Kingdom's Bloodline, page 609
Thales’ face was flushed. His breathing was rapid. He did not have the time to care about the voice next to his ears.
“Use the strength in your waist. Hold the sword steadily with your hands. That’s right, just like that. Keep the pose and direction. Try to stay straight, do not shake…”
Sweat dripped down Thales’ cheek. He suddenly felt his entire body shiver.
‘Oh, crap!’
The voice grew stern.
“I know that this is difficult, but you must persevere! Tense up your body! Straighten your back! Raise it high! Do not let it fall down..”
But Thales felt that he was already…
‘No.’
The uncontrollable numbness was spreading to every part of his body.
‘This is bad.’
He could no longer persevere…
Thales could see the area before him spinning.
He was about to… about to…
‘Argh!’
Finally, with a dull thud, the training sword that Thales held in his hand and the weight hanging around its hilt fell to the sandy ground at the same time.
The Duke of Star Lake was breathing rapidly. His arm was overwhelmed with soreness and numbness while his gloves were soaked with sweat.
The sound of footsteps rose. Mallos walked to him from behind and fixed his eyes on the sword on the ground. He seemed to be thinking about something.
“The time… is a little short, huh?”
Thales swung his aching arm around in frustration and stomped his feet on the training ground, which had been temporarily emptied in the courtyard, in order to soothe the numbness.
“It is all right,” the prince said resentfully. “I am just not used to it. The Northlanders do not teach in this way. They are more inclined to… sparring.”
Mallos let out a soft snort.
“Then perhaps… you should return to Northland?”
Thales was instantly rendered speechless.
The light from the setting sun slid into the courtyard of Mindis Hall, extending Mallos and Thales’ shadows on the ground.
Doyle stood right beneath the pillar behind the two of them. He appeared to be talking to Glover about something.
“Apparently, our prince has never experienced any systematic training before.”
Doyle shook his head.
“It looks like the capabilities of a Northlander who excels in battle are rather limited.”
Glover pursed his lips.
Indeed, at that very moment, Thales was listlessly attending the martial arts lesson personally conducted by Lord Mallos. Apparently, after experiencing an entire day of having his brain tormented, the duke was not very keen about receiving an entire lesson solely on retaining his stance.
But Mallos seemed to find pleasure in it.
“Sword style and sword stance are important segments in the training for ancient knights.” The watchman still had a polite smile on his face. He was not frustrated at all with the prince’s failure and attitude.
“It is especially so for the Seventeen Swords of the Knights, the ancient and traditional skill for knights. It has been circulating in the palace since the age of the Empire.
“After Constellation was formed, it was reformed through meticulous studies by countless masters before it gained its current form.”
Under the attentive eyes of a few members of the Royal Guards who came to join the training, Mallos walked into the field. He lifted the prince’s metallic training sword elegantly. He hesitated for a brief moment, but he did not pick up the weight together.
“Every movement and stance has been carefully considered and verified countless times.” Mallos turned the hilt of the sword around and handed it over. He was gentle and elegant, not showing even a single sign of impatience.
“You are required to concentrate fully and follow through. Perform them to the limits. Let them be branded deeply in your body and turn them into your instincts.”
Thales, whose mind was still overwhelmed by word orders and cases, as well as arithmetic formulae, sighed while he attempted to take the sword from Mallos.
Yet, when Thales tugged at it, the longsword would not budge!
Thales was shocked. He recovered from his listless state.
He raised his head and noticed that the hilt of the sword was tightly wedged in Mallos’ hand. He did not let go.
“This is all so that you will be able to return to the safest stance you are most familiar with at any moment during battle.”
Mallos focused his eyes on him, and he became serious.
“For instance, regardless of the outcome of the battle, with every strike you deliver with your sword, prepare to defend yourself instinctively and remain vigilant.”
In the next second, Mallos suddenly loosened his hand. Thales’ body swayed a little because of the inertia before he managed to stand firmly.
In the face of the not-so-friendly reminder, Thales forced himself to smile as he brandished his sword in a familiar motion. “Even when the enemy is already dead?”
Meanwhile, Mallos’ eyes suddenly turned cold. “Even when the enemy is already dead.”
Thales felt a chill run up his spine.
Mallos continued to speak, “Let me guess, the Northlanders have never taught you about belated strikes, am I right? Even when you have beheaded your opponent, his body will continue to swing the sword due to inertia. He could potentially complete the move he was performing right before his death one second after his demise, like lobbing off your head as you did with him.”
Thales was slightly stunned.
“In truth, the Northlanders have taught me that.”
The young duke looked around. He noticed that Doyle and Glover were observing from afar. Doyle even yawned without showing him any respect.
“You know that they have to face the agonizing counterattacks from orcs.” Thales shrugged. He decided to put an end to the topic and quickly complete the portion of his training for the day. “If you allow a counterattack with such a magnitude to be performed, regardless of whether you block it or not, or whether you performed the block with a strong or weak blade, it would basically happen in just a moment. There is little significance in defending yourself.
