The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 5: A Second Chance (4)

The dungeon was enormous.

Countless adventurers had ventured into it, but no one knew just how many floors it had.

Due to its vastness, a variety of monsters inhabited the dungeon, with each floor having its own unique ecosystem.

Among these, some floors were particularly special, with the third floor being a prime example.

Unlike other floors where multiple species coexisted, the third floor was dominated by a single race.

Orcs.

These monsters had faces resembling boars, muscular bodies, and green skin. Orcs were born with the strength of an adult man, and their reproduction rate rivaled that of kobolds and goblins.

With those two traits combined, the orcs had achieved an impressive feat—they had claimed the entire third floor as their territory.

For those attempting the dungeon for the first time, the third floor was an infamous and brutal challenge.

Yet, at this moment, those same fearsome orcs were being slaughtered.

By only two people.

Crunch.

An orc’s head was sent flying.

Sien Igreet, having just killed the orc in a flash, adjusted her stance.

There wasn’t a trace of hesitation in her posture, as she gripped the ricasso of her zweihander with her right hand and its hilt with her left.

“Haaah!”

With a powerful downward swing of her 150cm-long greatsword, Sien struck.

Despite the immense size of the weapon, her attack was incredibly swift—so fast that dodging it wasn’t an option.

The targeted orc instinctively understood its fate. In a desperate attempt, it swung its stone axe upward.

Crash!

The stone axe shattered completely.

But it wasn’t because of the sword itself.

The force of the wind pressure generated by Sien’s swing had caused the axe to break apart.

Her greatsword continued its path, cleaving into the orc’s head and utterly obliterating it.

Watching the scene unfold, Martin clicked his tongue.

‘Her physical strength is terrifying.’

It was a sight he had witnessed countless times before, prior to his return.

Even so, every time he saw it, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

After all, that overwhelming power didn’t come from aura or unique abilities—it was purely from raw strength.

“Grrr!”

“Raaargh!”

The orcs saw their comrade die in a gruesome manner.

But rather than losing their fighting spirit, two orcs charged at Sien, trampling over the corpse in their frenzy, roaring fiercely as they did.

Their display of power was impressive, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.

Whoosh.

With an indifferent expression, Sien swung her zweihander again, this time horizontally.

The resulting wind pressure was devastating.

The moment the invisible force struck the first orc’s waist, its upper body exploded as if hit by a bomb. The remaining lower half was flung into its comrade, knocking it off balance.

Sien didn’t miss the opening.

Her zweihander came down in a diagonal slash like a bolt of lightning.

The blade pierced the orc’s left shoulder, and in an instant, its entire upper body was bisected diagonally.

It was a gruesome sight.

The ferocity of Sien’s attack made even the orcs, known for their fighting spirit, flinch.

But their fear and hesitation didn’t last long.

The orcs quickly regained their posture and began closing the distance once more, burning with the determination to kill Martin and Sien.

“Hah. They just keep coming,” Martin sighed.

“Yeah. I still can’t get used to this. I’d much rather face fewer but stronger enemies,” Sien replied.

The lower floors.

This term referred to the area from the first to the tenth floor of the dungeon, which had a specific characteristic.

The monsters that appeared in these floors were generally weaker individually.

But they made up for it with overwhelming numbers.

Many adventurers had lost their lives simply because they couldn’t handle the sheer volume of enemies.

“I agree with you, but aren’t you the last person who should be saying that, Martin?” Sien teased.

“What? Why?”

“Come on, you’re the one who suggested we stray from the main path because you needed to find something. We’re working twice as hard because of that.”

“Sure, I made the suggestion, but I never forced anyone to follow it. Who was it that agreed with me three days ago? Unless I’m mistaken, has that person been replaced by someone else?”

“Ugh. If only you hadn’t brought up the former head of the family…” Sien muttered, glaring at him with dissatisfaction.

Three days ago, exactly fifteen days after they entered the dungeon, Martin had made a suggestion.

He told Sien that there was something important they needed to take care of on the third floor.

He hadn’t provided many details, but Sien had no choice but to trust him.

After all, Martin had claimed the former head of the family had told him something important. How could she ignore that?

As a result, the two had been scouring every corner of the third floor, venturing off the main path.

Navigating the third floor was already a daunting task, and forging new paths only added to their exhaustion. Especially for Martin, whose frail body wasn’t suited for such an environment.

For Sien, the most critical task was protecting Martin.

From that perspective, this was the worst place for their mission.

“Still, we’re almost there, so hang in there just a little longer,” Martin said reassuringly.

“Do you even realize how many times you’ve said that?”

“This time, it’s true. The area matches the description my father gave me. We’ll definitely reach the destination soon.”

“You better be right about this, Martin. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise?”

“I’ll give you a solid whack on the head.”

“…Are you trying to kill me?”

Martin’s face paled.

Though Sien’s threat of a “light tap” was meant to sound playful, it was anything but.

Even a light hit from her could shatter the skull of a trained knight or the head of a sturdy monster.

And Martin was not only weaker than most monsters but also physically inferior to ordinary knights.

If he took a blow from Sien, even if she held back, it would be something he might not survive.

