A System That Beats Death

Stories spread across the land of a masked individual capable of great feats and a savior to those in despair. He would emerge out of nowhere to aid those about to meet some horrible fate and dyed the world in crimson.

What surprised many people was how many professed to witnessing his prowess and how varied the stories were. People from many walks of life were saved by his actions and that included criminals, former criminals, dignitaries, a commander, and even a member of royalty.

An unfortunate couple nearly ruined by their indignant relatives that opposed each other, insisted that their masked benefactor was righteous and if he wasn't then they would have all died as he had the ability to kill without lifting a finger.

A merchant in the process of being robbed had many goods salvaged and the only compensation requested by the masked vigilante was a few weapons.

The commander even pledged his loyalty to the masked benefactor and afterwards, consecrated the day as an occasion for celebration.

"Won't you join me for a feast, I would like to celebrate being alive", the prince said mirthfully to his masked companion.

"I do not accept food from others", Guren stated indifferently.

"If you're worried about being poisoned, be at ease. I'm not a brute like my third brother"

"If you really want to repay me, then investigate the source of the rampant wars", Guren declared before vanishing.

As the prince was a tactful person, he assented and asked for his advisor.

[8000 Points Added]

______

As Guren's exploits were lauded throughout the land, he went past shrubbery and stepped into an oddly vibrant glade. As the first blade of grass was crushed under his foot, the sounds of life immediately dissipated and he could hear the wildlife scurry off as if they were being hunted by a predator.

At the center, a female wearing clothing made of tree bark and with gold leaves adorning her wreath, started frowning.

"A mere mortal dares to trespass on my territory?", the woman boomed. As her voice resonated with the forest, the breeze picked up and the sound of ground crumbling could be heard.

Externally indifferent but inwardly delighted at the magical display, Guren then responded with "I apologize. I'm just intrigued by the capacity of someone who can stalk me from that far of distance"

The woman paused for a moment before her frown grew deeper.

"It seems I've underestimated you", she said before raising both her arms. Roots burst forth from the ground as if it were the arms of a gigantic creature attempting to strangle him.

Unsheathing Steel Slayer, Guren effortlessly diced the roots into miniature cube sized pieces, similar to dicing onions. Pointing the sword at the nymph, Guren then grinned.

She should grant me a decent amount of points, he thought.

However contrary to what he expected, the nymph was frozen in shock.

"Y-you're still alive!?", she blurted out while maintaining a bewildered expression.

...Crap, Atlas thought. He did not expect that the nymph would know Guren.

"You know who I am?", Guren asked hesitantly.

Recovering from her shock, she then shook her head as if scorning herself for being delusional. Her visage then changed to an angered one.

"Since you don't even know who I am, you must have been fully possessed by that Spirit", she stated. Gritting her teeth, she then unleashed a barrage of thorns which targeted Guren.

As Atlas was about to carve a path through the greenery, the Steel Slayer then shook as if it had a will of its own. Permitting its departure, Atlas unclenched his fist and watched as it flew back into the palm of the nymph.

This world has a form of Sword Control? No wonder they emphasized personal swords so heavily, Atlas thought. But how was the connection formed? Did the sword have a consciousness of its own? Was it established by the creator? Could there be a hierarchy of control where the blacksmith override the user? Did this apply to every sword in this world or was it only on special swords?

Determined to find out, he then looked up.

"Foul Creature of Purgatory, return to the hell you escaped!", the nymph declared as the swarm of thorns surrounded Guren. The thorns then suddenly contracted and then rotated before suddenly, compressing itself as if to crush Guren.

As the sphere of thorns continued to tighten, the sound of crackling and sizzling could be heard. The greenery then spontaneously combusted and began to succ.u.mb to the fire. Abruptly, the front of the sphere then crumbled and Guren exited unscathed. He was covered in flames but it clearly did not affect him.

"These Spirits you refer to, do they possess those that align with their innate sin?", Guren asked.

"Are you trying to imply that you are different from them?", she asked in a tone that betrayed her suspicion.

"Of course"

The nymph then paused for a bit.

"Then what happened to him?"

"...I believe he died and dragged the Spirit you are referring to, with him"

"....If he died, then what are you?"

At first, Atlas thought it was fortunate that Guren had few acquaintances as he did not particularly enjoy being someone else. Being low-key was a tactical maneuver, not a preference. Unable to escape some drama due to the method in which he had initiated the encounter, he then opted for the response which might generate a lot of conflict but reveal the least about him.

"A passerby from another world"

"....A passerby from another world?", the nymph said in an unstable tone.

"...A passerby from another world...", she repeated an octave higher and absolutely fuming.

"What makes you any different from those Spirits?!", she boomed irate and as if slightly grieving.

The ground began to tremble, the leaves on the trees began to combust, high velocity winds started to scream, and a downpour started.

"In the name of the First Sword Saint, I shall exterminate all who disturb this world", as she declared her resolution, her power began to emanate more fantastically and nature seemed to heed her call.

The Steel Slayer within her grasp also began to morph. Once dulled and seemingly useless, it now began to radiate with new life and as if absorbing the four primitive elements, gained a hilt of water, a blade of earth, an aura of fire, and the the power of the wind.

Surprised by the sudden rise in strength, Atlas began to grow wary of her capabilities. It was not as strong as the Diabolic One which was his greatest enemy yet, however her power was nothing to scoff at. Comparable to Idyl's strength, Atlas did not intend to hold back.

However, he did have one question nagging him.

"Why the First Sword Saint and not the Sword God?", he asked with striking curiosity.

The elemental disaster slightly halted before it picked up in intensity and seemed to increase in ferocity.

"Even if he yielded, I will not heed any invaders from another world! Especially not that damned Sword God!"