"Tremble before the Sword Saint!"

In the midst of the Broken War, by the shores of Lake Liena. Green leaves fall with the wind, touching the deep blue surface of the lake, creating an image of vibrant life, with all things striving to emerge. By the lake stands a manor, its thick outer walls adorned with the flag of the Kalia royal family. Warriors clad in full armor patrol back and forth, the sound of sword scabbards clanging against armor fills the air, their faces serious beneath their helmets. Since the Leya Lucaria Academy imprisoned their dean, Queen Reina, the Moonlit Queen, the war between the academy and the royal family has raged for a long time. Now, those wizards, allied with their henchmen, have reached the last bastion of the royal family. If they pass through this manor, they will be at the gates of the Kalia fortress, just a few miles to the north. The remnants of the Kalia army are fully mobilized, from powerful knights to elite soldiers, armed civilians, and defected mages from the academy. All have drawn their swords, strung their bows, gazing at the corpses still scattered at the city’s foot and the distant, sprawling military camps. On the lakeside of the manor, a young man dressed as a magic apprentice sat by the wall. He had short black hair, and his pale blue eyes shimmered with a golden glow of 'blessing', as he muttered to himself while gazing at the distant, massive golden tree: "When will this end? How does it always end up involving guarding the city?" The blood and fire of Iname City were still fresh in his memory, and he could almost feel the sensation of his sword cutting through the inner palace’s crimson armor. Lowering his head slightly, he saw a metal nameplate on his deep blue mage robe, inscribed with strange characters: Don. Light. Memories flooded in. This young man had just entered as a magic apprentice, but after his village was plundered by the Cuckoo Knights, he fled in anger to side with the Kalia royal family. Yet, by nature, he was weak-willed, always just drifting along, doing the bare minimum. "Why don’t you find me a muscular body instead? What use is a magic apprentice?" The young man spat into the lake, but from the start, he had no choice. What kind of pathetic world did that cursed god choose? Was the 'Sufferings Quartet' something that carbon-based beings could choose? Fortunately, after enduring the torment of Sekiro, he had become accustomed to it. "Forget it, I'll be a mage. At least this Elden Ring isn’t too bad." Don looked again at the distant golden tree. According to the memories of this body, the Borderlands were still in the midst of the 'Shattered War'. The Elden Ring had not yet returned, and even this manor under his feet had not yet turned into ruins. Of course, it wasn’t much better. Due to the breaking of the Elden Ring, the flames of war had swept through the Borderlands. From demigods to commoners, everyone struggled in the bloodshed, and this 'Shattered War' could be summed up by one famous saying: "The heavens change, divine artifacts become more attainable, and they return to the virtuous... What a load of crap." Don smiled self-deprecatingly. The powerful ones were only trying to seize the fragments of the Elden Ring to ascend to the throne, but here by Lake Liena, for a magic apprentice like him, the task was much simpler— To survive. He took a deep breath, instinctively placing his hand on his waist, but found nothing. He gave a wry smile and glanced at the small apprentice’s staff in his hand, then tucked his hand into the wide sleeve of his mage robe and walked steadily toward the center of the manor. Several tents had been set up there, with Kalia soldiers in full armor and nearly ten-meter-tall mountain troll warriors visible. Several long tables were arranged in the center, with everyone in line for food, except for the soldiers on duty. "Don, Don, over here, over here." As he descended the steps, he saw a soldier-like man waving at him. The man wore his helmet askew and had a youthful face with a thin mustache. Don paused for a moment, then recognized the man as his friend Arno from his village. He shamelessly cut in line, and though the others didn’t say anything, they couldn’t object, as magic apprentices, even those who had defected from the academy, were rare and valuable during the city’s defense. "By the way, Knight Captain Bors mentioned your name for a patrol duty this morning. How come you didn’t show up?" Arno, holding a tray, stood on tiptoe to look ahead, his energy evident. "Uh, I had to take a detour via the waterways. I get seasick," Don replied, searching through the chaotic memories, roughly understanding that this body had belonged to someone who had given up. "Seasick?" The young man blinked, then turned to him with a serious expression. "Don, I know you're scared, but in these times, just staying alive is good enough. If the manor gets attacked, do you think those damned Cuckoos will listen to your explanation?" "Naturally not," Don nodded, giving an expression of realization, thinking that his friend had some decent emotional intelligence. A magic apprentice was both naive and weak, but the people of Iname had long matured. There was no need to explain such things. Arno was momentarily stunned but didn’t think too much of it, assuming his friend had come to his senses. While dishing out food, he continued talking non-stop. "It’s good that you understand. Don’t let the tough life here fool you. Outside, there’s madness and demigod wars, and many towns have been reduced to ruins. At least by serving Lady Lani, we still get to eat." "It’s probably because I get to eat that I get scolded. You can’t have a coward in the military," Don said, noticing the cook’s disdainful expression, instantly understanding the original state of this body. "Don’t worry, don’t worry. Just focus on surviving, and later you can do research in a big house," Arno said, not knowing what else to say and offering a simple comfort. As he spoke, the