32

Chapter 32: The Imperial Armory

The staircase seemed to descend forever.

Subin walked steadily downward, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of the Abyssal Emperor's Edge. The further he went, the stronger the mana became. Unlike the chaotic mana concentration in the Blackwater Serpent's territory, this mana was incredibly stable.

It felt refined.

Controlled.

Almost as if the entire underground chamber had been designed to preserve it.

After several minutes, the staircase finally ended.

Subin stepped onto a massive stone platform.

His eyes widened.

The Imperial Armory stretched across an enormous underground hall.

Thousands of weapons were displayed throughout the chamber.

Swords occupied the largest section.

Long swords.

Short swords.

Curved swords.

Heavy swords.

Twin blades.

Straight blades.

There were even several enormous weapons that looked too large for an ordinary human to wield.

Beyond the swords were spears, axes, bows, shields, staffs, and various pieces of armor.

But Subin barely looked at anything except the swords.

His Sword God Foundation immediately reacted.

[Multiple high-level sword-type weapons detected.]

[Sword Intent resonance detected.]

[Sword Comprehension activated.]

Subin slowly walked forward.

"This place is incredible."

He approached the nearest display.

A black sword rested inside a transparent stone case.

[Imperial Black Sword.]

[Grade: Rare.]

[Attack Power: +104.]

[Special Effect: Physical resistance increased by 8%.]

Subin looked at it for a moment before moving on.

The next sword was slightly more interesting.

[Moon Crescent Blade.]

[Grade: Rare+.]

[Attack Power: +127.]

[Special Effect: Agility +5.]

He continued walking.

There were dozens of Rare and Rare+ weapons.

Some were Epic.

A few even possessed faint Legendary characteristics.

But Subin didn't immediately take anything.

He had learned something important from his previous experiences.

A powerful sword wasn't automatically the right sword.

Compatibility mattered.

He continued deeper.

The armory became increasingly impressive.

At the center of one section stood a massive red sword.

[Flame Emperor's Sword.]

[Grade: Epic.]

[Attack Power: +238.]

[Fire Mana Conductivity: +40%.]

Subin examined it.

His Sword Comprehension gave him a clear answer.

Compatibility: 62%.

He shook his head.

"Not for me."

He continued.

A blue sword.

Compatibility: 71%.

A white sword.

Compatibility: 68%.

A massive greatsword.

Compatibility: 74%.

None came close to the Abyssal Emperor's Edge.

Then Subin stopped.

He had reached the deepest part of the armory.

There was a separate chamber here.

Unlike the rest of the armory, it contained only seven swords.

Each sword rested on its own pedestal.

Subin immediately felt the difference.

The Sword Intent resonance was much stronger.

He approached the first.

[Imperial Dawn Sword.]

[Grade: Epic.]

[Attack Power: +267.]

[Sword Intent Resonance: High.]

Compatibility: 83%.

He moved to the second.

[Heaven Splitter.]

[Grade: Epic.]

[Attack Power: +291.]

[Defense Penetration: +18%.]

Compatibility: 88%.

Subin's eyes became slightly brighter.

That was a good weapon.

But he continued.

The third sword was completely white.

[Frost Emperor's Blade.]

[Grade: Epic.]

[Attack Power: +276.]

[Cold Mana Conductivity: +45%.]

Compatibility: 79%.

The fourth was a curved black blade.

[Night Crescent.]

[Grade: Epic.]

[Attack Power: +254.]

[Critical Strike Efficiency: +21%.]

Compatibility: 86%.

The fifth was enormous.

[Mountain King's Greatsword.]

[Grade: Epic.]

[Attack Power: +322.]

[Weight Adjustment: Advanced.]

Compatibility: 91%.

Subin examined it carefully.

Its attack power was higher than the Abyssal Emperor's Edge.

But the moment he touched its hilt, he knew.

It wasn't his sword.

He moved on.

The sixth sword was thin and almost completely transparent.

[Phantom Edge.]

[Grade: Epic.]

[Attack Power: +240.]

