Manifestation.
The process of giving physical form to imagination was simple, yet exacting.
Like gears meshing together without the slightest deviation, it required the senses to be honed to a razor’s edge.
[Activating the trait ‘Acute Senses.’]
In that regard, my other trait, Acute Senses, was a tremendous help.
Once the power of the trait took effect, I was seized by the illusion that time itself had slowed.
Silence and stillness descended upon me, enough that I momentarily forgot the enemy before my eyes.
Focus.
And then focus even deeper.
Next, I drew upon the hyperrealistic memories branded deep into my mind through Reading, retrieving every piece of information about the weapon I intended to manifest.
I envisioned a single sword identical to the real thing.
Again and again.
[Beginning Manifestation.]
At once, motes of pure white light scattered across my vision.
Particles of Manifestation.
They were like tools for rendering an abstract mental image into visible form.
WRITHE—
The particles responded to my will and began shaping themselves into a sword.
First, seven branches extending from the blade took form.
Then came the thirty-four characters on the front and twenty-seven on the back.
A total of sixty-four characters were inlaid across both sides of the blade.
This sword can repel countless enemy soldiers... Bestowed upon the king of a vassal state... Crown Prince Gisaengseongeum of Baekje had it specially made for King Ji of Wa, so that it might be passed down and displayed for generations to come.
There was only one sword these distinctive features could possibly signify.
A Hero-Grade Armament embodying the golden age of Baekje.
A national treasure of the Republic of Korea, said to cut down hundreds of magical beasts with its mere presence, manifested before me in illusory form.
“The Seven-Branched Sword.”
[Seven-Branched Sword (Replica)]
[Grade: Hero (Mid)]
[Additional Effects: Strength and Agility +100%, crowd-control effect within a 10 m radius.]
All that remained was to give it physical form.
But great power always came at a price.
[Your mana is grossly insufficient for materialization.]
[Your mana is grossly insufficient for materialization.]
.
.
For Park Hayul, whose Mana-Deficient Constitution already left him desperately short on mana, this was about the worst possible situation.
So instead of giving up, I made an offer.
“Limit its performance to ten percent.”
[Insufficient mana.]
“Limit its usage time to ten seconds.”
[Still slightly insufficient.]
Finally, I offered the most valuable card I possessed.
“I sacrifice two hours and thirty minutes of my remaining time.”
Time...
「Terminal Condition」
Description: A trait created by the effects of a time restriction. It is both a shackle tightening around the trait holder’s life and another source of possibility. Time can be spent as a form of currency. (Maximum: 3 days)
The sole advantage of Terminal Condition.
I could spend my remaining lifespan as currency to compensate for my lack of mana.
“You cannot refuse me now.”
[Conditions have been satisfied.]
[Materializing.]
[Time remaining: 7 minutes.]
Nearly all my mana drained away at once, and I felt the chill of metal settle into my outstretched hand.
[Seven-Branched Sword (Replica)]
[Performance Limit: 10%]
[Effects: Strength and Agility +10%, crowd-control effect within a 1 m radius.]
A crushing wave of exhaustion swept over me. My legs trembled, and the world around me swayed.
But I had only been granted ten seconds.
TAP TAP TAP.
There was no time to hesitate, so I gritted my teeth and charged at the creature.
The ten-percent boost to my strength and agility at least gave my movements some force.
SCREEEEEECH—
The creature, which had merely been drooling until then, lunged at me while radiating murderous ferocity.
I had absolutely no combat experience, and the only blade I had ever held was a kitchen knife while chopping onions...
HMMMM—
Yet the clash ended almost anticlimactically.
The moment the creature entered the one-meter radius around me, the Seven-Branched Sword’s crowd-control effect activated.
CREE... CREEK... CREE...
Its movements rapidly slowed.
Then it stopped completely.
…………………….
Its long, sharp claws hung motionless less than an inch from my face.
The sight chilled my blood, but the creature had it worse.
Forced into immobility by the sudden restraint, it could only roll its bloodshot eyes wildly from side to side, the tiny vessels within them having burst.
“You should have picked your opponent more carefully.”
Magical beasts were creatures that fed on human flesh and souls to begin with, so I had no intention of wasting guilt on one.
