24

Chapter 24: The Sword Trial

The moment Subin stepped through the gate, the world around him changed.

The blue mana cavern disappeared behind him.

There was no longer a stone floor beneath his feet. No walls covered in crystals. No massive doors waiting in the distance.

Instead, Subin found himself standing on a vast plain beneath a completely clear sky.

The ground stretched toward the horizon in every direction.

There was nothing else.

No trees.

No mountains.

No monsters.

No dungeon walls.

Only an endless field of pale stone.

Subin looked behind him.

The entrance through which he had come was gone.

He remained calm.

The system appeared before him.

[Sword Path Trial initiated.]

[Trial Type: Sword Understanding.]

[Primary Objective: Advance.]

[Secondary Objective: None.]

[Restriction: The trial will respond to the user's current understanding of the sword.]

Subin frowned slightly.

"Advance?"

That was all the system said.

There was no target.

No opponent.

No treasure.

He looked toward the horizon.

Then he started walking.

For several minutes, nothing happened.

His footsteps echoed across the empty plain.

After roughly a kilometer, a sword appeared in the distance.

It was planted vertically into the ground.

Subin approached.

The sword was simple.

An ordinary iron blade.

Its edge was slightly dull, and its handle showed signs of wear.

He reached out and pulled it from the ground.

The moment his fingers touched the hilt, a notification appeared.

[Common Iron Sword.]

[Attack Power: +7.]

[Durability: 43/70.]

Subin examined it.

It was inferior to every serious weapon he had obtained since entering the dungeon.

Yet the moment he held it, something felt different.

There was no Sword Intent.

No special effect.

No high compatibility warning.

Just a sword.

Subin slowly swung it.

The blade moved through the air.

Nothing happened.

He swung again.

Then again.

His movements became gradually smoother.

The sword was weak, but it didn't matter.

The trial wasn't asking him to defeat anything.

Perhaps it wanted him to understand something about using a sword without relying on superior equipment.

Subin continued walking.

After another kilometer, the landscape changed.

A wooden target appeared.

It stood alone in the middle of the plain.

Subin approached it.

A notification appeared.

[First Trial.]

[Cut the target.]

Subin looked at the wooden target.

He raised the iron sword.

His first instinct was to use One Edge.

He concentrated his strength.

His sword moved.

THUD!

The blade cut halfway through the wood.

Subin stopped.

The target remained standing.

He looked at the cut.

Then at the sword.

The iron blade had bent slightly.

He frowned.

His technique was correct.

His strength was more than enough.

So why hadn't the target been completely cut?

Subin examined the wood carefully.

There was nothing special about it.

It was simply a block of dense timber.

He tried again.

This time he used more strength.

CRACK!

The target split.

[First Trial Complete.]

Subin stared at the notification.

"That's it?"

The environment changed immediately.

The wooden target disappeared.

A second target appeared farther away.

It was made from stone.

[Second Trial.]

[Cut the target.]

Subin walked toward it.

He raised his sword.

Then stopped.

The stone target was obviously much harder than the wooden one.

His iron sword would probably break if he tried to overpower it.

He examined the target.

Then he examined his sword.

He thought about Stone Edge Principles.

Minimize movement.

Maximize cutting efficiency.

He adjusted his grip.

Instead of striking with his entire arm, he allowed his wrist and body rotation to guide the blade.

The sword moved.

CLANG!

A shallow cut appeared on the stone.

The iron sword's edge chipped.

Subin looked at the mark.

Then smiled.

He attacked again.

This time, he changed the angle slightly.

CLANG!

The cut became deeper.

Again.

CRACK!

The stone split.

[Second Trial Complete.]

Subin lowered the sword.

The system displayed another message.

[Observation: User relies heavily on weapon quality.]

Subin's expression became thoughtful.

The statement wasn't an insult.

It was simply a fact.

The Stone Emperor's Blade was powerful.

Its attack power, defense penetration, and compatibility had allowed him to defeat opponents that would otherwise have been extremely difficult.

But the sword itself couldn't replace his understanding.

If his weapon was taken away, how much of his strength would remain?

That was apparently what this trial wanted him to discover.

The plain changed again.

A third target appeared.

This time it was made of metal.

Subin walked toward it.

The iron sword in his hand was already damaged.

He struck.

CLANG!

The sword bent.

The metal target remained intact.

Subin looked at his weapon.

Then he dropped it.

The system appeared.

[Weapon abandoned.]

[Third Trial.]

