Into the Lair
The battle erupted in an instant.
The Ogre charged straight at Kals, swinging its massive battle axe—
while I soared above, slicing through the air.
Using the "Spectral Leap" skill, a set effect granted by Revenant,
I dashed across the void as if sprinting on leaves like a martial arts master.
[Attack Skill: Sword Art, Form Two]
Fsshh!
Incomplete yet sharp, my Sword Spirit condensed with a burst of sparks.
While the Ogre's focus was locked on Kals,
I flew past, cutting cleanly downward in midair.
Swish!
A shallow cut—
but blood gushed out like a bursting dam.
"KRWAAAAAHHH!"
The beast roared, thrashing madly, enraged by the scent of its own blood.
Good.
I twisted in midair, landing softly behind it.
The strike had landed exactly where I wanted—
at the side of its head, its blind spot.
Every humanoid monster had one vulnerable point:
the thick vein running across the temple.
That was my target—
and my blade had found it perfectly.
The fine edge of Haeu Swordsmanship danced at the precise angle,
ripping through the vein and sending torrents of blood cascading out.
"GrrrRRRRAAAA!"
Normally, an Ogre's tenacity kept it fixated on one prey,
but drenched in its own blood, it finally turned its attention to me.
Exactly as planned.
Now it was Tyrbaen's turn.
"Gilroshan! Be careful!"
[Attack Magic: Venom Needle Storm]
Shhhhkt!
From the little witch's staff burst a cloud of venom-tipped needles,
raining down upon the Ogre's head like a hailstorm.
An unavoidable barrage—
the beast, now bristling like a hedgehog, screamed in agony.
"KRRRAAAAAGHH!"
['Sentinel Ogre' is afflicted with Status Effect: 'Severe Poison'!]
Thud!
It swung its axe toward me again—
but this time, it was slow.
The witch's poison magic was eating away at its reflexes.
I dodged lightly and straightened my blade, frowning.
Too easy.
…Not good.
This wasn't supposed to go this smoothly.
Back at the ruined monastery,
I had briefed Kals and Tyrbaen on every possible contingency inside this lair.
Both were prodigies for their age, quick to grasp and execute plans.
Which meant this Ogre would fall soon—
without issue.
And that was the problem.
If Kals is to break the 7-Star wall, he needs something dramatic.
No revelation ever comes without a moment of crisis.
And right now, everything was just… routine.
A "special moment" for a bodyguard knight.
What else could it be?
I slipped backward, grabbing one of the fallen poisoned needles.
Then I clutched my leg and shouted:
"ARGH! Master! Watch your aim!"
Tyrbaen froze in panic.
"What!? Did—did I hit you!? That's impossible!"
Of course, I wasn't even grazed.
But Kals didn't know that.
"Your Highness! Get back!"
He threw down the massive two-person shield and drew his sword,
his aura surging violently as he charged.
[Suppression Skill: Frontier Fear]
Rrrrrumble…!
The pressure of a 6-Star knight charging at full speed—
it was tremendous.
The air quivered with every step; even the cliffside trembled.
Despite the lair's magical reinforcement,
the ground itself shook beneath his momentum.
But it still wasn't enough.
How do you force an awakening?
Simple.
You take the hit.
The Ogre's roar ripped through the cavern as it raised its axe high—
and the moment it cleaved through the air,
my body was torn apart by its swing.
Of course, I had already triggered that skill.
[Defense Skill: Golden Contract]
BOOOM!
The impact sounded like a bomb going off,
and I was hurled across the ground like a ragdoll.
The blow sent me rolling down the cliffside like a giant bouncing ball.
But when I finally stopped,
I looked down—only a small scratch on my arm.
What a busted skill.
The Golden Contract, a unique ability of the Mercenary Gladiator card,
allowed me to invoke absolute defense in exchange for gold.
So the one paying the price wasn't my body—
it was my wallet.
[Skill cost deducted.]
[89.95 Gold Coins consumed!]
"Ghk!"
That sound? Not acting.
What the hell!? Ninety gold for one hit!?
My scream echoed across the cliffs—
a genuine death cry from the pain of watching my gold drain away.
And that was enough.
"Your Highness!!!"
Kals's eyes snapped wide open.
The aura around his blade exploded—
pure, vivid blue energy surged out like a storm.
Unlike my unstable Sword Spirit,
his was perfect, solid, unyielding—
the complete manifestation of a Knight's Sword Spirit.
But even that wasn't the end.
One more step.
To reach 7-Star,
a knight had to push past the sword itself—
to let the spirit transcend its blade.
The soul within the sword must surpass its form.
"KUOOOOH!"
The Ogre roared again,
refusing to wait for enlightenment,
and swung its axe toward me once more.
BOOM!
"AAAAAHHH!"
