The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth

Chapter 22: Break Free from the Shackles

You're lucky. Without this, you wouldn't have lasted a month before your body exploded from the strain of Dragon Magic. Even Grand Sorcerers aren’t an exception.

"Ha..." Karyl couldn’t help but sigh at Kaye’s chilling words.

Congratulations. If you're reading this, it means you've survived.

Karyl felt a shiver down his spine, his forehead breaking out in a sweat before he even realized it.

If I hadn't found this... I might as well have... Died. He had become overconfident because he knew the future.

The world is really full of uncertainties...

He let out a sigh, attempting to calm his trembling heart, just as the written words shifted once more.

Opening five channels and achieving 4th class magic power makes one a magician. Opening eight channels and achieving 7th class magic power makes one a Grand Sorcerer.

The letters seemed to flow, as if Karyl could hear Kaye Aesir's voice echoing through them.

I reached the 8th class.

The pinnacle of sorcery, surpassing even a Grand Sorcerer. Just as Karyl had reached the peak of swordsmanship, Kaye Aesir had been the only person to reach the pinnacle of magic.

Surpass me.

Karyl clenched his fist tightly without realizing, pouring his strength into it.

If you've survived consuming the Dragon's Heart, don't be satisfied with just this. Fill yourself with greed, claw your way up there, reach the summit that no one else can.

Perhaps Kaye Aesir had been waiting for an existence that could surpass even the summit, the very pinnacle of magic, the 8th class.

Let me tell you an interesting story.

The letters changed.

There are two more damned beings like me, but they won't be found in the history books. Those guys were even stranger beings than I am. You'll understand what that means. If you're lucky, you might come to possess it, just as you have now gained my power. Perhaps then, surpassing me might just be possible.

"Two more?" Karyl couldn't help but be surprised by the statement.

Not even Narh Di Maug had mentioned anything about such beings to him. This might be a secret known only to him. What could it possibly be? His heart fluttered with anticipation.

Kaye Aesir, I will follow your advice. As you said, I'll greedily seek power, he thought, reflecting on a revelation not even the great sorcerer from 250 years ago could have foreseen.

His greed wasn't limited to mastering just the sword, but it included mastering magic as well. A faint smile crossed his lips.

You've hidden it well, but I know there's not just those two powers; there exists another force that you've concealed.

Even he, a Grand Sorcerer, couldn’t know the full extent of the memory of the Flame Dragon.

The bracelet emitted a brilliant light.

Moreover, this item is clearly not of human origin. Then... it must be of dragon origin. Karyl's mind raced.

The Flame Dragon's Lair. Naturally, the bracelet would lead him there. Though the dragon had long since passed, he hadn't heard any rumors of its lair being discovered.

Perhaps it's still preserved to this day. And within it, there could be countless weapons. I will claim them all. Everything left behind by both humans and dragons.

Karyl pulled out the coins from the box. Inside, there were gems of various colors. Karyl, upon seeing the familiar objects, exclaimed in surprise.

"Elemental stones...! And only the ones with the highest purity at that. To see something here that not even the emperor could possess in my past life..."

Whether you use it or not, that's up to you.

This was the phrase inscribed on the box.

But if you do decide to use it, don't hesitate. Use it all.

"Hah..." Karyl chuckled at the boldness that could be felt in the words

You have gained power, you have gained wealth, you have even gained a whole new life here.

So what even is there now that you cannot accomplish? Do not be bound by such trifles. You are far more valuable than everyone else, just focus on establishing your own existence.

That is autonomy.

At that moment, Karyl felt as if he had been struck by lightning, a tingling sensation coursing through his chest.

"Autonomy..." he murmured, his mind suddenly clearer.

Why are you fighting? What do you want to achieve? What are you trying to protect? Ask yourself these questions. Find the answers within yourself, not from someone else. Be true to yourself.

Till the end, his tone remained arrogant and confident, but his words seemed to be directed at himself.

Run wild to your heart's content.

What will you do with this power? Will you play the part of a loyal servant to a king? Or will settle for a meager existence as a noble, managing an estate no larger than a rat's tail?

The words seemed to chastise Karyl directly.

Don’t you dare serve under anyone. That is beneath one who has obtained the treasure of Kaye Aesir.

"Ha... Hahaha..." Karyl couldn't help but burst into laughter. It was a sudden, uncontrollable release.

Once more, he pondered over Kaye Aesir's words. Do not serve under anyone.

Becoming a knight of the empire? Following prophecies? Changing the future?

I've been wrong from the very start.

Why hadn't he been able to break free from the shackles of the empire? Even after killing a friend and emperor to change the future?

Did I forget the blood flowing through my veins? He, of barbaric descent, had killed a prisoner to prevent his brothers from receiving the empire's glory. How pitiful he was, doing something that was absolutely unnecessary.

Why did I seek recognition from the empire? Even with this much power, why had he still been entangled with them? Why...? An inexplicable frustration washed over him.

I finally understood.

It wasn't about power, life, or wealth. It's about what I want to do.

Karyl pressed his palm to his forehead, then slowly lowered his hand. Concentrating his magic, the bracelet on his wrist emitted a radiant light and disappeared.

Gone was the pain he used to feel when using magic. A satisfied smile played on his lips.

I'll make the empire recognize me.

As he touched his palm to his face, his black irises took on a light brown hue, and his jet-black hair turned into ordinary blond. No one would recognize him as a barbarian now.

Why should the future I aim to change only consist of imperials? I've taken it for granted.

Barbarians and imperials.

Why had he thought of them as separate? Couldn't the future he sought to save include both?

It's clear now.

Olivurn, when I meet you, I will not kneel, he vowed. I'll face you.

Not as a subordinate, but as an equal.

He stomped on the mask he had been carrying; it was no longer needed.

It starts now.

Like the mask shattering into pieces, the shackles that had bound him were gone.

When I return, everything will have changed.

Dawn broke, casting a new light on the figure of Karyl, as he left Einheri. Karyl MacGovern, embarked on a new adventure, the start of his new life.