Chapter 38
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Chapter 38
TL: KSD
Imperial Calendar, year 1415.
Seirennoia Plains.
A mountain of corpses, a sea of blood.
Bodies piled up like mountains, blood forming seas.
Atop the hill, shrouded in the sound of crows, sat a man, his sword plunged into the ground. It was a demon sword, swirling with an eerie aura.
Even the sky seemed to wail sorrowfully, the sunset as red as blood, and the man, whose eyes mirrored the crimson sun, looked up at the sky with a somber face.
From beneath him, someone let out their last breath. He squeezed out a voice mixed with the sound of grinding metal.
Demon sword!
A nameless soldier with bloodshot eyes was looking up at the man. The man looked down at the nameless soldier with an emotionless gaze.
Originally, the nameless soldier was just one of the many who were effortlessly swept away by the man, not even daring to meet his eyes while alive.
But life and death are equal to all. Only at the moment of death did the nameless soldier manage to boldly speak to the man holding the demon sword.
With the last of his lifes energy, the nameless soldier sneered at the man with all his might.
Someday you too, will receive the retribution for the murders youve committed
You will gnaw on dirt at your fathers grave, and you will be powerless even in the face of the death of your loved one, you, the dark elf wielding the demon sword. Remember this well. The curse of those youve killed will eventually lead to your destruction
To this, the man holding the demon sword replied.
It has already happened.
But no response came back. The eyes of the nameless soldier had already become as murky as a corpses.
The man with the demon sword gazed into the eyes of the soldier who had already died.
He had seen such eyes before.
It was around the time when all this had begun.
A long,
Very long time ago.
It was a story that began in the northern snowfields
EP 3-Magic Sword~nim, please control me!
This isnt a web novel aaaaaah-!
Min Hyo-chan was engulfed in madness, as if he had seen something that shouldnt exist.
This cant be! Web novels cant be like this aaaaaah-!
Web novels.
A form of novel that started to become popular after the 2010s, serialized on websites and read via smartphones or computers.
They have their genre roots in the new martial arts novels that started to bloom in Korea, inheriting from the wuxia of the 20th-century Chinese novels, and the Japanese light novels that were popularized in Korea through the opening up to Japanese mass culture at the end of the 20th century.
However, if we consider it from the business model perspective, the direct ancestor of web novels is the book rental shop market, an offline business that rents out simple comics and novels for light reading.
Thus, both in terms of genre and business model,
Web novels are a form of literature aimed at casual consumption-
In other words, snack culture.
So!
At the end of his lengthy proclamation, Min Hyo-chan declared firmly.
This isnt a web novel!
Hmm
This wasnt his first attempt at writing a web novel.
A web novel he had written back in the day still lingered in his mind.
He had casually shown it to the club members, but he hadnt expected to face such fierce criticism.
Not only Min Hyo-chan but Kim Byul and Gu Yu-na also expressed their reservations.
This is a bit suffocating right from the start?
Its a cut from the year 1415 of the imperial calendar
Writers are not usually of the amiable sort, and I am no exception.
Being criticized like this right from the beginning of the novel, I was starting to get irritated.
And how well do you guys think you know web novels to say that?
Gu Yu-na and Kim Byul subtly avoided my sharp gaze.
Even if I knew that Gu Yu-na is secretly writing Japanese otaku manga fanfics behind her dads back at this time.
But what about Kim Byul?
Kim sunbae, do you read web novels?
What?!
Kim Byul flinched, her shoulders shaking.
Caught red-handed.
Do you read them? Or not?
Well, a bit?
What do you read?
Why would you ask something like that?!
5-, 4-, 3-, 2-
Eventually, Kim Byul shouted, her face turning red.
Actor stuff novels! I sometimes read novels about becoming successful actors for vicarious satisfaction! Happy now?!
Such tastes
Although nobody had said anything, Kim Byul defended herself as if a thief who gets cold feet.
I havent read that much! It was just to kill time in the car while moving between shooting locations! Theres no way I, Kim Byul, would use web novels as an escape from reality! Im Kim Byul! An active actress! My life is more splendid than any web novel, so why would I
As everyone silently looked at her, Kim Byuls face became empty, as if she had lost something precious inside her heart.
Then, she quietly hugged Gu Yu-na like a comfort doll and slumped down on the sofa. Oh dear. She seemed completely devastated.
Thats when Min Hyo-chan stepped in. As if to demonstrate his point, he came out from the corner, performing a strange tap dance into the center of the clubroom, confidently stepping forward. Tap, tap!
The web novel expert, has arrived.
Min Min
Min Hyo-chan.
Do you know a lot about web novels, Min Hyo-chan sunbae?
Of course!
Min Hyo-chan began a lengthy introduction. Basically, he said he had been a web novel fanatic since he was young.
If you dont know much about web novels, I can help! In return, just appear on Rapid Boys YouTube once, please!
Are you saying youll help me with my novel?
Yes! Just collaborate with us once!
Then, the pure literary scholar sleeping inside me shouted.
-Dare! How dare some idol main rapper, whose name I can barely remember, try to teach literature to me!
However, Moon In-seop from New Light Spring Orphanage stepped forward to retort.
-Be quiet. Youre just trash. The honor and benefits youre enjoying now are all because you traveled back in time. Do you think this is all because youre great?
The inner pure literary scholar fell dramatically. He had collapsed before when money was tight, apparently a weakling. Maybe its because he wasnt eating well.
After a brief internal struggle, I declared.
Alright! Ill accept all advice. Given the situation, Id rather try something new than be trapped in the past. I need everyones help from our pop culture whatever club this is.
Gu Yu-na tilted her head.
