章節 21: Chapter 180
The Goddess of Battle had a rather small body compared to the other beastmen. Compared to Jin, she wasn't as big. However, just by her presence, the goddess absolutely dominated the Twelve Fighting Legends beside him. The gemstones seemed to glow like the sun because of her presence.
Their hearts shone so brightly, Jin would have covered his eyes with his hands.
"Did you say your name was Jin Runcandel?"
A clear but deep voice.
"Yes."
"Weird. You look completely different from Temar, but your aura is very similar."
Jin didn't answer and just looked into her bottomless eyes, her long hair waving in the air like fire.
It didn't take long for her to judge and make a decision about him.
"I like it, prospective apprentice."
'After looking at what? Just because my energy is similar to Temar's?'
He had questions shoot across his mind, but he didn't dare ask them.
'I can see the first patriarch left a lasting impression on these arrogant people.'
Remembering their confrontation, it was obvious. The one warrior who could have dominated the land was none other than Temar Runcandel.
"Certainly… His aura is similar to that of Temar."
"However, he may be able to become a more overwhelming warrior in the future."
"Don't get your hopes up too much, Garmund. That's very greedy."
The Fighting Legends exchanged some comments as they examined Jin.
He basically received the approval from the head of the temple, but he didn't feel too good about it.
'They're all thinking of me as Temar's shadow.'
He couldn't deny that Temar was the most legendary warrior in history. He also couldn't deny that Temar basically built the Runcandel Clan, so Jin would have never existed without him.
However, he never wanted to be remembered as Temar's subordinate. Jin didn't think that surpassing him was impossible.
Furthermore, although it wasn't a real fight, Jin defeated him before coming to this place.
"I am Jin Runcandel."
"Do not speak when not spoken to by the goddess."
"You spoke of my ancestor, so I wanted to clarify my name."
"You little—!"
One Legend stomped forward, but the goddess slowly raised her hand. All of the Legends kneeled and bowed.
"Fufu… Alright. We did dwell on the past with our future in front of us. Jin Runcandel, my name is Vahn."
She didn't have any name that signified her clan or family.
Whomever's womb they were birthed, they all treated each other like siblings.
"No need to add any prefix or suffix. Just Vahn is fine."
"Is that alright?"
"We don't share hierarchical respect like your human society. It doesn't matter if you just call me by my given name. However, there is one thing you should be careful of with your words."
"What would that be?"
"Before the entire tribe accepts you, you must never call them your brethren."
Jin nodded. Some of the Legends swallowed their smirks, the look in their eyes saying the same thing: this bastardly human will never receive our approval.
Yet Jin didn't care.
Those who easily revealed their emotions weren't problems at all. Those who were honest were simple. And those who were simple were easy to convince.
The Legends who hid their emotions… Convincing them would be a challenge.
'Goddess of Battle Vahn too. She said she likes me, but I don't know if she's being honest or not.'
Vahn stood up from her throne and walked towards Jin. She unbuckled the sheath on her side and handed the sword to him.
It was a very normal sword. Nothing that a legendary beastman would use.
"Use this sword when learning the Shadow Blade technique."
The smirks on some of the Legends grew. Jin understood their glee as soon as he held the sword.
'My spiritual energy…!'
The sword was absorbing it. It appeared to be a normal sword at first glance, but it drained Jin's spiritual energy like a leech, leaving no evidence behind.
A completely different experience from when he awakened his blade by concentrating his spiritual energy into it.
"It's the Shadow Vacuum. I'm sure you've never felt this before. Ever since you contracted with Solderet, spiritual energy never left your body."
"If I hold onto it all day, then I'll be completely drained."
"Your ancestor, Temar Runcandel, overcame that sword fairly quickly. Just as you confidently claimed your name, can I anticipate some achievement?"
It was hard to answer.
The speed at which the sword drained Jin was ominous. As soon as he realized its hidden features, he tried to control his spiritual energy. However, the more he resisted, the stronger the vacuum got.
'Shit's annoying.'
Jin initially nodded. If he couldn't do what Temar did, he would be treated like a successor forever.
He just needed to find a way. Just as always.
"We begin tomorrow at dawn. You are dismissed."
"Understood."