[Movement Efficiency: +17%.]

Compatibility: 92%.

Subin considered it.

It was an excellent weapon.

But again, it wasn't quite right.

Only one sword remained.

The seventh.

It was the simplest of all.

There were no jewels.

No special decorations.

No visible enchantments.

It was a plain dark-gray sword.

Its blade was slightly worn.

There were even several small scratches along its surface.

Subin stared at it.

For some reason, he felt strangely drawn toward it.

He reached out.

The moment his fingers touched the hilt, the entire armory went silent.

Every trace of mana disappeared.

The other weapons stopped resonating.

The system appeared.

[Unknown Sword detected.]

[Analysis beginning.]

Nothing happened.

Subin waited.

[Analysis: 1%.]

Then the number stopped.

A second notification appeared.

[Analysis interrupted.]

Subin's eyes narrowed.

"Again?"

The system had failed to analyze another sword.

But this time, Subin didn't feel frustrated.

He felt curiosity.

He tightened his grip.

The sword didn't react.

There was no massive surge of power.

No overwhelming pressure.

It simply remained in his hand.

Subin slowly lifted it.

It was surprisingly light.

He made a small swing.

SHING.

The sound was incredibly clean.

Subin froze.

Something about the movement felt natural.

Too natural.

He swung again.

The blade passed through the air without resistance.

His Sword God Foundation reacted.

[Personal Sword Path resonance detected.]

[Resonance: 37%.]

Subin's eyes widened.

The sword wasn't especially powerful.

But it resonated with his own sword path.

He looked at the weapon again.

"Who made you?"

There was no answer.

Then a faint inscription appeared along the blade.

Only three words.

"A sword is enough."

Subin stared at the inscription.

A smile slowly appeared.

"That's something I can agree with."

The system finally produced new information.

[Weapon identification partially successful.]

[Name: Unnamed Sword.]

[Grade: Unknown.]

[Attack Power: Unknown.]

[Special Effects: Unknown.]

[Compatibility: 99.8%.]

Subin's expression became serious.

99.8%.

Even the Abyssal Emperor's Edge was only 99%.

This was the highest compatibility he had ever seen.

But something bothered him.

Why couldn't the system identify its grade?

He looked at the blade.

It didn't feel stronger than the Abyssal Emperor's Edge.

In fact, it felt weaker.

Perhaps that was the point.

Subin returned it to the pedestal.

He didn't take it.

Not yet.

He wanted to understand it first.

He continued exploring the chamber.

Behind the seven swords was a wall covered with inscriptions.

Unlike the weapon displays, these inscriptions were readable.

Subin began studying them.

They described the principles of the ancient Imperial Sword School.

The first principle was Foundation.

The second was Flow.

The third was Control.

The fourth was Intent.

The fifth was Edge.

The sixth was Continuity.

The seventh was something Subin hadn't encountered before.

Adaptation.

Subin's eyes narrowed.

He read the inscription carefully.

The Imperial Sword School didn't believe that a swordsman should permanently follow one style.

Instead, the swordsmanship had to change according to the opponent.

Against strength, redirect.

Against speed, control distance.

Against defense, penetrate.

Against numbers, control the battlefield.

Against unpredictable opponents, adapt.

Subin felt his Sword God Foundation respond.

[Imperial Sword Principles absorbed.]

[Sword God Foundation: 15% → 18%.]

His Personal Sword Path also changed.

[Personal Sword Path: 9% → 11%.]

Subin stood silently for a while.

He had unknowingly been following many of these principles already.

The dungeon had forced him to learn them individually.

Now he was seeing the larger structure.

The ancient Imperial Sword School had built an entire system around them.

But there was still one final inscription.

It was written beneath the seven principles.

"When the seven become one, the swordsman no longer follows a sword path."

Subin frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Before he could think further, the entire armory shook.

BOOM!

The seven sword pedestals suddenly lit up.

The seven swords rose into the air.

Subin immediately stepped backward.

The weapons floated in a circle.

