The One-Eyed Silent Swordsman
Arc 1: Beginning Arc
Chapter 1: The Day I Conquered Fear
"I am a farmer from a small village near a forest,
where everything is beautiful,wonderful, and great."
That was my life.
Simple.
Peaceful.
Enough.
The mornings smelled like wet soil and fresh crops.
The afternoons burned under the sun, slow and steady.
The evenings were quiet, filled with soft wind and distant voices.
Nothing special.
Nothing extraordinary.
But it was enough.
But our world was different.
Everyone had a level.
A number above their existence.
A measure of worth.
A measure of survival.
Mine?
Level 3.
Not from fighting.
Not from training.
Just from farming.
Planting crops.
Carrying water.
Working under the sun.
Hands in the soil.
Back bent under weight.
Sweat dripping.
Slowly… quietly…
I reached Level 3.
It wasn't impressive.
It wasn't something to be proud of.
But it wasn't useless either.
Most villagers were around Level 2 to 5.
We didn't need strength.
We needed food.
We needed stability.
We needed to survive.
The forest near our village was avoided.
Not because we were weak.
But because everyone knew one thing.
"Nothing inside it has a level below 10."
That alone was enough.
No one needed proof.
No one needed to test it.
We simply stayed away.
Still…
it felt peaceful.
Safe.
Distant.
Like something that existed, but not for us.
That day…
was perfect.
The sky was clear.
Not a single cloud.
The wind was soft.
Not too cold.
Not too warm.
Golden crops moved gently.
Like waves.
Slow.
Calm.
Alive.
I remember thinking—
"Nothing will go wrong today."
For a moment—
everything felt right.
Then—
everything went silent.
Not gradually.
Not slowly.
All at once.
The birds stopped.
Mid sound.
The wind stopped.
Mid movement.
Even the leaves—
froze.
Like the world itself paused.
My heart didn't.
It started beating faster.
Louder.
Heavier.
Something was wrong.
Something was coming.
Something stepped out of the forest.
Not rushed.
Not hidden.
Just—
stepped out.
It wasn't human.
It wasn't normal.
It didn't belong to our world of peace.
[Monster Detected]
Name: Bloodfang Boar
Level: 37
My body froze.
Completely.
"Level… 37?"
The number didn't feel real.
It didn't make sense.
It didn't belong here.
People ran.
Instantly.
No hesitation.
Tools dropped.
Buckets fell.
Crops crushed under feet.
Voices broke.
Screams echoed.
Fear spread faster than anything.
Faster than fire.
Faster than thought.
I didn't move.
Not because I was brave.
But because I couldn't.
Then I saw them.
Behind me.
People who couldn't escape.
People who had fallen.
People who were too slow.
Too weak.
Too unlucky.
People who looked at me—
not for help…
but because I was standing there.
The only one between them—
and it.
Something inside me changed.
Not courage.
Not strength.
Something simpler.
"If I don't stand… they die."
My hand moved.
Slow.
Heavy.
I grabbed my farming tool.
Not a sword.
Not a weapon.
Just something sharp enough.
Something that could cut.
Maybe.
My hands trembled.
My grip slipped.
My breath broke.
Uneven.
Fast.
My legs felt heavy.
Like they didn't belong to me.
Like they refused to move.
But I stepped forward.
One step.
Then another.
The Bloodfang Boar charged.
No warning.
No hesitation.
Too fast.
Too strong.
Too overwhelming.
I tried to block.
Failure.
Instant.
Pain exploded across my face.
Hot.
Sharp.
Blinding.
My vision shattered.
Darkness covered my right eye.
Complete.
Total.
Gone.
I fell—
but not completely.
My body hit the ground.
But something kept me from collapsing entirely.
Through my left eye—
I saw it.
Still coming.
Still unstoppable.
Still ending everything.
Fear was there.
Heavy.
Crushing.
Pain was there.
Burning.
Blinding.
Then—
something disappeared.
Fear.
Not reduced.
Not controlled.
Gone.
"If I stop now… everyone behind me dies."
That was enough.
I stood again.
No thinking.
No hesitation.
No second chance.
Just movement.
One step.
A shift.
A swing.
Everything I had—
in one strike.
My muscles screamed.
My body tore.
The blade broke.
My hands split open.
Blood spilled.
But the strike—
landed.
Clean.
Direct.
Real.
Silence.
The monster stopped.
Its movement ended.
Its body froze.
Then—
collapsed.
Heavy.
Final.
[Enemy Defeated]
Bloodfang Boar – Level 37
I stood there.
Breathing.
Shaking.
Barely holding myself together.
Alive.
Then—
something appeared.
[Level Up!]
Level 3 → Level 38
My body felt…
different.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Clearer.
Like everything inside me had awakened.
Like something had been unlocked.
But I didn't smile.
Blood ran down my face.
Warm.
Thick.
Constant.
My right side—
dark.
Gone.
Empty.
"The cost… was my eye."
I looked around.
Slowly.
Carefully.
People were alive.
Some were injured.
Some were shaking.
Some were still in shock.
But they were alive.
For a moment—
no one spoke.
No one moved.
No one believed it.
Then—
someone laughed.
A weak laugh.
Broken.
Unbelieving.
Another voice followed.
Then another.
And suddenly—
everything changed.
"We survived!"
Someone shouted.
A child started crying—
not from fear.
But relief.
People gathered.
Some held each other.
Some collapsed where they stood.
Some just stared at the monster—
unable to understand what just happened.
Then—
one voice rose above all.
"HURRAY…!"
Another joined.
"HURRAY…!"
And then—
everyone.
"HURRAYYYYY…!!"
Smiles spread.
Tears mixed with laughter.
Fear turned into relief.
For them—
it was victory.
For me—
it was something else.
I looked toward the forest.
Silent.
Still.
Watching.
Not peaceful anymore.
Not distant anymore.
"This won't be the last."
The thought was clear.
Sharp.
Certain.
And I made a decision.
"Next time… I won't be Level 3."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
I turned toward the forest.
"I will hunt them… before they reach us."
The wind moved again.
The leaves followed.
The world resumed.
But it was no longer the same.
And neither was I.
I walked forward.
Not as a farmer—
but as something new.
Something that had already crossed the line.
Something that had already paid the price.
Chapter End
Next Chapter: The Hunt Begins