Are you suggesting we publish a doujinshi?
Min Hyo-chan flinched.
Doujinshi!
I clicked my tongue and explained.
Not the adult stuff. I mean a literary doujinshi. A book made together by several people.
I, I didnt think anything weird
Kim Byul gave Min Hyo-chan a disgusted look before speaking.
Now that I think about it, I am the club president, and I was called by the club advisor the other day. Theres a club presentation in a month, and even though our club isnt much, we still need to produce something, they said? I should have told you earlier but I forgot.
This works out well then, Kim sunbae. Lets publish a magazine under the clubs name. Well have four co-authors
Is that really okay? Youre a star author.
The quality of the writing is more important than the name. This opportunity will be a good experience, to learn and gain more experience, which will be beneficial for us.
Kim Byul seemed pleased with my professionalism and nodded with a satisfied smile.
Okay! Lets do that!
As things progressed, Min Hyo-chan, as if he had been waiting for this moment, rushed in with his pink hair fluttering and started to write.
Academy! Academy! Academy!
Whats that supposed to mean?
Start with a school story! Dont start with the year 1415 and all that nonsense!
Thats a bit harsh. The year 1415 was the time of the Battle of Agincourt, a period where the Middle Ages and the Renaissance intersected, a battle symbolizing the end of chivalry. Its a necessary device to metaphorically represent the disappearance of old values in the story
Shut up!
Uh
Gu Yu-na, pretending to be uninterested, sneakily approached and adjusted the structure of the writing.
Starting with a framed narrative makes it too loose. Web novels, especially fantasy ones, should be an epic about one character, progressing step by step from their childhood. Dont you know that?
So, you think the rest is okay?
Yeah
Kim Byul also joined in the conversation, adding her insights. She was an expert in understanding the general tastes of the masses a true scholar of common sense.
A story where an ostracized protagonist encounters a special opportunity and succeeds. It never fails. How about setting the demon sword as a stroke of luck that comes to the protagonist?
But The original theme of this novel The Demon Sword is about the protagonists internal conflict as he gradually loses control over his life
Write a drama like that, and youll starve to death.
Once the conversation started, the advice kept flowing.
After all, middle schoolers tend to be fascinated by such extraordinary experiences.
The title is also strange. The Demon Sword? Is that a web novel title? Change it to a sentence form. Just change it! Dont ask why!
The sensitive hearing of a half-Dark Elf picked up the sounds of nature much more richly than humans could. The refreshment that came from these sounds was also doubled.
Sigh.
He couldnt remember when he last had such a break. At the academy, whether in the corridors, classrooms, or even the dorms where he should have been resting, nowhere was safe.
The irony that he felt more at ease in a forest, a combat training ground with monsters roaming, than in an academy equipped with unimaginable defensive magic, brought tears to Josefs eyes today as well.
But he couldnt just stop here. Despite the bullying, he had to survive each day. If his failures increased, he might be expelled.
With that resolve, Josef gathered his strength in his legs and roamed the forest.
Then, he heard the sounds of battle from afar.
Josef approached with quiet steps.
That bastard is using magic!
Hey, you coward!
If youre jealous, take a double major too!
Over ten students were fiercely fighting to snatch each others flags.
Ironically, Calen and Sergil, who had kicked Josef away, were also there.
As Josef pondered whether to join the fight, a sharp scream pierced the air.
Ahh-!
Aendeliven! Aendelivens cheek was deeply cut, bleeding profusely.
Josefs eyes flipped, and he charged into the battlefield.
Aendel-!
Josef shouted Aendelivens childhood nickname as he burst out of the bushes, swiftly knocking down two who had surrounded Aendeliven.
Though they were teammates gathered by Calen, he didnt have the mind to care about that.
He needed to set off a flare as quickly as possible to stop the exercise and treat Aendels injury.
Aendel, are you okay?
The moment Josef turned to look at the deeply cut Aendeliven, Aendeliven shattered like glass struck by a hammer.
It had been an illusion spell.
Ah.
The battle did not continue any further.
Calens team was flustered by the sudden appearance of an enemy, and Aendelivens team had to identify who the unexpected ally was.
And anyone could easily tell who had intruded into the battle just by looking at the dark skin.
Josef?
The moment Aendeliven, unharmed, called out Josefs name in confusion, Calen burst into laughter, having figured out the whole situation.
Hahaha! Hehe. Hahahaha!
Whats going on? Why are you laughing?
That kkamdungi! He jumped out to protect Aendeliven! Betraying his own team in the process!
Calen jeered at Josef with a snicker.
Hey! Youre a real knight, Josef! Jumping in to betray your comrades for a lady? But what now? The one you tried to protect was just an illusion!
As everyone grasped the situation, they erupted into laughter like Calen, and Aendelivens face flushed with an indescribable mix of shame.
Ah, a-ah, Josef, that was
Princess Aendeliven! Wont you thank your dark knight?
Amidst the pouring mockery, Josef, trembling as if he had committed a crime, eventually ran away from there.
* * *
After running for a while, Josef suddenly stopped, wondering what the point of it all was.
Nearby, there was a lakeside, so Joseph washed his sweaty face and hair in the water.
After washing up, the stilled lake surface reflected Josefs face like a mirror, and for the first time in a long while, he truly looked at himself.
Black skin and white hair. And a feminine face resembling his mothers. His body was twisted and malnourished from not eating properly since childhood.
Worse than that were his eyes and expression, devoid of any self-esteem or courage.
Truly, it was a day when he hated himself.
That feeling turned into tears, dropping into the lake.
A single tear from a half-Dark Elf created ripples on the lakes surface.
