LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 3
Chapter 3: The Swordsmanship Family, Kaladan
The hall was instantly enveloped in silence. Harang, too, froze in the position of swinging his sword.
‘This feeling…’
It was a sensation so familiar that it felt nostalgic.
Initially, Harang’s sword trajectory had gone astray because he hadn’t fully grasped his own strength or the weight of the sword.
This was a common issue for beginners. Who could accurately swing their sword to hit the target on their first try?
However, in a fleeting moment, he felt the sword’s trajectory shift on its own, moving in the ‘most perfect path.’
No doubt about it.
‘This is the system’s blessing.’
As he comprehended this, a message appeared in the air.
[Quest Completed!]
[The trait ‘Conqueror of Another World’ has been unlocked.]
[The system’s blessing is bestowed upon you, allowing you to use skills and actions from the virtual reality game.]
‘Oh?’
Harang reached out towards the message, as if rewards were pouring down, but the sharp pain in his arm made him nearly scream.
‘Ugh, is this the side effect of One Sword, Two Halves?’
One Sword, Two Halves. A skill that explosively utilized arm muscles for a decisive blow to slice the enemy.
It was one of the numerous S-grade skills Harang had created in his previous life as a gamer.
The difficulty in learning this skill was so high that only professional players could master it.
For a six-year-old, using such a skill resulted in severe side effects.
As he looked at his weakened arms with a sense of futility, additional messages appeared.
[The trait ‘Hero’s Descendant’ has been bestowed.]
[From now on, as a descendant of Hero Kaladan, you can inherit his legacy through quests.]
[All attribute points have increased!]
‘What? Attribute points?’
While he was staring blankly at the messages, a slow clap echoed.
It was Garain, the man with pink hair.
With a completely different expression from before, he smiled, showing his white teeth.
“Impressive. Very impressive… I’ve never seen a child with such talent even among the direct lineage.”
Had there ever been such a case in Kaladan’s history?
Garain maintained his dignity outwardly, but he was truly excited.
‘This is… extraordinary.’
Greatness often showed from an early age, it was said.
When Harang swung his sword, he momentarily looked like a seasoned warrior who had wielded a sword for decades.
Was it an illusion?
Or a delusion?
‘No, it was determination.’
The resolve of a mere six-year-old.
Who would have thought that an illegitimate child born among commoners would show such talent?
“Congratulations, Harang!”
“Ah, yes.”
Arihil approached, shaking Harang’s hand with a smile.
“It’s the first time Garain oppa has ever praised someone like that. You should be proud.”
Arihil smiled beautifully, her pink hair shimmering. The Kaladan family was known not only for their exceptional physical abilities but also for their outstanding beauty.
The more pure the bloodline, the more beautiful and powerful they were.
“It’s unfortunate.”
Garain slowly walked up to Harang.
“There’s never been a case where an illegitimate child of the family became a pure-blooded knight of Kaladan, a ‘Polden Knight.’ Moreover, your father abandoned the sword and is despised by the family.”
“Brother! That’s enough!”
Garain brushed back his pink-tinged hair.
“However, Kaladan strictly values skill. If you can wield the sword well, you might be recognized regardless of your background. Where do you live?”
“I live in a cabin about 40 minutes away from here, in the forest.”
“A cabin? I didn’t know there was such a place within the palace grounds. Move your residence. Closer to the 7th Training Ground. Instructor Hans, from the year this child turns seven, you’ll be responsible for his training.”
Both Karik and his children were visibly shocked by these words.
Was he really saying that an illegitimate child of a weak fugitive should be brought to the training grounds and taught?
Though the 7th Training Ground was the lowest level within Kalambren, it still meant teaching the ‘Kaladan Swordsmanship’ to an illegitimate child.
“And, Knight Phillion, you will assist in managing this child.”
Despite his apparent indifference, Garain thoroughly looked after Harang’s well-being.
Why?
The reason was simple.
Today, Harang had proven his talent.
