章 12: Calm

*fwip* *fwip* *fwip* *fwip* *fwip* *fwip* *fwip* *fwip* *fwip*

After getting his ass handed to him for the better part of two hours, William spent an additional three and a half swinging a pair of weighted spadroons. Leshien stuck around for a while to observe his form, but as she had other matters to attend to, she eventually left him alone in the training hall.

Nearing his limit, William used the remainder of his Mana and Aura to deftly slice off the head of a mannequin before stabbing his swords into the ground and using their pommels to support him as he bent over and focused on controlling his breathing.

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[The Spirit of Perseverance Part III]

Rank: B [Link Quest]

Objective(s): Daily training and an unwavering spirit are key to overcoming one's limits. Prove to yourself that you have what it takes to rise and stand above others by brandishing your weapon with conviction 10,000 times in a single training session(4,493/10,000).

Optional Objective(s): Maintain a steady state of Mana/Aura circulation for the duration of the training session.

Reward(s): 5,000 Karma, [Gut's Bandana]x1, [Aspiring Champion's Belt]x1

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"Haaaaaaaa...."

Seeing that he wasn't even halfway toward his goal, William exhaled a sigh and let the tension drain from his body. The first two Quests in the chain had been relatively straightforward, simply requiring that he train regularly for a month and then six months, but he had been stuck on the third for nearly a year and a half.

'10,000 swings is too much...' thought William, lying down and sprawling out with his arms and legs spread wide. Even with Dominate allowing him to push himself far beyond his limits, he had only exceeded 5,000 blows a single time. He tried pacing himself to preserve his stamina, but even if he limited himself to one swing every five seconds, it would take upwards of fourteen hours to complete the set.

"You're still here...?" asked a voice similar to William's own, followed by his older brother, David, approaching with a slight frown.

Without rising from his position on the ground, William adopted a smile and replied, "We only have these short few years while we're children to train and hone our skills without inhibition. Once you become Lord and I get appointed to my post in the Capital, we'll be lucky to have more than an hour or two each day to prevent our skills from rusting."

Hearing William reiterate that he would become Lord, David's somewhat tense expression relaxed. Just to be sure, however, he asked, "Have you ever given thought to becoming a Lord?"

"It would be stranger if I didn't," responded William, rising to a seated position and meeting his older brother's gaze as he reminded, "After all, I 'was' sired as a precautionary heir. Luckily, you appear to have things well in hand. I'm certain you'll make a fine Lord."

Regaining his frown, David averted his eyes and remarked, "I don't need your assurances..."

"Perhaps. But it's my duty as the younger brother to support you," mused William. Then, as he had recovered enough to move, he rose with a bit of effort, placing him nearly eye-level with his brother. David was still a little taller, but as there was a nineteen-month gap in their ages, William would doubtlessly surpass him in the future.

"Are you heading to the aviary...?" asked David, following William with a disproving look as the latter casually sauntered past him.

"Ailbhe will get restless if I don't," replied William, shrugging in feigned helplessness. The fact he had attuned with a Gryphon and his brother hadn't was a sore spot for David, but if life were fair, there would be no peasants, slaves, or Lords.

"I depart for the Royal Academy in six days' time..." said David, causing William to stop, half-turn, and meet the older Orithear's gaze before he averted his eyes and added, "I would like it if you were there to see me off..."

"Of course," replied William, smiling without hesitation. He struggled with viewing the Oirthears as genuine family, but, as it wouldn't be fair to them if he distanced himself or behaved like an outsider, he did his best to play the part fate had assigned him.

Ostensibly relieved by William's response, David breathed a sigh of relief. However, as he didn't like being viewed as weak, he subsequently issued a snobbish harumph before turning away and saying, "You may go. I wish to train in peace."

"May your training be fruitful," said William, offering more of a nod than a bow before turning to depart, passing several of David's entourage along the way. The forthcoming Lord had a bit of a thing for descendants of the Zoan tribes, so most of his servants were buxom and athletic women with fluffy ears and tails. William empathized with this quite a bit, but while the worlds he had been reincarnated into had some breathtakingly exotic and beautiful women, he had little interest in pursuing romance. Not for lack of desire but because of his personal circumstances. He would feel betrayed if he discovered that his lover was a reincarnator and had kept it from him, so he refused to put someone else through that.

'I'll be damned if it isn't tempting, though...' thought William, sneaking a few glances at the members of David's entourage as he passed. His own wasn't lacking in beauties, but as many of them had been present since his birth, assisting in changing his diapers and other such things, William regarded them more as family than objects of desire. His Innate helped a lot in that regard...

...

[One Year Later]

'Clear your mind. No wayward thoughts...' William instructed himself, his expression a serene smile as he sat in the shallows of a plunge basin, fed by a weak, curtain-like waterfall. Leshien had received permission to take him on an excursion to a monster-infested forest for survival training, so it had been just the two of them for the past three weeks, living off nature's bounty.

A few meters from William's position, Leshien was enjoying the feeling of the waterfall's frigid waters trickling down like a natural shower, cleansing the dirt and grime from her lithe and very naked body. She wasn't exactly a feast for the eyes, but the innumerable scars adorning her body and the complex network of runic tattoos covering her back, shoulders, and much of her exposed flesh made it difficult not to stare. Each had a story, but as Leshien rarely talked about the past, William could only imagine what they were.