“So, they speak of using offense as their defense. They worship the idea of suppressing their enemies with the situation and chasing after them while they are victorious.
“They believe that the most perfect battle would be to leave the opponent with no chance of fighting back from beginning to the end.”
Thales shook his head. ‘Star Killer Nicholas, Fire Knight Tolja, Raven of Death Monty…’
Yes, among the masters of Northland he encountered before, none of them seemed to be especially good in defense.
On the contrary, in Constellation, there were people like Fortress Flower, Legendary Wing, even the Knight of Judgement in the Prison of Bones…
As for Kingdom’s Wrath…
All right, he was a different matter, an existence whom even the Northlanders feared.
Nevertheless, Mallos still stared at Thales with a profound gaze. Then, he took two steps forward, pressed down against Thales’ shoulder, and drew close to his ear.
“Then you better keep this in mind, your life is far more valuable than most people’s. You need to survive, Your Highness, not die one moment later after your opponent.
“Survive.”
Mallos sounded vigilant and mysterious. He gave off a vibe of someone who was in some sort of horror story, causing Thales to subconsciously shiver.
“Also, if most of the opponents you encounter from now on are humans, if there are any at all, when you face their delayed attacks, striking up defensive stances in time and in an intelligent manner is incredibly important.” Mallos released Thales’ shoulder with an expressionless face.
The smile on Mallos’ face was long gone. “After all, you are learning swordsmanship, not suicide-ship.”
Thales furrowed his eyebrows. He could sense the displeasure from the other person. It seemed like his inattentiveness earlier on had provoked him?
Mallos walked out of the field. He opened his mouth coldly and said, “Return to the previous sword stance. Put on the weight. Attempt to hold on for half an hour. Let your body become familiar with it.”
‘Half an hour?’
Thales instantly pulled a long face.
From six in the morning until now… He just experienced a full twelve hours of…
Would he even be able to eat dinner?
Mallos did not turn his head around.
“I know that this process is very boring, very dry, and very difficult. There is no opponent or target. There is only you.”
The words of the watchman held a cold meaning.
“Only loneliness, solitude, forbearance, and persistence. You will not have any assistants or enemies.”
Thales exhaled.
“Truth be told, your greatest enemy is living beneath that willpower of yours.”
Mallos suddenly whipped around, and his tone grew extremely determined.
“Kill it.
“Take back your willpower.”
Thales could not help himself from raising his eyebrows.
‘Really?
‘Why did his speech sound like a motivational story even though this is just a training lesson?’
Criticisms aside though, Thales could only obey obediently, hold the standard knight’s sword conferment stance, and try to get his body to reach the required standards.
Despite that, his mind wandered a little.
Thales thought in resignation.
It did not take long. Less than ten minutes later, the tip of his sword began to tremble. Thales was covered in sweat while he looked forward to the moment it would come to an end. His stance started to go out of shape. It was a little hard for him to persevere anymore. Muscle strength had never been Thales’ forte.
But this time, Thales quietly summoned his most familiar comrade.
It did not take long before that familiar surge obediently obeyed his orders secretly. It spread up to his right arm, soothed the soreness and the burden on his muscles. It also constantly fueled him with new strength.
Thales clenched his teeth and let out a breath. ‘Not bad, I’m feeling much better now.’
The trembling tip of the sword slowly stabilized as well.
He tried to pull and stretch his body so that he returned to the most accurate form of the knight’s sword conferment stance.
Mallos had been observing meticulously outside the field, and his eyes lit up. He started to nod his head.
Even Glover and Doyle were attracted.
“Wow, I’ve underestimated him.” Doyle scratched his head. “The Northlanders still have some skills.”
Even though he had yet to tap into Hell’s senses, it still enhanced his hearing, and those honest words reached Thales’ ears.
The prince quirked up the corners of his mouth.
“Not bad…” Mallos walked into the field, filled with interest. “Very good, Your Highness. Truth be told, this far exceeded my estimation.”
Thales could not help but straighten his arms even further, so much so that the tip of the sword was also straight.
Then, Mallos nodded in understanding. He smiled mysteriously and said, “It is truly not bad at all, your Power of Eradication, that is.”
The watchman stared at his steady arms and Thales’ standard stance. He used his most gentle and elegant tone to voice his compliment.
In that instant, Thales, who was focusing on retaining his sword stance, felt terrified!
‘What… did he say?’
The tip of his sword trembled slightly.
Glover and Doyle looked at each other on the other side, appearing puzzled.
Mallos smiled gently.
However, he suddenly reached out and seized the hilt of Thales’ sword!
Immediately, the Sin of Hell’s River, which was already actively surging in Thales’ body, gushed up, causing him to subconsciously pull his wrist back!
