Chapter 11

 
Han Yuhyeon gripped the wooden sword lightly and raised both arms high above his head.

Then, with a sharp whoosh cutting through the air, the wooden blade struck the scarecrow with a loud thud.

Thwack!

A dull impact traveled through his wrist. His hand trembled slightly. It was a completely different weight from playing an instrument.

‘There’s no way I could do this in reality.’

For a musician whose hands were his lifeline, strenuous physical activity like this was practically forbidden.

This was a pleasure he could only experience here.

Once. Twice. Three times. A total of four strikes landed.

Ding!

[ Quest completed. ]

[ You have received the reward: ‘Basic Swordsmanship.’ ]

[ You have acquired the skill ‘Sword Mastery (F Rank).’ ]

Finally, Yuhyeon had completed the tutorial quest.

Beside him, Olsen, who had been watching intently, spoke in a low voice: “Good. You’ve finally finished the tutorial. Check your skills to confirm your Sword Mastery. It should be in there.”

Yuhyeon nodded.

Ding!

[ Sword Mastery (F Rank): Increases damage dealt with one-handed swords by 110%. Attack speed increases by 2%. ]

“Sword Mastery is a rank-up skill that levels up as you accumulate proficiency. It doesn’t require skill points to upgrade,” Olsen explained further.

“Additionally, the higher your mastery, the more damage all your attacks—including skills—will deal. I strongly recommend constant training. No matter how many skills you have, if your mastery is low, they’ll be nothing but flashy tricks with no substance.”

Yuhyeon nodded.

It was the same with playing an instrument.

‘There’s nothing more important than fundamentals.’

No matter how dazzling one’s technique, it was only natural for audiences to be drawn to a musician who simply produced better sound.

“Proficiency increases through training and actual combat. Fighting weaker enemies grants little progress, while stronger opponents give more. You’ll have to check the details yourself.”

Yuhyeon turned his gaze to the skill description.

[ Sword Mastery (F Rank): Current proficiency 0.00% ]

[ A precise strike increases proficiency by 0.5%. This may vary depending on skill rank. ]

When leveling up through combat:

• Defeating weaker monsters increases proficiency by 0.1%.
• Fighting monsters of a similar level grants 1–2%.
• Fighting stronger enemies grants up to 10%.

‘So technique really is key.’

If fighting weak monsters only gave a 0.1% increase, then it’s clear just how crucial proper form is compared to mere combat.

“Now, I’ll teach you the basics of swordsmanship as your reward. The first thing you’ll learn is the basic slash. Watch and follow along.”

Olsen grasped his wooden sword lightly.

Then, raising both arms above his head, he exhaled and swung downward.

Whoosh!

As the wooden sword sliced through the air, a powerful gust accompanied it.

His movements were fluid, as if his body and sword were one.

Yuhyeon swallowed hard.

‘…Can a wooden sword really make a sound like that?’

It was just a simple swing, yet the weight of it was overwhelming.

It was a sound that could only be achieved through a lifetime of dedication.

“Give it a try.”

“I will.”

Yuhyeon tightened his grip, his expression serious.

Recalling Olsen’s motion, he adjusted his posture to match it as closely as possible.

‘Like this, right?’

Raising both arms above his head, he brought the wooden sword down.

A weak, awkward sound rang out.

Olsen spoke evenly: “Keep your head up and your back straight. Breathe in as you raise your arms, engage your core, and strike downward while releasing your power in one go.”

Following Olsen’s instructions, Yuhyeon felt his entire body tense up.

The stance was so uncomfortable that he wondered if he could even swing like this.

Maintaining that tension, he swung the wooden sword.

Swish—

A crisp, satisfying sound reached his ears.

[ Sword Mastery (F Rank) proficiency increased by 0.5%. ]

Olsen nodded.

“Not bad. Now, keep that posture and strike twenty more times. That’s your next quest.”

Ding!

[ Quest: Basic Swordsmanship (1) ]

Rank: E
Requirement: Must have learned Basic Swordsmanship.
Reward: Increased favorability with Instructor Olsen, additional rewards based on contribution.
Failure: Unable to proceed to the next linked quest, ‘Basic Swordsmanship (2).’
Description: Strike the scarecrow twenty times with proper form. Additional slashes may yield extra rewards based on contribution.

