"A dungeon?". Silvia's breath halted, and she stared at the elevated rocky structure. On its surface appeared to be a massive maw that could fit several adults to enter.
The atmosphere stilled. An oppressive pressure hit her mind, making her breath shallow as she gasped for air. Her finger tightly gripped Jin's sleeves, prompting him to glance to the side and witness her pale face.
"Silvia, you okay?". Jin calmly stepped back, took Silvia's arm and guided her to a nearby tree, where he gently leaned her weak body against the trunk.
Silvia's breath was ragged, and sweat started to stream down her forehead, drenching her outfit. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just give me some time to breathe," she murmured weakly.
"Take your time".
Jin summoned his translucent panel but only to face a frown, for the desired item was not presented. Of the many items from the monster carcass food, ingredients, and outfit, he still lacked the important part, which was a water bladder.
He exhaled and sat beside Silvia, overlooking the dungeon that oozed black miasma. He could feel it, his skin crawling with premonition, but right now, he was tied by Silvia's presence, which was still gasping for air.
*Gyaak!
A howling of a monster reverberated across the field; it came from the maw that opened wide.
Jin's body tensed as he jolted upright, straightening his spine. He gripped the Katana in his left hand and inhaled softly while his gaze forward.
"Ukh!".
A groan escapes Silvia's lips when she tries to stand up, but her body refuses to listen. Strength slowly leaves her body; she feels powerless, and dread gnaws at her mind.
Jin, who noticed her condition, softly exhaled and murmured, "Silvia, what is your purpose in swinging your sword?".
"...Eh? Purpose?" Silvia's sharp, azure eyes blinked. She stared at the back of the boy with a blank mind.
That question never crossed her mind, even though Silvia held that hilt every time and swung it every morning. The only thing she could recall was her parents' smiling faces, seeing her growth, and the feeling of overwhelming strength when she could suppress others.
However, those two feelings generally faded after time.
The curse she received every time shifted her mindset, tinkling with her emotion as it turned her into an incredulous doll with an indifferent nature, who knew only how to swing a sword, trampling all those swordsmanship who devoted their life to swinging their sword with purpose.
Silvia tightly grasped the sword on her waist. For what reason did she swing the sword? Is it because there is no choice? Or wanting to make his parents proud of her?
However, Silvia knew better than others about her talent. In the end, her talent would bring only grief, casting a heavy shadow over everyone around her, just like her father, who had those vacant eyes when she won against a former captain of a royal knight.
There is no bliss or celebration, only hollow congratulations and guilt.
Jin twisted his neck to see the girl looking down. His earlier words might trigger something inside her, or maybe they would lead her to her doom. '...Silvia, can you escape your own prison?'
When he met her for the first time, he noticed the imbalance in her personality. His stirred heart grew stronger as the girl who wielded a wooden sword challenged him to a duel and lost.
At first, he was baffled by her sudden change of personality from rigid to cheerful in a blink. There was also something hollow about the way she swung her sword; it was weightless as if she had no purpose other than swinging it like a stick.
Her talent was indeed exceptional, and it could make Jin's eyes snap open even with her weightless first strikes. However, she was still lacking to be called a swordswoman.
*Gyaak!
Several green creatures slipped out of the cave. Their yellowish eyes scanned their surroundings while they clenched their clubs tight in their hands. One of the creatures had one arm amputated and glared at the surrounding area; its malice could instil fear in the other.
"They are coming".
One of the goblin archers that came last, its eyes swollen, and soon pointed at Jin's place.
"*Gyakgyagyagyaaakk!". Screaming incomprehensible words.
The other goblin twisted their necks with a malicious gaze. They raised the clubs high above while screaming at the top of their lungs and dashed forward, forming a line.
"Ah?". Silvia's voice cracked, and her mind shut down. She was unable even to exert some strength on her fingers.
Jin, who noticed her condition, exhaled softly and stepped forward, drawing his Katana blade in a silent whistle, "Calm down, Silvia. I will take care of them".
He managed to hold the blade on the right and its sheath on the left with a backhand grip. Its silver blade gleamed ferociously, itching to taste some monster blood. Jin lowered his stance while taking a deep breath and muttering something in his heart. 'Let's see how effective this technique is…'.
[Black Heaven Style Swordsmanship - Gale]
When the goblin's horde kept flooding the place, Jin's body glowed for a moment before he shot forward like the wind. He swung his blade diagonally, severing the goblin's shoulder through its waist, bisecting it into two parts.
