Chapter 14. A Moment of Enlightenment (2)
Hoo—
About ten minutes had passed since I used the Authority Skill.
I finally managed to regain my composure.
The nausea, the pain from biting my tongue—all of it disappeared not long after the skill’s effects ended.
As expected, time was the best remedy.
…The problem, however, was that when I used Ritardando, that “time” barely moved at all.
“This is insane.”
I didn’t expect the output in its True Form to be this powerful.
Before I used the skill, I couldn’t have imagined the time dilation would be this extreme.
If it weren’t for the passive effect of 【Soul of the Swordmaster】, my mind would’ve crumbled under the strain.
Now, I finally understood the intention behind the trial set up by the masters of Seconds and Moments.
They must’ve figured that if one couldn’t endure the mental strain, they wouldn’t be able to wield the Authority anyway.
“Still…”
Slide—
I glanced at the notification floating in the corner of my vision.
[Reward: Acquired Passive Skill 【Lesser Pain Resistance】.]
By enduring the pain of biting my tongue for a prolonged period, I had acquired a new skill.
Of course, Lesser Pain Resistance wasn’t particularly impressive by itself…
But the important takeaway was this: skills could be acquired through specific actions.
“The growth mechanism I know is working properly.”
Hadn’t I always said this?
If you use Roel’s system well, you can achieve limitless growth through this Authority.
I had now confirmed that the structure I believed possible in theory actually worked in practice.
Which meant it was time to start leveraging that growth system to its fullest.
“The only shame is, I still don’t know the exact time ratio between reality and slowed time…”
I was too overwhelmed earlier to gauge it properly.
“…Next time I use the skill, I should try counting in my head.”
While I was lost in thought—
“Sir Swordmaster.”
Flinch—
A quiet whisper tickled my ear. It was Adelia.
The title Swordmaster made me jolt. Honestly, if someone else overheard that, it could lead to misunderstandings.
“What if someone hears…”
I quickly scanned the surroundings.
Luckily, no one seemed to have heard her. Her voice had been soft, and the rattling of the carriage masked it further.
“I hope this isn’t too forward, but may I ask why you’re heading to the Free City of Vertas?”
Whether she realized my inner panic or not, Adelia kept speaking.
Why was I going to the Free City of Vertas?
“Because it’s where I can accomplish the most at this stage.”
The Free City of Vertas.
One of the Four Great Cities remaining on the continent—and the main hub during the early and mid-game.
It was a place teeming with resources, items, and opportunities for players.
There were also many NPCs essential to game progression.
Even if it weren’t to awaken that power against the Undead, it was still a destination I had to reach.
“And though I’m not certain yet…”
…If my intuition was right, this journey would yield tremendous gains.
“Of course, I can’t explain any of that to Adelia.”
So I pulled out my favorite get-out-of-jail-free card.
I hinted that everything was according to the will of the ancient god, Elder.
“Even you, a noble of the sacred Goldheart family, cannot presume to know His will.”
“…Ah.”
Nod, nod—
Thankfully, Adelia accepted my explanation without protest.
With her mouth slightly open and a dazed expression, she nodded eagerly—like a child gazing in awe at her hero.
Suppressing a laugh, I continued.
“Don’t worry too much. Even as I follow His will, I’ll still have time to teach you.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Nod, nod—
Adelia nodded again, a mysterious light flickering in her deep blue eyes.
Her desire to follow me was rooted in a longing for enlightenment.
As long as I satisfied that desire, she wouldn’t question my actions.
“Not that I really have anything to teach her…”
But she’s the greatest genius in Roel’s world.
Just being by my side, she’ll figure things out eventually.
“And…”
I trailed off.
Now that we were talking, there was one thing I needed to address.
Her calling me “Swordmaster” all the time was getting exhausting.
“…From now on, just call me Gaon.”
Gaon.
It was derived from my old Roel nickname, “Middle Finger.”
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t even introduced myself properly. Without thinking, I just blurted out the first name that came to mind.
Adelia’s expression brightened as she nodded enthusiastically.
“Understood, Sir Gaon.”
All she’d learned was my name, yet she seemed strangely pleased.
Maybe she felt like the distance between us had closed a little.
* * *
Half a day had passed since we left the dark city of Dungard.
Everywhere I looked, dried weeds and cracked earth stretched across the landscape.
The city lights had long disappeared. Beyond the horizon, only desolation remained.
[Uncharted Territory]
That was the name of this place.
Or rather, calling it a name might be a stretch.
The Uncharted Territory referred to all lands outside the Great Cities.
“Anyway…”
Unlike the barrier-protected Great Cities, the Uncharted Territory was always at risk of monster attacks.
Merchants and adventurers passing through were always on high alert.
