章節 24: Chapter 183
The Illustrious Legend Tribe didn't just possess the strength to challenge the gods.
Five thousand years ago, their magical foundations were impressive, even when compared to that of modern civilization.
"We never had a class of people called magicians, heh. However, anyone who could wield magic worked as a blacksmith—just like me."
Boras puffed his chest, and Jin held in his surprise.
'Memory Transfer magic…!'
He knew that the Histers passed down that magic, and to his knowledge, that magic was exclusive to their clan. Not many others could cast it or knew about it.
Even researchers had never dealt with magic that manipulated memory.
"Huuuh? What? Fifth Brethren, did you put some magic in the tooth?"
"'Tis a secret!"
"I don't know what's up, Jin, but you got a real present right there. Fifth Brethren is the most talented blacksmith in our history. We even used to stand in line just to get our equipment touched."
"Of course, these are all stories from our prime, hehe."
Not only was he an exceptional blacksmith, Boras was also an incredible warrior.
"Thank you. I will use it wisely."
"I guess there needs to be some reciprocation? Since I gave you my tooth, you must offer me your second achievement."
'Why are they so addicted to achievements?'
Jin wanted to ask, but he just nodded instead. Though he didn't really know what his next task was.
* * *
January 20th, 1797. A month passed since Jin arrived in Lafrarosa.
During that time, he received training from Garmund and Boras. He practiced Soul Slash and learnt how to use his body more efficiently from Boras.
The techniques taught by Boras were wild and beastly, yet marvelous; making his body lighter, controlling his power, and exerting 120% of his power.
"I thought you'd stick with your own beliefs and remain egotistical and stubborn, but you're doing very well."
"You're just teaching me well, Boras."
"Hehe, no way. For us Illustrious Legends, aura comes from the heart. We channel this aura to different parts of the body to strengthen and lighten them. Imitating me this well is your skill."
These beastmen had a special gem which fueled their power, but Jin did not have such a source.
However, a triangular aura akin to a gemstone heart shone from Jin's chest. He had concentrated and formed his own aura heart to imitate the skillful warriors.
It wasn't an easy feat.
Any talented warrior could create a 'room-like' gemstone heart.
However, turning that newly formed source into a real gemstone heart was a different matter. No matter how trained a warrior was, learning such a skill was impossible in ten years, let alone a month.
'If it weren't for that new molar, it would've been even harder.'
Jin could master the aura techniques thanks to Boras's implant. He could advance his skills ahead of time thanks to those memories.
Boras knew of this fact, but he was still impressed.
"You're more fun to teach than Temar, heh. The Fourth Legend Brethren will come this afternoon. She will teach you the second technique of Shadow Blade."
"Hm? The Fourth Legend is coming this afternoon? Why was I not told earlier?"
"It's because we decided this morning, Eighth Brethren. I specifically requested it. We previously planned this for when he overcame the Shadow Vacuum, but seeing this kid's progress, now won't be a bad time."
At those words, Garmund grinned.
"Do you think I don't know how you feel? You just want to eat this kid's achievement as soon as you can!"
Boras looked away and opened his little bundle. For lunch, the three of them sat and ate traditional cookies together.
'Kakto' had no taste. However, just like the water that Valeria gave him in the Great Desert, it helped him recover quickly.
"May I pack some of these when I return?"
"If the Battle Goddess allows it."
Nom, nom, nom.
Finishing off the last of the cookies, Jin trained Soul Slash for two hours, and the Fourth Legend entered the training grounds.
She was a woman with a massive, colossal sword on her back.
'The one who never reveals emotions.'
Garmund was easy to deal with, and Boras was already in favor of Jin. He could easily get close to them, but not all of the Legends would be like that.
"Hello, I'm Jin Runcandel."
Jin approached and greeted her. She did not speak and just nodded.
'Does she not like me? I can't read her expression at all.'
Jin thought of greeting her once more, but Boras clapped his hands as if he just remembered something.
"Oh yeah! The Fourth Legend can't speak."
Jin interpreted it as her having a speech disorder, but Garmund added on.
"She's doing silence training. It's been a while. Ever since Lafrarosa's time stopped…"
She nodded.
