Chapter 5: Sword and Magic Sword (4)

Barely an hour had passed since I told Hyuna to bring me some decent stories.

Already, a completed short story sat on my desk.

When Hyuna confidently handed me a sheet packed with writing, I smirked, expecting some bizarre tale, and read it with a bored expression—but I couldn’t help being stunned.

“This… You really wrote this?”

“Yup! Pretty cool, right?”

“You didn’t get a subordinate or friend to ghostwrite this, did you?”

“No way! I really wrote it!”

“This is, this is…”

[My soul flows with the stars of the plains.

Over a thousand years ago, in the far western grasslands, my soul’s sisters lived.

They made the earth their floor and the sky their roof, wandering until death without leaving records.

In an ancient time we can scarcely fathom… (excerpt)… my sisters still race through the endless cycle of eternity.

To save them, we need countless legendary swords crafted by the ‘Haunted Blacksmith.’

Please, help us. —Hyuna, Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s Shadow Assassins.]

“What… what kind of writing is this…?”

Since I had zero expectations, the overwhelming emotion hit me twice as hard, leaving my heart heavy.

Sure, the last two lines dripped with self-interest, slightly breaking the mood, but they couldn’t fully overshadow the poignant narrative that came before.

“This really came from your head?”

“I just tweaked a story I heard from a woman I killed and turned it into a tale. How’s it? Fun, right? I had fun writing it!”

“…”

I saw her in a new light.

Her skin seemed softer, her features sharper.

“No, no… This isn’t yours. You’re lying…!”

“What? Too moving? Heh heh.”

Clutching my aching heart, I shouted, “A brutal, crazy woman like you shouldn’t be writing something this touching!!”

“W-what?!”

Hyuna, who always seemed thoughtless and carefree, suddenly appeared like a sensitive, tragic assassin forced into killing.

I collapsed into my chair, trying to calm my chest.

She sidled up and whispered slyly in my ear.

“To save them, we need ‘legendary swords’ in droves…!”

“Ugh, argh!”

I barely suppressed the urge to rush to the display and hand her a sword.

‘Stay calm! It’s a trick! The devil’s whisper! She’s a mad assassin! Don’t fall for a few lines!’

Taking deep breaths to steady myself, I quietly said to Hyuna, “Phew, impressive. With this level, a bit of tweaking could complete my sword’s story.”

“Good! Glad to hear it! But it’s a person’s story—how’s it a sword’s story?”

“You don’t need to know. Maybe you’ll figure it out later. By the way, can you write stories like this whenever I need them?”

“Of course! I’ve jotted down a few memorable tales. I’ll write them up like this later. But there’s a condition!”

“What?”

“Give me one more of your swords!”

“Fine. Pick one.”

“What, really?! For real?!”

“I don’t lie. You know that. For every story of this quality you bring, I’ll trade you one of my weapons. Deal?”

“Y-yeah! Really?! No takebacks!”

I nodded, and her eyes sparkled as she rushed to my weapon display.

“Heehee! What should I pick? Longsword? Straight blade? Ugh, I want them all!”

Leaving Hyuna stomping excitedly at the display, I entered the workshop and pulled out the paper with Soul-Severing Blade’s settings.

“Let’s make it female before being sealed, to match the story’s protagonist.”

Of course, I can’t conjure a human form from a sword.

That’s beyond a blacksmith’s craft.

Since it’s already a sword, its original gender or appearance doesn’t matter much.

But these settings help me immerse myself in the sword’s role and make my interactions with Sword Demon more authentic, so they’re important in their own way.

“Hmm, let’s keep the backstory: born to a general’s family, devoted to her nation, but discarded when her usefulness ended.”

A detailed, clear narrative is essential for roleplay.

“This explains her emotional restraint but expertise in rational judgment and combat flow.”

I built Soul-Severing Blade’s character sheet around Hyuna’s short story.

“Losing parents and friends, fighting alone in solitude—almost identical to Sword Demon.”

“This way, the sword feels kinship as a fellow warrior, steadfastly forging ahead alone. I’ll need to react appropriately in those moments.”

After several rounds of drafting and revising, I finalized Soul-Severing Blade’s setting in one line:

—Trapped in the sword and corrupted for ages, Soul-Severing Blade unconsciously yearns for someone to save it from its deep darkness.—

“Nice. That’ll do.”

After reviewing the completed setting, I focused my mind and entered Soul-Severing Blade’s consciousness.

—

Clatter clatter

A black ebony carriage rolled over a gentle mountain path.

Warm sunlight and a cool breeze made for weather that would cheer any ordinary person.

