Prologue

I often had this thought.

A thought that never stops haunting me, even in my sleep.

Like a shadow, it always looms over my thoughts.

Why am I so useless? Am I bound to be a failure my whole life? Will I die without accomplishing anything?

These thoughts are what comprised the majority of my time, in my pitiful life.

I am Jin Runcandel, youngest born of the Runcandel Clan, one of the three clans that rule the world.

I wasn't useless from birth. I was born in a family that ruled the world. Born with a blessed physique resistent to fatigue and poison. A blessing that every Runcandel had. For a thousand years not even a single Runcandel was missed out of this blessing.

At the age of two, I selected the first Patriarch of Runcandel clan's sword, in the GARDEN OF SWORDS.

The garden of swords is a place where over the course of past thousand years, the Runcandels who acheived noteworthy accomplishment were allowed to bury their swords here. Selecting the patriarch's sword was akin to being the next in line to rule.

I thought my life would be a glamorous one, filled with power, authority and wealth. And how so wrong I was.

Despite being a Runcandel I had no talent in sword. Heck, I couldn't even lift the sword properly, let alone manifesting Aura. For the past millenia, every Runcandel with no exception reached 1-star knight by age of 13, 3-star by age of 16 and 5-star before 20.

And yet here I was, swinging my sword like a madman, trying like my life depended on it. 35 years of age and just reached 1-star knight. It was pathetic, no, I was pathetic. My father, Cyron Runcandel, the only one who ascended to being a demi-god, never even glanced in my direction.

Even a clown with absolutely no talent at all could accomplish better things than me, as long as he put in a sufficient amount of effort.

why?

Why?

WHy?

WHYYY?

Why was I like this.? I slumped down the shady cabin I was given as tears trickled down my face.

*violent knocks*

I opened the door as a fist landed square in my face. I tumbled back as I fell.

"Hahahah, look at him. So lame."

Squinting my eyes I focused on the sight Infront of me. They were my 11th and 12th siblings. The Tona Twins, famous as homicidal maniacs.

"Keke, stop touching that filth, Daytona. He's getting kicked out anyways."

Finally the day I feared was here. Due to my commendable efforts and never giving up, the flag-bearers had decided to banish me from the clan without killing me. Although I was a DISGRACE I was allowed to keep my PATHETIC life.

On birth every Runcandel was assigned a nanny. The nanny had to be at least a 7-star knight. I didn't care much about myself, my only regret was that my nanny, Gilly, who despite me being such a failure, always supported me.

I looked back one last time at the garden of swords, with a sack holding my possessions in my hand. My nanny, Gilly, was also banished alongside me. Nannies have the same fate as the Runcandel they look after.

After leaving my hellish family, I was surprised to learn that my talent lays within a field other than the sword.

A field despised and considered a taboo within the the Runcandel clan.

Magic.

I was extremely talented in magic.

While I was wandering aimlessly, I accidentally became a magician's disciple, and within three years of training, the God of Shadows offered me a contract.

I was on a solid path to becoming the grand magician of his era. The God of Shadows 'Solderet' was a being that all magicians yearned for.

Furthermore, I learned that I was Also gifted with the sword from Solderet.

[Contractor, it seems that someone bore a grudge against you since your childhood. You haven't been able to use your full potential due to a trivial curse. That might've been the reason why I was so captivated by you.]

'Trivial'. The thing that ruined my whole life was trivial. Haha. I could've gone crazy hearing this.

That was how Solderet described the curse that had been suppressing My talents. A 9-star magician was the cause of the curse in question, which was called the 'Bladed Illusion'.

Needless to say, I was unaware that I had been cursed until Solderet informed him.

Solderet easily dispelled the curse that had been tormenting me for years. The blood-red chains hidden inside My body were absorbed by the shadows.

[You can now become an unparalleled magic swordsman, Contractor. I'll be watching over you with excitement.]

It was true.

Following Solderet's words, I picked up the sword I had once thrown away. With every swing, I was reaching new levels of mastery. The greatest failure of Runcandel's history, Jin Runcandel, was no more.

I could feel it. The sheer strength behind every swing. The blade cuts the air, creating ripples.

On one hand, magic.

In the other, a sword.

Within 10 years, I would become so powerful that I wouldn't have to hide from his clan, the family that had thrown him aside. All that was left to do was to become history's strongest magic swordsman and to rule over the world.

…

'Seems like I truly am destined for failure.'

Cough!

I spat out a mouthful of blood, bleeding everywhere, including my eyes, nose, and ears.

Death was looming over me.

"I haven't even had the chance to use magic or Solderet's power." The words escaped my mouth like a long awaited wish.

Three 9-star knights had attacked the Akin Kingdom's capital out of the blue, and I, the ever unfortunate one, had received a fatal wound during their rampage in sleep.

"…In my sleep. How much of a noob can I be?" The only thought ravaging my brain.

A single 9-star knight could raze a nation the size of the Akin Kingdom within half a day. And since three of them had raided the capital city, there was nothing That could've been done.

I couldn't even react because I had just finished training and had fallen asleep from exhaustion.

What a ridiculous death I am going to have. I wanted to cry out in madness due to the absurdity, but all that escaped from my blood-filled mouth was delirious laughter.

I was on death's door, and nobody was by my side.

Not his teacher who cared for him, not his siblings and family who had cast him aside, not a single person.

Even Solderet showed no response.

'Why… Why did the heavens bother giving me an opportunity just to take it away immediately?'

And so, I closed his eyes, making my peace with the absurd ending I was about to have.

While he held no lingering feelings, he had many regrets about his life.

[Not so Fast]

A sound I never heard before ringed in my ears as I felt myself being pulled into an endless pool of darkness.

*************************

(A/n here it is. Sys fic has started. Man I'm in for one hell of a ride having so many fics on going.)