I quickly swept aside the creature’s hair and drove the Seven-Branched Sword toward the center of the swollen Noegong Point, where the occipital bone rose at the back of its head.
STAB—
Despite the unpleasant sound, blood did not spray everywhere.
Hero-Grade Armaments inherently possessed exorcistic properties, so there was no need to stab deeply.
SIZZLE.
A moment later, something inside seemed to collapse with a wet crunch, and black blood began streaming down the back of the woman’s neck.
The Man-Eating Parasite had been safely removed.
The Seven-Branched Sword would purify the demonic energy, and the wound would soon close as well.
The rest was up to the woman.
If the parasite had taken control of her body only recently, she would survive.
If not, she would die.
Her situation was unfortunate, but other than calling for help, there was nothing more I could do for her.
FZZZT.
As the Seven-Branched Sword vanished after fulfilling its purpose, the message I had been waiting for appeared.
[You have defeated a Rank 9 Man-Eating Parasite.]
[Tutorial Quest completed.]
[Quest completion reward: 5 days added to remaining time.]
[Magical beast elimination reward: 10 hours added.]
[Time remaining: 5 days, 10 hours, 6 minutes.]
The unexpected gain was welcome.
So I could earn time merely by killing magical beasts.
Part of me wanted to head straight into a second round, but my condition was far from good.
I barely managed to remain standing after pushing my mana to its absolute limit.
[The trait ‘Robust Recovery’ has activated.]
[Recovery speed increased by approximately 2x.]
Without even that, I probably would have collapsed outright.
“Ten percent was overkill. I should have limited it to five.”
Thinking back on it, I had definitely gone too far.
Still, I had learned from the mistake, so it had been a worthwhile experience.
My part was done.
If I reported this and went home, a rescue team would arrive and handle the rest.
“Excuse me. One moment, please.”
That was when someone called out to me.
A young man who had appeared out of nowhere strode toward me.
I was exhausted enough that irritation briefly flared—
...That guy?
Then it vanished like a handful of ash.
“I am a Taehak cadet. Forgive me, but I would appreciate your cooperation.”
I did not even look at the identification card the man held out after stopping before me.
His face illuminated by the moonlight was proof enough.
Clear skin as spotless as his kind heart. Straight, well-defined features befitting his unwavering convictions.
This was the first time I had ever met him in person, but I had drawn that face thousands of times.
There was no chance I would fail to recognize him.
Baek Sayoung.
A genuinely good man with an uncompromising sense of justice, and the embodiment of every ounce of favoritism Yoo Soyoung had poured into a character.
The true protagonist of this world, who should have killed the Man-Eating Parasite and saved the woman in my place tonight...
Since this incident belonged to the novel’s prologue, I had intervened as early as possible with the intention of quietly dealing with the creature and slipping away unnoticed...
Was this the price for stealing someone else’s role?
I had not expected to meet him like this.
This was no time to stand around thinking.
I quickly pulled my cap low over my face and answered.
“What is it?”
“I felt a flow of mana while passing by. But as you can see, the situation here is somewhat suspicious.”
“The situation?”
“Yes. Could you show me some identification?”
Baek Sayoung looked between me and the collapsed woman with obvious wariness.
Was he... misunderstanding this?
Well, I could understand why.
And it was not as though I had anything to hide.
Park Hayul was also a student at Taehak, the finest academy in the Republic of Korea.
Still, I was not sure whether revealing my identity was the right choice.
After thinking briefly, I reached a decision.
“My status is not so insignificant that I need prove it to the likes of you.”
For now, I would deceive him.
It would be a long time before Park Hayul was supposed to distinguish himself, and I had no desire to invite unnecessary trouble.
That bizarre manner of speech came in surprisingly handy at times like this.
“I had heard Taehak had become a disgrace these days. It seems the rumors were true.”
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Class 882? Or 883?”
“Pardon?”
“Pardon?”
“Are you... a senior?”
“I did graduate from Taehak, but do not call me senior. I have no desire to consider a witless fool like you my junior.”
“Ah...”
Once I combined the sort of hazing found in the Korean military with the arrogance of a prestigious family that I had acquired through Reading, Baek Sayoung seemed too bewildered to respond properly.
After all, hardly anyone would have insulted the sanctity of Taehak so openly.