Yuhyeon’s eyes narrowed.

“What are the additional rewards based on contribution?”

“You’re definitely an outsider if that’s the first thing you ask,” Olsen smirked faintly, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm.

It seemed he still hadn’t forgotten how Yuhyeon had abandoned his quest midway two days ago.

Rather than explaining himself, Yuhyeon simply nodded.

“Understood.”

“Then, get to it. I need to check on the other outsiders.”

With that, Olsen left. Now alone, Yuhyeon gripped his wooden sword again.

He took a deep breath and swung downward with force.

“……”

Nothing happened.

There was no notification about increased proficiency, nor did the quest tracker update.

That could only mean one thing—

He hadn’t executed the slash correctly.

‘What did I miss?’

He carefully recalled Olsen’s instructions.

The angle of his head. The straightness of his back. The position of his wrists. The timing of his breath.

He reconstructed each detail, refining his posture step by step as if layering paint onto a blank canvas.

Once his stance felt completely foreign—so unnatural it was almost painful to hold—

Ding!

[ Remaining strikes: 18 ]

[ Sword Mastery (F Rank) proficiency increased by 0.5%. ]

Finally, he got it right.

‘Whew, every single strike is exhausting.’

At this rate, completing twenty proper swings is going to take a while.

‘At least an hour, maybe?’

But for Yuhyeon, who had spent his entire life honing skills through relentless repetition—

‘This actually makes me want to push harder.’

A glint of determination flashed in his eyes as he swung his sword again.

*  *  *

Meanwhile, elsewhere—

“Yes! Finally done! Ugh, that was a pain in the ass. Instructor, hurry up and give me my skill already!”

“…Confirmed.”

“I’ll come back for the next quest later. Now that I’ve got my skill, I wanna try hunting. It’s fine, right?”

Olsen eyed the outsider, whose expression practically screamed boredom.

“Do as you please.”

Twenty swings. That was all they had done. Yet they acted as if it had been some grueling ordeal.

They hadn’t even scratched the surface of what it meant to learn swordsmanship.

‘Pathetic.’

Leaning against a worn-out chair at the edge of the training grounds, Olsen sighed.

‘Might as well rest for a bit.’

It’s nearly time for my shift to end, and that last visitor was likely my final trainee of the day.

‘How dull…’

Though now just an instructor in a beginner’s village, Olsen had once stood near the peak of knighthood.

He had trained alongside Kenneth, one of the kingdom’s finest knights.

Since the age of seven, he had never once skipped a day of training.

He had no extraordinary talent, no renowned sword master to guide him.

The only thing that had ever set him apart—was his unyielding persistence.

Had his father been younger and healthier, he might have still been a knight instead of a mere trainer.

‘I took this position to be near him, but… this is unbearably dull.’

He had come with the hope of training new warriors, yet all he found were lazy, reward-hungry outsiders.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, his gaze landed on Yuhyeon—still striking with unwavering focus.

‘So, I came back to my hometown to take on an instructor position and look after my father… but this is just too dull.’

With good intentions of nurturing the next generation, he had returned. But, as expected, all he encountered were pathetic outsiders.

They whined about every little difficulty, demanded rewards before even trying, and, despite their laziness, were greedier than anyone he had ever met.

– “The counter isn’t going up? No, wait, it only moves if I do it in perfect form. Ugh, can’t I just abandon this quest…?”

– “Not like I’ll even use basic swordsmanship once I learn a skill. What a pointless, time-wasting quest.”

– “Figures, it’s Donderland. They just throw in useless time-sinks like this to squeeze more money out of players.”

To Olsen, who had dedicated his life to the sword, it was an incomprehensible sight.

‘Talent isn’t everything. But at the very least…’

He knew full well that not everyone was born with innate talent.

But effort—effort was something anyone could put in.

If he had seen someone like that, he would have given them even more, never turned them away.

‘No matter how special one’s abilities may be, without a solid foundation, they’re all meaningless.’

Haven’t they already been proven at the royal palace?

The duel between Kenneth, the honorary knight, and Hwarang, the representative of the outsiders.

