Overpowered Sword Chapter 181

Level up with swords (181)

Jugend, a kingdom of dwarves famous for their blacksmith race.

Dwarves prefer metal over milk from birth and have resistance to heat and strong physical abilities.

Although he had excellent qualities as a warrior, ten out of ten dwarves could become blacksmiths, and ninety-nine out of one hundred dwarves could become blacksmiths.

Just as elves instinctively seek out forests and talk to spirits, dwarves’ instincts were focused on finding hidden mineral veins and shaping metal to their liking.

Talent and aptitude.

It was natural that the metallurgy of the Dwarves and Jugends, who possessed both, was superior to that of other races. Even the blacksmiths who were commonly seen in Jugend could hear the sound of their masters if they went outside, so there was no need to say more.

So, in order to be heard as a master at Jugend, several conditions had to be met, and if I were to sum them up in one word, they were simple.

Have your own blacksmith shop in area 1.

The center of Jugend, the ‘Heart of Steel’, was an area where only a few hundred of the hundreds of thousands of dwarves could run a blacksmith shop. Every year there was a competition for that position, so it was extremely difficult to maintain that position.

Therefore, a blacksmith who maintained his own blacksmith shop in one area for several years or even decades had no choice but to excel.

Otherwise, the position would have been taken away long ago.

“It’s been 10 years in this city and nothing has changed. “It looks like a few signs have changed, but since everything they do is the same, I don’t see any difference.”

Sword Master Cedric, <Sword Demon>, who had been invited to be Leon’s judge, muttered this as he passed through an alley.

The sound of iron striking.

Heat tickling the skin.

Bright lights flash throughout the city, as if setting the dark night sky on fire, and the harsh breathing of blacksmiths who do not distinguish between day and night dissipates the chilly night air.

Cedric didn’t like that noisy atmosphere.

“There is nothing more rewarding in life than being crazy about something you love. Dwarves would be great. “Because the entire race shares the same ideals and provides the foundation for that.”

Humans are the majority of people who do not know their talents and aptitudes even after they are born and live for decades. Even twins who grew up under the same parents, without any ties to their ethnicity, country, or city, often had their paths diverge.

Some people praised humans as a ‘race of potential’ because of their diversity, but it was an undeniable fact that because of this, their average level fell significantly compared to other races.

“Well, it would be a problem to just gather people like me.”

Cedric imagined the mess without realizing it, but the only thing that came to mind was the sight of people killing each other, so he burst out laughing.

Even though he was never enlightened by others, he knew it himself. He himself is of a race that is far from normal, and that is why he has been able to live the way he does now.

I can’t forget the moment I first held a sword in my hand.

The straight and sharp blade he saw for the first time in his life was so beautiful that it made him throw away his life.

The blade is for cutting.

In that case, the value of the blade would be judged by what and how far it can cut.

At that time, Cedric’s goal was decided.

‘I want to wield a blade that can cut through anything with my own hands!’

I lived with that desire alone.

Without anyone to teach, without seeking guidance.

I was completely absorbed in the act of swinging the sword.

Cut faster than ever, easier than ever, and harder than ever before. Every time he found an improvement, he became stronger and cut down enemies as he pleased.

No friends, no colleagues.

Still, I was able to save one person who understood.

“… “It seems to have become more shady here than 10 years ago.”

Cedric blinked his eyes as he arrived at his destination.

A blacksmith shop stood in front of it, without any lights on and the yard not being cleaned well. That’s not all. There was no signboard, so it was hard to tell who was making what.

It was unusual for a dwarf with a strong desire to show off for a master craftsman who opened a blacksmith shop in Area 1 to not even put up a sign.

“Dyne! I, Cedric, have come to visit! “Open the door!”

Whether the lights were off or not, Cedric found someone inside and shouted without hesitation.

At a sound that could be heard from a hundred meters away, the iron door of the unlit blacksmith shop burst open and a dwarf jumped out.

“Shut up! You knife bastard! “You came to me in the middle of the night and started yelling at me, where did you lose your manners?!”