That was the moment.
[Why do you weep?]
Josefs reflection in the lake spoke to him.
Hyaek!
Josef let out a strange scream, but the lakes Josef opened his mouth with a calm smile.
[Well, why you cry isnt whats important. What matters is that youre already crying.]
Who, who are you?
[Curious about who I am? Do you not want to cry helplessly anymore? Do you wish for the strength to prevent it?]
If Josef had attended basic summoning magic lectures in the magic department, he would have known never to casually converse with a being from another dimension.
But as the lakes face poured out curious questions, Josef unwittingly nodded.
Yes.
[Good.]
The contract was established.
The Dark Elf reflected in the lake reached out towards reality. A being from another dimension interfered with reality.
What is this!
Thud, a black hand grabbed Josefs hair and pulled him into the lake.
Hyaek!
With a strange scream, Josef fell into the lake.
However, the place Josef headed was not the lakes bottom but beyond dimensions.
* * *
Ugh, ugh.
An unfamiliar ceiling. Upon regaining consciousness, Josef found himself lying on a hard stone floor.
Strange. He was sure he was by the lakeside in the forest just before.
Ack!
He remembered. His own reflection reaching out to grab his hair was the second most terrifying experience of his life.
He was even dragged into the water!
But where was this place? It certainly didnt look like the bottom of a lake.
H-h-holy mother.
Getting up, Josef trembled as he drew his sword to scan the surroundings.
The place looked like an ancient temple.
Statues not described in the holy scriptures lined up, and on the walls, figures holding dark-red swords were depicted slaughtering numerous people.
In the center of the temple, there was a stone altar, and stuck in it was a black sword engraved with red runes along its blade.
Josef knew what this object was.
Many legends sang of its bloodied history.
The Demonic Sword!
The moment he looked at the sword emitting a fiery red magical aura, a strange voice was heard.
[Come to me.]
Eek!
[Draw me.]
Who, who are you?
The Demon Sword sealed in the rift between dimensions whispered.
[I am power and truth. If you possess me, you will have the strength to cut down tens of thousands and the wisdom to rule over hundreds of thousands, but if you become intoxicated with that power, I will end up wielding you.]
You would wield me?
[Do you desire power? If you offer a trivial sacrifice-]
Demonic Sword~nim, please control me!
[Huh?]
* * *
Pink-haired Min Hyo-chan clenched his fist and cheered.
Thats it! Exactly!
Wow.
Even Gu Yu-na, who normally had a stoic expression, showed a rare interest.
However, Kim Byul crossed her arms and tilted her head in confusion.
I did say to include school violence, but isnt this too dark? The descriptions are disturbingly detailed
Min Hyo-chan immediately countered.
Its a crucial part. Its the sweet potato part that makes the refreshing cider moment stand out later.
The writer was curious why suddenly there was talk of cider and sweet potatoes while discussing the novel but didnt dare to ask. (TL Note: If you are new to Korean novels then sweet potato () and cider () are Korean slangs where sweet potato means something frustrating and cider means the opposite i.e. something refreshing. If you want to know more google it as otherwise it would turn into a lengthy explanation. Also they are relatively new slangs that is why Moon In-seop doesnt know about them but didnt dare to ask about them too.)
It felt as if all energy had drained from his body.
His fingertips began to tremble slightly.
It wasnt a physical issue, but a mental one.
Good heavens
Even now, in the monitor, a farce between the Dark Elf and the Demon Sword was unfolding.
-Please control me! Please live my life for me! Demon Sword~nim!
-Wh-Why are you doing this all of a sudden. Calm down. Treasure your body and soul more!
-With the power to cut down tens of thousands and the wisdom to rule over hundreds of thousands, Demon Sword~nim! Please control me! Anyone would live my life better than I do! Please! I beg you!
As a purveyor of pure literature, such a scene was utterly unacceptable, but,
The most painful thing was,
This scene was born from his own fingertips.
Good heavens.
What kind of terrible hybrid have I created
****
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Chapter 38
TL: KSD
Imperial Calendar, year 1415.
Seirennoia Plains.
A mountain of corpses, a sea of blood.
Bodies piled up like mountains, blood forming seas.
Atop the hill, shrouded in the sound of crows, sat a man, his sword plunged into the ground. It was a demon sword, swirling with an eerie aura.
Even the sky seemed to wail sorrowfully, the sunset as red as blood, and the man, whose eyes mirrored the crimson sun, looked up at the sky with a somber face.
From beneath him, someone let out their last breath. He squeezed out a voice mixed with the sound of grinding metal.
Demon sword!
A nameless soldier with bloodshot eyes was looking up at the man. The man looked down at the nameless soldier with an emotionless gaze.
Originally, the nameless soldier was just one of the many who were effortlessly swept away by the man, not even daring to meet his eyes while alive.
But life and death are equal to all. Only at the moment of death did the nameless soldier manage to boldly speak to the man holding the demon sword.
With the last of his lifes energy, the nameless soldier sneered at the man with all his might.
Someday you too, will receive the retribution for the murders youve committed
You will gnaw on dirt at your fathers grave, and you will be powerless even in the face of the death of your loved one, you, the dark elf wielding the demon sword. Remember this well. The curse of those youve killed will eventually lead to your destruction
To this, the man holding the demon sword replied.
It has already happened.
But no response came back. The eyes of the nameless soldier had already become as murky as a corpses.
The man with the demon sword gazed into the eyes of the soldier who had already died.
He had seen such eyes before.
It was around the time when all this had begun.
A long,
Very long time ago.
It was a story that began in the northern snowfields
EP 3-Magic Sword~nim, please control me!
