by Virlyce
“Where’d they go?” Lucia asked the beast as she repeatedly pounced towards it. Somehow, she managed to appear in front of it every time it tried to run away. Was she reading its body movements? Why couldn’t she do that in the spar earlier? Perhaps it was because the panther didn’t have a single weapon to focus on.
The panther growled and lunged towards Lucia, but it was batted away by the sheer weight of my weapon body. Watching a panther that was larger than a bear being batted away by Lucia, who was mouse-like in comparison, was interesting to say the least. Perhaps Lucia would be able to kill a dragon with a sword strike if her growth continued at its current rate. She one-sidedly dominated the panther, beheading it after exchanging another seven moves. Five moves too many, but it wasn’t bad for her first fight against a ferocious beast even if it was one of the weakest ferocious beasts out there.
“Durandal?” Lucia asked, her expression in a daze. “The family?”
I pointed above her. Snow was right. Three crows were sitting on a branch, staring at Lucia. They seemed to be waiting for her to leave. One of the crows opened its beak and said, “Mommy. Daddy. Help!”
Lucia’s mouth fell open.
“Scavenger crows.” Snow appeared in the clearing from behind me. “They mimic human voices and beasts’ cries to lure creatures into fighting each other. Then they pick up scraps from the aftermath. Their combat strength is on the lowest end of the spectrum, but they’re good at fooling simple people.”
“Don’t call me stupid!”
***
Ever since arriving at the southern pass, I’ve learned quite a lot: scavenger crows taste like chicken, shadow panthers taste sour and icky, moonlight wolves taste absolutely amazing. I just wish I brought more spices along to eat them properly. Maybe I should get an interspacial ring; then I can stop worrying about space while lugging around a huge bag—though I make Snow carry it. But I heard those rings were super expensive and only available to nobility—I learned that from Snow, by the way. Snow’s really too knowledgeable when it comes to survival and money. I suspect he’s a quarter crow.
“You’re thinking strange things about me, aren’t you?” Quit reading my expressions and pay attention to the food, Snow! What if you burn it? “It’s all over your face. …Are you thinking I’m part crow, perhaps?”
“Durandal.” Durandal opened his eyes and stared at me. He always meditated while we ate. Maybe he was thinking of cultivation methods and martial arts he could teach me. “Are there any spells that allow you to read minds?”
Durandal shrugged. “That bastard left all the spellbooks with Vera and all the martial arts with me.” He scratched his head. “I can’t remember anyone reading minds. But who would dare read Roland’s mind? Ask Snow.”
“I’m asking you because Snow wouldn’t tell me the truth if there was.” Why would he? I know I’d firmly deny it if I could read minds. Just like Snow denies the fact that he’s a girl, but he actually is since I checked underneath his pants at night. …Good. No reaction from Snow. That was a test! I didn’t actually take off his clothes at night—I’m not a pervert … mostly. Only when it comes to Durandal, okay!?
“Oh.” Snow was staring at the bloody mess in his hands. “There was a beast core in this moonlight wolf. It must have been close to evolving to a spirit beast.”
Huh? “A what?”
“…I thought you two wanted to come to the southern pass to make money.” Snow’s forehead wrinkled as he glanced at Durandal. Hey! I’m the one talking to you; don’t look at him. He’s mine.
“And training,” Durandal said. “Give the beast core to Lucia to absorb.”
“Uack!?” A solid object smacked against my forehead. The heck? I picked it up and rolled it around in my palm. It was solid and heavy like a chunk of metal. And Snow threw this at me? I raised my head to glare at him, but he had already disappeared and reappeared in the branches of a tree. “This is a beast core? What do I do with it?”
“Squeeze it and send your qi into it.” Durandal walked over and grasped my hand, folding my fingers over the core. It looks like I wasn’t being given a choice in the matter. Then again, I didn’t mind. Durandal didn’t hold my hand very often. His hand was surprisingly smooth considering he was a master of swords. And spears apparently. “…Are you listening, Lucia?”
“Squeeze it and send my qi into it!” Ah. It’s hot.
Durandal sighed. “Yes. And then send the energy inside of the core into your dantian.”