Surprisingly, the dwarf with a four-braided black beard called ‘Dain’ hurled harsh curses at Cedric.

Is it not a waste of your life to curse at <Sword Demon>, who is famous for ruining your character?

But Cedric’s reaction was surprising again.

“I don’t know. “It’s been quite a while since I lost it.”

“Well, is that so? That’s something to be proud of! “Just come in!”

“Excuse me.”

Cedric, ignoring the other person’s insults without any hesitation, entered the blacksmith shop and looked around the inside.

Even though there was no light, his vision was clear.

There was only a sword inside.

Dozens, perhaps over a hundred types of swords were strewn everywhere. Bastard, Claymore, Saber, Scimitar, Rapier, Spata, Flamberge, etc.

Even within Area 1, Dain’s blacksmith shop, a blacksmith who single-mindedly sells only one sword, was located here.

“Not bad.”

“what! not bad? “Did this damned swordsman even turn a blind eye!?”

Dain, enraged by Cedric’s words, huffed.

“You’re better than the guy you took 10 years ago, but you haven’t become so brave that you don’t notice that!”

“no way.”

Instead of denying Dain’s rant, Cedric took out the sword that now had only the hilt left. When I showed it to Dain, his eyes widened and he bit his lip.

How many minutes have passed?

A husky voice came out as if it had become hoarse.

“… “Did it break even though you cut it with your ‘Auror Blade’?”

“okay.”

“Even if you swing a copper sword, you can cut adamantium into pieces, but my sword broke? “What about the other person’s weapon?”

“It was a two-handed sword. “The appearance was of a commonly seen shape.”

“Jugendstil… “It can’t be possible.”

Dain, who was raising one possibility, swallowed his words.

Jugendstil is clearly powerful, but each and every one of its abilities is revealed to the entire kingdom. If he has the ability to handle Cedric’s Auror Blade, there is no way he will not know it when it is revealed.

To say that this was not the case simply means that the original durability of the sword was simply overwhelming.

“I want to see it in person, but I don’t have to see it to understand. It would be impossible to defeat that two-handed sword with my work. Over the past 10 years, we have increased our remaining talents in many ways, but the work to improve pure functionality has already reached its limit. “If your ‘Auror Blade’ doesn’t work, it won’t mean much no matter what masterpiece I create.”

“… is it.”

“but.”

Dain twisted his grim face and grinned.

“If it’s a possibility, I can show it.”

“miss you.”

“Follow me.”

The two moved to the inside of the blacksmith shop, a space that could never be shared between partners. Just like the outside, this is a place where hundreds of failures and successes are mixed together.

Go beyond that and open the secret room.

Soon Cedric could see.

“… That black?”

A Zweihender, tightly sealed with a silver chain, emitting dark red light.

Dain explained as if he had been waiting for those words.

“It’s a magic sword.”

“What?”

“Originally, this guy would have been sent to the Jugendsteel contest, but it couldn’t be done because contaminated minerals were mixed in. However, it would be a waste to break something that was well made, so I sealed it like that.”

Even Cedric was speechless and finally spoke.

“If the Holy Church found out, you would be burned at the stake?”

“It’s enough to just hang on. “He’s a dwarf, so he probably won’t be able to ride it well.”

“under!”

It was not for nothing that I did not understand Cedric. Because Dain was also a blacksmith and was tinged with madness, the two were able to become close through intersections while pursuing different paths.

Dain said.

“You will have to take care of everything. “You probably won’t be swayed by demonic powers or anything like that, but you will be caught.”

“It doesn’t matter, so just explain the sword.”

“Crazy guy. Well, okay. As you can see, it is a Zweihender and weighs about 5kg. Maybe it’s because it’s a magic sword, or maybe I made it well, but its durability and sharpness are three times greater than the one you cut apart. And the original function of the magic sword is even more fearsome.”

“The magic sword’s original function?”

Dain nodded and chuckled.

