Shadow Author

"Huh."

I couldn't believe it this whole time Miss Smith had been hyping up the sword and now that we reached the grand finale she was practically cucking me?

"Unfortunately it's true, no one of S rank has ever wielded this sword and I don't know exactly what to ask someone because I have a feeling that they won't be willing to return it."

What Miss Smith said made sense if someone as strong as an S ranker got their grubby little mitts on the sword when it only has five runes I bet they would keep it not to mention the all-powerful sixth.

Now that we were done with the runes I wanted to hear about the metal that made up the sword because its pure black color was extremely unique and fitting for someone of my character.

"I understand, it's a bit disappointing I'm not going to lie. Anyways, what I've really been curious about is its color! It's almost as if I can feel the black resonating with me."

She laughed.

"Ha, I knew this would be the perfect weapon for you! This sword is a relic that's not of this world, it's from a tower!"

My mind practically exploded when Miss Smith said that it was from a tower!

Towers like monsters and dungeons suddenly appeared one day and changed the world.

However, unlike dungeons, towers were few throughout, unbeatable, and hundreds of times more dangerous.

There were a set amount of floors within each tower and clearing just one of them provided world-altering rewards.

By this logic, it made complete sense that the sword came from the tower due to all the powerful abilities it has.

I desperately wanted to ask Miss Smith how she managed to not only survive but clear one of the floors of a tower.

At Miss Smith's current level, it would be impossible to get out of one alive.

Yet I held myself back because there was obviously some sort of dark past to how the sword came to be in my hands.

"That's incredible! No wonder it's so strong!"

Miss Smith just smiled, understanding my excitement.

"The reason it's black is that it's made of an unknown metal found in another world. Although I don't know any of the specifics behind it I can tell you the sword's name."

Now this shocked me, things kept getting better and better the more I learned about the blade.

"It has a name?"

Swords that are said to be named are rumored to be unlike any blade of its kind.

There was once a legend of an F-rank named sword and the man who wielded it managed to cut down a B-rank monster! Although it was nothing more than a legend, the pure thought of having a sword similar to it made me eager.

"It's true, however before I tell you its name there is something that I must explain that is of great importance."

Being surprised by the sudden serious expression Miss Smith wore, I nodded giving her my attention.

"What is it?"

She pointed to the ball at the bottom of the sword.

"You might be wondering why I am willing to part with such a sword, am I right?"

'She was right, I couldn't take her word that she would give it to her first disciple without any consequences. After all, nothing is free.'

"Are you finally going to share?"

"Yes, you see this sword has a special condition set in place. By succeeding in the trial the sword will grant you its full power."

I nodded understanding but still had a question.

"What happens if you fail?"

She smiled bitterly.

"Then like me, you can only withdraw around 40 percent of its true power and if someone else ever succeeds to defeat the trial they will take full control over the weapon."

'Things are getting fun now!'

Looking down at the ball at the bottom of the hilt I originally thought it might serve as a counterweight or as a decorative element but who knew it held such unfounded power?

"So all I have to do is win and I can have full authority over the blade no questions asked."

"That's correct, however, if you fail, well you should know that the consequences won't be minor."

I looked Miss Smith up and down then I started to connect some pieces and form a bit of a picture.

First off it was clear Miss Smith isn't up to her full strength. In the novel, I wrote that Miss Smith was an A ranker but now the sword revealed that she was only a B ranker.

This made things more complicated as it seemed that failure could result in the loss of rank or maybe even an impediment that blocks future growth.

The latter would be the most detrimental to me as my potential was my greatest aspect.

Another thing to take note of is that Miss Smith wasn't mentioning any of the misfortunes that come about when failing or what the trial would be like in order to prepare me which means one of two things.

Either she wants me to fail which is unlikely because she should still believe that I am part of the secret organization or there is a restriction of sorts preventing her from sharing.

The second option — which is the likeliest — is the worst as it would mean that the sword is strong enough to hinder a B ranker outside of its own domain.

With these bits of information, it was clear that whatever challenge I would have to face would be quite difficult.

"I'm prepared for the worst, either way, I won't back down."

Hearing how determined I was Miss Smith didn't bother to argue or persuade me to change my mind as she simply handed over the weapon.

"To begin your test simply call out the name of the sword."

"And that is…?"

"Its name is Nightfall."

'What a suitable name.'

Readying myself I whispered its name:

"Nightfall…"

Then my vision went dark.

.

Waking up in a new world that was full of darkness I sighed in disappointment.

'Fake.'

Thinking that this would be something incredulous I immediately became disappointed and bored as I waited for something more to happen.

Suddenly within the compounds of the darkness, a voice that seems to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time up spoke up:

"Do you dare to seek my power?"

I answered the thing's call full of confidence.

"I do and I will obtain it."

The voice didn't seem to care for my optimistic response.

Rather it continued on as if it was completely devoid of emotion.

"I am the one they call Nightfall. If you are to complete that trial I have prepared I will grant you access to my full authority. However, if you are to fail 1/3 of your total prowess will be extracted and a curse will befall you."

I absentmindedly asked:

"And what is this curse?"

Its deep cold voice that sent chills down my spine answered and what it said made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Eternal servitude."

'That's a nice way of saying I'll become its slave.'

Now that I understood what Miss Smith had to deal with I was determined to defeat it. Not because I cared for her but rather because I didn't want to end up in her shoes.

"I see, in that case, when do we start?"

The voice was silent for a moment before answering:

"It already has."

Hearing those words the darkness seemed to swallow the voice, amplifying its eeriness. It was as if the voice was a part of or an extension of the darkness.

Being locked in this confounding space with such an entity I couldn't help but smile.

"What must I do to succeed?"

As if my joy manifested outwardly the voice spoke up speaking as if it was just a hollow vessel.

"Survive in this emptiness."

After that, I lost all my senses and it felt as if I was slipping out of reality.

All that was left was an endless void of nothingness.

Being in this new realm I couldn't help but burst out laughing after having contained it for so long.

However, not only was I unable to tell if I was laughing, I didn't know if I still had a body, to begin with.

But there was one thing I was sure of:

'I was told I would have to go through a grand tribulation but this… this is nothing.'