Sword Devouring Swordmaster-Chapter 51 : Chapter 51

Chapter 51 – The Infinite Duel (3)
You once told me—That I was like the wind.
I agreed with you.
My life had been nothing more than a fleeting gust.
A meaningless wind that wandered without a destination. To sailors, it might be called drifting.
My life had no purpose, no conviction, no direction.
I simply floated along, swept away by the current of time.
Even the young shepherd I met a while ago was living a more meaningful life than I was. He had a role—to tend to his flock—and a purpose—to earn his keep, build a warm family, have children, and grow old in happiness.
It wasn’t just the shepherd boy. The ferryman who let me aboard his small boat, the innkeeper who lent me a bed for the night, the little girl who picked apples every morning—all of them lived while dreaming of their futures.
Everyone I met in life had a goal—To them, life was a long journey with a destination.
Only I was drifting aimlessly through this vast world, Like a cloud wandering across the sky.
Perhaps that’s why—My sword began to change.
“It looks like you.”
You smiled brightly when you saw my sword.
“Like the wind. A fierce and swift gale that no one can catch.”
“……”
“Ah, yes. Like…”
I could still remember the warmth of your hand when we held each other’s fingers that day.
The small, white front teeth that showed when you smiled shyly.
The faint scent of flowers that lingered in your hair.
“Like a Gale.”
You said—My sword wasn’t strange, but special.
It was the first time anyone had ever said something like that to me.
Maybe that’s why…
“I want to see you again. You—and your sword.”
From that day on, the wandering drifter I was—That worthless swordsman—Began to feel, just a little, special. Because if I did, you’d want to see my sword again tomorrow. And the day after that.
.
.
.
When I slowly opened my eyes, I found myself lying in the middle of a forest.
I didn’t have the strength to move a single finger.
「That sword must not be used yet, young descendant.」
“……I think you’re right.”
My entire body felt like it had been shattered. The palms that had held the sword were torn and bloodied. Red drops fell to the ground as my trembling hands refused to stop shaking.
“I’ve… never felt anything like this before.”
「Of course you haven’t.」
I’d only swung it once. Just once—recreating a sliver of the memory of the Gale—and I’d ended up in this state. I forced my head up to look around.
The forest, which had once been dark and dense with towering trees, was now bright—Because there were no tall trees left.
「The sword’s previous master was a ‘Sword Runner’ with two pairs of wings.」
All the trees that had filled the forest had been neatly sliced clean.
Their smooth rings gleamed where they’d been cut.
Yes—just one swing.
「If you don’t want to be swept away by the wind, you’d best grow stronger, quickly.」
Master’s warning hadn’t been an empty one. I had just learned that firsthand.
「Gale」 was different. Unlike any sword I had ever consumed before.
***
The streets of the Steel City, Ferma, were overflowing with people—so many that it almost drove me mad. I had never seen a crowd this large in my life.
“What’s with all these people…”
“Keep your head straight and stay close, or you’ll get lost.”
“Do I look like some child left by the river?”
“You were the one gawking like a country bumpkin first.”
“……”
Everyone here had been drawn by the Infinite Duel.
Not only from the Iron Kingdom—but from across the vast continent.
“As I told you before, the first duel will be a Race Duel.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“You won’t need to do much—not that you’ll have the chance. It’s a massive-scale event. Think of it as more of a festival between races than an actual fight.”
A Race Duel. As the name implied, this was a contest on the scale of entire races. Not an event where individuals were expected to shine, but where entire species fought for pride.
“It’ll be over before you even realize what happened.”
Following Seol Yoon’s lead, I lined up with her at the Arena’s registration desk. There were quite a few unusual fighters waiting their turn. Among them, the most eye-catching were the non-humans.
“Just one thing you really need to watch out for.”
“What’s that…?”
As the line shortened, I listened closely to Seol Yoon.
“Orcs.”
The moment I heard that word, I understood.
“If you see anything with green skin, run. That insane race doesn’t know the meaning of friendly competition. They’re the only ones who’ll fight to the death in a Race Duel.”
“……”
“You might not take it seriously because you haven’t seen them yourself—but believe me, you should. Rumor has it the last Race Duel had a chieftain personally leading the charge. Could be exaggerated, but still—”
“No. That’s not an exaggeration.”
Those bastards were more than capable of that.
“The moment I see green, I’ll turn and run without looking back.”
Crazy lunatics.
I could already hear their disgusting breathing in my head—their heavy ‘chik-chik’ sounds. I had no intention of wasting energy dealing with those freaks on the very first day of three events.
But I’d overlooked one crucial detail.
‘Guess I’d better find somewhere to hide.’
My life never went smoothly. It never had.
“Are you Liam the gladiator? The ‘Little Gladiator’ who recently earned the nickname ‘Sword Demon’?”
