NOVEL NEXT Chapter 976
<976 – Experience Points Doubled (13)>
There’s a concept called superior function.
It’s a concept where one function integrates and encompasses several other functions.
For instance, using [Hiding] will include hiding the body, hiding sounds, hiding smells, and so on.
[Swordsmanship] encompasses all techniques related to using a sword.
Slashing, stabbing, swinging.
The distance of spreading and narrowing the feet, stealing breath through quick and slow mastery control, and losing balance through shifting weight.
“Which part of swordsmanship are you confident in, Sia Unni?”
“Resilience.”
“Resilience…?”
In the past, without a hint of hesitation, she would have proudly claimed ‘slashing’ or ‘merciless.’
Her journey of mercilessly cutting down everything that invaded her self-imposed boundaries was consistent.
That line was both a mark drawn on the ground, a target for growth, and a grade for achievement.
Sing had cut down students who challenged or collided with the line she had to protect.
In practical exams, injuries surged, and more people began to fear the mere idea of facing him, preferring to bombard him with various spells while keeping a distance, ultimately forfeiting when the gap closed.
Because it hurts to be cut, no matter how well one is healed.
But as Sia, she was slightly different.
Awakening to the origin realm, even if she lost herself as a man, she opened her eyes to what enjoyment and happiness a human should rightfully enjoy as a woman.
With nowhere to return to, she began to harbor desires, raising her spines like a hedgehog, sharpening only her cold flesh to continue seeking happiness.
Sing no longer wanted to embark on reckless revenge akin to suicide and viewed the coexistence of achieving revenge and surviving as her goal.
And that result is precisely resilience.
The origin realm can regain stolen breath, balance, and center from any position.
The usage method, thoroughly focused on restoration, raised Sia’s defense higher than her swelling chest.
“What kind of swordsmanship strengths does Jiang have?”
“Well, it’s a bit limited to swordsmanship, but it’s definitely about timing disruption related to ambush.”
Listening to lectures at the Gift Academy and experiencing various events, Jiang’s combat power had gained a fundamental tier boost.
As an assassin, she was expected to be weak in direct confrontations; however, she could now withstand enemy attacks based on her boosted physical abilities.
She was able to invade her opponent’s blind spot in direct confrontations, or disrupt their timing, making incredible frontal ambushes possible.
This was greatly influenced by Oknodie’s acceleration afterimage sword technique.
Jiang interpreted and internalized the technology that deceived position and gaps with rapid movements, effectively stealing timings.
“Are you going to challenge right now?”
“There’s no reason not to do it.”
But the Picture World isn’t a place where one can simply decapitate the master of the world and escape.
The spirits wandering among countless swords embedded like tombstones turned their heads sharply, staring wide-eyed at the two.
“Newbie.”
“Experience points.”
“Prey!”
Despite their gaunt bodies and bony limbs, the spirit swordsmen rushing towards them emitted an unusual aura.
Jiang flinched, intending to counterattack while dodging a sword.
The length of the sword, which could have been easily avoided with half a step, suddenly extended out of nowhere.
‘Body Transformation Technique!’
Having seen various bodies of monsters with the monstrous biology in Monster Studies, Jiang quickly realized.
While they couldn’t morph their bodies like monsters, they had employed techniques to artificially alter parts of their bodies.
In battles among masters who are sensitive to aura, the act of enhancing physical abilities instead of aura can be an ambush that one cannot help but fall into when linked with the explosive speed of a sword flash.
“The opponent was unlucky.”
However, the assassin’s concentration and reaction speed are among the best in the profession.
“How did you react?”
“That’s already a ‘prepared pattern’.”
An assassin trained in assassin’s tactics knows they will die if the analysis or judgment is even slightly off against a stronger opponent, so their reaction time has been optimized for ambushes that have already undergone ‘image training.’
“Terrifying experience points.”
“A newbie, but not really…”
“The prey… was us, wasn’t it…”
The attacking ghost swordsmen all collapsed in unison.
The hierarchy was unmistakably settled by Jiang.
But she felt it.
The aura of those who died in her hands, returning somewhere in the tomb.
Those who meet death once in the lower realms are sealed among the swords of the tomb, becoming spirits and fighting eternally.
Moreover, there’s a ‘limit point’ to their fatality.
No matter what means they employ, the people of the lower realms bear a powerful constraint that prevents them from harming those who visit from the middle realm or the upper realm.
In other words, upon visiting this place as a guest of Oknodie, this location becomes a training ground solely for lower realm visitors.
“Unni, I’ve started to feel a bit of joy.”
“Really? Good for you. I’m the same.”
Before they knew it, Sia stood with her sword, the ghost’s black blood dripping from the tip as she smiled chilly.
