Chapter 12

Elaine practiced at the training ground while being part of the party before her skill awakening.

And occasionally, she would train with me.

So, what does she refer to after her awakening?

She trains with a sword.

Most likely, the weapon she will use in the battle against the Demon King will also be a sword.

In other words... it is highly possible that she is training by referring to my sword techniques as a close example.

That’s why she observes during battles and refers to my sword techniques during practice.

The precision of those techniques themselves could form the foundation of Elaine’s final sword skills, couldn’t they?

If you think about it this way, the reason why the 95th loop had fewer subtractions compared to the 92nd loop can also be explained.

As the loops piled up, I had become lax in my own training.

After all, my strength has its limits.

So, I became obsessed with finding the blue numbers that would reduce the Demon King’s health.

Of course, since I fight numerous times in each loop, my skills wouldn’t rust easily.

But... without aiming higher and just swinging the sword out of habit...

Such a thing would inevitably become dull over time.

And as a result of Elaine referring to such a dulled sword, there was a slight difference in the Demon King’s health reduction.

This is my hypothesis.

If that’s the case, there is only one thing to do.

I need to re-evaluate my own sword techniques.

And the goal is not to optimize the techniques for myself.

Even if they are incomplete, I need to see the path ahead in the techniques.

For the next few loops, I decided to focus on re-evaluating myself while searching for the blue numbers.

This loop was the most suitable for re-evaluating myself.

My body resets with each loop.

The period from age 15 to 20 is a growth phase, so there are significant changes in physical sensation.

Therefore, when I return to age 15 from age 20, I struggle with these changes for a while.

First, my height is different.

This means my reach is different.

And my strength is greater at age 20 than at age 15.

Considering these two factors, if I optimize my sword techniques for peak performance at age 20, they will naturally be somewhat difficult to handle for my 15-year-old self.

This means:

Elaine, at the time of her banishment, has a shorter reach than my 15-year-old self.

And while it’s unclear how much strength she gains after awakening, given the skill name "Master of Numbers," it’s unlikely to be a skill that grants brute strength.

So, my goal was to develop a sword technique that doesn’t rely on strength or reach but can deliver the optimal counter to the opponent’s attacks.

The theory of "later first" that I learned from my master.

A sword that takes the initiative even while letting the opponent move first.

Even if I attack first, it’s only to make the opponent move.

On this basis, I re-evaluated my habits from scratch and focused on controlling my body to the extreme.

I controlled my body’s movements and breathing to hide my intentions from the opponent and deliver a hidden sword.

I aimed for this and intensified my training.

I adjusted my techniques to minimize the sense of discomfort when I returned to age 15.

This would surely help Elaine inherit my sword techniques more smoothly.

My goal was not the strongest sword technique that leverages my physical characteristics but a universal technique that anyone can master with enough training and has a powerful effect.

Not aiming to become a Sword Saint through my own strengths but seeking the universal truth of the sword.

A sword that is firm yet flexible like water, adapting to the vessel it is in.

And even if I only reach the periphery of this truth, that’s fine.

That’s the place I should aim for with the skill "Sword Master."

If it can help in the battle against the Demon King, I will pass everything on to Elaine.

Including my sword techniques.

It doesn’t have to be complete.

It’s fine if it can’t be completed.

It’s fine if Elaine completes this sword technique.

Perhaps in the next loop, I might discover a significant blue number that reduces the Demon King’s health.

What I’m doing might just be self-satisfaction and end up being useless.

But.

I will fill the remaining 10,000 with my sword.

I trained with this mindset.

Whether my hypothesis was correct or if there were other factors involved, I ultimately couldn’t tell.

But.

96th loop (10,815/65,535)

97th loop (10,750/65,535)

98th loop (10,623/65,535)

99th loop (10,263/65,535)

100th loop (9,624/65,535)

Finally, it dropped below 10,000.

No new blue numbers were found during this period.

But the numbers were decreasing.

I felt that my sword skills were improving, even if only slightly.

This period was enjoyable.

To be more precise, despite spending hundreds of years, I didn’t realize this until now.

I... liked swinging the sword.

Until now, the sword was a tool for revenge and a means to achieve my goal.

Becoming stronger was a means to achieve my purpose.

I never thought that there could be joy in delving into the principles of the sword.

If the Demon King didn’t exist...

I could have learned the sword from my father, developed it, and dedicated my life to it.

Seeking my own strength could have been the purpose of my life.

Such a life might have been possible.

...But it’s too late to change my way of life now.

Such a life was already lost to the Demon King.

And a new blue number was found.

By the 115th loop, I had returned to age 15 and no longer felt much discomfort when swinging the sword.

As soon as I started the 115th loop, the result of the 114th loop appeared in my "Guide."

Still in the red, but there was hope.

"Elaine challenges the Demon King but cannot win" (84/65,535).

This was a significant update from the 113th loop (1,050/65,535).

Finally, it became clear.

My sword, through Elaine, was reaching the Demon King’s life.