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And we have reached third world there, it being Monster Integration.
***
Garam's eyes narrowed.
For the first time, there was strain in his expression.
"…So you reached it," he said quietly.
Alan didn't answer.
He stepped forward again.
One more step.
The pressure around his blade grew heavier, sharper—like the world itself was being cut apart just by its presence.
Garam's feet dug deeper into the broken ground as he resisted. The arm holding Alan's sword began to shake more clearly now.
Unknown to Alan, the world around him had already begun to change.
[Notification]
You have surpassed your limits.
[Notification]
You have broken through your own restrictions.
[Notification]
Condition fulfilled: Continuous growth during life-and-death combat.
[Notification]
Sword Mastery has reached 100%.
[Notification]
Sword Mastery → Complete.
For a brief moment, everything paused.
Then—
[System Announcement]
You have overcome your imitation.
You are no longer bound by the limits of others.
A deeper message appeared, heavier than the rest.
[Achievement Unlocked]
Path of the Sword: Completed.
[Reward]
Title Acquired — Sword Saint
[System Announcement]
You have become the sword that cuts through all laws.
[Notification]
Legendary Battlesmith class has been activated.
[Notification]
New skills are being developed to eliminate your shortcomings…!?
[Notification]
You have no weaknesses.
[Notification]
All current skills are being strengthened.
[Notification]
All sword skills have leveled up.
[Notification]
Sword skills are being perfected.
[Notification]
Your sword skills are already perfect.
[Ultimate Skill Acquired]
Space Sword — The ultimate skill of the Sword Saint.
Alan had slipped into a state beyond notifications and noise. He no longer felt the shift in the air or even heard Garam's voice. His entire universe had shrunk down to the weight of the sword in his hand.
Garam moved with explosive speed, his body blurring as he launched a sharp, unnatural strike from the side. Alan shifted just an inch, and the attack whistled past him. Garam's eyes narrowed. He lunged again—from behind, from above, and then from three angles at once. Each blow struck with enough force to shatter bone, yet none of them touched Alan.
Alan moved without thinking. He wasn't relying on his eyes anymore; he was guided by something deeper. With a clean slash, he opened a wound on Garam's arm.
Garam retreated, his aura surging in frustration. He rushed back in, twisting his sword into impossible, distorted angles that defied logic. It was a deadly, unpredictable dance, but Alan remained untouchable. He stepped perfectly, tilted his blade at the exact angle required, and parried every blow. Another slash followed, and blood sprayed from Garam's side.
Garam's breathing turned heavy. His composure broke, replaced by raw desperation. He unleashed a relentless storm of strikes that seemed to bend reality itself. Yet, Alan simply walked through the chaos. Each of Alan's movements was quiet and absolute. Every swing of his sword found its mark as if the outcome had already been decided.
"Don't look down on me!" Garam roared. He poured every ounce of his aura into one final, overwhelming blow. The air itself seemed to scream as he struck.
Alan didn't flinch. He stepped inside the reach of the attack, his sword rising in a calm, steady arc. He swung. There was no explosion of power—only a single, quiet line cutting through the air.
Garam froze. The massive force of his attack vanished. A thin red line appeared across his chest, deepening as blood began to spill. He staggered back, his eyes locked on Alan in disbelief.
"I couldn't reach it," he whispered.
Alan stood still as the trance finally broke. The weight of the world returned—the sounds, the air, and the rhythm of his own breath.
"…Hmm, what was that?"
He looked at the heavily injured Garam in slight wonder. Earlier, he had used several buff skills just to match Garam's level, and even then, the fight had been difficult.
But now—
He had completely overwhelmed him.
Alan glanced at Garam's status. His health had dropped to less than 10%.
He was as good as dead against Alan's current power.
Alan then looked at the notifications and grinned.
"I see… so it was this. But to think I would obtain the title of Sword Saint… good."
He nodded, then looked back at Garam, who was staring at him silently.
"You were a good training partner," Alan said calmly. "Now, let me test my newest skill… Space Sword."
The moment he finished speaking, he moved.
Alan swung his sword in a downward arc.
This time—
The world split.
Not metaphorically.
But literally.
[System Warning]The target has suffered irreversible damage!
All stats are reduced by 20%.
All speeds are reduced by 50%!
[System Notification]
The target's weakness has been exposed!
If the target is struck within 30 seconds, an unconditional critical hit will be applied.
Critical damage will be increased by 150%!
[…]
[!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
[System Alert]
Your sword has separated the world!
For a moment, everything was cut in two.
Space itself parted.
The sky… the ground… even the air between them.
Garam's body split along the line of the strike.
Then—
Something intervened.
[System Message]
The Earth God, Garion, has exerted her power.
All things that were split have been restored, as if the division never occurred.
The world returned to normal.
As if nothing had happened.
But—
The damage remained.
Garam stood there, frozen, his body trembling slightly.
Even though the world had been restored—
He wasn't.
Garam looked at Alan in disbelief as his life faded. His body began to break apart, turning into particles of light as he died on the spot.
As Garam died Alan now looked at all of the pending notifications.
[You have killed the yangban Hangyeol.]
[You have obtained White Tiger Breath.]
[You have obtained Blue Dragon Breath.]
[You have achieved the 'Half-God Killer' achievement!]
[The Half-God Killer achievement has increased the deity stat by one point.]
[You have killed the yangban Miryeo.]
[You have obtained Red Phoenix Breath.]
[You have killed the yangban Baekun.]
[You have obtained Black Tortoise Breath.]
[You have killed the yangban Hwarin.]
[You have obtained Soft Sword.]
[You have obtained Black Tortoise Breath.]
[You have killed the yangban Seoljin.]
[You have obtained Dopo.]
[You have killed the yangban Garam.]
[You have obtained Black Tortoise Breath.]
[You have obtained Red Phoenix Breath.]
[You have obtained White Tiger Breath.]
[You have obtained Blue Dragon Breath.]
[You have obtained immense experience.]
[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]
[Your health, mana, and stamina have fully recovered.]
[All cooldowns have been reset.]