Chapter 45

At the very mention of “Knight of Atanga” from Najin’s lips, Verheigen’s eyes wavered. Had the Knights of Atanga already pursued him this far? That seemed impossible. Anxiety and unease shook Verheigen’s mind.

But even a rotten tree may bear fruit.

Verheigen was also a knight, having held the position of a knight-commander. It didn’t take long for him to organize his thoughts and regain composure.

‘He said he’s a squire.’

A vanguard of the knight order, or just mere bravado.

It didn’t matter. The young man before him seemed insignificant. The right thing would be to quickly dispose of this interloper and escape.

Judgment and conclusion.

The time taken to reach this decision was barely two seconds.

It was a quick decision and response. However, time is always relative. Najin’s declaration wasn’t a bluff to test Verheigen but a straightforward statement of his identity before the battle.

In other words, the moment he uttered that sentence, Najin was ready for battle.

Bang!

Two seconds. It was more than enough time to close the distance. Najin had covered over ten steps in a single moment. By the time Verheigen made his decision, Najin was already swinging his sword right in front of him.

“……!”

It was fast. Faster than expected.

Verheigen’s eyes widened. There wasn’t enough time to counter. Pulling his arms inwards, Verheigen protected his neck and heart. As long as those weren’t hit, he could regenerate indefinitely.

Swoosh!

Najin’s sword, charged with sword aura, grazed Verheigen’s forearm lightly.

As expected, it was shallow.

Realizing his arm wasn’t severed, a smile formed on Verheigen’s lips. The speed was impressive, but he realized the sword aura wasn’t a threat. However, his thoughts were short-lived.

“Gggrrr!”

Verheigen’s eyes bulged in pain.

The cut from the sword aura burned as if on fire. Sparks flew in his brain. Accustomed to pain and with a body numbed by demonization, this was a type of pain Verheigen had never felt in his life.

Pain as if the soul itself was burning.

The demonic energy within him churned violently.

Poised to counterattack, Verheigen’s stance was disrupted by pain. Najin wouldn’t miss this opening. He struck Verheigen’s knee with a kick, and Verheigen’s stance crumbled completely.

Clasp.

Najin, gripping his sword firmly, brought it down towards Verheigen’s head. A guillotine-like sword strike. A bright white sword aura drew a single line.

“This, damned brat…”

However, the sword didn’t split Verheigen’s head. He had raised his arm in time to block Najin’s sword with his forearm. The sword, halfway into his arm, was pushed out by swelling flesh.

With his face twisted in pain, Verheigen reached behind his back. Sensing danger, Najin’s instincts warned him. Retreat and create distance.

That decision proved right.

As Najin retreated, Verheigen grabbed a sword hilt protruding over his shoulder. Then, unsheathing it. The sword, breaking free from its scabbard, left a dark trace in its wake.

Whoosh!

The sword aura split trees in its path.

Wind howled. From a distance, Najin observed the sword in Verheigen’s grasp. A blade, two to three times thicker than a normal longsword, resembling a greatsword.

To wield such a sword.

At such a speed.

It was a threatening strength, and the dark sword aura wrapped around the greatsword was equally menacing. The dark, murky sword aura seemed ominous.

Crack, crackle.

Verheigen loosened his shoulders.

Initially, he hadn’t intended to draw his sword, but his thoughts changed the moment he received Najin’s attack. The sword aura emitted by the young man was unusual, Verheigen concluded.

The power of the sword aura itself wasn’t threatening. The issue was the soul-burning pain felt when cut by the sword aura.

‘It doesn’t seem to carry any special properties.’

A sword aura with unique properties and forms is a symbol of a Sword Seeker. In Verheigen’s eyes, Najin didn’t seem to be at the level of a Sword Seeker. However, it was certain that the sword aura he wielded was special.

Dragging the fight out wouldn’t be beneficial.

That is what Verheigen had decided.

Clang, positioning his greatsword on his shoulder, Verheigen adopted a new stance. His presence shifted in an instant.

Verheigen, former knight-commander of the Trebache Family.

Even before contracting with a demon, he was at the very top of the Sword Experts. Now, with exponentially enhanced physical abilities due to the demon contract, he was as strong as a Sword Seeker in the early stages.

Thus, Verheigen was confident in his victory.

At best, his opponent was only a Sword Expert. He was agile, but that’s all. He believed that the level of combat skill was absolute.

…That’s generally a correct judgment.

But not always does a disparity in skill determine victory or defeat. Sometimes, subtle nuances, not categorized by skill level, become the deciding factor.

“Huff…”

And Najin,

The boy who had survived in the underground city,

Always created those nuances with his own hands, seizing victory. This time was no different. Najin exhaled deeply and widened his eyes.

Eyes filled with determination.

In those eyes reflected a momentary future.

Since arriving in the City of Opportunities, Najin had grown.

