How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game Chapter 233 - Festival (3)

5 AM. With a pleasant sleep free of nightmares, my wake-up time was about an hour earlier than usual.

I had known it before opening my eyes, but including the visual aspect, it felt like the world became even clearer. I lay in bed, surrendering to the wave of sensations washing over me.

The pleasure given by sharp senses, mana sensitivity heightened to an indescribable degree, and a mind clearer than ever was considerable.

As I felt every time, it seemed like I could get addicted to this feeling. Of course, this might be partly because my usual condition was the worst.

“Whew.”

A deep exhalation. The surrounding mana felt as if it was alive at the molecular level.

The mana entering through my nose and airways as I breathed, and even that touching my skin, was vivid.

However, it wasn’t all good. The developed senses also picked up the aftermath left by the festival.

That was the smell of alcohol and food discarded in alleys and on the streets last night. It was tolerable enough in peak condition, though.

While most people were enjoying the festival, there were also those preparing for them or going about their daily lives as usual.

I could faintly hear the sounds of people starting their day from early dawn.

‘That’s enough.’

I got up. As I feel every time, this day should be used as beneficially as possible.

This much was enough for a moment’s pleasure.

I immediately prepared to go out. Before proper sword training, the location was important.

Especially since I had recently felt like I could overcome some kind of wall.

‘This environment won’t do.’

The new lodgings Erendil had given me weren’t large. At first, I had refused when she said she would give me some grand mansion.

I didn’t want anything extravagant. I didn’t intend to stick around the lodgings anyway.

Of course, there was space to move in the lodgings I received, but it was obvious that the outside would become noisy from daybreak.

On a day like this, I didn’t want to train in a place where I might be even slightly distracted. However, going outside the capital was also a bit awkward.

The place where I had sparred with the kids before was fine, but it took some time to get there.

Now, even that time was precious. In the end, there was only one answer. Inevitably, I headed straight for the imperial palace.

‘There are training facilities in the palace too.’

Although a banquet was scheduled for today as well, it didn’t matter. The palace is where the Sword Masters reside.

Naturally, there were places prepared for them too.

Separate from the open training grounds, there was a private training area. I heard it was underground and even had spaces for eating and sleeping. In fact, it was divided into two parts.

One was like a basic training ground, and the other was a mana training ground made of magic stone magic wood, like where the duke had taught me the Moonlight Technique before.

Passing by the greeting knights and servants, I headed straight for where Erendil was staying.

In front of Erendil’s door, Emmet and Rudehrn were standing guard.

As Erendil had mentioned before, it seemed the other Sword Masters were resting in shifts with these two.

Appearing at the crack of dawn, Rudehrn tilted his head when he saw me.

“Schurtafen, what brings you here at this hour? Has something happened…”

He trailed off mid-sentence, squinting one eye at me.

“You have a different aura about you today.”

“Yes. I’m not here to see Her Majesty. Could I possibly borrow the training room you use?”

Rudehrn looked me up and down carefully and nodded.

“Of course. You’re right on the verge of a breakthrough. Emmet, please guide him.”

Although one of the two bodyguard knights guarding the emperor was leaving his post, it didn’t matter.

After all, Rudehrn, a Sword Master, was here, and Emmet was just going away briefly. As I greeted them and left, Rudehrn smiled at me.

“I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you like this, it’s quite exciting. There are days like this. After today, we should cross swords again.”

“I would be grateful for that.”

As I left, greeting them, I asked Emmet how he had been.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, thanks to Her Majesty. Thanks to you too.”

“You seem a bit different?”

“With two Sword Masters reviewing my swordsmanship, I can only progress. Don’t you think?”

Emmet’s expression showed quite a bit of confidence. It was the strongest he had looked since losing one arm.

“It seems you’ve grown a lot.”

“My skills now are better than when I had two arms. Although missing an arm is inconvenient. Ugh, it would have been nice to have two.”

“Perhaps you’ve grown more because you only have one.”

It might not be something Emmet would like to hear, but my words could be true.

Sometimes, bad things can become opportunities for development.

Moreover, it was best to let go of any lingering attachment to the lost arm as much as possible. Emmet nodded without misunderstanding.

“You’re right. It’s just complaining. By the way, it seems like it’s that day that comes occasionally for you.”

“Yes.”

Having spent a long time with Emmet, he knew about my peak condition.

Of course, he doesn’t know the details. He doesn’t know that my usual state is only half.

In fact, he probably thinks it’s normal. After all, most people have days when they feel they can do anything, when they’re in good condition.

Of course, for me, the gap is bigger because I usually struggle so much.

Emmet walked quite quickly, probably out of consideration for me. We headed to an underground area in one corner of the palace, a space prepared for the Sword Masters.

“Then, I wish you good luck.”

The place I was guided to was a space as large as a sports field, filled with top-grade magic stone magic wood.

The duke’s mansion was considerable, but it couldn’t be compared to this place. As expected, the imperial palace is the imperial palace. The density of mana filling the room was different.

There were areas not made of magic stone magic wood, but I deliberately chose this place.

At one end of the wall, there was a section made of solid magic stone rather than being covered with magic stone magic wood, and there were faint traces on it.

