The game has been out for almost a year now.
'Blessing of the Sword God M'.
A mass-produced mobile game that needs no further explanation.
It can be summarized in one sentence: a typical pay-to-win model with a typical auto-hunting system. It should be one of those games that rank between 5th and 10th on the bestseller list.
There's no story whatsoever.
But why play this game? Only because the female characters in the game fit my aesthetic. I never thought I'd be consumed by this game I occasionally used to pick my nose.
Multiple replays, crazy spending to get special features—no, why am I doing this? I've been mumbling about it for half a year. Now I've finally adapted and am living a reasonably satisfactory life.
Let me say it again, I am not a character *in* the game, but *a* character *in* the game.
A background character A, worse than even a passing NPC, that's my current situation. Here, my name is Jiang Jianmo.
I know what three words flashed through my mind.
'How dare a woman talk back?'
That phrase naturally brought the name to mind.
The first time I heard it, I couldn't help but laugh. The character for 'sword' combined with the character for 'demon', Jiang Jianmo.
I wanted to change it immediately, like changing a nickname, but my father here spent a lot of money at a naming institute to get it. There's an absurd theory here that the more humble a name, the longer one lives. Although, giving his son the character 'demon' seemed a bit excessive.
...I want to change my name, but as a minor, I need my guardian's consent, so I can only change it after I become an adult.
In any case, aside from the minor flaw of the name, life is barely manageable.
Although not middle-class, my family is harmonious, and thankfully, the setting of 'Blessing of the Sword God M' is Korea. This part narrowed the gap between my original world and this one.
Names, place names, and geography also have only one or two minor differences; they are almost identical.
Therefore, I am living the life of an ordinary-born teenager.
On Earth, my family went bankrupt during high school, and I was washing dishes and cleaning at a Japanese restaurant on the street at a young age. Being able to eat three hot meals of soup and rice was already something to be grateful for.
Thus, a year passed. Just as I was gradually forgetting whether this place was a game, a piece of paper flew into the house, as if emphasizing, 'Hmm, this isn't reality.'
An acceptance letter from Hogwarts Academy.
== ==
Acceptance Letter
Application No.: 4982-A Name: Jiang Jianmo
This person has passed the 2034 Hogwarts Academy examination. Please fill in the blanks accordingly. Thank you for your cooperation.
1. Time: April 17, 2034, 09:00
2. Location: Hogwarts Academy Auditorium
3. Items to bring: Personal Weapon and belongings
== ==
'Oh my god! Look, dear!'
'Hahaha, Jianmo, you are the pride of our Jiang family! As expected, a good name brings good fortune. Well done, my son!'
My parents, faces full of excitement, congratulated me on my admission. The Jiang family's hometown said they wanted to slaughter a pig to celebrate, but I dissuaded them. No, it's the Jiang clan to begin with. Did the ancestors steal something?
...Heh.
A deep sigh escaped my lips. As the enrollment day approached, my furrowed brows could not be hidden.
My simple plan of living an ordinary life in an ordinary family was disrupted.
Damn it.
'How on earth did this kid Jiang Jianmo get in?'
The situation was this: before I possessed him, Jiang Jianmo displayed a blessing and passed the Hogwarts Academy examination.
Blessings are usually hereditary. Prominent hero families would arrange engagements in advance to consolidate their vested interests, and Hogwarts Academy was born against this backdrop. It was a school where only the descendants of upper-class hero families could hone their skills and forge their future together.
Of course, I wasn't that outstanding when all the other academy students were covered in blessings.
Usually, those not from hero families could enter as 'special admissions'.
This held significant meaning.
To be honest, even now, while packing my bags, I'm still wondering how this kid Jiang Jianmo got in.
How well did he do on the written exam? As a result, I inexplicably smelled ink.
'Blessing, huh...'
Briefly calling out "Blessing" in my mind, a status window appeared before my eyes.
== ==
【Painless Blessing】 All pain disappears.
【※ Activation time: 30 seconds, Cooldown: 12 hours】
== ==
Seeing the blessing Jiang Jianmo displayed, a wave of frustration surged within me. The ability itself certainly seemed appealing.
The problem was that the activation time was only 30 seconds, but the cooldown was 12 hours. Only 1 minute of activation was allowed in a day.
Sneering, I rolled my eyes, my gaze landing on a corner of the status window.
'Right, there's this.'
Not Jiang Jianmo's, but a new Blessing I gained after coming here.
== ==
【Blessing of the Sword God】 Cuts through anything.
【※ The Blessing will only activate when the blade is a sword with a length of 30 cm or less and a width of 5 cm or less.】
== ==
The name is Sword Demon, but the Blessing is Sword God. This kind of setting doesn't exist either.
The lengthy naming with extremely simple content, on the contrary, seemed mysterious. The conditions were the most prominent.
Blade length 30 cm or less, width 5 cm or less. The size, originally marked for a sword, also seemed pitiful.
The specifications were undoubtedly those of the fish-cutting knife I had used my entire life. Am I to cut fish even here?
Of course, it's something I'm good at and enjoy, but this newly granted life wanted to try a different way of living.
But what can I do? The system's inhibitory power made me pick up a knife. The specifications were satisfied with something not excessive.
...Life, after all, doesn't go as one wishes.
Phew.
I let out a soft sigh, and just as I was about to pack my bags.
'Oh, right. I haven't prepared a Weapon yet.'
Thinking of this, the family heirlooms or Weapons of the characters in the story suddenly came to mind.
The lowest-grade E-rank Weapon costs tens of millions of Korean Won, and an average C-rank costs hundreds of millions. A-rank or S-rank Weapons are treasures in themselves.
I thought for a moment, then shook my head.
An ordinary middle-class family like ours doesn't have the financial means to prepare such expensive Weapons.
