The One-Eyed Silent Swordsman
Arc 7: Dungeon Arc
Chapter 25: A Warned Dream
Night.
Silence.
Not the silence of the forest.
Not the silence of the dungeon.
Something else.
Empty.
"…What is this?"
No answer.
I stand still.
Darkness stretches endlessly.
No ground.
No sky.
Just… nothing.
"…Everywhere."
A pause.
"…Darkness."
Something shifts.
Not around me—
Behind.
A voice.
Calm.
Cold.
"Don't move."
My body reacts instantly.
"…What…"
"…You are not ready."
Silence deepens.
My grip tightens.
No presence.
No direction.
Nothing to sense.
"…Where are you?"
No answer.
Only—
"Don't move."
A step.
I move anyway.
"…Silent Flow: Absolute."
Everything aligns.
Perfect.
Control—complete.
"…Air Slash."
I swing.
Clean.
Precise.
The cut moves forward—
Then—
Nothing.
It doesn't reach anything.
It doesn't hit anything.
It disappears.
"…?"
Something feels—
Wrong.
Not outside.
Inside.
My vision tilts.
My body feels… light.
Too light.
"…What…"
A pause.
Then—
My body falls.
But I'm still standing.
"…?"
I look down.
My body—
is below me.
Still.
Separated.
"…ah—"
No pain.
No attack.
No movement seen.
Only result.
My head…
was already gone.
"…ahhhhhhhhhhh—!!"
—
Knock.
Knock.
"Ren… what happened?"
A voice.
Real.
"…Open the door!"
My eyes snap open.
Breathing—broken.
Fast.
Uneven.
Dark room.
Walls.
Real.
"…!"
Knock. Knock.
"Ren!"
I stand.
My hands shake slightly.
"…I'm fine."
Lie.
I open the door.
Light enters.
People rush in.
"…What happened?"
"…You shouted—"
"…Are you hurt?"
I don't answer immediately.
My breathing is still unstable.
"…Nightmare?"
A pause.
"…Yeah."
Silence.
"…What did you see?"
I stop.
For a moment—
Darkness returns.
That voice.
That presence.
"…Nothing important."
A lie.
They look at each other.
Not convinced.
"…You don't look fine."
"…I am."
My voice is steady now.
Controlled.
"…Just a dream."
Silence.
They slowly step back.
Still watching.
Still unsure.
"…Rest."
"…Yeah."
The door closes.
Silence returns.
But not the same.
My hand moves—
To my neck.
Intact.
"…"
No wound.
No mark.
But—
That feeling remains.
"…I couldn't see it."
A quiet thought.
"…I couldn't react."
Silence.
"…I died."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Fact.
My breathing steadies.
Slow.
Controlled.
"…So something like that exists."
A pause.
Then—
Decision.
Clear.
"…I'm leaving this town."
—
Morning.
The Guild stays loud.
I look at the board.
A new quest.
S-Rank
-x1 Ice Dragon
-Level: ???
-Location- Dense Forest.
-Reward: 47 Gold
"…it looks good."
The clerk asks.
"You are not going to dungeon today?"
"Yeah… it makes bore."
Everyone silent.
"…I want to warm up in peace."
Everyone whispers.
"…He said he is bored."
"…Yeah."
"…He went in dungeon for more than a month."
I get out of guild.
"This town is good…"
The sky is calm.
The town moves like always.
Normal.
Peaceful.
Unaware.
I stand at the edge.
Looking back.
"I didn't think that I would this early here."
I enter dense forest.
The air feels normal.
Silence.
[Monsters Detected]
[Level: 11]
[Level: 15]
[Level: 12]
[Level: 12]
I ignore them.
More deep in the forest.
[Monster Detected]
[Earth Dragon]
[Level: 237]
[Tier: Lower]
"It came back…"
"Let me settle the score."
I used my fist.
One hit.
It went flying.
"…Looks like it didn't end."
I landed one more hit on Dragon's face.
[Monster Defeated]
[Exp +34,565]
[Level: 500]
[EXP: 585,160 / 2,800,000]
I am shocked.
