Chapter 03:

The first test was of my resolve.

I was tested on my determination and will to fight against the pain and doubt.

Ten thousand sword swings, it took both physical and mental strength to finish them. My resolve was to continue even as my palms tore and bled. That was my mental.

To keep going in spite of the feeling of wanting to give up and just rest.

The second test will be of my belief. Still I don't understand what belief has to do with battle yet I felt like the answer I already had.

Do you believe in yourself. Do you trust that even before an unscalable mountain you would not fall for despair.

Many people underestimate how much self belief is strong. I believe in myself therefore I can accomplish.

It is belief that drives us humans. We feed on it to fuel our dreams. We fail yet we thrive for each step no matter how small it is contributes in the process of self development.

' But can I really do it?' I questioned as I looked at the man standing before me.

'' take the sword boy.'' the man said as a sword appeared in front of me but this time it wasn't a wooden sword but a real one. A sharpened tool that can kill.

I carefully took the sword and unsheathed it. I traced it's flat side with my index and middle finder feeling the cold glow of the blade and the smooth cool sensation of it sliding against my fingers.

' What the hell is this really, am I supposed to fight against sword master Ryu shin?' I thought.

'' you appear doubtful boy yet your gaze remains steady.'' with a smirk on his handsome face sword master Ryu shin taunted.

'' no I don't believe I can beat you.'' I replied with a serious expression.

'' But that isn't reason enough to back down.''

'' hahaha true.'' Ryu shin replied with a laugh.

' if you knew that why did you even ask?' this guy was starting to get on my nerves. And it's not because of his good looks but because of his uhm... Ok fuck it, his face annoys me.

'' oh I like the look on your face.'' he remarked before adding.

'' But the purpose of this test isn't to beat me. survive if you can boy.''

After he said this, I immediately fell back and right where I was standing master Ryu shin' blade passed, a cloud of dust formed from the strength of the swing.

' aren't you supposed to be a spirit, why are you so strong?' I complained internally.

'' fweeew, you dodged it huh . Looks like my skills are rusty.''

A cold sweat flowed from my back. If I hadn't stepped back, I would have been cut.

' what's with that speed? I couldn't even see his sword only a blur.' strangely before he moved, there was a blurry figure that emerged from him and sped towards me.

My expression turned serious at the thought of potential injury.

'' that's more like it.'' Ryu shin's relaxed demeanor was even more frightening than his sword.

His clear killing intent but nonchalant expression was down right disturbing.

' come on pull yourself together. This is the kind of world you're in now.' I forced my erratic heart to calm down and breathed in.

'' huffff ''

I took a stance and focused on my opponent's movement. I knew that this was a lesson and I was determined to learn.

I took a stance similar to Ryu shin's and when he took a step I also took one. My movement an exact copie of his.

As my speed was slower than his, I needed to predict his movements precisely and strike him down. As they say, the best defense is offence.

Clang

Steel met steel and sparks flew. I focused on each breath I took and tried minimized unnecessary movements.

Clang clang

A downward strike hit me, I knew the basics of the sword as I had repeatedly executed them in the first test to swing the sword.

Horizontal slash, vertical slash , diagonal slash and finally a thrust.

Thousands upon thousands of times I had repeated them and so my muscles remembered. My vision helped in the process as it traced the optimal path for my sword.

I parried Ryu shin's sword with a diagonal slash.

Clang clang

' it's heavy.' Ryu shin's sword is heavy , it takes a toll on my arms just to parry it. And my wrists creak as I take each strike.

My eyes took in the figure of Ryu shin, my posture still an exact copy of his with my sword firmly held with my two hands. I was growing in real time I could feel it.

Step

One step and he has already closed the distance between us. If I'm not careful I'll sorely regret it. Ryu shin's footwork was graceful like that of a swan on a lake.

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' the next move will be.' I followed the movement of his lower body and the position of his shoulders and took a step forward myself.

A thrust.

I kept the sword close to me as his stab had to be parried with enough force to create an opening.

Clang.

There it is.

The outer trap. Pushing Ryu shin's sword outward, I swung the sword in a upward motion to counterattack.

The line guiding the path of my sword was followed precisely when suddenly it changed midway.

Changing the path mid-swing. I felt my wrist creak dangerously but I had to change my diagonal upward slash to a downward one.

Clang

I parried Ryu shin's sword which was intending to cleave my waist in two.

'So that's why they call it the changing sword.' I exclaimed.

It is a sword with no norm and no direction. It is ever changing. Up, down, left, right diagonally from up to the left, diagonally from up to the right, diagonally from down to the right , diagonally from down to the left. All angles of attack are covered.

'' not bad boy, let's continue.'' Ryu shin halted for a moment and spoke with a grin.

'' huff'' strangely though it was dangerous I was starting to have fun.

Step , Clang

Sword met sword again. My upward diagonal to the left was parried with an opposing downward diagonal to the left which left me vulnerable to a stab.

And so, I positioned my waist and adjusted my center of gravity. I used the momentum from Ryu shin's sword to push myself backwards but Ryu shin' sword persistently pursued me and cut at my thigh.

It was the first of the many wounds that would follow during my spar with Master Ryu shin.

The duel of the basics continued. No fancy techniques just the fundamentals.

At some point the sword paths traced by the lines before me changed so fast that I couldn't follow them properly anymore.

As we continued fighting, the extent of my vision expanded. I could predict Master Ryu shin's movement before they even happened but alas my body couldn't keep up with his sword.

I was undoubtedly defeated but I had definitely gained something. Something even more broken than the unpredictable swordsmanship I was being taught.