Jin exited the temple, and the Legends clicked their tongues.
"He should be thankful for even being compared to Temar. Our second successor will face the consequences of his arrogance so soon."
Seventh Legend Beliz shrugged and responded.
"Don't you think that's a little harsh, Vahn?"
"What is?"
"Temar received the sword after completing Shadow Blade 1st Form. He was way past 20 as well. I don't think Jin is suited to deal with the sword."
"What's wrong, Beliz? You already love the second one? It's true that we're hyped for the second inheritor in history, but we must remain strict within the temple."
Garmund responded, and the goddess smiled.
"Our time is frozen, but it has been a thousand years since Temar died. It won't be strange if someone stronger than Temar was born. I just want to know if humans—Runcandel—got stronger in those years."
* * *
The night was long.
No one was supervising him, but Jin constantly held onto the sword. Before dawn even came, every bit of spiritual energy disappeared from his body.
'Weird.'
The moment he opened his eyes, he tried to release spiritual energy.
A weak black dust wrapped around his body, as if the training he had done to achieve 6-star had disappeared.
After detaching the sword from himself, the release got better over time. However, in order to recover his original state, he had to constantly practice without laying a finger on the weapon.
The first to teach Jin was the Eighth Legend.
"Who's the Eighth Legend, Tantel?"
"Brethren Garmund. The tallest and the one with the longest beard."
"Ah, that man."
Garmund was one of the Legends who openly showed emotion. Compared to the Shadow Vacuum homework, it looked as if convincing his first instructor would be easier.
"Anyway, how does the hierarchy amongst the Legends work? Does a lower number mean a higher rank?"
"If I exclude the Chief Brethren, there is no hierarchy. We only use these terms to show respect. So, essentially, we're equivalent troops in human terms. The number is just to signify the order at which we attained Legend status."
"That's an unexpectedly fair system…"
"We have never clashed swords within our tribe. We don't need that kind of pathetic hierarchy."
"That's funny."
They walked to the training area at the center of the temple. A massive open space that took a majority of the temple's estate.
There was no training equipment. Just a jagged stone floor that looked like it hadn't been managed for years.
However, the moment Jin stepped onto the warm stone floor, he instantly knew why it was built in such a way.
'This floor is inconceivably firm…'
It wasn't just any stone. It could be compared to Bradamante and the Black Light Cuirass's thousand-year steel.
Cracks and crevices littered the flooring, making Jin wonder how much training this tribe had done before their extinction.
'And is that one, from Temar?'
There was a giant sword mark that stretched across the entirety of the training grounds. A crater approximately a hundred steps long.
At the end of the crater, Garmund stood with his arms crossed.
'Well, a hundred steps isn't too big if I think about it… Can I, as of this moment, leave such a sword mark on this flooring?'
He would never know if he never tried. Jin hadn't mastered the Shadow Blade at all, but just as he cut through Myuron's hell gate and Goltep's hammer, just as he walked all the way to Temar, he knew it was possible as long as he had the will to do so.
'Well, that's only if the Shadow Vacuum didn't take away all of my spiritual energy.'
Jin adjusted the cursed sword on his belt. There was only half a year until the Compass interception operation. He had to overcome the Shadow Vacuum and master the Shadow Blade before returning to his team.
"Your ancestor left this mark, Second One."
"I thought so, Garmund."
Then, Garmund turned his head towards Tantel and glared.
'Did you tell this damned kid my name?'
"Ah, Eighth Brethren. Shouldn't this fellow know his teacher's name beforehand?"
"I don't even think of this human child as my apprentice!"
"Of course. Anyway, I shall take my leave. Hopefully, our first apprentice after the past thousand years won't die on the first day."
"Hmph. You say the same things as the Seventh Brethren. That's up to this kid. Hold your sword, child. Before our training, there's something I need to confirm. If you can't even do this, I will not train you."
The moment Jin unsheathed the sword, Garmund smiled.
"Swing your sword ten thousand times. And make it consistent!"
Jin let out a refreshing shout within.
That was the one thing he was confident in.
章節 22: Chapter 181
Slash, slash, slash!
For exactly five hours, Jin swung his sword ten thousand times. And with the swings being consistent in quality and speed, Garmund couldn't keep his jaw from dropping.
