I Was the Strongest Sword God in My Past Life

part 49

– Could it be?

– For real?

– LOL, alone?

Behind the viewers’ worried and expectant chats.

– From now on, The Knight’s Cave.

Jian, looking at the entrance, raised his sword.

– I will conquer it.

At that brief declaration, the viewers ignited like fire.

[The Knight’s Cave]

The resting place of the ‘Knight,’ the most challenging boss on the deserted island.

Jian was walking alone through that notorious dungeon.

“It’s more like a cave…”

The space seemed artificially made, with white marble tiles on the floor and statues of medieval knights scattered about.

But the most impressive feature was the pillars lined up like a path, guiding the participants.

‘If I follow this…’

Surely, at the end, there will be the Knight.

As Jian silently surveyed his surroundings, Amy’s message appeared as a hologram.

Ding!

[Amy♥: We’ve got a bite! The main cam has switched to us!]

This very moment.

70,000 at the Central Dome.

100,000 on Amy’s channel.

1 million on G Channel. Nearly 1.2 million people were watching Zien. His audacious solo challenge against the boss mob was shining bright.

[Amy♥: It’s not just our channel that’s in a frenzy. The internet reaction is real, I should show you this, just a moment!]

Ding!

Soon after, Amy sent another message. This time, it was a photo of the real-time search terms.

───────────────

① Battle Survival

② IG Group Virtual Gate Utilization

③ Arcana Party Venue

④ Arcana Academy

⑤ Celia Party Member

………….

───────────────

‘Was this too much?’

The day before Battle Survival began.

Zien received a call from Metis.

[It’s a pleasure. I am Minister Metis from the Gate Management Bureau.]

To Zien, merely a student, Metis introduced himself with due respect.

[The Gate Management Bureau is considering opening the gates to students as well. It’s the first case.]

Until now, the limit for students was the third-grade gate. However, Metis wanted to give talented students the opportunity to participate in higher gates.

[The opposition is still strong. But if the students show impressive performances at the event, wouldn’t the public opinion be diluted?]

Thus, Metis selected five students to participate in Battle Survival.

‘And I was one of them.’

With such a performance, Zien had somewhat fulfilled Metis’s request. Now, the only task left for Zien was to win the Battle Survival, as promised to Selfis.

Trudging along.

Zien walked silently on the seemingly endless path.

A sword of pitch black.

Garments of dark hue.

A lone challenger ventures into the vast dungeon.

It created a dramatic atmosphere, like a swordsman who had unintentionally resolved to a life-or-death duel.

Ding.

A hologram pops up right beside.

[Amy♥: You look so cool! Getting good reactions!]

[Amy♥: Shall we go with a cool beauty for the character? Haha]

Jien blocked Amy.

‘I need to focus now.’

It was because of the throne seen in the distance. On the throne sat a [Knight], guarding the cave alone.

A hunter of the first zone, who knew honor and the sword, possessed traits like a witch.

‘That was the background Amy explained.’

Hunter Lee Seong-jun, with skills equivalent to a fifth-class Saber. He, who had traits related to the sword, aimed to conquer the dungeon [Knight’s Cave].

And the result was a success.

But the problem came after. His soul was taken by the cursed sword obtained from the cave. Thus, Lee Seong-jun remained in the dungeon instead of a monster, becoming the most malevolent knight.

‘Such a distasteful setting.’

Jien frowned.

Considering the nature of the virtual gate, it was clear that the boss of the battle survival was pulled from an actual gate that existed.

It meant that a hunter named Lee Seong-jun truly existed at some point in the timeline of zone one.

An unsettling story all around.

As Jien approached the throne, the [Knight] who had been closing his eyes slowly opened them.

– Are you a hunter?

A line faithful to the knight’s setting.

Jien aimed his sword, Heukhyang, matching the rhythm.

“Yes.”

The opponent was the highest boss of the uninhabited island, corresponding to a fifth-class. A different caliber from the Hyperus he had slain in the mountains.

But Jien was different from that time as well.

Having eaten the fruit of the World Tree and unlocked the magic device, he had become incomparably stronger, though less than a month had passed.

“Pocket.”

Jien opened his pocket and pulled out the enchant scroll he had obtained from the factory, then he exclaimed,

“Light.”

As Jien tore the scroll, Heukhyang emitted a pure white light. The weapon was endowed with the attribute of light for five minutes.

Of course, the [Knight] was neither undead nor did the attribute of light mean much. However, this was also part of the production Amy had mentioned.