“…I apologize for my overconfidence. But this time, it really isn’t much further,” Martin said, trying to sound sincere.

“I’ll trust you one more time. But on another note,” Sien turned her gaze back toward the orcs.

Kuooo!

The air around her began to tremble, or rather, the very space itself seemed to quake.

Finally, Sien activated her unique ability.

“I’m tired of dealing with them one by one.”

The moment her words ended, a silver aura enveloped the blade of her zweihander.

Clang.

A sharp metallic sound echoed through the dungeon.

The blade, crafted by a master artisan, struggled to withstand the pressure of Sien’s overwhelming power.

But the effect was clear. The orcs charging toward them slowed down, crushed by the oppressive force radiating from her.

Seeing this, Martin leisurely stepped behind Sien. He needed to distance himself from the aftermath of her attack since it wouldn’t be good for his already weak body.

He added a few words as he moved.

“You know, right? You need to balance the amount of mana you put into both your aura and your unique ability. That’s how you get them to resonate properly.”

Aura was powered by the mana from the mana core in the abdomen, while unique abilities were fueled by the mana from the core in the head.

While the mana was the same, their nature differed, and combining them required precise control.

Woom!

Following Martin’s guidance, Sien directed an equal amount of mana to both her aura and her unique ability.

The light from her unique ability merged with the aura enveloping her blade.

“Well done, Sien. Now just manage the power properly. If you’re not careful, this place could collapse like the training grounds did last time.”

“You said we wouldn’t talk about that anymore!” Sien snapped, embarrassed by the mention of her past mistake, but she still pulled her sword back, as if drawing the string of a bow.

Grrr.

Raaargh.

The orcs, who had always maintained their fighting spirit despite some setbacks, finally began to retreat.

For the first time, they were overwhelmed by Sien’s display of power.

Some even turned tail and fled outright.

Martin couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head.

‘Too late.’

Once the Adalbert family’s sword, infused with a unique ability, was unleashed, no one could escape.

And this applied equally to the five branch families, including the Igreet family.

“Haaaah!”

With a shout, Sien thrust her zweihander forward.

The silver aura wrapped around the blade shone brilliantly and shot out in a long flash of light.

BOOM!

Though the thrust seemed ordinary, the result was far from it.

The moment the silver flash struck, dozens of orcs were torn apart. All they could do was let out pitiful cries before being annihilated.

Not only that, but the stone pillars and stalagmites that cluttered the dungeon were obliterated as well. It was as if a new path had been carved straight through the dungeon.

With the enemies gone in an instant, the dungeon became eerily silent.

Clap, clap, clap.

The sound of slow clapping broke the quiet.

“That was a truly impressive strike, Sien. This is the first time you’ve successfully combined aura with ‘Space Recoil’ in actual combat, and you pulled it off perfectly.”

Space Recoil.

A space-based unique ability that allowed its user to manipulate space and generate powerful shockwaves. It was a difficult ability to master, let alone combine with aura.

Yet despite having only recently learned aura, Sien had already managed to succeed.

“Well, of course, I succeeded. You’ve been watching over me and offering advice all this time. Honestly, even a fool could pull it off with your help.”

“Come on, that’s too much credit. It’s all thanks to your hard work.”

“…If you want to act humble, you should at least stop smiling. You may as well just brag openly.”

“Should I?”

Martin’s playful tone made Sien shake her head, exasperated.

“Let’s keep going. We’re almost there,” Martin said, setting off once more.

“Don’t forget your promise, Martin. If we don’t find what we’re looking for, you’re getting that punch.”

“I-I swear, this time it’s for real.”

“I hope so.”

Sien smiled softly as she watched Martin’s nervousness.

With that, the two continued deeper into the dungeon.

After about five more minutes of walking, they finally arrived at their destination.

* * *

“What is this place…?”

Sien stared ahead in a daze.

Before them stood the entrance to a large cave.

This, by itself, wasn’t particularly shocking. The dungeon was full of places like this.

What was unusual, however, was the blue barrier at the entrance—a magical barrier.

It was a technique that could only be created through magic or unique abilities, something far beyond the capabilities of the orcs on the third floor.

“…Is this the place the former head of the family told you about?” Sien asked.

“Yeah,” Martin nodded.

“Did he tell you what’s inside?”

“Of course.”

Though his answer was casual, it was a lie.

His late father knew nothing about this place. After all, it wouldn’t be discovered for another three years.

But Martin had invoked his father’s name to persuade Sien. As expected, she hadn’t questioned it.

“I’m going in.”

“Are you sure? There could be something dangerous in there.”

“Come on, my father wouldn’t have sent me somewhere dangerous.”

“…I suppose that’s true.”

“Exactly. So relax.”

Martin smiled as he stepped forward.

‘This is going well.’

Inside the cave lay the legacy of a great ancestor.

Rothar Adalbert, the Fist King.

A member of the Adalbert family’s branch line, Rothar had earned the title of Fist King. His power was so great that it even threatened the dominance of the direct line.

In his later years, Rothar had lived here, leaving behind his martial arts manuals and all that he had accumulated.

Three years from now, Kalain would discover this legacy and gain immense strength from it.

‘Sorry, Kalain. This time, I’m taking your fortune.’