ă€ŠElemental Swordă€‹


 Prologue (Please read and dont skip)

    Heavenly Continent: Center of the Bestial Abyss, Year 1067

    The pattering of footsteps echoed through the dark corridor. A man and a woman ran down the passageway, their breaths shallow and uneven. The woman, a peerless beauty, was carrying a child in her arms as she stumbled along. The man, a well-built man with the aura of a conqueror, was clutching his abdomen, trying to hold his guts inside. Literally. A gaping wound stretched along the majority of his waist, a wound that was enough to kill any ordinary person instantly.

    The woman panted heavily as she was running, as if she was completely drained of energy.

    "Caleb. Just hold on a little bit longer. We''re almost there!"

    The man named Caleb raised a haggard face and grimaced in pain as his intestines threatened to slip through his bloody fingers.

    "Veola, I know... it seems... as though our plan... failed. There''s only... one choice left."

    Whatever this choice was, the two of them set determined faces and kept on running at maximum speed.

    Moments later, loud voices and heavy footsteps could be heard in the section of the hall they just passed. An old man with a sunken face emerged, along with a hundred men dressed in strange robes. Currently, that face was contorted in anger and grief, creating a mask that seemed like death incarnate. The aura around him vibrated heavily, releasing power that was threatening to collapse the corridor around them.

    "Veola! Come back here! The crimes that you have committed are unforgivable! I am willing to forgive you if you repent, but that man beside you must die a torturous death."

    Without answering, the couple kept on running without pause, seemingly ignoring the old man''s offer behind them. Furiously roaring, the old man increased his speed to his limits, causing cracks to emerge on the walls beside him. The aura of power around him increased twofold, and he began releasing a suffocating killing intent to the area in front of him.

    Suddenly, Veola and Caleb stopped next to a seemingly plain wall. At the same time, they placed their palms on the wall, releasing the full extent of their power on the dull rock. The outline of a door appeared on the rock, and the wall fell away to reveal a dark room. The two of them rushed in. Taking a last look at the corridor outside and listening to the angry voices of their pursuers, Veola and Caleb each pushed a button on the opposite sides of the doorway. With a loud roaring sound, the area above the doorway immediately collapsed, blocking the entrance. However, this mechanism was not the only obstacle. A barrier of energy immediately formed around the room, using a dragon''s eye in the center of the room as the energy source.

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    This barrier is called the Spacial Cage. It is a tenth rank barrier magic of the highest difficulty, usually requiring at least ten magicians at the peak of cultivation to complete. However, Veola, a magician herself, spent the last fifteen years inserting magic power into the eye every day, eventually amassing enough energy to keep the barrier sustained for one hundred years. The Cage distorts the space that it comes into contact with, preventing anyone from passing through, as there is no possible route through the barrier.

    Caleb immediately collapsed as the Cage set itself up. Gasping, he manage to whisper to Veola, "I do not have much time left. If we are going to perform the Technique, then we have to do it now while I still have enough Life Force leftover."

    Veola''s face was downcast.

    "Are you sure you want to do this? If we use Forbidden Techniques of this level, our Life Force will be immediately consumed, not even leaving a corpse behind. Are you sure that our child would want this?"

    "There is no time to argue. This is the only way. Let''s get started."

    Caleb painfully pulled himself into a meditative position and closed his eyes. Veola sighed and did the same. With expressions of concentration on their faces, a slow stream of energy emerged from their bodies and converged on the child. This child immediately woke up and began to cry, seemingly sensitive to its parents'' plights. These slow streams of energy eventually became larger and larger, until there was a roaring river of Energy pouring out from both Caleb and Veola. Before each other''s eyes, they aged at rates many times faster than normal. In the span of about ten minutes, they had each aged about eighty years, becoming old and stooped. When their Life Forces were used up, they collapsed.

    Caleb was already dead, his body disintegrated, and the natural breeze in the cavern scattered his remains into the air. However, Veola was still holding on with a determination that broke even God''s will. She crawled over to the sleeping child, now encased in a cocoon of energy.