‘Meritocracy.’
Of course, if Harang didn’t show proper skill later, it would all be in vain.
“Let’s go. Our business here is done.”
“Ah, take your time! Harang! You’re too young for the proving ceremony next year, but I hope to see you at the ‘Kaladan Proving Ceremony’ in four years. Stay strong until then!”
Arihil emphasized the word ‘proving ceremony,’ as if to make sure Harang wouldn’t forget it.
‘It seems there are some kind people in this family.’
As Garain and Arihil left, knights and soldiers quickly lined up on both sides, saluting with their swords.
To Harang, who had lived in the modern world, it was an unfamiliar sight to see so many knights in perfect formation saluting two young people who appeared to be in their late teens or early twenties.
‘The Kaladan Proving Ceremony…’
After they left, Karik’s children shouted in frustration.
“Father! Are you just going to let him do as he pleases?”
“Father, you’re older! Can’t you say something?”
The children, around nine and ten years old, didn’t yet understand the true rules of Kaladan.
“… Extinguish Disaster, Sever with the Sword.”
“What?”
The first absolute rule of Kaladan.
Extinguish Disaster, Sever with the Sword.
If any disaster, incident, or conflict arises, it must be cut off and eradicated with the sword! In simpler terms, ‘solve everything with the sword if you don’t like it.’
“Sons, if you have complaints, resolve them with the sword, not words.”
Karik didn’t like Harang either.
But if they felt it was unfair for an illegitimate child to receive such treatment… they should resolve it with their swords, not by whining.
Harang had come to this place and proven himself without parents. In contrast, Karik’s children were just whining from the sidelines, which made him frustrated.
“Let’s go.”
As Karik took his children away, the knights quickly dispersed.
“Come this way, young master. I’ll prepare your new residence.”
Instructor Hans approached Harang, guiding him, leaving him slightly bewildered.
He had come to test his talent, but he hadn’t expected that a single swing of a sword would result in him moving to a new residence.
‘Well, damn.’
Modern Earth in his previous life had been a meritocratic society, but did they ever receive such treatment in situations as uncertain as in Kaladan?
Not really. Modern Earth people had the trait of not investing until clear results were shown.
‘This means… I need to train my swordsmanship even more.’
In a wild place like Kaladan, the only way to find a way to survive was to wield a sword.
* * *
‘It’s still just an attic room, though.’
The move was processed quickly. Since he had no belongings to transfer in the first place, the servants cleaned out the attic and all Harang had to do was move himself.
There was only a chair and a small table as furniture, and there was no bed—just blankets laid out on the floor. It was fortunate, at least, that there was a wardrobe and a half-body mirror.
He was content with this level of accommodation.
It was much better than the narrow, cold one-room cabin in the forest.
‘The more I prove my swordsmanship, the more I will succeed. I now have more reasons to become stronger.’
Harang plopped down onto the chair, opening and closing his fist, and then, almost unconsciously, he spread his palm wide open.
This was a common input motion to open the ‘system information page’ when playing all virtual reality games.
Although this world wasn’t a virtual reality game, the system page shouldn’t have appeared.
━━━
[Synchronization Rate] …… 1.328%
[Magic 0 Core]
[Swordsmanship 1 Star]
[Health 15] [Strength 19] [Agility 18]
─────
One Sword, Two Halves
─────
Descendant of Heroes / World’s Best Champion
Conqueror of Another World
Curse of the Stigmata
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
“What…!”
To his surprise, a translucent window the size of a smartphone appeared above his palm.
Typically, system pages like this were manipulated by holding them like a smartphone.
But Harang was stunned to see it even here.
“Are these stats… if I’m right, aren’t they abnormally high?”
In common virtual reality games, ’20’ was set as the average physical ability of an untrained adult.
The physical abilities of people who had professionally trained and participated in global events like the Olympics or martial arts competitions ranged from 30 at the lowest to around 40 at the highest.
From 50 onwards, it was the level of superhumans that could only be achieved through in-game stats.
