The HeavenlySword Demon had already left.
By the time Lee Do-hyeon and Bard arrived at the city's fortress,she had departed a day earlier.
"Well, that's unfortunate,"Bard whistled, a troubled look on his face."You went through all that trouble to find her, only for the main character to be gone."
Lee Do-hyeon frowned slightly.He hadn't anticipated this.
"When did she leave?"
He asked, and nearby, he overheard two people talking.
"I heard she left the city yesterday.""Yeah... Where could she be going? She saved our town, after all!""That's not what we should be worried about. It's the suspicious ones who followed her."
Suspicious ones?
Do-hyeon quickly turned his head.
Bard rested his chin on his palm, eyes glinting with interest."Sounds intriguing. Shall we follow the trail too?"
But Do-hyeon didn't act on impulse.Instead, he chose to investigate what had happened here before the Heavenly Sword Demon left.
They gathered various stories from those in the city.
"She's the hero who defeated the lich!""I heard she freed all the captives from the underground prison!""Does that make her a goddess?""No, she's a witch!""The day she left, there was strange energy near the fortress. Maybe a witch's curse?""She must be a divine emissary.""Otherwise, how could she slay a lich in one strike?""Or... maybe a dragon in disguise?""Some elves are said to possess mysterious powers…"
The rumors grew more exaggerated with each retelling.To some, she was a goddess. To others, a witch, a dragon, or a high elf.
Do-hyeon sighed at the absurdity."So this is how rumors are born…"
Bard chuckled, nodding.
"People see something they can't explain and turn it into a story they can understand.But one thing's for sure—she didn't leave alone."
Do-hyeon looked at him."What do you mean?"
Bard smirked.
"There were suspicious folks who followed after her."
After gathering more intel in local taverns,they discovered that a group of strangers had tailed the Heavenly Sword Demon just before her departure.
"Those people… you could tell they weren't ordinary.""Especially the ones in black robes—they looked like high mages or noble-born mercenaries.""One of them wasn't even armed, but his hands glowed with a strange light. Definitely a magic-user."
Do-hyeon's eyes narrowed in thought.A group chasing after her.
Were they informants? Or enemies?
His instincts told him this was more than it seemed.
Bard sipped from his mug and grinned.
"So? You're still after her, right?"
Do-hyeon slowly rose to his feet."Yes."
He stepped out,following the traces the Heavenly Sword Demon had left behind—and seeking the truth behind those who pursued her.
***
Chapter : What They Found in the Ruins
Do-hyeon and Bard, after piecing together the clues,decided to investigate the lair of the lich themselves.
Bard looked at Do-hyeon and smirked.
"She left the remnants of a battle right in front of you. You're just going to walk past it?"
Do-hyeon exhaled deeply.
Bard continued.
"Liches were powerful mages in life, right?There's bound to be magical items left in his lair.The Heavenly Sword Demon fights with the sword, so she probably ignored anything magical."
Do-hyeon hesitated.He was only beginning to understand the mana of this world.To keep fighting, he needed to find a way to merge his martial arts with mana.
Bard patted his back."Let's go, then!"
The lich's lair had been decimated by the battle.Collapsed ceilings covered the floor, and the walls were deeply fractured—marks left by both mana and sword energy.
Bard muttered as he looked around.
"Damn… One person did all this?"
"She's the Heavenly Sword Demon."
"Still, it's overwhelming. Look at that wall—it's smashed like someone punched right through it."
"Likely a strike enhanced by sword qi and mana."
As Do-hyeon surveyed the ruins, something caught his eye.
"Over there."
What Lee Do-hyeon Found: The Armor of Black Night
They had reached the lich's private armory.Broken pieces of metal were strewn across the room, and several magical weapons still faintly shimmered.
But one item stood out.
A set of dark armor that glowed faintly with black light.
Do-hyeon instinctively felt it was special.Among all the relics here, this one was different.
He placed a hand on the armor.
A cold sensation seeped through his arm.