His growth was steep and unimpeded, but he was still a Sword Expert. Naturally, he was weaker than Verheigen, who was close to a Seeker, and lacked in absolute strength.

Technique, physical strength, and various other aspects.

Most likely, he was inferior in all those respects.

But if there was one area where Najin didn’t fall short, it was his senses and vision. Sharply honed senses and chilling eyes that captured everything.

The boy, always unparalleled in ‘seeing’, had realized his talent several months ago.

Najin’s eyes existed beyond ordinary understanding… almost mystical. The world seen through those eyes was incomprehensible to mere mortals. Only Najin could understand that landscape.

Rustling grass.

Breathing. The moving eyes of Verheigen.

The grip on the sword.

Dark particles rising from the sword aura.

And, the twitching muscles.

The moment Verheigen stepped forward, Najin had already sprung off the ground. When Verheigen swung his sword, Najin had already infiltrated his side.

Swoosh!

As Verheigen’s greatsword tore the ground, Najin’s sword sliced Verheigen’s flesh as he moved past. The wounds were shallow, but Najin didn’t stop there. With bulging eyes, he read Verheigen’s movements and inhaled deeply.

Mana surged.

Mana Cultivation Technique that absorbs the surrounding mana.

Normally, in a battle against a demon, Najin’s mana cultivation would be akin to self-harm. If he absorbed mana filled with demonic energy, his body would break down.

But Najin was the owner of Excalibur.

The moment mana entered his body, the demonic energy was completely purified. He then channeled all the absorbed mana, along with his body’s existing mana, into physical enhancement. An amount of mana that would have been unbearable in the past.

But now, he could withstand it.

Crackling!

Acceleration. The sword, scattering afterimages, slashed Verheigen’s body. One opening led to three cuts on Verheigen’s body.

With his teeth gritted, Verheigen stomped on the ground. Dust flew up. He knew these superficial wounds posed no real threat to his life. Acknowledging this, he chose a strategy of sacrificing flesh for bone.

His greatsword sliced through the air.

Najin hastily leaned back as the greatsword narrowly missed his head. Despite the broad swings, Verheigen’s movements were flawlessly tight. Before completing a full arc with his sword, he twisted his waist.

The trajectory shifted. The greatsword halted unnaturally and lunged at Najin.

Having read the move in advance, Najin threw himself backward to dodge. However, he couldn’t fully escape the sword wind generated by the greatsword. Dust and shattered stone fragments enveloped Najin.

Ouch.

His troll leather armor protected his body, but not his face. Blood splattered from a cut on his skin. His vision blurred momentarily by dust. From within the dust cloud, Verheigen’s knee emerged, aimed at Najin’s abdomen.

Bang!

Najin hastily pulled his sword for defense, but the force cracked his forearm, holding the blade. The superhuman strength was evident. Najin frowned.

Sliding backward, Najin caught his breath.

Reading movements is one thing, but being able to counter them is another. His forearm throbbed, and he struggled to grip with one hand.

“You’re damn slippery.”

Creak, crack.

Gritting his teeth and contorting his face in an effort to endure the pain from the sword aura, Verheigen brushed off the dust. Swinging his greatsword to clear his view, he smirked at Najin.

“What guts do you have to challenge me? Did you not see the corpses of those knights on your way here? Didn’t their pathetic deaths give you a clue?”

Sneering, Verheigen stomped the ground.

His inhuman strength allowed him to close the distance to Najin in an instant. He swung his greatsword, laughing mockingly.

“You’re not a match for me.”

The greatsword was wrapped in black sword aura. In front of the imposing blade, Najin raised his sword expressionlessly.

“I know.”

Sword auras clashed. Despite buckling under the weight of the greatsword, Najin’s sword didn’t give in. Feeling something amiss, Verheigen sensed unease.

Clang!

Najin countered Verheigen’s sword. Straining to maintain his stance under the weight, Najin parried the blows.

Clang, clang, bang!

The weight of the greatsword cried out against Najin’s body. Yet, Najin faced it head-on, sometimes using the Empire’s swordsmanship, other times using the deflecting techniques shown by Ivan.

“I know that, but still.”

Najin lifted his head.

In that moment of eye contact, Verheigen felt a chill. Najin’s eyes, filled with determination, resembled those of a predator, shining sinisterly, ready to bite at the slightest lapse.

Overwhelmed by those eyes for a moment, Verheigen swung his sword fiercely to push Najin back. Then, with a heavy thud, he gripped the sword hilt tightly.

Crunch, crunch!

He appeared to be compressing his strength. Pulling the greatsword back, Verheigen unleashed it horizontally with a shout. A technique symbolic of his days as the commander of the Trebache Family’s knight order.

A sword technique that bisected trolls with a single stroke.

The greatsword, wrapped in black sword aura, carved a crescent trajectory. As the sweeping sword met Najin’s, a blast of wind followed. Trees on either side of Najin split with a loud crack.