‘But there are already stats close to 20, right? This is comparable to the physical ability of a teenager who has undergone rigorous training.’
It was not an illusion that the gravity of this world felt particularly weak or that he felt stronger—it was indeed due to his abnormally powerful physique.
However, there was one thing he couldn’t understand.
‘Curse of the Stigmata? What is this?’
Even when he pressed the button, no explanation popped up. With no other option, Harang turned his attention elsewhere.
‘Synchronization rate of the blessing… this indicates system correction.’
What was the system blessing?
Professional gamers who played virtual reality games rarely trained in martial arts in real life.
Then how could they perform martial arts, including swordsmanship?
It was because the virtual reality game partially corrected the players’ movements, assisting them. Even if a player couldn’t swing a sword properly, if they focused and set a clear goal, the system would help them.
It was a courtesy from the game companies that wanted many users to enjoy being martial arts masters in the game world.
Of course… the level of correction varied widely from player to player.
For some, it might be just barely grazing the side of a rock with a sword, while for others, it could mean accurately cleaving the rock in two with the same technique, showing an exceptional level of correction.
The difference in concentration and synchronization rate!
The more one focused at the exact moment and timing, the more remarkably the correction worked, and those who maximized this correction were known as professional gamers.
Harang was indeed the best in the world at handling such ‘blessings’; he even played PVP games using only pure system corrections without any skills.
In virtual reality, he showcased perfect swordsmanship that no other professional gamer could replicate, and even at the moment of his death, he was the only one to implement ‘air swordsmanship’—controlling the sword without touching it.
People praised him, saying, ‘A sword master has been reborn in modern times…’
‘But it’s not to that extent now.’
Perhaps due to the low synchronization rate of the blessing, his movements were far from those on Earth.
‘In my previous life, I raised this synchronization rate through relentless training.’
At his peak, he used system corrections not just in swordsmanship but even in the slightest finger movement or breath, achieving a 200% utilization rate that no other player could show. However, he couldn’t reach that level now.
Swinging his fist a few times in the air, Harang felt a sense of regret for the insufficient correction, but a satisfied smile spread across his face.
‘With this…’
Aiming for the top spot, and perhaps even revenge…
It might be possible.
* * *
Meanwhile, Arihil Paul Kaladan hummed a tune as he returned to the main residence.
“Brother, you seem to be in a good mood?”
Arihil slyly asked Garain. She had never seen him smile like this while overseeing a proving test.
“Did you see that boy’s eyes?”
“Huh? They seemed pure?”
“I felt a strong determination. Like a warrior who had spent a long time on the battlefield.”
“Haha! What are you saying? There’s no way a child could have that, right?”
Even as she said that, Arihil knew Garain didn’t speak nonsense, so her heart pounded oddly.
‘Did that little kid really have such determination?’
If that were true, it meant the boy was no ordinary child.
“Moreover, his talent is beyond extraordinary. As far as I know, I’ve never seen anyone with such outstanding physical abilities before the age of seven when they can learn mana. On top of that, his swordsmanship was perfect.”
Garain still vividly remembered the moment when Harang swung the real sword. The boy, whom he had thought was just a kid, had shown the image of a brave warrior in that moment.
“For a kid who hasn’t learned anything, his swordsmanship did seem quite impressive…”
Arihil, still less skilled than Garain, hadn’t noticed, but if her brother spoke like this, it wasn’t ordinary.
“That’s why it’s more interesting. His father, Melize, ran away during the proving ceremony. The head of the family must have marked him with disdain.”
“Oh, right… I’m worried.”
Would Harang be different?
“Moreover, those deep silver eyes suggest he might be cursed with the ‘stigma’ that is passed down in the direct line of Kaladan.”
“…”
Arihil’s expression darkened slightly, but Garain still had a face full of interest.
“I’m looking forward to four years from now.”
By then…
Garain couldn’t have imagined.
That he would meet Harang much sooner than expected.