This isnt a web novel aaaaaah-!
Min Hyo-chan was engulfed in madness, as if he had seen something that shouldnt exist.
This cant be! Web novels cant be like this aaaaaah-!
Web novels.
A form of novel that started to become popular after the 2010s, serialized on websites and read via smartphones or computers.
They have their genre roots in the new martial arts novels that started to bloom in Korea, inheriting from the wuxia of the 20th-century Chinese novels, and the Japanese light novels that were popularized in Korea through the opening up to Japanese mass culture at the end of the 20th century.
However, if we consider it from the business model perspective, the direct ancestor of web novels is the book rental shop market, an offline business that rents out simple comics and novels for light reading.
Thus, both in terms of genre and business model,
Web novels are a form of literature aimed at casual consumption-
In other words, snack culture.
So!
At the end of his lengthy proclamation, Min Hyo-chan declared firmly.
This isnt a web novel!
Hmm
This wasnt his first attempt at writing a web novel.
A web novel he had written back in the day still lingered in his mind.
He had casually shown it to the club members, but he hadnt expected to face such fierce criticism.
Not only Min Hyo-chan but Kim Byul and Gu Yu-na also expressed their reservations.
This is a bit suffocating right from the start?
Its a cut from the year 1415 of the imperial calendar
Writers are not usually of the amiable sort, and I am no exception.
Being criticized like this right from the beginning of the novel, I was starting to get irritated.
And how well do you guys think you know web novels to say that?
Gu Yu-na and Kim Byul subtly avoided my sharp gaze.
Even if I knew that Gu Yu-na is secretly writing Japanese otaku manga fanfics behind her dads back at this time.
But what about Kim Byul?
Kim sunbae, do you read web novels?
What?!
Kim Byul flinched, her shoulders shaking.
Caught red-handed.
Do you read them? Or not?
Well, a bit?
What do you read?
Why would you ask something like that?!
5-, 4-, 3-, 2-
Eventually, Kim Byul shouted, her face turning red.
Actor stuff novels! I sometimes read novels about becoming successful actors for vicarious satisfaction! Happy now?!
Such tastes
Although nobody had said anything, Kim Byul defended herself as if a thief who gets cold feet.
I havent read that much! It was just to kill time in the car while moving between shooting locations! Theres no way I, Kim Byul, would use web novels as an escape from reality! Im Kim Byul! An active actress! My life is more splendid than any web novel, so why would I
As everyone silently looked at her, Kim Byuls face became empty, as if she had lost something precious inside her heart.
Then, she quietly hugged Gu Yu-na like a comfort doll and slumped down on the sofa. Oh dear. She seemed completely devastated.
Thats when Min Hyo-chan stepped in. As if to demonstrate his point, he came out from the corner, performing a strange tap dance into the center of the clubroom, confidently stepping forward. Tap, tap!
The web novel expert, has arrived.
Min Min
Min Hyo-chan.
Do you know a lot about web novels, Min Hyo-chan sunbae?
Of course!
Min Hyo-chan began a lengthy introduction. Basically, he said he had been a web novel fanatic since he was young.
If you dont know much about web novels, I can help! In return, just appear on Rapid Boys YouTube once, please!
Are you saying youll help me with my novel?
Yes! Just collaborate with us once!
Then, the pure literary scholar sleeping inside me shouted.
-Dare! How dare some idol main rapper, whose name I can barely remember, try to teach literature to me!
However, Moon In-seop from New Light Spring Orphanage stepped forward to retort.
-Be quiet. Youre just trash. The honor and benefits youre enjoying now are all because you traveled back in time. Do you think this is all because youre great?
The inner pure literary scholar fell dramatically. He had collapsed before when money was tight, apparently a weakling. Maybe its because he wasnt eating well.
After a brief internal struggle, I declared.
Alright! Ill accept all advice. Given the situation, Id rather try something new than be trapped in the past. I need everyones help from our pop culture whatever club this is.
Gu Yu-na tilted her head.
Are you suggesting we publish a doujinshi?
Min Hyo-chan flinched.
Doujinshi!
I clicked my tongue and explained.
Not the adult stuff. I mean a literary doujinshi. A book made together by several people.
I, I didnt think anything weird
Kim Byul gave Min Hyo-chan a disgusted look before speaking.
Now that I think about it, I am the club president, and I was called by the club advisor the other day. Theres a club presentation in a month, and even though our club isnt much, we still need to produce something, they said? I should have told you earlier but I forgot.
This works out well then, Kim sunbae. Lets publish a magazine under the clubs name. Well have four co-authors
Is that really okay? Youre a star author.
The quality of the writing is more important than the name. This opportunity will be a good experience, to learn and gain more experience, which will be beneficial for us.
Kim Byul seemed pleased with my professionalism and nodded with a satisfied smile.
Okay! Lets do that!
As things progressed, Min Hyo-chan, as if he had been waiting for this moment, rushed in with his pink hair fluttering and started to write.
Academy! Academy! Academy!
Whats that supposed to mean?
Start with a school story! Dont start with the year 1415 and all that nonsense!
Thats a bit harsh. The year 1415 was the time of the Battle of Agincourt, a period where the Middle Ages and the Renaissance intersected, a battle symbolizing the end of chivalry. Its a necessary device to metaphorically represent the disappearance of old values in the story
Shut up!
Uh
Gu Yu-na, pretending to be uninterested, sneakily approached and adjusted the structure of the writing.
Starting with a framed narrative makes it too loose. Web novels, especially fantasy ones, should be an epic about one character, progressing step by step from their childhood. Dont you know that?
So, you think the rest is okay?