'Silence training? Why do such a thing?'
He had heard of Vankella's saints doing such training, but he had never heard of warriors doing it.
'Besides, if she doesn't talk, how will she communicate?'
While the number of questions were growing, the Fourth Legend drew her sword.
And with ludicrous speed, she wrote words on the ground.
(Rinpa)
That was her name.
"Nice to meet you, Rinpa."
"Uh, Fourth Brethren, this is the language of the mainland."
Rinpa had not written in her own language. Garmund and Boras looked very surprised.
"Hahaha! I knew something was up when you stayed in your room all day. You learned a new language for our new—Urk!"
Rinpa poked him so he could shut up, the colossal sword cutting off his words.
The warning poke was a hefty stab. Garmund barely parried the sword and flew towards the sky. As she prepared for another attack, Boras stopped her.
"Are you really thinking of splitting brother Garmund in half?"
Nod, nod.
"C'mon, don't do such things in front of the kid. Garmund's mouth blabbers every day."
Nod, nod.
Rinpa lowered her sword and Garmund sighed in relief. An easy way to see the hierarchy amongst their strengths. It also served to demonstrate Boras's authority.
Jin found it awkward.
'Is there anything to be embarrassed about? Damn, I might've tried to kill him too.'
Thankfully, Jin dealt with these kinds of people all the time.
To Jin, Rinpa was similar to Yona.
'I should treat her like I treat Yona. That might be the most effective way.'
* * *
And as expected, Rinpa's personality was very similar to Yona's.
That wasn't particularly good, though. Their personalities were just similar, not exactly the same. Subsequently, no particular interaction occurred between Jin and Rinpa. She treated him like a glorified plaything.
Just like when Jin arrived in Samil.
Rinpa constantly toyed with Jin; going into complete silence after showing the second technique or hitting him with her sword as he practiced Soul Slash, as if trying to convey that something was wrong.
"Keup!"
If it weren't for Mind's Eye, the sword would've landed on his head five times.
Every time he parried the attack, he felt his entire body fall apart. Looking at him, Rinpa beamed with satisfaction.
He had no idea if she was proud of her strike or the manner he blocked it in.
Jin, however, did not retaliate or question why she was doing this, what she wanted from him, or why she kept attacking him.
'For people like Sister Yona, I have to play the waiting game. Wait for the enemy to approach me first.'
Garmund and Boras found Jin's behavior rather strange. They remembered when Temar first met Rinpa, which led to absolute chaos.
Jin finally received the fruits of his labor after ten days.
Kachzk! Kachzk! Shk!
After the first day, Rinpa wrote on the ground again.
(Why do you not ask the name of the second technique? I've shown it to you many times.)
Jin grinned.
'Of course!'
Jin immediately wiped his grin and met Rinpa's eyes.
"I wasn't too curious."
(Why?)
"Besides that, can you even consider this as silence training?"
Rinpa's eyes widened.
"In my opinion, silence is not only the lack of speech. It also implies completely severing communication with others."
"Oh, I think Jin got it spot on?"
"That sounds about right."
Garmund and Boras turned and looked at Rinpa.
Rinpa stood there, listless, repeating Jin's statement in her head.
And finally, the icing on the cake.
"You ask me why I don't want to know the second technique's name? I don't want to learn from someone who flaunts the name, so I didn't bother asking. If you want to teach me, please show me something amazing, like Garmund and Boras did."
"Oh."
"Uhh…"
Garmund and Boras sighed. They didn't think Jin would push Rinpa to a corner like this. Even the Battle Goddess wouldn't dare question her like this.
When Jin turned to practice once more…
"It's not… that."
For the first time in five thousand years, Rinpa spoke. Well… for her and the tribe, she had opened her mouth for the first time in twenty years.
Garmund and Boras lost their marbles.
"B-Brethren, your silence…!"
"Brethren Rinpa! Are you already—?!"
The two stuck right next to Rinpa, but she just ignored them. She looked into Jin's eyes and spoke.
"I'll show you… something incredible."
They were stupid.
Jin swallowed his laughter. He knew that he could complete Rinpa's training in a cinch.
