---

“This time, my return’s gonna be different,” I whispered, staring at the ceiling.

Master Ashley’s words echoed in my mind like thunder in a storm.

> “Get stronger. Unlock your full potential. Only then will your enemies bow before
you.
Train hard. Extinguish all weaknesses. Fight—even when there's nothing to fight
for.”

Then, Damien’s voice cut through the memory.

> “If I were you, I’d get enough sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

I sat up and looked around my room. Posters of my father with my mom and younger
brother were scattered across the walls. There were old pictures—one of my mother
pregnant, others of her alone, smiling. A tear slipped down my cheek, but I wiped
it away before it could fall further.

“You dad must’ve really loved her,” Damien said gently from the corner. “Not many
can stay alone like him.”

I nodded. “I'm ready to begin my training.”

Damien raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“You’re not going to train like others. It's going to be excruciating. You might
not handle it.”

“I’ve been mocked all my life—faced pain, rejection. I don’t care what it takes. I
will become powerful.”

“Powers are a blessing… but also a curse,” Damien said, his voice unusually
serious.

“I have what it takes.” My voice was steady.

“Then go to sleep.”

I stared at the ceiling for a few more minutes before closing my eyes.

---

THE NEXT DAY

I dropped to my knees, panting. My morning had started full of energy, only for it
to drain away within hours. Damien had taken me deep into the forest, revealing a
hidden training ground—massive, empty, and intimidating.

First thing when we got there was a system message.

> System Alert!
[Daily Quests ]
Run 500 m
Lift 200kg
200 pushups

I did that for three straight hours my muscles ached and I was drenched in sweat .

Then he summoned a sword—not just any sword, but one with an energy I’d never felt
before. It wasn’t the same as the blue one in the cave—it was ancient, pulsing with
divine power. It's the one left over from when my grandpa disintegrated I could
feel the magic coursing through it. This definitely was an S rank weapon.

I was trying to remember the name of the weapon.

Then the system screen came up again.

> [Weapon : Blade of Eternity ]

>Active Skills:

Lightborn Slash (Lv.1000)

Thunder clap : (Lv.1000)

Parade of a thousand demons: (Lv.1000)

Flare of Salvation (Lv.1000000)

> Passive skills:

Aegis of the Ancients

Holy light
Imminent flare

Stat Boost: +120% to Strength, Agility, and Vitality

“Damn… who made this thing?” I whispered, running my fingers along its razor edge.

“It belonged to the god of lightning—Tinjoro,” Damien said casually.

“Wait. You’re joking, right? The Tinjoro?!”

“If that’s true… then that means—” I stopped, staring at the blade in fear. “I’m
holding Denuzvedor, the Sword of Judgement?!”

> System Alert!

You are wielding a Divine Relic of Tier: GOD
Legend: Lost in the War of the Gods
Status: Recovered — Bound to user temporarily

“This sword was thought to be lost! This is insane!”

Damien rolled his eyes. “There are deadlier weapons in Prince Kindyra’s treasury.
200,000 divine swords, thousands of relics and amulets.”

I stood, mouth open.

“Back to training,” he said flatly. “Sword skills first. Cut through 2,000 dummies
in one minute. No holding back.”

“Two THOUSAND?!” I turned around—“Where the hell are you gonna get 2,000—?”

“Turn around,” Damien said with a smirk.

I turned. My jaw nearly dropped.

A sea of metallic knights stood before me, five across in perfect rows. They
gleamed like silver under the sun. They weren’t normal dummies. I could feel their
aura. They looked—and felt—like actual warriors.

Then, they moved.

All at once, the knights unsheathed their swords, raised them high, and then
stabbed them into the ground, dropping to one knee. The earth shook from the sheer
force.

“They’re stereotype knights,” Damien said. “Created by Prince Kindyra himself to

train with when he was bored.”

“Bored?! Who trains with 2,000 god-tier dummies for fun?!”

“How else are you going to get stronger?” Damien shrugged. “Your core might be
unlocked, but you’re still weak.”

I scowled. “Remind me who you are again?”

“I’m a talking sword sent to kill you,” he said sarcastically.

“Obviously,” I muttered.

“Today’s your first day. I’ll tune the dummies to Level 1. As you grow, so will
they. Eventually… God Mode.”

“Alright,” I exhaled, hitting my chest with my fist. “Let’s do this.”

I closed my eyes.

My father's voice echoed in my mind.

> “Always control your breathing. Your heartbeat. Be in full command of yourself.
That’s how you dominate a battlefield. Not brute force. Not magic. Control.”

I remembered him pacing the woods, his calm voice resonating through the trees.
Then, in a flash, he unsheathed his sword, dashed to a tree, and returned. I hadn’t
even seen him move—only heard his footsteps. Three trees fell in the distance with
a thunderous crash.

> System Boost Activated

“Focused Breathing – Lv. 1” acquired
Skill type: Passive — Allows smoother energy circulation and muscle control
Result: +10% attack speed, +15% stamina regeneration.

He had smiled. “Maybe I should’ve held back.”

Now, standing before the metal knights, I narrowed my eyes. My sword pulsed in my
hand.

The first five knights raised their blades. The others vanished.

I didn’t hesitate.

> Skill Activated

Lightborn Slash — Lv. 1000
Damage Multiplier: x300
Cooldown: None while wielding Denuzvedor

In one fluid motion, I slashed.

The sword glowed bright gold, expanded slightly, and tore through all five knights
in a single strike. No trace was left—not even dust.

