NoveLight ™
As Seong cast the skill, he immediately felt his control over his body disappear.
He couldn’t even move a finger.
In this state, everything around him melted away like a scene from a video and was replaced by a new environment.
This was a "cutscene."
Also known as an event scene.
Seong quickly realized that this was the cutscene that played when summoning a Demon Knight.
‘Oh.’
The familiar Kahku's second warehouse dissolved, and in its place appeared an expansive plain.
Or was it a wasteland?
It was a barren land, untouched and untamed, where tens of thousands of soldiers were gathered.
The sound of iron boots leaving clear marks on the hard earth echoed.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The thousands of soldiers marched in unison, as if they were a single entity.
They gazed at the opposing army charging toward them.
Amidst the standoff between the two sides, the soldiers clashed with one another, swinging different weapons in a desperate fight to the death, regardless of friend or foe.
Clang! Clang!
Chwaa! Chwaa!
The sounds of weapons clashing echoed in all directions as blood sprayed everywhere.
The crimson blood scattered across the barren wasteland and soon darkened, like the land was soaked with the blood of the fallen.
The battlefield became filled with pure malice, and blood continued to spill in every direction.
Had the land become unable to absorb any more blood?
Perhaps it was because the disgusting essence of the humans’ malice was now mixed with their blood, revolting the land itself.
The earth, which had absorbed so much blood, began to recoil, and blood surged back from the soil.
Gulp, gulp.
None of the soldiers in the chaotic battlefield noticed the strange turn of events.
Filled with malice, they continued to fight each other, wielding their weapons and thinking only of destroying the enemy.
The blood that surged from the earth spread out, forming what seemed like a massive lake of blood.
The blood lake stretched across the battlefield, enveloping everything and releasing an intense, iron-like smell.
Even as soldiers trudged through the blood, it stuck to their feet.
Yet no one paid attention to the sticky blood.
And at that moment, in the center of the lake of blood, something seemed to rise up as if the blood was flowing backward.
Gulp, gulp.
A massive form began to emerge from the blood, sucking up all the blood in the lake.
Only then did the sounds of clashing weapons begin to fade as everyone realized something was terribly wrong.
The shape that emerged from the center of the battlefield was like a gigantic human heart.
The heart, as large as a human head, was a deep, dark black.
As the heart pulsed, dark crimson blood began to spread around it.
Instead of spilling outward, the blood formed into veins that started to grow in the air.
Thump! Thump!
As the heart’s pulse quickened, veins began to spread throughout the battlefield, and around these veins, bones made of dark red blood began to form.
As the bones and veins grew, the blood swirled and began to turn into muscle.
The colossal 3-meter-tall figure, now fully formed, continued to draw blood from the blood lake, covering its body with it.
With its red skin now coated in blood, it seemed to form armor and clothing from the blood as well.
Finally, as the figure reached out to the blood lake, a spear appeared.
The figure swung the spear into the air, and a red wave of energy spread, sweeping away the entire enemy army in an instant.
As the entire army was massacred, the figure moved like a butcher, its footsteps echoing across the battlefield.
The figure walked toward Seong, who had been observing the entire scene.
Thud, thud.
The slow, sticky footsteps of the figure left clear bloodstains on the ground.
As it approached Seong, the blood from the footsteps flowed out, creating a magic circle.
A blood-red magic circle glowed brightly, resonating with the surroundings, spreading a crimson mist.
As the magic circle formed, the figure’s true form emerged, revealing the full appearance of the Demon Knight.
Wooooo!
[You have summoned the Demon Knight, Valtar of Blood.] [You are the first player in Eternal World to summon a Demon Knight.] [You have earned the title: 『Demon Knight Summoner』.]
[Warning] [The Demon Knight’s will is stronger than other summoned beings.] [It may disobey commands, and handling the Demon Knight will require constant effort.]
‘Hmm?’
Seong had succeeded in the summoning and gained a title.
It was a good thing, but the warning attached to it caught his attention.
The Demon Knight’s will was stronger than other summons and could disobey commands?
With the cutscene included, it was clear that this summon was incredibly powerful.
But did this mean there would be disadvantages?
‘This could be tricky.’
A summon that doesn’t listen to its summoner...
It reminded Seong of the red dragon from the old monster-taming manga, a creature that didn’t listen to its master.
Was Valtar the same kind?
No, thinking negatively from the start wouldn’t help.
It was possible that Valtar would listen.
His first impression wasn’t all that bad.
Seong then observed Valtar’s appearance.
‘Hmm.’
Valtar’s blood-red skin and the numerous scars all over his body, visible through his armor, were striking.
Even though he wore a helmet, the large, menacing horns on his head were clearly visible.
Despite his giant build, he had a surprisingly handsome face, though his cold eyes and sharp features gave off an intimidating presence.
He looked pretty displeased.
What could he be so upset about? As he looked at Seong, his face twisted in disgust.
With his already intimidating appearance, the pressure on Seong intensified.
Valtar’s first words, spoken in a refined manner, were full of contempt and disdain.
Seong had never been treated like this before, especially since he was always treated kindly by ghosts and admired for his looks by people.
This was the first time he’d experienced such treatment, and it left him quite perplexed.
How should he handle this situation?
Just as Seong was trying to figure it out, Valtar shouted.
“Hmm.”
Seong felt uncomfortable, and Valtar’s expression twisted as if demanding that he open the underworld right away.
Before Valtar could say anything else, a voice interrupted.
“Hmm?”
Seong turned his head, feeling a sudden drop in temperature around his right shoulder.
There, a small woman with a familiar face was sitting on his shoulder.
Her red hair tickled his ear, and the ghostly presence of her spirit made Seong’s shoulder feel cold.
