The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 8: A Second Chance (7)

Shwaa!

The sword wrapped in the Aura Blade swung through the air.

A long golden arc traced through space, but the most astonishing thing happened next.

Where the arc passed, space itself split open, revealing a void of pitch-black darkness.

This all converged upon the 10th-floor Monster Lord, the Drake.

And with that, everything was over.

Thud!

The Drake, now unable to breathe, collapsed to the ground.

Its body split in two, from head to tail.

‘It’s been a while,’ Martin thought, a smile creeping onto his lips.

It was the first time since his return that he had used his unique ability, yet it felt completely familiar.

The sensation was warmly welcomed.

“What… what was that?!”

At that moment, Sien’s sharp voice echoed through the Monster Lord’s chamber.

Martin turned around with a grin.

Sien stood there, trembling.

“Th-that… Could it be? Is it real? You’re not joking, are you?”

“Come on, why would I joke about something like this? I’ve manifested my unique ability.”

Splat.

Tears began to fall from Sien’s eyes.

Those of noble blood typically manifested their unique ability around the age of 10.

But Martin, despite being 18 and officially an adult, had not yet displayed any unique power.

Because of this, his standing had plummeted.

His illness had already caused him to be subtly disrespected among the nobles, but the absence of a unique ability led to outright contempt once he reached adulthood.

It didn’t matter to them that Martin possessed overwhelming talent in swordsmanship.

To the nobles, only unique abilities held any significance.

“… What’s your ability? What did you manifest?” Sien asked, her voice trembling.

“Of course, it’s *Spatial domination*. You saw it for yourself, Sien—how my sword split space.”

Slam.

Sien collapsed to the floor in disbelief.

Spatial domination.

The ability to manipulate space at will, the pinnacle of all spatial powers.

It was an ability that only the direct descendants of the Adalbert family could manifest.

This power was what had allowed them to reign supreme as one of the three great noble families.

“… When did you manifest it?”

“On the last day of my father’s funeral.”

His response was a mix of truth and lies.

The mana core in the head, where unique abilities reside, is closely tied to the soul.

Once a unique ability is acquired, it never disappears, as it becomes imprinted on the soul.

Martin knew this.

Thus, on the last day of his father’s funeral—right after his return to the past—he immediately checked whether he still had the mana core in his head.

It had shrunk to a nearly unnoticeable size. The rings had decreased from three to just one.

But the organ still existed, and that was what mattered.

“Hah…”

Slap!

Sien took a deep breath and slapped her own cheek, composing herself.

She then stood up and stared straight at Martin.

“Why didn’t you say anything during the ceremony? If you had revealed it then, you would have been recognized as the heir on the spot. You wouldn’t have been sent here under the pretense of training.”

“If I had revealed it then, I would have been named heir. But that wouldn’t have solved anything.”

The traitors had already made their ambitions clear.

Would they have abandoned their desires just because he had manifested his unique ability?

Martin was certain they wouldn’t.

He had already experienced this in the past.

“Besides, at the time, my mana core was too small. It was embarrassing to even mention it.”

“So when you heard you were being sent to the dungeon, you accepted it calmly because it gave you time to train your unique ability.”

“That’s right. I expected it would take some time, but something unexpected happened.”

“You mean the Fist King’s legacy?”

“Yeah.”

The Fist King’s energy had not only strengthened his body but also bolstered the mana core in his head.

He had successfully completed the first ring, reaching the first circle in his unique ability.

“Wait a minute. So you could have used your unique ability earlier? It’s been quite a while since you began training with Rothar Martial Arts.”

“I could have. But I wanted to wait for the right moment. That way, the impact would be greater, don’t you think?”

Grind.

Sien ground her teeth as Martin finished speaking. Her fists were clenched tightly.

“… How did it feel to keep me in suspense all this time? Did you enjoy it? You really relished messing with me, didn’t you?”

“N-no! Of course not! I’m really sorry! I just wanted to show off in the coolest way possible!”

Faced with her fierce aura, Martin hurriedly apologized.

Sien stared at him, opening and closing her fists repeatedly.

She really wanted to punch him, but this time, she decided to let it slide.

After all, today was a good day, regardless of everything else.