[Cut the target without using a weapon.]

Subin stared at the metal target.

"Without a weapon?"

He understood.

This wasn't about literally cutting metal with his bare hands.

It was testing whether he could manifest the essence of the sword without depending on a physical blade.

Subin took a stance.

He extended his right hand.

He imagined the Stone Emperor's Blade.

The weight.

The balance.

The edge.

The sensation of holding it.

Then he imagined the principle he had learned.

One Edge.

Cut.

Nothing happened.

He tried again.

Cut.

A faint pressure gathered around his hand.

It disappeared.

Subin didn't become frustrated.

He had already learned that Sword Intent wasn't something that could be forced.

He closed his eyes.

He stopped imagining the weapon.

Instead, he imagined the purpose behind it.

Not the sword.

Not the technique.

Not the movement.

Only the act of cutting.

His right hand moved.

A faint line appeared in the air.

SHING.

The metal target split.

Subin's eyes opened.

The system appeared immediately.

[Third Trial Complete.]

[Sword Intent manifestation confirmed.]

[Sword Intent comprehension: 14%.]

Subin looked at his hand.

A faint sensation remained around his fingers.

His understanding had advanced again.

But the trial wasn't finished.

The entire plain suddenly trembled.

The ground opened.

A massive stone arena rose from beneath the surface.

At the opposite end stood a human-shaped figure.

It wore plain clothing.

It held a wooden sword.

Its face was blank.

[Fourth Trial.]

[Opponent: Sword Projection.]

[Level: 25.]

[Weapon: Wooden Sword.]

Subin immediately understood.

This opponent wasn't designed to overpower him through superior equipment.

It would fight him with the same basic weapon.

The Sword Projection raised its sword.

Subin stepped forward.

The battle began.

The first exchange was simple.

The projection attacked with a horizontal slash.

Subin blocked.

CLACK!

The projection immediately reversed its grip and attacked from below.

Subin dodged.

His eyes sharpened.

This swordsmanship wasn't unfamiliar.

It was extremely refined basic swordsmanship.

No flashy techniques.

No special abilities.

No excessive movement.

Just fundamentals.

Subin counterattacked.

The projection blocked.

Subin attacked again.

Blocked.

He changed direction.

Blocked.

The projection suddenly advanced.

Its wooden sword struck Subin's shoulder.

THUD!

Subin stepped back.

A faint pain spread through his shoulder.

The system didn't declare failure.

There was no health deduction.

This was clearly a training battle.

Subin smiled.

"So you're teaching me fundamentals."

The projection attacked again.

Subin met it head-on.

Their wooden swords collided repeatedly.

CLACK!

CLACK!

CLACK!

The fight continued.

Subin initially tried using Silver Flow.

The projection adapted.

He used Fang Step.

It adapted.

Flowing Edge.

Adapted.

Stonebreaker Edge.

Adapted.

Every technique he used was answered.

Subin slowly stopped using his advanced techniques.

He returned to basic swordsmanship.

The battle immediately became different.

The projection was no longer overwhelming him.

Subin could match it.

But it was still slightly better.

Its movements were extremely efficient.

Its sword never wandered.

Its feet remained stable.

Its attacks came from positions that forced Subin to make decisions.

Subin's Sword Comprehension activated.

[Analysis: 22%.]

He continued fighting.

[Analysis: 31%.]

He began recognizing the principles behind its movements.

The projection didn't have a special sword style.

It had something simpler.

Perfect fundamentals.

Grip.

Stance.

Distance.

Timing.

Balance.

Cutting angle.

Recovery.

Everything was refined.

Subin gradually began correcting his own movements.

His shoulders relaxed.

His grip loosened.

His feet became more stable.

His sword returned to the centerline after every attack.

The projection attacked.

Subin blocked.

Countered.

The projection blocked.

They separated.

Subin breathed slowly.

Then he attacked.

The projection blocked.

Subin changed the angle halfway through the movement.

The wooden swords collided.

The projection's weapon was pushed aside.

Subin's blade stopped against its neck.

Silence.

The projection slowly lowered its sword.

[Fourth Trial Complete.]

Subin lowered his weapon.

The Sword Projection disappeared.

The system appeared.

[Basic Swordsmanship refinement complete.]

[Basic Swordsmanship proficiency increased.]

[Current proficiency: 78%.]

Subin's eyes widened slightly.

He had started learning Basic Swordsmanship back in Goblin's Hollow.

It had once seemed like a simple technique.

