Damn... how could I have been so careless?
Before Adam could delve deeper into the thought, he opened his eyes.
The cave had disappeared.
Before him stretched a vast, barren expanse, endless to the naked eye, where dust from the ground floated suspended in the air, falling slowly like ash in slow motion.
But that wasn't all.
The ground was covered with broken swords.
Swords stuck in the ground, broken, rusted, some reduced to mere fragments. It was a graveyard, as if countless knights had fought there until their last breath.
The important thing was that he wasn't dead... at least, it seemed that way.
Everything indicated that he had been transferred to the real dungeon, although there was no way to confirm it.
Let's confirm one thing first.
Adam sat up and dusted himself off. He felt no serious injuries. All his belongings were still there. He looked down at his chest, at the exact spot where the death knight had pierced him with his sword.
There was nothing.
He sighed with relief, then frowned as he looked around.
"Asterin."
He called her name calmly, but got no response.
He couldn't sense her.
That was strange.
Since he had returned to the past, his presence was always there, even though she didn't talk much. That absence made the place feel even more oppressive.
Suddenly, in the distance, a silhouette emerged from the curtain of dust.
Adam narrowed his eyes.
The figure was blurred, distorted by the thick air, but it was clearly getting closer.
He instantly assumed a stance and circulated mana throughout his body.
The flow coursed through his bones, sharpening his magical perception. The dust reacted to that energy, revealing contours that had previously been hidden.
Then he saw it clearly.
"What the hell...?"
The figure was not human.
Its body was translucent, like an image projected onto the world. It was humanoid in shape, but you could see the landscape through it. The most disturbing thing was its armor: iron plates held together by silk cords.
It was identical to that of the death knight.
Except for one detail.
It didn't have six arms.
In one of its ghostly hands, it held a curved, single-edged sword, black as night.
Adam's heart skipped a beat.
It could be...
Then he remembered the words of the death knight, just before losing consciousness.
And as if the world responded to that thought, a window appeared before his eyes.
[Mission #1: Defeat the image of the Gallant Knight]
Description:
Gallant was a renowned knight who dedicated his life to the sword. However, at the moment of his death, he regretted not having found a worthy disciple to pass on his art to.
Reward: 5 EXP, 5 stat points
...
"I see... now I understand."
Adam let out a slight smile.
He raised his hand and gestured to Gallant, a silent invitation.
The response was immediate.
The figure attacked.
Adam raised his sword and blocked the blow.
Clang.
The impact was clean.
Both exchanged simple, direct blows, without elaborate techniques. There was no fury or desperation—just pure fencing.
Then Adam felt it.
"Huh...?"
His expression hardened.
A dark glow began to emanate from Gallant's chest. Energy swirled from his spectral heart, spreading through his body like a silent torrent until it enveloped the sword.
The air grew heavy.
The blade descended once more.
Clang!
A heartbeat accompanied each clash of swords, and the dark mana expanded and contracted in sync.
Adam realized it.
"I'm beginning to understand..."
The Gallant doll exposed his chest and began to spin his mana, clearly visible through his transparent body.
Adam followed every flow, every twist invisible to the naked eye. The way the mana intertwined defied all known logic.
Strange. Chaotic. But beautiful.
A deadly dance: one mistake and his head would roll on the ground.
Clang!
The exchanges continued. They were more intense than at the beginning.
Adam understood fencing: how the mana flowed, how the body accompanied each cut, how style was not just technique, but intention. And, to his surprise, he enjoyed the process.
Tap. Tap.
The Gallant doll touched its chest and made a series of strange gestures. Adam understood them instantly.
"Okay... I get it."
He circulated his mana, and above his head appeared the Wheel of Dharma Mana, now tinged with black.
The doll began to execute clean, beautiful movements with its single-edged sword. It fixed its gaze on Adam.
Adam understood... and imitated it.
Every movement fits together. Every step made sense.
Was this a test? A dungeon designed to convey a lost fencing technique?
He didn't know. But it was clear that this was no ordinary dungeon.
"This is a truly unique fencing technique..."
Adam let out a long sigh. He didn't know how much time had passed, but his body felt heavy, as if hours had gone by.
He looked at the Gallant doll.
It was frozen, both elbows bent at right angles: one hand up, the other down. Its mouth seemed wide open.
It expressed emotions too easily for something that wasn't alive.
"…"
Adam looked at him with an expressionless face.
It was as if that damn doll was saying, "Are you tired already? We're just getting started."
He didn't like it. Not one bit.
He stood up again.
His body was still that of a sixteen-year-old boy. He had limitations, even as a Novice Knight.
Even so, he lifted the corners of his mouth.
He had lived once. He had been pushed back.
Why should he be intimidated by a mere puppet?
"Let's continue, you fucking puppet."
...
In the cave filled with mana stone, Robert leaned against the wall, his eyes closed, waiting for his young master, Adam, to appreciate him.
Kevin, to distract himself, was sharpening his sword, even though it wasn't necessary, because that could easily be done with mana.
But it had been about three hours since they had been taken out of that graveyard of swords.
"I just hope nothing happens to the young master, because if it does, Lord Zephyr will have us put to death."
Tap, tap, tap.
Footsteps could be heard, gradually growing louder.
Then they saw a young man with golden eyes and thick eyebrows. His hair was light brown, slightly wavy, and short. He had a prominent nose and a pronounced jawline. He was extremely attractive.
It was none other than Adam Hall.
Kevin and Robert felt as if their souls had returned to their bodies; he had come back to life.