It was the dead of night, with visibility near zero.
That’s why everyone wore tense expressions and scanned the darkness.
“So quiet…”
Adelia’s soft voice broke the silence.
Wasn’t it always said the quiet before the storm was the most terrifying? Adelia seemed nervous at how eerily still things were.
The bald merchant leader responded with a calm smile.
“Because we’re passing through the Silk Road. Silence is to be expected.”
Adelia furrowed her brow slightly.
“But not all of the Silk Road is safe, is it? I heard that lately, unstable mana stone supplies have been causing temporary barrier failures…”
“Our company has identified all the danger zones. We took a longer route to avoid them.”
“…”
“So rest easy. Nothing dangerous will happen on this trip.”
True.
Just because it was the Uncharted Territory didn’t mean every part was deadly.
Even within danger zones, there were pockets of safety.
[Silk Road]
A trade network connecting the Great Cities.
Named for the barrier-strewn paths that resembled threads of silk.
“But right now, we can’t trust it completely.”
Until a few years ago, the Silk Road had been a sacred safe zone.
But as the world’s destruction accelerated, its reliability had sharply declined.
Especially on days when mana stone supplies were low…
KUUUOOOOOM—!
“Huh?”
“T-The barrier’s down!”
…A catastrophe.
The Silk Road’s barrier had collapsed—just like that.
“Ambush! It’s an ambush!”
AWOOOOOO—!
Grrrr, GRAWR—!
Howls echoed from all sides.
A pack of monsters slowly encircled us, tightening their formation.
They had sensed the weakened barrier and moved in for the kill. The wolves drooled thickly, their red eyes glowing ominously.
[Lv. 24]
[Lv. 27]
[Lv. 26]
Scavenger Wolves.
One of the most common wolf-type monsters in the Uncharted Territory.
They never looked threatening through a monitor…
Dammit.
Facing them in real life was downright terrifying.
“C-Cough!”
The bald merchant leader’s face turned awkward.
He kept glancing at Adelia, clearly embarrassed.
“Strange… This path has never had incidents before…”
He didn’t look scared, just ashamed for confidently claiming it was safe.
Then the mercenaries began shouting.
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
“Damn it, protect the merchants first! Don’t let the line break!”
AWOOOO—!
The wolves howled as they charged us.
The mercenaries were between levels 20 and 30.
It didn’t seem like the line would collapse, but I couldn’t guarantee there wouldn’t be casualties.
Having assessed the situation, I looked to Adelia and said,
“Adelia.”
“Yes?”
“Go assist them. I’ll stay here and guard the merchant leader.”
“…Understood.”
Shing—!
Without hesitation, Adelia drew her sword.
She dashed into the thick of battle where wolves and mercenaries clashed.
“W-What…?”
Soon, confused murmurs spread among the mercenaries.
Only one person had joined the fray.
Yet the tide of battle shifted instantly.
Slice—!
Scavenger Wolves fell like leaves before her blade.
Her movements—a dazzling sword dance—were acrobatic and beautiful.
Watching her live, rather than on a monitor, left me in awe.
“Wow…”
Until now, I’d only seen Adelia fight alone. I had no real basis for comparison.
But seeing her cut through dozens of mercenaries’ worth of enemies made me realize again how powerful she was.
She was in a league of her own.
At Level 77, she could completely flip the tide of a battle.
Ssssshh—
The chaos began to settle.
A clear line formed between the wolves and the humans.
And Adelia didn’t miss the chance.
“Everyone, fall back.”
She gave a brief warning and lowered her stance.
RUMMMBLE—!
Her weight shifted into her legs, denting the ground.
A teal aura covered her entire body as she swung with all her might.
“Wh-What the…!”
KRAAAKOOOOOM—!
The mercenaries all widened their eyes in disbelief.
One single strike.
That one blow swept away the entire pack of wolves that had given them such trouble.
The teal slash tore straight through everything in its path.
The dozens of Scavenger Wolves couldn’t even scream before dying.
“Hoo.”
Adelia let out a short breath and turned around.
“I have eliminated all the wolves as you ordered.”
“…Well done.”
Pause—
Hearing my reply, Adelia tilted her head slightly.
Like she was expecting… something more.
“Ah.”
I realized what she wanted.
She was hoping for more teaching.
“Get back in the carriage for now. I’ll explain as we travel.”
“Yes!”
Brightening immediately, Adelia walked toward the carriage.
Her skipping steps seemed almost cheerful—though maybe that was just my imagination.
Sigh…
I let out a deep breath, suddenly weary.
My head hurt.
What kind of nonsense was I supposed to say this time to satisfy her?
“…”
“…”
“…”
The mercenaries—and the bald merchant—simply stared at us, utterly dumbfounded.