“I apologize. However, I can accept your criticism after I have first confirmed your identity—”
“First rule in an emergency: assess the victim’s condition before anything else. Have you forgotten? Who is your supervising professor that you were taught this poorly?”
“That is...”
“You look like a first-year student. Then it must be Jin Yungi?”
“...You know Professor Jin?”
Of course I did.
I had drawn him plenty of times.
You two were quite close, after all.
“If that woman had been in a condition where every second mattered, she would have died today because of you.”
“I-I am sorry.”
“Sorry? Is that all?”
“N-No, sir.”
Baek Sayoung awkwardly hurried toward the fallen woman.
After examining her condition, he discovered the sword wound on the back of her head and opened his eyes wide.
He must have realized that she had been possessed by a Man-Eating Parasite.
...
Why was he staring at it so intently?
A stab wound was a stab wound.
Had I made some kind of mistake?
Just as needless anxiety began creeping over me, Baek Sayoung approached with a grave expression and bowed politely.
“I failed to recognize your expertise. Please leave the rest to me.”
His suddenly more respectful tone felt rather awkward, but it seemed the matter had resolved itself nicely.
As expected.
No matter how much of a protagonist he was, at this point he was still merely an inexperienced rookie.
I could leave now, right?
I was already reaching the limit of how long I could conceal my trembling legs, so I decided to end the encounter there.
“So long as you understand. I will be leaving now. See that you handle the rest properly.”
“S-Senior!”
That was when Baek Sayoung urgently called after me.
He scratched his head with an embarrassed look, then cautiously asked,
“...Forgive my impertinence, but are you perhaps with the Special Mission Unit of the Monster-Slaying Corps?”
“What?”
Why would I be?
Just when I thought everything was over, the situation began taking a strange turn.
***
The Monster-Slaying Corps Special Mission Brigade.
Commonly shortened to the Special Mission Unit, it was a posting that embodied everything Taehak cadets dreamed of.
High-difficulty missions involving only high-ranking magical beasts and demonic beings of White Grade or above.
Overwhelming skill capable of seeing such missions through.
And on top of that, the mysterious air of secrecy that came from operating individually.
It was the embodiment of that wolf every man supposedly carried within his heart—a symbol of admiration.
“Thanks to you, I realized many things today. My name is Baek Sayoung.”
“...I see.”
“If I ever have the opportunity, I will be sure to repay today’s debt. Please take care on your way.”
Baek Sayoung bowed and remained that way for quite some time.
Perhaps it was his way of expressing respect.
As expected of someone from the Special Mission Unit.
The subtly amiable air he carried, combined with that restrained dignity, was nothing short of exceptional.
“First things first. Let me make the report, then I will look again.”
Baek Sayoung abruptly raised his head, called for emergency assistance, then trotted back over to inspect once more the sword wound that had shocked him earlier.
“...It really is immaculate.”
He had already examined it again and again, yet he still could not believe it.
Normally, a Man-Eating Parasite was a remarkably troublesome magical beast despite its low rank.
It attacked by using its host’s body as a weapon, making it difficult to subdue without injuring the host. Worse still, the Noegong Point where it nested was one of the body’s most dangerous vital spots. One wrong stab could kill the host before the parasite itself was removed.
And yet the condition of the woman before him was almost impossibly clean.
As though she had undergone surgery under general anesthesia, only the precise spot where the Noegong Point lay had been pierced, while both the depth and range of the wound had been kept to an absolute minimum.
But there was something even more astonishing.
The wound was closing by itself, almost as though the body were repairing it.
“Is this the Life-Giving Sword?”
He had heard that once someone reached a sufficiently advanced realm of swordsmanship, they could imbue a blade with intent and alter its nature.
“This is insane...”
Only now did Baek Sayoung realize that the professor’s claim, which he had laughed off at the time, had not been empty talk at all.
With skill at this level, on the Awakened ranking system that ran from Tier 10 to Tier 1, that man had to be at least Tier 4.
No, perhaps even Tier 3?
Even most professors at Taehak would not reach that man’s level, so such an estimate seemed reasonable.
The world truly was vast, and it was filled with powerful people.
“Could I ever become like that someday?”
Though the encounter had been brief, its impact refused to fade, lingering deep within Baek Sayoung’s heart.