Chapter 16: The Old Devil Knows More from Age than from Being a Devil
The buildings in this village were practically connected to a mountain shrouded in mist. Many of the older buildings lay beneath the mountain, in the forest, but it was not usually this way.
"To keep the animals close, we don't venture much into the forest, except when we need to carry out a mission or two," said Vargo as he guided Jun toward a dome-shaped building.
Jun nodded slightly and asked, "I thought we didn't interact with the outside world. What's different in this case?"
"We need money."
A finely decorated building appeared before him, and outside, there was a large training ground.
Jun stopped in the middle of the training ground and posed a question to Vargo as multiple gazes turned toward him.
"What do I have to do?"
"Mmm..."
While Vargo stroked his chin at Jun's question, silence fell over the training ground.
The dozens of figures around bowed their heads. They did so with a firm posture, as if they wouldn't move until Vargo answered.
It was an impressive ceremony.
It could have been a gesture of admiration for the feats Vargo had achieved or respect for his status as the oldest living Crescent Moon in the Asura village, but Jun could feel that the emotions they were expressing were of a different kind, something more fundamental.
'Fear from the heart.'
That kind of fear does not arise if it is trampled upon with violence and authority.
It was something he could sense more clearly because it was Jun who had ruled with fear during his training in that dark place.
Jun could roughly guess the reason why they were so courteous to Vargo.
He is the father of all the assassins in Asura village today and one of the strongest in the Haiyue Clan.
The nickname comes from the fact that he created a cruel training method for those Asura who wanted to participate in the Blood Ceremony to claim the title of a Black Moon and, with it, the future title of Crescent Moon.
All participants in the blood ceremonies are between seventeen and twenty years old, but in Asura village, they send only fifteen-year-old assassins because they start their training at nine.
While Jun was lost in his thoughts, Vargo, who was alternating his gaze between the assassins and Jun, made an expression as if he had realized something and opened his mouth. "It seems that the idiot who is my disciple also gave you the sword art he believes in."
"Hmm?" Jun thought that this old man was probably Astaroth's master, who likely taught him how to manipulate his inner energy and use the sword according to the methods drawn on the wall.
Vargo looked at Jun, who was holding a training sword. A big smile appeared on his face, revealing a yellow tooth beneath.
"Are you sure you said you've used the sword a lot? Fight against twelve of these guys at once and win."
"What do you want to see?"
"Your swordsmanship and your inner energy in combat. These are trainees who decided not to participate in the training test out of fear."
Jun sighed in response to his indifferent answer.
The intent was clear.
'My sword...' He would like to see him use his inner energy and how far he had learned the martial art of the Crescent Moon Dance.
Vargo was revealing his intentions too openly; it seemed he didn't care if everyone knew about them.
The fact that the words he had spoken could not be taken as a joke was something even the trainee assassins were aware of.
However, what he said with a smile meant he was finally going to test his true skills, and he was trying to measure how much he could do with that power.
Jun took a deep breath and then nodded. "If that's what you want to see, then fine."
There was no reason to hide it. No, it was better to reveal it.
What he wanted was to be trained by this old man to shed the feeling of still being weak. He wanted to feel secure for the blood ceremony in these last years he had. For that, he must prove himself to Vargo by showing his strength as much as possible.
Jun calmed his mind and continued speaking while looking at Vargo.
"Can I use everything I know?"
"Are you talking about restrictions? You don't have any; after all, that's your skill."
"Good."
"Guys, get ready."
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Twelve figures moved at the same time.
As Vargo walked to the corner of the training room, the figures began to surround Jun.
Seeing such a spectacle, Jun assumed a defensive stance and made a mental sketch of all his adversaries, then gripped his sword tightly while controlling his breathing.
A formation that surrounded him from all sides.
No one had ever surrounded him; he was always the one who stayed a step ahead of his enemies all the time. But this time, being put in a somewhat uncomfortable situation, he had to pay attention to the details.
The details would give him victory, whether in this place or anywhere else. As long as he paid attention, nothing could stop him.
Jun began to move his inner energy through every part of his body, especially his legs. He needed a speed beyond superhuman to escape the initial attack.
Inner energy was something everyone had, but few had the ability to use it properly, given that it is like an uncontrollable muscle everyone uses when fighting, having sex, or simply running.
But Jun had the full ability to use that muscle, so he first focused on improving his speed.
What is needed to win a battle against many enemies is to attack target by target; not all attacked him, or many would be injured. That's why he needed to focus on the strongest ones; visually, there were large and small figures, all holding a sharp sword that could kill him.
There are blind spots that are inevitable because the human body depends on vision. They will come after him.
After a few seconds, Jun's aura increased. Not many could see it, but those who manipulated inner energy saw a dark mist beginning to surround him.
Jun at that moment was frightening.
"I won't use the edge of my sword..." Jun felt his senses sharpen, then uttered words that left him lethargic, feeling his movements were restrained.
The Chi invaded his body. A feeling of exhilaration filled his being as the surroundings seemed to grow colder, and everyone felt as if they were standing before an extremely dangerous predator.