Wondering what it was, I approached and looked closely to find that they were names.

[…, Zeblore, Faorn, Minteron, Rudehrn.]

These were the names of Sword Masters who had been in the empire. The names engraved on the magic stone were clear and without rough edges.

It seemed clear that they had been inscribed with Sword Energy.

Honestly, as a swordsman seeing that, it was natural to want to follow suit.

Of course, that wouldn’t be today. No matter how peak my condition was, becoming a Sword Master was too much. Still, it was enough for motivation.

I stood in the middle of the room and drew Moonlight. The Moonlight Technique, moonlight frosted over Moonlight’s blade.

There was much to review.

After the battles with Tsukva, the devilish dragon, and the devil, there were also the sparring sessions with Terka and the two Sword Masters.

Even when I reached the 6-star level of the Moonlight Technique while fighting Tsukva, I wasn’t in peak condition, so I needed to revisit that realization as well.

Let’s take it step by step. Starting with Tsukva’s.

***

There was something I had been curious about for a long time. If I reached the realm of Sword Master on a day when I was in peak condition…

Would I be able to maintain that realm and use Sword Energy even when I returned to my Worst Condition?

I couldn’t know without trying, but I was thinking quite positively about it.

There was one known condition for becoming a Sword Master on the continent.

-When a swordsman completes something perfect, they cross the wall and become a Sword Master.

This was something all Sword Masters said in common. Here, the “something” that Sword Masters complete is not the same for everyone.

It could be their own swordsmanship or a single technique. Usually, it was the latter.

The swordsmanship that Sword Masters create is usually developed after reaching the realm of Sword Master.

Also, although there was only one case, someone reached that realm while forging their own sword.

‘Well, rather than a truly perfect sword, it would be more accurate to say they crossed the wall right after forging a sword that perfectly suited them.’

Anyway, everyone said that the moment of crossing the wall to become a Sword Master changes everything.

They say you can manifest Sword Energy and see the optimal moves in offense and defense.

I still couldn’t gauge what that feeling was like, but it seemed like a change in the realm of cognition, as if undergoing a complete transformation.

This was one of the reasons I was thinking positively. It’s not like my memories disappear when I return to Worst Condition.

In other words, if I cross the wall once, there’s a high probability that I could become a Sword Master.

Of course, this is my hopeful thinking in a positive direction. There were plenty of cases where it might not be so.

And even if things go as I hope, my usual self might not be considered a true Sword Master in the genuine sense.

Still, whether or not I reach that realm, even if it’s with the help of peak condition, would make a clear difference.

‘For now, it’s a useless worry.’

In any field, there’s an enormous gap between experts and the very best. The top experts say that this gap is even bigger than the difference between beginners and intermediates, or intermediates and experts.

Even objectively speaking as someone who could be called an expert in swordsmanship, I felt the same way.

In fact, when reviewing the sparring sessions with Sword Masters with a clear mind, their realm felt even more distant than before.

I sighed and got up.

The contemplation after reviewing the sparring had gone on too long. Now that the review was over, it was time to focus on the sword.

After shaking off stray thoughts, I swung Moonlight diligently. I only took minimal rest.

I also tried imitating Terka’s sword, Faorn’s sword, and Rudehrn’s sword without resistance.

The same was true for the movements behind those simple, brute force punches when the devil attacked me.

The reason for doing this, even though I wasn’t going to copy their swordsmanship, was because what you think in your head and what you actually feel in your body are different.

And I think the latter is more important. Because everyone’s body is different.

Even if you take the same posture, the force applied to the muscles and the posture will inevitably be subtly different.

‘This seems better.’

What I was doing now was finding slightly better ways in various movements and implanting them into myself.

It’s easy to say, but it was definitely not an easy task.

It was about adjusting minute movements to fit my sword style based on the Moonlight Technique.

It was like creating new postures based on two things: other people’s techniques and my own, taking what was useful and discarding what wasn’t.

This was only possible because I was in peak condition.

Very subtle differences, such as which movement is slightly more efficient and powerful, are areas that are difficult to perceive normally.

And even in this state, I couldn’t find the right answer and change my swordsmanship immediately in just one try.

Trial and error and mastery were essential.

I focused without even checking the time, but I could tell by feel that it was already fully night.

Peak condition even made my sense of time clearer. I didn’t have much of today left for me.

‘Huh? Wait. If I do this like this…’

And inspiration and realization came suddenly. It was the moment I was about to draw three moons with Moonlight.

Terka’s brilliance, Rudehrn’s overwhelming swordsmanship, and Faorn’s expertise.

These three merged in my mind as a trinity, creating a single movement based on my swordsmanship.

And I drew the moon as if possessed. At that moment, my thoughts expanded.

Like two mirrors facing each other, endlessly extending.

It was as if the horizon in my unusually clear mind kept expanding infinitely.

And so, the moon I drew was a full moon, even though I hadn’t mastered the Moonlight Technique.

And what frosted over the Moonlight I was holding was not the moonlight created by the Moonlight Technique, but…

Silver Sword Energy.

At this moment, although I didn’t know how long it would last, I had reached the realm of Sword Master.