Extra in a Romance Fantasy

198 – King (10)

“…Incredible.”

The man spoke, his voice a mix of surprise and admiration.

“It’s as if you’ve become someone else.”

It wasn’t just the voice that had changed.

His face also revealed an unmistakable astonishment.

“What on earth happened? To change so suddenly like this.”

In response to that pure question filled with curiosity.

Wade, who hadn’t spoken since the fight began, finally opened his mouth.

“I heard a voice.”

“A voice?”

At the man’s incredulous inquiry, the corners of Wade’s mouth lifted slightly.

*

The voice that began to resonate in my mind at some point.

A voice that began to interfere with my movements, as if imparting a teaching.

I finally realized the identity of that voice.

It was none other than my own voice.

Or rather, to be more precise, it should be called the voice of my soul.

It’s not strange.

Though I myself still find it hard to grasp, I am the reincarnation of Ferdion.

In other words, my soul is Ferdion’s soul.

And the martial art of the warrior is inscribed upon the soul.

As the body grows, so too does the soul.

All trajectories are etched into the soul and remain within it.

That soul, my mind.

It has fully awakened through witnessing Ferdion’s battles via the sword.

And it has revealed to me.

The differences between me and Ferdion.

What I lack.

How I should move my body, how I should handle magic, how I should manage my thoughts.

And, ultimately.

What realm I have stepped into.

I have entered a new realm in my fight with the swordsman.

Perhaps, a realm that no one in this era has yet stepped into.

No, not just in this era; perhaps throughout all of history, there have been very few who have reached a realm like mine.

It’s possible that only Ferdion himself has.

Though there is no evidence, I hold a vague conviction in that thought.

The reason for this belief is simple.

If someone had stepped into the same domain as I, they would surely have left their name in history.

Perhaps, aside from Ferdion, it is a realm that no one has ever set foot in throughout the long history of humanity.

And perhaps, it is a realm of transcendence that no one has understood.

When a warrior or a mage reaches a certain level, they are referred to as a superhuman.

The most representative examples are the Ten Swords and the Grand Magus.

They can cleave mountains with a swing of their sword, and with a mere gesture, alter the very landscape.

It is a power akin to miracles, forbidden to ordinary humans.

Thus, they are called超人 (superhumans), signifying that they have transcended humanity.

Yet, even among these superhumans, few truly grasp the depths of their own realm.

The realm of intention alone is a level that only the most gifted can reach after countless trials and tribulations.

And even those geniuses often fail to fully comprehend the entirety of this realm of intention.

Most merely come to understand the concept of intention and apply it to combat, stopping there.

If the realm of intention is thus, what then of the realm beyond it?

Transcendence is, by nature, a domain not granted to humans.

In that unfathomable realm, I found myself wandering.

I was unable to truly ‘understand’ the level I had reached.

That voice was ultimately trying to convey this to my soul.

How to wield power. What the level I had attained truly was.

Though it was not a direct statement, hearing that voice, I finally realized.

I came to understand.

My level. The level of transcendence.

Before reaching this level, I had been under a great delusion.

The realm of intention is the level where one’s will, that is, intention, influences the world.

Then, I thought the next level was the ability to change the world through one’s own will.

However, to put it plainly, that was not the case.

I, and the swordsman, were mistaken.

And we were arrogant.

To change the world by one’s own will was never within the realm of humanity.

It was a domain that humans should not covet, a realm where they could not tread.

I realized this in my battle with the swordsman, and I understood what the true next level was.

It is precisely ‘synchronization’ and ‘harmony.’

Not changing the world with my intention, but becoming a part of the world.

Thus, causing change in the world through my intention.

That was the essence of the new level.

I had known that from the very beginning.

However, I did not know exactly what that meant.

I had simply thought it meant gaining stronger power, achieving greater efficiency, and being able to accomplish more.

But that was not it.

This realm held a power far more extraordinary than I had imagined.

The moment I understood that, I became completely different from my former self.

I began to see a world entirely unlike before.

“A voice… have you heard a divine revelation?”

The man asked me with a playful expression.

“Well, you could say it’s something like that.”

In response, I answered playfully as well, raising my sword.

“Then, it’s my turn this time.”

