Chapter 315: Swordmaster Syndrome (3)

Swordmaster Syndrome.

A colossal challenge faced by swordsmen who have honed their blades, the last trial standing before the ultimate summit.

Since the dawn of history in the continent of Lorasia, countless individuals have experienced Swordmaster Syndrome. Renowned human knights, fierce orc warriors, valiant mermaid champions, and coldly precise elf archers—regardless of race, anyone whose Mana Heart reached the advanced expert level had to endure it. Out of history’s long span, merely around 300 individuals ever overcame this trial.

‘Phew. So, that means a lot of people have failed to overcome this. How many could that be? Easily tens of thousands, I guess.’

Sitting on the sofa, Lloyd sighed deeply, startled by the sensation he felt at the moment through his nostrils. The air passing through his nostrils felt incredibly vivid, and the sensation of the hairs inside fluttering was sharply imprinted on his mind, making him involuntarily twitch his shoulders.

‘Oh, this damned syndrome!’

It had been three days since Lloyd began experiencing Swordmaster Syndrome. Yet, adaptation seemed far off—if not impossible. Dark circles had etched themselves around his eyes as a testament to his struggle.

‘So sleepy.’

But sleep was elusive. Everything was too loud. No matter how quiet his surroundings, it made no difference. Even with windows tightly shut, the sound of the wind outside roared like a typhoon. Burying his head in the blanket and pressing his ears against the pillow did little to help.

When that happened, the pulse within the veins near his eardrums boomed like drums on a battlefield!

‘Thanks to that, a proper case of insomnia. This is driving me crazy.’

The more he thought about it, the deeper his sighs became. Then, Javier’s thunderous voice rang out.

“You mustn’t let your mind wander. Focus.”

“…Oh, shoot, you startled me.”

“Does my voice still sound that loud to you?”

“Obviously. Can’t you give a warning before you start talking?”

“That wouldn’t help with your training or adaptation.”

“Tsk. So you want me to just sit on this sofa and close my eyes all day?”

“That’s your practice to maintain a state of tranquility.”

“How is this supposed to help?”

“Immerse yourself in the quiet. Confront the sharp edges of your heightened senses. Focus on where that sharpness points. Embrace it, encompass it, and accept it. Only then can you truly achieve inner peace.”

“Yes, Master Javier.”

“…What’s with ‘master’?”

“I heard about it during my last trip to Seoul.”

“What did you hear?”

“Apparently, there are people called monks there. I overheard some people talking about it near that lock-laden bridge.”

“So, you think I’m like these monks?”

“Yep. You talk in riddles just like them.”

“……”

“So I don’t understand a thing you’re saying. What do you mean, the sharp edges of senses? Are you talking about shotgunning vampire broth?”

“If you listen inwardly, you’ll naturally feel it.”

“I am listening.”

“Not closely enough, in my view.”

“Still not enough.”

“Ah! Damn it!”

“Calm your inner turmoil and regain peace. Now, take a deep breath.”

“…Hoo.”

“Good, well done.”

“…Hey.”

“Focus.”

It was enough to drive anyone mad.

But he had no other choice.

Javier was experienced, having successfully conquered Swordmaster Syndrome himself.

Lloyd trusted that he would know a more efficient way.

With that trust, he followed Javier’s guidance.

For the next several days, Lloyd handed over the site temporarily to Baron Bayern and spent his days on the sofa in his room, engaged in what seemed like Zen meditation.

It was time to closely examine his sharpened senses.

The effect was significant.

‘Oh, oh, it’s working.’

After a couple of days, Javier’s voice dropped from thunderous to no louder than the tapping on a desk.

The sensation of swallowing or the feeling of nostril hairs fluttering every time he breathed was also much reduced.

‘Javier really knows his stuff.’

His guidance was indeed effective.

From then on, Lloyd devoted himself more intensely to meditation.

Three days passed, then six more.

Finally, on the fifteenth day of meditation, Lloyd managed to reduce the onslaught of his senses to a level where everyday life was barely manageable.

“Phew.”

