Progress

Ron ventured into the city surrounding the academy in search of an affordable sword. Despite the academy having a weapon store, it operated on a points system, and Ron had none.

Determined to purchase a weapon within his budget, he explored various stores in the city. Gazelle had provided him with some money, but Ron was cautious about spending it all.

As he moved from one stall to another, inquiring about the prices of different swords, Ron discovered that most weapons were priced at 500,000$ or higher—well beyond his 80,000$ budget. Undeterred, he continued his quest, determined to find a reasonably priced sword.

"AAHHH man," Ron sighed in exhaustion after searching for a cheap sword for about three hours, but none fit within his budget.

Continuing his quest, he spotted an old store that seemed like an antique shop. Ron opened the creaking door to find a dusty interior filled with old books and unfamiliar items.

"May I help you?" asked the small old man seated at the counter, wearing goggles and focused on repairing something.

Approaching the counter, Ron inquired, "Hello, do you have any swords?"

"Yes, I do," the old man replied, glancing at Ron.

"I am looking for a cheap sword," Ron stated.

The old man stood, went into an old room, and returned with a bag, placing it on the table. "These are the swords we have, but they are pretty old," he murmured.

Ron examined each sword. All three appeared rusted and poorly maintained. The first was a short, golden-hilted sword with a worn-off leather grip – a potential choice for Ron, considering he wanted something affordable until he could afford a better one.

"Poor can't choose," Ron mumbled, moving on to the next sword.

The second was a long sword, in worse condition than the previous one, with worn-off blades and cracks. Ron decided against it, opting to check the last one.

The next sword caught Ron's eyes. It was black with no distinct features, appearing like an ordinary sword. Ron lifted the obsidian black blade, and to his surprise, there was no hilt.

"OI," a sound echoed in Ron's mind, making him glance around to see the old man sitting at the counter.

"Idiot, look down here, dumbass," the unknown voice played in Ron's mind again.

Ron looked at the sword as it vibrated in his hand.

"The sword is speaking?" thought Ron.

"Yes, I am speaking," it replied.

Ron contemplated the situation. Swords usually spoke after experiencing countless battles or being awakened by a sword saint. However, here was a sword speaking in Ron's hand.

"Why can you speak?" asked Ron.

"I don't know, but why don't you help me by buying me? I am tired of being stuck in the old storage room," murmured the sword.

After a moment's thought, Ron decided to buy the sword, intrigued by its unusual nature. He approached the counter and inquired about the price.

The old man surprised Ron by saying, "You can have it for free. It's been here for a long time, and I have no use for it."

Confused but appreciative, Ron left the shop with the sword in hand. With the money intended for a purchase, he decided to invest in a scabbard made of blue silk. This special material, created by a magical worm, could slowly infuse magic into the sword from the surrounding nature.

"Ahh, fresh air after so long," murmured the sword as it vibrated.

Curious, Ron asked, "So, what are you?" eager to know about the sword.

"I too don't remember anything, all I have are memories of going into some type of war or something and getting rusted and rotten in that old man's storeroom," the sword revealed.

"So, don't you even have a name?" Ron inquired.

"No, never had one," it replied.

"What about 'Blame'?" Ron suggested.

"Yea, well, how about we make a contract with each other?" the sword proposed.

"A contract?" Ron questioned.

"Well, there are a lot of things I can do," replied Blame.

The crest on Ron's hand started glowing, and the sword disappeared from his scabbard. Witnessing this, Ron was surprised, as he hadn't come across anything quite like this before. "Maybe the plot is changing," he thought to himself.

Now, Ron needed to return to the academy for a reevaluation of his class, enabling access to the hunting grounds. He made his way to the main headquarters and headed toward the reevaluation area. Inside, a woman in her forties, with dark blue hair and an elegant figure, greeted him.

Ron informed her of his intent for reevaluation, and she led him into a small room. The room contained only an orb floating on a platform, resembling an altar, distinct from the one used in the entrance ceremony.

Approaching the orb, Ron placed his hands on it. The orb shined, and the woman announced, "Third class by 10%." Ron handed his ID card to her, officially changing his class from second to third.

Finally, Ron could enter the hunting grounds.

.

Soon, Ron entered the hunting ground, eager to delve deeper into the forest and accumulate enough wealth for a fourth-class core.