"Phew. I finished."
Jin flicked his sweaty bangs.
Although Tantel said that he would return to his quarters, he remained to watch Jin with his task. After around three thousand swings, other beastmen came to watch. At five thousand, the color in Garmund's face drained. And at seven thousand, he was sweating.
At the ten thousand mark, Garmund realized that he had been underestimating Jin's prowess.
The boy genuinely astonished Garmund.
'I would've never known. This situation… I didn't think it'd happen. What the hell?'
"""WHOOOAAA!"""
Disregarding Garmund's conflicting emotions, the other beastmen shouted and screamed. The normal warriors had different perspectives than the Fighting Legends.
They had been waiting for thousands of years for someone to contest Temar's absolute dominance. They wanted to verify that their frozen time was worth it.
"Garmund, why are you speechless?"
A smile grew on Jin's face, and Garmund cleared his throat.
His brethren enjoyed the sight, so he had felt a little guilty for being the only person who wanted Jin to fail.
"…Well done. I didn't think you would execute it so perfectly."
"No, I didn't want to hear some patronizing compliments."
"Hmph! What do you want me to say, then?"
"Please confirm that I am ready to receive your teachings. With your own mouth."
Jin wasn't provoking Garmund without any deep thought. In fact, he relied on all of the spectators around the training grounds. He knew that Garmund was becoming conscious of the others.
Amongst the Legends, Garmund had the strongest ties to his people. And if he didn't accept Jin, then he would be disappointing his brethren.
"Tch, alright! I accept you, Jin Runcandel. You are now ready to learn the secret technique known as Shadow Blade from yours truly, the Eighth Fighting Legend."
"Whoa! So cool!"
"Garmund! Garmund! Garmund!"
The spectators chanted simultaneously, and Garmund began to blush. His heart began to shine a little brighter, moved by his emotions.
"Alright, alright. Everyone, go on your way. The real training is about to begin."
The audience continued to cheer as they left. With gratitude, Jin also waved his hand in the air.
Again, the two stood together in the training grounds.
"How old are you, Apprentice?"
"Sixteen. After December, I'll be seventeen."
Garmund's eyes widened. Even within the tribe, not many others could achieve Jin's level at that age. Jin had already stepped into the domain of Mind's Blade.
'This is interesting.'
Garmund swiftly drew his sword.
"Is it a spar?"
"Oho! You overestimate yourself. A spar is only when you are even a tenth of my power!"
Jin clearly could not conceive how strong these beastmen were.
"How big is our skill gap?"
"You're not even close to moving my sword."
Right as Garmund finished his sentence, Jin stabbed him in the throat with Shadow Vacuum.
Clang!
Garmund easily deflected the sword, furious. Fire sparked in his eyes.
"What's this?"
"You said that I wouldn't even be able to move your sword, so I decided to try something. Turns out that I was wrong. You moved your sword."
Garmund's face crumpled. Embarrassment after embarrassment befell him. This was not his day.
'I was going to make him try to move my sword when he was speechless…'
Garmund had been talking about strength. No such warrior existed such that no movement of the sword was necessary to block Jin's attack.
"...That's not what I meant. I meant that, no matter how many times you strike my sword, you won't be able to move it."
"Oh, that's what you meant? Huh. I knew something was weird. I failed to read between the lines."
Of course, Jin knew what Garmund meant this entire time. He just wanted to embarrass him. There was nothing bad about magnifying his strength through these little conversations.
'More than anything, this guy is fun to annoy.'
Jin didn't hate people like Garmund.
"Hmmm, alright. Then try again. Don't go for me, but my sword."
"Understood."
Jin stepped forward and swung the cursed sword.
Clang!
'Whoa…!'
Jin could only be impressed. He didn't exert any aura, but he did use a lot of strength. However, Garmund's sword didn't budge.
And of course, Garmund's stance didn't falter either. On the other hand, Jin lost his balance temporarily from the impact.
Garmund let out a snort, seeming to know that this would happen.
"Just as I said. You can't make my sword move."
"I'll try again."
"As much as you want."
Jin backed off and breathed slowly. He closed his eyes, focusing his energy and concentrating. The blue aura from his palms wrapped around Shadow Vacuum.
