Chapter 96

096. Proof (2)

Clang!

"The Authority 'Sword Qi Wounds' has been activated."

"The Skill 'Lightning Sword Qi' has been activated."

The shock from the clash of swords flows through my fingertips.

Crackle!

I pushed the blade forward with Lightning Sword Qi activated, and Jane was greatly taken aback.

"Aura...!?"

In the Ares dimension, is sword qi treated the same as aura?

Now that I think about it, the aura used by the black knight I met before was actually a type of sword qi.

'The Earth dimension was the only one where sword qi or aura didn't exist at all, I guess.'

I felt a bitter sense of disappointment, but Jane seemed to be even more shocked.

Clang!

After we exchanged a blow and stepped back, Jane finally spoke, sounding incredulous.

"I never thought an ordinary adventurer could use aura..."

Then she nodded as if she understood what I had done with the sword qi.

"An adventurer from a fallen noble family, huh... Indeed, that's why you wanted to undergo the trial of the God of Proof. This is getting interesting."

She's not a fallen noble or anything, but I decided to stay silent for now.

It's better not to argue when the other person misunderstands.

"Do you find it strange that I can use aura while you can?"

"That's because you're an adventurer and I'm a high priestess."

She spoke as if there was an unbridgeable gap in status between us.

"And to be precise, I'm not really using aura."

"..."

"I'm just manifesting divine power granted by the God of Proof through my authority."

"So it's not formal aura."

"Right, it's a kind of shortcut."

In other words, it's the same as the sword qi I used before I could manifest it on my own.

"Ah..."

I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret as I looked at her.

I regretted that there was nothing to learn from her, and that her sword qi, being a skill, couldn't be absorbed.

It felt like a drop of water seeping into the ground while I was feeling a burning thirst.

But—

Instead of being discouraged by this fact, I used my regret as motivation and gripped my sword more firmly.

At the same time, I looked at Jane, who was regaining her composure, and asked a question.

"I have a question."

"..."

"Is this the end of the physical proof?"

"Are you already thinking you've won? Even if I'm not a formal aura user, my skills are on par with one."

"So you won't tell me?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure. If you want to know, try to defeat me like a formal aura user. Maybe I'll tell you then."

Her slightly pouting tone suggested she thought I was looking down on her.

She even seemed to think I was belittling her for not being a formal aura user.

Of course, I didn't think I had won, and I never looked down on her for not being a formal aura user.

However, I was more interested in the condition she attached.

"That's not enough. If I win, tell me what the other proofs will be about."

"Ha! If you win, I'll do that. But isn't it too early to think you've won?"

Seeing the veins on Jane's forehead, I smiled slightly.

"You'll see."

With that, I dashed at Jane.

***

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The battle with Jane lasted longer than I had anticipated.

At some point, I lost track of time.

The reason for this prolonged battle was the divine power she possessed.

As a priestess, she was indeed using divine power to steadily replenish her stamina and heal her wounds, allowing her to endure against me.

Moreover, her physical abilities were high, making her a formidable opponent.

However, during the battle, I noticed that Jane had less combat experience than I expected.

She seemed to have little experience in prolonged battles with such a strong opponent.

She also seemed unaccustomed to dealing with an enemy who clung to her like I did.

'So I should take advantage of that.'

I loosened my grip on the Blood Heaven Demon Sword and pretended to be slightly tired.

To make it convincing, I deliberately blurred my focus and swung the sword with a strained effort.

At that moment, Jane took the bait.

Clang!

She used a large movement to knock the sword out of my hand, and a look of triumph appeared on her face.

"The Authority 'Iron Blood Sword' has been activated."

She didn't even realize that this was a result of my plan.

"!?"

As soon as the Blood Heaven Demon Sword disappeared, I immediately summoned the Iron Blood Sword in my right hand.

The ancient, frosty Iron Blood Sword stuck firmly to my right hand.

At the same time, Jane's face, which had been confident of victory, was filled with confusion.

But Jane, who had used a large movement to knock my sword away, was still unable to move freely.

I took advantage of this and immediately struck her three swords strongly.

Clang!

"..."

"I won."

"No, no... Why is this happening..."

"It's due to a lack of combat experience."

At this, Jane opened her mouth as if she was about to protest.

"Lack of combat experience? I've recovered several times with divine power, and an adventurer who doesn't get tired and keeps up with me is the strange one!"

"Admin 'Swordman Who Kills Gods' says that's true, which I didn't know."

"Admin 'Hero of the Doomed World' agrees with the priestess, saying it's not a wrong statement."

"Admin 'Priest of the Seven Gods' empathizes with Priestess Jane's frustration and says you are the strange one."

"Since I've never fought such an opponent, it's fair to say I lack combat experience."

"Admin 'White Crane Sword Immortal' boasts that this is his contractor."

"Admin 'Iron Blood Lord' mocks a certain woman for being the most arrogant despite being the second contracted admin."

"Admin 'Seeker of the Divine' finds your sophistry interesting and enjoyable."

"What is this...?"

"Anyway, I won, didn't I?"

"That's... right."

"Then tell me what you promised."

Of course, Jane could have refused, but I didn't think she was that kind of person.

Even if she refused, I could just kill her and move on to the next trial.