    "Deon, I''m sorry. This method was the only choice. Please live on and carry your parents'' will. I leave the rest to you."

    With these words, Veola''s body scattered to the air.

 Chapter One: Awakening

    Heavenly Continent: A cavern in the center of the Bestial Abyss, Year 1167

    Deon awoke to find himself in a sea of energy. The space around him stretched infinitely, and he felt at peace. He never wanted to leave. Yawning, he prepared to go back to sleep.

    "Deon! Wake up! You can''t go back to sleep!"

    Deon''s eyes shot open at this familiar voice. It was his mother. How did he know this? He simply felt a connection with the ethereal figure that appeared in front of him. Her soft purple eyes and lush blonde hair seemed familiar somehow.

    "Deon. You can''t go back to sleep. You father and I have left you a very important task. Currently, you are standing in your aura sea. This is the place where we sealed your consciousness for a hundred years. When you wake up, you will be approximately ten years old. Using a Forbidden Technique, we sealed you inside a cocoon of energy at the cost of our lives, slowing your aging process by ten times. In addition, we also transferred our innate talents to your body. You are the only person in the Continent that is able to cultivate both Battle Energy and Magical Energy. We have left you one task: to unite the magicians and the berserkers into one clan. When you are ready, open the book next to you. It will teleport you out of the Bestial Abyss to my ancestral home. There you will find someone waiting for you. Your father and I love you very much. We hope you live a good life. Goodbye."

    Over the last words, Veola''s voice and outline faded as the last remaining piece of her consciousness accomplished the task it was assigned. A single tear dropped from her eyes as she knew this was the last time that she would see her child.

    "Mother! Mother! Please don''t leave me here all alone! Come back! Please!"

    Deon collapsed to the ground and wept. His vision slowly faded into darkness.

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    In a cavern deep in the Bestial Abyss, a massive source of energy suddenly vanished. The barrier surrounding the cavern of Caleb and Veola''s deaths disappeared as if it had never existed. A cocoon lay in the center of the cavern. Over the past hundred years, it had grown to almost five feet. The energy composing the cocoon was stretched thin as it struggled to keep itself together. Suddenly, with a whispering sound, the cocoon collapsed. A naked blonde-haired boy rolled out of the cocoon and lay limply on the cold, hard ground.

    Five minutes later, Deon stirred. It began with the twitching of his fingers and toes. Then, Deon rolled over flat on his face. Feeling the sudden temperature drop on his face, Deon''s eyes opened to reveal his beautiful irises. One eye was purple, while the other was blood-red. These eyes were the mark of his unique body that could cultivate both Battle Energy and Magical Energy. All berserkers had crimson eyes, and all magicians had deep violet eyes. These characteristics had existed since the beginning of time. Deon groaned and sat up.

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    At first, his eyes belied the confusion he felt at finding himself in a dark room with no memories of his childhood. Then, Deon remembered the conversion with his mother''s consciousness. Unconsciously, large tears began rolling down his face as he saw his mother''s face for what he knew to be the first and last time ever. He hadn''t even seen his father. Memories of the conversation slowly began leaking into Deon''s conscious mind, and the tears flowed down even faster as he realized how much his mother and father had sacrificed to keep him alive. The final memory was of his parents'' last wish: to see the berserkers and the magicians united under one clan. Deon vowed to accomplish this task to repay his parents for their sacrifices.

    "I will never be able to pay back the debt I owe to my parents, but I can at least fulfill their wish in this life."

    Deon was mature beyond his years. The Forbidden Technique his parents used on him had accidentally transferred remnants of both his father and mother''s experiences along with their innate talents. Due to this phenomenon, Deon had the mind of a sixteen year old in the body of a ten year old.

    As promised, there was a book lying next to Deon. On top of the book, there was a letter protected from degradation by magic. Deon touched the letter, and the magic scattered into tiny particles, drifting away under the influence of a slight breeze. Slowly, Deon opened the letter and read the flowing handwriting that must have belonged to his mother.