Having felt William's gaze on her for quite some time, Leshien turned to meet it, her expression equally relaxed as she asked, "Are you curious...?"

"Of course I am," replied William. "According to what I've read, it's taboo for an Elf to leave a permanent mark on their flesh. And since you recover from any wound, you must have received those tattoos before becoming immortal."

"Ah..."

As she had mistakenly believed William was at the age where he began taking an interest in the opposite sex, Leshien found herself at a loss for words. Since her mind worked much faster than normal, however, there was no discernible pause before she reached up, touching the branching, tree-like tattoo that followed her collarbone as she stated, "What greater taboo can there be than baring one's fangs at their Creator? These marks are the proof of mine and many others' convictions..."

"If I asked, would you tell me about yourself and your past? I've read the tales and fables, but I place little value in penned history," stated William.

Shaking her head, Leshien adopted a notably distant smile as she replied, "My sins are my own to bear. And, once our paths diverge, the odds of us meeting again are slim. Just focus on shaping your future."

Raising his right brow, William questioned, "I can't write to you? You 'are' my Master, you know. Wouldn't you like to hear of my achievements and such?"

"If you accomplish anything of note, I'll hear about it naturally," replied Leshien, her expression and tone bordering on apathetic as she turned away and stepped back into the waterfall's curtain, ostensibly finished with their conversation.

'There she goes, closing herself off again...' sighed William. It was fairly obvious that Leshien had endured considerable loss throughout her life, but he felt she was making a mistake by distancing herself from others. He put up quite a few walls of his own, but forming bonds was one of the things that gave life meaning. He was also a firm believer in fate, so since their paths had crossed and she had helped him become stronger, William couldn't simply ignore Leshien's plight.

"Let's make a deal," said William. Leshien didn't turn to acknowledge him, but since she could probably sense everything within a kilometer of their position, he just continued, adding, "When I receive the Grade of Master, you will attend the ceremony. In exchange, if you ever find yourself weary of wandering or simply want to rest in a comfortable bed, you can always seek me out. I will have a room prepared for you."

"There isn't a Lord or landowner in the Astralis Kingdom that would turn me away if I arrived at their doorstep..." replied Leshien, turning to meet William's gaze. "However, if you can beat the odds and become a Master, I will attend the ceremony. Not to congratulate you, but to verify you are worthy of the title..."

"That was my hope from the start," mused William, smiling from ear to ear. Leshien frowned in response, but instead of saying anything, she returned to bathing. Due to her curse, her temperature was self-regulating, and she didn't become pruny no matter how long she bathed. Thus, it wasn't until a few minutes after William got out that she concluded her bath, sporting a conflicted, pouty expression...

...

*thoom* *thoom* *thoom*

With a height of more than five meters, a length exceeding fifteen, and a bipedal frame encased in rock-like armor, the monster that William was stalking caused the ground to shudder with each step. Its basic structure resembled a T-rex, possessing two powerful legs, tiny arms, a long, thick tail, and a theropod skull full of large, dagger-like teeth. Some noteworthy differences were that, instead of being covered in leathery hide, feathers, or fur, the creature's skin resembled an assortment of brown, beige, and red rocks clumped together. It also had thick, stone-like plating along its back, the sides of its legs, and especially its tail, making the latter a lethal club that could easily fell trees or splinter boulders.

'Beating this thing without the use of Dominate is going to be difficult...' thought William, feeling nervous but not exactly afraid. It would suck if he died before meeting up with the others, but it wasn't the end of the world. The worst-case scenario was that he didn't wake back on the island, but as he was presently living his seventh life, the possibility of oblivion didn't frighten him.

Unaware that it was being stalked, the oversized monster, known as a

Talamhnath, swiveled its head from side to side, loudly sniffing the air a few times before bending its knees, lowering its head, and taking several large gulps from a flowing stream.

'It's go time...!' William exclaimed internally, darting forward at nearly a hundred meters per second. The Talamhnath immediately reacted to his presence, but since it had to strain to raise and turn its tremendous bulk, William was able to get close enough to slice at the tendon of its right leg, just above its foot, with an Aura-empowered slice.

*MRRAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWW!!!!*

Though William's attack found purchase, causing a veritable torrent of blood to shoot out from where he had sliced, the Talamhnath's mobility didn't seem affected as it twisted its colossal frame and lunged toward him in an attempt to crush him with its massive jaws. William responded by leaping back even faster and hurling a throwing knife at the monster's left eye, but while his aim was true, it, unfortunately, bounced off the thin but durable membrane protecting it.

Taking advantage of his smaller size and much greater agility, William dodged to the side as the Talamhnath slammed the front of its body down and pushed itself forward with its exceptionally powerful legs, tearing up the ground like an industrial bulldozer. It then tried to hammer him with its tail, but he was able to leap forward and pass under it, taking advantage of the momentary opening created to materialize a spear from the bangle on his right wrist, stabbing it into the creature's ass.

*MRRAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!*

Enraged further, the Talamhnath performed a surprisingly swift spinning motion, tearing up the ground around it and producing a powerful gust of air that forced William back. When it came to a stop, viscous, shimmering orange drool could be seen leaking from its mouth, producing a loud hiss as it fell to the ground, burning and corroding it like acidic napalm...

...