{You're so weak, Kai!}
On a barren wasteland, Kai opened his eyes.
The sky was blood-red, wind howling with ghostly cries.
{You're so weak! Chen Mo!!!}
Opposite him stood a figure in black, repeating the line a third time.
"You… are…?"
He squinted, trying to make out the face, but all he could see was a shadowy blur.
{Oh ho, our dear little Kao is finally awake?}
The shadow laughed arrogantly. Oddly, its voice sounded familiar.
{Who are you? And what is this place?!}
Kai stepped forward, silently trying to summon the system. But there was no beep, no blue screen—nothing.
What shocked him even more was that his body was perfectly intact—not just physically, but mentally too.
Seeing the change in Kai's expression, the shadow laughed again like it was watching a joke.
{Let me guess—you're wondering where the system went, right? Don't worry. It's just us here. Nothing can interfere. Not even your system.}
"You…!"
The fact that this shadow knew about the system made Kai's eyes widen in shock.
Who is he? A former host?
The shadow scoffed, as if reading his thoughts.
{No need to guess. My connection to the system runs deeper than yours. But in terms of permissions? I'm not even one ten-thousandth of you… Pretty ironic, huh?}
Ironic?
Kai didn't find it funny—only terrifying.
Just moments ago, he was on the verge of death. Now, he was fully healed, in a completely foreign world, cut off from the system.
What kind of unfathomable power could do all that without him even noticing?
Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Kai asked slowly, "Why did you bring me here?"
{Why…?}
The shadow tilted its head, then replied, {Because you're pathetic. Even with a system, you're still so weak. It's frustrating… So I brought you here to fight.}
"Fight?"
{Yes. A battle.}
Though his face was hidden, his excited tone said it all.
{—Either you kill me… or I kill you!}
Kai's face darkened. Instinctively, he reached for his waist—only to find nothing.
Oh… right.
His black sword had been broken by Goliath.
{Well, since it's a duel on my turf, I won't cheat. Let's fight on your terms.}
Noticing Kai's motion, the shadow snapped his fingers.
In the next second—
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Dozens of swords rained down, stabbing into the ground around them.
Each one was identical to the black sword Kai had used—jet-black blade, cold steel spine, gleaming edge.
"Happy now?"
Watching Kai's stunned face, the shadow casually picked up a sword, gave it a light shake, and it rang like thunder. A sharp aura surged out like a soaring beast.
Clang, clang, clang…
The aura from the shadow made all the swords tremble—as if eager for their master's favor.
{Draw your sword, Kai. Isn't this what you're best at?}
Hearing those words, Kai furrowed his brows, said nothing, and stepped forward to grasp the hilt of the nearest blade.
Grip the sword.
Five fingers tightened around the cold hilt, the hard sensation beneath the fingertips was all too familiar.
Clang!
With a light pull of the blade, Kai sank into a grounded stance, sword tip pointed at the shadowed face hidden beneath the hood.
This mysterious man cloaked in darkness—how strong was he really? Did he have some kind of special ability? Kai had no idea. But the mere fact that he could summon dozens of longswords out of thin air was enough for Kai to go all out.
"Swordsman, Takashina Kai."
{Hmph, swordsman?}
Facing the tense and focused Kai, the dark figure sneered. Holding his sword lazily in a reverse grip, his tone carried a mocking edge.
{Then let me make it simple... I am the Sword Saint.}
The self-proclaimed Sword Saint raised his blade slightly and added, {Come at me. I don't bother striking first against the weak.}
Weak…
Kai didn't argue. He shifted his weight, muscles instantly tensed, then launched forward like a shadow. The combination of strength and agility stats delivered a swift and heavy strike.
The cold, black blade tore through the air, ringing with metallic resonance.
Clang—!
But the shadow merely raised his blade casually and blocked the strike.
{This is that sword technique you crafted from killing, isn't it?}
Even while defending, the black-robed figure had time to talk.