But Jane didn't say no; she sighed deeply and began to explain.

"The physical proof has two more trials left, and the proof of belief starts at the fifth trial and ends at the sixth."

"Then the proof of spirit is only at the seventh trial?"

"But before challenging the seventh trial, you should consider giving up."

"..."

"The seventh trial has never been passed. Those who enter it either go insane or die bleeding from all over their body."

"..."

To confirm if this was true, I immediately activated the Dragon Eye.

"Skill 'Dragon Eye' detects no lies in the opponent's words."

Jane had only told me the truth.

"Then what are the contents of the other proofs...?"

"I don't know either."

"Skill 'Dragon Eye' detects no lies in the opponent's words."

"..."

After asking Jane various questions through the Dragon Eye, I realized that the individuals responsible for each proof had little interaction and only knew about their own trials.

I sighed, picked up the Blood Heaven Demon Sword from the floor, and dismissed the Iron Blood Sword.

I realized that I hadn't been using the Iron Blood Sword properly, even though I had had it for quite some time.

'The Blood Heaven Demon Sword is so good that I can't use it properly.'

I had initially thought that the sword I was using might break or disappear.

But the Blood Heaven Demon Sword was so good that I couldn't use it properly.

I felt like I might not even be able to see the full potential of the authority.

While thinking about learning dual-sword techniques after completing the 11th trial, I looked at Jane.

"It's over. Your last words... Well, it was a good fight after a long time."

She didn't look like someone who was about to die.

"Are you not afraid of death?"

I would absorb her soul after killing her.

Yet, Jane didn't seem particularly afraid.

When I asked her why, she answered calmly.

"The soul of a high priestess belongs to the god."

"..."

"Even if I die, I will return to the side of the god."

"So you're not afraid of death."

"Despite how it looks, I am a priestess who has dedicated everything to the god, so I am free from personal worries."

I didn't ask if she had no regrets or if she was okay with dying.

I was eager to grow, and she wouldn't be greatly affected by her death.

I knew that asking more would just be nauseating, so I silently swung my sword.

Swish!

"Soul of Priestess Jane absorbed."

"Proficiency increased by 8.8%."

I felt a slight dullness in my mind, something I hadn't felt in a long time.

We fought knowing that one of us would die, and Jane lost and died.

If I had been weaker, I would have been the one to die.

It was just that, and in reality, I would probably forget her after passing the trial.

Yet, I felt a slight sense of guilt for killing her.

"..."

I suddenly felt a chill run through my body.

I had once made a vow to myself.

To climb the tower, I would kill anyone who tried to kill me.

By doing so, I would not avoid fights and would not lose my humanity while climbing the tower.

But this was to preserve the minimum of my humanity, and I didn't hesitate to kill people.

"..."

Was it because she didn't have any ill will towards me, unlike the others I had met, that my emotions were so confused?

But the first trial's Johan was similar.

He didn't have much ill will towards me and just sneered at me to take the trial.

When I killed him and took his item, I only felt a slight regret, not much else.

For the first time, I started to feel fear.

What would happen if this emotion didn't just be a whim and became a self-contradiction?

The feeling of defeat by Namgung Hyuk fueled my desire to grow.

But if this precarious emotion blocked my desire and took away my will, it would be the worst.

Thinking about this, I felt a chill run down my spine and frowned.

"The proof of spirit... It really makes me think, as befits a trial."

Perhaps this trial itself has such a nature.

This space was prepared by the tower and is also called the trial of the god.

There might be some element that influences me, not affected by anti-magic or forced breakthroughs.

I imprinted this fact in my mind and walked to the next trial.

The corridor connecting the rooms had broken glass pieces, unlike before.

The number of glass pieces increased as I approached the next trial, forming a concentrated broken window.

It was as if the glass pieces were gradually forming a new mirror.

This impression became clear as soon as I entered the room where the third trial was located.

The walls, ceiling, and floor were covered with glass pieces like a broken mirror.

In the center of this alien room stood a priest with his eyes closed, holding a sheath in his left hand.

He was a large man, his sturdy build visible even through his fluttering monk's robe.

"An adventurer who can truly handle the laws of the unseen world."

He murmured with his eyes closed, then raised his right hand to the hilt of the sword.

"Indeed, you have the potential to reach the path of the Aura Blade."

At the same time,

"Admin 'Swordman Who Kills Gods' says you need to be careful now."

"Admin 'Hero of the Doomed World' advises not to be complacent as a real swordsman has appeared."

"Admin 'White Crane Sword Immortal' says this is a true sword qi user, not a false one."

"Admin 'Iron Blood Lord' marvels that this is a priest serving the God of Proof."

Amidst the numerous messages from the admins, the man gripped the hilt of the sword tightly.

"I am Resilian, one of the swords the God of Proof will wield."

He slowly drew a straight sword from the sheath and gradually opened his eyes.

As Resilian firmly held the sword in his right hand, flames erupted from the blade.

It was an imperfect flame, flickering as if it could be extinguished by a gentle breeze.

But,

"Prove your martial arts here."

Even if it was imperfect, it was a skill I couldn't deny.

"Sword Flame..."

The worst skill, existing solely to devour sword qi, appeared before me again.