Ch.18Mana Cultivation Method

A sharp edge hidden in silence. Like a wolf concealing its claws, Se-eorin’s footsteps closed the distance.

Low, thin breaths continued steadily. Muscles contracted with each inhale, and her vision expanded with each exhale. It was the moment Se-eorin’s foot passed a certain point.

Reynard and Se-eorin swung their swords simultaneously.

Clang!

They entered each other’s striking range. After comparing strength in a single blow, Se-eorin’s body rotated half a turn. The held breath burst forth as mana exploded from her heart and surged through her body.

Thud-!

Se-eorin’s right leg stomped hard against the marble floor. Her body, enhanced by mana, began to rotate to generate even greater power.

Screech-!

A high-pitched sound erupted as her shoe sole slipped from the sudden change in direction. Immediately after, a blue slash imbued with rotational force poured from Se-eorin’s sword.

Swoosh-!

Just as the blue slash was about to reach Reynard, a short blade swung belatedly to intercept it.

Clang-!

Grrrk-! The swords met and began a contest of strength. Se-eorin looked at Reynard across the blue blade.

While she was using all her strength, even employing mana, her opponent’s expression remained unchanged. This meant Reynard still had plenty of strength in reserve.

“Not bad…”

Reynard’s words of admiration remained unfinished. Se-eorin pushed away the sword she had been struggling against and swung her blade once more.

Clang-!

The swords collided again in succession. With each flash of blue light, sharp sounds rang out and red sparks flew.

Like an insurmountable wall. That was Se-eorin’s impression. When she used all her strength to deflect the right sword, the left sword would follow. The length of the blades didn’t matter.

The problem was that even Reynard’s casual swings contained enough power to push back Se-eorin’s full strength.

“Ugh…!”

Se-eorin was leading the attack. Reynard was merely responding to her attacks, deflecting them.

As time passed, the impact from using mana accumulated in her body. Each time the mana from her heart split and spread throughout her body, the stinging pain intensified.

This wouldn’t work. She needed to try something else.

‘I need to be faster.’

Aside from the Imperial Dawn swordsmanship, Se-eorin hadn’t properly learned any sword techniques. Trying to piece together the numerous sword techniques that existed in her memory would only result in something clumsy.

There was no flash of inspiration. After all, her blessing specialized in making others’ memories her own. Se-eorin began to focus on the sword technique she was most familiar with.

Clang-!

Se-eorin’s sword began to move faster. The explosively surging mana scattered throughout her body, compensating for her insufficient muscles.

The more mana she used, the more the pain intensified. Now even breathing was painful. But Se-eorin endured.

There was no grand reason. She just wanted to. She wanted to deliver an effective blow to her opponent, to that face smiling at her.

Thud-!

As the mana inside her chest exploded, veins bulged on Se-eorin’s forehead. Suppressing the pain, she swung her sword once more.

Woong-!

Se-eorin’s eyes widened. This time something was different. It was similar up until just before swinging the sword, but what followed was different.

The excess mana flowed through her fingertips into the sword. The blue mana caused the sword to vibrate.

Kwang-!

Se-eorin’s sword and Reynard’s sword collided. This time, even the sound was different. With a tremendous shockwave like a massive explosion, Se-eorin’s stance collapsed.

In that moment, Se-eorin caught sight of Reynard’s widened eyes. His yellow eyes resembled those of a snake, and his subsequent sword strike seemed to mimic a snake’s movement.

Swoosh-!

A white snake approaches. That was Se-eorin’s impression of Reynard’s strike. The moment the snow-white snake wrapped around Se-eorin’s leg, her small body was lifted into the air.

“Ah.”

There was no pain. Just before the snow-white blade touched her leg, blue mana burst from the tip of the sword, sending Se-eorin’s body flying.

Se-eorin’s body rotated in midair. Though startled, her body was intact, so she couldn’t allow herself to fall in an undignified manner.

Whirl-

Like a cat falling from a height, Se-eorin landed on the ground in a crouched position.

The outcome was clear. Se-eorin acknowledged her defeat.

“I lost.”

