One Step Closer

After everything that occurred today, Sylas just laid in his bed thinking. He wasn't worried about his ranking—he was thinking about how he would leave his mark on the world. He felt stuck. Trapped.

Then, the same thing appeared—just like when he first entered the Gate:

[System Notification]

Skill: Domain of the King

Create a battlefield shaped by him—filled with replica swords.

Sylas can summon and wield any sword he has seen or touched.

Each replica can only be used once—after a single attack, it shatters.

Enemy buffs are suppressed inside the domain.

Duration: 60 seconds (Base Form)

Scales with Excalibur's Rank.

Passive Skill: Absolute Sword Sense

Capable of drawing out 200%+ of any weapon's potential.

New Status: Excalibur Seal Broken

Mana Output: E (matches Excalibur's current rank)

Combat Rank: E

Overload Scaling: Active

Power increases as Excalibur evolves.

Next Rank: D

Requirement: 50 Soul Core Fragments

He looked at it for a while. He still didn't understand how it was supposed to help him reach his goal.

He wondered…

"Maybe I can rank up Excalibur."

"System… Where can I get Soul Core Fragments?"

[System Notification]

Query Detected: "Where can I get Soul Core Fragments?"

Answer:

Soul Core Fragments are obtained by defeating monsters.

"Any kind of monsters?"

[System Notification]

"Any kind of monste—"

…

[System Unresponsive]

He sighed.

"That was no help…"

Now he felt completely stuck. He closed his eyes, trying not to think about it—for now.

Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open. He sat up, then walked toward the door and locked it.

"How long are you going to hide?"

His voice was calm and cold.

The room was quiet. Not a single sound. But he could hear him breathing. His heart was racing—panicking.

Then he turned toward the direction, his eyes glowing bright crimson red.

"Are you done hiding?"

Instantly, he moved—fast.

Whoosh—

He shot around the room. Left wall. Ceiling. Behind him. But Sylas's eyes never left him.

"…You done showing off?"

From the shadows, he struck—aiming for Sylas's throat from the right side.

Before it could reach him, Sylas caught his wrist mid-strike.

Silence.

He twisted the arm, snapping it like a twig. The assassin dropped his dagger, but Sylas caught it.

The assassin's eyes widened—he didn't expect to be caught. But by then, it was too late. He grabbed his body, slammed it against the wall, and plunged the dagger into his heart—pinning the lifeless body in place.

"Pathetic."

He walked away… and went back to sleep.

As usual, he was woken up by a knock on the door. And like always, he got up and saw Elizabeth. But this time, he made sure she didn't enter his room.

"I need my room cleaned. Call some of the older maids… maybe some soldiers."

She looked at him, slightly confused. With a smile.

"I can do it…"

He stepped out and closed the door behind him.

"No. Let's go get breakfast."

She didn't say anything. She knew it was pointless.

While he was eating, the maids who went to clean his room screamed—loud enough that everyone ran upstairs. When Elizabeth tried to move, he made her stay still.

Then Elaine, who had been training, ran upstairs to see if Sylas was okay. The entire house was in chaos.

He looked at Elizabeth, who was just standing there—looking around, filled with questions.

After he finished eating, he walked upstairs. The maids and soldiers were still in shock. They were shaking.

"Is my room clean?"

They pointed at the lifeless body on the wall, trembling. Elaine unmasked the figure.

"Do you know him?"

She nodded.

"No."

He knew she was hiding something. She couldn't look at him. Her lips were twitching, as if she was murmuring something to herself—but he ignored it.

"Okay then. Clean this mess up. I have to sleep tonight."

Everyone left the room. The soldiers carried the man's body away.

Elizabeth was still waiting outside with his sword. As they walked out, Elaine started to question him.

"How was an E-Rank able to beat an A-Rank?"

"A-Rank?"

He smiled and looked at her.

After that she didn't mention anything else about the assassin—as if she already knew who sent him.

So did he.

They walked toward the training grounds, Elizabeth following them quietly.

"Have you thought about trying for the entrance exam?"

He didn't know what she was talking about.

"What's that?"

She looked at him like she wasn't sure if he was joking or serious.

"It's the top school in the world—where all the highest-ranking students go."

He looked at her.

"Is Luis going to be there?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Because he still owes me something."

She tilted her head slightly, staring at him for a moment. He could tell she was trying to figure out what he meant by her expression.

Once they made it to the training ground, he sat on the corner and watched her train. Her footwork was amazing. She moved like a dancer—graceful, yet deadly.

The sword she was holding was thin, light, and elegant. It flowed like it was carved from a fragment of the moon.

He got up and walked toward her.

"Hey, sister… can I see that sword?"

She hesitated at first, her hand stopped mid-air. For a moment, she wasn't sure… then, without a word, she handed him the sword.

[System Notification]

Sword Technique Analyzed: "Dancing under the moon"

Replica added to Domain Arsenal.

He smirked.

"Interesting."

He was right. The sword felt like a feather. It was extremely light.

He swung it a few times, then closed his eyes, letting the sword guide him. Then, he started copying all of Elaine's movements.

Elaine froze—like she didn't know what she had just witnessed.

Elizabeth, who had been watching them, stayed quiet. Her eyes opened wide. They gleamed softly, like a child who had just seen something amazing for the first time.

After the session, he handed the sword back. She stared at him, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"You're a prodigy. You definitely should take the exam now." She hugged him. "I'll recommend you."

He smiled.

"Can you also do one for Elizabeth?"

She looked at Elizabeth, who started shifting her head around—staring backward nervously.

"Why?" Elaine asked.

He smiled.

"A king needs his most trustworthy by his side."

Her posture softened. As those words sank into her mind, she stopped shaking. Then, slowly, her back straightened—like she wanted to stand a little taller in front of him, as if she finally felt she had been noticed. She didn't say anything… but the way she looked at him showed loyalty.

"Thank you, sister."

He turned.

"Let's go, Elizabeth."

He didn't turn back.

One step closer to leaving his name behind.