The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 3: A Second Chance (2)

Step, step.

Martin Adalbert and Sien Igreet descended the stone steps.

The deeper they went underground, the clearer the sounds of what seemed like beasts roaring became. The air grew heavier as the concentration of mana thickened.

Yet neither of them seemed fazed. They moved with calm expressions, continuing their steps.

At the bottom, a vast space unfolded, large enough to fit dozens of people.

However, the scattered stone pillars and stalagmites made it difficult to navigate. Fortunately, glowing rocks embedded in the ceiling provided enough light to see clearly.

“No matter how many times I come here, I never get used to it,” Sien grumbled, furrowing her brow.

“That’s only natural. Dungeons were never meant for humans,” Martin replied with a smile.

The *Dungeon*.

A world beneath the Cracian continent.

It was the birthplace of humanity’s eternal enemies: monsters, the source of countless nightmares.

Monsters born in this place periodically emerged to threaten humanity.

Because of its dangerous nature, ordinary people were strictly prohibited from entering.

Ironically, however, the dungeon was also a place that greatly contributed to the development of civilization. It housed countless resources, including magic stones.

There were nine dungeon entrances across the continent, and one of them was located in Varehein, the capital of the Adalbert estate.

Given that every nation, aside from the Altaria Empire, had control over at least one dungeon entrance, it was quite a feat.

As a result, the Adalbert estate held the same status as a kingdom, and its head was effectively a king. The same was true for the heads of the other two great noble families.

The three great houses weren’t just any families in the Altaria Empire.

“Those old geezers in the Elder Council and the greedy heads of the branch families sure know how to be a nuisance,” Sien muttered.

“Oh, are you talking about the mission?” Martin asked.

“Yeah. What’s the point of defeating the Monster Lord on the 10th floor within 100 days? The real focus is on manifesting your unique ability, isn’t it?”

“That’s true. Even if I complete the mission, I won’t be able to ascend as the family head unless I manifest my unique ability.”

Manifesting a unique ability within 100 days.

That was the task Martin faced. Everything else was secondary.

‘I failed miserably last time.’

There were indeed cases of people manifesting their unique abilities later in life, though they were so rare they were considered miracles.

Despite being given 100 days, it was impossible to suddenly acquire something he had never realized in his entire life. Elder Aren knew this too, which was why he had proposed it so generously.

In the previous timeline, Martin had failed to manifest his unique ability at this point.

His failure led to the expulsion of the Adalbert family from the three great noble houses, and he, the sole direct heir, was reduced to a commoner.

It was a situation where it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had disappeared from history altogether.

But fate had other plans.

Two years later, at the age of 20, he manifested his unique ability after all. This allowed him to reclaim his noble status.

That was why he had resolved to fight—to reclaim his rightful position.

“But I don’t think it’s all bad.”

“Why not?” Sien asked, puzzled.

“Because I’ll have the chance to prove my skills to everyone.”

Martin answered confidently, turning his body.

Grr! Grr!

The sound of something similar to a dog growling reached their ears.

Then, humanoid monsters with reptilian heads appeared.

“Kobolds.”

Martin, already aware of the monsters’ presence, remained calm.

Kobolds were monsters that, along with goblins, inhabited the first floor of the dungeon. Individually, they were weak.

However, they made up for their weakness with numbers. The group approaching them consisted of twelve kobolds, all armed with stone axes.

“You don’t need to step in this time, Sien.”

“Hmm? You don’t need to push yourself. It’s not like fighting these creatures will help you manifest your unique ability.”

“True, but I want to stretch a bit. I haven’t touched a sword in days because of the funeral.”

“Come on. The greatest genius in the history of the Adalbert family can’t possibly lose his skills after just a few days of rest.”

Sien chuckled.

It was true that Martin was looked down upon by the nobility for failing to manifest his unique ability.

But even so, he had an overwhelming talent in one area: swordsmanship.

He was a prodigy, the most gifted in swordsmanship since the founding head of the Adalbert family.

Even those who ridiculed him couldn’t deny his exceptional talent.

“Since it’s a request from a genius, I suppose I can let you fight on your own.”

“Thanks.”

With Sien’s consent, Martin focused on the kobolds once again. He reached for the sword at his waist with his right hand.

The moment his fingers gently grasped the hilt,

Shhh.

A pleasant sound echoed as the silver-white blade slid smoothly from its sheath.

‘Truly incredible talent.’

Sien couldn’t help but be amazed.

It was a simple act, just drawing a sword, but it was so beautiful that it stirred something within her.

At the same time, it was chilling.

The razor-sharp blade invoked the image of death.

She wasn’t the only one who felt this.

“Grrr…”

“Raaargh!”

Monsters were naturally hostile toward humans and other sentient beings.

Yet the kobolds before Martin hesitated, unable to rush at him.

Their survival instincts were warning them with all their might.

They couldn’t win against the person before them.

Charging at him would mean certain death.

Meanwhile, Martin began to channel his mana.

From the mana core in his abdomen, mana surged forth—the mark of a knight. The mana flowed through his mana circuits and into his sword.

Woom.

Golden light radiated brilliantly, enveloping the blade.

The skill of manifesting mana externally, known as Aura.

One could only use it once their mana core reached the third circle, a level that marked the true beginning of knighthood.

Even knights who were considered exceptionally talented usually only reached this level in their late twenties.

Sien, hailed as a true genius, had only just managed to use aura this year at the age of 23.

‘And yet, he manifested it at the age of 17.’

It had only been last year. That was when Sien truly understood what it meant to possess talent far beyond the norm.