It was the discovery of [Battle read] possessed by my eyes, an S rank skill. With this passive skill I wouldn't have to worry about adapting to the battlefield as all I had to do was follow my instincts.

I had read on a forum post that one of the cheat like skills in the [chronicles of a fallen noble] is one that helps in battle.

At the end of our spar , my body was full of injuries as if I would die at any moment.

My black hair clung to my forehead due sweat. My wrist joints stung and my breathing was erratic. Fatigue had taken a toll on my battered body yet the aftermath of battle still lingered. A heat ran through my whole body.

'' You've passed boy.'' Ryu shin's voice sounded from the surroundings again.

He had disappeared before I knew it and I was left alone in the training space. The place darkened again and all the wounds on my body faded as if they were illusions.

I lay there in a daze. I had returned to the old dilapidated dojo and standing before me was an old skeleton draped in luxurious doppo, an eastern looking sword in it's sheath in his grasp.

A sharp pain hit my whole body and foreign energy invaded my Dantian.

The changing sword of master swordsman Ryu shin the Ban'no ken style. A sword which is composed of only the basics with an infinite combination of it's versatile trajectory was truly a masterpiece but it took it's toll on the body.

'' your eyes boy, they shall guide your sword so build a body that can follow what they show you.'' Ryu shin said handing me the sheathed sword.

'' yes master. thank you for your guidance.'' I pushed myself off the ground and bowed before sword master Ryu shin receiving the sword.

The luxurious looking eastern sword similar to a katana emanated a crimson glow and hummed silently in my grasp.

It's black and red patterned sheath felt smooth and sturdy.

Without further discussion, the skeleton Ryu shin returned to his lotus seating position but the light in his eye sockets slowly diminished.

I had inadvertently become the inheritor of the Ban'no ken style, The changing sword.

'' well it ain't too bad.'' my second objective had been fulfilled, plus I had even received a sword which looked to be a legendary blade.

Now all that is left is to return to the ECHDIS and enroll at the academy.

________________________

My descent off one of Archmekov's peaks was leisurely. I felt like I was a changed person and indeed I was.

My Dantian was pulsing with mana. A quantity and quality far superior to what I had prior to my meeting with master Ryu shin.

And my body, oh my body was exquisite. Pulling up the rag like shirt I was wearing a clear six pack enters my view.

With satisfied puff of my chest I looked up again at the peak I was descending from with a gratitude filled gaze. Truly meeting Ryu shin was a blessing though of course our meeting was no mere coincidence.

Now with light steps and an enhanced stamina I made my way down the mountain.

The descent was shorter than the ascent. Thus in less than 2hours I was already at the bottom of the mountain range.

Now all that was left is to walk.

''...''

I had no way to pay for the return carriage.

' 25 silver, are you kidding me? That's my monthly payment from the adventurers guild. My poor ass could never use that kind of money on a single errand.'

Damnit, being poor is the worst. Fortunately life was turning for the better as I only had to enroll at Saint Martin academy the following day.

It had been almost an hour since the start of my journey home. The scenery was good and fortunately, the sun was still up so I leisurely walked about.

Still the distance had not narrowed one bit. I was still far far from arriving.

'' thankfully, the road is peacefu-.''

Ahhhhhhh

Before I could complete the raising of a flag, a scream sounded from the far distance.

Following the scream, a pungent iron smell stung at my development sense of smell. I furrowed my brows at the scent of blood.

Taking hold of the sheath of the sword tied to my waist, I ran towards the source of the scream.

At about 300m ahead I saw a carriage besieged by a group of ten Orcs.

The muscular looking pigs with their barbaric behavior were circling a group of 4 knights eagerly protecting the carriage.

In my hurry I failed to notice the wolf emblem on the carriage's side.

I ran as fast as I could and in less than 10s I had reached the battle field.

An intense glow surrounded my sword and the color of my eyes changed from the usual red to an ash grey hue.

Various lines trace before me and the fight was being read in real time by my eyes.

[Battle read] truly an S rank skill lived up to it's title. The flow of battle was read and I noticed that the orcs were gaining the upper hand, with the knights struggling to maintain formation.

A heat spread to my body as my mana was released from the Dantian.

Taking a step, I accelerated and just as the orc in my immediate path was about to cut a knight he had just defeated. A clear line traced to it's neck.

With haste, I traced it and successfully rescued the fallen man.

It was my first battle after master Ryu shin so the movements of both the knights and the orcs seemed slow.

A moment of silence was felt as both orcs and knight stopped their actions and their attention shifted to the intruder.

Their gaze both fixed on the back of the mysterious assailant who had just rescued a fellow human knight and killed an orc.

The figure turned around as of in slow motion, the knights and orcs felt a gaze on them that felt sharper than a sword. A glaring gray hue emanated from his emotionless eyes seeming like they could pierce through them.

The figure calmly walked forward, unhinged by the glare of the orcs who had just lost a companion.

Grrr

With a menacing growl, one of the orcs pounced on the puny human who had taken the life of their brethren.

Facing the tall muscular figure of the orc was a single young man who seemed in his late teens. The orc violently swung it's axe at the young man who had not reacted yet, but then with the blurring of the young man arm holding the sword, the orc's arm was cleaved right of it's shoulder and flew to the air.

Grrraahhhh

A wail of pain escaped the mouth of the orc who fell on his bum from the pain. The emotionless eyes of the young man then moved onto the remaining orcs which flinched and backed away.

With another swing of his arm, the wailing orc's head tumbled to the ground.

I could sense the anger in the gaze of the orcs but this emotion expressed outwardly was hiding beneath it a dreadful fear.

****