Only I Am A Reader

"Huuu…"

Calming down after killing the inhuman 'researcher', Leo let out a long breath. The emotions he just experienced weren't mere compassion, a part of him loathed what he saw as if it triggered a hidden trauma.

'I knew it wasn't simple.'

Rather than being confused, Leo's mind was in full gears, with so many hints and assumptions, he was only a step away from understanding the full picture!

"Who-"

Swish!

Being so close to finding out everything and achieving his target, Leo didn't let his thoughts distract him as he ran to the next chamber, killing another 'researcher' and sending the others in the room into panic!

Other than the gradual increase of Sword Breath quality that a Swordsman would obtain after every ascension, Sword Grandmasters had the privilege to throw away a bit of their constraints. Their Sword Breath had the ability to extend slightly over the blade, giving more range without the additional inconvenience of using a larger or longer sword!

"Uk-"

Before the screams could fill the underground 'lab', Leo stretched his Sword Breath to the limit, using his sword technique to accurately slash the researchers' throats. These people probably had all sorts of exotic knowledge, but they were of no use to Leo! Only…

"Found you."

At the very end of the slaughter-fest, Leo went past the last curtain to find the largest stone chamber so far. This was both the last chamber and the one where Leo's objective laid!

In the middle of the chamber, an elderly man was sitting on a chair as he scribbled something incomprehensible on the table. He looked like someone who lost his mind, but Leo's eyes didn't soften when he saw him. Despite how he looked, this man was the one responsible for the creation of the mid-boss that Leo came to stop!

"It… It's you!"

The elderly man stared at Leo as if he recognized him, startling Leo a bit before he collected himself once again. He was already expecting something to be off, but that couldn't possibly stand in his way.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I can listen to what you have to say. However…"

Leo hesitated a bit as he looked at the elderly man's face. There was obvious distress, but there were also hints of happiness and expectations, even the restrained Leo couldn't help but get curious.

"You have to show me where you keep what you have been working on first."

In the end, he still decided to focus on what was important. It was unlikely for the man to talk much after he got what he wanted, but the questions didn't take priority.

"Of course… I knew you would come back after all these years for it…"

The elderly man opened his mouth a little before he hurried towards one of the drawers, pulling out a wooden box. His hands trembled as he brought it over to the table.

"I told them that there was no need for all of what they did, that you would still find your way here, but…"

The man's hands continued shaking as he removed the box's lid. The weakness he revealed made him look vulnerable, but Leo knew he couldn't underestimate him!

Not only was this man the head researcher of this brutal 'lab', but he was also the one responsible for making the Sword Pearl and the item inside the box, the ingredients that created the novel's mid-boss and the main reason Ray would almost lose his life in the finale!

"He just wouldn't listen! He keeps thinking I'm just a useful puppet in his hand, but we will show him that he can't underestimate us! Right, eleven?"

'It can't be this easy, right?'

As the lid opened up, Leo focused on the elderly man's words as he felt lost. The man's words made him seem even crazier. However, counting in the context of what he already knew and concluded, wasn't this elderly man telling him exactly what he wanted to know?

"Oh, right, there is still a little problem. He didn't get the soil, so we can't proceed just yet. Well! We at least get to search for it without him-"

Splatt!

"I knew it!"

Before the elderly man could finish talking, his head exploded as if to purposely stop him from spouting out more information. Despite expecting this, Leo couldn't help but criticize the timely manner.

He didn't feel sorry for the old man who just died as he wiped the blood that splattered to his face, but…

'This is even deeper than I thought.'

The slight hints revealed in the man's talk told crazy tales about Arthur's identity, tales that could only remain fiction since he couldn't hear more. Could it be possible that…

Moving forward to open the box that closed back when the old researcher died, Leo had one main theory in mind. It was just that contemplating it any further couldn't be done here, he had to get the item and hurry off before his plan collapsed.

"Here it is!"

[ Hidden Event Occurrence has been detected. ]

The first thing Leo's eyes met was a tiny glass tank filled with water. Even inside the box, the water in the tank wasn't still as it was in constant movement, something within it was stirring it around!

A blackish object that had the shape of a sword was swimming around it. Undoubtedly, this was the reason Leo came here!

[ Hidden Piece, Sword Seed, discovered. ]

[ You have received 222 Reading Points. ]

This little 'living' object was part of the organization's planning for the finale, but it was also Leo's ticket to achieving his target. However, after what he just heard, he wasn't sure if he should go along with the next part of his plan.

This 'Sword Seed' had the ability to make him reach the real 'peak', but would that be the limit of it?

Just as Leo was getting lost in thought, all while being under the pressure of time, he finally noticed that the black padding of the box looked off… Didn't this box have too much space to contain the tiny tank?

Click!

The box actually had a hidden compartment! Moreover, what it contained was none other than a thick stack of papers! Quickly going through them, Leo's expression took a great turn…

"This changes everything…"

[ Plot change confirmed, Unique Event occurrence has been detected… ]

[ Plot change confirmed… ]

As if to show how special the moment was, the sound in Leo's mind didn't seem like it had any plans to stop…