The return journey began under a heavy silence.
The forest stretched endlessly before me—layers of interwoven trees, light struggling to seep through dense branches. The air was thick with moisture… and blood.
My blood.
My steps were unsteady.
Not because the terrain was rough—but because my body hadn't recovered.
Every movement was a reminder of what had happened.
The battles.
The sleepless nights.
The bleeding.
The killing.
And the sword… was in my hand.
It felt lighter than expected. Not just in weight, but in sensation—an unsettling harmony, as if my grip wasn't holding it, but returning it to where it belonged.
Yet nothing else had changed.
No surge of power.
No new flow.
No voice.
The bond… was silent.
I kept moving, forcing myself forward, ignoring the dull ache in my chest and the sharp pull in my shoulder. Staying in the forest like this was foolish—but I had no choice.
Stopping meant death.
And speeding up… was no longer an option.
When I felt the first tremor beneath my feet, I stopped.
Not a sound.
Not a clear movement.
A sensation.
I slowly raised my head.
And then I saw them.
---
Rank C
Two of them.
The first moved between the trees with unnatural speed. Its body was long, its front limbs longer than its hind legs. It crouched, then lunged—curved claws like sickles flashing faintly in the dim light.
Shadow Claw.
The second did not hide.
It emerged with crushing weight—a massive form, closer to a mound of flesh and stone. Its skin was cracked, like natural armor, and every step it took left deep impressions in the ground.
The Breaker.
I exhaled slowly.
Two Rank C monsters. Together.
I laughed quietly. Hollow.
"…Of course."
I wasn't in any condition to fight.
But the forest didn't care.
Shadow Claw moved first.
I didn't see the attack—
I twisted my body at the last moment. The claws tore through the air inches from my neck. I didn't stop. I lunged forward, the sword sweeping in a horizontal arc—but the flexible body bent away effortlessly.
Fast.
Light.
Annoying.
Then—
The ground shook.
I jumped back on instinct just before the Breaker's fist smashed into the earth where I had been standing. Soil exploded outward. Debris flew. My body slammed into a tree trunk.
My breathing quickened.
"I can't focus on both of them…"
I tried to reposition—but Shadow Claw didn't allow it. Another attack, faster, closer. I blocked with the flat of my blade. The shock ran up my arm, and a deep gash opened along my forearm.
Blood spilled instantly.
I stepped back. Then another step.
A heavy blow passed beside me—the Breaker had closed the distance faster than expected.
They were working together.
Without hesitation.
Without thought.
Relentless pressure.
Constant threat.
I tried to use mana—
Nothing.
Empty.
Only scraps remained.
My usual combat style was no longer an option. Lightning. Void. Nothing.
I had no mana left.
All I had… was my body.
And a sword that remained silent.
A strike came from the side. Shadow Claw tore into my shoulder. Pain exploded in my head, and I dropped to one knee.
They didn't give me time.
The Breaker's fist descended from above.
I raised the sword on instinct.
Impact.
The sound was thunderous. My strength wasn't enough.
I was thrown backward, my body skidding across the ground as the air was forced from my lungs. I tried to rise—
Failed.
That was the moment I understood the truth.
I was losing.
Not slowly.
Clearly.
I staggered upright, vision shaking, blood weighing down my limbs. Shadow Claw circled me, watching, waiting for an opening. The Breaker advanced steadily, as if it already knew the end was near.
"Damn it…"
One wrong step.
One more hit.
And this body… would be done.
Then, something strange happened.
Calm.
Not courage.
Not despair.
Clarity.
I remembered certain words.
A style I had longed to use in a real battle.
Not because it was powerful—
but because, right now, I had no other choice.
I closed my eyes for a brief moment.
And let everything else fall away.
Pain.
Fear.
Noise.
Then I opened them.
---
I spoke softly.
"Transcendentbladestyle."
Firstform : Soul Pulse
There was no explosion.
No blinding light.
Only… a sensation.
As if something inside me compressed—
then released in a single instant.
I surged forward.
Shadow Claw didn't understand what happened. It thought it was a desperate charge.
The sword moved in a straight line—no hesitation, no correction mid-swing.
It cut.
The light body couldn't withstand it.
It split apart.
I didn't stop.
I turned, pouring everything I had left—strength, awareness, resolve—into the next movement.
The Breaker raised its arm—
But it was slow.
For the first time.
The sword slipped into the natural cracks of its armor, followed them, sank deep—
And ended it.
Silence returned abruptly.
I dropped to my knees.
Then onto my back.
The sky above was distant. Blurred.
My breathing was broken. My body no longer responded.
"…I survived."
That was the only thought I had.
No victory.
No relief.
Just… survival.
Then I felt something.
The sword in my hand… moved.
Not a sound.
A pull.
The nearby blood—monster blood—began to stir. Thin dark threads slowly flowed toward the blade.
My eyes widened.
I couldn't move.
I couldn't stop it.
The sword absorbed the blood in silence—no glow, no display.
Then… it stopped.
Nothing else happened.
No power surge.
No immediate change.
But the emptiness in my chest… eased slightly.
I lay there, staring at the sword.
"…What the hell are you?"
It didn't answer.
The forest returned to its silence.
But I knew—
From this moment on… the path would never be the same.
And me?
Well…
Let's just say I'm still alive.
For now—
That's enough.
_____
Well, we've reached the end of the Valsameer arc. What did you think of it? I know it's short, but I don't want to make it any longer because there are many more arcs to come that will be longer. So I decided to make it only 10 chapters.
Finally, if you enjoyed the chapter, please don't hesitate to leave some reviews or suggestions. I would be happy to hear your opinions.