Najin, unable to fully withstand the force, slid backward. He was pushed back over ten steps, stopping only when he hit a tree.

‘…He withstood that?’

Verheigen’s eyes widened in disbelief.

How could he have withstood a blow that could bisect trolls, especially with enhanced strength? Verheigen had no way of knowing the peculiar movements Najin used against the swinging greatsword.

“…I had something to ask.”

Catching his breath away from the tree, Najin spoke.

His breathing was rough. With his right arm broken from the last strike, Najin lifted his sword with one hand.

Pointing his sword at Verheigen, Najin asked.

“What is a knight to you?”

Perhaps it was a question Najin posed to himself.

What is a knight?

Hearing the question, Verheigen let out a hollow laugh. Was he trying to buy time? Verheigen saw no point in answering. He took another step towards Najin.

“What is honor and pride to you?”

Najin asked, assuming a stance.

Bang, the greatsword dug into the ground.

Unwilling to play along if Najin was stalling, Verheigen relentlessly pressured him. As Najin was pushed back, he lowered his posture.

“Answer me.”

With sudden acceleration, Najin moved faster than Verheigen, slicing his wrist. The cut didn’t sever the wrist, but it was deep enough to draw blood.

Splash!

Blood splattered, and Verheigen grimaced. The wound quickly closed, but it hindered his ability to wield the greatsword effectively. He kicked Najin away.

Najin didn’t immediately rush in.

He just kept asking.

What is a knight to you, what is honor, what is pride? I need to hear your answer. Laughing bitterly, Verheigen exhaled deeply. Pretending to engage in this meaningless conversation until his wrist healed, he began to speak.

“You asked what a knight is?”

Verheigen responded.

“A knight is a means to climb the social ladder. It’s nothing more than a tool to gain money, power, and strength.”

That was his view of a knight.

As a commoner, it was his way up, allowing him access to wealth and power unattainable otherwise.

“And honor and pride are the same.”

Verheigen smirked.

“They gain immense value when sold or discarded. They’re worthless otherwise. You’d be surprised how much a ‘knight’s pride’ sells for. You wouldn’t understand, kid.”

When betraying his lord. Selling his lord’s weaknesses to nobles of other territories. Or turning a blind eye to the disloyalty of the family’s retainers. Each time, he was paid handsomely under the guise of sacrificing his knightly pride.

Nothing is gained by preserving them.

But betraying them brings sweet gold.

“Pride, honor, rules… You must have seen on your way here, right? How those fools clinging to worthless things ended up. Look at me. By abandoning all of them, I gained this much power, didn’t I?”

As a knight, he sneaked into the depths of the family, stealing an artifact where a demon was sealed. Under the pretense of knightly pride, he lured his colleagues and killed them.

Fools clinging to honor and pride.

He knew there was nothing more enjoyable and easier than deceiving such people. A smile spread across his face. The young man before him wasn’t a knight, but he shared the same foolishness.

“Like you.”

When Najin sliced his wrist,

If he had kept attacking, he could have wounded him more. But instead, he chose to listen to his musings about honor and pride, giving him time.

“Such foolishness.”

Verheigen sincerely thought so.

Listening to him, Najin bowed his head. Was he angry? Or despairing at being overpowered by someone who disregarded honor and pride?

Neither.

Najin lifted his head, smiling.

“…Why are you smiling?”

“I’m just realizing how lucky I was.”

Najin spoke with a smile.

“I’m glad the first knight I met wasn’t someone like you.”

A knight who knows honor and pride.

Even when fallen to the bottom, who didn’t lose his dignity, choosing to be a knight until the end — a knight of Atanga.

The first knight he met.

The knight who planted a dream in him.

It was fortunate for Najin that his first encounter was with Ivan, not someone like Verheigen. Hearing Verheigen’s tale, Najin finally understood what kind of knight he aspired to be.

What Najin envisioned was…

The first knight he ever met, a star. In the starless underground city, that knight’s eyes held stars. Najin remembered that knight.

‘No matter where I fall.’

Even if plummeting endlessly.

Even if falling to a place where no stars shine.

‘Longing to reclaim what I’ve lost, preserving my remaining pride…’

Remaining a knight, never forgetting my essence.

‘A knight chasing stars.’

A knight pursuing the stars in the night sky.

That’s the kind of knight Najin wanted to be.

‘A knight, bearing honor and pride, chasing stars.’

Honor. Pride. And stars.

The concept of a knight, incomplete in Najin’s mind, paradoxically became complete upon encountering someone farthest from a knight. A goal forms. A complete picture.

That moment.

Najin’s sword aura surged brilliantly white.

His sword aura’s output spiked suddenly. An operating method he had unconsciously mastered during his decisive battle with Ivan but had never used since then. But now, differently from that time…

There were no platinum particles in the fiercely surging sword aura.

Because right now, Najin was thinking not of a star but of a certain knight.