Ascension Through Skills

"Check it."

Koslun returned Cabert's relic to Taesan.

[Cabert's Relic: The Last Master]

[Relic of a world that has now perished. It took the lives of countless royals. You are this sword's final master. If ownership changes, all of the sword's stats disappear.]

[In its current severely incomplete state, it has no value as a weapon. A vessel for a soul has been prepared.]

"The attack power stat is completely gone."

"I'm not trying to put a soul into a sword—I'm turning the soul into the sword. I've modified it to match the soul's traits. As a result, it has no value as a weapon right now, but that doesn't matter. Once everything's done, its performance will be incomparable."

Grinning from ear to ear, Koslun entered deeper into the cave.

There, a prepared altar stood, though it was unclear when it had been set up.

"Stand at the altar and insert Cabert's relic."

"I'm supposed to do it?"

"No. The soul becoming the sword must do it themselves."

[Sorry, but I can't physically interact with anything.]

The Ghost was already dead. Without a special condition, he couldn't influence the physical world. Koslun spoke calmly.

"That's what the altar is for. Don't worry."

He fiddled with numerous devices around the altar.

Vmmmmmm!

The machinery began to activate. A strange pulse spread through the cave.

[This is…]

At the same time, the Ghost's body began to take on color.

Where once he had been like a misty illusion, now he regained his original hue.

"You should be able to grip the sword."

[…]

The Ghost reached out. Cabert's relic smoothly landed in his hand.

[It's been a while since I last held this sword.]

"There's no need to get sentimental. You're going to become one with it now. We're short on time. Just step into the altar."

The Ghost, gripping Cabert's relic, stepped into the altar. Koslun spoke slowly.

"From this point on, focus deeply on what you wish for. The basic form will be that of a sword, but its abilities will be determined by what you desire."

[What I wish for.]

"Then let's begin!"

With an excited face, Koslun pressed a switch. The Ghost inserted Cabert's relic into the altar's slot.

Vmmmmmm!

The altar let out an intense noise. The pillars synchronized, amplifying their power.

That power focused entirely on the Ghost and the sword.

[Ugh.]

The Ghost groaned softly.

It was an extremely unpleasant sensation. It felt like every part of his being was being twisted and defiled. He steadied himself and focused his thoughts.

'What I wish for.'

RUMBLE—

With a loud noise, the Ghost's figure began to collapse.

At the same time, Cabert's relic floated into the air.

The sword, twisting and collapsing under powerful energy, met with the Ghost.

This wasn't simply inserting a soul into a sword—they were becoming one completely.

A lifeform in the shape of a sword began to be born.

"Oooooooh!"

Koslun cried out in ecstasy.

The fusion seemed successful. There was no resistance from Bardray's soul as it merged with the sword. As if they had always been one, they accepted each other.

"I did it! I really did it!"

Koslun shouted in joy.

And just as the sword was completing its transformation—

Something descended between them.

It wasn't a force or a presence. It was a pure, law-like phenomenon.

It reached out to the Ghost.

[Ah.]

The Ghost let out a sound.

"W-What the…!"

Koslun's expression changed drastically. The fusion between the sword and the Ghost suddenly became distorted.

"What's going on?!"

He frantically operated the machinery, but nothing changed.

The Ghost's soul was being pulled toward where it was supposed to go.

"Why?!"

Koslun looked as if he couldn't understand.

But Taesan could see it.

What was pulling the Ghost was the law of the world.

'Death, huh.'

The natural law that says a soul without a body must go to the underworld. It was trying to forcibly drag the Ghost away as he was reborn as a sword.

"That won't do."

Taesan spread the black.

In an instant, the cave was engulfed in darkness. Koslun's pupils widened.

"Wh-What…?"

Taesan mixed in [Divinity].

Ash-gray light blanketed the cave.

The death that had tried to pull the Ghost away was blocked by the boundary and could not reach him.

Once again free, the Ghost transformed into a sword. He deeply wished for his desire.

RUMBLE—

The ash-gray swallowed the world.

"Oooough…"

Koslun staggered and barely stood up. The altar had completely crumbled without a trace.

And in the center of it all, a single sword was embedded in the ground.

"Is it… a success?"

Koslun muttered. Taesan approached the sword.

Its appearance was identical to Cabert's relic.

But what he felt from it was something completely different—yet familiar to him.

"How do you feel?"

[…Cold. I can't feel warmth.]

The Ghost's voice echoed.

Taesan grasped Cabert's relic.

[You have obtained the Prince of a Ruined World: Bardray.]

—

It was no longer Cabert's relic. This sword was Bardray himself.

"Cough. Cough."

Koslun approached while brushing off dust.

Seeing Bardray in Taesan's hand, he rushed forward.

"H-How is it?! Did it work?!"

[Looks like it.]

Bardray slipped from Taesan's hand and floated on his own. The way he moved freely through the air was as natural as a person moving their body.

"Ooooooh… Ooooohhh!"

Koslun couldn't hide his joy.

"Haha! I did it! I really did it! I succeeded!"