章節 25: Chapter 184
Swoosh!
Fwip…!
Rinpa's colossal sword swiftly cut through the air, splitting through space like butter. Coated with spiritual energy, it looked like a massive black pole being swung around.
Left, right, down, up. Particles of energy sparked everywhere after each swing.
It looked very flashy and cool, but it seemed like normal swinging to Jin. However, with a little more focus, he was able to see it. There were two swords slashing through the air.
The sparks had been concealing the other blade. In fact, he never saw the second sword in the first place.
'Whenever she swings, a mirror image of the sword appears on the opposite trajectory…'
When she swung to the left, a shadow image would appear to the right. The same occurred in the other direction.
As long as the sword was moving, there was a shadow of it moving in the opposite direction. At any particular moment, two swords cut through the air.
'Is this really the second technique? She was just showing a sword covered in spiritual energy.'
The sword dance quickened.
Sweat gathered on her forehead, and the colossal sword drew more trajectories per second. Jin mindlessly watched her swing away at the air.
He had never thought of wielding two swords while holding only one. Rinpa was demonstrating what a dual-wielder could do with one sword.
Thump…!
Finishing her dance, she dropped the sword on the ground. Garmund and Boras began to clap, and so did Jin.
She deserved it.
"How was that?"
"That was amazing. You never did this before."
'Did you want me to pay attention first?'
Jin almost spoke those words, which probably would've ended his career.
"Your silence… Is this alright, Rinpa?"
Garmund and Boras couldn't believe that she terminated her training just for a child.
"It is alright. No need to be so worked up."
"We must tell the others!"
"Yeah, she can communicate with us and the apprentice. She couldn't even talk to Temar back then…!"
The two Legends sprinted away to announce the news. Jin gave an awkward smile as he and Rinpa were left alone in the training grounds.
"Shear."
"Pardon?"
"That's the name of the second technique, Apprentice."
"A fitting name. The second blade image makes the bladework analogous to a pair of scissors."
"Can you mimic it?"
"Isn't it something that I can't just imitate and perform? And this sword is a problem too."
Jin pointed at Shadow Vacuum on his hip.
The sword continued to drain all of Jin's spiritual energy.
"Shadow Vacuum is like a sheath. When you draw your sword, draw out the spiritual energy from the sword along with it."
"Yes, I have been feeling that recently. It doesn't just eat up my spiritual energy. It gathers it in a pool."
Jin shrugged.
"So, why were you not talking for so long?"
"No one listened."
"To what?"
"That we shouldn't challenge gods. I believe that it was the right punishment for not being able to prevent such a fate from befalling them. A damnation, rather than training."
Rinpa believed that her tribe's extinction was her fault. Jin sympathized with her, but he didn't verbally console her.
It probably wasn't what she wanted to hear.
"I finished my punishment thanks to you. Very easily, on top of that. I am finally able to speak for the first time in twenty years, so I will now tell you everything I know."
The moment she began to explain the second technique, Garmund and Boras returned, along with a dozen others.
"I guess we will continue tomorrow, Jin Runcandel."
"Rinpa!"
"Fourth Legend! It's finally over!"
Some of them questioned Jin on how he did it, which caused him to look away. The others didn't seem to not know why she had been silent.
Jin tried to slip away, but Boras grabbed him.
"I will now consume your second achievement."
"But I haven't done anything."
"Didn't you open Rinpa's mouth? Hehe, this air must be inhaled by me."
Boras took deep breaths as if he were going to dive underwater. Jin burst into laughter. He looked like a dog trying to eat the falling snow.
He could never know what these beastmen were. He sometimes doubted that they ruled the world five thousand years ago.
* * *
It was a shame that Rinpa had been mute. Her explanations were immaculate.
Thanks to her, Jin learned how to overcome the cursed sword and use Shadow Blade's second technique. In just two weeks, he finished his training.
Of course, he learned how to do it but didn't really master it. However, since he knew how to do it, mastering the skill through practice was only a matter of time.
February 1797, Vahn visited him personally and took Shadow Vacuum. She thought that it was enough.
"You're doing well."
