Chapter 190: Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon (1)

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The organization of the seafloor ruins was complete.

The mountain of treasures and artifacts was to be sent to the capital for thorough investigation.

If its historical value was confirmed, the Imperial Family would take custody; otherwise, it would be returned to Althausen.

The Viscount of Althausen didn’t mind the outcome either way.

If the artifacts returned, they could be used as tourist resources, and if the Imperial Family took them, a massive reward would be paid out.

The true value of the seafloor ruins lay not in the treasure or artifacts, but in the site itself, which preserved its original form.

“Huff, huff…!”

After a few days of rest following the ruins exploration, the cadets now began their training in earnest.

To fully absorb and control the mana obtained through mana beads, they moved their bodies desperately and swung their swords.

Their fierce energy was so intense that even the knights of Althausen clicked their tongues in disbelief.

“What kind of training is that?”

“Is that how they do it in Bayern? No one would dare call them pampered greenhouse flowers now.”

But the cadets had no choice.

After Carl revealed his true strength, sparring had become almost indistinguishable from real combat.

He didn’t go easy on friends, nor did he spare those who were weak.

Just one step beyond their limit of endurance.

He relentlessly pressed forward and attacked without pause, so to avoid being beaten by Carl, they had no choice but to train like their lives depended on it.

“Haaaah…”

Having finally completed his set training goals, Maximilian threw down his practice greatsword and collapsed on the floor.

Others too seemed to have reached their limits, drenched in sweat and lying flat.

The female cadets usually maintained their dignity and scent, but as the training dragged on, even they gave up and lay down, panting just the same.

“…Where’s Carl?”

“He’s meditating alone at the adjacent training hall. He said we should come one at a time when ready.”

“…I’m not quite ready yet.”

Still lying facedown, Maximilian quietly got up, gripping the handle of the discarded greatsword.

Whoever went first would get thoroughly beaten before the next person arrived.

So he planned to go when the order had ripened just enough.

“Still, thanks to this special training, my skills are growing at an unbelievable rate.”

Gale glanced down at his thick hands with a small smile.

It hadn’t been long since the vacation started.

Even though they had taken mana beads, who would’ve thought their skills would improve this quickly?

Amy, who was next to him, brushed aside her messy bangs and responded.

“Of course. We never trained this hard even in Bayern.”

“True. I doubt there are any cadets pushing themselves as harshly as we are.”

“…I’m looking forward to the next semester.”

Everyone nodded in agreement to Lien’s words.

If they had grown this much in just a few days, how much stronger would they be by the time the new semester began?

Clatter.

At that moment, Laysis, who had been resting silently against a wall, stood up while gripping her sword.

“I’ll go first. Please take your time coming in.”

The cadets’ faces brightened at her words.

If Carl and Laysis sparred, the session would last longer than with anyone else.

That meant more time for rest, so they were all grateful to Laysis.

Step.

Laysis moved forward.

The training hall where Carl waited was right next door.

When she opened the door and stepped in, she saw him meditating in the center.

“…”

Since his meditation hadn’t ended yet, Laysis leaned against the wall and waited quietly.

‘…Carl.’

She had resolved the misunderstanding with Yuria.

That mention of a kiss was just to help her when she had trouble breathing.

However, she hadn’t mentioned why she went to Carl’s room late at night.

—”It’s a somewhat sensitive matter directly involving Carl and me. Honestly, I don’t want to talk about it. But if Carl wants to, I won’t stop him. So I’ll leave the choice to Carl.”

Yuria had stated her stance firmly on that matter.

She wouldn’t stop Carl from talking about it, but she didn’t want to bring it up herself.

‘What on earth is it?’

So the mystery only deepened.

To be honest, she was a bit jealous.

They had only known each other for about half a year.

There hadn’t been much time to build a deep bond.

‘…And I thought I was his closest friend.’

Among the cadets, it was she who had stayed with Carl the longest and most closely.

She knew many things others didn’t—about the power of Kylos that Carl had gained, and the organization he commanded in secret.

She had even offered to help if he ever defected to the Empire.

That was why Laysis was so curious about what Carl was thinking.

“…I had thoughts to sort out, so my meditation went on longer than expected.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t wait long.”

By then, Carl had ended his meditation and opened his eyes.

He lightly dusted himself off and stood up, loosening his joints to prepare his body.

Since returning from the seafloor ruins, Carl had spent most of his time reflecting on the battle with Kylos that had occurred inside his inner mind, rather than on physical training.

‘Handling divinity isn’t something you can rush.’

It was different from training internal energy or mana.

As power based on faith and belief, it couldn’t be increased or amplified through training like other energies.

The fortunate part was that he didn’t need faith to wield the divinity of Kylos.

“Well then, shall we begin?”

“Sure, anytime.”

Laysis nodded at Carl’s words and got ready.

