Chapter 45
In Ebelasque’s training ground.
There, Kraush repeatedly clenched and opened his right hand.
This peculiar exercise was to get accustomed to the Sword Demon’s arm.
After all, he was still very much aware that it was someone else’s arm.
Just then, Crimson Garden perched herself on Kraush’s shoulder.
“How much do you know about the Sword Demon’s summoning technique?”
“Not much, really. Just that it’s pretty impressive.”
“Is that so? And here you are, a so-called reincarnator, asking for the Sword Demon’s arm without knowing anything about it?”
Kraush shrugged.
Did she think he had foreseen his own reincarnation?
“I can hardly know about someone who died before I was even born.”
“Tsk tsk, such a lack of preparation.”
Crimson Garden knocked lightly on Kraush’s head with her beak and then leaned closer.
“The summoning technique of the Sword Demon is both similar to and different from your One Sword technique.”
While speaking, Crimson Garden began to explain the nuances of the Sword Demon’s technique to Kraush.
Ultimately, she was genuinely trying to help him grow stronger.
“First, with the sword sheathed, the aura is infused into the blade inside the sheath.”
This was akin to what one might refer to as a typical summoning technique.
Quickly drawing the sword infused with aura and swinging it—that was what summoning was about.
Of course, even then, most would draw and swing the sword faster than the summoning technique itself.
Summoning techniques were fundamentally created to allow for quick responses to ambush attacks.
But the Sword Demon’s technique was a different beast altogether.
“And then, the Sword Demon intricately splits the aura to give it resilience before exploding it from within. As a result, the aura transforms into tiny particles that thrash about madly inside the sheath.”
“What kind of bizarre thing is that?”
“It’s through bizarre practices that unique techniques come into existence. In any case, the aura inside the sheath doesn’t slow down; it continuously pounds against the walls of the sheath. When the internal pressure peaks…”
Out comes the sword.
Riding on that explosive power, fast as lightning.
Thus, the Sword Demon’s summoning technique differed fundamentally from the generic ones.
It allows the user to strike the opponent’s neck before they can react, thanks to the explosive energy.
And the destructive power derived from that energy was on another level.
In essence, the Sword Demon’s technique was a preparatory process for unleashing what could be considered a finishing move.
It’s about compressing the aura to its limits and then explosively releasing it to deliver a true single strike.
“Do you understand?”
Kraush looked at his sword, housed within its sheath.
If he understood it just by hearing the explanation, he would be a genius.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t a genius.
Seeing is believing!
Doing it at least once is better than hearing about it a hundred times.
“I’ll give it a shot.”
Kraush grabbed his sword, guided by Crimson Garden’s instructions.
“You’re using the Sword Demon’s arm right now. That means the physical memories of the Sword Demon are thoroughly contained within your right arm.”
And indeed, the Sword Demon’s arm had now become Kraush’s arm.
Moreover, this arm had trained his own summoning technique countless times—dozens, hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of times.
That experience was firmly embedded within his arm.
“Follow the will of your arm. If you do, you’ll succeed.”
Upon hearing those words, Kraush quietly closed his eyes.
Then he began to gradually infuse aura into the sword inside the sheath.
After a while, the infused aura began to gain elasticity.
Thanks to daily practice in aura manipulation for using the One Sword, this endeavor wasn’t particularly difficult for him.
However, it was still in an unstable state.
So, Kraush took his time, focusing on each individual strand of aura.
Minutes passed.
Drip—
Cold sweat slowly trickled down Kraush’s cheek.
This signified his intense focus.
Just investing this much time in splitting the aura was no small feat.
He was far from being ready to put it into practical combat.
But Kraush remained quietly concentrated.
He felt no urgency.
Having lived his entire life like this, he refrained from disappointment and remained objective about himself.
Seeing Kraush’s determination, Crimson Garden refrained from critiquing him.
Techniques aren’t something you can master in just a day or even in a morning.
The outcome reflects how one utilizes the day spent learning such techniques.
Several more minutes passed.
Finally, Kraush succeeded in giving elasticity to all the aura.