"Its head blasted…"
"…Inventory."
[Item stored: Earth Dragon]
I went more deep in the forest.
This is a dragon territory.
[Danger Sensed]
[Monsters Detected]
[Fire Dragon]
[Level: 276]
[Tier: Lower]
[Earth Dragon]
[Level: 365]
[Tier: Lower]
[Water Dragon]
[Level: 271]
[Tier: Lower]
[Ice Dragon]
[Level: 406]
[Tier: Lower]
[Wind Dragon]
[Level: 457]
[Tier: Lower]
[Ice Dragon]
[Level: 389]
[Tier: Lower]
"…This is great."
My speed…
Looks teleportation.
I punched the Fire Dragon.
[Monster Defeated]
[EXP +124,000]
[EXP: 709,160 / 2,800,000]
One more comes.
I have to use it.
"…Sokaru…"
The blade didn't move wide.
"…Air Slash."
Not a wave.
Compressed.
A single line cut forward—
Invisible.
Silent.
Everything in its path—
Stopped.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
All of them split.
Clean.
At the same time.
[Monsters Defeated]
[EXP +100,000]
[EXP +273,000]
[EXP +500,000]
[EXP + 476,000]
[EXP +129,000]
[Level: 500]
[EXP: 2,187,160 / 2,800,000]
"…It is great experience."
"…Inventory…"
[Item stored: Fire Dragon]
[2x Earth Dragon]
[Water Dragon]
[Wind Dragon]
[2x Ice Dragon]
I come back to guild.
The clerk shockingly said
"…You always done your work fast."
"…It was good…"
"…Where should I drop them?"
"…them?"
"…I have 7 dragons."
"S-S-Seven?"
"Drop them in warehouse."
"Understood!"
I come in warehouse.
A guy with a sharp knife says.
"Do you have something?"
"…Yeah"
"Where is it?"
"Inventory."
"Here take them."
"They are huge…"
"Okay?"
"I am going back to guild."
Creeeak
I go to the counter.
"It's been so long…"
"What's your name?"
"Oh, well…"
"My name is…"
I stopped her.
"Nevermind."
"Calculate my money"
"Can you tell me what you submitted?"
"Umm…Let me remember…"
"Two-Earth Dragon, One-Fire Dragon, Two-Ice Dragon, One-Water Dragon and One-Wind Dragon."
"W-What?"
Everyone silent.
Someone start whispering.
"They all are national-level threat…"
"…all are S-Rank and SS-Rank monsters…"
The clerk asks
"What's your level?
"Let me see…"
"Status"
[Status]
Name: Ren
Title: Dragon Slayer II
Level: 500
EXP: 2,187,160 / 2,800,000
Condition: Normal
Skills:
- Silent Flow
- Silent Flow: Absolute
- Air Slash
- Physical Enhancement
- Mana Sense
- Focus Zone
Traits:
- High Adaptation
- Extreme Precision
"It is 500."
A pause.
She trembles.
"F-F-Five hundre."
The whole Guild becomes silent.
The Guild Master comind down stopped.
"You are lying…"
A pause.
"…You can see the dragons."
She nods.
"…okay, then your reward is…"
She shocked.
"…4 Platinum and 52 Gold."
Everyone shocked.
"…Whaaaaat!"
Everyone silent again.
She said to Guild Master.
"Our funding is 10 Platinum…"
"…He is taking half of it!?"
Guild Master tells me.
"…Ren there is a great town…"
"…Its name is HERO TOWN…"
A pause.
"…Just 7 days from here…"
I reply.
"Then I am going there…"
"…It is a great town."
A pause.
"…Abyss Town."
The same guard says.
"You are going?"
A pause.
"What is your Rank?"
I show him my card.
Silence.
"…I'll come back."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
I turn.
And walk forward.
Not as someone who survived—
But as someone who now knows—
There is something he cannot yet face.
And will.
Chapter End
Next Chapter: The Hero Town
Time: Tuesday, 6PM GMT +5:30