My wallet screamed in agony.
[Skill cost deducted.]
[82.45 Gold Coins consumed!]
…Hah.
So much for my quest rewards.
It felt like bleeding money,
but at least the result was worth it.
KRRAAASHHH!
Kals's aura flared beyond all reason—
his sword became a whirlwind of destruction,
and the system message confirmed it:
['Kals Silion' has achieved a special enlightenment — 'Unity of Offense and Defense.']
***
Transcendent Extras Strategy Log
The Awakening of a Knight
['Kals Silion' has ascended to 7-Star Rank!]
Success!
The very moment I rejoiced inwardly—
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Kals, thinking I'd been cleaved in half, let out a raw, unrestrained scream as his power exploded.
"RAAAAHHHHH!"
"…"
I actually felt a little guilty.
[Attack Skill: Giant Slain]
Shuuuuuuk!
The tip of his sword split the Sword Spirit into three luminous streams—
the blade's form completely dissolved, taking on the shape of a golden whip,
gleaming the same radiant color as his hair.
Kals swung it down.
CRRRAAAAASH!
In one strike, the Ogre was cleaved from head to toe,
its massive body bursting apart like a sheet of paper tearing.
['Sentinel Ogre' has been defeated!]
"…Whoa."
The destructive power far exceeded my expectations—
I stood there, dumbfounded.
Then—
"Your Highness!"
Kals, his sword—the same one he'd once called his lover—now cast aside,
ran toward me in a panic.
Seeing his eyes, I smiled in satisfaction.
That fierce, unstable glow that had flashed before his promotion—
was gone.
Now, in its place, a steady, crystalline blue light shone within them.
And more than that—
"Your Highness, why are you smiling!? No, no—stay with me! We must stop the bleeding! Lady Sui, healing magic, quick!"
He was completely flustered,
so panicked that he couldn't even bring himself to look properly at my wounds.
Tyrbaen, arriving late, let out a long sigh.
"Sir Silion, look closely at His Highness's face."
"…What?"
"Does that look like the face of a wounded man to you?"
"...?"
Kals finally turned toward me—
and froze at the sight of my stupid grin.
"What… what's going on? Your Highness, are you alright?"
"As you can see?"
Unable to hold it in, Tyrbaen exploded.
"You wicked brat! That was far too cruel to Sir Silion!"
Of course, she'd seen right through me from the start.
At last, Kals realized what had happened. His expression hardened.
"Your Highness… how could you…"
"Sorry, man."
I stood up, brushing dust from my cloak.
"Didn't mean to scare you, but… it really was the fastest way."
"The fastest… way?"
Still bewildered, he hadn't yet realized what he'd achieved.
"What else? Look at yourself."
I met his eyes.
Something in his aura had changed—undeniably.
He'd climbed a step higher.
"…You've crossed the wall of the 7-Star Knights. Congratulations, Kals."
I patted the shoulder of my now-formidable bodyguard,
then smiled faintly to myself.
[A massive amount of experience has been gained!]
[Level Up!]
Level 30.
Finally, the moment had come.
[The selection of the fourth Fate Card begins.]
***
The Threshold of Fate
NPC combat ability was ranked by a simple ten-tier star system:
1-Star for a child's level of strength,
10-Star for godhood itself.
Blunt, simple, and absolute.
But players were different.
We had levels, Fate Cards, countless skills—
and even our own factions counted toward our power.
That's why this moment mattered so much.
If I can draw the right card this time…
Together with my soon-to-be-acquired hatchling and a new spellbook,
I could forge an unstoppable force.
Tripling my combat power wasn't even out of the question.
[Two Fate Card selections will proceed simultaneously.]
[Player, confirm your destined choices.]
Because I'd postponed my third card draw,
I now had six cards to choose from—
and I could pick two.
A nice little bonus.
Alright, let's see what fate has for me.
Would this finally be the moment of the ultimate jackpot?
…Well.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Ever since I'd missed out on the Archmage class,
I'd stopped believing in luck.
In the end, the only thing I could rely on—was myself.
Still… it's not wrong to hope a little, right?
False hope crept back in,
like a bad habit.
Ah, whatever.
Just draw!
Think later!
[Shuffling cards…]
Tsussshhh…
Darkness descended like mist,
turning the air above me into a shimmering night sky.
A thousand faint stars appeared overhead.
I looked up at them, muttering like a lunatic.
"Don't get your hopes up… don't get your hopes up…"
But inside—
Dear God, Buddha, Confucius, and most holy King Godcraft…!
Please, just one usable S-rank card!
EX-rank would be even better!
Desire flared inside me like a wildfire.
And then—
"Hey! Come on, seriously!?"
I trembled, consumed by disbelief.
This was beyond bad luck.
"You goddamn devs with no conscience!!!"
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