Chapter 40 : Steel Mountain Range (8) Part 1

The moment I grasped the cursed sword ‘Twilight,’ a chill crawled up my palm.

The violet chill penetrated from my fingertips to the top of my head.

The violet glow flowing through the sword’s blade grew more vivid.

The magical energy, rising like black mist from the sword, engulfed my aura before spitting it out again.

“This is interesting.”

The automatons rushed toward me in unison.

‘Shall I test it out?’

I lightly swung the cursed sword.

The violet blade light cleaved through the air.

Whoosh—

In an instant, the automatons were split apart.

The once sturdy bronze armor ripped apart like paper.

“Wow… this is amazing.”

The cursed sword ‘Twilight’ pulsed in my grasp like a living being.

It felt like the destructive power of the cursed sword I had seen in the game was being replicated perfectly.

“This is impossible… How could the bronze armor… Impossible! It’s armor that couldn’t even be scratched by dragon claws! Enhanced by ancient dwarven magic…”

“Do you even know much about dragons? I’m a bit familiar with them.”

“S-s-s… Everyone, start the bombardment!”

The automatons simultaneously fired their magic cannons.

Whoosh—

With a single flash of the sword, the magic bullets shattered into pieces.

The violet streaks remained in the air before slowly dissipating.

“This is impossible! What the hell…!”

“Well, I’m a hero, you know.”

At my words, his face grew even paler.

The violet glow of ‘Twilight’ illuminated his face, tainted by fear.

The sensation transmitted through the hilt was sweet.

It was completely different from the holy sword, a sharp and chilling feeling.

Yet it also had a heavy weight that fit perfectly in my hand.

It felt like it had become a part of my body.

“This… this is the power of a cursed sword. I think I’m getting addicted.”

The darkness rising from the blade slowly drained my life force.

A cursed sword that takes one’s life in exchange for immense power.

For an ordinary person, swinging it a few times would put their life in danger.

‘But for me, with SSS-level durability, it’s no problem.’

A cursed sword that converts the user’s life force into powerful strength.

And a hero with nearly infinite life force.

‘Is there a more perfect combination than this?’

I raised the sword toward the bronze soldiers.

The violet magic flowed along the blade.

In that moment, Gardris’s face twisted in agony.

“Everyone, attack! Now!”

The automatons charged in unison.

Hundreds of bronze footsteps echoed on the ground.

Thud, thud, thud!

But I wasn’t afraid anymore.

In fact, I was enjoying it.

‘Finally… I’ve gained the power to fight back against them.’

A smile spread across my face.

For now, I would savor this moment.

The catharsis of sweeping away the enemies in one go.

I swung the sword in a circle.

The violet sword strike spread out in a circle.

Crack!

Like a domino effect, the bronze soldiers fell.

With a single strike, dozens of automatons collapsed.

“Stop it! Block it somehow!”

Gardris’s voice trembled.

His bronze crown rattled.

The remaining automatons rushed at me in unison.

Red light flickered in the chests of the mechanical soldiers.

The magic cores reached their critical point and…

“Self-destruct! Self-destruct! With the hero!”

“Hmm… isn’t that a bit too obvious for a last resort?”

Before my words were even finished, the automatons began exploding.

Bronze fragments poured down like rain.

Boom, boom, boom—!

The chain explosions engulfed the hall.

I de-summoned the cursed sword and summoned the holy sword.

The light of ‘Dawn’ instantly quelled the heat of the explosions.

Like a candle before the sun, helplessly.

Two swords.

Light and darkness.

They were both mine.

“Damn. It’s not over yet. I’ll show you the true power of the dwarves!”

With Gardris’s shout, the bronze fragments lifted into the air.

Like magnets pulling them together, the shattered gauntlets reformed, and the broken joints were reconstructed into a new form.

Thud!

A massive automaton, easily ten meters tall, was formed.

The bronze armor inscribed with runes gleamed.

“Ha ha ha! This is the true form of the bronze giant Talos! Tremble before the perfect fusion of machinery and magic!”

Gardris’s insane laughter echoed from the cockpit.

The giant automaton swung its fist.

Thud!

The ground shook.

But my steps didn’t falter.

“Still don’t understand?”

I asked nonchalantly.

The cursed sword ‘Twilight’ I summoned glowed an even deeper red.

“You’ve chosen the wrong game genre.”

“What, what did you say?”

“This world is naturally stronger the more ancient the technology.”

I lightly swung the cursed sword.

Whoosh!

The gray aura typical of a hero exploded outward.

And within it, violet sparks flashed.

The gray aura and black magic mixed together.

The two forces harmonized perfectly, releasing explosive energy.

“Next time, make it a bit more thoughtful. The clear time didn’t even take a minute, did it?”

Creak—!

The giant automaton split apart like paper.

The top part slid off, and blue flames flickered from the cross-section.

Boom—!

The giant automaton’s armor shattered into pieces.

The huge machine that had been moving with a loud noise collapsed helplessly.

“T-this can’t be…!”

Gardris was flung from the wreckage.

His dust-covered silver beard fluttered sadly in the air.

‘It’s over now.’

When I de-summoned the cursed sword, a black cross was engraved on the back of my left hand.

Perhaps a mark of the cursed sword.

It contrasted strangely with the white cross of the holy sword engraved on my right hand.

Like light and darkness.

“Yeah.”

The two symbols throbbed at the same time.

As if rejecting each other.

‘It’s probably just my imagination.’

I decided to let it go for now.

“Wa… wait, great hero!”

Gardris crawled on the floor and rushed toward my feet.

His dusty silver beard swept the ground.

“This is all a misunderstanding! I was just doing this for the city…”

That guy’s mouth, starting again.

“I will give you the exclusive mining rights to the Mithril mines. The blacksmith shop, the vault… No, even the entire city!”

The foolish villain’s typical line, always at the end.

“If it’s the hero, then with power and dwarven technology combined, conquering the world will not be a dream!”

Gardris’s voice became sweet.

A greasy smile spread beneath his silver beard.

“A new order that embraces both tradition and innovation… If the hero and I work together…”

“Shut up.”

I closed the distance and grabbed him by the collar.

Gardris’s eyes trembled with fear.

“Wait… wait! Even the legacy of Garuda… Ugh!”

My fist struck Gardris’s chin.

His shattered teeth scattered through the air.

“Well, everyone. Do as you please.”

I threw Gardris into the crowd.

Hundreds of hammers and wrenches were raised in unison.

“Let’s judge this traitor!”

“He will pay for betraying us!”

“In the name of the dwarves!”

Thud, thud, thud!

Screams echoed through the square.

The silver beard was stained red at the intersection of hammers and wrenches.

“Ha, Haru…”

Garuda approached and looked up at me.

In her hesitant voice, there was a sense of anticipation.

“Did I… did I help even a little?”

Her amber eyes shook uneasily through her long hair.

Once a timid dwarven girl, now she stood as a blacksmith.

“Did you help?”

I smiled faintly and patted her head.

Her soft brown hair flowed through my fingers.

“Who else but you could make such a masterpiece?”

“Th-thank you…”

Garuda’s face turned bright red.

She clutched her apron tightly, murmuring.

“I’m still not good enough… I think I can make something even better…”

“Already thinking about your next project?”