The tuition fee alone was already an unbearable level for our family. Given that I was forced to enroll, I didn't want to incur unnecessary expenses.
Even so, since it was clearly stated as a required item, if I didn't bring one, I felt like I'd get a mark against me on the very first day...
I hesitated, then stood up and grabbed my wallet.
'Let's go to the hypermarket.'
'A master doesn't complain about their equipment.'
This was the catchphrase of my first master, who always insisted on using a million-won Japanese sword.
'...New student, is this really a Weapon?'
'Yes, it is.'
On the day of the entrance ceremony,
The instructor alternately looked at the black-haired new student and the Weapon inspection desk.
Although I wanted to question, 'Are you joking?!' the other party's overly calm attitude left me speechless. Staring at the student's face for a while, my gaze then shifted downwards.
Unopened packages lay on the inspection desk. Fluorescent stickers with "30% Off" and the DAISO logo were attached to them. And not just one, but ten bundles.
In his ten years of experience, the instructor had never seen such a Weapon. To be honest, whether it even counted as a Weapon was questionable.
The instructor swallowed the words he wanted to say, his expression turning serious.
'New student, do you think the Academy is joking? Do you think it's reasonable for the Weapon to be used in today's entrance exam to be these fruit knives?'
Well, if it was a joke, it could be forgiven once. After all, this was a world-class academy, often with spoiled rich kids. They often wanted to act out against the faculty, which was a typical adolescent psychology.
Although joking like this on the first day of admission was shocking, rules had to be established from the start. The most effective way to deal with such students was to preempt them.
The instructor's eyes sharpened. The new student seemed to tilt his head slightly, as if bewildered.
'These are indeed my Weapons.'
The boy's tone was both casual and strangely polite, and the instructor involuntarily frowned. Observing the instructor's reaction, the boy began to explain in detail.
'Instructor, I am a special admission student from an ordinary family and do not have the means to prepare expensive Weapons. The tuition fee alone is already a heavy burden on my parents; how can I ask them to prepare expensive Weapons for my own good? As a child, how can I do such an unfilial thing?'
'....'
There was a hint of sharpness in his firm tone.
The instructor, having heard the explanation, wiped his face. Indeed, for special admission students from non-upper-class backgrounds, the tuition fee alone was already a huge burden.
As an academy that should provide an equal learning environment, how could it, due to prejudice, force such a sensible student?
The 30% discount was to alleviate the burden on the new student before him. The instructor's eyes reddened.
The boy persisted, adding like a nail being hammered in.
'Furthermore... I believe that blaming the equipment is something only an amateur would do.'
The instructor was startled. Such words coming from a boy around adolescence seemed inappropriate. It was as if he had reached the pinnacle in some field, his words filled with experience.
'A master doesn't complain about their equipment.'
In the slightly meaningful atmosphere, the instructor hesitated on how to respond, finally deciding to lend strength to the boy's banner. He involuntarily wanted to cast a vote for that firm determination.
'This student is permitted to carry his Weapon.'
'Thank you, Instructor.'
The instructor couldn't help but think how nice it would be to have a son like this.
'Student, what is your name?'
'My name is Jiang Jianmo.'
After Jiang Jianmo nodded in greeting, he bundled the knives and swords and put them into his backpack.
The other new students standing nearby cast mocking glances at him. Seeing this, the instructor's temples throbbed.
'New students! Quiet, hurry up, move quickly!'
'....'
Ignoring the mockery, Jiang Jianmo nonchalantly packed his remaining belongings and started walking.
'This instructor will turn into an angel or a demon depending on your behavior. Understood?!'
'Hmm....'
'Oh, your voices are too soft. Understood?!' 'Yes!'
The instructor roared, veins bulging in his neck, and his previously gloomy expression instantly changed.
'Jiang Jianmo...'
The instructor softly uttered the boy's name.
Looking at the deeply impressive back, he couldn't help but smile. That name certainly had a powerful presence.
* * *
Academy Staff Lounge, "Phew..."
The male instructor, who had finished leading the new students, wearily opened the door. A short-haired woman smiled and waved at him.
'You worked hard, Senior.'
'Yeah, thanks. Ugh, this happens every year, and I'm not even thirty yet, but I feel like I've aged a lot.'
The instructor, taking off his black staff jacket, slumped onto the sofa. He gently massaged his stiff shoulders with his hand.
'Don't worry, Senior. First old, then young, right?'
'Hmph, you brat.'
'Hehe, by the way, have you seen this year's new student list? How many such kids can a grade have, and this year there are over a dozen?'
'I see.'
The instructor responded blankly, and his junior asked back in confusion.
'Senior, was there any student who left a strong impression during the Weapon inspection?'
'Hmm, well.'
The instructor stroked his chin and thought for a while. Suddenly, a new student's face flashed through his mind.
'Yes, there was one indeed.'
'Oh, really? Who was it? The Gun Saint's nephew? Or the daughter of the Zhejiang Bow? Or perhaps, the granddaughter of the Reverse Time Sword Saint? Was it her?!'
'No, not them, it was a special admission student. His eyes were very sharp, I liked him a lot. Very sensible, extremely sensible.'
'Hey - a child praised like that by Senior seems unprecedented. I'm curious, who is it? Tell me!'
The junior's eyes lit up. The male instructor chuckled softly and shrugged.
'It's no fun if I tell you first. You'll see him later. You'll know at a glance.'
'If he's a special admission, he might be somewhat special... Could it be an A-rank Weapon? Or perhaps, an S-rank?! At least tell me what kind of Weapon he uses. I'll observe carefully during the entrance exam later.'
The instructor moved his eyes left and right, then finally raised one corner of his mouth and replied.
'A greatsword.'