He took a deep breath for the first time in a while.

Looking around, the dizzying sensations had significantly decreased.

The time spent in meditation, except for meals, felt worthwhile.

But there was still a mountain to climb.

“So, have I now overcome the insomnia?”

“Don’t count on it.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. I myself couldn’t overcome insomnia until I heard your lullabies.”

“Then how about this?”

A spark of an idea struck Lloyd as he conversed with Javier.

‘Then I just need to listen to lullabies!’

He immediately grabbed some paper and a pen, recalling his days in a cramped study dorm.

He scribbled down some content he had studied and memorized back then—material from his major courses.

‘So, it goes like this and that, and this and that, and blah blah… Done.’

He wrestled with his memories for a moment.

Handing the paper filled with academic content to Javier, he said:

“Read this.”

“Pardon?”

“Read it out loud, this.”

“Is this meant to be a lullaby for you?”

“Yes. You can read it, right? I avoided complicated parts with difficult terminology. Just read it smoothly without stumbling.”

“……”

“Go on.”

Lloyd flopped down on the bed.

He settled into a comfortably snug position and pulled the covers over himself.

With a look of anticipation, he urged Javier on.

Thinking he could finally sleep now.

Believing himself a genius for coming up with such a method.

He eagerly anticipated the sweet sleep he hadn’t had in fifteen days.

Javier then began reciting the lullaby.

“Alright, then. Um… The limit state design method considers the variability of load and material strength to probabilistically ensure the stability of a structure… mumbling… based on the mechanical behavior of materials… murmuring… it is assumed to be directly manifested in the completed structural system.”

“Good, keep going.”

Fall asleep.

Please, just fall asleep.

I can do this!

I will be able to sleep!

So, keep going!

Lloyd’s eyelids fluttered.

He tried his best to find Javier’s voice more boring.

“Typically, the allowable stress design method using safety factors is used when the applied load is small, so that… um… deflection or cracking is not considered a problem… uh… the development of structural analysis and design capabilities… droning on… high-strength rebar and… zzuzz… materials… zzz…”

“Hey?”

Javier’s reading tapered off.

Amidst the fading voice, a soft snoring sound mixed in.

Startled, Lloyd opened his eyes.

And he saw it.

“…Are you sleeping?”

“Zzz.”

“Are you really sleeping?”

“Zzuzz.”

“Hey, sir? Professor?”

“Mmzzz.”

“……”

Please, just let me sleep.

So I read you the engineering textbook.

And you fall asleep reading it?

How am I supposed to not cry at this turn of events?

‘Sigh. Not like I can read it aloud to myself.’

In the end, Lloyd gave up on overcoming his insomnia.

He had grown somewhat accustomed to the other heightened senses.

Enough to barely manage everyday activities and supervise the site.

But a solution to his insomnia remained elusive.

And he couldn’t just leave the site unattended.

‘Well, it’s not the first time I’m short on sleep.’

Suddenly, his days in a Korean study dorm came to mind.

Especially the days before he took a leave of absence.

That was the most physically and mentally challenging time.

He had just lost his parents and hadn’t even begun to heal when he had to work part-time to support himself.

He had to attend school as well.

And keep up with a flood of assignments.

Doing all that felt like even two bodies wouldn’t be enough.

But he couldn’t neglect either responsibility.

He pushed himself harder.

But it didn’t always go according to plan.

Was it because of the emotional wounds from losing his parents?

Or because the image of his parents’ last moments haunted him?

He couldn’t sleep.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw illusions.

He felt as if he was suffocating.

Every day, he dragged himself around, barely sleeping, constantly fatigued, traumatized, and stressed, often bleeding from the nose, but he had to keep going.

‘At least it’s better than then. I’m more at ease now. I eat well, nutritionally. People take care of laundry and chores for me.’

It was different from when he could barely manage to eat rice and kimchi.

The maids took care of laundry and cleaning.

He had people around who felt like family.

In this way, it wasn’t just comfortable—it was heaven.

With that thought, he accepted his insomnia.

He headed to the site.