A powerful pressure spread across the chamber.

The system appeared.

[Imperial Sword Trial activated.]

[Seven Principles recognized.]

[Trial condition: Demonstrate understanding.]

Subin's expression became focused.

The seven swords moved.

The first attacked with overwhelming power.

Subin blocked.

The second attacked from behind.

He used Predator's Sense.

The third controlled the distance.

He used Flowing Edge.

The fourth changed direction unpredictably.

He used Combat Adaptation.

The fifth attempted to overwhelm him with speed.

He used Fang Step.

The sixth connected every movement into a continuous chain.

He responded with Silver Flow.

The seventh sword remained still.

Subin's eyes narrowed.

Six swords attacked.

The seventh simply watched.

Subin realized what was happening.

The seven swords weren't seven opponents.

They represented seven principles.

He didn't need to defeat each one individually.

He needed to combine them.

The first sword attacked.

Subin used its power against itself.

The second came from the side.

He redirected it.

The third controlled his movement.

He broke its range.

The fourth changed direction.

He adapted.

The fifth accelerated.

He moved with it.

The sixth continued the sequence.

Subin flowed between attacks.

Then he stopped.

The seventh sword finally moved.

It came straight toward him.

No complicated technique.

No feint.

No overwhelming force.

Just one simple cut.

Subin raised his sword.

Their blades collided.

CLANG!

The impact wasn't powerful.

But Subin understood.

The seventh sword represented the final principle.

Not another technique.

Not another form.

Choice.

After learning everything, the swordsman had to choose what to do.

There was no perfect technique.

Only the correct action for that moment.

Subin's Sword Intent awakened.

He didn't use a predetermined technique.

He simply moved.

One sword.

One decision.

One edge.

SHING!

The seven sword projections stopped simultaneously.

Then they disappeared.

[Imperial Sword Trial completed.]

[Seven Sword Principles fully understood.]

[Sword God Foundation: 18% → 22%.]

[Personal Sword Path: 11% → 15%.]

[Sword Intent comprehension: 17% → 20%.]

Subin lowered his sword.

The unnamed sword remained on its pedestal.

Then the system displayed one final notification.

[Hidden weapon condition fulfilled.]

[Unnamed Sword may now be claimed.]

Subin looked at the simple blade.

He walked toward it.

This time, when he picked it up, the weapon responded.

A faint silver glow traveled along its edge.

[Compatibility: 99.8%.]

[Weapon bond established.]

[Name registration available.]

Subin looked at the sword for a long moment.

He could have given it an impressive name.

He could have called it something like Heaven's Edge or Emperor Slayer.

But he didn't.

The inscription had already given him the answer.

A sword was enough.

He looked at the weapon.

"I'll call you Simple Edge."

The system accepted the name.

[Weapon Name registered: Simple Edge.]

[Grade: Unknown.]

[Attack Power: Unknown.]

[Potential: Unknown.]

Subin smiled.

"Unknown is fine."

He sheathed the Simple Edge.

Then he looked at the Abyssal Emperor's Edge.

He wasn't abandoning it.

The Legendary weapon remained his strongest known weapon.

Simple Edge was something different.

A sword whose potential had not yet been revealed.

He would carry both.

At that moment, the entire Imperial Armory began changing.

The walls started opening.

The weapons displayed throughout the chamber disappeared into hidden storage.

A large doorway appeared behind the seven pedestals.

Beyond it was a faint golden light.

The system appeared again.

[Buried Imperial Ruins fully explored.]

[Primary dungeon objective completed.]

[Additional area unlocked.]

[Dungeon Core Chamber.]

Subin looked toward the doorway.

He had expected the dungeon to end after the Imperial Armory.

Apparently, there was still one final place beneath the ruins.

He smiled.

"Then let's see what the dungeon core looks like."

Subin walked toward the golden doorway with two swords at his side.

He had entered the ruins looking for resources.

He had gained something much more valuable.

A deeper understanding of the sword.

And now, with the next chamber waiting beneath the ancient city, his journey continued.