But Yunmyeong, gazing out at the scenery, was lost in deep thought, unable to enjoy it casually.

‘The blacksmith said it’d resist a scabbard, but the cloth’s already turning black. What a venomous aura.’

Wrapped in cloth, Soul-Severing Blade radiated an eerie demonic energy, staining and ruining the fabric.

Mocking it, Yunmyeong sneered at the sword.

“What, with that one eye, you want to see the outside? Pathetic.”

[Are you afraid of me, Yunmyeong?]

The sword’s voice seemed to shift slightly from neutral to feminine, but Yunmyeong dismissed it as his imagination and paid it no mind.

“Nonsense. I fear nothing.”

[No human is free from fear. You’re hiding your frail inner self, lying to me.]

“You put effort even into your bullsht.”

[Be honest with yourself. Accept your weakness and embrace me fully. Then I can grant you limitless power.]

Yunmyeong turned away, ignoring the sword’s voice.

Its words weren’t a big deal momentarily, but hearing them relentlessly for days was starting to grate, even on his ironclad will.

Then—

“Stop!”

A rough shout halted the carriage abruptly.

Already irritated, Yunmyeong’s face twitched as he asked his subordinate driving the carriage, “What’s going on?”

“Armed men suddenly blocked the road. From their appearance, likely bandits.”

“How many?”

“Roughly over ten, by my count. Shall I handle them?”

“No need. I’ve been sitting too long, and my body’s stiff. Time to stretch.”

“Understood. I’ll guard the carriage.”

Yunmyeong swung his arms to loosen up, grabbed Soul-Severing Blade from the opposite seat, and stepped out of the carriage.

Clank

As the door opened and he stepped onto the grass, a group of bandits blocking the path came into view.

“Hey, you! Drop your weapon and surrender!”

“You look like some rich kid—let’s not waste energy and settle this nicely, yeah?”

“His clothes are fancy as hll! We’re hitting the jackpot this time! Heh heh.”

Originally, they might’ve settled for a toll, but seeing Yunmyeong’s luxurious carriage and robe, the bandits grew aggressive, sensing a big score.

With only two people in the carriage, they felt no threat, emboldened by their numerical advantage.

Had they observed Yunmyeong and his subordinate more closely, they might’ve sensed something off, but their greed blinded them.

Even as the bandits approached excitedly, Yunmyeong calmly assessed the situation.

‘Many in number, but they’re just third- and second-rate trash. The strongest is barely first-rate.’

Normally, he’d unleash sword energy and wipe them out in one strike, but now he wanted to test the demonic sword’s raw power.

He swung the sword sharply, peeling off the cloth, and spoke.

“Time to prove your worth. Show me your use.”

[Why should I?]

As expected, a defiant reply came, but Yunmyeong ignored it, raising the sword and striking a stance.

Seeing this, the bandits laughed mockingly.

“Hahaha! This guy thinks he can take us on?”

“Stupid bstard. How’s he gonna handle us alone? It’s all bluff.”

“Yeah, plenty of guys try to look tough to slip by.”

“If he were a real master, he’d have shown sword energy by now. He’s just holding a weird-looking sword.”

“Well, that sword does look odd. Kinda gives me the creeps…”

The bandits’ judgment wasn’t entirely wrong.

True masters would’ve displayed sword energy or greater power by now, intimidating and scattering them.

Even a bloodthirsty maniac would show off their strength to instill fear before slaughtering, not stand so composed.

Plus, such types usually had a crazed glint in their eyes, which the bandits would’ve noticed.

So, they assumed Yunmyeong was just posturing with an odd weapon.

Crunch

But Yunmyeong, eager to test the sword’s might, ignored their taunts and took his stance.

Firmly planting his feet, he prepared to leap, pulling Soul-Severing Blade back for combat.

Seeing this, one bandit charged.

“That bstard’s still bluffing! You’re in for it today…!”

Thud!

Yunmyeong leaped instantly, slicing the bandit’s neck in a single stroke.

Slash

Soul-Severing Blade’s black edge cut through the neck effortlessly, spraying red blood.

Splatter!

The bandit, unaware of what hit him, collapsed with wide eyes, his head and body separated.

As blood sprayed everywhere, Yunmyeong shook the blade to clean it.

Swish

“You’re definitely the best sword I’ve wielded. I’ll give you that.”

Even without using special abilities, the sword, as a tool, was truly top-tier.

Grumbling, Soul-Severing Blade replied, [Why shake off the blood? It felt so good.]

As their comrade fell in a blink, the bandits froze.

Yunmyeong slowly turned to the remaining bandits, answering the sword.

“Don’t worry. There’s plenty left.”