asunder.
My blade was stained with the red sea.
Being a small Gate, the difficulty wasn’t particularly high.
‘This is manageable.’
I continued swinging my blade, walking deeper along the path through the Red Sea.
At its end lay something strange that sustained this Gate.
After walking for some time, the massive coiled form of an enormous serpent began to take shape ahead.
‘The core maintaining this Gate.’
Something akin to a boss monster.
I had meticulously maintained my sword in preparation for the decisive battle ahead.
But then….
‘My precious little blade!!!’
My small, cherished sword had been dyed crimson.
The red of the Red Sea appeared far deeper than I had anticipated.
I attempted to wipe the blade clean.
【Waaah!!! I’m hungry!】
But then….
Suddenly, my little blade emitted a strange sound!!!
‘Did it possess consciousness from the beginning?’
In the moment I tilted my head in confusion.
Sluuuurp———.
The blade absorbed the crimson liquid that had covered it.
Then an unbelievable message appeared before my eyes.
Flash!
[Your little blade has consumed human blood abundantly.]
[Your little blade has grown accustomed to the swordsmanship of a perfected knight.]
[Your little blade’s nature ― Good (善) 50 : Evil (惡) 50 / Chaos (混沌)]
This was the message that appeared when a sword grew in [Sword Cultivation].
‘This is not the direction I intended―.’
Nothing frustrated me more than when an NPC’s mistake during [Sword Cultivation] corrupted a sword’s growth trajectory.
I had just committed a similar blunder.
However….
‘It had a Chaos nature?’
My heart raced with excitement.
It seemed my final blade.
‘My little blade’ possessed an entirely new cultivation method.
Flash!
————————
Choose the path of your sword.
1. Chaos (混沌).
2. Extreme Evil (極惡).
3. Extreme Good (極善).
————————

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