“Uhm….”
Chloe blinked her eyes, half-open like a hamster.
“Huh? Where did the Sword Demon Lord go?”
During her unconsciousness, the Sword Demon Lord seemed to have disappeared. The window, through which the cold night wind had once blown, was also tightly shut.
Just then, Chloe groaned softly and pressed her temples.
She remembered washing the dishes, but her memory after that seemed to have abruptly cut off. She distinctly recalled the Sword Demon Lord sitting by the window, and how she had secretly watched him while washing dishes….
Unlike the other members of her family, he was the first person to put his life on the line for her. Her face would turn red like a persimmon every time she thought of him.
While gently rubbing the back of her head, Chloe unconsciously searched for her katana. The blade leaned against the white wall like a distant sail.
She gently caressed her slightly raised chest. She felt a little uneasy because she often heard her family say she talked a lot in her sleep, but fortunately, nothing special seemed to have happened.
She sometimes unconsciously lost consciousness, perhaps due to the harsh Aditore-style assassination training, a habit she had developed at some unknown point.
For some reason, every time she lost consciousness, the Aditore Family treated Chloe with an unusually satisfied attitude.
The Aditore Family told her not to worry about it.
She felt that her original self was being denied, so she tried not to lose consciousness. Coupled with the encouraging gazes the family gave her at those times, it made her feel uneasy and uncomfortable deep down.
“Chloe! You idiot, you fool! Why did you faint at that moment?!”
After her scattered thoughts ended, a sense of shame washed over her. Chloe buried her face in her pillow, hitting it as she scolded herself.
“Sword Demon Lord….”
She let out a soft “Eek” and buried her face in the pillow again.
Although she sometimes lost her memory, it always happened precisely when she was with the Sword Demon Lord.
Suddenly, she felt an unusual sensation, different from the norm, and slowly lifted her head. Something seemed different.
Chloe slowly got up, left the bed, and looked around. The few pieces of furniture were still there, and if there was anything different, it was a utility knife on the floor.
Chloe tilted her head.
“Hmm?”
It was then that Chloe noticed. Her hair, which used to hang down to her ears, was shorter. She touched it with her hand; not only the sides but the whole thing had been cut short.
Chloe stood blankly for a moment, then shook her head. It seemed she had cut her hair to change her mood.
‘Was the utility knife used for that?’
Seeing the cut hair in the trash can, it seemed the Sword Demon Lord had helped clean up before leaving.
“The Sword Demon Lord is truly so gentle.”
Perhaps she had said something out of line while she had lost her memory? She thought, and her voice trailed off. Shame made her cheeks even redder.
After placing her hand on her chest and offering a quiet prayer, Chloe sat at the desk and opened her diary.
Pushing her hair back from behind her ears, she felt much fresher than with her previous messy hair. Her small, fern-like hand moved across the tip of her pen.
“Sword Demon Lord, I love you.”
A shy, girlish smile appeared on her face.
***
After covering my mouth and running out of the dormitory, I leaned against the building's wall.
“Ugh—ugh—”
My stomach churned, and a nerve-wracking pain made me vomit everything I had eaten that night.
Nine seconds had just exceeded five seconds, and this was the result.
After I had finished vomiting sufficiently, I sat on the bench in front of me. Come to think of it, this bench was where I first displayed the Blessing of the Sword God. Feeling inexplicably uneasy, I lay down, propping my neck with my arm.
Only the chirping of insects echoed in my ears. My racing heart gradually calmed down. I sorted through my fatigue and, with half-closed eyes, fell into thought.
‘Chloe, what exactly is she?’
Generally, the purpose of swordsmanship is to deliver a fatal blow or subdue an opponent. However, the sword Chloe used persistently aimed only at vital points.
It wasn't a frontal confrontation but a series of attacks specifically designed for ambushes.
Thinking about it again, I had indeed skillfully avoided that onslaught. If I had been ambushed in the dead of night, my neck would undoubtedly have been slit.
Feeling my life threatened, I reflexively aimed for the back of her neck. Fortunately, the blade was short and could only cut her hair.
‘It’s already dealt with, so there shouldn’t be any lingering issues, right?’
I sighed with relief.
Recalling the events of this past week, I realized what a crazy academy I had entered.
Although I tried to deny reality, I ultimately had to admit it. The variables here were a matter of life and death.
‘Ordinary, uneventful, safe.’
I muttered the principles I had set for myself upon admission. Some say that being ordinary is the hardest, but a non-reality that transcends reality feels piercing.
In fact, when I was first thrown into this evil game, I wasn't without ambition.
Before coming here, standing at the pinnacle with a sashimi knife and indulging in a man's romance was not an easy choice.
However, everyone has their role.
‘Blessing of Miracles.’
The name of the game, and the unique blessing of this world's protagonist whom I had yet to meet.
I remembered that there were only two legendary blessings in the game, one of which was the blessing of the progenitor hero, Balor Huo Jin.
The text of the blessing was as concise as my own, but its content was extremely intuitive.
‘Please save the world from the Demon Lord.’
Most importantly, the protagonist was chosen by 'Wam,' a sword that was both a holy sword and a demonic sword.
In contrast, I could only use a fish spear the size of chopsticks. Does it need more explanation?
I tightly clenched my fists and slapped my cheeks hard. I had done this since childhood whenever I needed to clear my head.
Since entering the academy, many unrealistic things had happened. Perhaps because it was a game set in Korea, I had underestimated it too much.