Yeah
Kim Byul also joined in the conversation, adding her insights. She was an expert in understanding the general tastes of the masses a true scholar of common sense.
A story where an ostracized protagonist encounters a special opportunity and succeeds. It never fails. How about setting the demon sword as a stroke of luck that comes to the protagonist?
But The original theme of this novel The Demon Sword is about the protagonists internal conflict as he gradually loses control over his life
Write a drama like that, and youll starve to death.
Once the conversation started, the advice kept flowing.
After all, middle schoolers tend to be fascinated by such extraordinary experiences.
The title is also strange. The Demon Sword? Is that a web novel title? Change it to a sentence form. Just change it! Dont ask why!
The sensitive hearing of a half-Dark Elf picked up the sounds of nature much more richly than humans could. The refreshment that came from these sounds was also doubled.
Sigh.
He couldnt remember when he last had such a break. At the academy, whether in the corridors, classrooms, or even the dorms where he should have been resting, nowhere was safe.
The irony that he felt more at ease in a forest, a combat training ground with monsters roaming, than in an academy equipped with unimaginable defensive magic, brought tears to Josefs eyes today as well.
But he couldnt just stop here. Despite the bullying, he had to survive each day. If his failures increased, he might be expelled.
With that resolve, Josef gathered his strength in his legs and roamed the forest.
Then, he heard the sounds of battle from afar.
Josef approached with quiet steps.
That bastard is using magic!
Hey, you coward!
If youre jealous, take a double major too!
Over ten students were fiercely fighting to snatch each others flags.
Ironically, Calen and Sergil, who had kicked Josef away, were also there.
As Josef pondered whether to join the fight, a sharp scream pierced the air.
Ahh-!
Aendeliven! Aendelivens cheek was deeply cut, bleeding profusely.
Josefs eyes flipped, and he charged into the battlefield.
Aendel-!
Josef shouted Aendelivens childhood nickname as he burst out of the bushes, swiftly knocking down two who had surrounded Aendeliven.
Though they were teammates gathered by Calen, he didnt have the mind to care about that.
He needed to set off a flare as quickly as possible to stop the exercise and treat Aendels injury.
Aendel, are you okay?
The moment Josef turned to look at the deeply cut Aendeliven, Aendeliven shattered like glass struck by a hammer.
It had been an illusion spell.
Ah.
The battle did not continue any further.
Calens team was flustered by the sudden appearance of an enemy, and Aendelivens team had to identify who the unexpected ally was.
And anyone could easily tell who had intruded into the battle just by looking at the dark skin.
Josef?
The moment Aendeliven, unharmed, called out Josefs name in confusion, Calen burst into laughter, having figured out the whole situation.
Hahaha! Hehe. Hahahaha!
Whats going on? Why are you laughing?
That kkamdungi! He jumped out to protect Aendeliven! Betraying his own team in the process!
Calen jeered at Josef with a snicker.
Hey! Youre a real knight, Josef! Jumping in to betray your comrades for a lady? But what now? The one you tried to protect was just an illusion!
As everyone grasped the situation, they erupted into laughter like Calen, and Aendelivens face flushed with an indescribable mix of shame.
Ah, a-ah, Josef, that was
Princess Aendeliven! Wont you thank your dark knight?
Amidst the pouring mockery, Josef, trembling as if he had committed a crime, eventually ran away from there.
* * *
After running for a while, Josef suddenly stopped, wondering what the point of it all was.
Nearby, there was a lakeside, so Joseph washed his sweaty face and hair in the water.
After washing up, the stilled lake surface reflected Josefs face like a mirror, and for the first time in a long while, he truly looked at himself.
Black skin and white hair. And a feminine face resembling his mothers. His body was twisted and malnourished from not eating properly since childhood.
Worse than that were his eyes and expression, devoid of any self-esteem or courage.
Truly, it was a day when he hated himself.
That feeling turned into tears, dropping into the lake.
A single tear from a half-Dark Elf created ripples on the lakes surface.
That was the moment.
[Why do you weep?]
Josefs reflection in the lake spoke to him.
Hyaek!
Josef let out a strange scream, but the lakes Josef opened his mouth with a calm smile.
[Well, why you cry isnt whats important. What matters is that youre already crying.]
Who, who are you?
[Curious about who I am? Do you not want to cry helplessly anymore? Do you wish for the strength to prevent it?]
If Josef had attended basic summoning magic lectures in the magic department, he would have known never to casually converse with a being from another dimension.
But as the lakes face poured out curious questions, Josef unwittingly nodded.
Yes.
[Good.]
The contract was established.
The Dark Elf reflected in the lake reached out towards reality. A being from another dimension interfered with reality.
What is this!
Thud, a black hand grabbed Josefs hair and pulled him into the lake.
Hyaek!
With a strange scream, Josef fell into the lake.
However, the place Josef headed was not the lakes bottom but beyond dimensions.
* * *
Ugh, ugh.
An unfamiliar ceiling. Upon regaining consciousness, Josef found himself lying on a hard stone floor.
Strange. He was sure he was by the lakeside in the forest just before.
Ack!
He remembered. His own reflection reaching out to grab his hair was the second most terrifying experience of his life.
He was even dragged into the water!
But where was this place? It certainly didnt look like the bottom of a lake.
H-h-holy mother.
Getting up, Josef trembled as he drew his sword to scan the surroundings.
The place looked like an ancient temple.
Statues not described in the holy scriptures lined up, and on the walls, figures holding dark-red swords were depicted slaughtering numerous people.
In the center of the temple, there was a stone altar, and stuck in it was a black sword engraved with red runes along its blade.
Josef knew what this object was.
Many legends sang of its bloodied history.