Despite Hwarang’s unique skills and flashy swordplay, he was unable to surpass Kenneth’s wall.

That was the power of fundamentals—strength honed through relentless effort.

‘So why did my father introduce me to that guy?’

Olsen’s gaze drifted toward Yuhyeon.

His father had never once asked him for anything in his entire life.

Yet, with eyes filled with something akin to reverence, he had introduced Yuhyeon.

But Yuhyeon was no different from the other outsiders he had seen so far.

– “Ah…! I shouldn’t be wasting time swinging this wooden sword!”

– “There’s something way more important! I’ll come back later!’”

They couldn’t even handle a simple tutorial quest and ran away.

If that was the kind of person he was, then no special treatment would be given—regardless of his father’s recommendation.

‘Well, I guess I’ll see for myself.’

Still, Olsen had no intention of forming any prejudices.

If Yuhyeon gave up on his own, then that was all there was to their connection. But if he proved himself, there would be no reason to withhold a reward.

In the end, a swordsman speaks through the sword.

‘…Though, he’s putting in more effort than I expected.’

Judging by the sweat dripping from his entire body, he has likely done about ten repetitions so far.

To complete the remaining ten, it will take at least another thirty minutes to an hour.

‘Maybe I should close my eyes for a bit…’

It was already close to nine o’clock.

He should have left by now, but because of Yuhyeon, he couldn’t close the training hall.

Normally, he would have sent him home to continue tomorrow, but since he seemed so focused, he didn’t want to interrupt.

‘If he really can’t handle it, he’ll say something.’

Olsen’s eyes slowly shut.

*  *  *

Whoosh.

Whooosh!

In the empty nighttime training hall, the only sound was the wooden sword slicing through the air.

Yuhyeon, drenched in sweat from head to toe, was still swinging his wooden sword.

He had long since surpassed the required twenty repetitions, and at some point, he had stopped counting altogether.

There was a distinct feeling when he swung with proper form.

That sensation had emerged around the two-hundredth swing.

Whoosh!

Now, every time he swung, his entire body screamed in protest.

His arms and legs had given out long ago, and even the muscles in his abdomen trembled violently with every breath.

And yet, he continued.

No one had told him to do this. So why wasn’t he stopping?

At first, it was just frustration.

When he assumed the posture Olsen had taught him, it reminded him of the first time he held a violin.

His awkward movements had only produced screeches instead of music.

He had managed to produce a sound fairly quickly, but it had taken over a week to play a proper note.

The process had been anything but easy. Yet, in the end, he had succeeded—and the overwhelming euphoria he had felt back then was indescribable.

‘The more I do this, the more it reminds me of music.’

There was an undeniable similarity between wielding a sword and playing music.

First, the fundamentals were paramount.

Just as a musician had to master proper posture and breathing to produce a perfect note, a swordsman had to strike with precision and correct form to achieve the best results.

Second, effort always paid off.

Just like how he had spent a week perfecting a single note on the violin, his body could already feel the improvement in his sword swings the more he practiced.

It was obvious.

Whoosh!

The sound he was making now was far smoother than before.

It was still nowhere near Olsen’s level, of course. But compared to when he had first picked up the sword, the difference was night and day.

If he kept training like this, he felt certain that, someday, he would be able to produce the same sound Olsen did.

‘That’s why it’s fun.’

Yuhyeon found this as enjoyable as music. And if he was going to do it, he wanted to do it properly.

No—he wanted to be the best at it.

He didn’t just want to swing a wooden sword. He wanted to master the art of a true, precise slash—just like Olsen.

That was his goal. And because of that, stopping wasn’t an option.

Just like mastering an instrument, with enough dedicated practice, he knew he could master swordsmanship too.

And so, he kept swinging.

Once, twice, three times…

His breath grew ragged.

Ten times, eleven times, twelve times…

His arms started cramping.

A hundred times, a hundred and one times…

Sweat trickled down his face. At the same time, he felt truly alive.

Two hundred times, two hundred and one times…

He erased everything around him, one by one. The world blurred.

The only thing in his sight was the sword before him.

‘This is fun!’

He never imagined wielding a sword could be this enjoyable.

