Several days had already passed since I obtained my sword. Although I still couldn't use all of its capabilities, I had already discovered a subspace within it—one so well-hidden that even someone like Vitra, who was at the Fifth Severance, would find it difficult to detect. Well, what else could you expect from a sword once wielded by the very first Sword Saint?
It was night, and I sat alone in my room, using the brilliance of the full moon as my only source of light. My eyes moved over the pages of a swordsmanship manual—Abyss Grace. The style consisted of sixteen forms.
I couldn't yet grasp most of them, but after several days of practice and study, I had managed to comprehend two.
This was no ordinary sword manual. Even with the memories of my previous life, it had taken me days to reach this point. For an ordinary person, mastering even these two forms might take a year or more.
The first was Thirteen Consecutive Slash, specializing in relentless offense. The second, Abyss Wall, was a defensive technique. Both were far superior to anything I had learned in my past life, and when paired with Enkris, their power doubled.
Vitra once said that few in this world could match me in swordsmanship—if Master Abyssal Grace wasn't an overstatement. This manual is so good that if I were to lose to someone after mastering it, the only explanation would be my own incompetence.
After reading the book again, I glanced at the clock. It was already one in the dead of night.
"It's time," I murmured, closing the book and dressing in my black training gear. The color was perfect for blending into the darkness, but the smell… not so perfect.
Sigh… That idiot. I told her to wash my clothes regularly, but she forgot again.
I stepped to the window. As always, knights patrolled the grounds. It was supposed to be time for the shift change.
Hmmm? I looked at the clock again. The shift should've changed by now—so why hadn't anyone passed through the gate yet? Had they already switched earlier?
While I was still guessing, a squadron of knights marched in through the gate. The swordsman at the center approached the captain of the 4th squadron, spoke a few words, and then the captain blew his whistle. Moments later, the 4th squadron assembled and left the area.
Perfect. While the 6th squadron moved in to take over, I unlatched the window, slipped through, and shut it behind me.
I activated the First Form: Stealth. Just as the name implied, it was designed for disappearing into the night. Step by step, my presence faded until even the wind wouldn't hear me. I kept this form up until I was clear of the estate and deep into the forest, where I finally allowed myself a moment's rest.
Huff… huff…
Using Footless Steps really takes a toll on me. It consumes a huge amount of mana and puts tremendous pressure on my legs. But it can't be helped, can it? My muscles are growing, yes—but they're still far from fully developed. That's why every use of Footless Steps feels like it's tearing my legs apart.
After resting in the forest for ten minutes, I began moving east. I passed by several small villages along the way, and after traveling continuously for four kilometers, I finally reached my destination.
Hmm? So it hasn't happened yet? I've been visiting this village for the past seven days.
It's a small settlement—no more than five hundred people—and within it lives a boy who, in my past life, possessed talent that could rival even Ronan's. Though he died at the young age of twenty-five, he managed to reach the Fourth Severance without any external support.
His story began when he was just ten years old. His entire village was massacred in a bizarre sacrificial ceremony carried out by fanatics who worshiped Demos.
I know the time period, but not the exact date. In my previous life, the destruction happened around this time of year—and the boy was the sole survivor.
I'll wait for it to happen. If my luck holds, I might be able to use him in the future.
Sigh… not today either.
I exhaled in disappointment as the first light of dawn crept over the horizon—a silent reminder that it was time to return.
Step… step…
Just as I was about to leave, I heard the faint sound of footsteps. Following the sound, I spotted three hooded figures emerging from the horizon.
They weren't too far from me, but I still activated the stealth form of Footless Steps and approached cautiously.
The figures began surveying the village, jotting notes into a small booklet. After that, they moved eastward, stopped again, and scribbled something else. I didn't know exactly who they were, but I could guess—these might be the people responsible for what was about to happen. Or rather, the ones who would cause it.
They repeated the same process from every direction, as if mapping the area. Finally, they sat down beneath a tree.
Silently, I closed the distance, my steps light as air, hoping to catch fragments of their conversation.
"This village should be enough," one of the hooded figures said. From his voice, I guessed he was a man.
"Hmm? Yes, this village should be enough," a female voice agreed. "But we have to do this in secret—this village is within House Kael's territory."
Although they were planning to sacrifice people for some strange reason, I didn't really mind. If I could gain power in the future through sacrifice, I would gladly do so.
"House Kael?" the third figure asked.
"Yes," the woman replied. "They might not have anyone who has reached True Severance, but they do have six people who've reached Fifth Severance, which is the highest in the region. It would be bad if our summoning gets interrupted."
Demon summoning? My lips curved upward at the thought. If they were summoning a demon by sacrificing people, then it had to be a higher-tier demon—one that might control certain abilities.
"Yes," the woman continued, her voice tinged with excitement. "We should start the summoning ritual tomorrow at midnight, now that we've prepared for a whole month."
"Alright, let's return to headquarters," one of the men commanded. With that, the three of them used some kind of footwork technique and vanished into the distance.
The quiet night returned once they were gone, but the air still felt heavier than before, as if it carried whispers only I could hear. I stayed where I was, letting the shadows press against my skin, my mind tracing every word they had spoken. A faint smile tugged at my lips, though even I wasn't certain why. Perhaps it was curiosity. Perhaps something else entirely. Either way, the night was far from over, and neither was this story. For now, the village slept—blissfully unaware of the footsteps that would soon change everything.
Hehe… so it's tomorrow? There should be something worth gaining if I attend their little ritual. With a soft chuckle, I thought to myself, Although it might be dangerous, if I make the right preparations, it should be fine. And who knows… I might gain something interesting.
I turned away, my thoughts already working through possibilities. The less I showed my hand, the more I could take from theirs.
Soon after I returned, it was already dawn, though no one was awake except the knights on duty. I entered my room the same way I had left and collapsed onto the bed. It was only four, but I figured I should get some sleep before doing whatever needed to be done.
The moment I closed my eyes, sleep claimed me instantly. Fatigue weighed on me like a heavy blanket, pulling me into its depths. The faint hum of morning wind outside the window faded into nothing, replaced by a strange stillness. Somewhere in that haze between waking and dreaming, I thought I heard a whisper—soft, almost familiar—but before I could place it, the darkness swallowed everything.
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Author's Note: For those wondering why the nights in Vern's world feel unusually long—this is because their planet takes more time to complete a single rotation around its sun. As a result, both days and nights last much longer than on Earth.
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter