NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9 - A Fixture of the Beginner's Zone (6)
Chapter 9: A Fixture of the Beginner’s Zone (6)
The Steel-Plated Knight.
No matter how extraordinary Yeonwol’s past memories were, he would be doomed in a direct confrontation.
He had neither the means to attack nor defend himself.
“Help me!”
“Kyaaah!”
The hostages pushed to the edge of the cliff were paralyzed with fear, unable to even think of running away.
Turning his back on them, Yeonwol faced the Steel-Plated Knight.
Even for Yeonwol, it was a nerve-wracking moment.
The Steel-Plated Knight charged forward with a loud, thunderous stomp as if unwilling to waste any time.
Hoooop!
Taking in a deep breath, the Steel-Plated Knight raised his greatsword high overhead!
There was no way to block that.
However, Yeonwol instead approached him quickly.
[Sky Thunder Flash!]
Swish!
In an instant, Yeonwol accelerated and closed the distance, moving within the range of the greatsword.
It was a spot so close that the Steel-Plated Knight couldn’t swing his weapon properly.
Realizing this, the knight attempted a knee strike.
Thud!
Anticipating the move, Yeonwol braced against the knight’s knee with his right hand, using it as leverage to somersault into the air.
He then swung the Blue Sea Blade with all his might toward the knight’s chest.
Clang!
Though it left no visible damage, the impact caused the Steel-Plated Knight to take a step back, seemingly annoyed.
No, it wasn’t the impact.
To bring Yeonwol within the effective range of his greatsword, the knight needed to create some distance first.
The delicate gap, longer than a dagger but shorter than a spear!
It was a common strategy used by many swordsmen during battle.
Clang!
However, as if predicting the knight’s retreat, Yeonwol swiftly dashed forward and tackled the knight’s knee with all his strength.
Although the knight didn’t fall, his stance wavered slightly.
Boom!
Capitalizing on this, Yeonwol activated his alchemy kit, launching a small explosive.
Kaboom!
The explosion caused the knight to stumble backward.
[Steel-Plated Knight: HP 99.99%]
The damage inflicted was negligible.
But it managed to make the knight falter momentarily.
Even without the unique skills of the swordsman class, it was possible to hinder the Steel-Plated Knight.
This was precisely the way a Combat Alchemist fought their enemies!
Clink!
Yeonwol adjusted the alchemy kit in his left hand.
The alchemy kit—usable even in its compact form as a bag—was the Combat Alchemist’s weapon.
The bag itself acted as a transmutation circle, a chemical formula, and contained countless ingredients ready to be synthesized at a moment’s notice.
This allowed for quick, makeshift alchemical reactions.
‘Control the transmutation circle with the kit in my left hand, and activate it with my right hand.’
Normally, using an alchemy kit required the right hand to be free, but Yeonwol always held a sword in his right hand.
Being an unconventional alchemist, he could handle such things with ease.
Sizzle!
Pointing his sword to the ground, a temporary transmutation circle formed, releasing black smoke.
It was alchemy designed solely to obscure visibility!
However, the Steel-Plated Knight’s charge didn’t waver.
‘He doesn’t slow down. He underestimates alchemy.’
Alchemy wasn’t omnipotent.
It couldn’t suddenly manipulate terrain or create something from nothing.
At best, it could craft simple tools or chemical explosives.
‘Even if he underestimates alchemy, he won’t dare underestimate me.’
Yeonwol focused his concentration to the utmost.
With only basic alchemy, what he was attempting was extraordinarily difficult.
But for him, nothing was impossible.
Sizzle!
A red lightning bolt sparked from the ground, producing what looked like a steel plate.
Just a single steel plate.
The Steel-Plated Knight, emerging through the black smoke, hesitated before stepping onto it.
‘He spread it out wider than I thought. I could avoid it, but that would waste unnecessary time. Better to step on it and cut him down.’
That was the knight’s judgment.
Even if Yeonwol was a tougher opponent than expected, the knight wouldn’t stop.
A mere steel plate wouldn’t achieve much, so he ignored it and swung his greatsword at Yeonwol.
At that moment, another red lightning bolt flared up.
[Free Transmutation Activated!]
Whirrr!
“Ugh?!”
Suddenly, the armor on the knight’s entire body grew unbearably heavy.
The weight of his greatsword increased drastically, making it difficult to lift, and even his armor weighed him down, throwing him off balance.
‘Magnetism?!’
The Steel-Plated Knight finally realized that the steel plate on the ground was magnetized.
He also noticed, belatedly, that multiple artificial magnets had been attached to his armor during their exchanges.
‘Could it be… all the prior exchanges were just to attach these?’
Magnets made hastily had weak magnetic forces.
Thus, to restrain the knight effectively, magnets had to be attached to his body.
‘Such feeble magnetism!’
Huff!
Releasing his mana with a shout, the Steel-Plated Knight nullified the magnetism and steadied himself.
Raising his greatsword, he prepared to leap at Yeonwol once more.
[Free Transmutation Activated!]
‘Reverse Magnetism.’
Voom!
“What the…?!”
Suddenly, the magnetism reversed, and his body was forcefully pushed back, right at the moment he was about to leap forward!
As a result, the Steel-Plated Knight leaped far higher than he intended, and at the exact timing, the magnet transformed into a massive spring and launched his body!
Boom!
“Wha… What is this?!”
The Steel-Plated Knight soared several meters into the air, but his immense weight prevented him from flying far.
However, Yeonwol’s alchemy wasn’t finished yet.
As the Steel-Plated Knight floated midair, Yeonwol hurled a blue orb with all his strength.
[Knockback Bomb Activated!]
Boom!!
A bomb designed solely to push the opponent away, sacrificing destructive power completely!
Struck by the bomb, the Steel-Plated Knight flew over the cliff without even a chance to stabilize himself.
‘…At this rate, he’ll fall.’
As he plummeted toward the cliffside, the Steel-Plated Knight instinctively plunged his greatsword into the wall.
Thud!
Somehow, he managed to cling to the cliff, but climbing back up was impossible.
His heavy plate armor made sure of that.
Step by step, Yeonwol approached him.
When Yeonwol raised his hand, the Steel-Plated Knight closed his eyes and resigned himself.
‘This time, I die in such a manner.’
Whether it was with that strange bomb or by stabbing through the gaps in his armor, he could resist no further.
Prepared for the inevitable, he awaited his death.
Clink!
For some reason, Yeonwol didn’t push the Steel-Plated Knight off.
Instead, he used the tip of his sword to flick the knight’s helmet off.
“…I knew it. Of course, this is what it would be.”
Upon seeing the Steel-Plated Knight’s face, Yeonwol’s expression twisted into a grimace.
It wasn’t the face of someone who simply resigned themselves to death.
It was despair—boundless despair.
A despair so profound, it felt deeper than the abyss itself, enveloping the Steel-Plated Knight’s eyes.
What could have brought him to such depths of hopelessness?
Was he afraid of death?
No.
He wasn’t afraid of death.
Even with Yeonwol’s blade pointed at his throat, his gaze didn’t waver in the slightest.
It wasn’t Yeonwol’s sword he feared.
It was something far more fundamental.
For instance…
“How long have you been stuck here, endlessly repeating this madness?”
An eternity of repetition.
“What…?”
The Steel-Plated Knight’s eyes widened at Yeonwol’s question.
It was a question he never expected to hear.
Yeonwol himself hadn’t anticipated asking such a question, leaving his expression conflicted.
In his past life, he had never even considered this issue, not even when the game was nearing its end of service.
Only after the synchronization event and much time passed did he realize that the game was, in fact, reality.
But now, things were different.
Yeonwol knew the truth.
It was both a blessing and a curse.
If this were still a game, he could’ve easily killed the man before him and moved on without a second thought.
But Yeonwol couldn’t do that now.
‘Chensolla… Is this why you sent me back in time?’
“What a pointless question. Just kill me already.”
“You could just let go of that sword and end it yourself.”
“…Knights cannot take their own lives.”
So that’s how it was.
Most NPCs in this world were bound by a “divine decree,” forcing them to assign quests to players or fulfill their designated roles.
The Steel-Plated Knight was also constrained by this divine decree, compelled to fight players to the bitter end.
Just as the Tutorial Boss Khazaram endlessly swung his sword at beginners, the Steel-Plated Knight was burdened with a similar mission.
Repeated hostage killings.
Repeated lives.
The Steel-Plated Knight was forced to threaten and kill hostages over and over again, against his will.
He almost never lost.
The Steel-Plated Knight was simply too strong.
Thus, he likely killed hostages far more often than he himself died.
Death?
The Steel-Plated Knight didn’t fear death.
What he feared was being forced to kill hostages again and again.
“What sin did you commit? The gods wouldn’t punish you for no reason.”
The Steel-Plated Knight hesitated.
Was he even allowed to speak of this?
There was no restriction forbidding him from answering such questions.
Faced with this stranger, the knight unknowingly began to speak.
“…I betrayed my lord, personally executed his entire family, and disgraced them afterward.”
“You were a piece of trash.”
The gods don’t hand out punishments without reason.
There was always a cause for trapping someone in an endless cycle of death.
“Do you have any excuses for what you did?”
“…None.”
“I like that answer.”
Had he started spouting excuses, he’d be worthless scum.
But this man wasn’t like that.
For some reason, he had betrayed his lord and slain his family, and now he was paying the price.
‘Even so, this is excessive.’
The so-called “gods” who created this game and drove Earth to ruin were unspeakably cruel to humans.
“You look relieved, even as you’re dying.”
“…I was just glad you were stronger than me.”
“Because this time, you don’t have to kill them?”
The Steel-Plated Knight didn’t answer, but that was enough.
Yeonwol raised his sword again.
Even after understanding the situation, there was nothing he could do for the knight.
All he could offer was a peaceful end.
However, if he were truly to grant him peace, wouldn’t it be acceptable to share a little truth with him?
“Lift your head. Look at the hostages you were trying to kill.”
……
As if bewitched, the Steel-Plated Knight turned his head as Yeonwol instructed.
The hostages at the edge of the cliff were still trembling in fear, unable to move.
“What do you feel when you look at them? Pity? Sympathy?”
“…Yes. They are weak. They are people that knights must protect.”
“You’re wrong. They are not something that needs protecting.”
“Wh-What are you saying!”
Yeonwol approached the hostages and pointed his sword at their necks.
Yet, they didn’t even look at Yeonwol.
They didn’t acknowledge his presence.
They only continued to stare fearfully at the Steel-Plated Knight still hanging from the cliff.
They didn’t even notice Yeonwol threatening them with a sword right beside them!
“See? I’m swinging a weapon right in front of them, and they don’t react at all. They’re nothing more than cheap puppets.”
“…Puppets?”
“When scum like you are bound in these loops to endlessly atone for your crimes, it happens a lot. I just killed one like that recently.”
The Tutorial Boss Khazaram disappeared after Yeonwol defeated him, replaced by another boss.
“But this type of repetition, or ‘instance dungeon,’ is everywhere. Do you think every character in these dungeons is a criminal? Even though there are plenty of scumbags, most are dealt with by humans. Where would the gods find enough criminals to fill all these roles?”
In other words, NPCs subjected to such divine punishment were actually quite rare.
“Then…”
“Exactly. The hostages you’ve been killing all this time are not real people. They’re just puppets.”
After Yeonwol said this and sheathed his sword, the Steel-Plated Knight lowered his head.
His shoulders shook, but there was no sound of sobbing.
Making such a sound would be disgraceful for a knight.
“So… that’s how it was. All those I’ve killed until now… Ha, haha!”
Suddenly, he began laughing bitterly.
Crying, then laughing.
Amid the chaos, the Steel-Plated Knight spoke.
“Thank you… traveler.”
“For what?”
“Because of you, I can finally extinguish the burning scar I’ve carried in my heart for so many years. Now, I can truly pay for my sins.”
The Steel-Plated Knight wore a resolute expression, as if he had made a decision.
“What is your name?”
“Yeonwol.”
“My name is Eltis. I was the royal guard of King Faelun.”
The Kingdom of Faelun?
Yeonwol had read about it in Elthera’s history books.
A nation from centuries ago where the people suffered under a tyrant’s misdeeds, until a mysterious, righteous knight executed the royal family and liberated them.
After introducing himself, the Steel-Plated Knight, Eltis, shut his eyes tightly.
Then, he released his grip, no longer clinging to the cliff.
“…!”
Yeonwol was horrified.
This shouldn’t have been possible.
The Steel-Plated Knight was meant to fight the players to his last breath, struggling to survive until the very end!
“What the…”
As Yeonwol ran toward the cliff, a thunderous crash echoed from below.
[The Steel-Plated Knight has entered eternal rest. He thanks you for granting him true punishment and death.]
[You have completed a ‘Sub Story’ in an astonishing way! We are in awe of your actions.]
[No-Class Yeonwol has passed the Intermediate Swordsman Exam!]
After exiting the intermediate trial, Yeonwol wore a dazed expression.
“He chose to end himself? How? Can willpower override the system?”
His thoughts were in turmoil.
If this were possible, Khazaram could have stabbed himself and ended it too.
It implied that some key event triggered the Steel-Plated Knight to break free of the system’s constraints.
“Something… I don’t know.”
While Yeonwol pondered with a complex expression, a barrage of messages appeared before him.
[Overcoming an overwhelming level difference, you have earned the title ‘Swordsmanship Prodigy.’]
[Although you are not of the Swordsman class, passing the intermediate exam allows limited acquisition of Swordsman skills.]
[Basic Swordsmanship Mastery has increased by 30%.]
[By passing both the basic and intermediate exams without being of the Swordsman class, your ‘Swordsmanship Mastery’ growth rate permanently increases by 8%.]
[All stats increase by 5.]
Yeonwol carefully reviewed the system and realized he had received far more rewards than he anticipated.
And it wasn’t over yet.
[You have completed the hidden achievement: ‘Reaching a Specific Stat of 100 Without Changing Classes!’]
[For your extraordinary accomplishment, all stats increase by 3!]
[You have earned the title ‘World’s Strongest Beginner!’ You are stronger than any other beginner in the world!]
[As the World’s Strongest Beginner who has surpassed 100 Strength, you are awarded the C-rank skill ‘Overwhelming Strength’ in honor of your pursuit of power.]
“Oh…”
As expected, the rumors about receiving benefits upon surpassing 100 in a stat were true.
This game generously rewarded ‘first achievements’ in various aspects.
The rank of the skill, C, was relatively high as well.
Upon inspecting it, the skill allowed him to temporarily increase his power by 1.5 times at the cost of consuming a large amount of MP.
‘I knew something good would come out of it.’
While Yeonwol was reviewing his new skill, Instructor Gelex approached him.
“You actually succeeded!”
The instructor, who had previously ignored and scorned him, now greeted him warmly, which felt awkward.
“Passing the Swordsman exam without a class is a legendary feat that won’t happen again. Here, take this.”
Instructor Gelex retrieved a silver badge from his chest pocket.
“A long time ago, the Swordmaster who first established this exam instructed that this token be given to anyone who passes the test without having the Swordsman class.”
One of the reasons Yeonwol didn’t give up and went through the effort of passing the intermediate exam was for this item.
[You have acquired the item ‘Swordmaster Edinkel’s Token.’]
“If fate allows, meet Swordmaster Edinkel and present this to him. Something special may happen. Now, since you’ve passed the intermediate Swordsman exam, you may acquire one Swordsman-related skill.”
[You can learn one derivative skill from ‘Swordsmanship Mastery.’]
Yeonwol pondered for a moment.
There were countless skills unique to the Swordsman class, but most core skills were inaccessible without formally switching to the class.
Complicated skills weren’t necessary anyway.
‘The simplest options are the most practical and overpowered.’
He made his choice.
[Swordsmanship Mastery: One-Handed Sword Specialization]
Currently, most Swordsman players didn’t focus on specialized weapons.
They preferred to increase general ‘Swordsmanship Mastery’ so they could use any sword.
But that approach was foolish.
Specializing in a weapon granted far superior attack power compared to others.
“That’s a perfect skill for you. From now on, you’ll be an exceptional swordsman!”
[By passing the intermediate Swordsman exam, the ‘Class Restriction’ on Sword-type equipment below Level 100 is removed.]
[You may now visit the Swordsman Academy for further training.]
“If the opportunity arises, consider challenging the advanced exam in the future.”
After leaving the exam venue and stepping into the bustling streets, Yeonwol noticed that Carnel City was packed with even more rankers, making it increasingly crowded.
“Wow, look at all those high-level players with massive guild emblems.”
“I heard Yeonwol, that user, is here.”
“Let’s try to impress the rankers who came to recruit Yeonwol. Who knows, we might get into a big guild too!”
Level 80 players, who had acted like kings here earlier, now couldn’t even raise their heads in the presence of true rankers.
‘Don’t they ever get tired of this?’
Yeonwol recalled the recording of his intermediate exam.
Though it didn’t seem special to him, he planned to upload his journey to Eltube without omission.
‘It’s probably better to cut out the last conversation scene…’
While it could inspire positive influence, he couldn’t predict what strange behavior players who still saw this world as a game might display.
He edited out the conversation scene and uploaded the video.
The title didn’t need to be flashy or clickbait.
Whether it got views or not didn’t matter much to him.
[‘Level 10 No-Class Clears Intermediate Swordsman Exam’ video has been uploaded.]