    "Dearest Deon. In your aura sea, I did not have enough time to explain everything. The book below is one that I personally enchanted. As long as you have been to the area before, you can use this book to teleport back with a simple thought. The bookshelves along the wall contain the books that your father and I used to reach the peak of cultivation in Battle Energy and Magical Energy. At your current level, there is only one book that you can access. This book is one of the two legendary cultivation techniques that were lost to time but discovered by your father and I within this cave. Paired with your innate talent, these two techniques should give you the power needed to unite the Heavenly Continent. The other one of the techniques we found should reveal itself once you reach a certain level in the first one. For now, please use the teleportation book. It will guide you to a trusted person. Oh, by the way, please put on some clothes before going out and eat the breakfast I left you on the table. You must be starving. I love you. Your mother."

    Suddenly fighting the urge to laugh at his mother''s insignificant comments at the end of the letter, Deon grabbed the clothes on the table and ate the delicious breakfast that was preserved using magic. The clothes were quite simple. They consisted of a light tunic and breeches, accompanied by underwear.

    Grabbing the cultivation book titled Furious God Sword, Deon reached for the teleportation manual and opened it. Immediately, a flash of light blinded him and his body disappeared.

    The cavern returned to the ominous silence it possessed before Deon''s awakening.

 Chapter Two: The Grayson Family

    Heavenly Continent: Mord Empire (Berserker Territory), the outskirts of the city Mordonia

    A man around the age of forty trekked through the forest surrounding the outskirts of the capital city in the Mord Empire, Mordonia. He was built like a bear, with muscles bulging outward, and he carried many scars on his face. The scars on his face showed that either he did not know how to duck, or that he was a fearless warrior who waged battles against many enemies at once. Apparently, it was the latter.

    In the shadows, many pairs of eyes were watching him with killing intent as he strolled through the forest. Suddenly, a pair of eyes flashed, and a demonic beast of the eighth rank leaped out of the dense brush, heading straight for the man. This type of beast was called a Wind Cheetah. Due to its wind attributed demonic powers, the Wind Cheetah was many times faster than a normal cheetah. In fact, at the limits of its speed, it is able to break through the sound barrier. However, at this time, the Wind Cheetah leapt just below the speed of sound to avoid alerting the prey through the resulting shockwave.

    Yawning lazily, the man unsheathed the broadsword on his back with a speed that his appearance did not suggest. With a single stroke of his sword, the beast was cleaved in half, as well as the ground behind it for ten meters. Not even breaking a sweat, the man sheathed his sword and continued walking, as if the eighth ranked demonic beast was a fly he had just swatted.

    Witnessing this display of immense strength, the pairs of eyes threateningly watching the man belied expressions of fear. One after another, they disappeared into the trees to seek easier prey. The man walked on and disappeared into the shadows ahead of him.

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    Deon opened his eyes to find himself in complete darkness. Looking around, he could see nothing. Confused at this matter, Deon recalled the letter his parents had left him. He clearly remembered that his mother had informed him of a guide in the position he teleported to. Did his mother perhaps make a mistake with the enchantment on the book?

    Just as Deon began stumbling around in the dark looking for something to hold onto, a huge rumbling sound disturbed his movements. Directly after the sound, a huge quake produced by the source knocked Deon off of his feet, and he landed directly on his behind. Not long after, a man holding a torch appeared. This was the same man that had easily defeated an eighth rank demonic beast. With a seemingly fearsome expression, the man slowly approached Deon, staring deep into Deon''s mismatched eyes. The pressure this man was exerting crushed Deon into the ground, making him unable to stand up.

    Suddenly the pressure vanished, leaving Deon gasping for air.

    "Oops. I forgot to suppress my aura. Sorry about that."

    Out of the man''s mouth came a deep voice that seemed used to shouting commands and yelling. The voice possessed an intimidating presence that caused Deon to unconsciously tense up.

    "Ah, you must be the mixed child. What were their names again... That''s right! Veola and Caleb''s son! Am I correct? Your eyes were the characteristic I was told to look for. I never thought that my father''s blabbing was actually correct for once..."

