Reincarnated User Manual

Indeed, it wasn’t easy for the two children to traverse the forest. Especially a deep forest where even the moonlight could barely penetrate through the thick branches above it.

Due to the lack of light, the visible distance was clearly limited. Since it wasn’t a path frequented by people, their feet kept sinking deep into the snow.

‘I can see why she’d be tired…’

Even in these dire circumstances, the young boy who stood at the front had swung his sword repeatedly, piling up the carcasses of Frost Wolves — creatures that would ordinarily require an adult to be in top form just to fend off.

Lucia looked at Shiron in admiration.

A Frost Wolf wasn’t particularly a powerful beast.

They didn’t regenerate, and there was no specific condition to kill them. One just needed to stop their breathing, much like slaughtering a beast. Even a farmer who hasn’t learned swordsmanship could manage if they put in all their effort.

However, that was under ideal conditions.

One should be in broad daylight and should also counteract the creatures’ habit of moving in packs. Lucia couldn’t take her eyes off Shiron.

‘Is he really just ten?’

The reason for her thoughts was clear.

Firstly, his combat skills were too proficient.

Even if Shiron was the child of a great martial artist, he was still young. He had short arms, and his line of sight was low.

The disadvantage of having a short reach didn’t need much consideration. Even a child could understand how fatal it could be in a life-or-death situation.

Having a low line of sight was also the same.

The surrounding darkness that limited one’s view posed a lot of risks. The limited time to identify and respond to threats could be fatal if one lets their guard down, even for a moment.

Although Shiron was splattered with blood, he was not injured.

‘It’s unbelievable. His sword swing and defensive techniques seem like those of a novice, but his timing is like…’

Even now.

As Shiron was confirming a kill, another wolf charged at him.

Hadn’t it seen how its kin had been slaughtered before? If anything, the limited visibility seemed to hinder the Frost Wolves more.

Shiron effortlessly dodged the creature’s gaping mouth.

That was no exaggeration.

The snow limited movement and wasn’t an ideal place to dodge attacks. To evade a beast charging head-on, one must have the energy to do so.

Shiron never panicked when dodging. He’d just take a step or two or sometimes just bow his head or lie down.

Moreover, his actions were always half a beat faster.

It was as if he knew every move his opponents would make.

The beasts that failed their attacks were inevitably doomed.

Since they couldn’t change the direction of their heads in mid-air, with just a slight turn of his foot, Shiron had the enemy in his grip.

His blood and flesh-stained sword struck the back of the creature’s head, breaking it. The creature’s body limply fell to the ground.

“How many are left?”

“…That was the last one.”

After the battle, they spoke in a calm tone. Lucia, knowing the question was directed at her, replied easily.

“Then, let’s rest a bit.”

Shiron sat down on the carcass he had just brought down. He then rotated his shoulders, releasing the tension that had built up in them. His arms felt sore after swinging for such a long time.

‘I wish they’d stop coming out. Why are they attacking until they’re all defeated?’

Shiron sighed, looking exasperated.

The heat from the intense activity radiated from his body. The notion that he would be killed if he didn’t kill made his palms cold.

Taking a deep breath, Shiron took a sip of the lemonade he had brought along.

The refreshing sensation swept away the fatigue built up from continuous combat.

‘Anyway.’

After the narrow escape, Shiron checked the condition of his weapon.

The longsword, which he had hastily picked up from the weapon storage, was now covered in the beast’s blood and flesh.

It felt strangely realistic in such a place.

‘I knew it, halfway through, the sword wasn’t listening to me.’

Shiron rubbed the sword in the snow, trying to scrape off blood and flesh.

But, contrary to what he thought, it didn’t clean easily. Maybe because the excitement of battle hadn’t fully subsided yet, he felt an unnecessary rush.

“Damn it.”

‘Why isn’t this cleaning?’

“You’re not doing it right. Give it to me.”

Lucia dragged a wolf corpse, sat opposite Shiron, and stretched out her hand.

“So, how should it be done?”

Shiron handed the dirty sword to Lucia. As Lucia took the sword, she chuckled softly.

He acted like a professional hunter who had been on the field for decades, but he didn’t know this minor thing? Discovering Shiron’s childlike side, Lucia felt unexpectedly pleased.

“The Frost Wolf isn’t called ‘frost’ for show.”

Lucia held the blade up to the moonlight, checking for any damage.

“Unlike other beasts, their breath is cold as ice. When you fight them, sticking a sword into their bodies and mouths can have cumbersome results. Luckily, there are no missing teeth.”

Having said that, Lucia held the sword upside down.

“!”

What happened next made Shiron’s eyes widen.

Something that could only be described as light burst from the tip of the blade, moving swiftly and wiping across the blade.