“When you return to the family, a lot of people are going to be shocked. No one expected this turn of events.”

“That’s exactly what I want. A rare case of someone manifesting their ability later in life. All eyes will be on me.”

“Now that you’ve awakened your unique ability, no one can deny that you’ll be the next head of the family.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Quite the performance, huh?”

“Thanks for the compliment, Sien.”

Martin smiled, but deep down, he gave a bitter laugh.

He hadn’t revealed the full truth to her.

‘I can’t tell her now.’

How could he possibly explain it?

That the unique ability he had manifested wasn’t Spatial domination, the one only the direct descendants of the Adalbert family could wield?

If this were after the events of his previous life, when everyone already knew, perhaps he could be more open. But for now, he had to keep his true unique ability, *Reality Distortion*, a secret.

Reality Distortion.

Unlike inherited abilities, those that manifest later in life are determined at random.

At the age of 20, after his swordsmanship core reached the fourth circle, Martin had accidentally awakened an ability unrelated to his family.

This ability, which no one in history had ever possessed, allowed him to twist and distort anything he touched.

‘It’s a highly advantageous ability.’

Reality Distortion was incredibly versatile and could be applied in various ways.

In that sense, it was similar to Spatial domination, often considered the most versatile ability.

But Reality Distortion had one distinct advantage: its overwhelming destructive power. Properly utilized, it was as formidable as any other ability, if not more so.

But that wasn’t all.

When combined with the Adalbert family’s bloodline, the ability to manipulate space became possible.

While it fell short of true Spatial domination, it was enough for him to pass as a spatial ability user.

“Now I’m at the same level as you, Sien. Five circles.”

“That’s right.”

Martin had reached the fourth circle in swordsmanship and the first circle in his unique ability.

Sien, on the other hand, was at the third circle in swordsmanship and the second in her unique ability.

Both of them were at five circles, placing them among the continent’s recognized elites.

“Well, to be honest, I feel like you’ll surpass me soon, Martin. You’ll probably develop your unique ability incredibly quickly.”

“I think so too. Once I surpass you, I’ll make sure to tease you thoroughly, so be ready.”

“I don’t mind. When that time comes, I’ll show you what a proper punch from the Igreet family feels like.”

“……Sorry. I overstepped my boundaries.”

“As long as you know. Anyway, let’s head back to the family estate. We don’t have to go exactly on time, right?”

“Ah, wait a minute. There’s one more thing I need to do.”

“Even after killing the Monster Lord and awakening your unique ability, there’s still something left?”

“Yeah. It won’t take long.”

Martin walked towards the corpse of the drake.

The distinct fishy smell of blood was nowhere to be found.

Instead, he felt an overwhelming sense of power.

Srrrk.

As he gazed at the drake’s blood, Martin removed his upper garment.

His bare upper body was exposed, revealing some muscles here and there, but overall, he was so gaunt that his bones were visibly protruding, as if he had been starved for years.

This was actually an improvement thanks to the breathing techniques of Rothar’s martial arts.

“Martin, you can’t be serious?!”

Sien’s expression sharpened.

She had realized what Martin was about to do.

“Stop immediately! Now that you’ve learned Rothar’s martial arts, there’s no need for you to undergo the dragon blood ritual!”

The corpses of dragonkin like drakes, sea serpents, and wyverns were known to contain immense power.

Humans and other races could absorb the power contained within these corpses, but the problem was that this process could be considered a curse.

While one gained strength, they had to endure equivalent suffering.

The agony was so horrific that it was nearly impossible for anyone with ordinary resilience to withstand it.

Every year, there were reports of people dying after attempting it.

Still, Martin desired the dragon blood ritual.

Its effect was to enhance the body.

To Martin, who suffered from the dragon’s curse, this was essential.

Of course, Martin understood Sien’s concerns.

“You’re right. Rothar’s breathing techniques are quickly improving my body.”

“And knowing that, you’re still going to risk your life? Sorry, but I won’t stand by and watch that happen! Even if I have to break your arms and legs, I will stop you.”

Whoosh!

Sien pointed her zweihander at him, ready to fight if it meant stopping Martin.

She knew the chances of winning were slim.