Kukukung.

The ground vibrated and the mana in the atmosphere surged. At the center stood the Knight, Hunter Lee Seongjun.

– I see.

With a cold gaze, the Knight looked down at Jien. In his hand, the artifact, a demonic sword, was emitting a black aura. In stark contrast to Jien’s Heukhyang, which was emitting light, the two seemed like opposing existences with just their swords.

– A swordsman?

The Knight pointed his sword at Jien.

At this moment, they were neither Saber nor Boss. Just two swordsmen wielding their swords.

Even without their swords clashing, Jien could feel the opponent’s strength. A sudden, intense exhilaration.

‘Here it comes.’

To prepare for the attack, Jien lowered his stance.

– Good instincts!

The Knight seemed to like that posture.

From noble mtl dot come

Tat!

With the sound of footsteps, the Knight’s figure vanished. As a Hunter, he had blossomed with the trait [High-Speed Movement]. The Knight appeared behind and slashed at Jien.

Jjeong!! Jjeong!

A double strike that sent a tingling sensation through the hands.

The attack was not over yet.

Shoulder, waist, stomach, chest.

A relentless barrage of sword strikes poured down on Jien, as if he was being diced. It was the power of the Knight’s second trait, [Sword Skill Enhancement]. The sword strikes imbued with the Knight’s trait transcended human limits. To allow such an attack meant the end of the game.

‘So fast.’

Jien couldn’t believe he was being overwhelmed by the sword.

But the opponent was a boss mob using two traits, [High-Speed Movement] and [Sword Skill Enhancement]. Jien was facing such a monster with pure swordsmanship alone.

Suaaak!

The Knight’s demonic sword swung horizontally.

Jien’s Heukhyang struck it down.

Using his body to push the knight away, Jian struck with the speed of lightning.

Swoosh!

The knight, cut by the sword, staggered backward.

Instead of blood, mana sprayed from the wound.

A duel of swordsmanship too fast for the eyes to follow.

Yet, neither was at full power.

The knight had only used two of his four attributes. Jian was conserving his Mp for emergencies.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Crash! Bang! Cling!

10 seconds.

Fifty sword strikes exchanged in that brief time.

Sparks flew abundantly, and Jian’s muscles screamed in silent agony.

“You are the strongest hunter I’ve seen,” he said.

The knight’s eyes turned a fierce red.

The third attribute, [Berserk]. That attribute was the knight’s hallmark and the reason he was dominated by the cursed sword.

Tssss!

Red and black mana danced chaotically around the cursed sword.

Boom!

With a sonic boom, the knight charged forward.

Crash!

Jian was pushed back by the frontal assault. Though Jian’s swordsmanship overwhelmed the knight, the knight, smeared with the power of his attributes, was a transcendent being.

But if the knight was a hunter, then Jian was a saber.

Boom!

The knight kicked off the ground and charged head-on again. That’s when Jian’s skill [Sensory Amplification] activated. In a world that seemed to slow down, Jian could see the knight clearly.

‘I have to parry this time.’

Jian’s Mp was at its maximum of 3,300. More than enough to face a boss mob. Infusing mana into his legs, Jian lowered his stance.

‘And now for the attribute.’

The second effect of his unique attribute, Sword God.

Screeech!

With a vicious sound, the Black Aroma absorbed mana. Its destructive power, incomparable to sword energy or sword aura, had doubled. Now was the time to test that power.

In the slowed world, the Black Aroma and the cursed sword clashed once more. The scattering mana was nothing short of explosive.

Crash!!

As a massive amount of mana collided, sparks flew, and both were pushed back.

– How can this be…

As the knight’s sword strike, powered by [Frenzy] and the magic sword, was blocked, turmoil flickered in his red eyes. It was doubt and fear. The tide had turned, and now it was Jian’s turn.

Snap! Clang! Ting!

Jian, having penetrated the knight’s guard, swung his sword succinctly.

It was a minimal movement, but the knight staggered to block the sword.

A beautiful sword dance (劍舞) that even [Frenzy] couldn’t keep up with. Jian’s swordplay was graceful and straight.

It wasn’t that the speed was faster. It was just that Jian had mastered the weapon known as the sword.

– Kuh!

The knight took a backstep to create distance and gasped for breath. Dominated by the magic sword but valuing the sword and knighthood, the boss—or rather, the hunter Lee Seongjun—was being targeted by Jian.