And then, the aura within the sword explodes!
At that moment, explosions of aura began within Kraush’s sword.
As a result, the aura inside the sheath began to thrash around wildly.
The energy was being pumped and built up within the sword’s sheath, feeling as if it would explode any second now.
But not yet.
The Sword Demon’s arm remained still, gripping the sword tightly.
With unwavering concentration, Kraush focused solely on the inside of the sheath.
And at that fleeting moment.
The Sword Demon’s right arm twitched ever so slightly.
As if it had been waiting for this precise moment.
At the very instant their timings aligned…
Kraush explosively drew his sword.
Ka-SHING!
The sound of the sword slicing through the air echoed loudly throughout the training ground.
The swing was so fierce that it sent a gust of wind, causing Kraush’s hair to flutter.
“Hah… Hah…”
Soaked in sweat, Kraush was breathing heavily.
His right arm, which executed the summoning technique, throbbed painfully.
While the Sword Demon’s arm was accustomed to the summoning technique, the aura that needed to support that technique had been lacking.
Clang!
As a result, Kraush inadvertently dropped his sword.
His right arm shook uncontrollably.
This was the price he paid for not being able to fully absorb the explosive power of the summoning technique.
But he succeeded.
That meant he could now move on to the next step.
Kraush slowly picked up the sword again and sheathed it carefully.
His right arm trembled from the shock, but Kraush wasn’t bothered by it.
If he couldn’t be a genius, then he’d settle for sheer determination.
He would simply keep repeating until he could master it.
“Let’s do it again.”
And of course, knowing this, Crimson Garden ordered him to start immediately.
Kraush faithfully complied with her command.
With a good master and the Sword Demon’s arm.
He had everything he needed.
What remained was only his resolve.
So Kraush closed his eyes once more, starting to concentrate again.
To endlessly repeat until he could grasp the Sword Demon’s summoning technique.
＊ ＊ ＊
A few days later, Kraush found himself facing No. 8.
Today, No. 8 was dressed in a tight-fitting suit instead of her usual maid outfit, but she still wore her black rabbit ear headband as she bowed to him.
She then spun the baton she held and said to Kraush, “You may start whenever you’re ready.”
“Got it.”
As Kraush heard her words, he placed his hand on the grip of his sword.
At that very moment.
DING!
No. 8 stumbled back a step.
Simultaneously, there was a loud noise coming from the baton she held.
Kraush’s sword had instantly been drawn.
Taken by surprise, No. 8 replied, “I see it.”
“Tsk, still not fast enough.”
Kraush clicked his tongue, returning his sword to its angle against his waist.
The Sword Demon’s summoning technique was a secret art that drew the sword at a speed imperceptible to the opponent’s eyes.
However, No. 8 recognized Kraush’s draw and even managed to block it, although its destructive potential still paled in comparison to the Sword Demon.
Kraush glanced down at his right hand.
In just a few days of training, his hand was now a patchwork of wounds.
Even if it was the Sword Demon’s arm, the injuries were unavoidable.
I think I’m finally catching on…
Ultimately, it was a matter of his innate aura affinity, and that was something he had no choice but to cultivate on his own.
To do that, he would need to return to Green Pine Temple to learn another technique.
“Thanks for keeping up with me.”
“Not at all. You should have a bit more confidence, Kraush. Those of us below No. 10 are masters ourselves.”
The corpses of Ebelasque hovered in and around No. 9.
Each and every one of them was a monster at master level.
So one could hardly fault No. 8 for being able to track Kraush’s draw with her enhanced reflexes.
Unfortunately, Kraush didn’t feel satisfied with her praise.
“The ones I’m eventually going to have to face are those much stronger than even those masters.”
The very ones crafted by raw talent—the generation of heavenly beings.
If he wanted to snatch skills from them, he would have to grow stronger here.
“Still, I appreciate your kind words. You’ve really helped me a lot.”
“I’m glad to be of assistance.”
Kraush smiled gratefully at No. 8 as they exited the training ground together.
Just then, Ebelasque happened to pass by in the hallway.
