Kingdom's Bloodline, page 668
Thales looked back at him and smiled. “I know a little.”
A little…
Mallos took a deep breath as he watched Ness’ relentless attacks, and tried to regain his previous tone, “Well, then perhaps you did not know, these people, they were the first—”
But Thales cut him short again, “Before the Age of the Empire, they were the first knights that originated from the north, and the first to awaken superpowers.”
The young duke carefully observed the fierce battle between the two in the field. He seemed disinterested in harping on, and was contemplating something.
Mallos was at a loss for words again.
The watchman forced a cough. “Speaking of superpowers—”
“Through them, superpowers circulated among humans,” Thales quietly finished his sentence for him, “In wars against foreign species such as the Holiness Exorcism Campaign and the Battle of Survival, they demonstrated extraordinary skill to attain victory, expanding and improving superpowers that were still underdeveloped at the time, exploring the boundaries and future of human potential.”
Thales turned around and looked at the annoyed Mallos, then gushed on, “So they assembled elites and gradually formed a group, establishing their own creed and organization.
“Known as ‘the Temple of Knights’.”
Thales took a deep breath, as if breathing in the scent of ink from a book. “For millennia, that was the majestic holy land of human martial arts, and the source of holiness of knightsmanship.”
Mallos was stunned for a few seconds and was at a loss.
“Where did you learn about this?”
Thales grinned. “Northland. To be precise, the Walton family library collection in Dragon Clouds City, ‘The Light of Humanity: The Beginning and End of the Temple of Knights’.”
Mallos pursed his lips.
The library collection of a Northland barbarian.
The Beginning and End of the Temple.
Alright, since it was only about the temple…
The watchman who had again been interrupted cleared his throat in displeasure. “Well, the Temple of Knights was indeed glorious, but the good times only lasted until—
“Until the Battle of Eradication,” Thales’ untimely voice sounded again, “Seven hundred years ago, the Temple of Knights went all out against Calamity and suffered heavy casualties, with barely a tenth of them surviving.
“Even the temple was destroyed and could not be rebuilt.”
Mallos looked bewildered. The prince went on in a nostalgic and sorrowful tone, “In the end, the survivors of the Temple of Knights traveled to a faraway place and built a legendary high tower there.
“In that high tower, they carried on the life mission of their ancestors in collecting, studying and teaching superpowers—since then referred to as the Power of Eradication—disseminating various forms of martial arts and guarding the hope of mankind.
“Now widely known as…
“The Tower of Eradication.”
After he said this, Thales exhaled in relief and grinned at Mallos, whom he had interrupted repeatedly. “So Ness should be a student of the Tower of Eradication.”
Mallos did not speak.
Thales blinked. “What is it?”
Mallos looked at him gloomily. “I’m waiting.
“To see if there was anything else you wanted to say?”
Thales raised his eyebrows.”Erm, I think that’s all.”
The prince looked smugly at Mallos snubbed expression. “If I was wrong about anything, please correct me?”
Mallos took a deep breath as if it exhausted him to control himself and turn towards the field.
“Have you not eaten today?!”
The watchman shouted coldly, displaying the august of a personal guard captain. “Put more effort into it!”
The pair in the field, despite being locked in a fierce battle, could not help but stagger a little at these words.
Mallos turned around to reveal an irritated expression.
“Cough—you were correct earlier.
“Nate Ness returned from the Tower of Eradication not long ago.”
Mallos paused subconsciously and glanced at Thales.
Only after confirming that the prince would listen compliantly and did not have any intention of disrupting his speech, the watchman said after another cough, “In Constellation, the ‘Temple’ faction, which views Tower of Eradication as a guiding principle, is regarded as a notable school of thought with a long history.”
Notable school of thought.
Thales furrowed his brows slightly as he recalled the many familiar faces who had learned their skills from the Tower of Eradication.
“Many nobles of the kingdom who aspire for their descendants to be accomplished in martial and military arts will choose to send them to the Tower of Eradication. On the one hand they will be able to receive the knowledge passed down through generations and improve their skills. On the other hand, they will be able to broaden their horizons by studying abroad.”
‘Not to mention build a reputation.
‘Or escape misfortune,’ Mallos continued in his mind.
The watchman pointed towards the field. “Differing from other martial art schools of thought that define themselves according to their styles, swordsmen who walk out of the Tower of Eradication do not have a uniform style, and in fact possess vastly disparate skills.
“As the successor to the ancient Temple of Knights, the Tower of Eradication advanced with the times and compiled all manner of martial arts, categorized legacy skills, refined them through intensive study, and finally separated them out into eight major schools of thought.”
Thales was dumbstruck.
He had long heard of the renowned Tower of Eradication, but it actually has so many sub-factions?
“Eight sub-factions?”
Mallos nodded.
He spoke slowly with reverence and respect, as if reciting a poem, “Pegasus, Sin of Death, Iron Blood, Flash, Rose, Storm, Miracle and Mortal Life.”
He continued with a straight face, “Those are the Eight Arteries of Eradication.”