The Demonic Sword!
The moment he looked at the sword emitting a fiery red magical aura, a strange voice was heard.
[Come to me.]
Eek!
[Draw me.]
Who, who are you?
The Demon Sword sealed in the rift between dimensions whispered.
[I am power and truth. If you possess me, you will have the strength to cut down tens of thousands and the wisdom to rule over hundreds of thousands, but if you become intoxicated with that power, I will end up wielding you.]
You would wield me?
[Do you desire power? If you offer a trivial sacrifice-]
Demonic Sword~nim, please control me!
[Huh?]
* * *
Pink-haired Min Hyo-chan clenched his fist and cheered.
Thats it! Exactly!
Wow.
Even Gu Yu-na, who normally had a stoic expression, showed a rare interest.
However, Kim Byul crossed her arms and tilted her head in confusion.
I did say to include school violence, but isnt this too dark? The descriptions are disturbingly detailed
Min Hyo-chan immediately countered.
Its a crucial part. Its the sweet potato part that makes the refreshing cider moment stand out later.
The writer was curious why suddenly there was talk of cider and sweet potatoes while discussing the novel but didnt dare to ask. (TL Note: If you are new to Korean novels then sweet potato () and cider () are Korean slangs where sweet potato means something frustrating and cider means the opposite i.e. something refreshing. If you want to know more google it as otherwise it would turn into a lengthy explanation. Also they are relatively new slangs that is why Moon In-seop doesnt know about them but didnt dare to ask about them too.)
It felt as if all energy had drained from his body.
His fingertips began to tremble slightly.
It wasnt a physical issue, but a mental one.
Good heavens
Even now, in the monitor, a farce between the Dark Elf and the Demon Sword was unfolding.
-Please control me! Please live my life for me! Demon Sword~nim!
-Wh-Why are you doing this all of a sudden. Calm down. Treasure your body and soul more!
-With the power to cut down tens of thousands and the wisdom to rule over hundreds of thousands, Demon Sword~nim! Please control me! Anyone would live my life better than I do! Please! I beg you!
As a purveyor of pure literature, such a scene was utterly unacceptable, but,
The most painful thing was,
This scene was born from his own fingertips.
Good heavens.
What kind of terrible hybrid have I created
****
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Chapter 38TL: KSDImperial Calendar, year 1415.Seirennoia Plains.A mountain of corpses, a sea of blood.Bodies piled up like mountains, blood forming seas.Atop the hill, shrouded in the sound of crows, sat a man, his sword plunged into the ground. It was a demon sword, swirling with an eerie aura.Even the sky seemed to wail sorrowfully, the sunset as red as blood, and the man, whose eyes mirrored the crimson sun, looked up at the sky with a somber face.From beneath him, someone let out their last breath. He squeezed out a voice mixed with the sound of grinding metal.Demon sword!A nameless soldier with bloodshot eyes was looking up at the man. The man looked down at the nameless soldier with an emotionless gaze.Originally, the nameless soldier was just one of the many who were effortlessly swept away by the man, not even daring to meet his eyes while alive.But life and death are equal to all. Only at the moment of death did the nameless soldier manage to boldly speak to the man holding the demon sword.With the last of his lifes energy, the nameless soldier sneered at the man with all his might.Someday you too, will receive the retribution for the murders youve committedYou will gnaw on dirt at your fathers grave, and you will be powerless even in the face of the death of your loved one, you, the dark elf wielding the demon sword. Remember this well. The curse of those youve killed will eventually lead to your destructionTo this, the man holding the demon sword replied.It has already happened.But no response came back. The eyes of the nameless soldier had already become as murky as a corpses.The man with the demon sword gazed into the eyes of the soldier who had already died.He had seen such eyes before.It was around the time when all this had begun.A long,Very long time ago.It was a story that began in the northern snowfieldsEP 3-Magic Sword~nim, please control me!This isnt a web novel aaaaaah-!Min Hyo-chan was engulfed in madness, as if he had seen something that shouldnt exist.This cant be! Web novels cant be like this aaaaaah-!Web novels.A form of novel that started to become popular after the 2010s, serialized on websites and read via smartphones or computers.They have their genre roots in the new martial arts novels that started to bloom in Korea, inheriting from the wuxia of the 20th-century Chinese novels, and the Japanese light novels that were popularized in Korea through the opening up to Japanese mass culture at the end of the 20th century.However, if we consider it from the business model perspective, the direct ancestor of web novels is the book rental shop market, an offline business that rents out simple comics and novels for light reading.Thus, both in terms of genre and business model,Web novels are a form of literature aimed at casual consumption-In other words, snack culture.So!At the end of his lengthy proclamation, Min Hyo-chan declared firmly.This isnt a web novel!HmmThis wasnt his first attempt at writing a web novel.A web novel he had written back in the day still lingered in his mind.He had casually shown it to the club members, but he hadnt expected to face such fierce criticism.Not only Min Hyo-chan but Kim Byul and Gu Yu-na also expressed their reservations.This is a bit suffocating right from the start?Its a cut from the year 1415 of the imperial calendarWriters are not usually of the amiable sort, and I am no exception.Being criticized like this right from the beginning of the novel, I was starting to get irritated.And how well do you guys think you know web novels to say that?Gu Yu-na and Kim Byul subtly avoided my sharp gaze.Even if I knew that Gu Yu-na is secretly writing Japanese otaku manga fanfics behind her dads back at this time.But what about Kim Byul?Kim sunbae, do you read web novels?What?!Kim Byul flinched, her shoulders shaking.Caught red-handed.Do you read them? Or not?Well, a bit?What do you read?Why would you ask something like that?!5-, 