Her hand hovered near her waist, ready to draw her sword at any moment, and her knees were slightly bent, prepared to dash forward at any time.

“Hmm, today…”

Carl also reached out to grab a practice sword, then paused.

“Let’s try something a little different today.”

“Something different?”

“It might be a bit dangerous, but it’ll be a fresh experience.”

Instead of grabbing a sword, Carl spread his fingers wide and gave a small gesture.

Swish.

At that, the swords stuck into the floor gently floated out of their slots.

“Telekinesis?”

“It’s similar, but different. Strictly speaking, it’s not magic. It’s called the Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon.”

“Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon?”

Telekinesis, Spatial Grasp, Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon.

All of them looked similar on the surface.

It was the ability to wield a sword without using one’s hands.

It wasn’t considered a particularly special technique here, but in the Central Plains, the Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon held a unique meaning.

Aside from the mysterious martial art Heart Sword, which could slash the enemy with sheer will, it was the highest realm among ascending martial arts.

Even in the Central Plains, there were many con artists who claimed to use the Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon through Spatial Grasp.

Spatial Grasp itself required a certain level of internal energy.

So it wasn’t entirely without power, but it couldn’t even compare to the Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon.

“The Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon is about complete control over the sword. Like this.”

Carl grabbed the floating blade mid-air with his bare hand.

Laysis opened her eyes wide in shock, but Carl’s hand remained unscathed.

“How?”

Even though it was a practice sword, its blade was sharp enough to easily cut through flesh.

But Carl gripped the blade with a completely calm expression.

“It’s about bringing the sword under one’s dominance. No matter how sharp a legendary blade may be, you can make it dull, and conversely, you can grant the dullest blade a sharpness unparalleled in the world.”

“Is that really possible?”

“It is. For me, and for you too, Laysis. Though it will take more time, of course.”

It was a level that could only be barely grasped even after reaching the Master stage and continuing to train relentlessly.

Still, Laysis had her innate talent, and Carl intended to help her, so it wouldn’t take too long.

“To start, three swords should be enough.”

Carl floated three swords into the air and aimed them at Laysis.

“I won’t move a single step from this spot. I’ll only move the swords. As for you…”

Scrape.

One of the swords drifting through the air dropped down alone and drew a long line on the ground.

“If you can cross this line, you succeed.”

Clang!

The moment Carl finished speaking, Laysis burst forth with a charge.

A sword flew down from the air, slicing through space, and she deflected its arc as it descended toward her head.

‘In one go…!’

Laysis could feel that her skills had advanced greatly in recent times.

She hadn’t been able to fully show it in the duel before the ruins expedition, so now she intended to reveal everything in this moment.

However, her determination was blocked just a few steps forward.

Clang! Swish! Clang!

The three swords came at her from different directions, obscuring her vision.

That didn’t mean the attacks were weak; if anything, it felt as if she were fighting three Carls at once.

‘This is harder than I thought.’

Feeling it was no use, Laysis sprang back and retreated.

As Carl had stated from the beginning, he stood completely still while the three swords alone moved around him in circular motion.

“Huu.”

Laysis exhaled lightly, then opened her eyes wide.

‘Arachne.’

Flash.

Her senses were pushed to their utmost limit.

She had now fully mastered the secret technique Arachne, taught by Instructor Frahan.

While not technically a sword technique but rather one of heightened perception, there was nothing more important to a swordsman than their senses.

Threads of sensation spread from Laysis like a spider’s web, forming grids and measuring distance.

Each time the swords moved, they vibrated like prey caught in the web, and even without looking, their paths were vividly traced in her mind.

Tap!

Laysis launched forward again.

Unleashing Arachne to the extreme drained a lot of mental energy.

So she intended to finish the fight quickly.

‘Hooh.’

Carl, for his part, was also engaged in a fierce battle.

First of all, the internal energy consumed to maintain the Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon was overwhelming.

Even though he was merely levitating swords, he could feel it depleting rapidly.

And it was even harder to subdue his opponent without killing.

The technique was so powerful and destructive that if he lost focus for even a moment, Laysis would be sliced to pieces.

‘I need to focus on efficiency.’

In a pointless standoff like this, there was no need to keep using the Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon.

Just using Spatial Grasp to keep the swords afloat would suffice.

He could immediately switch back to the Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon, so it was a good way to conserve internal energy.

‘The best solution would be to increase my internal energy altogether, though.’

Carl already possessed vast reserves of internal energy.

Since childhood, he had steadily consumed elixirs obtained or acquired through NOX.

Once mana beads were fully developed, he’d be able to self-sustain high-quality elixirs.

‘In the end, time will solve it.’

Carl spread his hand wide and switched from Spatial Grasp to the Technique of Sword Mastery Over Weapon, manipulating the three swords in various directions.

For now, it was time to slice through the web stretched across the training hall.

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