Golden Saint Sword Art — First Form!
Golden light erupted along the blade.
The sword seemed to shine like a fragment of sunlight, its brilliance illuminating the clearing. The remaining mana in Severin’s body surged into the technique, and his movements suddenly became much faster.
The commander reacted with a startled roar.
It tried to raise its weapon.
Too late.
Severin’s figure flashed forward.
For an instant, the world seemed to slow around him. He could see the commander’s eyes widen, its shoulders tense, and its arm begin to move.
But he had already committed to the attack.
His sword traced a brilliant golden arc through the air.
SHING!
The blade passed through the commander’s neck.
Severin continued forward for several steps before coming to a stop behind the monster.
The golden light faded from his sword.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
The Goblin Commander stood frozen, its weapon slipping from its fingers.
Then its head separated from its body and fell to the ground.
The massive creature collapsed a moment later, shaking the earth beneath it.
Silence returned to the clearing.
Severin remained still, staring at the fallen commander as the last traces of golden light disappeared from his blade.
Then he let out a long breath.
"...I actually did it."
His knees felt weak, and his mana was completely exhausted. His entire body ached, and he was far too tired to feel like celebrating properly.
Nevertheless, a grin slowly spread across his face.
"Hah... Hahaha!"
He laughed, unable to contain his excitement.
"That was incredible!"
He had nearly been overwhelmed. He had been injured, pushed to his limits, and forced to fight with everything he had.
And in the end, he had won.
Not because his opponent was weak, nor because he could simply overwhelm it with superior strength, but because he had adapted, learned, and found the right moment to strike.
Severin looked down at his sword.
The blade was no longer glowing, but he could still remember the sensation of the Golden Saint Sword Art activating. The sudden burst of speed, the smoothness of the movement, and the overwhelming force behind the final strike were all fresh in his mind.
’So this is what the first form can really do when I use it at the right moment.’
He carefully returned his sword to its sheath.
Then, glancing at the commander’s fallen body, he couldn’t resist one final remark.
"Well, big guy, I guess I win."
He paused, then chuckled.
"And here I thought you were going to be a real headache forever."
The joke earned him no response.
Severin shrugged.
"Yeah, yeah. Silent treatment."
He turned his gaze toward the deeper forest, where the entrance to Kragdeep Dungeon lay waiting.
He had come here expecting a relatively simple hunt.
Instead, he had experienced his first genuinely dangerous battle, one that had forced him to use his head as much as his sword.
And although he was exhausted, one thought stood above everything else.
I’m stronger than I was when this fight started.
Not necessarily in raw stats, and certainly not because a single battle had magically transformed him into an expert. But his senses were sharper, his combat judgment had improved, and his swordsmanship had become more practical with every exchange.
He had felt himself adapting in real time.
And he wanted to experience that feeling again.
Severin looked toward the dungeon and smiled.
"All right, Kragdeep Dungeon."
He took a careful step forward, wincing slightly as his injuries reminded him that he was still human.
"Let’s see what you’ve got."
Of course, he would need to recover first.
Even Severin wasn’t foolish enough to charge into a dungeon with no mana left and his body covered in fresh injuries.
Still, as he slowly made his way toward the dungeon entrance, his excitement refused to fade.
If this was what the outskirts had to offer, he could hardly wait to discover what lay deeper inside.
After taking a few minutes to catch his breath, Severin continued toward Kragdeep Dungeon.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to walk much farther. Within a minute, he finally arrived at his destination.
Standing before him was the entrance to Kragdeep Dungeon.
It was far larger than he had imagined. A massive stone arch stood between two rugged rock formations, its surface covered in strange patterns and ancient runes. Beyond the archway was a swirling, dark barrier that resembled a pool of black water suspended vertically in the air. Its surface rippled occasionally, revealing faint flashes of light from within.
There was no telling what lay beyond that mysterious entrance.
The surrounding area was relatively open, with patches of grass growing between scattered rocks. Several trees stood nearby, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. The place looked peaceful at first glance, but the occasional growl coming from beyond the entrance was enough to remind Severin that this was no ordinary location.
This was a dungeon, a place where monsters lurked and danger awaited anyone foolish enough to enter unprepared.
Severin studied the entrance for a while before shaking his head.
"Well, I’m not going in there looking like this."
He had barely survived the fight against the Goblin Commander without suffering more serious injuries. His mana was completely depleted, and his body was still exhausted from the prolonged battle.
Entering a dungeon in his current condition would be nothing short of stupidity.
And although Severin enjoyed a good fight, he wasn’t interested in dying because of his own recklessness.
Instead, he walked toward a nearby tree and sat down with his back against its trunk.
"First things first. Let’s take care of these injuries."
He reached into his space ring and retrieved a small glass vial containing a reddish liquid.
It was a Level 1 Healing Potion.
Pulling out the stopper, Severin raised the vial to his lips and drank its contents in one go.
The potion tasted bitter, with a strange medicinal aftertaste that lingered on his tongue.
"Ugh. Couldn’t they make this thing taste a little better?"
He grimaced and set the empty vial aside.
However, the effects began almost immediately.
A warm sensation spread throughout his body, starting from his stomach and gradually reaching his limbs. The pain in his side began to fade, and the injuries he had sustained during the fight started healing at a remarkable speed.
The small cuts on his arms closed, the bleeding stopped, and the soreness in his muscles gradually diminished.
Within a short time, he was feeling considerably better.
Severin flexed his fingers and rotated his shoulders, checking whether anything still hurt.
"Now that’s more like it."
He was still tired, of course. A healing potion could help repair injuries, but it couldn’t instantly erase all the exhaustion accumulated during a prolonged battle.
’It would be better if I can acquire regeneration skill or such that.’
Nevertheless, he was satisfied with the result.
A Level 1 Healing Potion wasn’t particularly rare, but its effectiveness was nothing to scoff at. For adventurers who frequently risked their lives fighting monsters, having a few of these potions could mean the difference between surviving a dangerous encounter and suffering far worse consequences.
After putting the empty vial away, Severin leaned against the tree and closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he remembered something.
"Oh, right. My mana."