That weird word again. He totally means my womb, right? What else is beneath my belly but above my squirrely bits? Anyways, focus this heat into my womb, got it. That tingles.
“Make the energy swirl and condense it into a sphere. Locate the boundaries of your dantian and fill it with the beast’s energy.”
At least Durandal’s instructions are always easy to listen to. Is this the boundary? The heck? My womb’s not supposed to be spherical, right? Maybe there really is another organ down there. Now what? Were there no more instructions? “And then?”
“And now we spar.”
What!? How is that the logical next step? “W-wait. What did that even do?” And where did the beast core go? It disappeared? “The core’s gone?”
“You absorbed it and all the energy inside of it. You’ll see the changes in your body once you spar with me.” Durandal placed mini-DalDal in my hands and picked up his spear. “As you absorb more and more cores, the quality of your qi will increase. With higher quality qi, you’ll be able to perform more difficult martial arts. Right now, you’re at the lowest level of qi mastery.”
“Is that good? I’m as strong as a general in the Ravenwood army.”
“You’re on the level of cannon fodder. You would’ve been amongst the first to fight and die during the warring era. If you really are on the level of a general, then the martial abilities of the world have deteriorated.”
“Didn’t I tell you? The era of weapon spirits and martial arts is over.” Bouncykins peered over Snow’s head and spoke down on us from the tree. “It’s the era of spells and magic. All martial artists are cannon fodder in the eyes of a master mage. No matter how strong or fast you make Lucia, she will never travel faster than lightning. She will never be able to stop an ocean’s worth of water. She will never have the destructive power of an exploding volcano.”
Hey. Don’t look down on me even if all of those are probably true. You’ll make Durandal sad again, you stupid bunny.
“You say it as if those are possible for a mage.” Durandal’s face was expressionless, but I know that’s the worst kind of expression he could have.
“They are. Cain Thunderfire. He’s currently the strongest mage in existence, surpassing the Godking, but that makes sense, doesn’t it? It’s been 80 years since Roland’s died; new powers will grow.” Bouncykins sighed. “With a flick of his wrist, he can call upon thunder. With a point of his finger, he can make lava spew out of the ground. By shouting really loudly, he can cause the oceans to stir and slam tsunamis all the way to the mainland. There’s rumors of him inheriting the magical portion of the Godking’s legacy.”
“I’ve heard of Cain.” He’s the hero of the demons. I remember the people in the army thanking the Godking for bringing peace to the three factions because if they had to fight Cain, the humans would lose. “But how come I didn’t know he inherited the Godking’s legacy?”
“Vera’s not as famous as Durandal. And Roland used an alias for his magical deeds.”
Really? Then what was the legendary mage of the Godking’s generation called? “The Voidwalker?”
“Yeah. That’s the one.” Bouncykins nodded while Durandal made a sour expression.
“…How many aliases did the Godking have?” I already know about Golden Rat and Voidwalker. Don’t tell me there’s more.
“Over a hundred.” Durandal shook his head. “But the three you know are the most famous. Anyways, don’t you think you’re forgetting something, Lucia?”
&nb
sp; I forget a lot of things, but what specific thing did I forget this time? “What?” A spear flew at my face, and I almost didn’t react.
“We’re sparring.”
***
I’ve already had that discussion with Lucia. The age of martial arts and weapon spirits is over. But Lucia doesn’t care; she believes in me and my ability. I won’t disappoint her. That’s why I have to strike harder, faster. The spear in my hand blurred, its form becoming more fluid than solid as it struck towards the flaws in Lucia’s stance.
Sweat flowed from Lucia like rain from a cloud, and her blade managed to keep up with my spear, deflecting every strike. The beast core she had absorbed was beginning to take its part. All of her physical attributes would rise as the energy of the moonlight wolf was assimilated into her body, including her reaction speed and dynamic vision. Lucia may never move as fast as lightning, but I’ll be damned if she doesn’t get close.