The tremendous strength came charging forward. Mallos’ expression changed before he instantly quirked up the corners of his mouth, and he let go of the hilt.
He had seemingly discovered something.
Thales took two steps back due to the inertia. He looked at Mallos in surprise and bewilderment.
*Thud!*
Another muffled sound was heard. The weight slipped off the sword again to the ground. It made its final roll on the sandy ground in despair.
The captain of Thales’ personal guards calmly moved his arms. He nodded slowly because he seemed to still be mulling over his contest of strength with the prince a moment ago.
Nevertheless, his expression later returned to that of calmness, as though he had learned the truth.
It looked like Thales understood something when he saw that. He found it increasingly difficult to believe.
It all began six years ago.
It had begun since the first time the strange power called the Sin of Hell’s River awoke inside his body…
Other than Black Sword, who had the same power, no one else had ever taken the initiative to discover his secret.
Regardless of whether it was his enemies in Northland or the desert, or his acquaintances in his homeland, Constellation.
Plus, Thales was also content with keeping it a secret to preserve his trump card. Whether it was the time he fought against the Star Killer, the Raven of Death, or Shadow Shield, his trump card, which he always revealed in the end, had always brought about pretty good effects for him.
However…
Thales looked at Mallos in a daze.
Today, the Sin of Hell’s River… had finally… been discovered.
Chapter 519: Let's fight |
‘Wait a minute,’ Thales thought.
Six years since he obtained his Power of Eradication, someone among his old acquaintances in Constellation had indeed found out about his Power of Eradication.
It was in the Prison of Bones.
‘But…’
A dark purple mask flashed across Thales’ mind.
He subconsciously tightened his grip around his sword.
‘Impossible.’
“I have told you, you are the only person who is going through the process of fighting in this knight training. It is not hard to tell if you are cheating.”
Mallos’ amused words pulled Thales back to reality.
The watchman pointed at Thales’ arm, and he felt satisfied, as though he had just caught his prey.
Doyle blinked in surprise while he was at the foot of the other pillar in the corridor. He habitually nudged the person next to him.
“Really?”
The protector opened his mouth repeatedly. “How old is that kid again?”
Doyle did not expect anyone to answer him.
However, to his surprise, this time, Glover’s deep voice was heard. “According to the reports, fourteen years and one hundred and twenty-eight days old.”
The vanguard, whose nickname was Zombie, narrowed his eyes.
Doyle was shocked.
“Damn, he’s almost at the same age as the youngest person to be Awakened. Wait a minute…” Doyle immediately figured something out. He gave Glover a strange look. “How can you remember so clearly?”
Glover ignored him. He just tightened his arms over his chest.
He stared at the field intently.
Thales tried to adjust his breathing while he thought about what was going on and what kind of consequences it would bring. Just as he was about to respond, Mallos spoke again, “There was no such thing mentioned in the brief report about you, so…”
Mallos rubbed his hands together and asked in an unperturbed tone, “When did you Awaken to your Power of Eradication?”
Thales was frightened again.
‘The Sin of Hell’s River…’
It may have seemed unimportant, but the fact is, the power had helped him traverse the birch tree forest, overcome the evil plots of that ugly-faced woman, survive the catastrophe in Dragon Clouds City, and escape into the desert. It eventually brought him back safely to Constellation.
There were too many secrets related to it and too many things he encountered with it, regardless of whether they were the things told to him by Black Sword or Ricky.
‘No.’
He could not expose too much.
At the very least… he could not just bring out his full abilities.
Their conversation lasted only a few seconds, so Thales was not allowed to hesitate. “In… Northland.”
The young Duke of Star Lake took the chance when he cleared his throat to quickly think of an excuse and organize his words.
“Heroic Spirit Palace was very dangerous, so I needed to hide my abilities and keep my trump card.”
He grew more eloquent the more he spoke, and he displayed worry and wariness at the appropriate moment. “As for you, Lord Mallos, where did you get your brief report?”
Mallos did not reply immediately, but he stared at him for some time.
Mallos’ gaze made Thales feel very uncomfortable.
A few seconds later, Mallos showed him a bizarre smile, but he changed the subject. “What kind of Power of Eradication do you have, Your Highness?”
It was another deadly question.
“I…” Thales frowned. He pretended to think and look helpless. “I am not too sure either.”
Mallos remained silent for a while before he continued to ask, “Then, what kind of characteristics does it have? What changes did it bring to you?”
‘The Sin of Hell’s River…
‘What characteristics? What changes?
‘Hmm… Hell’s senses?’
Thales thought about the night vision effect in Black Track and the underground prison.
‘Extremely fast healing?’
He remembered the pain he felt when he recovered on the battlefield.
‘Four-dimensional effects that allow me to see ghosts?’
Thales tried his best to chase away the memories of what he experienced in Black Track.
‘Or perhaps the urge to fight like a beast?’
When Thales thought about it, he shook his head.