{This technique... it's as weak as you are. Pathetic.}
As soon as he finished, a violent force surged from the crossing blades, knocking Kai's sword aside.
In a flash, offense and defense switched roles.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Low-pitched sword hums rang out. As he knocked Kai's blade away, the shadow followed up with swift attacks, carving flower-like wounds on Kai's arms and legs.
Feeling the sharp pain shoot through his limbs, Kai's expression twisted. Before he could retreat, the man sheathed his blade and spun around with a powerful kick to his chest.
Bang!
With a muffled thud, Kai flew back over ten meters, his sword flying from his hand before crashing to the ground.
The moment he landed, a crushing pain twisted his insides, forcing him into a curl as he coughed and gagged.
{Do you think I'm strong?}
After kicking Kai away, the dark figure didn't press the advantage. With a calm demeanor, he walked up slowly and said, {What if I told you I'm using the same strength as you? Same speed too. Would you believe it?}
Kai didn't answer. He just knelt, gagging, glaring at the man before him.
Same strength? Same speed?
What a joke. Kai never thought himself unbeatable, but when it came to swords, he had some pride. If they really were using the same speed and power, there was no way he could be defeated so cleanly.
{Hahahaha... Knew you wouldn't believe me.}
Sword in one hand, the man chuckled, covering his face with the other. {Then how about this—you've got a skill, right? When fighting alone, your strength increases?}
[Solo Player Lv.2: When fighting alone, increases strength up to 600% of base stats.]
How does this guy know about that?
Ignoring the shock and confusion in Kai's eyes, the man continued, {I'll keep using just this level of strength. That's fair, right?}
{Fighting an injured man—is that what you call fair?}
As the pain in his gut eased slightly, Kai climbed to his feet and locked eyes with the shadow.
{You don't need to worry about that. I, the Sword Saint, wouldn't stoop so low.} His tone was full of pride and disdain. He took two steps back, then pointed his sword at Kai's hands. {Check your wounds.}
"Huh?"
Kai looked at his wrist—and froze.
Gone.
The cuts made by the black-clothed man were gone. Not just his wrists—his ankles too.
He ran his hand across the spot. Smooth. Flexing his fingers, he felt the tendons and muscles tense as normal.
Completely... healed?
{As long as you remain in this space, no matter how serious your injuries, as long as you don't pass out, you'll recover quickly.}
As Kai stared in disbelief, the shadow explained calmly, then chuckled. {Now you've got nothing holding you back, right?}
Kai answered with action.
He walked over to a longsword lodged in the ground, reached out, and pulled it free.
{Good.}
Seeing Kai raise his sword once more, the black-robed man nodded in satisfaction and raised his left hand, fingers spread.
{Sword, come.}
Clang!
In the distance, a sword hummed in response. Cutting through the air, a black blade shot like lightning toward him, slowed just as it reached, spun twice, and fell perfectly into his outstretched hand.
Watching the man dual-wield his swords, Kai felt a strange sense of familiarity. Where had he seen that stance before?
But... was it even possible? Someone this strong—he'd never forget seeing them, right?
As Kai racked his brain trying to place the image, the man held one sword forward and reversed the grip on the other, striking a bizarre pose.
{Kai, let me show you what true swordsmanship looks like.}
The moment he finished, a sword flashed through the air. The man had thrown his right-hand sword straight at him.
Kai instinctively raised his blade and blocked it—just in time.
But then, a sharp pain flared in his stomach.
"Ugh..."
Blood gushed up his throat. He looked down to see a dark blade driven deep into his abdomen. It twisted once, then pierced upward into his chest.
Shlick!
The sound of flesh being torn rang out.
Strength and warmth drained from his body. Kai lifted his head, pupils dilating and contracting rapidly. Before him stood the so-called Sword Saint, holding his sword flat. The blade had pierced directly into Kai's heart.
Then came his words.
{Your sword skills are really crude, Kai.}