But at the very least, she could prevent him from completing the dragon blood ritual. All she had to do was destroy the corpse.

Kuoohhh!

A massive force surged around Sien as she steeled herself.

Martin, however, didn’t take any stance, simply watching her.

Flinch!

Despite this, Sien felt her body tremble involuntarily.

Martin’s eyes were glowing intensely. They were like flames blazing with ferocity.

“It’s good that I awakened my unique ability, but it’s not enough. The moment I return to the family, everything will be in chaos. The heads of the branch families or the elders may even stage a rebellion.”

“That’s just your assumption.”

“It is. But one thing is certain: no one knows what will happen. To handle everything perfectly, I need immense power.”

“……You could die if things go wrong.”

“No way. My body’s weak, but not weak enough to die from blood of this low purity.”

“You talk big. If not for the legacy of the Fist King, you wouldn’t be able to endure it.”

Sien retorted sharply.

Despite her words, she put her zweihander back into the subspace.

She had realized just how firm Martin’s resolve was.

No matter what she did, he wouldn’t bend his will.

Sien shook her head and said,

“Honestly, Martin, I feel like you’re shaving years off my life.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

“I didn’t understand anything. I just gave up.”

Binggeut.

Martin smiled as he watched Sien sigh.

He then moved to the place where the drake’s blood had pooled the most.

‘Dragon blood is fine to drink.’

But with drakes, that wasn’t an option.

Actually, it wasn’t for any subspecies either.

Even though they were all dragonkin, the blood of subspecies lacked purity. Drinking it would certainly result in death.

But that didn’t mean it was unusable.

Applying it to the body could still extract the power of the dragon blood.

Squelch.

Thus, Martin lay on the ground, leaning his back against it, letting the blood splash across his upper body.

Simultaneously, a pain as if his entire body was being torn apart consumed him.

* * *

A significant amount of time had passed since they defeated the Monster Lord, and Martin and Sien had successfully ascended to the first floor.

Yet, Martin didn’t let his guard down.

Before his regression, he knew the “gift” from Valdemar von Rustal, the head of the most treacherous of the branch families, awaited him.

“See? I told you. I said it wouldn’t be surprising if something happened.”

“……You really have to brag even in this situation?”

“Of course.”

Martin answered while keeping his eyes on the path ahead.

The complex terrain of the dungeon was all that was visible, with no sign of the goblins or kobolds that usually inhabited the first floor.

But Martin was certain that wasn’t all.

By using his perception ability to detect spatial vibrations, a result of his distortion power, he had already located the enemies.

‘As expected, this guy’s annoyingly thorough.’

In his previous life, he had been ambushed by assassins, so he had prepared for this from the start.

Though he had considered the possibility they wouldn’t attack this time.

After all, in his previous life, he returned to the family exactly on the 100th day.

But this time, he was back almost a month earlier, and yet, the assassins had still appeared.

Sigh. “I shouldn’t even bother talking to you.”

Sien shook her head at Martin’s words.

But it didn’t last long, as she too stared forward.

She mocked the assassins,

“These idiots really don’t get it. Do they seriously think they can hide from someone with spatial abilities?”

Pababat!

Before Sien had even finished her sentence, figures in red clothing and masks emerged.

‘Blood Sword Guild.’

Martin’s eyes sharpened.

This assassin group, centered around Varehein City, was notorious even within the Empire.

In his previous life, they had threatened his life multiple times.

Not just in the dungeon, but in various other places too.

‘This time, I’ll wipe them out for good.’

In his past life, after enduring several of their attacks, he had raided what he thought was their base.

But they had all escaped, and he had failed to completely uproot them.

This time, he swore he wouldn’t make the same mistake.

It was then.

Grip.

Sien gripped the handle of her zweihander tightly and stepped forward first.

As she continued to hurl insults,

“Trying to fight someone with spatial powers in such a complex environment? Are you insane? You might as well just kill yourselves and save us the trouble.”

“Oh, but we can’t kill all of them, Sien. Don’t forget we need to keep some alive.”

“I know. I’m curious to know which bastard sent them too.”

Sien moved forward with burning determination.

Her resolve to take them all down was so strong that Martin simply stayed back.

He smiled brightly and cheered,

“Good luck!”