The One-Eyed Silent Swordsman
Arc 3: Adventure Arc
Chapter 8: The Rise Begins
Morning.
The guild was already loud.
Voices overlapped.
Movement everywhere.
Chairs dragged.
Papers shifted.
"…No one came back."
"It's suicide."
"That place… isn't normal."
I paused.
Listened.
"…What are you talking about?"
A few turned.
One looked at me.
Then away.
"…Nothing."
Another spoke.
"Not your level."
Silence.
I didn't ask again.
The board stood ahead.
Covered with requests.
Layered.
Some torn.
Some fresh.
Some ignored.
I stepped closer.
Read carefully.
Herb Gathering — 40 Copper
Wood Collection — 35 Copper
Delivery Request — 20 Copper
Pest Control (Rats ×10) — 50 Copper
Slime Hunt ×3 — 70 Copper
Simple.
Too simple.
"…Low return."
I looked at the board again.
Compared effort.
Compared time.
"…These are better."
I picked three.
A hand moved beside me.
Someone else grabbed one of them.
"…Slow."
I turned away.
Outside—
The noise faded.
Work began.
Search.
Move.
Collect.
Return.
Repeat.
The first attempt—
wasted.
Wrong herb.
"…Inefficient."
I adjusted.
Next—
clean.
Rats scattered.
Too slow.
I moved once.
Done.
Slimes—
barely resisted.
One strike.
Enough.
"…This isn't much better."
"…It's not even worth calling practice."
Time passed.
Three days.
No wasted motion.
No hesitation.
Only efficiency.
The pouch grew heavier.
I returned.
The guild—
still loud.
Still moving.
The counter.
Coins placed down.
13 Silver.
46 Copper.
A few nearby looked.
"…Fast."
"…Too clean."
The woman checked the reports.
One by one.
A pause.
"…Consistent."
I looked at her.
"…I want my rank up."
She gathered the papers.
"…We'll review it."
I nodded.
Nothing more.
Night.
Food.
Warm.
Simple.
I ate.
Slow.
Coins remained.
Enough.
I left.
The streets were quiet.
Dim.
Different.
Sleep came quickly.
Morning.
The guild again.
Less noise.
The same counter.
She looked up.
A card slid forward.
Rank: F → E
"Approved."
I took it.
"…E Rank."
No change in strength.
Only permission.
"E Rank can take better requests than F Rank."
I turned.
The board looked better now.
Better than before.
More real.
The voices from before—
still echoed.
"That place…"
I looked at my card.
Then the board.
"…Now, I can take even more quests."
Morning.
The town was already awake.
Steps.
Voices.
Movement everywhere.
Different from the village.
I walked.
No direction.
Just observing.
Shops lined the road.
Weapons.
Armor.
Food.
Things I didn't recognize.
"Fresh bread!"
"Low price!"
"Best steel!"
Noise layered over noise.
"…Crowded."
I slowed near a stall.
Fruits.
Different colors.
The seller watched me.
"…Buying?"
I shook my head.
"…Just looking."
He nodded.
No pressure.
A crate slipped.
Fruits scattered.
I stepped forward.
Picked them up.
Placed them back.
The seller paused.
"…Thanks."
I nodded.
Nothing more.
I moved again.
A weapon shop.
Blades lined the wall.
Polished.
Sharp.
I stepped inside.
The owner glanced at me.
"…What are you looking for?"
I nodded.
"Buying a sword?"
I looked at Sokaru.
"…Not yet."
He studied it briefly.
"…Can I have a look at that sword?"
"…You mean this?"
"…Yeah…"
"Where did you get this?"
"I got this by…"
Someone pushed
"Sorry…"
"I was saying I got this by my father…"
I lied,
I turned.
Left.
Outside—
A child ran past me.
Laughing.
Tripped.
Fell.
I stopped.
He looked up.
Didn't cry.
I held out a hand.
He took it.
Stood.
"…Careful."
He nodded.
Ran again.
"…Same everywhere."
Further ahead—
A narrow street.
Quieter.
Less movement.
Then—
I saw him.
A man.
Injured.
Bandaged arm.
Blood seeping through.
Others passed.
Ignored.
"…Normal."
He muttered—
"…Don't go there…"
I stopped.
Looked at him.
"…What where?"
He shook his head.
"…Don't go."
"…No one comes back."
Silence.
I watched him.
Then turned.
"…Not yet."
The main road again.
Noise returned.
Familiar now.
Patterns clearer.
Guild.
Market.
Living areas.
Organized.
Efficient.
I adjusted my steps.
Less hesitation.
More awareness.
The guild stood ahead.
Same as before.
But different now.
I looked at my card.
E Rank.
"…Still low."
I stepped forward.
Inside.
Morning.
The guild was active.
Voices overlapped.
Movement everywhere.