She spoke those words, but she was actually slowly erasing Temar's shadow off of Jin.
Of course, Jin couldn't make that out from her curt comments.
Subsequently, Tantel returned Bradamante.
"I thought I couldn't use this, since it supported my spiritual energy."
"You must use it starting today. I told you that sparring would begin once you've completed your training."
Jin had been waiting for this moment.
'I wanted to go head-to-head with one of these guys when I first came here.'
The Legends and Goddess were out of his reach. He knew that without having to cross swords a single time.
'The Legends are at least 9-star, maybe even 10.'
As for the Goddess, she couldn't even be evaluated. She was on the same level as Temar, or even Cyron.
'But I have no idea about the other warriors.'
Probably beyond the average White Wolf or Orange Tiger tribesmen.
"The First Legend will select your first opponent. Honestly, I think it's a bit too early…"
"You speak like I'm guaranteed to lose."
Tantel nodded.
"Certainly. A seventeen-year-old baby fighting an Illustrious Legend warrior. That would never happen back in the day. And the First Legend doesn't like you."
"Why?"
"Hahaha! Isn't it an obvious reaction, since you acted arrogant at first? Only the Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Brethrens looked past it."
Tantel's laughter immediately disappeared. He looked straight into Jin's eyes.
"Instead, if you perform well, you can instantly change the public's opinion of you through the First Legend. I'm rooting for you. Good luck. I'm sure you've already noted my advice."
He had experienced the Illustrious Bladeworks. Although he didn't see it in person, he had it in his memory.
Vahn and Tantel left the training grounds, and Garmund shook his head.
"Hm, you're definitely strong enough. No, you're beyond strong. I can't even believe you're a human. So don't be too down, kiddo."
"Tantel spoke as if I'd lose, and you say that as if I'd already lost. I've never lost my determination, though."
Boras and Rinpa looked at Jin with the same thought.
"Hoho, I'm a little worried. I think you're the type who'd be scarred from one failure."
"Same here. Those who have an endless uphill climb tend to work like that."
A lot of worry in their faces.
"But Jin, you must also learn how to stand up from failure."
"Agreed. Failure is the key component for growth within a warrior. Outside, Temar never lost a single time, but he had an insane loss streak in Lafrarosa."
An interesting piece of news.
"Garmund, how strong was Temar during his first spar?"
"Stronger than you. Maybe one or two steps ahead."
"I see. One or two steps…"
"And yet he didn't beat a single warrior."
"Do you see why we're worried? After his first battle, Temar quit eating. We're thinking you might have some similar characteristics as him."
Garmund, Boras, and Rinpa were completely misunderstanding him.
'One loss isn't anything. I don't know why they're so worried. I lost over a hundred times fighting Lady Alisa.'
In contrast to Temar, Jin was used to countless failures prior to Lafrarosa.
The same applied to attaining success in the end.
* * *
The First Legend selected a warrior named Shaku. He was a longsword user deemed as Shaku of Lightning.
All 77 beastmen came to watch the battle. The others had the same expectations as Garmund, Boras, and Rinpa. They wondered how many swings it would take to defeat Jin.
About thirty of them said it would be within ten, while others selected smaller numbers.
The only ones who thought differently were Vahn and Jin.
"Inheritor! Are you ready?"
Shaku spoke in a booming voice as his gemstone heart gleamed.
Shing!
He swiftly drew his sword, its blade reflecting the gemstone's light in all directions.
"I wish for you to come at me with the intent to kill."
"What?"
"It's just a spar, so I get rusty when I'm not on the edge."
"Whatever. I tolerate your little tricks. However, this time, it's too far. The worst thing on this planet are humans who don't know their place. Disgusting."
Jin grinned.
"You'll learn some other things today."
From Jin's chest, a triangular light burned brightly. It was almost identical to the one on Shaku's chest.
The aura from the light spread to Bradamante. Murderous intent from Shaku's eyes fell onto Jin. He instinctively felt repulsed that a human was using Illustrious Bladeworks.
"Illustrious Bladeworks…?! It can't be… Did the Legends teach you?"
"Dunno about that. But it's nice, your Bladeworks."
Jin made the first move.
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