The last fragments of the Sword Servant crumbled into dust.
Kelvin lowered his blade slowly, chest rising and falling as the echoes of battle faded from the cavern. The crimson runes left behind by the fallen creature pulsed faintly across the stone floor, glowing like dying embers.
Silvia stared at them, uneasy.
"Kelvin… those markings… they weren't there before."
"I know," he said quietly. His sword was still humming, a faint crimson shimmer crawling along its edge as if responding to something unseen.
A low rumble rolled through the depths of the cavern.
Not from collapsing rock—
but from something waking up.
The glowing runes suddenly flared.
Cracks spread across the cavern floor, and a wave of suffocating pressure poured out from the darkness beyond the sealed inner chamber.
Silvia stumbled back, her breath catching.
"Th-this aura… it's nothing like the one we fought…"
Kelvin tightened his grip on his sword.
From within the shattered seal, a towering figure began to emerge—its jagged armor drenched in black-crimson energy, a massive blade dragging against the stone.
A single slit eye opened, burning with ancient malice.
The Cursed-Supreme Swordfiend had awakened.
Shockwaves thundered through the battlefield as Kelvin's sword clashed again and again with the Cursed-Supreme Swordfiend. Each strike rattled the ground, sending loose stones skittering away. The monster's massive, slit eye glowed with a cruel light.
"Human…" the fiend's voice rumbled like distant thunder, "…you're surprisingly skilled for someone who hasn't even reached the Basic Tier. But this is where you fall!"
With a roar, the Swordfiend raised its massive, jagged blade and unleashed a sweeping slash so fast it split the air with a shrill whistle.
Kelvin's instincts screamed. He twisted sideways at the last second, feeling the wind of the attack tear past him. A shallow cut bloomed across his shoulder, warm blood dripping down his arm.
"Woah… that was too close," he muttered, wincing but forcing a smirk. His grip on his sword tightened. "Guess I have no choice but to use it."
The monster tilted its head, a flicker of confusion flashing across its single eye. Then it noticed it—the subtle rise in Kelvin's aura. The faint blue glow surrounding his blade slowly shifted to a burning crimson.
Kelvin gritted his teeth as a wave of heat surged through his veins. His muscles trembled, not from fear, but from the strain of drawing out power he hadn't yet mastered.
"Arrrghhh!" His roar shook the dust around them as a blood-red aura erupted from his sword.
The Swordfiend's eye widened. "A… a blade aura? Impossible! Only Basic Tier Rank Five cultivators can withstand that without instant obliteration!"
Its voice cracked as an ancient memory stirred. Somewhere deep in its monstrous mind, a protocol—implanted long ago by the Dahooms—flared like a warning beacon.
"No… no, it can't be…" the fiend stammered, its earlier arrogance replaced by raw fear. "Wh-who… who are you?"
Kelvin's eyes narrowed, his voice low and steady. "The one who's going to kill you."
In a flash, Kelvin lunged, the world blurring around him. He drew his sword in a single, fluid motion, channeling every shred of his aura into the strike.
"Thousand Flowing Blades!" he roared."Crimson fang storm"
The air split into a cascade of crimson arcs, each one slamming into the Swordfiend's body. The final slash cleaved straight through its abdomen, the shockwave scattering dust and fragments of stone.
The monster staggered, dropping its sword with a heavy thud. "H-how…" it gasped.
" I will be watching you for now "it in audibly whispers as a puff of black smoke unknowingly enters his body resting I his soul.
Kelvin exhaled, lowering his sword. "For a second there… I thought it would summon its sword servants." He brushed sweat from his brow. "Glad I didn't have to deal with that."
Turning, he spotted Silvia frozen a few paces away, her eyes still wide from witnessing his transformation
As the Swordfiend's body collapsed, its chest split open — but instead of a glowing life seed, only a cracked, black-crimson core remained, pulsing weakly.
Kelvin frowned.
"This isn't… normal."
The moment he touched it—
BOOM.
The broken core shattered, dissolving into mist that was sucked straight into his chest.
"AARRGH!"
Kelvin dropped to one knee as scorching energy tore through his meridians. The Edge of Ruin on his blade flared, violently refining the corrupted power.
Inside him, a cold laugh echoed.
SWORD FIEND (faint)
Grow stronger… so I may grow with you…
Golden light erupted from Kelvin's skin, battling against crimson-black energy. His wounds closed. His muscles hardened. His bones rang like steel.
Silvia backed away, terrified.
"Kelvin… your body—!"
After several minutes, the storm finally settled.
Kelvin gasped, standing shakily.
"…I broke through."
Basic Tier — Rank One.
But deep inside his chest, something pulsed… watching.
The process was not simple. Hunters had strict rules when advancing ranks: the monster must be slain by the one seeking advancement, with no more than one ally assisting, and the ally's rank must not exceed the monster's by more than one level. The finishing blow had to be the hunter's alone, and they had to be within a three-meter radius when claiming the life seed.
Kelvin had fulfilled every condition.
"Kelvin, are you okay?" Silvia called as she hurried over.
"I've never been better, Sil."
She blinked. "Si… Sil?" The faint blush that touched her cheeks betrayed her surprise at the nickname.
Kelvin sheathed his sword and stepped past her. "Anyway, this is where we part ways. Goodbye, Silvia."
"Wa-wait!" she blurted, jogging to catch up. "I'm coming with you."
He turned, puzzled. "What? Why?"
"B-because someone has to keep an eye on you! Plus… we're heading in the same direction. I can even lead you to a nearby city." Her cheeks reddened further.
Kelvin chuckled. "Oh, really? That's great, then."
They fell into step together, talking as they walked. Kelvin learned she was already Basic Tier Rank Two, on the verge of advancing to Rank Three. In return, he shared a few vague hints about his own strange abilities—though he left out the parts he wasn't ready to explain.
The road ahead wound through thick forest. Birds scattered overhead as the pair's conversation shifted between personal histories and battle experiences.
After an hour, the trees thinned, revealing a vast clearing. At its center stood a towering, mysterious structure—ancient stone walls wrapped in moss, its gates guarded by snarling magic beasts.
Kelvin's eyes lit up. "Perfect. Now I can test my new strength."
Without hesitation, he stepped forward, hand already on his sword. Silvia sighed but followed, muttering, "Why do I feel like you're going to get us both into trouble…"
Kelvin only grinned. "Trouble? Nah… just a warm-up."
---
AN: Remember Kelvin is just officially in basic rank 1 and all the other beasts/monsters until now were pretty weak plus his unique physiec and secret skill he can muster up strength to fight toe-toe with intermidiate rank 1 monsters for about 20 minutes before collapsing for a few days