The filth that was frozen and stuck to the blade made a cracking noise and then thudded onto the ground.

“…What was that just now?”

Shiron leaned forward, filled with excitement. Her curiosity was piqued by the supernatural phenomenon.

“I usually don’t show this to anyone.”

Maybe it was because she saw Shiron’s genuine surprise and interest? One corner of Lucia’s mouth curled slightly.

‘Hehe, he wouldn’t have known.’

Lucia savored Shiron’s reaction.

“You’re probably the first one to see this up close.”

Finally, Lucia felt she had an informational advantage over Shiron. She felt proud, her heart fluttering.

“Well, this is…”

“Ah, could it be Sword Qi?”

“… You knew?”

However, things didn’t go as Lucia had hoped.

Perhaps it was because she missed the opportunity to explain something to Shiron. Lucia immediately showed an expression of regret.

“Yes, right, it’s Sword Qi.”

“But it seems different from what I know?”

Certainly, the Sword Qi depicted in the game was something simpler, like a buff.

The weapon would emit a flashy effect for a certain period, increasing the basic attack and critical hit rate.

However, the Sword Qi that Lucia just demonstrated was far from what Shiron had seen in the game.

Instead of simple light streaks which increased range, the burst of lights that scrubbed the blade was entirely new.

“What I knew enveloped the blade entirely. The blade seemed to be filled with a strange energy.”

“Of course. Probably only I can do this. Not everyone can control Qi so finely.”

Lucia puffed up her chest proudly, but the words from Shiron’s mouth weren’t pure admiration.

“A nine-year-old child emitting Qi from a sword…”

“…Ah.”

“It said in the books that it requires considerable talent and years of training.”

“… That’s… So…”

Lucia felt trapped.

She had gotten too carried away.

Regardless of being a prodigy, it was impossible for a nine-year-old to harness Qi. Her unnecessary show led to potential suspicion. Lucia bit her lip.

“You’re a genius.”

Contrary to her worries, there was pure admiration in Shiron’s eyes.

“…Yeah, I think so too.”

Lucia smirked again, her heart fluttering with pride. However, to not appear too pleased, she cleared her throat.

“Ahem. Anyway, I inserted the Sword Qi between the blade and the filth to shake it off.”

“Hmm. I see. That’s really amazing.”

Shiron looked at Lucia with amused eyes.

---

“But, aren’t you going to tell us where we’re headed?”

Lucia finally mustered the courage to ask. She had been itching to ask about their destination, but she couldn’t dare disturb Shiron, who was fiercely swinging his longsword in battle.

“Well…”

However, Shiron’s response, accompanied by a white breath in the cold air, wasn’t what Lucia had hoped for. ‘Well’? Did that mean even he didn’t know where they were headed?

“Don’t tell me, you… got lost?”

“No way.”

Shiron briefly responded and looked up at the night sky again. After every intense sword fight, he needed to recalibrate his sense of direction. But Lucia found his behavior puzzling.

Shiron would often gaze at the sky after a battle. Lucia, not understanding the purpose of this action, grew increasingly curious. For someone like her with an innate sense of direction, looking at stars to determine one’s location seemed unnecessary.

Then, after a moment, Shiron spoke.

“… Would you believe me if I said we’re treasure hunting?”

“Treasure hunting?”

“Yes.”

Treasure hunting. Quite a direct answer. It sounded like something a child would come up with, but this journey was far from child’s play.

Games always instill a sense of purpose in players.

Be it combat, gathering, or even achieving accomplishments – weren’t players awarded with grand sound effects and impressive badges?

It was the same in Reincarnation of the Sword Saint.

To clear the Dawn Castle, a dungeon in the game’s latter part, the developers placed various elements players might find beneficial to encounter.

For instance, the treasure hunting that Shiron mentioned to Lucia was one such element. It might be unnecessary for seasoned players, but these elements were created for those less adept or those who enjoyed boosting their achievement rates.

A classic example would be the achievement for clearing the game using the Shiron Prient – a trashy tactic.

“We’re almost there.”

Shiron touched the necklace around his neck, quickening his pace.

It had been a while since any monsters attacked them.

This meant they were entering the safety zone surrounding their destination.

After walking for a bit, a familiar, almost tedious, landscape unfolded before them.

There, they saw an entrance to a cave adorned with lavish decorations. It was the bonus stage located north of the Dawn Castle.

…

Indeed, it was just as he had seen in the game.

Except for a few things.

…

Shiron looked down at a body caught under his feet. A face, frozen in a scream, was half-buried in the snow. Slowly, he lifted his head.

The unusual lighting made this place, which he had visited numerous times in the game, seem unfamiliar.