The moment Tarian gripped the wooden sword, his entire presence changed.
A murderous aura washed over me, sharp enough to make it feel as though he might cut me down at any moment.
Even so, I calmly looked at him.
‘That makes my skin prickle.’
A knight who had reached Sword Expert.
He was a formidable opponent for me to face right now.
Holding the wooden sword lightly, Tarian drew a circle on the ground.
“I will face you from inside this circle, using only my left hand.”
He was probably giving himself a handicap because he was right-handed.
And if he was even restricting his range of movement on top of that......
‘If I only need to land one hit, there might actually be a chance.’
Right.
There was no need to get scared before I even started.
“Whew.”
I let out a quiet breath and slowly raised my sword.
If I did not move, completing the Pact would be impossible.
And I had no intention of letting a Pact go to waste.
In that case......
‘I move.’
WHOOSH—
I immediately charged at him and swung my sword.
Tarian avoided it with a single step.
“As expected.”
The instant an opening appeared, he swung his sword at me.
‘Fast!’
If I tried to read it first and then react, I would be too late.
I barely managed to block on reflex, and a tremendous impact slammed into me.
“Hgh......”
My palms split open in an instant, and blood I had not shed in some time dripped onto the ground.
So this was what made him a formidable opponent.
The difference between us was overwhelming.
There was so much murderous intent in his sword that, for a moment, I genuinely thought I might die.
‘Even so.’
If I cannot do it, I keep going until I can.
That was the whole reason I had clung to this damned game for so long and made it this far.
“Hup!”
I swung my sword.
Crude and weighty, but solid.
I poured everything I had trained into Northern Swordsmanship into that single strike.
THUNK—
But my sword was easily knocked aside.
And at the same time—
“One.”
I slowly shifted my gaze toward Tarian as I stared at the wooden sword already touching my neck.
“Will you continue?”
His cold gaze rested on me.
Without hesitation, I tightened my grip on my sword.
Now I understood for certain.
‘The gap is too big. Even if I throw everything I have at him, it’ll be difficult.’
No.
I had not even fully understood everything I possessed in the first place.
We sparred several more times after that.
And every single time, Tarian toyed with me.
SMACK—!
THUD—
Attacks I could not block at all came flying in, and wounds began accumulating all over my body.
Then, in the middle of all that, I realized something.
‘Hasn’t this bastard just been beating me without explaining anything?’
Was he not supposed to be here to teach me?
And on top of that, this bastard had been getting under my skin for a while now.
“Urgh.”
“You simply lack real combat experience.”
“Ghk!”
“If you do not know, then you learn by getting hit.”
“Ghhk!”
“You do endure well, Young Master.”
This lunatic.
I did not remember him being like this in the game.
‘Brother, this is what you call a teacher......? You said he was famous?’
“Hmm. Continuing like this seems pointless. I acknowledge your persistence, but we should stop here.”
“......”
The moment I heard that, irritation surged through me.
‘Hah. This bastard.’
Before I knew it, the corner of my mouth twisted upward.
The past suddenly came to mind.
‘The kind of personality that has to see everything through to the end.’
That was how I had lived.
I was born an orphan with no one in the world and had to survive somehow.
Because of that, I had believed I could accomplish anything as long as I worked hard enough.
-Why do you try that hard?
I had heard that countless times.
But effort did not always bring a reward.
That was why, at some point, I became absorbed in games.
Because in games, effort gave you rewards.
Then I found Last Savior.
At first, it was no different from any other game.
I would clear it quickly and move on to something else.
I never imagined it would last five years.
I gathered information, developed methods of progression, and learned about the world.
Every time I came up against a wall and broke through it with effort, another wall appeared.
‘It was fun.’
I was always breaking through walls, growing stronger, and earning rewards.
That was why I wanted to smash the final wall even more.
So I could take one more step forward.
And now that world had become reality.
I had worked harder than ever before.
‘So.’
Did he really think I had any intention of giving up here?
“Hey. Again.”
“There is no point in continuing......”
“You said you’d teach me swordsmanship.”
By now, even the Pact did not matter.
There was only one goal left.
‘I'll break through.’
Somehow, I was going to land one hit on that bastard.
Otherwise, I did not think I would be able to sleep tonight.
***
“Haa, huff......”
I let out a low breath and picked up the sword from the ground.
“Again.”
“......”
Tarian looked at me with a slightly stiff expression.
I pointed my sword at him.
Seeing that he did not even look particularly tired only made my irritation rise further.