4-, 3-, 2-Eventually, Kim Byul shouted, her face turning red.Actor stuff novels! I sometimes read novels about becoming successful actors for vicarious satisfaction! Happy now?!Such tastesAlthough nobody had said anything, Kim Byul defended herself as if a thief who gets cold feet.I havent read that much! It was just to kill time in the car while moving between shooting locations! Theres no way I, Kim Byul, would use web novels as an escape from reality! Im Kim Byul! An active actress! My life is more splendid than any web novel, so why would IAs everyone silently looked at her, Kim Byuls face became empty, as if she had lost something precious inside her heart.Then, she quietly hugged Gu Yu-na like a comfort doll and slumped down on the sofa. Oh dear. She seemed completely devastated.Thats when Min Hyo-chan stepped in. As if to demonstrate his point, he came out from the corner, performing a strange tap dance into the center of the clubroom, confidently stepping forward. Tap, tap!The web novel expert, has arrived.Min MinMin Hyo-chan.Do you know a lot about web novels, Min Hyo-chan sunbae?Of course!Min Hyo-chan began a lengthy introduction. Basically, he said he had been a web novel fanatic since he was young.If you dont know much about web novels, I can help! In return, just appear on Rapid Boys YouTube once, please!Are you saying youll help me with my novel?Yes! Just collaborate with us once!Then, the pure literary scholar sleeping inside me shouted.-Dare! How dare some idol main rapper, whose name I can barely remember, try to teach literature to me!However, Moon In-seop from New Light Spring Orphanage stepped forward to retort.-Be quiet. Youre just trash. The honor and benefits youre enjoying now are all because you traveled back in time. Do you think this is all because youre great?The inner pure literary scholar fell dramatically. He had collapsed before when money was tight, apparently a weakling. Maybe its because he wasnt eating well.After a brief internal struggle, I declared.Alright! Ill accept all advice. Given the situation, Id rather try something new than be trapped in the past. I need everyones help from our pop culture whatever club this is.Gu Yu-na tilted her head.Are you suggesting we publish a doujinshi?Min Hyo-chan flinched.Doujinshi!I clicked my tongue and explained.Not the adult stuff. I mean a literary doujinshi. A book made together by several people.I, I didnt think anything weirdKim Byul gave Min Hyo-chan a disgusted look before speaking.Now that I think about it, I am the club president, and I was called by the club advisor the other day. Theres a club presentation in a month, and even though our club isnt much, we still need to produce something, they said? I should have told you earlier but I forgot.This works out well then, Kim sunbae. Lets publish a magazine under the clubs name. Well have four co-authorsIs that really okay? Youre a star author.The quality of the writing is more important than the name. This opportunity will be a good experience, to learn and gain more experience, which will be beneficial for us.Kim Byul seemed pleased with my professionalism and nodded with a satisfied smile.Okay! Lets do that!As things progressed, Min Hyo-chan, as if he had been waiting for this moment, rushed in with his pink hair fluttering and started to write.Academy! Academy! Academy!Whats that supposed to mean?Start with a school story! Dont start with the year 1415 and all that nonsense!Thats a bit harsh. The year 1415 was the time of the Battle of Agincourt, a period where the Middle Ages and the Renaissance intersected, a battle symbolizing the end of chivalry. Its a necessary device to metaphorically represent the disappearance of old values in the storyShut up!UhGu Yu-na, pretending to be uninterested, sneakily approached and adjusted the structure of the writing.Starting with a framed narrative makes it too loose. Web novels, especially fantasy ones, should be an epic about one character, progressing step by step from their childhood. Dont you know that?So, you think the rest is okay?YeahKim Byul also joined in the conversation, adding her insights. She was an expert in understanding the general tastes of the masses a true scholar of common sense.A story where an ostracized protagonist encounters a special opportunity and succeeds. It never fails. How about setting the demon sword as a stroke of luck that comes to the protagonist?But The original theme of this novel The Demon Sword is about the protagonists internal conflict as he gradually loses control over his lifeWrite a drama like that, and youll starve to death.Once the conversation started, the advice kept flowing.After all, middle schoolers tend to be fascinated by such extraordinary experiences.The title is also strange. The Demon Sword? Is that a web novel title? Change it to a sentence form. Just change it! Dont ask why!The sensitive hearing of a half-Dark Elf picked up the sounds of nature much more richly than humans could. The refreshment that came from these sounds was also doubled.Sigh.He couldnt remember when he last had such a break. At the academy, whether in the corridors, classrooms, or even the dorms where he should have been resting, nowhere was safe.The irony that he felt more at ease in a forest, a combat training ground with monsters roaming, than in an academy equipped with unimaginable defensive magic, brought tears to Josefs eyes today as well.But he couldnt just stop here. Despite the bullying, he had to survive each day. If his failures increased, he might be expelled.With that resolve, Josef gathered his strength in his legs and roamed the forest.Then, he heard the sounds of battle from afar.Josef approached with quiet steps.That bastard is using magic!Hey, you coward!If youre jealous, take a double major too!Over ten students were fiercely fighting to snatch each others flags.Ironically, Calen and Sergil, who had kicked Josef away, were also there.As Josef pondered whether to join the fight, a sharp scream pierced the air.Ahh-!Aendeliven! Aendelivens cheek was deeply cut, bleeding profusely.Josefs eyes flipped, and he charged into the battlefield.Aendel-!Josef shouted Aendelivens childhood nickname as he burst out of the bushes, swiftly knocking down two who had surrounded Aendeliven.Though they were teammates gathered by Calen, he didnt have the mind to care