Damien screamed into my head. “HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?! You’re supposed to be
bad at sword fighting!”

" Not so loud " I rubbed my temples easing the pain that's throbbing my head from
the scream. “When I was a kid… I didn’t have magic. So my dad trained me with a
sword. I guess… it just stuck.”

Damien blinked. “That’s actually… pretty impressive.”

“Thanks.”

“Then no slacking. Keep going.”

More knights appeared—this time ten. I dashed forward, sword gleaming.

Time blurred. Each time I defeated a set, another wave appeared—five more added to
the count. The more I fought, the less tired I felt.

> System Update!

[Skill Progression]
Sword Mastery: Lv. 1 ➝ Lv. 17
Combat Endurance: Lv. 3 ➝ Lv. 10
Speed Boost: +12%
Vitality: +8%
Status: Battle trance triggered — fatigue temporarily nullified

I had fought for hours, nearly 200 dummies down—when something changed.

A new knight stepped forward.

This one was crimson red.

Even without movement, I felt it—an overwhelming presence.

> System Alert!

[Elite Knight Detected]
Rank: A+
Class: Mini-Boss
Core Skill: “Iron Valor” — doubles defense and counters holy attacks

I took a step back.

This… was on a different level.

---

The crimson knight stepped forward with deliberate weight, its presence enough to
make the air feel heavy.

> System Alert!

[Elite Knight Engaged]
Estimated Power Level: 12,500
User Power Level: 10,780
Warning: Power Gap Detected
Initiating Safety Protocol...

Override Denied. User preference: "Push Past Limits."

“You’re not backing down, huh?” Damien muttered, watching me closely.

I tightened my grip on Denuzvedor. My body ached, but something deep inside—

something primal—stirred.

The red knight’s armor emitted a low hum, and sparks danced along the blade it drew
—a dark blade etched with crimson runes.

> System Scan

Weapon: Crimson Doom
Type: Anti-Divine Blade
Skill: Rift Cleave – Level 3000
Effect: Ignores Divine Armor. Inflicts 3x damage against holy-type weapons.

“Wait—anti-divine?!” I shouted. “Damien, are you trying to kill me?!”

“I didn’t program that in,” Damien said, alarmed. “This is… autonomous behavior.
That knight’s evolving.”

> System Alert!

Unique Event Triggered — [Knight’s Awakening: Judgment Duel]
Status: Optional Boss Battle
Reward: Acquisition of Elite knight and Crimson Doom.
Danger Level: Critical

I could run.

I could wait.

But I didn’t.

“Let’s go,” I growled, channeling all my energy.

I took a deep breath.

> Skill Activated

[Lightborn Slash – Lv. 1000]
[Thunderclap – Lv. 1000]

My blade lit up with arcs of lightning and holy flame. I rushed forward, vanishing
in a blur.

But the red knight moved, faster than expected. Our swords clashed mid-air, thunder
erupting between us.

The impact sent a shockwave that cracked the ground.

I stumbled back, the shock numbing my arm.

“Dammit. He’s… reading me.”

The knight lunged again.

This time I wasn’t fast enough.

His blade grazed my cheek

Pain seared through me just by a mere cut .

> HP -3400
Status Effect: “Divine Burn” inflicted — Healing rate halved for 3 minutes

" Just by a mere cut damn it this Knight's on another level " touching the side of
my cheek.

My knees buckled.

The knight raised its blade for a final strike.

Then—

> Emergency Override Initiated

Core Link Detected…

Divine Synch: 4% Unlocked

Synchronizing with [Denuzvedor: The Sword of Judgement]

New Skill Unlocked:

[Echo of Tinjoro – Lv. 1]
Type: Divine Projection
Effect: Temporarily summons the will of Tinjoro, the God of Lightning
Duration: 10 seconds

I gasped as a surge of energy enveloped me. My vision blurred—light and electricity

surged around my body. The sword became weightless, humming in sync with my
heartbeat.

From the blade, a glowing silhouette formed—a towering figure cloaked in divine
lightning.

His voice thundered through me.

> “Wield me not as a weapon... but as justice incarnate.”

I stepped forward, light trailing my movements.

The red knight lunged.

I moved—no, we moved.

The blade slashed once.

> Skill Activated

[Echo of Tinjoro – Lv. 1]

Thunder Wrath unleashed — 500,000 damage dealt

Critical Hit

Enemy Neutralized.

The red knight froze mid-step. A second passed.

Then it exploded in a brilliant flash of light and lightning.

The battlefield fell silent.

Ash drifted through the air.

> System Alert!

[Elite Knight Defeated]
Reward:
+11,000 EXP
+1 Skill Point
Subject: Elite knight
[Fragment of Tinjoro's Will]
AcquiredSword: Crimson Doom
New Title Unlocked: [Lightning’s Chosen]
Effect: +25% damage with lightning-based weapons and skills

Core Link Progress: 4% ➝ 7%

I dropped to one knee, panting. The divine aura slowly faded. The sword cooled in
my hands.

Damien stuttered . “You… you just accessed a core link with a god-tier relic. You
channeled Tinjoro. What are you?”

eyes still glowing faintly i said. “Someone who’s just getting started.”

> Quest Updated

[Rise of the Forgotten Heir]
Progress: 12%
Next Objective: “Survive 500 Knight Duels”
Bonus Objective: “Unlock 20% Core Sync with Denuzvedor”

I stood, adrenaline still pulsing through my veins.

More knights began appearing—stronger than before.

But I didn’t flinch.

I raised my sword.

“Let’s go again.”

---