She rubbed her eyes, looking weary, as if she had just woken up.
Her T-shirt was stretched just enough to barely cover her chest, and her hair was frizzy and a total mess.
Kraush regarded her appearance with disdain, akin to looking at trash.
“How come you can present your corpses so neatly while you’re a mess yourself?”
As someone who abhorred the word ‘lazy,’ Kraush couldn’t help but think that teaming up with Ebelasque would be a challenge.
“What? What’s with that look?”
Coincidentally, Ebelasque recognized Kraush and noticed her own disheveled appearance, hastily covering her chest with her hand.
“Lecherous! You’re a man after all! Ha! I suppose since I’ve got the curves, it’s only natural you’d think that way…”
Kraush found no need to even give a reply.
There was no merit in responding to such nonsense.
It was apparent that whatever indecent novel she read before sleeping had influenced her thoughts.
“I’m planning to return to Valheim today.”
He had successfully made his presence felt back at Hadenharts after getting his arm back.
Bianca, seeing it, cried once more, but thankfully it was a private moment, so no one else suffered.
Meliochan had quietly called in the priests to restore Kraush’s arm as he wished, as planned for Valheim.
Now he could return without any issues.
“Uh, what about me?”
“Figure it out on your own.”
Kraush felt indifferent whether Ebelasque followed him or not.
He had initially told her to feel free to come and go as she pleased.
“Hmm, what should I do…”
“Staying here is fine too. If you’re in Valheim, you’ll likely get caught sooner or later.”
Unless she used some trick to hide herself, like Crimson Garden, Ebelasque, being the world devourer she was, radiated power all around her.
There were countless monsters inhabiting Valheim.
It wasn’t just the direct descendants—Kraush’s father, Balrog, and others from their generation were also around.
The five elders of Valheim.
They would certainly pick up on any dark energy emanating from Ebelasque.
“Eek, that’s scary.”
She shivered, her eyes wide in fear.
Having been captured by the empire before, she certainly wouldn’t want to face that fate again.
“Then just stay here. Besides, I have personal favors I’d like to ask of you.”
“Hmm, what is it?”
“There’s this guy called the Poison King.”
One of the Ten Greats who smashed Hadenharts to bits.
Although it was still a while off, if the Second Prince were to seek refuge in Hadenharts again, he would someday approach the Empire on official orders.
“I’d like you to prevent him from causing any trouble in Hadenharts. At the very least, stall him for time.”
“The Ten Greats? That’s no small feat…”
“I’m not asking you to confront him head-on. Just keeping the Hadenharts lord, Duglac, safe is sufficient.”
After all, this wasn’t an event that was about to unfold imminently.
“Alright, I think I can manage that.”
She readily agreed to help him.
While Kraush may have claimed their previous exchange was merely a trade, Ebelasque still felt grateful to him.
Hence, she easily accepted Kraush’s request.
“If you need something from me later, feel free to ask.”
In equal measure to his request, she was also extending her own favors.
Kraush was clear about that dynamic.
So he left those words hanging as he exited Ebelasque’s hideout.
As he watched his departing back, Ebelasque couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.
“Master, is it really okay that I won’t follow you?”
Kraush had expressed how Ebelasque might get caught if she joined him in Valheim, but if she intentionally chose to stay hidden, there were other ways.
Yet, she opted not to.
“If I were the person I was in ancient times, I might have followed you.”
Once, she too had adventured through a world with companions.
But that was long ago, and now, her resolve had faded significantly.
Kraush would undoubtedly travel through countless worlds ahead.
“Wait, I might have just followed you out of impulse. I don’t want to find myself identifying with you and my past companions…”
So she decided not to follow him any further.
“Let’s end it here. I’m not exactly the outdoorsy type.”
Ebelasque—one of the unique personalities among World Devourers—turned to leave.
Still, thoughts lingered in her mind.
Based on Kraush’s path, he would likely intertwine himself with many other World Devourers.
Among those, some might truly be dangerous.
And they would recognize him, just as she did.
When that time comes…
She mused that perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to repay him for the heart he returned to her after all.
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