Spirits 9 — Stay calm.

Swing the newly forged lightning magic sword.

This time, I shaped it as a blade, so calling it a magic blade might be more accurate.

I also re-forged the fire variant accordingly.

I decided on symmetrical forms for both hands, since that would provide greater stability in dual-wielding.

Using two different swords would exceed my current skill level.

My swordsmanship is barely above that of a novice.

I possess the skill "Sword Talent," but in pure combat ability, everyone I've fought so far has been superior.

Especially that old man I fought recently.

He wielded both Combat God Technique and Magic Combat Technique simultaneously — nearly matched me.

Despite clearly having superior stats, the battle remained balanced to the point of uncertainty.

Pure sword skill had overcome the stat advantage.

My current race is Ogre Shaman.

Chose a magic-oriented evolution to optimize the generation of the demon blade.

That decision was not in error.

Phantom Weapon Forging was my greatest ability. Expanding it directly increased my combat effectiveness.

In practice, as the skill level of Phantom Weapon Forging rose, the added special abilities proved highly effective in combat against humans.

When first ambushed by a small group of humans in the forest, I had not yet mastered the demon blade’s power—there were moments of genuine danger.

From that experience, I revised my tactics and improved my defensive preparations.

The next human force, a large-scale group, was utterly annihilated by using the demon blades as mines, detonating them on contact.

The demon blade could transform as needed—its form depended entirely on application.

My advantage lies in possessing superior scientific knowledge from Earth, far beyond that of the inhabitants of this world, and the ability to apply it effectively.

Yet not everything proceeds as intended.

The makeshift cannon was a defective product—few in number, and destroyed after a single use.

Its accuracy was poor, and despite requiring two demon blades, its power was insufficient.

Throwing it was far more effective.

Landmines worked once, but after the mechanism was discovered, they became useless.

On Earth, such anti-personnel devices would require extensive effort to dismantle, but here, magic exists—convenient and omnipresent.

I never imagined using magic to attack the entire minefield at once, triggering a chain reaction.

It was fortunate I had prepared a contingency.

Even so, it was ruined by a cheap teleportation spell.

That was an unfair advantage.

The old man appears abruptly from empty space.

A spatial magic, it seems.

The caster was an old man—another elder, the very mage who had attempted to assassinate me.

This world's old man is terrifyingly powerful.

I thought I was going to die then.

In truth, they were already ninety percent dead.

The sword thrown at once struck one of the knights—luckily, it killed him in a single blow—luckily, it granted level-up.

A sense of barely clinging to life, as if fortune had stacked upon fortune in overwhelming coincidence.

Activating rage and fleeing was, in a sense, a gamble.

Fury activates, increasing status significantly.

Combined with the Battle God Technique, my stats would increase to about twenty times their original level.

Current status is approximately 1,000.

Physical stats increased by 1,000 via Combat God Technique, totaling approximately 2,000.

Ten times that is twenty thousand.

Fury multiplies all stats by ten.

However, this extraordinary ability carries a drawback.

One that is extremely dangerous.

It causes the loss of rationality.

Upon activation, my consciousness vanishes. I become a berserker, driven only by rage.

Whether I can return to myself afterward depends entirely on chance.

When I killed Vylmus, I managed to regain my self-awareness—but there was no guarantee I wouldn’t have permanently devolved into a mere beast.

Thus, Fury is used only as a final resort.

And even then, only for a brief window in which self-preservation remains possible.

Even so, awareness is overwhelmed by fury, rendering control increasingly difficult.

The fact that I made the correct decision to retreat after activation was pure luck.

Perhaps I could have won while still under Fury’s influence.

But at that point, I likely would have been unable to return to myself.

This is nothing but the dissolution of the self known as "me."

Winning under such conditions cannot be called victory.

It is akin to mutual destruction.

Honestly, I had underestimated humanity after easily winning the previous battle.

I never imagined I would be forced to flee using Fury.

Refining the Illusory Weapon Forging technique was not a mistake.

But that alone is insufficient.

Swing the blade.

Visualize the old man I fought before.

Continue swinging the blade against the phantom of that old man.

Yet, victory remains unattainable.

Within the image, the old man cannot be defeated without activating the Divine Combat Technique.

Still, continue swinging the blade.

Think clearly. Consider methods to kill the opponent.

Victory is possible through anger alone.

But relying solely on anger will eventually lead to one's own downfall.

Stay calm. Activate reason. Then sharpen the blade of slaughter.

Spatial magic was acquired by spending skill points.

Ten thousand points were required, but holding onto them is not a loss.

Absorbing an opponent’s tactics is not incorrect as a quick path to strength.

If something felt troublesome when done to oneself, it should feel troublesome to the opponent as well.

That said, spatial magic is unusable at low levels, so cultivation is necessary on this side as well.

Swing the blade.

Next time, ensure a kill.

Hone swordsmanship.

[Proficiency has reached threshold. Skill 'Talent with Sword LV3' upgraded to 'Talent with Sword LV4'.]

Stay calm. Stay calm. Suppress the rage rising within.

Channel only that intent into the blade.

Sharp. Simply sharp.