Chapter 560: Imperial Style |
“So that means the skills taught at Tower of Eradication can be divided into eight categories?” Thales wondered, squinting.
Wya had told him before that there were infinite martial arts legacies at Tower of Eradication.
“Not really,” Mallos replied firmly, “Eight Arteries of Eradication obviously represent eight different types of concepts and styles, but just like the Power of Eradication, even the practitioners of the same sub-faction will differ vastly. There are even many elites who do not restrict themselves to any Artery and train in the skills of different sub-factions simultaneously, allowing these skills to complement each other.”,
Thales recalled the pupils of Tower of Eradication that he had encountered.
“And so, for centuries after the Battle of Eradication, the legacy of the Tower of Eradication disseminated throughout the world through its students. Through teaching and mutual learning, they weeded out and abandoned defective concepts, and developed and preserved new and better ideas.”
In the Training Field, Ness’ sword move was direct and lethal, forcing Toledo into a miserable state.
Mallos nodded in approval of the sword move, and continued narrating, “Ness came from a small family in Blade Edge Hill. In the Bloody Year, they moved to Central Territory to escape the war, then sent Ness to train at Tower of Eradication a few years later.
“As you can see, his sword skills are typical of the Flash sub-faction. This branch believes that speed is the key. They focus on pace and time, swiftness and efficacy, often ending the battle promptly and finishing the task with one strike.”
The prince nodded, but felt that something was amiss.
“By the way, a long time ago, your uncle, ‘The Sword of Reversing Light’ Prince Horace, was a student of this sub-faction too.”
Thales was shocked and immediately thought of the story about his second uncle.
The former second prince who was known for his bravery, but was trapped under The Fortress, and died at Rayman Pass.
Maybe because he was no longer interrupted by the duke, Mallos reverted to his usual relaxed state, sat down contentedly and started commentating on the duel, “Ness’ Power of Eradication is called ‘Reincarnation of Sunbeams’, and has always had speed—the element most valued by the ‘Flash’ sub-faction—as its forte.”
In front of them, Toledo ran out of room to evade and was finally forced to block his opponent’s formidable strike, causing him to lose his balance and retreat continuously.
Ness did not take advantage of this ‘win’, but instead calmly took a step back. He formed a new sword stance and changed his style, as if intending to demonstrate everything he had ever learned to his superiors.
Mallos looked at the immature yet vigorous Ness.
“He’s talented and spirited. Apart from majoring in the ‘Flash’ sword style, he has also studied the skills of the ‘Storm’ and ‘Sin of Death’ branches, assimilating the strength and lethal power of the latter two.
“That was how the Vanguard Ness of today came to be: his sword is fast as a lightning flash, his moves are flowing and as powerful as snowstorms. Once he gets a good strike over his opponent, it is clear who will prevail.”
Thales frowned. He discovered through hell’s senses that a golden light shone within Ness, like a sun.
“Coupled with an unrestrained style and intelligent creativity, Ness’ offensive strength is not second to that of the attack and defense faction; the intricacy of his moves are not weaker than that of the martial arts faction; his lethal efficiency is no less than that of the practical and modern faction, considered to be at the pinnacle of the supra class, and even a class above most top supra class practitioners.
“If it’s a competition purely based on offense, he would still be able to hold his own against some supreme class elites.”
Thales was slightly taken aback.
At least now he knew where Ness’ youthful vigor and confidence came from.
“Rumor has it that, before dropping out and returning home, he arrogantly defeated every student in his year from the ‘Flash’ branch, and proudly gave up a recommendation spot in seed selection—you have to understand, that itself is a recognition of strength.”
That’s why he was recruited by the Royal Guards who normally reject candidates from Tower of Eradication, as an exception.
Mallos sighed. “In terms of one-to-one combat, there probably aren’t many at Mindis Hall that can handle him.”
The watchman crossed his arms and continued to watch his subordinates duel ceaselessly, but his brows furrowed. “What’s rare is, Ness has an ally that most elites could only wish for—time.
“He is extremely young and still improving; his future is limitless.”
‘There will be a day when he attains supreme class status.’
At this thought, Mallos shook his head almost imperceptibly.
‘It’s just, what a shame…’
Thales stared at Ness’ youthful face and his superb skills that did not match his age.
He wondered in astonishment, ‘Is he even twenty?’
Before him, Ness’ attack thrived again!
Toledo embarrassingly evaded another lethal sword move, with the machete almost falling out of his hand.
‘So, the Temple Disciples of history, the Swordsmen of Eradication of today…’
Looking at the battle that unfolded before his eyes, Thales’ train of thought halted.
Finally, he realized what was amiss.
“But if the core message of the Flash sub-faction is to end the battle as soon as possible and finish the job with one strike,” Thales turned around with a doubtful look on his face, “Then why is it that, until now…
“Toledo hasn’t lost yet?”
Upon hearing these words, Mallos glanced at Thales and the edges of his lips curled upwards.
Grinningly.
But Thales, who had known him for long enough, knew the answer once he noticed this detail.
“Enough of this demonstration,” Mallos turned around and commanded loudly, “Toledo!”