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    Cautiously, Deon stood up, while grimacing and rubbing his bruised butt in pain.

    "My parents'' names were Veola and Caleb? At least I know their names now. Better than nothing. Are you the guide my mother''s letter spoke of?"

    "I don''t know anything about a guide, but I was sent here by my father toˇŞ Well more like kicked out of the house until I came here. But anyways, I was told to escort you safely back to the house, without a single injury. You better not get hurt. If you do, I won''t be given dinner for three days. By the way, the name''s Gaige Grayson, one of the Five Generals in the Mord Army."

    Gaige''s words revealed a sense of humor within the bulky, scarred body. But still, Deon was confused. General of the Mord Army? What is this nonsense? Moreover, why was a berserker being so polite to the son of a magician? Deon cleared his throat, prepared to ask a few questions.

    "Ahem. Uh, could you please be more specific? Mord Army? What is this? Plus, why are you not trying to kill me right now? I''m the son of a magician, aren''t I?"

    Gaige peered at Deon.

    "That''s a good personality you''ve got there. Always be cautious. Got that? Well, currently you are in the Mord Empire, the territory of the berserkers. Basically, just think of me as one of the five strongest people in the army of this Empire. As a General, I am responsible for leading my armies in countless battles against the magicians. Frankly, I''m quite tired of it. Couldn''t we just live in peace with the magicians? Right now, we''ve got a bigger threat. The demons are threatening to invade the human world. Currently, they''re simply possessing the beasts of this land, but we''ve got word that they are trying to directly cross over for an invasion. And here we are. Still squabbling amongst ourselves like children. That''s my explanation for why I''m not trying to kill you right now. Amongst our family, however, we are indebted to your father. One of the previous family leaders was saved by your father from certain death. Before your father left to seal you in that cavern, he asked the leader for a favor, to take you in once you awoke. This promise was passed from family leader to family leader. It was not to be spread beyond the ears of the leader. However, my father noticed my unbiased attitude towards magicians, and he sent me to retrieve you, as I am the strongest berserker in my family. And if you didn''t figure out already, my father is the family leader."

    As he listened to these words, Deon became extremely grateful towards the Grayson family leader. Not only did he treat magicians and berserkers equally, but he also fulfilled Deon''s father''s wish. Clasping his hands together, Deon bowed towards Gaige.

    "I would like to thank you on my father''s behalf. Thank you so much..."

    Gaige raised his eyebrows and gave a hearty laugh.

    "No need to thank me so much. Thank my father once we get back. Oh, and one thing. Under any circumstances, do not reveal your identity as a mixed blood. If the words spread to the ears of the emperor, even the family leader can''t help you then. Now, are you ready? Let''s go back now. Be wary of demonic beasts on the way back. There are plenty of hungry ones out there."

 Chapter Three: The Leader

    Heavenly Continent: Mord Empire, Grayson Family Estate

    After hiking through the forest surrounding the Mord Empire for about three hours (with Gaige constantly pestering Deon to walk faster), the Grayson Family Estate loomed in front of Deon eyes. The main family house towered over the branch family houses. It was constructed purely from orichalcum, the strongest metal known to the Heavenly Continent. Each kilogram of orichalcum cost about fifteen thousand gold coins. Therefore, the total cost to build the huge mansion was more than ten billion gold coins! Such an astronomical amount displayed the enormous wealth of the Grayson family. Over the years after Caleb''s death, the Grayson family benefited greatly from Caleb''s contributions to the family. Not to mention Gaige, one of the Five Generals in the Mord Army, but the Grayson Family also possessed over one thousand members currently enlisted in the Demonic Beast Extermination Unit, an elite squad assigned to the arduous task of killing demonic beasts. Wealth and military power. These qualities demonstrated the widespread influence of the Grayson Family.

    As Deon and Gaige approached the main gates to the Grayson Estate, Gaige suddenly directed Deon away from the main gates toward a side entrance that only he possessed the key to. Gaige sneaked a look at the guards at the main gate and grunted.

    "Don''t want other people realizing that you''re the son of a magician. We''ll first have to disguise your eyes somehow and turn your purple eye red. Don''t worry I have an idea."

