LGHTNOVELBOOK CHAPTER 132: ESCAPING
Brian opened his eyes to see the confused but worried Stagnant Water focusing on him.
"What happened? You were alright for a minute, next thing you blacked out, and now you're perfectly fine. Are you okay?" Stagnant asked, his voice laced with concern for his friend.
"I'm fine, just had a bit of an upgrade," Brian said, smiling victoriously.
"How long was I out, by the way?" Brian asked. He had lost track of the flow of time while fighting against the Sword Eater.
"Not much. You were out for at most five minutes," Stagnant Water muttered.
"Five minutes?!" Brian asked, surprised. He had lost track of time, but deep down, he knew he had spent a lot of time in that unique world.
[Of course, time flies faster in that world than in the outside world. And also, it's not that world. It's your world, manifested by your will.]
"System... or... concept?" Brian asked in his mind. He didn't know how, but whatever spoke to him read his thoughts and projected its words into his ears, because Stagnant Water looked oblivious to the conversation he was having with the strange being.
[I'm your concept! Don't infuriate me, human!]
"So you can speak to me whenever you like?" Brian asked.
[Yes, as well as read your thoughts. But we are bound for life, and all I do is for your benefit, so no need to be tense about it.]
"Thanks. You kicked me out of the world. The Sword Eater?"
[Dead. Check your status window and thank me later.]
---
User: Sword God
Title: Monarch of Destruction (Epic Heavenly)
Job: N/A
Level: 70 (7,000,000 / 7,100,000 EXP)
Health: 70,000
Strength: 39
Speed: 38
Stamina: ∞
Intelligence: 23
Constitution: 31
Free Attribute Points: 117
CONCEPT: SWORD
[You awakened the concept of sword due to the epiphany you gained concerning swords. Your heart and mind are tempered like steel.]
• Infinite Stamina: A sword is but a tool that never tires. As long as it's used, it accomplishes its task until it shatters. Your heart has been tempered and your soul has become one with the sword. You have become an unbreakable and indestructible sword. Fighting infinitely is nothing but child's play to you. Your stamina is infinite. You can never suffer physical or mental fatigue.
• Instincts: A sword is believed by most to be the invincible weapon in war, its blade sharp and dangerous to foes. A true swordmaster who has attained unity with his sword is believed to be able to see the future and predict the moves of his enemies in battle. You are able to see five seconds into the future of foes you fight in battle.
• Fast Learner: One who has the concept of sword cannot have difficulty in understanding anything pertaining to swords. You can copy any technique, sword skill, footwork, or move you have seen for the first time in battle. Your stats determine the strength of the copied skill. (Unable to copy the skills of magicians or archers. Can only copy skills related to sword-like weapons.)
• Formless Sword: You are the embodiment of sword itself. Every part of you is but a living sword. Sword no longer conforms to just physical weapons for you, but even to that which cannot be seen. You unlock the formless sword—a sword that cannot be seen or perceived by anyone.
---
"Wow," Brian muttered. His concept was broken, if he had to say.
"Hey buddy! You've been out of it again. What's going on? I'm getting tired of calling you without getting a response," Stagnant Water complained, tired of calling out to the unresponsive Brian.
"I'm sorry. Was out for a while, but I'm fully focused now," Brian assured his friend.
[What are you doing in this dirty prison? This is boring. Time to get out of here.]
The Sword concept once more interfered without receiving any form of approval from Brian—well, it did what it wanted to do.
BOOM!
The dungeon bars were destroyed, freeing Brian and Stagnant Water.
"Woah, you did that?" Stagnant Water asked, utterly stunned but excited as well.
"Well, I did... but not me at the same time. You get what I mean, right?" Brian asked, finding it difficult to explain.
"Yeah, I did. I'm a psycho. I understand gibberish easily," Stagnant Water said, looking extremely annoyed.
"That was Formless Sword, and it was used by my concept. My talent evolved to a concept, so..." Brian tried to explain it to Stagnant Water, but even he found his explanations to be absurd and difficult to understand.
[To give information so easily to outsiders... you really are naive. But oh well, it's naive people who attain greatness in swords more—while they die cheaply by underhanded tricks.]