We sparred with each other all day long, and I lost again and again.
‘My skill is definitely improving.’
Simply acquiring a Skill and raising its proficiency through Pacts was nothing like personally moving my body and learning through experience.
“Will you continue?”
“Again.”
The sun had already set, and thick darkness lay over the training grounds.
Even so, I still had no intention of giving up.
If I kept going to the end, I would find a way.
‘A knight?’
An untouchable existence.
Knights were practically treated as tactical weapons.
But at this moment, I did not care.
‘How the hell do I land one hit on that face?’
We repeated it again and again, until it was well into the night.
At first, only my palms split open like they did during training.
But as time passed, I gradually felt sensation fading from them.
By then, it was so difficult to move the hand gripping my sword that I wrapped it in bandages and tied the weapon to my hand.
“......”
Tarian only stared silently at my hand.
“Again.”
I let out a low breath.
Only then did I see Tarian about to say something.
“Keep your mouth shut until the end. I’ll show you.”
At those words, Tarian closed his mouth again.
I settled into an immovable stance and calmly observed him.
‘Northern Swordsmanship.’
Crude, simple, and weighty.
Until now, I had usually tried to take the initiative.
But.
‘I think I get it now.’
I recalled the Northern Swordsmanship I had seen until now.
And Tarian, facing me with the very same swordsmanship.
When he used Northern Swordsmanship......
‘He never moved first.’
He responded to the opponent’s attack.
Endlessly heavy and calm.
Yes.
That was Northern Swordsmanship.
‘If you rush in, you break easily.’
So I waited.
Until he moved.
And then—
SWISH—
In the blink of an eye, Tarian’s wooden sword was already right in front of me.
‘I block.’
Bit by bit, I began to understand the meaning of Northern Swordsmanship beyond merely knowing it as a Skill.
The movements were simple.
Watch the opponent.
Block the sword.
CLACK—!
As expected, it did not break easily.
Even as the impact rattled through me, I watched his next movement.
Half a step.
He shifted sideways and followed with another attack.
‘Now.’
I waited heavily for the opening.
Vertical, then horizontal.
I aimed for the gap between those naturally linked motions and swung my sword with everything I had.
Crude, but solid.
CLACK—!
A sharp sound rang out, and pain exploded through me.
Tarian’s sword struck my shoulder with perfect accuracy.
The blow was so strong that the agony lifted my body off the ground.
But......
TAP—
My sword had struck Tarian’s side as well.
As I fell backward, I could see the sky.
And Tarian’s expression.
“Finally......”
Seeing the slight twist in Tarian’s face, I burst out laughing without even realizing it.
“I did it! I fucking did it, you bastard!”
An incredible rush surged through me.
I had not managed to wound him, but the realization that I had succeeded sent dopamine exploding through my brain.
“You said it was pointless? If I keep going to the end, I beat everything. I beat everything!”
“Young Master.”
“......?”
While I was celebrating by myself, Tarian approached me with a serious expression.
“What?”
“Please forgive my rudeness in testing you without permission.”
He even lowered his head as he apologized.
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
“From this point onward, I swear upon my honor that I will do everything I can to help you grow.”
“......”
“And.”
Tarian had fully acknowledged me.
But that was not the end.
After putting away his sword, he examined me and continued.
“You gained insight into Northern Swordsmanship. I am impressed. For the time being, you should rest......”
Hearing that, I opened my mouth before I knew it.
“What are you talking about? We’re sparring again tomorrow.”
“Pardon?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
There was a method to grow stronger right in front of me.
Only an idiot would leave it alone.
-Hah! You brat!
[You have successfully completed your Pact with the Old Training Iron Sword (Normal).]
[You have acquired ‘Frost Step (F)’!]
[The proficiency of ‘Northern Swordsmanship (D)’ has increased!]
[‘Northern Swordsmanship (D)’ ▶ ‘Northern Swordsmanship (C)’]
[‘Northern Swordsmanship (C)’ ▶ ‘Northern Swordsmanship (B)’]
I smiled as I watched the proficiency that had exploded upward thanks to training with Tarian.
A tremendous sense of exhilaration and accomplishment seemed to rush through my entire body.
‘This is only the beginning.’
My growth was only beginning now.
***
While sparring with Ian, Tarian suddenly realized that cold sweat was running down his back.
When Cain Rashid had first offered him the position of swordsmanship instructor, he had not thought much of it.
Lessons for the second son of an insignificant noble family.
