RE: ZERON I will return for you, even if it takes a million

Chapter 3 : The weight of blade

After a few minutes, Ora sent me toward the mountains to begin my training. She told me that if I couldn't find food in town, I should just scavenge for fruit in the woods.

​From what I remembered of history, there were plenty of edible fruits there, but the problem was the sheer number of monsters. In my time, no one dared to forage that deep.

​As expected, we encountered monsters at every turn. However, I found them easy enough to handle thanks to the Time Sword. As long as I held it, I could freeze anyone mid-attack and simply walk up to them. Once I was in position, I would strike the moment time resumed.

​To be honest, the sword wasn't hard to use, but the physical toll was immense. A heavy, hollow weakness washed over me every time the power deactivated.

​"The duration of the freeze or the length of the rewind depends entirely on your internal energy," Ora explained, her voice echoing in my head. "But you're still far too weak. Five seconds of frozen time is your current limit."

​While searching for food, I stumbled upon an old, abandoned house. It had likely been deserted because the monster population in the area had spiraled out of control. Since the doors and windows were still intact, I decided it was habitable. I spent the next few hours clearing out cobwebs and debris, trying to make the space feel somewhat like a home.

​As the day progressed, I went out to find water. The forest was teeming—wild boars, armored gorillas, flame foxes, and more. Because no one in this era was brave enough to drive them back, their territory was expanding rapidly.

​I quickly realized I couldn't use the Time Sword's abilities back-to-back. My body would grow limp, my knees buckling and my arms shaking too much to even swing a blade. I concluded that I needed to space my attacks out by at least ten seconds to let my energy stabilize.

​"I need to build up my physical strength and stamina," I muttered to myself, wiping sweat from my eyes.

​"Correct," Ora chimed in. "Your energy levels are average at best. Compared to dragons, vampires, or elves, you only possess about 25% of their natural capacity. If you faced one of them now, you wouldn't last three minutes in a fight."

​She reminded me that creatures in this world could manipulate their energy to amplify their attacks and defenses tenfold. If I couldn't learn to do the same, I wouldn't stand a chance against any real warrior.

​"Ten times stronger? I'm just a human, Ora. You know we have limits."

​"Don't worry too much," she said dismissively. "The Time Sword assists its master. Every time you use it, it expands your energy capacity to accommodate its power. The sword is alive; it knows your weaknesses and your potential. As you grow stronger, you'll unlock more of its abilities."

​She then dropped a bombshell: "We have only two weeks before we begin the hunt for the seventh member of the Black Scorpion. Train well."

​I gasped. "Two weeks? That's impossible! I trained for ten years back home and never got as strong as the elite guards."

​She ignored my whining. "Your situation is different now. Stop complaining and train all day."

​So, I did. I pushed through the forest, encountering massive monsters—some even Class B, far stronger than the usual strays. Ora's training was brutal; she made me lift heavy boulders and sprint up steep mountain slopes until my lungs burned. There were moments when the sheer exhaustion made me want to just collapse and quit.

​"How long can I keep this up? Can I really save this country?" I whispered, gasping for air as I lay flat on the dirt.

​One week into my training, I encountered a group of hunters from the town. One of them approached me, looking concerned.

​"Are you lost? This forest is far too dangerous to be in alone. You'll be eaten alive," he warned.

​Ora had told me not to trust anyone, but they seemed like ordinary, decent men. I decided to answer.

​"I'm fine. Actually... I'm the one hunting the monsters."

​I explained that I was thinning out the local population to help the town. I figured it was a good enough cover story.

​"Wait," one of them said, eyes wide. "Are you the reason the wolves stopped attacking the farms at night?"

​I scratched my head. "I don't know about that, but I did clear out over a hundred wolves in the western woods a few days ago."

​They were stunned. "Are you a high-ranking adventurer?"

​"No, just an ordinary hunter doing a favor."

​Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through the trees. A pack of Stone-Head Bears emerged from the brush.

​"Stone-Head Bears?! Why are they here?" the hunters cried.