about that.He needed to set off a flare as quickly as possible to stop the exercise and treat Aendels injury.Aendel, are you okay?The moment Josef turned to look at the deeply cut Aendeliven, Aendeliven shattered like glass struck by a hammer.It had been an illusion spell.Ah.The battle did not continue any further.Calens team was flustered by the sudden appearance of an enemy, and Aendelivens team had to identify who the unexpected ally was.And anyone could easily tell who had intruded into the battle just by looking at the dark skin.Josef?The moment Aendeliven, unharmed, called out Josefs name in confusion, Calen burst into laughter, having figured out the whole situation.Hahaha! Hehe. Hahahaha!Whats going on? Why are you laughing?That kkamdungi! He jumped out to protect Aendeliven! Betraying his own team in the process!Calen jeered at Josef with a snicker.Hey! Youre a real knight, Josef! Jumping in to betray your comrades for a lady? But what now? The one you tried to protect was just an illusion!As everyone grasped the situation, they erupted into laughter like Calen, and Aendelivens face flushed with an indescribable mix of shame.Ah, a-ah, Josef, that wasPrincess Aendeliven! Wont you thank your dark knight?Amidst the pouring mockery, Josef, trembling as if he had committed a crime, eventually ran away from there.* * *After running for a while, Josef suddenly stopped, wondering what the point of it all was.Nearby, there was a lakeside, so Joseph washed his sweaty face and hair in the water.After washing up, the stilled lake surface reflected Josefs face like a mirror, and for the first time in a long while, he truly looked at himself.Black skin and white hair. And a feminine face resembling his mothers. His body was twisted and malnourished from not eating properly since childhood.Worse than that were his eyes and expression, devoid of any self-esteem or courage.Truly, it was a day when he hated himself.That feeling turned into tears, dropping into the lake.A single tear from a half-Dark Elf created ripples on the lakes surface.That was the moment.Why do you weep?Josefs reflection in the lake spoke to him.Hyaek!Josef let out a strange scream, but the lakes Josef opened his mouth with a calm smile.Well, why you cry isnt whats important. What matters is that youre already crying.Who, who are you?Curious about who I am? Do you not want to cry helplessly anymore? Do you wish for the strength to prevent it?If Josef had attended basic summoning magic lectures in the magic department, he would have known never to casually converse with a being from another dimension.But as the lakes face poured out curious questions, Josef unwittingly nodded.Yes.Good.The contract was established.The Dark Elf reflected in the lake reached out towards reality. A being from another dimension interfered with reality.What is this!Thud, a black hand grabbed Josefs hair and pulled him into the lake.Hyaek!With a strange scream, Josef fell into the lake.However, the place Josef headed was not the lakes bottom but beyond dimensions.* * *Ugh, ugh.An unfamiliar ceiling. Upon regaining consciousness, Josef found himself lying on a hard stone floor.Strange. He was sure he was by the lakeside in the forest just before.Ack!He remembered. His own reflection reaching out to grab his hair was the second most terrifying experience of his life.He was even dragged into the water!But where was this place? It certainly didnt look like the bottom of a lake.H-h-holy mother.Getting up, Josef trembled as he drew his sword to scan the surroundings.The place looked like an ancient temple.Statues not described in the holy scriptures lined up, and on the walls, figures holding dark-red swords were depicted slaughtering numerous people.In the center of the temple, there was a stone altar, and stuck in it was a black sword engraved with red runes along its blade.Josef knew what this object was.Many legends sang of its bloodied history.The Demonic Sword!The moment he looked at the sword emitting a fiery red magical aura, a strange voice was heard.Come to me.Eek!Draw me.Who, who are you?The Demon Sword sealed in the rift between dimensions whispered.I am power and truth. If you possess me, you will have the strength to cut down tens of thousands and the wisdom to rule over hundreds of thousands, but if you become intoxicated with that power, I will end up wielding you.You would wield me?Do you desire power? If you offer a trivial sacrifice-Demonic Sword~nim, please control me!Huh?* * *Pink-haired Min Hyo-chan clenched his fist and cheered.Thats it! Exactly!Wow.Even Gu Yu-na, who normally had a stoic expression, showed a rare interest.However, Kim Byul crossed her arms and tilted her head in confusion.I did say to include school violence, but isnt this too dark? The descriptions are disturbingly detailedMin Hyo-chan immediately countered.Its a crucial part. Its the sweet potato part that makes the refreshing cider moment stand out later.The writer was curious why suddenly there was talk of cider and sweet potatoes while discussing the novel but didnt dare to ask. TL Note: If you are new to Korean novels then sweet potato and cider are Korean slangs where sweet potato means something frustrating and cider means the opposite i.e. something refreshing. If you want to know more google it as otherwise it would turn into a lengthy explanation. Also they are relatively new slangs that is why Moon In-seop doesnt know about them but didnt dare to ask about them too.It felt as if all energy had drained from his body.His fingertips began to tremble slightly.It wasnt a physical issue, but a mental one.Good heavensEven now, in the monitor, a farce between the Dark Elf and the Demon Sword was unfolding.-Please control me! Please live my life for me! Demon Sword~nim!-Wh-Why are you doing this all of a sudden. Calm down. Treasure your body and soul more!-With the power to cut down tens of thousands and the wisdom to rule over hundreds of thousands, Demon Sword~nim! Please control me! Anyone would live my life better than I do! Please! I beg you!As a purveyor of pure literature, such a scene was utterly unacceptable, but,The most painful thing was,This scene was born from his own fingertips.Good heavens.What kind of terrible hybrid have I created****Join our Discord to receive chapter announcements or to report mistakes: https://discord.gg/GGKyZWDuZM
