The Transmigrated Author

Jan waited patiently for the dust to settle, focusing his vision on his opponent.

He wasn't sure if his attack had been enough to knock Rel out, but he couldn't take any chances.

After all, his entire body was exhausted after the battle with the Sunlit King.

On top of that, if he had to fight a swordsman close to his level now, it was likely he would lose, given the circumstances.

『I don't know how much more damage I can take... his aura is different from the average user. His outfit looks familiar for some reason, but regardless, he's as much of a threat as the Sunlit King... Any user with an aura that isn't blue is dangerous.

Must I use 'it' now?』

WHOOOOSH...

"They weren't lives if you heard me," Rel spoke calmly, sweeping the dirt off his black cloak. "Those were blood mimics, monsters that—"

"Shut up!" Jan roared. "Their bones tell a different story. Those were human bones."

He pointed a trembling finger towards the scene Rel had left behind.

"You took the life of two, and you expect yours to be spared?"

BANG

Jan slammed his fist against the wall, shaking the entire corridor.

"Look," Rel tried again, "let me explain—"

"There's nothing to explain," Jan cut him off. "Actions speak louder than words, and yours have painted you a villain."

The weight of Jan's judgment made Rel freeze. He was trapped in his own narrative, facing the consequences of his protagonist's unshakable moral code.

"Now I'm not sure what to do," Jan muttered, raising his sword once more.

Rel knew the situation was beyond repair.

The mercenary 'Axel' had been branded a villain in Jan's eyes. He had blundered a characteristic within Jan, and if a situation like this was enough to shake him, Rel had no choice but to avoid Jan as 'Axel'.

*

The man in the mask switched the grip of his blade to his left hand.

"Have you cooled your head?" the masked man spoke in a condescending manner that grated on Jan's nerves.

"Not quite," Jan replied in a low, heavy tone.

DING!

His eyes glowed a bright blue, his vision enhancing twofold, and his instincts sharpening.

『Let's test the waters of how far he is in that world.』

Jan waited patiently, and a gust of wind blew towards him.

His hair stood on end as he witnessed a strange phenomenon.

CRACK...

A part of the person's mask fell off. The top right corner of the white mask had been chipped and cracked from his previous attack, revealing their right eye and a bit of their hair.

"...!"

Surprise wasn't what Jan was feeling at this moment rather he was confused.

Of course, the scene itself was a sight to behold.

『Did he have blue eyes before?』

"No... that can't be the case," Jan couldn't shake the feeling.

『But It's red... why are his eyes red?!』

He couldn't understand his own thoughts, but he felt a familiar connection to this stranger.

A feeling he didn't need right now.

Jan had to clear his mind.

huuu...haah...

『Empty thoughts, that's all I need. He killed two people. I need to take this man in and figure out who he is.』

"God, give me strength,"

As Jan was about to charge, bells rang in his ears, and a sudden vision flashed in his mind. The world granted him a glimpse into the potential outcome of the battle.

The first few seconds were a chaotic clash that erupted throughout the room. Jan used a formless technique imbued with his light attribute, and the masked man used an immensely strong aura technique, one that even Jan struggled against.

But as the clash broke, Jan couldn't see what had happened to him. He sustained damage to his side as an arrow grazed his stomach, and in the next two seconds, he was kicked in the stomach.

DING!

Jan's foresight ended, and he saw the future of a potential ending to their fight.

"I won't let it happen." He muttered, dashing straight towards his opponent.

DASH!

Jan soared through the air, raising his sword.

CRACK...CRACK...CRACK...

With all the aura he could muster, his blade turned golden, mixed with the obsidian color of aura.

Once again, Jan pulled off a perfectly synergized technique of aura and elemental control within the core of his blade.

It was a realm attainable only by those who understood the core mechanics of elemental synergy and aura control.

To be adept at aura, one must have absolute authority over one's Mindflow, body control, and soul.

To be adept at an elemental attribute, one must master the three core aspects of magic: shape, control, and flow.

If their body and mind are not in sync, they cannot control their aura to hold their elemental attribute.

If their elemental control isn't stable enough to be held within the blade, their elemental will leak. Powered by m_vl_em_p_yr

Attempting to combine the two without proper understanding would result in internal destruction, and the user would gradually lose their senses and control.

Of course, there are two exceptions to these rules:

Jan Ates, whose exception lies in his sword mastery of ten different lives in one. With replication techniques beyond comprehension, he can master various sword arts from just seeing them once. Though he has the ability to do anything, he chooses to strictly adhere to one style.

"Formless technique: Golden Radiance, Heavenly First Strike!"

Jan, with his golden blade mixed with the blackness of aura, held his blade high, swinging downwards.

The second person to the exception...

This person is a cunning cheater who abides by no rules and is exempted from all exceptions.

He can shoot with a bow, punch a prince in the face, and is a part-time mercenary for his case.

This man is named Rel Laurence.

The system he controls grants him absolute authority to change aspects of his own story, making him unbelievably overpowered, regardless of how often he underestimates his own strength.

"Shattered Judgement."

Meeting Jan's blade head-on, Rel infused aura and the black flames of his elemental attribute.

As the anti-magic rose, perfectly complementing the absolute darkness of his own aura, lightning emerged and crackled from the surface of his blade.

Twisting his body to the right, Rel drew the sword back over his right shoulder, angling the blade upward with all his might.

SHING!!!!!