A knight residing in a wondrous realm, untouchable by ordinary talent.
Verdin.
At a young age, he rose to the pinnacle with unmatched skill. Even the Emperor bestowed upon him the grand title of “Sword King.”
At nine, he graduated from the academy.
At fourteen, he stepped onto the battlefield.
At twenty, he single-handedly annihilated an army of monsters.
These feats were records no one had ever achieved.
*That’s right…*
Invincible.
The word was crafted for him.
At the time, Verdin believed he had reached the domain of the gods.
No one can defeat me.
Whether monster or adventurer.
And so, arrogance took root.
He respected no one and regarded the word “reverence” as merely a dictionary entry.
Such was his strength—acknowledged by all.
[Who could possibly surpass the absolute, unparalleled Sword Deity, Verdin?]
This question echoed among adventurers.
There is no one stronger than me.
Not in the past. Not in the future.
Verdin lived with that belief.
But a time he thought would never come eventually found him.
He had never once imagined losing to anyone.
“Damn it…”
[The Lord of Calamity, the Red Dragon.]
No matter how many times he slashed and struck, it refused to fall.
*Just one more. If I could take down just this one beast, I’d have claimed the title of the strongest being on Earth.*
But cutting alone wasn’t enough to win.
A dragon, after all, was beyond the capabilities of human strength.
That creature could destroy the world on its own—what lunacy had driven me to face it alone?
*…Damn it!*
**Thud!**
The Red Dragon’s massive, razor-sharp claw pierced through Verdin’s chest. With a gasp, he was flung to the ground.
The intense pain forced a groan from his lips.
**Cough**
Blood gushed from his mouth. His clothes and the ground had long been soaked in red.
Defeat.
A complete and utter loss.
The dragon was unfathomably powerful—beyond comparison to anyone Verdin had ever faced.
Its black, pupil-less eyes locked onto Verdin.
“Grrrr…”
Its gaze was more chilling than any predator in the forest. A shiver ran down Verdin’s spine.
*I need to run.*
The thought surged in his mind, but his body refused to move.
For the first time in his life, he was shaken by defeat.
Fear of an unbeatable foe.
Misery at his powerless state.
A whirlwind of rage surged within him like a typhoon.
“Hah…”
All he could do now was breathe shallowly.
His body was a wreck.
His hands and feet wouldn’t move. He had lost so much blood that his mind was clouded.
Even holding up his head was impossible.
Sleepiness washed over him, and his eyes closed on their own.
*Sigh.*
As time passed and his thoughts cleared, Verdin accepted his loss.
And yet, he began to think calmly.
The battle had ended in defeat. Today, he had lost.
That fact wouldn’t change.
So, how could he defeat the dragon?
Even in the face of defeat, Verdin yearned for victory. It didn’t take long for an answer to form.
*That’s it.*
He hadn’t lost because he was human.
He had lost because he was weak.
If he had been stronger, the outcome of this battle could have been different.
This fight wasn’t a contest between human and dragon—it was between Verdin and the Red Dragon.
White mist escaped his lips with every breath, drifting into the air like a fog.
Verdin let out a dry laugh and touched his forehead with the back of his hand.
*…Damn it.*
I want to be stronger.
I desperately want to be stronger.
So much that it drives me mad.
Stronger than now. Beyond the limits of humanity.
Strong enough to slay a dragon.
Strong enough to reach the domain of the gods!
Verdin truly deserved to be called the incarnation of the battlefield. Even on the brink of death, he craved greater power.
As he faced the end, he made one final prayer.
If a god truly exists, grant me one more chance to fight.
Next time, I’ll become strong enough to kill that dragon.
I swear it.
**Whoosh.**
The Red Dragon prepared its final blow.
A fiery red flame swirled in its mouth, gathering power.
It poured down over Verdin’s head.
**Boom!**
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