cook served the two of them their food, which included boiled crab meat, bread, and a bowl of meat soup made from Atiria leaves. Arno held up the crab meat and smiled, showing a few white teeth. "Look, today’s meal isn’t bad. I heard from the second squad that they were going to catch lobsters, but they got driven back by a water cannon." "Daring to provoke the Lobster King? I’d say that’s impressive." Don forced a smile, and sat cross-legged in an open space with the young soldier, eagerly digging into his food. The Kalia army’s cooks were quite skilled, using some spices to mask the crab’s fishy taste. The meat soup also had a rich and peculiar aroma. Don tore off a piece of bread, stuffed the crab meat into it, and dunked it into the soup. This made him, who had been on the verge of vomiting from eating rice balls, suddenly find himself enjoying the meal. At the same time, his thoughts wandered to the issue of 'madness'. He remembered that as a player, the Borderlands were filled with madmen, and the living had become emaciated to the point of deformity. But now, there seemed to be more normal people, which indirectly suggested that this era was much earlier than that of the game. He unconsciously looked toward the distant golden tree, and his spoon came to a halt. "What are you thinking about? Are you still going to eat the bread? If not, I’ll take it," Arno’s voice came from the side, as he sneakily reached out his hand. Don tossed the bread to Arno, looking at his smiling face and said, "I was thinking about how to avoid turning into a madman." Why overthink it? How dementia arises and how to solve it are matters for the big shots. All we need to do is drive the cursed cuckoos back and return to the village. Ah, I wonder if Mary has gotten married. Don had heard similar things many times, but a humble warrior and an elder had taught him one thing: No matter your status, if you want to survive, you must fight for it. Amid the joyful chewing of the young villagers, the sound of iron boots scraping the ground came from afar. Don turned toward the sound and saw a dark figure walking along the wall. The figure was robust, dressed in gray armor, draped in a fur cloak, and carrying a large sword on its back. The most striking feature was its head—a fierce wolf’s head. "Lord Blazer is here," Arno whispered, quickly standing up and wiping the grease from his mouth. This wolfman was the general of the Kalia army, serving Princess Lani of the Moon, and of course, his rank was far above that of these lowly soldiers. Don also quickly stood up. Such an overwhelming presence. Even having just come from a battlefield, Don squinted his eyes. After all, the Borderlands were no place for ordinary humans, and this wolfman was a one-man army. Moreover, his face was familiar to Don. Blazer? For Lani, the source of my transformation into a wolfman?? "Gentlemen, there will be a reconnaissance mission this afternoon. I need five volunteers." Blazer looked fierce, his voice serious, carrying an aura of power without the need for anger. Many of those still fighting desperately here were Kalia’s diehard loyalists. As soon as Blazer finished speaking, several people immediately stepped forward. However, Blazer didn’t say a word. He simply glanced deeply at a corner and walked away silently. Just as lunch was over, the soldiers gathered there began to disperse. Don and Arno were about to leave when a soldier approached them. "Don Light, come with me." There was no politeness, and the tone wasn’t one of negotiation. Arno immediately realized something, quickly gave an awkward laugh, and rubbed his hands as he approached. "My lord, about this morning..." Before he could finish his sentence, his shoulder was pressed down. He turned and saw no panic on his friend’s face. "Stop begging. I’ll go." "Hey, are you crazy? The reconnaissance mission is dangerous!" "It was your words just now that cleared my mind. If I’ve eaten Kalia’s food, I should do the work. Wouldn’t it be worse if I was punished by military law?" Don didn’t care. While Arno was stunned, Don took the straight sword resting in the corner, drew it half an inch, saw the gleam of the blade, and noticed a layer of grease on it, which made him satisfied as he sheathed it. The sword was three feet long, with a slightly blue hilt, and shaped like a "T"—the most common double-handed straight sword in the Borderlands. He weighed it in his hand, and it was just barely usable. "Please lead the way." The soldier hadn’t expected the apprentice to be so polite and friendly, but realizing that the apprentice had no choice, he led him away. Arno scratched his head, feeling that after just one lunch, his friend seemed different from usual. The manor, which also served as a fortress, was strategically located on the main route to Kalia’s royal city. The outer wall blocked the mountain path, while the inner side was a vast plain. To the right was a lake, and to the left was a forest. A tent had been set up by the forest edge, where the wolfman Blazer sat on the ground. There were also several corpses of cuckoo soldiers around him, and the conscripted civilians were swiftly removing armor and weapons, stacking them to the side. He had received his report and, seeing Don approach, recognized this lazy apprentice. His first reaction was that the apprentice was trying to escape. His brow furrowed, and he revealed a few pale, sharp teeth. "Have you thought it through? Playing tricks in front of me won’t work." Facing the question, Don leaned his sword on the ground, breathing in the faint smell of blood, his mind clear of distractions. It was nauseating, yet strangely familiar, and Don couldn’t help but picture several figures in his mind. The silent ninja, the unrestrained sword saint, the warrior fighting to save his people—all of them overlapped in his mind with the armored fortress before him. At this thought, the former sword demon, now an apprentice, straightened his back and answered proudly: "I’ll go."