## Chapter 1052 – A Man of Many Questions

The next day.

Early in the morning, I went down to the basement and pondered.

The heretical events that had occurred so far.

Behind them all was that lich. He was conducting undead manufacturing experiments using all sorts of evil methods, creating ominous monsters, and now he had unleashed those monsters to steal the soul of a Great Demon.

I didn’t know exactly how vast his power was, but a force capable of using gates like that couldn’t be small. No. Judging by what he’d done so far, they were literally rich bastards.

There were many cultists who worshipped the lich personally. They had been committing evil deeds for a very long time, plotting something, conducting human experiments, and trading humans to secure resources.

Poor, penniless bastards couldn’t do that.

Was he rich because he was a reverse lich?

But why was that lich after the power of a Great Demon? I was really curious about that. Was it simply to increase his own power? If so, why was he creating undead in the first place?

Looking at it, one of his goals seemed to be to create a powerful undead. Could it be that a Great Demon was needed to create undead? Or did he have some incredibly grand ambition to create an undead? Or was he trying to open the gates of the underworld?

Whatever it was, it hadn’t been revealed yet.

But more than that.

“This son of a bitch.”

Vigal… No. I didn’t know what to call it now.

—Squirm, squirm.

Anyway, this ominous magic sword was currently regenerating in real time. As always, a black aura writhed and regenerated from the broken parts.

I didn’t really understand the principle, but at this rate, it would be restored to its original state by tomorrow.

However.

“…”

I grabbed the sword and focused my mind.

—Tzzzzzz.

What I felt was…

—An extremely foreign power.

“Andromalius…!”

I had already thrown the sword away and was wailing with my fist shoved into my mouth.

“Hwaaaah!”

Tears flowed. Not only was I wailing, but my legs gave way and I collapsed. Collapsed like that, I threw a tantrum like a child and howled.

—Pat, pat, pat!
—Flail, flail!

Kicking my feet and waving my arms in the air for a long time. For a long time, I sobbed and released my inner violence. That primal wailing, accompanied by explosive rotations using only my butt muscles, had a greater impact than three-year-olds who collapsed in a large supermarket because they didn’t get what they wanted.

“Teeeeeeeeeeeee!!!”

—Thump, thump!

So, unable to contain my anger, I slammed my fist on the floor, then kicked my big toe and shot my body up to the ceiling. Like that, I clung to the ceiling on all fours and scurried around like a cockroach.

—Trickle, trickle.

I painted the basement walls, floor, and ceiling with my tears, and ran around crying for a long time. It was a painful sadness. A terribly dreadful sadness that pierced my bones. A sadness buried in my bones that would never disappear. All that followed was just wailing and howling. All that remained was sadness.

Why was I so sad?

Because I realized.

—That Vigal had changed.

The source of these tears was clearly…

To mourn the old friend I now had to let go.

“Vigal…!”

That son of a bitch Andromalius had entered the inside of my sword…! When I grabbed Vigal and focused my mind, I felt an aura that was clearly different from before. Vigal! Vigal had disappeared and that damned Great Demon had entered inside!!!

“Ooh…!!! Oooooooo!!! Oooooooooooooooo!!!!!!”

—Roar.

I roared and poured out my emotions.

Was Vigal gone now? Had Andromalius taken his place? Now, was my true friend and comrade, the life-giving sword Vigal, gone, and only this ominous magic sword remained?

—Clutch.

I grabbed the thrown sword.

Standing in place.

I glared at it.

“…”

The tears stopped due to the coldly descending anger.

“…But.”

After pouring out a torrent of tears, I was extremely calm. The cold anger burned away my sadness, so I shook off all those emotions and stood in place.

“Nothing has changed.”

In the first place, Vigal was just an illusion. From the beginning, his soul had been completely separated by Risha, and what remained was just the shell of a magic sword. I projected the image of Vigal onto it and made him my comrade.

To wield the sword better.

To reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

To increase the efficiency of training.

To maximize my power.

My friend Vigal was just an imaginary image created by communicating with the sword itself. Certainly, the efficiency was good. I communicated with Vigal in my imagination and resonated with the sword, which led to extreme skill improvement.

The power of the life-giving sword and friendship.

Those were all just kinds of images.

The thought of wielding a life-giving sword erased hesitation from my murderous intent and amplified my violence. The power of friendship. No matter how difficult, I recalled it and amplified my body’s potential. That was the strength I had gained.

This was the era of study.

Finding and developing a study method or training method that suits oneself was extremely important for a warrior. In the end, Vigal was the product of my fierce efforts.

“Nothing has changed.”

—…

Therefore, even if what was inside this sword was not Vigal but the Great Demon Andromalius, nothing would change. The image of Vigal was something I had created.

Thinking that far.

“Wait…!”

For a moment, it seemed like I could see Vigal in front of me.

—That’s right…! That’s it, friend! I haven’t disappeared!
—The life-giving sword is not something with substance, but something that resides in the heart!
—Just because the sword has become a little strange doesn’t mean your Fusion Confucianism is damaged!
—So there’s no need to be sad! I’m always with you!
—I am Vigal, the life-giving sword of Fusion Confucianism, who saves people! Establishes justice! And thus makes the world a better place!

Vigal, standing in front of me, said that with an emotional tone.

“…Are you saying that, Vigal.”

The concrete image training combined with mana-induced madness had now reached the point of summoning illusions. No. It had been possible before. Anyway, having achieved explosive growth with these things, it was a side effect that had to be experienced.

But I made even this side effect a driving force for my growth.

“So I will face it properly.”

I lifted the grabbed sword.