From then on, he daily covered himself with sunlight and dust.

Dam construction was no easy task.

‘So keep it simple. Stay true to the dam’s original purpose. Remove complex functions. Even if it’s primitive, make sure it’s solid.’

He strived to build it.

The first step was water diversion, changing the flow of the river to dry up the land where the dam was to be built.

‘Of course. You can’t build a dam while water’s flowing. Even if you restore the flow direction later, you have to divert it now to make construction possible.’

So, he dug a diversion channel.

He created a new path for the river water to flow in a different direction.

And he built temporary cofferdams upstream and downstream.

The upstream cofferdam blocked the water flowing toward the main dam.

It also helped the river water efficiently flow into the diversion channel.

The downstream cofferdam?

It prevented the water from the diversion channel from flowing back and flooding the construction site.

The diversion channel was dug as wide and deep as possible.

The cofferdams upstream and downstream were built solidly with soil and rocks piled up in a rip-rap method.

All followed the specifications Lloyd had designed in advance.

Thus, the site for the main dam was dried and ready.

The real construction preparation was complete.

“…And that doesn’t mean we rest, right? Come on, everyone, work, work!”

Lloyd encouraged the work teams even more.

Ensuring shifts were strictly adhered to.

Maintaining strict safety standards.

And giving no room for the work teams to slack off.

The reason was simple.

‘Because it finishes the construction faster! And I’ll suffer less from insomnia!’

I can’t watch the work teams relax while I can’t even sleep properly.

So, the work must be intense.

It must be pushed hard to finish both accurately and quickly.

That’s necessary to operate the Orb of Truth.

To find out if the solution to prevent the phenomenon of fate’s restoration requires RP.

‘So if it turns out we don’t need extra RP, then I’ll grind for RP and use it all to ascend to Swordmaster.’

Then he could finally be free from insomnia.

Holding onto that sliver of hope (?), Lloyd urged the work teams even more fiercely.

Thanks to that, the construction progressed swiftly.

He sorted out the foundation of the dam’s core part.

It was the spot that had to support the heavy dam.

He removed all the topsoil and alluvial soil.

Blasted numerous angled holes in the exposed bedrock.

Poured concrete into those holes.

Thus completing a grout treatment over the area where the dam would hold water, as if coating it in cement.

‘Like a giant cement basin.’

This was necessary for the dam to be sturdy and long-lasting.

Building the dam and merely trapping water was not the end.

After completing the foundational work, the main dam was raised.

The model for the main dam was based on Spain’s Tibi Dam.

As was the case with Tibi Dam, he stacked hard limestone generously and thickly.

Filled the interior with natural stone and injected cement.

The outer surface was precisely cut and fitted to minimize seams, forming a stable arch incorporating the principles of ‘wedges’ and ‘joints’.

At the same time, Lloyd also advanced the construction of the Orb of Truth.

‘Naturally. Got to build this in one go while there’s no water in the dam.’

That’s the only way to ensure a smooth construction.

Fortunately, building the Orb was relatively easier than the dam.

‘Lucky the blueprints were so detailed.’

He followed the design of the Orb obtained earlier.

Set the foundation on the marked spot.

Placed the sculpture found in the mermaid kingdom precisely.

Built a pyramid resembling a general’s tomb on the base.

Placed and adjusted the key materials discovered so far.

‘Alright, just like this. Just like this!’

The entire process went incredibly smoothly.

No minor accidents.

No significant construction challenges.

How wonderful it would be if all construction projects progressed this smoothly.

He almost burst into song with such thoughts.

Thus, one month, two months, three months…

Finally, six months later, on a day marking the start of the final construction phase for the dam and the Orb of Truth.

Whooosh!

Suddenly, a brilliant dawn light enveloped the site.

Within that light, a being no one expected descended upon the site.

A radiant halo above its head.

Two rings of flame encasing its body.

In one hand, it held a mace of judgment.

In the other, it tightly gripped a demolition order for illegal constructions.

It was the Lower Heaven’s Inspector General, a third-class Principal Angel, Raphael.