TTAS 09

Chapter : 09. After Ending Sword Life, I Begin Life (7)

After subjugating the monster called “Tara,” nicknamed Big Mouth, in the underground parking lot of Hanam City Hall, the first thing I did was buy a weapon.

A small dagger used for collecting monster materials was far from sufficient for proper hunting, so I endured the loss and purchased a sword.

Of course, given my financial situation, I couldn’t afford a magic sword made from monster materials. Instead, I bought a jungle machete commonly used even by E-rank Hunters—for 100,000 won.

The next preparation was learning swordsmanship.

My slightly strengthened body could now withstand attacks from F-rank monsters without serious injury, but to hunt efficiently, I needed proper sword techniques.

Fortunately, I was able to recall usable sword techniques from the memories of the contractors of the demonic sword “Veradion.”

It was a basic foundational sword style, suitable even for Shin Hyun-woo’s ordinary human body.

It was the swordsmanship of the Loud Baron family, located in a frontier region of the Kranel Empire, once called the Empire of Light.

According to Contractor Christian Loud, the family had once been famous for its swordsmanship.

Their philosophy was absurd: swordsmanship consisted of only three things—cutting, thrusting, and blocking—and surpassing these three limitations would lead one to the path of a Sword Master.

Their technique, the <Loud Family Longsword Style: “Samwol Sword (Three-Moon Sword)”>, was what I had begun to learn.

No—rather, I was still in the process of learning it.

‘With my current body, I can’t properly execute the Three-Moon Sword yet.’

While conquering dungeons, I repeatedly swung my sword at monsters.

Cutting, thrusting, blocking—repeating them hundreds of times as I grew accustomed to swordsmanship.

My current assimilation rate was 9.7%. After one more dungeon raid, I would likely reach 10%, enough to form a magic core circle.

If I gathered the scattered mana throughout my body and formed a circle, becoming a magic swordsman who combines sword and magic would no longer be a dream.

Misari Regatta Park.

The next dungeon I had reserved appeared in the park.

After showing my Hunter registration card to the manager, I entered the dungeon and found myself in a grassland identical to the one where I had once encountered the giant rabbit “Cone.”

“Ugh.”

I felt more dizzy than usual.

‘What is this? Something feels different…’

The inversion of direction and the chaotic flow of colored energy distorting my vision were the same—but the intensity was different.

‘It’s like when I entered the E-rank dungeon with Kang Dong-hyeok’s team…’

The unusual dungeon entry process brought an inexplicable sense of unease.

‘No way… right?’

Forcing down my anxiety, I began walking across the plain.

Since the escape portal only opened after all monsters inside were killed, there was no reason to wait.

The grassland was a beautiful place filled with various flowers and plants, with patches of tall grass where monsters might be hiding.

‘How does a place like this connect to Earth?’

A fundamental question arose, but now was not the time to think about dungeon origins—it was time to focus on growth.

“Ah! That is…?”

While walking and scanning the surroundings, I spotted something unexpected.

“Why is that here?”

A flower.

A blood-red flower.

It had six petals shaped like burning flames, a strange appearance.

If my memory was correct, this was the flower recorded in the book “Human Heart Utilization Method for Mana Storage” written by the “Greedy Demon King” Eri Taratus.

I sat down and began digging around the soil near the flower.

Slowly, the roots were revealed.

‘That’s right… this is Hetiosyns.’

Also known as the “Flame of the Goddess.”

The exposed roots resembled a human form.

Four branches split like arms and legs, curled up like a newborn baby.

I had almost forgotten the materials needed for the “Mana Heart” due to lack of resources—but I had unexpectedly obtained one of them here.

‘I once thought it might be impossible to convert a heart into a mana heart…’

The dungeon’s environment wasn’t just monsters—it was an entire ecosystem transplanted from another continent.

‘Then maybe other materials exist too…’

With rising anticipation, I carefully stored the Hetiosyns in my bag.

Now it was time to clear the dungeon.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Something was approaching from across the plain.

“A slime?”

A round, water-drop-shaped monster—the continental name was “Goat.”

‘This is troublesome.’

Goats were magical organisms; unless their core was destroyed, they could multiply infinitely.

If countless goats latched onto my body, I would eventually suffocate and die.

‘The problem is whether I can actually find and cut the core with my current skill…’

Impossible.

A beginner who had just started training the <Three-Moon Sword> could not possibly cut through the soft, wriggling body of a goat.

But now I had to turn the impossible into possible.

Otherwise, I would never escape.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Three goats bounced toward me.

‘Let’s do this.’

There was no other way.

I stared intensely into the blue body of the goat.

Inside its semi-transparent form, there was a slightly darker point.

That was its core.

“Alright. I’ll cut it. <Chamweol—Slash Moon Break!>”

Whoosh. Squelch.

The first technique of the Loud Baron family’s pride, the <Three-Moon Sword>—the first strike, “Chamweol,” was unleashed… but it failed miserably.

The jungle machete failed to follow the intended trajectory, slicing into the soft body incorrectly.

