Only I Am A Reader

"Now, it's time for all of you to repay your debts!"

'Here we go.'

Observing the mass collapse that was taking place, Leo's heart went into full motion, beating like never before!

He had read about this scene, imagined it, and even played out all kinds of following scenarios in his mind. However, nothing was like being present in the moment itself. Even the abnormal calming effect that eased his acceptance of this world could barely suppress Leo's nervousness.

He had experienced almost 8 years in this fantasy-like world, yet this moment felt longer than all of that time. Before this started, a novel's finale was nothing but a flip of a page carrying excitement for a proper conclusion and disappointment for the loss of another read, but now it was something that he could be a part of, something that he could potentially decide how it proceeded.

A single mistake could cause a catastrophe, while the slightest correct action could turn the tables around, all of that weighed down on Leo's shoulders as nausea assaulted him. He wasn't one of the unrealistic protagonists who could stay calm regardless of what they faced, he didn't have their complementary plot armor either. He was only a 'reader'... an observer.

"Now, it's time for all of you to repay your debts!"

He wasn't reading right now, so there was no narrator to explain the Sword Demon's back story, but Leo was naturally aware of it. Unsurprisingly, he was someone related to the Sky-Piercing Sword's origin.

Although the author got lazy with giving a clear description of that origin, the Sky-Piercing Sword 'fell' to the continent as an aftereffect of the battle between its owner and another mighty being, having been caught up in that fight, the Sword Demon ended up regrettably sharing the same fate.

The Sword Demon quickly grasped the 'blessing' in disguise. Despite being stranded this far from home, this was also a chance! Since he was the only one who knew how to use it, a founding artifact like the Progenitor Sword was basically his for the taking, this was a treasure that someone like him couldn't dream of even in a hundred years!

Anyone else would be satisfied with their catch and proceed to use their 'abilities' to lord over the weak masses. However, the opportunistic Sword Demon known for his insanity had no intention of stopping at that! A whole continent for the taking? More like fertile ground for sowing seeds!

Wasn't nurturing a force the Progenitor Sword's base feature? Wasn't this continent full of prime 'crops'? Without delay, the Sword Demon spent the lowest amount of time possible to blend in and understand the continent's situation, finally coming up with his grand harvest plan before throwing in the 'dictionary' for the basic practice methods to light the fuse.

Everything simply went according to plan since no one had the necessary knowledge to obstruct it. With the Progenitor Sword continuously dispersing its 'breath', the barren continent easily became the best grounds for 'cultivation'. The Sword Epoch officially started, announcing the end of the seed sowing phase.

Happily watching his 'crops' grow, the Sword Demon bided his time. As generous as the Progenitor Sword seemed to be, it was still a founding artifact. Other than the ability to nurture, it also had the ability to restrain! Whatever it gave, it could take back down to the very last bit!

The Sword Demon had been stuck at the '11th stage' for too long, using the Progenitor Sword's help to advance with his limited vessel was a waste of time and treasure! Relying on its 'recall' to absorb the effort of a whole continent was the only logical way to proceed!

'He is this novel's villain, but he could be another's protagonist…'

He could have already advanced if he chose to do so within the first decade, but the Sword Demon desired a truly 'grand' harvest! Why settle for one stage when he could achieve more? Leo understood the concept of letting your experience packs grow plumper before using them, though the Sword Demon's execution was a little bit too extreme.

After finally deciding that the field was ripe for harvest, the Sword Demon wanted to proceed right away but waiting this long made his patient enough to hold it in. While the Progenitor Sword's recall was a catastrophic ability, being in use for so long restricted its freedom…

In order to use the true 'recall', the Progenitor Sword required a catalyst. For the sake of preparing it, the Sword Demon had to choose a day when a large number of Swordsmen would be gathered around the artifact, relying on the basic version of the ability to absorb the 'breath' within a very small radius as a starter!

The progress to this point was flawless! Even if there were some deviations here and there, the Sword Demon was able to approach and control the Progenitor Sword to do just what he wanted, all he needed was the 'little' time to harvest the whole continent!

"Those are my words. Just having knowledge of something doesn't mean you are its owner. Even if it did, you have no right to relinquish the effort of countless people all for the sake of your selfish desires!"

However, the Sword Demon hadn't taken the appearance of a deviant like Ray into mind! Not only was he unaffected by 'recall', but he even seemed to know more than he should. On a day like this where the Sword Demon's satisfaction had reached its peak, Ray's appearance was like a messy ink brush being thrown at a perfectly drawn masterpiece!

'Should I just leave it to him?'

Although Ray didn't have a narrator either, the Progenitor Sword's damaged Sword Spirit had already told him everything. He perfectly knew that he couldn't allow the Sword Demon to continue breathing unless he planned to watch the continent fall to its doom. At such a moment, the old thought of letting the protagonist handle everything revisited Leo's disoriented mind. Did he really have to do anything at all?

'No!'