“I will fully face my changed sword.”

Even if my sword had changed.

Only the sword has changed, not me.

“Reveal yourself, Andromalius. I know you are trapped inside it.”

Andromalius was. Well. To put it simply, he was a soul trapped in Vigal’s slot. Truly resonating with the grabbed sword, I poured in my will.

—Kuh… Kuhhh…!

Then, from the sword.

No.

I heard the Great Demon’s voice in my head.

—Where the hell is this…! I, Andromalius, am in a darkness where even moving is impossible! I am curious as to where this is, and I also question the situation I am in, and finally, I want to know what the voice I hear in my head is!!!

What I heard was not Vigal’s voice but Andromalius’s voice. I completely shook off my lingering feelings and thought about how to deal with this bastard.

But at that moment.

—Go.
—Go, friend.
—Go.

Behind me was Vigal.

“You…!”

Vigal’s palm overlapped my hand. Vigal, standing behind me, was holding the sword with me…! This bastard! He was making me emotional until the very end!

—Just like you did to me. Subjugate that guy and make him completely yours. Even a sinister blade with a Great Demon dwelling in it can be made into a righteous life-giving sword of Fusion Confucianism. That’s what your Fusion Confucianism is all about, right?

Ah, indeed.

“Yeah. That’s right.”

A smile appeared on my lips.

“That’s right, Vigal. That’s Fusion Confucianism. Now you know it very well.”

—Because that’s the true life-giving sword…

—Rustle…

The image of Vigal, leaving his last words, disappeared. His hand, scattered into dust, vanished, and he disappeared completely.

—But Vigal hasn’t disappeared.

He lives on in my heart forever.

“Good…!”

With my stronger will, I gripped the sword tightly and poured in my will. Whatever happens, it’s a sword I’ll be using from now on. Then I should tame it properly. A sword with the soul of a Great Demon would be that much more useful.

I will use this power to benefit the world.

“Andromalius!!! You were defeated by me and trapped inside the sword!! That’s why you’re trapped there! I am your master from now on!!!”

As I shouted that.

—Memories…! The memories are unclear! Is that true! Fragments of memory are surging! I remembered! What are those steles and the identities of those heretics! Why was the gate opened!

—Vrrrrrrrr!!!

The magic sword… No.

The name of this sword is Vigal. It can never be changed. Vigal vibrated his entire body, bursting with intense questions. He was still clinging to the questions he had before he died. Of course, it’s nothing much. Andromalius was already dead at my hands. So those fragments can’t do anything to me.

“Vigal!!!!!”

I immediately scolded him loudly and decided to resolve his questions.

“The identities of the heretics were those who worshiped the lich, and the gate was opened by the lich to take the soul of the Great Demon. You were caught up in that and crossed over to this land and died. It was all the lich’s plot, Andromalius!!!”

How would he react to these words?

—…!
—…!
—…!

Intense surprise was transmitted through my fingertips. At the same time, I felt a kind of cool sensation. Was he feeling satisfied that his questions had been resolved now?

—Hwaaa!

I felt that the sword’s aura had strengthened even further… What? Why? Why had his power suddenly increased? Could it be that every time I resolved his questions, his sealed power was released?

—The question… the question has been resolved… But there are still a few questions…

As I was feeling that surprise, he spoke. Well, there’s no way this bastard would be satisfied with just a few answers. He would want to know more. This bastard was like that.

—But… it’s satisfying… To think there was such a reason.
—Ah…
—The… the consciousness… is scattering…
—Where am I going…

With those last words, Vigal’s vibration disappeared.

—…

I felt that his consciousness was sinking. Perhaps he couldn’t maintain his consciousness continuously. He was as good as sealed in the sword, so he seemed to have fallen asleep now. What an easygoing bastard.

“Hmm.”

Nevertheless, Vigal’s power was beyond imagination.

“Spirit Sword Flame.”

—Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!

The sword flame burned more intensely than before.

The efficiency itself had changed.

The Great Demon’s power was contained in Vigal. It was literally a serious equipment enhancement. If I had a sword like this, I could destroy any crazy bastards who came at me.

“Today’s achievements are enough.”

That was it for today.

It was a time to realize and feel many things. Let’s continue to focus on mental cultivation every morning like this. It’s very important to have a spiritual connection with the sword.

“Alright.”

I immediately turned around and went up to the first floor. Now, in the remaining time, I would eat lunch, do some physical training and combat skill practice, and then write a report.

I should show the sword to Caldo later in the evening.

* * *

After lunch, during the afternoon training time.

“But you.”

Karin, standing in front of me, said with her arms crossed and her head tilted.

“How strong have you become?”
“How strong have I become?”
“Yeah.”

A question about strength.

“Yes. I felt it this time, but I can’t tell how strong you’ve become. You were just flying around against a Great Demon… You almost won one-on-one too.”
“I did.”

I almost killed him one-on-one.

Certainly, I had become strong enough to fight a Great Demon head-on. But what level would that be specifically?

A question arose.

I had achieved dazzling growth by successively destroying crazy strong enemies, but since I couldn’t quantify it, it was a bit frustrating.

“I’ve become a lot stronger by killing these monsters, but I don’t really know either.”
“Well, we’ve been killing all sorts of monsters.”

Karin nodded.

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say this, but I’ve also had some achievements by cutting down monster bastards. Killing those things was a completely different experience.”
“I had some too. It was a fulfilling day.”
“Anyway, that’s why I’m saying this, let’s find out. We need to figure out exactly what level we’re at now.”

—Swoosh.

She drew her sword.

“How do we find out?”
“What other way is there besides finding out with our bodies?”