Jun felt better than ever, but he knew this sensation wouldn't last long. Manipulating inner energy was exhausting, so he had to be quick.
A brief silence that could be broken at any moment.
The assassins raised their wooden swords. Jun held his training sword with both hands.
After a brief battle of nerves, Jun felt the wind approaching from behind. His turn was immediate; it wasn't a grand movement, but a great response, almost automatic.
With a minimal movement, twisting the trajectory of the wooden sword slightly as it approached his body, Jun brushed his own sword against it, returning the blow twice as hard and momentarily knocking one attacker out of combat.
What followed was a simultaneous barrage of sword attacks from all directions.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Jun was incredibly fast, managing to visualize everything around him with quick movements, moving as if he were stepping on the ground without any gravity weighing on his body.
"Argh..." At that moment, Jun felt the need to kill to escape the group attack.
The wild sensation, which could be called thirst or ecstasy, and the raw violence that had been lurking in a corner of his heart began to show their fangs.
Jun smiled involuntarily at the sensation that returned to him after awakening in this village.
"No mercy, no victory."
Clang!
'I am Jun; I am ten years old, and I will become the most powerful man in this world.' Jun thought as the force of his attacks made his rivals' swords explode into a cloud of wooden dust.
Boom!
All those whose eyes were wide open were blinded by that cloud of fine dust, while Jun, with his eyes closed, was not affected at all.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
...
About five minutes later, after the training fight had begun, Jun stood with labored breathing, still alertly surveying his surroundings.
"You hit those poor cowards as if they owed you money." These were the words Vargo spoke after witnessing the end of the battle.
Jun's gaze turned towards him.
Twelve figures were found collapsed on the ground, breathless. They were the assassins they had fought earlier.
He won the duel. It was an overwhelming display of victory.
It was natural. No matter how many people they had, they lacked the talent and thirst for power that Jun craved with such passion. He had been a weak boy, without memories of what his daring life might have been, and had faced a test he believed he would never survive.
At this moment, he was a strong boy, without the need to remember his past, having overcome the first trial of this world by being the best of all.
Without experience but with talent, Jun achieved the impossible, creating a gap between him and them that could not be bridged.
Jun did not agree with Vargo this time; he knew that if he had lost, these people would not have stopped beating him until they believed he couldn't stand up again.
Assassins are cruel, especially the Asura, who were one of the strongest villages of the Haiyue Clan.
"This is my victory."
"Yes, you bit them like a dog and won." A smile appeared on Vargo's face.
"No way. No intention. No sense of righteousness. If you simply give in to your instincts and wield a sword as you see fit, is that any different from a monster without desire?"
Jun retorted furiously with his eyes wide open. "The sword skill of this monster was superior to that of those assassins from a prestigious clan."
"To be clear, it wasn't the sword but the inner aura of your body that defeated them so absolutely."
"You didn't mention any restrictions."
"Yes, I know that. So, let me ask you, Do you think with that talent you can win the Blood Ceremony of the Haiyue Clan?"
At that moment, Jun realized something: he couldn't win with such flawed skills.
Jun's mouth shut.
It felt as if he had been struck on the nape with a blunt weapon.
He tried to make excuses, but his mind couldn't weave a response while frustration grew inside him.
Seeing Jun like this, Vargo smiled and said, "The assassins from the nine villages are trained in different ways; all are based on assassination, but some have devised methods to be far more lethal and deceitful than other sword arts."
Vargo slowly approached. The smile on his face transformed into an extremely malicious expression as he pointed to Jun's sword.
"You need to understand that your sword should be used for a single purpose, to protect or to kill; there is no middle ground; you must choose a path. To protect what must be protected, a code of conduct is necessary."
Vargo's waist bent a bit more, but Jun still had to look at him with admiration.
"Therefore, righteousness is needed. To engrave a single desire with that sword, a goal is necessary."
"I will ask you: Is your sword the sword that protects those under your shadow? Or is it the sword of a beast that bites what it sees?"
Faced with these questions, Jun could not utter any response.
After a long time, Jun answered, "I don't know what I want five years from now, but what I desire now is strength. I tasted the flavor of weakness for too long in the darkness, and believe me, I didn't like it. I want to be the master of my own path."
"I will be grateful to those who have dressed, helped, or healed me, but I will kill anyone who seeks to see a drop of my blood. It's not personal; nothing I do will be for personal reasons; I just want to walk without anyone being able to stop me, and I truly hope you teach me the best way to achieve it."
Jun, as he remembered from novels, bowed and extended his calloused hands, holding his sword from end to end toward Vargo, and said, "If I was sent to you, I believe it's for a test. I have nothing more to say; I am exactly as my words have described me."
"Ha, ha, ha!" Vargo's laughter was strange, but his eyes changed a bit.
"Please, be my master!"
Vargo nodded slightly and said, "I will see what I can teach you; in my eyes, you are worthy of representing the Haiyue Clan and the Asura village; never forget that."
"Understood, master."
"I won't be your master, not until I see your progress."
"I will not disappoint you." Jun was serious, but inside, he was leaping with joy, grateful for all those novels he had read once in his previous life.
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