Bouncing around, Koslun grabbed Taesan's hand.

"Thank you. Really, thank you. It's all thanks to you."

"So does that mean your wish came true?"

"No. Not yet."

Koslun denied it with an excited expression.

"Creating a living weapon by merging soul and steel is certainly an unparalleled achievement, but what I truly wish for is to personally witness a weapon I made transcend mortality."

Bardray had gained the potential, but hadn't yet surpassed mortality. Koslun's wish wasn't fulfilled yet.

But he looked deeply satisfied.

"This is more than enough. I'm overflowing with joy. If Bardray ever reaches the immortal realm, make sure to come back. I must see it with my own eyes!"

[Sure, I can do that.]

"Oooooh…"

Koslun trembled all over.

"It's all thanks to you."

He looked at Taesan. Strictly speaking, the reason he even had the chance to fulfill his wish was because Taesan had brought the Ghost here.

"What was your name again?"

"Taesan."

"Right. Taesan. Anything else? Tell me anything. I'll make it for you."

But Taesan looked at Koslun's face and shook his head.

His face was terribly gaunt—almost corpse-like.

"Let's talk after you've had some rest. I should verify things too."

"Ah…"

Only then did the fatigue he had forgotten come crashing down. Koslun's legs gave out slightly.

"You're right… Sorry. I'll get some rest. I'll be back later."

Staggering, Koslun returned to his space. Watching him, Taesan stepped outside.

"How does it feel?"

[How do I put it… it feels like I've become a sword. That's really all. The sensation is unfamiliar, but I don't think I'll have trouble moving.]

Bardray floated alone in the air, then quickly moved. With a sharp slicing sound, a slash was drawn.

But it was a little clumsy. Like a child struggling to control the weight of a sword.

[I'm pretty unrefined. It'll take some time to get used to wielding myself as a sword. Still, it's not bad. I'm satisfied.]

"That's good. Congrats."

Taesan sincerely congratulated him. Bardray responded.

[Thanks.]

"So what are you going to do now?"

Bardray now had perfect freedom.

There was no need for him to stay with Taesan. If the Ghost wanted to leave, Taesan had no intention of stopping him.

[I chose to become a sword because I wanted to see the rest of your journey.]

Bardray spoke calmly.

[Considering what I owe you, leaving now would be shameless, don't you think?]

"That's true."

Taesan joked. Bardray returned to his hand.

[I have no intention of leaving you. You're the only one worthy of wielding me.]

[You have earned Bardray's recognition. All knowledge of the Storm Scar Sword is now yours.]

With Bardray's recognition, everything about the Storm Scar Sword flowed into Taesan.

Its knowledge, experience, and effort—everything became part of Taesan. He swung Bardray.

With a sharp slicing sound, the sword cut through the air like a storm.

The swordsmanship was Storm Scar Swordsmanship. Taesan had learned it directly from the Ghost, so this was no surprise.

But the swordsmanship he now displayed far surpassed anything he'd shown before.

[So this is how my wish manifested… how strange.]

"What did you wish for?"

[Nothing grand. I just thought it'd be nice if I could still teach someone the Storm Scar Sword even as a sword. I guess this is what came of that. It's a bit different than I imagined, but not bad.]

Taesan could now wield the Storm Scar Sword almost perfectly.

[Ability Sword] was ultimately a technique based on the Storm Scar Sword. Being able to handle its core meant his proficiency with [Ability Sword] had also increased.

Taesan had reached the level of swordsmanship that Bardray had spent his whole life to attain.

[And this other one must be it.]

[Bardray has activated Form Projection.]

The sword floated in midair. Its shape began to shift. The blade twisted, the hilt distorted.

Soon, Bardray appeared in human form—his body made of iron.

[The sensation hasn't changed, but this should be enough.]

"You wished for a human form?"

[Something like that. It's inconvenient to always be a sword, right? So I wished I could occasionally have a human shape. I guess this is it.]

Bardray returned to being a sword and came back to Taesan.

[Go ahead and check.]

"You okay with that?"

Bardray was once an adventurer—but now, he was Taesan's weapon.

Taesan needed to check his performance.

But he had held off, thinking it might make Bardray uncomfortable.

[I don't mind. I was prepared for that. I actually became a weapon, didn't I?]

Bardray spoke lightly.

[I'm your weapon now. I'm your reward for clearing the 86th floor and Koslun's quest. Check me as much as you want.]

"If you say so."

Taesan didn't refuse.

The system window for Bardray appeared.

[Prince of a Ruined World: Bardray]

[Prince of the fallen empire of Cabert. Bardray. Reborn with a sword as his body.]

[Attack +2500]

[Greatly increases proficiency in all swordsmanship skills.]

[Bardray can move on his own and wield his own swordsmanship.]

[Bardray can grow on his own. The more enemies he defeats, the stronger his attack power becomes.]

[Only those acknowledged by Bardray can wield him.]

[Those acknowledged by Bardray can fully master the Storm Scar Sword.]

[For one hour a day, Bardray can activate Form Projection at will.]