    Taking out a key, Gaige unlocked the door to the side of the estate and slipped in.

    "Deon, you stay out here and wait for a little bit. I''ll get something that''ll help you change your eye color."

    Deon nodded and slipped into the shadows of a tree on the side. But it seems he didn''t hide himself well enough.

    Two members of the Grayson family were walking past the side entrance of the Grayson Estate. One of them was a young boy around Deon''s age. He was dressed in expensive silk clothes like nobility. The crimson red eyes marked him as a berserker, and he was lithe and strong, like a tiger. At his waist, he carried a plain, one-handed sword. His eyes were relaxed and contented, seemingly reliant on the man next to him. At his side was a burly giant of a man with graying hair. His battle scarred arms marked him as a hardened veteran in the army, and he carried a double bladed battleaxe on his back. Suddenly, the man''s eyes flickered to the side and focused on Deon. Calmly, he said, "You there, in the shadows. Come out or you''ll be short a head."

    Left with no choice, Deon sighed and walked out of the shadows, hiding his face by looking down at the ground. The man unsheathed his enormous battleaxe.

    "Lift your head, or I''ll be lifting it for you."

    Slowly, Deon raised his eyes, and a look of shock crept onto the man''s face as his eyes shot up to stare at Deon''s single purple eye. The shocked face was quickly replaced by anger and hostility. A choking killing intent was directed towards Deon, and he found it difficult to breath. The pressure of the man''s aura forced Deon to his knees and drained him of his remaining strength. Raising his battleaxe, the man prepared to slice downwards toward Deon''s neck. Deon closed his eyes and waited for his seemingly inevitable end.

    "Uncle Kael! Wait! Stop! Don''t kill him!"

    As the instrument of death approached Deon''s neck, a flash of light suddenly interrupted the stroke of the battleaxe. Gaige''s broadsword  intercepted the battleaxe''s path and saved Deon from certain death. Kael leapt backwards and brought his battleaxe up into a defensive stance. As Kael realized who had blocked his axe, he slowly brought it down and looked at Gaige with a burning gaze.

    "Gaige. Explain this. Why are you protecting a magician''s son? Even though one of his eyes is red, his other eye is still purple, marking him as having the blood of a magician."

    "Uncle Kael. I can explain this. Father asked me to bring him here. He is to be a new addition to the family. Do you remember the person who saved Second''s life? In the Grayson Family Records? This boy is his son. The purple eye is due to his mother, who was a magician."

    Kael slowly lowered his battleaxe and sheathed it on his back. He gave Deon a cold glance and stepped back, leaving the side entrance open. Suddenly, the boy who had been watching the scene with wide eyes interjected.

    "Wow! You''re the son of Second! He was my great great great ˇŞ Ah, I don''t remember how many greats before "grandfather,"  but that means you''re old! How come you still look like you''re the same age as me?"

    Under Kael''s hostile gaze, Gaige sighed and looked at Deon helplessly.

    "Kyan, he was sealed in a cavern for one hundred years. He has just awoken.

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    The boy named Kyan''s mouth formed a perfect O-shape. His eyes widened, and he became speechless.

    "I''ll play with you later, Kyan. Good day to you, Uncle."

    After nodding curtly to Kael, Gaige dragged Deon into the side entrance, under the speechless look of Kyan. Sighing, Gaige rubbed his temples.

    "Dang it! Now I''m in trouble! I''ll be saying goodbye to dinner for at least a week..."

    Just then, Gaige seemed to remember something. He took out a small bottle of some kind of liquid.

    "Ah, we still have to disguise your eyes. Put one drop of this into your eye, and it''ll change your eye color to red. I think my father bought this at the black market. They were saying something about how it was found on a magician spy..."

    Deon took the bottle and put one drop onto his purple eye. An odd sensation floated around his eye, like there was something swimming around the surface of his eyeball. After examining his eye, Gaige''s eyes lit up, and he took out another bottle, placing it in Deon''s palm.