Jin carried the momentum to keep swinging his blade without stopping from there. A flurry of silver fangs danced across the corpse of the goblin. He swung the blade to his right, killing one goblin and saw a goblin from his left jump off with a raised club and jagged teeth.
He clenched his left hand and slammed his sheath into the goblin skull, which crushed to bits, letting out a cracked sound that travelled across the field. From there, he pivoted using his leg and spun around with the silver blade, severing another goblin's head.
It was a massacre. Jin kept his momentum going while the monster quantity depleted, and many of them fled from the scene and entered back toward the cave.
Jin swung his blade, severing another goblin's neck, "They are retreating".
He looked back and saw a bloodied path of carnage, followed by a tangy scent of iron wafting around the atmosphere. Jin scrunched his face and stared at the girl who managed to stand up, leaning on the tree trunk.
"Are you okay?".
"Mm, I'm fine". Silvia's weak voice echoed in his ears.
"Good".
'Is it over?' a transparent panel popped out, informing the Sub-Quest progress: 'Still nothing, huh?'
His emerald eyes flashed, and he could see that the miasma that leaked from the cave kept getting thicker and ominous as each second passed. As he stepped forward, a loud growl resonated within the forest.
Jin's body shivered as a terrifying chill crawled through his skin; his pupil dilated. He tightened his grip on the Katana, slowly sheathed its black, and prepared his Iai stance.
*Gaaaah!
The atmosphere shook, and tremors ran across his feet, sending a tingling sensation that crept up his spine. His heart pounded so hard that he worried it would leap from his throat.
A heavy 'thud' resounded, approaching his side. Behind the curtain of darkness, a creature with green skin, standing around two meters tall, stepped out. Its mouth is folded by a protruding tusk from its jaw below.
The monster's body was enveloped by thick muscles. It walked around wearing nothing but rag cloth and a steel mace with spikes. Its yellowish eyes scanned the surroundings before it paused at the boy, who radiated a thick fighting spirit.
'Hobgoblins?'. Jin knitted his brows as he found another weakness he must cover—his lack of knowledge of the monster's habitat and their species.
Its flat face scrunched before it roared so loud it shook even the forest. The monster raised the mace above, bringing it down in one big swing.
The mace landed with a 'boom', creating a massive crack with gouged land. Dust rose, enveloping the battlefield.
With poor visibility, Jin waved his hand sideways, tapping the primal mana in the atmosphere to create a gale that would blow away the cover.
His body flinched, feeling tingling all over. The battle-hardened instinct he trained for centuries kicked in. He jumped backwards and dodged the trajectory of the mace.
The shockwave cleared away the dust. Jin's face stiffened, and a cold sweat trickled down his back. Despite its massive body and heavy mace, the monster could swing it easily like a twig.
*Gaaah!
Twice, it missed the target, the monster's eyes shrunken, and its muscles tensed until popping out visible veins.
Jin tightly gripped his Katana, unknown to him that his lips parted away, broke into a fearless grin and faced the monster head-on.
***
Silvia watched the battle unfold with bated breath. Her eyes wavered as she saw Jin barely dodge the mace swing.
The thick atmosphere that enveloped the field created an oppressive feeling that weighed down her mind. Cold sweat drenched her body, making her outfit sticky and chilled.
In the midst of the battle, Silvia caught a glimpse of Jin's expression. His sharp eyes, coupled with a parted grin, stabbed her wounded heart.
It was something she couldn't comprehend. Why? Despite facing such a fearsome monster, grasping a thin thread between life and death. How can someone smile in that situation?
'...How can I become like you, Jin?'. Her fleeting whisper faded like snow in the spring.
Without knowing, her hand grasped the sword hilt; fingers curled so tight that it shook her heart. 'What is…?'.
*Gaaah!
A violent roar pierced her eardrums. Silvia's eyes blurred for a second; her head throbbed from the intense shock it received. She looked ahead to find Jin lowering his stance with a familiar posture.
"Jin, what are you?". Dread sucked away the blood on her face. She gritted her teeth, trying to move her rooted feet.
"Jin!?. Her cries echoed within the chaotic forest, followed by the monster who swung its massive mace to crush its enemy in front of it, "No".
Silvia's eyes wavered as she saw Jin calmly draw his sword from its sheath. It happened in a flash, and the flow of the wind changed as she saw the massive half-body of the monster shift in motion and then drop toward the ground like a broken doll.
"What!?".