After waiting forever, Seol Yoon and I finally finished our registration.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Your credentials have been confirmed. You’re officially registered. Take this.”
“What’s this?”
The clerk handed us a chunk of worn metal.
“It’s your ID tag for the Race Duel. Don’t lose it.”
The tags had numbers etched onto them—271 and 444.
Seol Yoon was 271.
I was 444.
“Don’t lose it for any reason.”
444. Even the number itself felt ominous.
***
It took quite a while before the first event of the Infinite Duel, the Race Duel, finally began. With so many participants, registration alone took hours. By the time the procedures ended, it was late evening.
“Thank you for waiting!”
Even under the darkened sky, the Arena’s heat hadn’t cooled—it burned even hotter. The crowd roared with excitement, and the fighters’ tension matched it.
“How many people are here?”
Standing beside Seol Yoon, I tried to estimate the number of fighters—but it was impossible.
How could anyone determine winners or losers among this many people? It would have to be a war rather than a duel.
“U! U! U!”
“Wroooarrr!”
“Quit yapping and get started already, you slow human worms!”
The orcs, gathered at one end of the massive coliseum, made their presence impossible to ignore even before the duel began. Their ear-splitting roars drew groans from everyone nearby.
Only the spirit of Arhan inside me chuckled with pride.
「The orcs are as lively as ever. In my time, their zeal was always famous in the arenas.」
“They just look like deranged lunatics to me…”
Even from afar, their energy was suffocating.
I swore to myself again—I would not get involved with them.
Meanwhile, the host’s voice boomed across the coliseum.
“As you all know, the Race Duel is the chance for each of the seven races to prove their superiority! Unfortunately, the Dragons have once again chosen not to participate, so today’s duel will be between six races: Orcs, Dwarves, Demons, Humans, Elves, and Beastkin!”
.
.
.
“The previous Race Duel was a flag-capture battle, won by the mighty Orcs after a fierce struggle! Indeed, the Orcs’ passion is always a sight to behold! They’ve won the most Race Duels in history—nine consecutive victories so far!”
“Worr! Worr!”
“Good words, human!”
“But whether the valiant green warriors will claim victory again… that remains to be seen!”
As the crowd’s energy reached its peak, the announcer shouted—“This Race Duel’s format is ‘Catch the King!’”
Catch the King? The term was unfamiliar.
“Due to the large number of participants, this Race Duel will take place in the Black Forest near the Steel City, Ferma! A place so treacherous that even skilled Rangers lose their way at night. Our hired mages will broadcast the entire event through search spells.”
.
.
.
“The rules are simple! Each participant received an ID tag with a unique number!”
I immediately thought of the metal tag I’d been given.
“In Catch the King, one tag number will be chosen at random. Whoever holds that tag becomes their race’s ‘King.’ If the King’s tag is stolen, or if the King is rendered unable to fight, that entire race is eliminated! That means strategy is crucial. The King can choose to hide—or reveal themselves and rely on their kin for protection. The others must decide—hunt the enemy’s King, or protect their own!”
As the explanation continued, an uneasy feeling crawled up my spine.
“And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for—the number that will decide the King! A nightmare for the weak, but a glorious chance for the strong!”
And then—“The chosen number is… 444!”
Of course. My bad feeling was right.
“…Little Gladiator, wasn’t your number—”
“Yes.”
Seol Yoon stared at me, worried.
I gave her a bitter smile.
Damn it all.
「Congratulations, young descendant. Opportunities like this don’t come often. How enviable.」
“……”
My life really never went easily.
‘F*** me.’
The first event of the Infinite Duel—The Race Duel.
I had been chosen as the King of Humanity.
***
After the announcements, all the fighters were transported from the Arena to the Black Forest—a vast woodland near Ferma. True to its name, the forest was shrouded in darkness. It wasn’t just because it was late—the air itself was filled with a black haze. Whether this was an artificial enchantment for entertainment or a natural phenomenon, I couldn’t tell.
Not that I had the time to care.
“The Race Duel begins now!”
…For now, I just had to survive.
“Chhhk! Look at me, you weak humans! You crawling dwarves! You manure-smelling elves! You devil-spawned demons! You half-brained beasts!”
Right from the start, an orc fighter bellowed racial slurs, taunting all five opposing races at once.
“I am the King of Orcs! I, Elder Behera, have drawn the glorious tag 444! The mighty Orc Behera does not flee from battle! Come, if you crave a fight! I’ll crush your skulls and hang your teeth around my neck! Chhhk!”
Not even a second after the Race Duel began, the orcs’ madness echoed through the Black Forest. As their frenzy spread, the quiet killing intent of the other races began to rise from every direction.
I assessed my situation with brutal honesty.
‘I’m screwed.’
And so began the first match of the Infinite Duel—The Race Duel, Catch the King.
And I was the human King.