Missing the core, the split body of the goat expanded—and became another goat.

Of course, the one that had been cut in half also regenerated.

“This is insane.”

Now there were four goats rushing at me.

“Fine. Let’s do it! Chamweol! Chamweol! Chamweol!”

Following the teachings of the <Three-Moon Sword>, I swung the machete toward the goats’ cores with all my focus.

Squelch. Squelch. Squelch.

All failed.

Now seven goats were bouncing toward me.

“Ha… ha… hahaha.”

A self-mocking laugh leaked through my teeth.

The three goats I had first encountered had now multiplied into well over a hundred.

Despite my full concentration, every <Chamweol> had failed to cut the cores.

A wave of goats covered the entire grassland, rushing toward me as I stood there, laughing weakly with my machete hanging down.

“Fine. Let’s make this a proper sword training session. Come on!”

Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.

Squelch. Squelch. Squelch. Squelch.

I kept swinging the machete according to the teachings of <Chamweol>, ignoring whether the goats multiplied or not.

Again and again.

Even with a body strengthened by mana and assimilation, physical stamina had its limits.

Eventually, I reached a point where I could no longer tell whether I was swinging the machete, or the machete was swinging me.

At that moment—when the grassland was completely buried under multiplying goats and I was blindly swinging my blade—

Whoosh. Slice.

It was cut.

The sound of the machete severing a goat’s core brought my consciousness back.

“I definitely cut it. I definitely did.”

The sensation in my hand and the sound in my ears confirmed the kill.

One goat collapsed, unable to maintain its form.

I looked at its corpse for a moment, then down at my hand.

My grip was torn and bleeding heavily.

“Ow!”

As I realized the injury, pain surged through me.

“Haah… haah…”

I blew weak breaths onto my bleeding palm.

Of course, the wound did not heal.

It only comforted my mind.

Then I recalled the sword form of <Chamweol>.

It was nothing more than swinging the sword horizontally and vertically.

‘Wasn’t it said to see the path of the sword?’

Those were Christian Loud’s words when demonstrating the <Three-Moon Sword>.

‘The moment you see the sword’s path, the sword is already at its end.’

It had sounded like wordplay before, but now I vaguely understood.

The meaning that the sword is already at the end of its path.

When I executed <Chamweol>, I could feel the trajectory leading directly to the goat’s core.

And the machete followed that trajectory without deviation.

It felt as if the sword’s path was guiding the machete itself.

‘I think I can cut them all now.’

My lips curled upward.

I swung my machete again.

The goats no longer multiplied.

Slice. Slice. Slice.

Each swing brought down one goat.

It took a long time for the entire field of goats to disappear.

Cutting, and cutting again—now I could send the blade to the target instinctively.

The path of the sword restrained my wavering movements and guided the blade to the core.

It was no longer simple cutting.

Slice.

The final goat was cut in half along with its core, ending the battle.

“Huff… huff…”

My stamina had completely drained.

Hundreds of goats had been slain, and I had performed <Chamweol> even more times than that.

I collapsed onto the ground.

“Phew…”

Taking deep breaths, I tried to recover.

The fatigue of the battle slowly faded.

I looked around.

A field full of goat corpses filled my vision—and a thought arose.

‘If multiplied goats also increase mana and assimilation rate… how much would this be?’

With rising anticipation, I called out the name of my ability.

“Spirit Extraction Conversion.”

Ding.

[Monster soul Goat (F) has been absorbed.]

[Monster soul Goat (F) has been absorbed.]

[Monster soul Goat (F) has been absorbed.]

[Minimal increase in mana.]

[Minimal increase in assimilation rate.]

[Current assimilation rate is 9.73%.]

[Due to the increase in assimilation, your body has slightly strengthened.]

“9.73 percent?”

My thoughts froze for a moment in confusion.

Even if there were a hundred goats, I expected a 1% increase—but it only rose by 0.03%.

‘So the multiplied goats don’t have individual souls? Or are the souls split? Or does only the original entity count as one soul?’

Countless questions arose, but the fact remained: only the original three goats’ souls were absorbed.

I felt a bit disappointed, but I let it go.

I had gained more than enough from the battle.

‘My understanding of the Three-Moon Sword has improved. That alone is a greater reward.’

I stood up.

I had delayed too long—it was time to speed up the dungeon clearance.

Running across the grassland, I repeatedly cut down goats using the <Chamweol Slash Moon Break> technique.

“Almost done…”

F-rank dungeons typically contained around 30 monsters, so judging from my increased assimilation rate, I was close to clearing it.

My current assimilation rate was 9.98%.

If I absorbed just two more goats, I would reach 10%.

Perhaps I could even obtain a power beyond F or E rank.

With anticipation, I crossed a small hill while running across the plains—

And then I saw something that should not have been there.

A massive Goat King, formed as if hundreds of goats had merged together.

Its enormous body slowly turned toward me.

Or at least, it felt like it was looking at me.

Goats have no eyes or organs beyond their core and soft body—yet an eerie sensation of being watched hit me.

“Damn it.”