“The magic sword grows by eating blood and life. He’s a good match for you. “If you cut down a thousand or ten thousand people, one day you might be able to deal with a sword that you couldn’t cut.”

“In the end, it’s a story of possibility again.”

“I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, so it’s hard to give a definite answer.”

As soon as Cedric finished his explanation, he took a step forward. Without hesitating even for a moment, he goes to the place where the sword is sealed and extends his right hand.

He lightly loosened the chain with the anti-horse engraving on it and immediately grabbed the handle of the Zweichender.

It was that moment.

KIEEEEEEEE–!!

A faint dark red light exploded out, opening its mouth wide as if to devour Cedric’s entire body―

“Shut up.”

… Kiing.

With one quiet warning, it disappeared like fog.

Sword-Master.

The literal translation is: master of the sword. Even if it was a magic sword, there was no way that an unfinished product that had not even properly sucked blood could invade Cedric’s mentality steeped in madness.

The sword that had been suppressed by Ilgal was quietly drawn into the scabbard.

“It’s okay.”

Cedric smiled a rare deep smile.

I’ve never had any particular attachment or feelings to a single sword, but I was thinking of raising this one like a pet.

Demon sword.

The previous attempt by the evil church had failed and was unexpectedly caught in the hands of Cedric.

* * *

Whoops!

With a tingling sound in his eardrums, Leon’s body was thrown several meters, and he barely regained his center of gravity.

Even if it is blocked properly, its power is enormous.

Firmly gripping the hilt of his sword, Leon looked at the opponent who had lightly sent him flying. A girl with silver hair and golden eyes was shining, spinning a pole about two meters long like a whirlpool above her head.

It was Ellahan, the strongest saint in the history of the Holy Church.

“Well done, warrior! “I thought the timing would have been right, but you turned over with the momentum of your wings!”

“… “Even after doing that, it was still close.”

“You’ll be able to do it better next time! Now, let’s try again!”

At the same time as he said those words, Ellahan aimed the tip of the pole downward and raised his arms and shoulders to assume a downward posture.

Unlike swords, the bottom edge of batons and spears is more threatening.

This was because it was possible to block the opponent’s bottom attack, it was difficult to estimate the interval, and it was possible to attempt an irregular attack from the middle and top sides.

Leon opened his mouth to catch his rough breath.

“I didn’t know Ellahan was good at batting, but his skills are amazing.”

“Eh.”

Elahan, who had lost his composure at his praise, fainted.

“Hehe, is that so? “She said her mother said that in order to be good at wielding Seong Cheolswae, she must also learn batonjutsu.”

“Bongjutsu on Seongcheolsae?”

“If you think about it, the handle of Seongcheolsae is a bit long, right? It looks like there is a hammer head attached to one side of the pole. “Maybe that’s why practicing baton techniques was quite helpful.”

The chat between the two ended there.

As Leon, who recovered his stamina in a few breaths thanks to the stigmata, raised his sword, Ellahan also opened his eyes and waved the end of his baton.

This is a move to confuse the RBI.

It was right after that.

The moment Leon took half a step forward, Ellahan’s pole stretched out in a straight line. Like a spear, the advantage of a pole is its spacing. This is an advantageous range if you just wait for the enemy to come in and counterattack.

Kigigigigeek!

When Leon, who had shed the baton with the sword’s face, dug into the gap, Ellahan quickly rotated the baton and shook off the sword.

Although it does not bend as flexibly as the Lanna Chal (攔拿扎) of Touhou Spear Jutsu, when the aura wrapped around the surface of the iron window swirls in a spiral, it creates an even greater repulsive force.

Two steps.

The distance between the spears that the swordsman must suppress is too far.

Cancankcankcank!

It stabs, hits, pushes, wraps, and bounces.

There are many people who look down on batons because they have no blades, but since they have no blades, baton arts have a more free form.

If you hold it at a short interval, you can hit it at close range, and if you hold it at a long interval, you can use it like a spear. When struck hard with the tip, it exerts destructive power like a blunt weapon, and its length and center of gravity were constant, making it advantageous for strength competitions.