“Not bad at all! You must have really practiced the Imperial Dawn diligently? Your form was clean and precise. I was especially surprised when you imbued your sword with mana at the end. May I ask what training method you’re using…”

Reynard poured out words of admiration as if genuinely surprised. Regardless, Se-eorin licked the back of her hand once to wet it and groomed her hair.

As she turned to leave the training ground, Se-eorin recalled something she had forgotten. It was about dueling etiquette she had read in the Blue Wing manual.

After a duel ends, one should greet the opponent with proper courtesy.

Se-eorin stood up and struck her left chest twice with her fist. She wasn’t familiar with the customs here. So she offered the best greeting she knew.

It was a greeting the White Frost tribe used to acknowledge a superior warrior.

Watching this, Reynard tilted his head and asked:

“Um, may I ask what that means?”

“My tribe… the White Frost tribe’s way of showing respect to a strong warrior…”

“Oh…”

Reynard’s narrowed eyes curved slightly. He was pleased with the junior’s praise.

Se-eorin rotated her stiff shoulders as she descended from the training ground. She hopped down the large stairs to save time.

Theo was next after Se-eorin. With gleaming eyes, he rushed forward, burning with competitive spirit.

“I’m next!”

“Now here’s an energetic one.”

“Be prepared! I’m stronger than Se-eorin!”

At Theo’s words, Se-eorin’s expression crumpled. Theo wasn’t wrong. In reality, Se-eorin was the weakest among the three. The problem was that his words hurt her feelings.

Theo’s likability dropped by about two levels in Se-eorin’s heart.

Unlike Se-eorin, Theo didn’t use the Imperial Dawn. He drew upon the swordsmanship he had practiced his entire life.

Theo’s aura began to change. His eyes, which had appeared childish, grew calm as his stance widened and lowered. Gripping the back of his raised sword, he pointed the tip toward the ground.

One strike, one kill. There was an intense will to stake everything on a single attack.

Se-eorin and Flora watched Theo with bated breath. Despite having been together for quite some time, the three knew very little about each other.

That’s why it felt unfamiliar. That sharp, honed blade-like aura. Even Se-eorin was seeing this side of him for the first time.

“Oh…”

Reynard’s narrowed eyes opened as he watched Theo. After a brief moment of surprise, his snake-like eyes gleamed as he took his stance.

The short sword in front, the long sword in back. The slowly swaying dual swords resembled a snake before its prey.

“This is my junior’s attack. Please wait a moment as preparation takes time!”

“Hmm…”

Reynard accepted Theo’s bold request. Out of consideration for Theo preparing his powerful attack, he remained still.

“Hoo…”

A long breath followed. Theo exhaled as he felt the mana pulsating from his heart. Blue lightning flashed over his softly released breath.

Crack-

The moment the blue lightning flashed, Theo’s body shot forward in a straight line.

Rumble-!

“What…?”

“What just…?”

It happened so suddenly. Se-eorin and Flora expressed confusion at the belated thunderclap.

That was because Theo, who had been standing at the edge of the training ground, was now embedded in the wall outside the arena in the blink of an eye.

Se-eorin immediately shifted her gaze to look at Reynard standing on the training ground.

Reynard appeared unharmed. Though his expression and posture had changed, he didn’t seem to have suffered any damage from Theo’s attack.

Reynard loosened his shoulders with a slight smile. It had been a fairly threatening strike. But that was all. An attack that couldn’t even be controlled in direction was useless in actual combat.

“Next!”

At Reynard’s call, Flora looked at Karnok, silently asking if it was okay for her to go. Karnok simply nodded.

As Flora headed toward the training ground, Se-eorin approached Theo. Theo was unconscious.

Se-eorin’s gaze turned to Theo’s sword. Blue lightning crackled over the sword where Theo’s mana still lingered.

Se-eorin turned her head to check Karnok’s reaction. His gaze was fixed on the training ground.

‘Hmm…’

The sword’s owner was unconscious, and she could claim she was looking after her peer. Se-eorin didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

“Theo. Wake up.”

Se-eorin’s small hand slapped Theo’s face. A bright red handprint appeared on Theo’s swollen face.

Theo still didn’t wake up.

Se-eorin sighed, grasping Theo’s hand with her left hand. Then she gripped Theo’s sword with her right hand.

Crackle-

Lightning.

Through the sword, Se-eorin felt the lightning.