The board stood ahead.
New requests.
Goblin Hunt ×5
Proof Required: Goblin Ear ×5
Reward: 100 Copper
I stopped.
Goblins.
"…This should be better."
I took the request.
A pause.
No location.
"Where are they located?"
I looked around.
Groups were forming.
"… Can I join temporarily?"
Three turned.
"Sure…"
"I am Kaito, leader and frontliner of this party."
"He is Rex, he is also frontliner of this party."
"And lastly…"
"…She is Mina, mage of this party."
They aksed me.
"First time?" Rex asked.
"…Yeah."
"Stay behind," Kaito said.
I nodded.
"…Alright."
Outside the town—
The road stretched ahead.
Then trees.
Then silence.
"…Goblin camp is ahead," Kaito said.
Crude structures appeared.
Wood.
Messy.
Movement everywhere.
Goblins.
Kaito raised a hand.
"Wait. I and Rex will attack together."
"…Alright."
I stepped forward.
"…You're my prey."
The first goblin turned.
Too late.
I moved.
"…I got you."
The blade cut clean.
Another rushed.
I turned.
"…They are so weak…"
It fell.
"W-What—?!" Rex's voice broke.
More movement.
Not one.
Many.
Goblins shouted.
Loud.
Messy.
"…Not very smart."
Two rushed together.
I stepped back.
Adjusted.
"…Not alone."
One moved behind.
A sound.
I turned—
Just in time.
"…Too slow."
Silence followed.
The camp slowed.
Then stopped.
No movement.
"…Done."
"Y-You… did all that?" Rex said.
Kaito stayed silent.
Mina looked at me.
"…You didn't hesitate."
I didn't answer.
I crouched.
"…Proof."
The blade moved once.
Ears collected.
Stored.
"Inventory."
They disappeared.
"…Convenient," Rex muttered.
Back at the guild—
The counter.
I opened the inventory.
Ears appeared.
All of them.
A pause.
I separated them.
20 pushed forward.
"…Your share."
Rex blinked.
"…That's more than enough."
Kaito nodded.
"…You did most of the work."
Mina said nothing.
Just watched.
They took their share.
Left.
I stepped forward again.
The remaining ears—
placed on the counter.
The woman checked.
"Confirmed."
Coins shifted.
9 Silver.
36 Copper.
I took them.
Heavier.
Better.
"…Worth it."
A pause.
I looked at the coins.
"…If I used the dragon…"
"…Ranking up would be easy."
Silence.
"…Not yet."
I turned.
"…The forest near my village was worse than this."
"Here goblins with only level 5-10…"
The Next Morning.
The guild feels the same.
I don't.
Voices overlap.
Requests fill the board.
Slime Hunt ×10
Forest Wolves ×5
Escort Request
Herb Collection
E Rank.
Easy.
My gaze moves.
Stops.
S-Rank Quest.
Restricted Forest Zone.
A pause.
"…S-Rank."
I look away.
Not now.
I take three E-rank quests.
Enough.
Outside the town—
The road stretches ahead.
Then changes.
Trees grow thicker.
Light fades.
The air feels heavier.
"…This path…"
A step forward.
"…It connects."
A flicker.
Flames.
Voices.
Screams.
Gone.
I keep walking.
[Level: 102]
[EXP: 6,200 / 9,500]
Movement.
A creature lunges.
"…I've never used appraisal on monsters."
"Appraisal."
[Target: Forest Hound]
[Level: 6]
[Tier: Least]
One strike.
It drops.
[+120 EXP]
Another.
[Level: 18]
Cut.
[+260 EXP]
More.
[Level: 32]
[Level: 47]
[Level: 61]
I move through them.
Fast.
Clean.
[+310 EXP]
[+520 EXP]
[+680 EXP]
Too easy.
"Inventory."
Bodies disappear.
Deeper.
The forest darkens.
Then—
[Level: 89]
Cut.
[+1500 EXP]
[Level Up → 103]
More.
[Level: 97]
Cut.
[+1800 EXP]
Then—
[Level: 102]
"…Not like the dragon."
Fight.
Win.
[+2400 EXP]
More appear.
[Level: 120]
[Level: 143]
[Level: 176]
Danger rises.
I move faster.
Strike.
Turn.
Cut.
Wound—
heals.
Recovery.
Level rises.
110…
[Skill Unlocked: Focus Zone]
Everything sharpens.
But the forest—
doesn't.
Silence.
Heavy.
Wrong.
I stop.
"…Something is wrong."
The feeling deepens.
Not close.
But watching.
"…Someone is watching me."
No sound.
No movement.
Yet—
It sees me.
[Danger Sensed]
My grip tightens.
"…I have to—"
Chapter End
Next Chapter: Survival Beyond Limits
Time: Sunday, 6PM GMT +5:30