I drew my spear back, focusing my (Lucia’s) qi into the tip. With a short shout, I thrust forward, performing a Breaking Blade with my spear. Lucia’s eyes widened as she brought her blade in front of her chest, holding it horizontally and bracing both ends with her hands to block my thrust head on. Like a boulder hitting the surface of a pond, my spear sent ripples into Lucia’s body, causing her to fly backwards. She hunched forward and managed to remain standing as her feet left two long lines in the earth. Maybe I should make my weapon body heavier. There’s three ways to deal with an oncoming force: redirect it, apply an even larger force towards it, or dodge it. I feel like Lucia would like the second option the most.
“It’s over?” Lucia was gasping and her arms were trembling, but I had to applaud her for remaining upright. “D-don’t you usually continue until I collapse?”
“Do you want me to?” Right. Didn’t she have some masochistic tendencies? “The core has been fully absorbed. If you absorb cores without expending the energy afterwards, impurities will build up and bring more damage to your body than benefits.”
“Oh.” Lucia nodded before collapsing onto her back. She sprawled out her limbs and exhaled while closing her eyes. She wasn’t wearing armor like usual, only having Snow’s dress on instead. It was part of an exercise to teach her how to reinforce parts of her body with qi. Armor would remove the sense of desperation, and everyone knows desperation fuels growth the fastest. “I feel smarter.”
“Smarter?” That wasn’t supposed to be a side effect.
“Like everything is clearer.” Lucia opened her eyes. “Sounds are sharper. The ground is rougher. Snow smells funnier.”
“Hey!”
“It feels weird,” Lucia said and nodded as she sat up. “Like everything was improved by a little bit.”
“Do you see why the cores are worth so much money now? Beast cores are used for everything, but the enhancement effect is the undisputed reason why people want cores.”
“Not anymore.” Bouncykins was here to once again lower my image in front of Lucia. I’m going to stir fry him one day. Or I’ll make Lucia do it because I can’t cook. “Nowadays, beast cores are used to recharge magic tools to remove the waiting period. You know how you can only caste haste three times a day?” Lucia nodded. “Beast cores can remove that limit.”
“Then I should save some beast cores for that?” Lucia’s tail twitched as she tilted her head. She glanced at me.
“No. Magic tools are supplements. They aren’t your own strength. Wouldn’t it be better to use the cores to improve your strength to the limit?” It’s not that I don’t like magic tools. I’m not bitter or anything. Stupid imposter weapons.
“You’re right.” Lucia nodded.
“You think anything Durandal says is right.” Snow rolled his eyes. He really did look like Cottontail when he did that. I wonder what happened to her after Roland died.
“That’s because he is!” Lucia chased after Snow with her sword. “Don’t think I forgot how you threw that at my head!”
“It was an accident!”
Snow and Lucia vanished into the forest. Bouncykins and I were left behind by the fire. “It’s true that magic tools are supplements, but if everyone is using them, Lucia will be at a disadvantage if she doesn’t.” Bouncykins stared at me. “There are some magic tools inscribed with ninth-circle magic arrays. Do you know what that means?”
“People have reached the ninth circle?” Back in Roland’s time, fifth-circle magicians were considered geniuses and sixth-circle magicians were considered to be at the peak. A lot has advanced in 80 years.
“Cain’s reached the tenth. He’s the world’s first tenth-circle magician.” Bouncykins sighed. “Not only that, but the weapons that were called legendary in Roland’s time have been demoted to unique. The dwarves achieved a higher level of smithing, and newer, stronger weapons exist. It’s possible you and I are only on par with unique equipment these days.”
“I see.” I’m not sure what I’m feeling, but it’s not very pleasant.
“And the elves have gotten better at inscribing enchantments. They’re almost on par with magical tool arrays.” Bouncykins shook his head. “The only people who haven’t made advancements are martial artists. Their standards have dropped instead.”
“Is it possible Roland reached the peak of martial arts, so no one could surpass him?”
“There’s no such thing as the peak. There’s only a peak. People can only climb higher than their predecessors. They’re starting at a higher ground. But no one wants to pursue martial arts. Why go through the suffering when an enchantment can boost your strength? Why torture yourself to learn techniques when magic tools can provide them?” Bouncykins stared at me. It was annoying how dark his eyes were—I could see my reflection in them. “You have to adapt, Durandal. Those who can’t adapt can’t survive.”