She was wearing a bonnet, typical of medieval noblewomen, with a sheer black veil partially revealing her face. Holding a black parasol, she seemed frustrated.
‘Helena?’
It was a surprise to see Helena suddenly appear.
But more than that, Tartar?
Could it be that they knew each other?
However, Helena’s words didn’t reach Tartar—no, Valtar.
As a ghost, Helena’s voice could only be heard by Seong and other spirits like her.
It was obvious that Valtar couldn’t hear her.
But then, Seong realized something.
‘Did Valtar used to be a summon?’
Helena, unusually upset, was clearly displeased by Valtar’s behavior.
Seeing her acting this way made Seong, who had been feeling awkward earlier, let out a laugh.
A soft chuckle escaped him.
Valtar, seeing Seong laugh, glared at him fiercely.
In a low growl, like that of a beast, he warned Seong.
[Valtar, the Demon Knight of Blood, is releasing energy.]
The warning was clear.
The system even noted it.
But Seong had a strong weapon at his disposal.
With an annoyed expression, Helena whispered various things to Seong.
He nodded and then said with a smirk.
“Hmm, Tartar. How dare you speak to me, the disciple of the former Overlord, Helena? Do you not care if your secrets are exposed to the world?”
Valtar shouted, growing even more agitated, as the situation became more tense.
Seong continued with a calm smile.
“Hmm, Tartar, remember when you were chasing Veladrina as a child, and you ended up stealing her underwear...”
Valtar reacted as if hot water had been poured on him.
But Seong didn’t stop.
“Hmm, you couldn’t even throw it away after you were dumped by Veladrina, and later, when you got interested in Savilia, you still couldn’t let go of that underwear... Does it bother you to know this?”
The effect was remarkable.
What a truly devilish, embarrassing story.
Seeing the once imposing and intimidating Valtar reduced to this made Seong wonder.
‘Is his pride what makes him weak?’
Helena’s words confirmed it.
Seong accepted it but wondered, would this really make Valtar submit?
For a moment, he pondered.
[For the first time in Eternal World, you have subdued the noble Demon Knight 『Valtar, the Demon Knight of Blood』.]
[You have earned the title 『Master of the Demon Knight』.]
The system message appeared in front of Seong, and before him, Valtar, the Demon Knight, knelt on one knee and cried out.
Seong looked at Valtar, bewildered.
‘So this is how it works.’
Helena, who was standing on Seong’s shoulder and throwing a tantrum, nodded in satisfaction, crossing her arms.
It seemed that everything worked out since he had subdued Valtar.
Seong was ready to move on when Valtar, still kneeling, cautiously asked.
“Ah, um.”
Since Valtar was not only his subordinate but also an NPC, Seong casually responded.
“Um, I can see Helena’s spirit.”
“Yeah, she’s on my shoulder. She’s in a smaller form right now.”
"Ahahah! She’s not fully recovered yet, that’s why!"
"Heeeh!!"
Helena laughed as she spoke, and Valtar, overwhelmed, collapsed backward, his body flipping as he fell.
Seong watched the scene and thought:
‘He’s... really strong, right?’
He had been granted a title just for summoning Valtar, and now he was being given another for subduing him.
That meant Valtar must indeed be incredibly powerful.
The energy emanating from him was immense.
But his actions seemed...
‘It’s just so embarrassing, though.’
Seong’s doubts couldn’t be helped.
Helena, having heard Seong’s thoughts, laughed.
‘Hmm.’
Helena flashed a seductive smile and stood up from Seong’s shoulder.
It seemed like it was time for her to rest.
‘Ah?’
With that, Helena disappeared.
Seong thought over what she said, storing the information in his mind.
He hadn’t expected such a secret.
It seemed that, as he absorbed the memories of the ghosts, their strength was restored.
When considering the memories and experiences Helena had given him, it made sense.
He hadn’t realized that the reason Helena had become so small was because of him.
Feeling a bit guilty, Seong turned his head, only to hear Valtar in a panic.
Valtar, clearly overwhelmed by the mention of a ghost, was in a state of panic.
Seong sighed quietly, shaking his head at the pathetic sight of Valtar.
Then, the alarm he had set earlier rang.
Didi-di-di! Didi-di-di!
"Ah."
It was time for the interview with Kim Che-geon.
‘It’s almost time.’
Seong wanted to test out Valtar and the new skills, but he figured it would be best to wait until they got to the dungeon.
He also wanted to check the new titles he had received.
First, Seong sent Valtar to the underworld.
2.
The record-based dungeon, the Castle of the Past.
It was a test for users before their second class advancement, to measure their skills.
Any rookie from a major guild would definitely come here.
And to enter a major guild, one would intentionally come here.
Standing before the entrance of the dungeon was a user wearing a large conical hat and a custom Hanbok from the Joseon Dynasty.
The Greatest Sword of Joseon, Kim Che-geon.
She sighed deeply.
‘Phew, finally, the interview with Rapid Guild.’
Though she hadn’t been accepted yet, getting this far had been no easy feat.
She had trained relentlessly.
She had defied her family’s opposition and traveled from a distant land.
And now, here she was, about to attend the interview.
“Such an honor.”
Kim Che-geon, with a proud expression, noticed someone approaching.
A figure holding a sword and shield, clad in rather impressive equipment, stood before her.
He looked like a swordfighter.
“Are you the one who’s here for the interview with Rapid Guild...?”
He hesitated as he spoke, unsure of how to address her.
Kim Che-geon, confidently nodding, answered proudly.
“That’s right. I am the Greatest Sword of Joseon, Kim Che-geon.”
“...How did you come up with that name...?”
“What did you say?”
“Hmm, never mind.”
“???”