“Right. Just as you said. I’m looking forward to what you’ll show me this time.”

As I looked at the man, whose eyes sparkled with anticipation, I extended my foot.

The surrounding scenery stretched, and the distance between the man and me shrank in an instant.

Just like when I had severed the man’s arm moments ago.

However.

Familiar signs began to appear along the path I was heading.

They were the ominous signs of an explosion that I had grown weary of seeing since the battle with the man began.

Seeing that sight, I did not panic.

I did not even stop my body.

I simply swung the sword in my hand.

Swish—

My sword traced a smooth arc.

Then, all the signs that had existed in my path were cut down and vanished in an instant, unable to bloom.

Thus, the man’s scheme was swiftly neutralized.

Yet, there was not a hint of anxiety on the man’s face.

“I expected at least that much.”

With a relaxed expression, the man said that.

Crack—

The space in front of me suddenly split apart.

There was no sign at all.

It wasn’t as if energy had exploded.

Simply, truly, just like that, the space before my eyes split apart.

“From the moment you can open the ‘door’, you can certainly do this.”

Hearing the leisurely voice of the man, I realized.

For him, manipulating space was not such a difficult task.

This much, he could have done long ago.

Yet, the reason he hadn’t used that power until now was simply that there had been no need.

However, at this moment, the man had pulled out that card, and the split space blocked my path.

Crack!

Beyond the torn space, I saw.

What existed within it.

It was a ‘gap’.

A bottomless ‘gap’, the extent of which I couldn’t even fathom.

I couldn’t precisely identify its nature, but the moment I saw it, I understood.

I must not step into that place.

For everything would come to an end.

Knowing that danger, I tried to change my course.

Taking a step back, I attempted to seize another opportunity.

But before I could even stop my foot.

Crack—

The space around me split apart entirely.

Behind, beside, above, and even the ground I stood on.

“That won’t do.”

The man’s voice, laced with amusement, reached my ears, but I had no leisure to divert my gaze there.

An unknown ‘gap’, certain to claim my life the moment I was ensnared, surrounded me.

A situation that could only be described as desperate.

Yet, even in such a situation, I did not give up and stand still.

Instead, I gripped my sword and infused it with my ‘will’.

Whoosh!

At last, the sword emitted a dazzling light, and that light spread in all directions.

Then, the space touched by that light.

The space that had seemed ready to swallow me whole, with its gaping maw, was restored in an instant as if nothing had ever happened.

“……!”

At that sight, the man’s eyebrows twitched.

A sense of panic subtly surfaced on his face.

Thud!

Seizing the moment, I struck the ground once more.

My body accelerated even further, and before the man could take any action, I reached him.

Close enough for the sword to touch.

And just as I was about to swing the sword at him, suddenly, his entire body began to turn black.

It was a sight I had seen somewhere before.

From the cult leader.

Before I could take any action, the man’s body was instantly engulfed in darkness.

He began to move.

“Moving your own body isn’t so bad, is it?”

With eyes completely stained red, he stared at me intently.

The man thrust out his remaining fist.

A fist charged with ominous energy, coalesced to its peak.

Whoosh!

With just a single punch thrown, the air inside the crater became a storm, swirling violently.

It was merely a punch, yet at the same time, it was anything but simple.

The power contained in that fist was far too immense to be described as ‘merely.’

Beyond shattering all things in the world, the strength within could easily crush even this massive mountain in a single blow.

No technique, no trick—just a simple punch.

However, it was so strong and fast that no one could block or evade the attack.

Not even me.

Blocking was utterly impossible, and in this situation, there was no way to dodge.

In such a moment, I did not cower at the sight of that fist.

Instead, I laughed.

And then, I moved the sword.

Towards the man’s fist rushing at me.

But it wasn’t to block the fist with the sword.

Instead of colliding the fist with the blade—

Swish—

I pushed the side of the fist with the blade’s surface.

As a result, the trajectory of the man’s fist aimed at me changed.

“……!!”

I saw the man’s eyes widen in shock.

Looking straight into those eyes, I smiled and said,

“Truly, the weapon of man is the martial.”

And with that, I swung the sword—

Swoosh!

My sword finally cleaved through the man’s body.