The Dimensional Swordmaster C14

Chapter 14. The Whereabouts of the Sword (4)

When he had first entered this dungeon, its attribute had been fire. Remembering the sky that had rained ash, Gong Siyoung narrowed his eyes.

There had been no trace of water, not to mention ice—yet now the barren land had transformed into a frozen world.

“The gate info could be wrong. The system window could be bugged. Or the dungeon itself is broken.”

Nothing matched the briefing. It was supposed to be A-rank, yet upon entry it displayed as B-rank. The attribute had changed, the gate overflow timer was different—everything contradicted the reports.

“But the Association wouldn’t screw up like that, right?”

Yu Jin’s words hung in the frigid air. Siyoung shook his head. Nothing like this had happened before.

The reason this dungeon was flagged originally was simply its short reset period. When Association hunters had entered after Siyoung’s initial clear for a post-clear survey, nothing unusual had been reported.

No matter how he reasoned it, there was only one conclusion: the dungeon was deliberately messing with them.

“Let’s move.”

Weird or not, they were here. Their goal was the same—to kill the boss.

And Siyoung had one more goal.

Somewhere around here…

The terrain wouldn’t have changed just because the climate did. Judging by the gate’s location and orientation, this was where he had first encountered Yurian.

Meaning the sword had been left somewhere around here.

And of course everything was buried under endless snow. The blade was probably frozen beneath it all.

Finding it here was like finding a needle in a haystack—except the needle was ice in a field of snow.

“Unbelievable.”

He stomped at the ground, irritated, kicking at the snow here and there. Useless.

“What’s there? Something found?”

“Nothing.”

Yu Jin bounded over immediately, stepping in Siyoung’s tracks like a hyperactive puppy.

Siyoung was about to walk off when—

“Oh?!”

Yu Jin stared down at his feet. Digging into the snow, he pulled out a solid block of ice. Gu Jayoung hurried over.

“A frozen sword?”

Siyoung stiffened. In the chunk of ice lay a blade split clean in half—Yurian’s broken sword.

The two examined it with great interest, chattering about item rarity, loot rights, and whether it was allowed to take it.

Without warning, Siyoung reached between them.

CRACK.

Ice shattered violently the moment his hand touched it. Yu Jin yelped, jumping back as shards flew.

“Holy—! Give a warning next time! I nearly got skewered!”

Shards embedded into the snow around them like daggers.

When Siyoung lifted the blade, the two stared. Silence fell.

“…I dropped it last time.”

“But you don’t use a sword.”

Siyoung’s main weapon was an ice spear, and even then he mostly fought with freezing magic—effectively a ranged DPS role. Everyone here knew that.

A random sword suddenly appearing was odd. But Siyoung claiming it? Suspicious.

“It’s mine.”

It wasn’t—but they didn’t need to know that. He tucked the broken sword under his arm.

Yu Jin and Jayoung exchanged looks.

“…Suspicious.”

“Agreed.”

It wasn’t flashy or special-looking—barely above trash-tier in appearance. There was no logical reason for Siyoung to be so attached to it.

Unless it was special.

“Maybe it’s some insane legendary item? Like SS-rank disguised trash?” Yu Jin whispered.

Jayoung shrugged. “Doesn’t look like much.”

“Best items always look lame! Don’t you have an appraisal skill? That one you used last time.”

“I do, but…”

Using it meant Siyoung would notice. And picking a fight with Siyoung over speculative loot sounded suicidal.

“It’s just appraisal. We’re not stealing it.”

Yu Jin’s whisper slithered like temptation. Jayoung hesitated—then flicked her fingers.

[Skill: Observer’s Scales Activated]

Appraising item rank & properties…

— Item Name: (Unknown User)’s Cherished Sword

— Rank: F ~ SS

— Status: Currently In a Very Bad Mood (F)

+

Siyoung turned immediately.

Yu Jin flailed. “N-nice weather! Haha! Wow, look at this snow—!”

A cold gust blasted them, snow swirling violently.

Jayoung cleared her throat.

“Please don’t mind us. Just… looking.”

“Do not waste time. Move.”

He turned away. Yu Jin jumped forward to follow, whispering furiously:

“What’d it say? What’s the rank?”

Jayoung stared at Siyoung’s back for a long moment.

“It says… the sword is in a bad mood.”

“…Huh?”

“And its rank goes from F to SS.”

“…What??”

Jayoung fell silent.

“All right! Coming!” Yu Jin chirped at Siyoung’s impatient shout, scampering after him.

‘As if I want that ugly sword.’ Siyoung scowled.

Even if it were SS-rank, he wouldn’t covet someone else’s sword.

And if he ever had to swing such a crude piece of junk, he’d rather die.

He just needed to kill monsters fast and get out. Then he could return the sword and cut ties.

Just imagining never seeing Yurian again somehow lit a fire under him.

[Approaching Core Zone: Monsters Awakening]

+

Snow trembled. Cracks spread across the ice as a colossal shadow rose.

[Boss Monster (A) Has Appeared]

This zone now belongs to the monster.

+

A titan unfurled its body, shedding ice.

No sun shone here, yet its sapphire mask gleamed vividly in the blizzard.

Nearly ten meters tall, the giant moved with slow inevitability.

Facing the prepared hunters, it spoke:

〈I am the Warden of Niflheim. This land belongs to the chosen.〉