As soon as his name was called, Toledo’s retreating footsteps halted abruptly!
Bam.
In that moment, Thales sensed the Sin of Hell’s River stir within him.
Toledo’s body remained still, but his aura changed!
Slash!
He took a strike with his machete.
An ordinary strike.
His movement was elegant, his posture was solemn.
The strike met Ness’ powerful sword move head-on!
Ness’ expression changed.
Clang!
Both their bodies swayed at the collision of the machete and the sword!
Absorbing the full impact of Ness’ strike, Toledo groaned.
But this time, even though he was at a disadvantage, he did not back down.
Instead, it was Ness’ attack that staggered, as if it was met with an iron plate. He had to retreat and refrain his momentum before he gradually formed his next strike.
Thales was amazed as he began to reevaluate Ness’ opponent.
He knew that Toledo was from the Command Division and is Mallos’ most trusted subordinate—it seems there’s a good reason for that after all.
“Toledo was born in Eternal Star City and raised in Central Territory.”
Mallos continued calmly, “Three generations ago, they had yet to change their family name and were a prominent member of the Seven Jadestar Attendants. Descending from the second son of the ‘Blade of Elimination’ Tardin family, their ancestors even included a royal princess. They are considered to be part of the upper-crust of nobles.
Tardin.
The mention of this familiar family name set Thales’ train of thought in motion again.
“Thus, when Toledo was young, he had the opportunity to be a knight apprentice and serve one of the strongest elites of the former royal guards—Lord Calard Tony, training under him and receiving instructions from him. Even though it wasn’t for long, but he benefitted immensely from this experience…”
Former royal guard, Calard Tony.
This seemingly familiar name caught Thales’ attention.
In the Training Field, Ness, whose offense was interrupted, seemed slightly flustered.
He gritted his teeth and strode forward. The Power of Eradication shone bright again as he initiated a powerful and dynamic sword move in a tenth of a second!
Mallos was still speaking, “…He built a solid foundation and comprehensive awareness. His moves are steady and his defense is flawless.”
By blocking the strike with a horizontal machete and taking a few impressive strides, he managed to transform Ness’ lethal sword move into a blunt force and ingeniously negate it.
And even impeded the pathway of his opponent’s next strike.
Metals clashed and Ness was again thwarted.
Toledo stayed rooted where he was and did not counterattack.
Thales learnt much just from observing his strides and how he managed to stay calm when faced with a swift attack.
“If there’s anyone in the Star Lake Guards that can restrain Ness by relying on moves and style alone, that’s Toledo—before being transferred to Mindis Hall, he was one of the most reliable military couriers in the Command Division.”
Mallos said ruefully, “The wish is not for extraordinary merit, but rather trying to avoid failure. Although what Toledo learnt from him was merely the tip of the iceberg of his defensive skills and not enough to recreate the ruthless attacks of the ‘Thousand-Blade Knight’, but that was sufficient.”
Thousand-Blade Knight.
“Thousand-Blade?” Thales queried, “What kind of nickname is that?”
Maybe because he felt that he had lost face in front of the prince, Ness executed a swift sword move in rage!
But Thales could see that: because Ness was unsettled and in a rush to attack, the pursuit of absolute speed had reduced the power of his move slightly.
After managing to endure the initial phase of attacks, Toledo grew accustomed to his opponent and was able to defend impeccably and more easily.
“Thousand-Blade,” Mallos started, a hint of nostalgia in his tone, “From what Captain Adrian told me, a long time ago, when Lord Tony was escorting Prince Horace to the Tower of Eradication, he encountered the ‘Gray Sword Guard’, who was then also in his prime, and later became renowned.”
‘Tower of Eradication, Gray Sword Guard,’ Thales pondered. He had heard Wya mention this moniker before.
“How they fought, who won, no one knows.”
The watchman’s gaze turned keen. “But after that encounter, the personal sentiments and remarks of the Gray Sword Guard spread from the Tower of Eradication back to Constellation.”
Thales noted that Mallos, with a respectful attitude and solemn posture, uttered something that was unusual both in terms of grammar and wording.
“Since ancient times, swords cannot escape the Sheath.
“So is it wrong to seal a thousand blades?”
After he said those words, Mallos was deep in thought. Whereas Thales frowned.
‘Cannot escape the Sheath.
‘Seal a thousand blades?’
Thales employed his knowledge of grammar of the various languages that he had been learning for the past few months.
‘The Sheath should be…a metaphor for Tony.
‘And the warriors of the world…are likened to swords?
‘So Tony is like a sheath that seals a thousand blades and subjugates countless masters with unimaginable methods?’
Thales scratched his head in puzzlement.
‘If so, Tony should be the ‘Sheath Knight’, why is he the ‘Thousand-Blade Knight’?
‘Damned that Gray Sword Guard, does he have to be so literary with his compliments?
‘And end up confusing everyone, leading them to make up a random nickname for Tony?’
Thales shook his head and brushed off those trivial thoughts. “So the forte of Toledo’s moves and style is defense and is particularly able to subdue the ‘Flash’ sword style?