“I’ll think about it.” A weapon spirit … adapt? Not possible. That’s what differentiates us from humans. My purpose is to teach and protect Lucia. Even though Lucia doesn’t treat me like one, I am still a weapon spirit. I will always be a weapon spirit. But I will still make Lucia into a legend.
6
“When will you let me control mini-DalDal’s weight?” It’s annoying to pester Durandal every time I feel it’s too light. I’m not even sure how heavy mini-DalDal is anymore. Three tons? Four? Whenever I consume a beast core, my strength goes up and mini-DalDal feels off.
Durandal stared at me. Was that not a reasonable question? It’s not like I’d slack off on my training just because I could reduce mini-DalDal’s weight to nothing. …Maybe. I promise I won’t! “Alright. I’ll unlock the function for you.”
“Wait. Really?” What’s the catch? There’s always a catch when things go my way. The last time things went my way, I obtained a sadistic spirit who enjoyed torturing poor innocent squirrelkin girls. Does that count as going my way?
“Yes. I think you’re—and I somehow don’t want to admit it—responsible… enough to control my weapon body freely.” Durandal sighed. “You should learn how to control my weight during battles. Increasing it when you need to generate more force, decreasing it when you need to move faster. Why don’t we start now?”
There’s the catch. Why’s the catch always sparring!? “I-I’m not—”
“Send your qi into my weapon body and will the weight you want it to be.” Durandal picked up his spear and waited for me. Bouncykins was watching from the sideline, but Snow was dismantling a five-tusked boar I had caught earlier.
“Heavier.” Gack! Too heavy! I almost crushed my foot. “L-lighter?” Oh. That’s perfect. “I’m ready.”
And thus, a brutal sparring session began which once again led to my loss. As usual. But at least I’m more accustomed to the weight changing now. What if I reduce the weight as far as possible, leap into the air, then increase it as much as I can? Wouldn’t that be amazing? I—geh! “Why’d you hit me?”
Durandal retrieved the spear he smacked me with. “You’re thinking weird things. Stick to the fundamentals: B
reaking Blade, weight training, Steady Mountain Footwork.”
“…When are you going to teach me something else?” If I had a larger variety of moves, I wouldn’t lose so badly!
“When you can beat me in a spar with your current assets. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve only been using the Steady Mountain Footwork and Breaking Blade to fight against you. What’s important isn’t the number of techniques you learn, it’s the proficiency you reach in them.”
“It looks like Lucia’s going to be stuck with those two techniques forever then.”
Say that to my face, Snow! I dare you! Don’t look at that boar like it’s prettier than me. Oh, is that a beast core? I’ll take that. I stuck my tongue out at Snow after stealing away his hard work. Now I see why Durandal’s such a bully sometimes. Bullying people soothes my heart. …I’m a good person, okay?
“Lucia’s actually progressing very rapidly in the Steady Mountain Footwork. The thousand or so flaws she had when we first started have been reduced to a little over a hundred.” Durandal smiled at me. “I’ll target them nonstop so you can learn them better. No need to thank me.”
Demon. Well, if I’m being honest, Durandal is a really nice teacher. The first time he wants to correct a flaw, he’ll lightly tap it. The second time I expose the same flaw, he’ll hit it with the side of his spear. And if I reveal it for a third time…, Snow will increase his proficiency in bandaging lacerations. There has never been a fourth time, but I’ll probably lose a limb if there were. But anyways, what was I doing? Absorbing a beast … core? Shit.
“I didn’t know you were so eager to spar again, Lucia. We can’t let those impurities build up.” A spear flew towards my face, and I barely managed to block it by reducing mini-DalDal’s weight to catch up to the strike and increasing its weight to deflect the spear. This is abuse! Animal cruelty!
After another bout of sparring, new bruises had formed along my arms and legs. Maybe the number of flaws were reduced by a dozen? I hope so. I wonder when absorbing beast cores will lose its effect. I can’t keep improving at this rate forever, can I? I swear my vision is almost as sharp as a crow’s. Not that I would know how well a crow could see. My sense of smell is probably on par with the moonlight wolves’ too. And my constitution is similar to a panther’s. “Durandal. When do cores start losing their effect?”