—Does the weight of steel hinder a swordsman? Or protect him?—
A voice whispered within his mind.The armor itself seemed to be speaking.
Do-hyeon paused.
In Murim, warriors rarely wore armor.The principle was to fight as light as possible.
But this was not Murim.His enemies here wielded not only blades, but magic and curses.
He had to adapt.
He picked up the armor and wore it.
—Your choice is acknowledged. Even if your sword loses its light, your body shall not fall.—
The armor clung to him, molding perfectly to his form.It didn't hinder him—it felt like an extension of his body.
Do-hyeon clenched his fist.He had become stronger in this world.
What Bard Arknan Found: The String of Fate
Meanwhile, Bard rummaged through the lich's personal study.Flipping through old tomes, he found a golden string encased in a worn case.
His eyes lit up.
"This… could it be?"
He plucked it lightly.
Twong—
The air around him vibrated.
Bard chuckled to himself.
"The String of Fate… A legendary item said to alter destiny with its resonance…"
Do-hyeon glanced over.
"What is it?"
Bard grinned.
"Put simply—an artifact that lets me influence fate through music."
Do-hyeon raised an eyebrow.
"Influence fate?"
"Yep. I sing a song, and maybe the listener gets stronger… or weaker.Buffs, debuffs, illusions—it's all in the performance."
He looped the string around his finger.
"Looks like my music just got a power boost."
He strummed it again.A subtle wave rippled through the air.
Do-hyeon shivered."That'll be useful."
Bard nodded.
"Thanks to the Heavenly Sword Demon, we got quite the treasure.Now we're the ones getting stronger."
Do-hyeon gave a faint smile.
"Alright. Next… we follow the trail she left behind."
Bard crossed his arms."Right. The problem's those suspicious ones chasing her."
Do-hyeon gave a quiet nod.
Their mission was now clear:Find those who pursued the Heavenly Sword Demon—and uncover where she was headed.
He fastened his sword to his belt.
"We follow the path she took."
**
Chapter : Before She Left – Reyna and Dayna
The Heavenly Sword Demon stood quietly atop a hill outside the village, beneath the stillness of the night.
In front of her stood Dayna, her wounds still not fully healed.
"Are you really leaving?"
Dayna's voice was soft, but the sorrow on her face was unmistakable.
The Sword Demon didn't avert her gaze.She nodded, her answer as firm as ever.
"There's no reason for me to stay."
Cold, detached words.But Dayna only smiled faintly, as if she had grown used to that tone.
"Then… I have one request before you go."
The Sword Demon narrowed her eyes slightly.
"A request?"
Dayna hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"I've always called you Reyna. Would it be alright… if you kept using that name?"
The Sword Demon's eyes flickered for a moment.
"…Why would you want that?"
Dayna grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"It suits you. And besides… calling you 'Heavenly Sword Demon' would raise some eyebrows. That kind of title doesn't mean much around here."
She wasn't wrong.
The title Heavenly Sword Demon held fearsome weight in the Murim,but here, in Elysium, it meant nothing.
Her real name…Too much time had passed since anyone had spoken it.
My name…
The name her master once called her by when she was young.A name she once held dear.But in the bloodstained life of Murim, it had gradually faded into oblivion.
Now, it felt too foreign—too distant—to even say aloud.
The Sword Demon let out a quiet sigh.
"…You made that name."
She looked up at the night sky, her voice softer this time.
"...Alright. I'll use it."
A bright smile lit up Dayna's face.
"Really?!"
"But just one condition."
The Sword Demon—no, Reyna now—turned to Dayna with a sharp look.
"Don't speak my name carelessly. Especially not in dangerous places."
Dayna laughed, raising her hands in surrender.
"Got it! But… you have to come back, okay? Promise me!"
Reyna merely shrugged, as if brushing off the weight of such promises.
"If that's where fate leads me."
She said no more.Her gaze drifted upward, toward the stars.
As if searching for something far beyond sight.Her path was still uncertain, still veiled in shadow.
But for now…It didn't seem so bad to live as Reyna in this world.