Beginning of Season Two
On an open plain beneath a dark, blood-red moon,
a giant appeared—its towering body nearly seventeen meters tall.
Before it stood a lone young man, feet planted firmly against the earth.
A sword rested in his grip.
He exhaled once.
Then—
a vertical slash.
The attack cleaved through the giant in a single motion.
The young man sat down.
He wore the tattered clothes of a wanderer—ripped, worn, and so thoroughly soaked in blood that they looked as if they had not been washed for ages.
He was sitting…
atop a mountain of monster corpses.
Thousands of bodies littered the plain—of every shape and size imaginable.
Scattered limbs. Crushed skulls. Severed torsos.
A grotesque mountain of flesh had formed, surrounded on all sides by a thick sea of blood.
At the foot of the mound lay the corpse of the previous beast—
an ancient, legendary monster, over fifteen meters tall:
the Hellhorn Raug.
Its body had been split cleanly in half.
A single, flawless cut stretched for more than ten meters—as though one sword stroke had passed through the monster…
and the earth beneath it.
The scene drew closer.
The young man had long, tangled hair.
His face was smeared with blood.
His sword was embedded in the corpse of another beast beside him.
This was Jin.
And despite the sheer horror of the scene—
his expression was absurd.
Not fear.
Not tension.
Just the look of someone who had reached the absolute peak of annoyance.
Then, suddenly—
"Aaaagh, damn it! End this ordeal already—I want to sleep!"
He clutched his head with both hands and shouted in frustration.
"Damn you, stupid trial! It's already been two days! Two whole days! Just end already!"
A system window appeared before him.
Trial No. 33 Cleared
Rewards will be transferred.
A dimensional gate opened.
Jin stared at it, eyes wide, eyebrows raised in disbelief.
"…What?
It's really over?"
Then—in an instant—his expression changed completely.
A wide grin.
Glittering eyes.
A voice filled with pure bliss.
"Aaaah! I can finally sleep!"
Borin's Blacksmith Shop
Borin sat before the furnace as usual, calmly smoking his pipe, eyes half-closed as sparks danced behind him.
Suddenly—
the door was kicked open.
"Oi, you grumpy old man! How've you been?"
Borin slowly lifted his head and stared inside.
Jin's nose was absurdly long.
Borin narrowed his eyes.
"…Did isolation finally drive you insane?"
Jin laughed, trying to ignore his exaggerated nose.
"Haha! Of course not—I'm perfectly fine in front of you."
Then he hurriedly added, pointing at his nose:
"Don't look at me like that. This is from lying. Not fatigue."
He yawned.
"So… how long's it been?"
Borin looked at him with open pity.
"About three months."
Jin froze.
"…"
Then, with an unconvinced expression:
"…Ah. Damn it. I want to sleep."
Borin burst out laughing.
"Don't forget your diaper, you little idiot! Hahaha! Come pick up your swords tomorrow!"
Jin waved lazily as he stumbled away.
"Alright, old man…
If I don't like them, I'm not giving you that thing."
Then he ran off.
Hans's Tavern
Hans was polishing glasses as usual.
Jin entered, greeted him, and collapsed heavily onto a stool.
"How long's it been?"
Hans replied calmly.
"Three months."
Jin fell silent for a moment, then said seriously:
"…Damn it. That old man wasn't lying."
Hans placed a large box in front of him.
Jin opened it.
Inside was a Chinese straw hat and several outfits in Murim style.
"Is this enough?"
"Yes. This will do for now."
Status Window
Back in his room, Jin collapsed onto the bed and opened his status window.
Name: Jin
Age: 18
Level: 65
Stats:
Mana / Internal Energy: 280
Strength: 110
Endurance: 130
Agility: 160
Intelligence: 76
Traits & Talents:
• Innate Dark Magic Affinity
• Exceptional Swordsmanship Talent
• Superhuman Intellect
• Kind-hearted
• Rational
Skills:
• Sixth Sense – Lv. 2
• Analysis – EX
• Void Sphere – EX (A)
• Aura Reinforcement
• Aura Control – High
• Aura Release – Low
• Horizontal / Vertical / Diagonal Slash
• Thrust / Mana Projectile
• Momentum Thrust / Death Thrust
• Black Magic – Fourth Circle
• Nameless Sword Art
• Balance Sword Art
• Shadow Steps
Jin looked at it and nodded in satisfaction.