Brian listened to the SWORD concept but refrained from saying anything more. There was no way he was going to argue with a concept he wasn't even sure was alive.
[I'm not actually living, but I am sentient and have a will—if that's what you want to know.]
The SWORD concept explained to Brian.
"Alright then, let's get out of here," Stagnant Water muttered, stepping out of the cell.
"Woah!" Stagnant Water exclaimed, bumping into the Ice Princess, Elizabeth.
"Princess?" Brian, who followed behind Stagnant Water, was surprised as well, finding the princess in the underground dungeon passage.
"I see I wasn't needed in breaking out by you. That's good. Now, we need to get out of here before others find out," the ice princess said to the men, pulling Brian with her.
"Great, I became the third wheel," Stagnant Water muttered, following behind the duo ahead of him.
"Halt!" A knight in charge of guarding the dungeon commanded. He had heard unusual sounds from the dungeon cell and had decided to check the cause.
"Princess, what are you doing with the prisoners?" The guard asked, on guard, looking at Elizabeth like one would look at a traitor.
"Move or you will regret not doing so," Elizabeth warned, her aura growing icy.
The knight, loyal to his duty, refrained from obeying her instructions, preparing to defend the exit until he fell or backup arrived.
"You leave me no choice," the princess muttered, withdrawing her rapier from its sheath and going for the attack.
She attacked ruthlessly, not holding back against the knight. The knight tried his best but was no match for the level 74 ice princess, dying swiftly as she led Brian and Stagnant Water onward.
[Ooh, she's not bad with her use of the rapier, although it's still subpar if I judge without lowering my standards. I see a reason you have a thing for her, but why exactly are you allowing her to do the killing and escaping task? You can't be a wimp.]
"Please shut up, not now," Brian said in his head, his mood too disturbed to listen to the SWORD concept. He knew the repercussions of Elizabeth's actions—killing the knight without a reasonable cause and freeing prisoners had made her a traitor to the empire, her home. He felt guilty for it, believing it was all his fault for her actions.
[Tsk, so much potential wasted on being naive. You need to grow up if you wish to stand above all,] the SWORD concept stated, displeased with Brian's mindset.
"Why exactly did you come back when you knew you had defected?" Elizabeth asked Brian while they continued their escape.
"Bloody ask the naive kid!" Stagnant Water chirped in.
"The information was vital. I didn't feel good leaving without informing the empire," Brian said quietly.
"And that landed you where, exactly?" Elizabeth questioned. "Sometimes, you need to be selfish. That's something you have to learn for yourself," she cautioned, clearly worried about Brian's naivety.
Brian said nothing, silent. He knew what she was trying to say. Brian had tried to explain the same thing to himself and even to his concept, but kindness and trust in humanity felt ingrained in him. It was like his natural instincts, and going against them didn't feel right—it felt like doing something that wasn't him.
"Princess, this is as far as you go," Commander Joshua stated, blocking the final exit that Brian and company had to pass to escape the cold, creepy, and annoying dungeon.
"Teacher," Brian called softly, staring at his teacher with mixed thoughts in his head.
"I was about to visit you and try to talk you out of betraying the empire and going rogue, but it seems it was pointless. I must say, I'm disappointed in you. I was right about your talent but not about your character. As your teacher, it is my duty to ensure you never harm the empire. Stand down, or fall by my hands," Commander Joshua said to Brian, his face resolute. He was serious about his intentions to kill Brian if he refused to surrender.
"Teacher, you have been the best teacher I could ever ask for, but I'm sorry for disappointing you. I cannot surrender, nor can I allow myself to fall by your hands. Forgive my rudeness, but I will have to walk away from here alive, with my friends," Brian said resolutely.
[He is a good match. You can use him for practice to get used to your abilities,] the SWORD concept advised.
But to Brian, it wasn't just practice. The emotional turmoil in his heart, to clash with his teacher—the person who had helped him—was a burden that weighed heavily on his chest.
"I'm sorry," Brian whispered, running toward Joshua, no sword in his hands, but for some reason, it felt just right to him to fight without a sword.