​With the other predators gone, new groups were trying to claim the territory. The hunters aimed their rifles, their hands trembling. "There are too many! Run, kid! Escape while you can!"

​I stepped in front of them, planting my feet. "Stay back. I've got this."

​The Time Sword materialized in my hand. Time Freeze.

​The bears stopped in their tracks, locked in place. I sprinted forward, positioning myself in the center of the pack. The moment time flowed again, I unleashed a whirlwind of slashes.

​The hunters watched in disbelief. Ten bears collapsed simultaneously. The survivors fled into the trees in terror.

​"How... he was just over there. He moved so fast I couldn't even see him!"

​I turned back to them with a grin, trying to catch my breath. "You're safe now. You can travel the woods freely." I paused, then added, "By the way, you're hunters, right? Do people in town buy bear meat?"

​They told me bear meat fetched a high price, though it needed professional cleaning.

​"Perfect. I need money for a place in town. Living in the woods is starting to get old."

​We struck a deal: they would take the carcasses to town, and in exchange for their labor, I'd take a cut of the profits. I didn't even care if they ran off with the money; I was killing these things for training anyway.

​The next day, the hunters visited my shack. They were floored to find it filled with Mana Stones harvested from Class B monsters—items I had collected simply because they looked like neat, glowing souvenirs.

​"Mister, did you get all of these yourself?"

​"Yeah. Seemed like a waste to leave them behind. Are they worth anything?"

​They explained that these stones were used for weapons and decorations and were worth a fortune. They suggested I sell them in a larger city for a better price. I offered them a fifty-fifty split if they handled the sales for me.

​"Are you sure? You're trusting us with a massive amount of gold."

​I shrugged. "You look like honest guys. I trust you."

​When they handed me the initial payment for the bear meat, I nearly fell over. "Twenty thousand? For just those bears? That's six months' worth of my old salary!"

​I realized then that I was sitting on a gold mine.

​Refreshed by the sudden wealth, I pushed my training even harder. I tested the Rewind spell and found I could now revert the state of things within my circle by up to three minutes.

​"Not bad," Ora bragged. "But when I wielded that sword, I could rewind an entire day."

​I practiced using Rewind to 'blink' back to my previous position during combat, allowing me to attack from multiple directions. I even used it for fishing—throwing the sword into the river and rewinding it back to my hand with a fish skewered on the blade.

​"This could be useful," I muttered.

​But despite the progress, a shadow of doubt remained. Could I really stop a world-ending war?

​A few days later, while running to build stamina, I saw a group of carriages under siege. Goblins. Dozens of them were swarming the guards, looting supplies. Then, the leader emerged: a Goblin King.

​It was a Class A monster. Huge, intelligent, and radiating a dangerous, heavy aura.

​"A Goblin King?"

​With one swing of its club, it pulverized a wooden carriage. I didn't hesitate. I dashed in, cutting through the lesser goblins to give the survivors time to flee.

​"Get out of here! I'll handle the big one!"

​My speed kept the survivors safe, but the Goblin King grew furious. It lunged at me with terrifying speed.

​"This one is different," I thought, cold sweat beading on my forehead. Time Freeze.

​I didn't waste a heartbeat. I moved in and aimed a killing blow at its throat. Time resumed—but instead of a spray of blood, I heard a metallic clank. The blade didn't even scratch its skin.

​"What? Why didn't it cut?!"

​"The Goblin King can use internal energy!" Ora shouted, panic edging her voice. "It's reinforcing its skin with a protective barrier!"

​I scrambled back, heart hammering against my ribs. This thing's presence was unlike anything I had ever felt. I tried again, aiming for the joints in its neck. Clank. I had failed twice, and now I was too close. I didn't have enough time to wind up another strike. I tried to jump away, but the King's club caught me mid-air.

​I was sent flying, crashing through a wooden carriage like a ragdoll.

​"No..."

​A white-hot flash of agony surged through my body. I heard the sickening snap of my own bones. I tried to scream, but the air caught in my throat. I couldn't move. For the first time, I felt true, paralyzing terror.

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