“Aren’t you going to attack? If you don’t want to, I’ll come to you,” Martin calmly declared.

This was his first real battle since returning to the past.

The first opponent was too weak, but that didn’t matter. There were plenty of enemies waiting for him in the future.

Swish!

At last, he kicked off the ground.

Faced with his terrifying charge, the kobolds only just now began to prepare for battle.

‘It’s already too late.’

Slash!

A powerful downward slash cut through the air.

A long golden trail was left behind like a ribbon, and the blade struck the kobold’s head with pinpoint precision.

Bone and flesh were severed in an instant. After confirming this, Martin immediately kicked the creature’s body.

The corpse flew like a cannonball, colliding with another charging kobold.

The resulting impact sent a resounding explosion through the air, and both bodies were left in a mangled heap.

“Grrr!”

“Raaagh!”

The death of their comrade threw the kobolds into a frenzy. Their rage completely suppressed any fear they had of Martin.

Clutching their axes tightly, the kobolds charged at Martin all at once. Their numbers boosted their confidence.

‘It won’t help you.’

He could already see how they would move through their steps.

Their subtle gestures revealed where they intended to strike.

All of this was processed in an instant, and Martin moved accordingly.

Boom!

Martin’s right foot, strengthened with mana, slammed into the ground. The resulting shockwave threw the kobolds off balance.

Martin leaped forward, instantly closing the gap between him and the monsters. His aura-imbued sword swept horizontally.

Slice!

One kobold’s head flew through the air. Feeling the sensation in his hand, Martin pivoted on his left foot. With the added centrifugal force, his blade surged from the lower left to the upper right.

At the same time, the aura on his blade extended further. The golden light streaked through the air, and three more kobolds were caught in its path.

Slash!

The kobolds didn’t even realize they were dead. Even as their bodies were being severed, they took a few more steps forward due to momentum.

It wasn’t until their pitiful bodies collapsed on the ground that they finally fell.

“Grrr!”

“Raaagh!”

As the one-sided slaughter unfolded, the remaining kobolds’ fury quickly vanished. Their instinctual hatred toward humans evaporated in the face of one overpowering emotion:

Fear.

There was no other feeling left within the kobolds. They abandoned the fight and began to flee.

“What a hassle.”

Kobolds and goblins often fled to seek help from their kin. No matter how weak they were individually, their numbers could swell to dozens or even hundreds, which wouldn’t be good for either Martin or Sien.

Grumbling lightly, Martin jumped with all his strength.

Chasing them down was easy.

He could see exactly which paths would allow him to catch all the fleeing creatures. Just by watching them, the routes became clear in his mind.

Swish.

Martin ran without hesitation, cutting down the kobolds as he went. Each swing of his sword severed a life with certainty. The dungeon’s complex terrain didn’t hinder him at all.

Thud.

The last kobold collapsed to the ground, its body cleaved in half.

“Even with the chase, you finished in a minute and thirty seconds… Isn’t that a bit too fast, Martin? Even if they were just kobolds, there were still twelve of them.”

“Have you ever heard of rabbits or sheep ganging up to take down lions or tigers? I haven’t.”

“Hmm. You’ve gotten quite cheeky. You used to get so embarrassed when I praised you. Are you really Martin?”

“Imitating someone of my talent? That alone would take enormous skill.”

“Wow. Can I punch you, just once?”

“I’d prefer not. If you hit me, I might actually die.”

Sien playfully clenched her fist while Martin firmly refused with a smile.

Regardless of his swordsmanship talent and current level, Sien was far superior in terms of physical conditioning.

In fact, she could crush most monsters with just a flick of her wrist.

‘It was the right decision to fight alone.’

Swinging his sword and using his aura wasn’t a problem.

However, his actions didn’t match what his mind perceived. There was a noticeable delay between his thoughts and his movements—a gap between the seasoned mind of the Sword Saint and the still weak body.

That’s why this battle was meaningful. It allowed him to gauge the extent of the disconnect between his mind and body.

‘At this rate, I’ll be able to regain my former strength faster than I expected.’

Martial arts, magic, and unique abilities.

These were the powers that defined the Cracian continent.

Each one had five stages, from the first circle to the fifth.

In his past life, Martin had reached the pinnacle—the fifth circle—by the age of 23. His achievement earned him the title of Sword Saint.

There were countless people in the Empire who had surpassed the fifth circle.

However, finding someone like Martin, who had reached the fifth circle purely through swordsmanship, was incredibly rare.

So the fact that he could regain his strength quickly was encouraging.

However, not everything was going smoothly.

‘Ugh!’

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head, and his mana circuits throbbed.

The intense pain caused sweat to pour down his back. His illness, which had been dormant during the funeral, flared up as he channeled his aura.

“Are you okay, Martin?!”

Sien rushed toward him in concern.

To reassure her, Martin raised his right hand.

“…It’s just a simple headache. You know this happens often.”

“You haven’t had an attack like this recently, especially not from fighting kobolds.”

“It’s probably because I rested during the funeral. Once I keep moving, it’ll settle down again. So don’t worry too much.”

“…Do you really think that’s possible?”

Sien’s sad expression accompanied her questioning gaze.

Martin’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. He could feel her sincere concern for him.

Because of that, he couldn’t give her an answer.

All he could do was curse the illness that had plagued him for so long and ultimately led to his death.

‘It’s truly an accursed disease.’

The Dragon’s Curse.

A dreadful affliction, both a blessing and a curse, and the most terrifying disease on the Cracian continent.