"Hup!"
He swung with all his might.
It was a strike that he would never use in a real fight. What kind of enemy would let him close his eyes?
Claaang!
Blade to blade, a loud sound echoed throughout the grounds at the collision. However, Garmund's sword didn't even vibrate, and Jin flew opposite him. From his mouth, a stream of blood leaked.
"Urgh…!"
Garmund originally planned to laugh. He had already imagined the expected result, hoping to see a pathetic sight.
'However… my sword almost broke.'
For the first time in a thousand years, Garmund felt like his palms were ripping apart. The heat scorched his hands, and his arms throbbed in pain.
He wanted to smile.
It was equivalent to an 8-star in human terms.
Jin was still a 7-star, but as a Runcandel who just crossed the godforsaken desert, he had already grown a lot.
'However, that's not enough for me to treat you well!'
It had only been a day since he came to Lafrarosa.
If Garmund gave him the respect he wanted, the bastardly human would want more. As such, he had to be tough and strict.
"Complete a swing that is able to move my sword!"
"Will you tell me the process?"
"Didn't the three mirages already teach you that? The key is to believe."
"Believe?"
The most important aspect of Shadow Blade was 'belief'. Subliming the belief into spiritual energy was the core of the technique. It was the equivalent of using Mind's Blade, except Shadow Blade had the 'expanding' property.
The secret technique didn't exist only to cut through things efficiently.
"Alright. I'll give you a week. Within that week, you have as many attempts to strike my sword. Use everything you've got. Rip your hands, break your teeth. You must understand the core of Shadow Blade."
Jin's eyes narrowed.
'A week… He obviously set a tight time limit in his terms. If I succeed, then I'll definitely earn his respect. Hopefully, he won't go back on his words.'
On the other hand, Garmund was contemplating.
'Is one week too harsh? I know this kid is something special, but I have to make it a challenge. Stand after failure, Second Apprentice. Then I, and the others, will accept you.'
* * *
"Is that it, Apprentice?!"
'If your belief wavers, so will your sword. Do you not understand? And you're Solderet's contractor despite being like that? Hmph. I can see it in your eyes. You are not ready. Temar did it in two days. If the others knew, they would've never appreciated you.'
Garmund prepared many comments. He planned to receive Jin's blows thousands of times while standing still to absolutely devastate him.
…However, on the third day, after 27,576 swings, Garmund's sword broke.
He blankly stared at the result of four days of swinging.
Amongst his despicable comments, the only one that stimulated Jin was 'Temar did it in two days.' And for all of the strikes, Jin looked like he was enjoying it. In fact, Garmund was the only one who looked in pain.
"I took one more day than Temar."
Jin picked up a remnant of Garmund's blade as he spoke.
From start to finish, he never showed a face of enjoyment. He was dissatisfied that his results came close to his ancestor's.
'Shit. If only I focused a little more, I would've done better.'
Jin sighed.
Garmund just stared in astonishment. He expected at least a month's work to attain such a feat, yet Jin completed it in only three days.
Of course, he was still slower than Temar.
'However considering the cursed sword and his age… a one-day difference is insane. In fact, his success is even more impressive.'
Jin sought this place as a complete warrior. There might not be many things that the tribe could teach him.
Garmund thought through Jin's training.
Thump, thump!
He patted Jin on the back and chuckled.
"Second Apprentice, Jin Runcandel. I'll be honest. You didn't seem like the freak of nature that you are, but you impressed me until the end."
"Are you accepting me?"
"For me, yeah. The other brothers will open their hearts to you. They will feel the purity and strength of your soul."
To Garmund's drastic personality change, Jin smiled.
Then, Garmund spoke.
"I have one small request."
"A request?"
"May I be the first to experience your achievement?"
"The first to experience… my what?"
"Answer me."
His eyes sparkled. Jin couldn't deny him at all.
"I don't know what you would like, but I'll comply."
Garmund took the blade shard from Jin's hand and tossed it into his mouth. He ground his teeth before swallowing.
Satisfied, he pounded his chest.
"A very good taste. Starting tomorrow, the Fifth Legend will come out here as well."
每周推薦票狀態
200+ 推薦票
榜單 
51 推薦票 
段落評論