There was so much more to this world than just music.

The more he swung, the more precise his swordsmanship became—and that, too, was exhilarating.

[ Sword Mastery (Rank F) proficiency increased by 0.5%. ]

[ Strength increased by 1. ]

[ Stamina increased by 1. ]

[ Agility increased by 1. ]

.

.

[ Strength increased by 1. ]

[ Stamina increased by 1. ]

Even the notifications that popped up each time he trained were thrilling.

It felt as if this world was recognizing his efforts, and that thought alone filled him with excitement.

He was having so much fun that he completely forgot he needed to log out.

It was just like when he first played the violin—when he was so immersed that he lost himself entirely in the music.

Yuhyeon continued swinging his wooden sword without rest.

Then—

“….You! …Hey! Are you still at it?!”

“…Huh?”

A loud voice snapped him back to reality.

It was Instructor Olsen, the man who had given him his quest.

“How long are you planning to keep this up? No—forget that. Just stop already. It’s three in the morning!”

Olsen stared at him with a bewildered expression.

“What do you mean…?”

Yuhyeon tilted his head up and looked at the sky. The deep black night had long since settled in.

“Are you doing this just for the rewards? I get it, but still. This is just reckless—!”

“…Because it’s fun.”

“What?” Olsen blinked, as if he had misheard.

“All you’re doing is swinging a wooden sword at a scarecrow… And you’re saying that’s fun?”

Yuhyeon smiled slightly and replied, “It feels just like playing an instrument.”

Pure enjoyment radiated from his expression.

“Every time I do it, my proficiency and stats increase. My movements become more natural. It’s so fun that I lose myself in it, forgetting everything else.”

“Huh…”

Olsen gazed at Yuhyeon intently.

‘Swinging a sword feels like playing an instrument…?’

There wasn’t a hint of falsehood in Yuhyeon’s eyes.

Olsen had seen that expression before.

‘Kenneth once said the same thing. That nothing thrilled him as much as wielding a sword. That joy was what carried him this far.’

Olsen felt the same.

‘The first time I held a sword, just swinging it was exhilarating. That’s why I dedicated my entire life to it.’

He had spent years training in swordsmanship, regardless of rain or snow, simply because he loved it.

And now, Yuhyeon’s eyes held that same passion.

Eyes filled with an almost maddening joy—the kind of determination only those who never give up on reaching the top possess.

‘To think I’d meet someone like this here.’

How long has it been since I last encountered someone like this?

No—perhaps this is the first time.

Olsen was so taken aback that he didn’t know what to say.

“Ugh!”

Yuhyeon suddenly staggered before collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.

He tried using his wooden sword to push himself up, but it was no use.

“Ugh, I feel like dying…”

All he could do was lie flat on his back and stare up at the sky.

A shadow loomed over his face.

It was Olsen, extending a thick hand toward him.

“Get up. If you sleep like this, you’ll wake up with a stiff face. Your muscles are going to be sore, but a night’s rest at the inn should help.”

Yuhyeon stared blankly at Olsen.

“Ugh…”

“By the way, just how many swings did you do? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get a fair reward. Just tell me.”

Yuhyeon’s gaze shifted to the notification window.

[ Additional swings: 401 ]

[ Sword Mastery (Rank E) – Proficiency 50.25% ]

“Four hundred and one times.”

“F-Four hundred?! In proper form?”

Olsen looked down at him in sheer disbelief.

‘Most players struggle to do even twenty… And in just a few hours while I was asleep, he managed four hundred?’

If he hadn’t been interrupted midway, who knows how much further he would have gone?

His determination and perseverance are terrifying.

‘Now I understand why Father introduced him to me.’

Perhaps his father has seen this potential in him.

And Olsen wholeheartedly agreed.

‘For the first time in ages… my heart is racing.’

He had the sudden, burning desire to teach Yuhyeon properly.

Maybe—just maybe—this was the one who would inherit his will.

As Olsen was lost in thought—

Ding!

A familiar sound rang in Yuhyeon’s ears.

A sound that never failed to make his heart race.

The sound that always heralded something special.
 

[ Olsen’s favorability has increased significantly! ]
 

To be continued

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