To adhere to the three principles I set upon admission, I had to abandon my vulnerable self.
To alleviate my heavy heart, I pressed my thumb firmly against my temples. Then, I slowly got up, leaned back against the bench, and leisurely gazed up at the night sky. Stars sparkled like sprinkled gold dust.
This was a strange night sky, one not seen on Earth. A comet streaked across, falling like a golden thread. I felt a sense of acceptance.
‘I need to go to the library tomorrow.’
Although I had a vague understanding of the important characters in the game, my understanding of this world was undoubtedly quite behind.
Moreover, I had already been at the academy for about a week. According to the plot, the protagonist should be starting to manifest his blessing and be late for admission procedures.
I need to be prepared, just in case. I know the general outline of the story. Of course, it would be even better if I knew the ending.
No amount of regret would help. However, at least knowing the 'official history' of the story's mid-point was undoubtedly an advantage.
Anyway, I should follow the 'official history.' If I get involved in various things, I'll abandon even the only advantage I have.
I suddenly remembered why I had only played up to the mid-point of the game's story before giving up. The end of academy life came faster than expected. I, who pursued small moments of happiness in my youth, decisively deleted the game once my interest in that part waned.
If my memory served me right, the story took a sharp, dark turn starting from the last semester of the third year.
The demon races, having sensed the birth of the hero, gathered their forces led by their Legion Commander, threatening the academy. Eventually, the story's scope gradually expanded into a world war between demons and humans, a typical light novel plot.
However, the thought of a hellish war unfolding in the world I lived in sent shivers down my spine. I almost shook my head to rid myself of these thoughts.
There was still almost a three-year buffer period. I needed more realistic goals than the three principles of escaping reality. I needed more realistic goals than the three principles of escaping reality.
Grow stronger to survive.
Anyway, the plots of mass-produced games mostly have happy endings, and the world will be saved by the protagonist. Nothing is more foolish than being swayed by unnecessary heroic impulses and rushing things.
What I needed was not the noble power to save the world like the protagonist, but the strength needed to protect myself. After all, I couldn't be like an autumn leaf, liable to be blown away at any moment.
I would train myself as inconspicuously as possible. If I were to be noticed, I might be conscripted to fight demons. I should try to avoid such misfortune as much as possible.
Furthermore, the extreme characteristic of the "Blessing of the Sword God" could have a double-edged sword effect, so it needed to be used cautiously.
Although I always picked up a sashimi knife out of necessity, the feeling of my body, which was originally not very good at eating, gradually breaking down became more and more apparent.
‘Even though its performance seems reliable…’
I opened the 'Status Window.'
Pop—
====
【Blessing of the Sword God】 Cuts through anything.
◎ Physical Grade: 2 - The specifications of the sword are broadened.
◎ Mental Grade: 3 - Words and actions carry an oppressive presence.
◎ Armed Grade: 1 - Unlock conditions not met.
☆ Assimilation Rate: 1.5% ★ 【???】
【※ The blessing only activates when the sword's length is 32 cm or less, and its width is 6 cm or less.】
====
The information in the status window had clearly changed.
Fortunately, this world didn't seem to have abandoned me yet. Although I was a background character, perhaps to make me struggle to survive, it had given me some growth elements.
I stroked my chin and carefully examined the status window.
Perhaps the "Grade" written at the end of Physical, Mental, and Armed was a concept that replaced what is generally called "level" in games.
Of course, Physical should refer to bodily growth, and Mental, judging from the situation just now, seemed to be related to knowledge or intelligence.
Finally, Armed refers to the performance of the Weapon.
The problem was the two words written at the bottom: "Assimilation Rate" and "????".
Unlike the text above, the Assimilation Rate was marked with a percentage. If there was a line of text next to it, I could at least make a guess, but there was no explanation whatsoever.
Moreover, one of 1 or 2 should be an integer, so what did the decimal point mean?
But what intrigued me most were the three question marks. Even if I kept tapping it with my hand, I only heard a harsh alert sound, and the screen only displayed the dry text: "Conditions not met, access denied."
I stroked my chin, thinking. The blessing was already full of questions, and now new ones had suddenly popped up. Since it was an ability etched onto my body like a tattoo, understanding its necessity was obvious.
However, without sufficient information, racking my brain would only lead to hypotheses, not clear answers.
But that wasn't important now. It would naturally become clear over time.
First, to survive, the body must be trained, and to quickly integrate into this world, information needed to be gathered.
Fortunately, the reward for next month's mid-term exam, which replaced the practical combat subjugation training, was a long sword called 'Murasame.'
It was a B-rank, and as long as I could use it skillfully, the Weapon should be sufficient until graduation.
Since its specifications were outside the conditions for the blessing's activation, it wouldn't be a burden as a main Weapon.
I couldn't rely on the "Blessing of the Sword God" for only 30 seconds forever. I had to practice swordsmanship with a sword that didn't meet the blessing's conditions.
“I didn’t realize there was so much to do.”
And so, I looked up at the starry sky, organizing my thoughts.
“Hey, that’s my spot.”
A clear voice made me instinctively turn my head.
Neat blue hair and a beauty that transcended, even possessing a mysterious aura. Standing against the backdrop of the night sky's galaxy, a girl whose eyes seemed to hold stars.
Abel von Nielron.
The moment the story shifted was at midnight, accompanied by the chirping of insects.