He assumed the other party would not be particularly serious either.
He planned to teach Ian the basics, spar with him a little, then leave.
That had certainly been his intention.
He had not expected a spar meant simply to establish discipline to leave him this flustered.
‘Why is he not getting tired?’
‘No, he is actually training this late?’
‘Why does he refuse to give up?’
Question after question followed one another through his mind.
“Again.”
“......!”
Ian suddenly spoke, then immediately settled back into his stance.
How many spars had they fought because of that one word?
Tarian had wanted to suggest taking a break countless times out of concern for Ian.
But whenever he saw Ian’s eyes, he could not bring himself to do it.
‘Those are the eyes of a swordsman.’
He had expected Ian to grow frightened because he lacked real combat experience.
Or else to struggle merely to remain standing while barely enduring.
But neither happened.
Again and again, Ian kept challenging him.
Even after his hands split open.
Even when they were on the verge of breaking, he simply wrapped them in bandages and forced himself to continue.
He kept sparring before the bruises covering his body had even begun to fade, even skipping meals to do so.
‘How can he do that?’
Tarian could not understand why Ian seemed so desperate, or why he was so obsessed with growing stronger by any means necessary.
The Rashid Family was insignificant, but it was still a noble family that ruled over a territory.
And Ian was the family’s second son.
There was no reason for him to work this hard.
‘A madman.’
It was something he would never dare say aloud to a noble.
But Tarian found himself thinking it regardless.
Along with the thought that this had to stop.
‘If this continues, he might break.’
Yet every time Tarian thought that, Ian took another step forward instead.
Like a man trying to break an unbreakable boulder no matter what.
Stopping him would not be proper courtesy from one swordsman to another.
Tarian instinctively understood that doing so would not be consideration for Ian.
It would only become a path that hindered his growth.
So he chose not to stop him.
Even as this continued, Ian’s skill kept increasing.
Of course, that did not mean Tarian intended to let him land a hit easily.
For a swordsman, understanding one’s own limits and knowing how to respond to them was more important than anything.
“Whew......”
But Ian was someone who shattered those limits.
Then came Ian’s final strike.
‘This is......!’
It was a blow that even Tarian had not expected.
He had still seen Ian as inexperienced.
And yet Ian had chosen to give up flesh to take bone?
And while fully exploiting the strengths of Northern Swordsmanship?
That was not a judgment even an experienced swordsman could make easily.
Even with wooden swords and a trained body, there was no way such an exchange could be painless.
‘This is genuine madness.’
Without realizing it, exhilaration began welling up inside Tarian.
Ian Rashid was obsessed with victory.
And he had been throwing himself against the wall that was Tarian in order to grow.
As though the pain he suffered in the process meant nothing at all.
Judging by how much more refined his Northern Swordsmanship had become, there was no doubt he had gained insight.
‘When it comes to Northern Swordsmanship, there may be no need for me to interfere anymore.’
Perhaps it was too early to make such an assessment.
But Ian was a genius.
Or perhaps a monster.
Even as Tarian frowned from being struck by Ian’s sword, he felt as though a laugh might escape him.
‘Perhaps teaching this man swordsmanship will become the opportunity that lets me break through my own wall as well.’
And then the next day came.
“Done.”
“Are you finished?”
“Yeah. We’re sparring again today, right?”
Ian approached naturally, still wearing the same smile.
Apparently, landing a hit on Tarian recently had pleased him that much.
‘Well.’
No matter how many handicaps Tarian had given himself, and no matter how many times they had sparred, Ian had landed an effective hit on someone several levels above him.
‘That is merely an excuse.’
Ian Rashid had simply been exceptional.
So it was entirely understandable that he was acting so triumphant.
“......Very well.”
Tarian hesitated for a moment.
But in the end, he could not refuse.
A good teacher should help his student.
He should not become an obstacle to that student’s growth.
‘Innate talent.’
There had never been any rumors that the second son of the Rashid Family possessed exceptional martial talent.
If anything, the rumors had always centered on Cain Rashid, the current head of the family.
Yet what Tarian saw with his own eyes was completely different.
An obsession bordering on madness.
And though he hardly felt qualified to judge it, if he had to put it into words, talent granted by the heavens.
That was how Tarian saw Ian now.
“What? Why are you zoning out?”
“It is nothing.”
“You’re no fun.”
As Ian spoke with a chuckle, a thought came to Tarian without warning.
Perhaps being the one to teach him swordsmanship was a stroke of fortune for Tarian himself.