‘But once I dig in, I have the advantage!’

One step.

Leon bought a moment by bouncing off the side of the stick, and used the gap to spray “Icarus Wing” at full power.

The heat wave erupting from behind pushes him away.

As the shock wave of breaking the speed of sound swept forward, the sword and baton collided, pressing down on Ellahan at an oblique angle. If I just bounced it off, the distance would only widen, so I swung my sword down with the intention of smashing my legs into the ground.

It was then.

Suddenly.

The force that had been tightly fighting tilted in one direction, and the pole Ellahan was holding was broken in two, causing Leon’s body to stumble.

I immediately regained my body’s balance, but in an instant.

Ellahan’s fist, which had come in at close range, struck his solar plexus.

“――Knock!”

Leon, who made an ugly sound, bounced like a water swallow and returned to where he had first taken his first step.

This time, the sparring between the two ended with Ellahan’s victory.

“You certainly have a tendency to rely on power struggles. Please also consider the case where your opponent does not accept the match. Otherwise, we could be hit back in the same way we are now.”

“Wow, I didn’t know you were going to let go of the bong.”

“There may be spare armaments, and there are people who use boxing as their trump card. It is also basic for Seongcheolsaegi Knights to handle at least three types of weapons.”

One Ace is enough, but you should not fight with just an Ace. Even Leon, who used the Holy Sword as his main weapon, might need to use his fists, feet, or spare weapons.

Of course, if you actively use the Auror Blade and the Sun Sword, most of these shortcomings could be overcome.

Range with 〈Prominence〉.

Concentrate your firepower with 〈Eclipse〉.

High-speed maneuver with <Icarus Wing>.

however.

‘If that’s the case, there will be no fundamental solution. If you are an opponent with an Aura Blade or ability that ignores the scale of power like Cedric, even if you increase your size, you will only be able to pierce the vital area with one blow.’

If it was an ‘unblockable’ ability like Cedric’s Sword Gang, it had to be possible to avoid it, and on the contrary, if it was an ‘unavoidable’ ability, it had to be possible to block it.

Martial arts has always developed in a difficult situation.

To overcome an unbeatable opponent, to overcome a situation in which there is no way to survive.

If you ignore your own weaknesses, you will pay the price one day.

Leon was not foolish enough to throw his future away.

“Saint.”

“Ah, Cardinal! “Have you finished your work already?”

To Irexana, who had already entered the training hall, Ellahan spoke openly with a regretful expression.

But Irexana nodded mercilessly.

“Yes, it is the saintess’s turn to work.”

“Phee.”

Ellahan, with his cheeks puffed out, bowed once to Leon and then left the training hall.

Even while looking at that scene, Leon couldn’t help but smile.

It had to be that way.

“It looks like you trained with the saint with a baton.”

The next opponent was a large man who was rummaging around in a weapons warehouse, armed with a military uniform instead of a priest’s uniform.

Irexana.

A cardinal of the Holy Order and Grand Meister of Jugend.

A strong man who even killed the bishop of an evil church with two axes.

After several days of training, Leon learned one new thing about him.

“Then, shall we use the trident, chain scythe, and throwing axe today?”

Irexana smiled after choosing three types of weapons.

When Leon saw that, he trembled involuntarily.

Jugend’s best blacksmith.

Irexana’s skills hidden behind it were beyond even his imagination.

‘Weapon-Master… .’

If you hold a spear, you are a Spear Master.

If you hold a sword, you are a sword master.

If you hold an axe, you are an Ax Master.

Basically, he is an Auror Master who specializes in one type of weapon, but there was someone who broke that common sense. As a blacksmith, he has been learning how to use weapons for over a hundred years.

There was a person who was born with only the strengths of both races, and realized his potential to the limit with overwhelming talent and effort.

“Let’s rest for five more minutes before we begin, warrior.”

In front of this mountain-like presence, Leon let out a long sigh that he could not hold back.