If they were on the same wavelength, there was no reason to hesitate.
“A rare training ground. If we don’t enjoy it, it would be a loss.”
“Let’s test it. To see how far our realms have come.”
Swordmen specialized in single-use surprise attacks dependent on body transformations or weapon peculiarities.
Purely specialized swordman in actions like slashing, stabbing, and swinging.
Swordmen specialized in unique abilities that double the power of their swordsmanship based on overwhelming unique abilities.
Swordsmanship passed down from a prestigious family well-versed in advanced techniques.
A genius swordsman who surpassed hundreds of years of sword family tradition based on overwhelming talent.
“Isn’t the swordsmanship of the ten great swordsmen of 200 years ago now just an obsolete remnant? Time is so merciless!”
“The speed of swordsmanship can be this fast? How blessed modern swordsmen must be with the Mana Flow Technique… even Reinhardt wasn’t like this.”
“Despite challenging Reinhardt’s stronghold so many times to gain experience, can it be that even newcomers can outstrip him now?”
The relatively recent ghost swordsmen left many words and regrets.
Thanks to that, they could gather various information.
Ghost swordsmen challenge Reinhardt repeatedly, even after death.
Jiang concluded.
This is a crucial part.
Combining the information they possessed reveals intriguing facts.
“I didn’t think those spirits believed Reinhardt’s Mana Flow Technique was above us.”
“Meaning they are strong enough without it.”
The Sword Saint Reinhardt is from the past.
However, in terms of swordsmanship knowledge, modern individuals who have learned superior Mana Flow Techniques can indeed surpass him.
In Sing’s mind, the outcome during battle had already been visualized.
Initially, there might be a chance to match.
Since they possess mana built up from a higher dimension than the lower realm.
They could unleash their stored mana to increase morale and reaction speed and deploy various miscellaneous techniques.
However, the support of ‘Nature Mana’ is extremely minimal.
Perhaps like battles in the middle realm, such luxurious battles will be permitted only once, and if defeated once, the total amount of aura available for the subsequent battles drastically decreases.
“So we have only one chance each to defeat the ‘Sword Saint’ in our ‘serious mode.’”
“…Why just once? Isn’t this just like the academy exams?”
Through several lectures, he acquired knowledge, corrected mistakes, and received evaluations through two chances called midterm and final exams.
One doesn’t need to reach perfection all at once in the academy.
What’s different for Reinhardt?
Once he expends his mana, he cannot replenish it in the lower realm, hence a fight at full strength is allowed only once?
Then wouldn’t it be okay to have enough practice before that one time comes?
“Still not realizing? You’ve heard it from other ghost swordsmen already. Reinhardt hasn’t inherited modern swordsmanship, modern Mana Flow Techniques, nor the advanced techniques and improved potions of the modern academy. Yet, he stands above all swordsmen.”
Sing knows.
How significant that is.
A strength that can crush all existences between oneself and a rival, surpassing hundreds of years’ worth of time, can hardly be described as anything less than extraordinary.
“Do you think you can show your sword more than twice to someone with such talent and not get ‘devoured’? Do you truly believe your sword skills are at that level?”
“!!”
“So the practical exercises targeting Reinhardt are meaningless. What we would gain will be overwhelmingly less than what he would.”
Jiang felt Reinhardt’s presence, which was palpable from a distance, grow heavier.
When she couldn’t hear Sia’s insight, she had some confidence that she could somehow manage, but now it was different.
She couldn’t believe how calm Sia was.
“Unni, aren’t you scared?”
“Of course I’m scared. There’s no way I’d want to fight someone with such insane talent with a clear mind.”
“Then how can you smile like that?”
That was the smile of an adult with grace befitting the title of “older sister.”
“Because I’ve experienced it. Overcoming the wall of talent.”
She had already overcome one frame.
[Becoming a Master of the Social Church - Female Edition] in the lower realms.
The master of that world.
“If I’ve done it once, there’s no way it can’t be done twice. So we need to devour all the techniques and experiences of every spirit present, keeping pace with Reinhardt’s past and present, and transcend his future one step ahead.”
“Wow… Unni, you have succeeded, right? Then what have you gained through transcending?”
In Sia’s expression, overwhelming confidence forged from the experience of victory surfaced.
“There are many choices for the strong. The freedom to choose is proof of strength.”
“…!”
Jiang’s face reflected awe toward that somewhat arrogant declaration of strength.
Beyond femininity, there was an allure that hinted at masculine confidence, causing Jiang to feel a slight flutter.
It was the seductive power that only a master capable of overwhelming women in the Social Church could exhibit, transcending genders.