Now he realized how much he had overlooked.

A foundation could be simple without being shallow.

The environment changed one final time.

The stone arena vanished.

Subin was once again standing on the endless plain.

But this time, someone stood ahead of him.

A man.

He appeared to be in his thirties.

He wore simple black clothing and held a plain sword.

Unlike the previous projection, this man looked alive.

His eyes contained calmness.

The system appeared.

[Final Trial.]

[Opponent: Sword Master Projection.]

[Level: 30.]

[Restriction: The projection will use only swordsmanship.]

Subin's expression became serious.

Level 30.

Five levels above him.

But more importantly, the projection's presence was completely different.

There was no killing intent.

No intimidating aura.

Yet Subin could feel the sword intent surrounding it.

The man raised his sword.

Subin drew his Stone Emperor's Blade.

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then the projection stepped forward.

One slash.

Subin blocked.

The impact shook his arm.

He immediately countered.

The projection redirected his blade.

Subin stepped sideways.

Another attack came.

He used Fang Step.

The projection followed.

Subin used Silver Flow.

The projection broke through the rhythm.

Subin used Flowing Edge.

The projection changed its grip.

Their swords collided.

Subin was forced backward.

He understood immediately.

This opponent wasn't simply stronger.

It was more complete.

Every technique Subin had collected was being dismantled one by one.

Not because they were weak.

Because the projection understood their principles.

Subin's eyes became increasingly focused.

He stopped relying on individual techniques.

Instead, he began combining everything he had learned.

Battlefield Control determined his position.

Predator's Sense read the projection's movement.

Combat Adaptation adjusted his responses.

Sword Comprehension analyzed the swordsmanship.

One Edge guided his intention.

Sword Intent strengthened his blade.

Silver Flow connected his movements.

For the first time, Subin wasn't simply using a collection of skills.

He was beginning to make them work together.

The projection attacked.

Subin stepped forward.

Their swords collided.

Subin redirected the blade.

Changed position.

Struck.

The projection blocked.

Subin didn't stop.

He changed the angle.

One Edge.

His sword carried a faint pressure.

CLANG!

The projection's wooden sword cracked.

For the first time, the Sword Master Projection stepped backward.

Subin smiled.

"I finally understand."

The projection raised its sword again.

Subin lowered his stance.

Both moved simultaneously.

Their swords met.

A powerful shockwave spread across the plain.

BOOM!

Subin's Stone Emperor's Blade stopped against the projection's chest.

The projection's wooden sword stopped one centimeter from Subin's throat.

Neither moved.

Then the projection smiled.

It slowly disappeared.

[Final Trial Complete.]

[Sword Path Trial completed.]

[Reward calculation initiated.]

Subin waited.

The system displayed several messages.

[Sword Intent comprehension +5%.]

[Basic Swordsmanship proficiency +12%.]

[One Edge proficiency increased.]

[Sword Comprehension has reached a new threshold.]

Then one final notification appeared.

[Unique Sword God Skill unlocked.]

Subin's eyes widened.

[Sword God Foundation]

Type: Passive

Description: The user's understanding of swordsmanship continuously accumulates into a personal sword foundation. All sword techniques learned by the user can be gradually refined, integrated, and evolved into a unique sword path.

Subin stared at the skill.

This wasn't an ordinary increase in strength.

It was a foundation for everything that came afterward.

The system continued.

[Personal Sword Path: 1% established.]

Subin smiled.

Only one percent.

But he didn't care.

He had finally found something that could grow alongside him.

The endless plain began fading.

The next moment, Subin was standing once again inside the mana cavern.

The Sword Path gate behind him had closed.

His Stone Emperor's Blade remained in his hand.

But the sword felt different.

Or perhaps he was different.

He looked toward the remaining gates.

Shield.

Staff.

Bow.

Spear.

Then toward the central gate.

The Path of Awakening.

Subin shook his head.

Those paths weren't his concern.

He had already chosen.

His eyes settled on the staircase leading deeper into the dungeon.

"I'll keep walking."

He stepped forward.

His journey through the Stone Guardian Ruins had begun as a simple C-rank dungeon expedition.

Now, he had gained Sword Intent, a personal sword foundation, and a clearer understanding of the path he wanted to follow.

But the dungeon still wasn't finished.

Far below the mana cavern, something enormous stirred.

Not because it was a hidden mastermind.

Not because it had been waiting specifically for Subin.

The dungeon simply contained another challenge.

And Subin was getting closer to it with every step.