"…This is good.
I can start without worry."
The Next Day – The Forge
Borin smoked absentmindedly.
Jin entered, dressed in black Murim robes and wearing the straw hat.
"Got the goods ready, old man?"
"Show me what you brought first."
Jin pulled out a large bottle and grinned slyly.
"Ancient Blood Wine.
Aged one hundred and fifty years."
Borin's expression changed instantly.
He tossed three weapons toward Jin, grabbed the bottle, and drank straight from it.
"…Yes. This is incredible! Absolutely worth it! Hahaha!"
Jin picked up the first weapon.
A traditional Murim sword—elegant engravings, a black-and-gold hilt.
"What's this made of?"
"Cold Steel."
He drew the second.
A pale white blade.
"And this?"
"Great Wyvern Horn.
Stole it from the Kasbin Guild last month."
Jin frowned slightly.
"Why do you make me sound like a villain? I was trying to kill it before they were. I even left them thirty kilograms of gold."
Borin laughed.
"You're a real idiot."
Jin paused, then said seriously:
"By the way… when I fought the wyvern swarm, it happened again."
Borin looked at him.
"I didn't feel the pressure of a dominant beast…
It felt closer to a dominant human. I don't understand why."
Borin's expression darkened.
"Inspect the last one. Then we'll talk."
Jin drew the final sword.
It was completely different—
a freeform design, belonging to no school, its surface gleaming deep navy-blue.
Jin admired it.
"Thank you, old man.
You really went all out."
"What's it made of?"
Borin exhaled smoke.
"Orichalcum.
I wanted Mithril, but you used it all as gifts."
Getting Mithril at all was a miracle.
Orichalcum was another stroke of absurd luck—but acceptable.
Jin smiled.
"They're not friends…
They're family."
Borin smiled faintly, then grew serious.
"Boy… your lack of fear toward dragon-blooded beings—
did one of your ancestors contract with a dragon and obtain a core?"
"Huh? Whose ancestors? I'm just a slum orphan."
"Show me your status window."
Jin did.
Borin's face changed.
"What the hell is this?! These numbers have nothing to do with your level! Are you a genius or something?!"
He calmed himself.
"Dark magic… Void Sphere?"
He stared deeply.
"Are you mentally stable?"
Jin replied:
"Yes. I just get irritated sometimes."
"Fourth-circle black magic and no backlash?"
"My affinity regulates mana naturally."
"…Hah. Take care of yourself, brat."
Jin stood.
"First time I've seen you worried. Thanks."
"Don't flatter me."
"Goodbye."
And he left.
After Jin's Departure
Jin's footsteps faded down the stone corridor.
Silence lingered.
Borin frowned, staring at the closed door, slowly exhaling smoke.
"What do you think?"
The shadows in the corner stirred.
A massive man emerged—broad-shouldered, with dull red hair streaked with gray and a thick beard covering half his face.
It was the same man.
The one who had once sat with Jin beneath the blood-red moon months ago.
He wasn't looking at the door—but into empty space.
"A budding phenomenon… or a tyrant?"
The man replied in a deep, calm voice:
"His trait is not evil."
He paused, then added softly:
"But its weight could crush his mind…
if he is weak."
After a moment:
"Still—his numbers are absurd."
He glanced at Borin.
"If he is not one of them…
then he will become a phenomenon."
Borin remained silent for a long time.
Finally, as if reaching a decision:
"…Fine."
He turned slightly toward the man in the shadows.
"You know better than I do…"
Then, in a low voice heavy with old acknowledgment:
"…Sword King."
End of Chapter – Beginning of Season Two