"Blame, come out," murmured Ron.

Suddenly, the crest on his hand started shining, and the black obsidian sword formed in his grasp.

As he ventured forth, Ron encountered a Ruby Rabbit, a second-class monster known for its speed and fire magic. Before the creature could reach him, Blame swiftly split it in half. However, instead of checking the rabbit for a core, Blame began vibrating and transformed into a mass of tentacles, consuming the creature's body. Ron realized that this was one of Blame's abilities, allowing him to absorb magic and assume various forms, enhancing his strength.

Pressing on, Ron faced some first and second-class monsters, now easily defeating them with his upgraded third-class raw strength.

Understanding that the forest had five sections, Ron found himself in the fifth section, primarily populated by first and second-class monsters. Seeking a more powerful monster, he decided to explore the second section in the hope of encountering third or even fourth-class monsters

Ron then Ran towards the second section which was seperated by a much powerful barrier. But since he had the academies uniform he was able to enter it easily.

Observing the golem for a few minutes, Ron leaped into the air with Blame, aiming to catch it by surprise. However, the golem detected Ron and retaliated by hurling its fist into the air, however Ron blocked it with blame which sent him flying back.

Undeterred, Ron moved ran towards the golem much more faster, enveloping Blame in wind magic and sending a wind blade toward the golem. The golem, with its thick skin, deflected the attack with its fist and charged toward Ron, attempting to grab him.

"Its skin is thick," Ron murmured as he covered Blame in fire magic and dashed towards the golem. The golem countered, trying to block Ron's sword with its formidable fist.

{BOOM}

A deafening shockwave rippled through the area, obliterating the golem's arm. However, to Ron's astonishment, the severed limb started regenerating, and soon the hand reformed.

"What the heck!, it can regenerate too," Ron thought, biting his lips in frustration.

Undeterred, Ron intensified his assault. Combining fire magic with Blame, he delivered a searing strike to the golem's flesh. Yet, the cut wasn't deep enough to reach its core.

Determined to breach the golem's defenses, Ron decided to merge both wind and fire magic. Swinging Blame, a potent vortex of flames and slicing wind enveloped the sword, creating a focused and powerful attack.

The combined magic proved effective. The wind sliced through the tough flesh, while the flames cauterized the wound, preventing immediate regeneration. Ron aimed precisely, directing the dual magic-infused blade towards the golem's core, nestled in its heart.

Ron felt the blade of his sword cracking the core of the golem a bit, but as soon as he was about to slash it fully, the golem unleashed a powerful shockwave of magic, sending Ron tumbling backward.

Regaining his balance, Ron noticed the golem's regeneration accelerating, healing the damage inflicted by the dual magic-infused blade. Its magic power then skyrocketed to fourth class which made Ron a pretty much anxious.

"Its going berserk" said Blame.

The golem then moved towards Ron as threw a fist in the air towards Ron. The shockwave blew towards Ron throwing him of his balance and making him fall back a bit

As he tried to get into his balance the golem apperared infront of him and punched him however Ron was unable to block it this time.

{BOOM}

Ron was sent flying away blowing up the nearby trees. His consciousness finally came back and he felt like several of its ribs as well as bone broken,

{VOMITS}

Blood and remnants of his earlier meal gushed from Ron's mouth. The golem's unexpected surge in strength left him with no alternative but to unleash his devil power. The aura around Ron started to change.

As the golem approached, its march halted abruptly, sensing the malevolent magic in the air. Ahead, a figure emerged—a being with three horns, dark black wings, and the dark obsidian sword in hand.

In an instant, the figure appeared before the golem. The golem attempted to strike Ron, but he countered with bare hands. To Ron's satisfaction, the golem's hand began to melt, its regeneration faltering. Activating his red eyes, Ron's field of view was engulfed in blue flames, instantly disintegrating everything in his path.

The golem collapsed to the ground, limbs and body disintegrating, leaving behind only the fourth-class orb.

{Exhales}

Ron collapsed to the ground, his vision blurring, head spinning from the strain of pushing his powers to their limits. Darkness shrouded his eyes, and he succumbed to it.

"Are you okay?" Blame asked, his concern evident as Ron fainted.

Regaining consciousness, Ron opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on the dark orb lying on the ground.