    "Good! It worked. Just like the real eye! I was a little bit doubtful, as the dealer Father bought it from was a little shady... Well anyways, a drop from this bottle you''re holding right now should change your eye color back to normal. Now, we have to go meet father. Come along, and be quick about it."

    Deon pulled on Gaige''s sleeve to stop him.

    "Um, I''m really sorry for alerting Kael to my identity,  but it seems that your relationship with your uncle isn''t so good. Is this fact true?"

    Gaige''s face darkened as he thought about Kael again.

    "If it was any other person than Kael knowing about you, I would be fine with it, but my father and Kael are in a bit of a dispute right now regarding the successor to the Family Leader position. We really have to go meet Father now, or I''m in for the scolding of a lifetime."

    After walking up what seemed like more than ten staircases, Deon and Gaige arrived in front of a large wooden double door. Pushing the door open, Gaige stepped inside.

    "Father! I brought Deon here! I also made a slight mistake, so please don''t punish me too severely..."

    A figure gazing out at the beautiful sunrise slowly turned around. Despite his stooped appearance, his eyes carried the feel of a leader, one who has led soldiers in many battles. Along with the aura of a leader, he also carried a hint of kindness as he looked at Deon with a smile.

    "I welcome you to the Grayson Family, Deon. As long as you live, and even in death, this place will be a home for you. This is the only way we can repay your father for his contributions to this family. Not to mention saving Second''s life, he also gave us many valuable cultivating resources. Now, Gaige, I''m guessing that you let some people know about Deon''s identity. Well, no more dinner for you for two weeks. Oh, and you better tell me who they were, later."

    Hesitating because of Gaige''s downcast face, Deon slightly stumbled over his words as he went up to thank the Leader.

    "Um. Sir. Thank you very much for taking me in. This gesture of kindness is more than enough to repay my father''s generosity."

    The Leader''s smile grew even wider.

    "Just like I expected, you are a very polite boy. I approve. From now on, you can access any skill book you want in this Family. And no need to call me sir. Just call me Zeke. Now Gaige, escort Deon to his room."

    Bowing once more, Deon backed out of the room with the depressed Gaige next to him. The room returned to silence as Zeke turned back to look at the sunrise.

    "Hmmm. Strange. I sensed potential from him that I do not sense from even the greatest geniuses in the Mord Empire. I feel that he will cause the sun to rise on this dark Continent."

 Chapter Four: Furious God Sword

    After escorting Deon to his room, Gaige stepped out of the door, still depressed from the previous events.

    "Lunch is at noon. Don''t be late. I have to eat tons for lunch, since I won''t be getting dinner. I wonder if I can sneak some food for later..."

    Closing the door behind Gaige, Deon looked around his room. Despite being in the main house belonging to one of the largest families in the Mord Empire, the room he was assigned to was quite simple, with all of the necessities. There was a plain, wooden single-person bed in the far right corner of the room, a desk directly next to this bed, and a bookshelf on the opposite side of the room. Peeking inside the bathroom adjacent to the entrance, Deon was quite satisfied with his accommodations. On the bookshelf there were a few books of interest to Deon.

    The first one explained the cultivation methods of both magicians and berserkers. Magicians would cultivate a type of Energy in the atmosphere called Magical Energy. This type of energy could be used to manipulate the elements to one''s will. Usually, there is only one type of element a magicians could control, but in rare cases, a magicians could control two or even three elements. The different types of elements consist of the following: water, fire, earth, wind, darkness, light, and void. Besides the elements of water, fire, earth, and wind, with the elements of darkness, light, and void being extremely rare. The strength of the magician is judged by the color of the Energy in his/her aura sea. As one progresses through the levels, the color of the Energy will change from clear, to yellow, to orange, to red, to purple, to bronze, to silver, and finally to gold. In the territory of the magicians, the Azael Empire, there are only five gold magicians. By manipulating the energy within their aura seas, these magicians are able to go head on with the Five Generals and even fight them to a draw. They are called the Five Pillars, and their leader controls three elements: fire, light, and wind.

    On the other hand, the cultivation of berserkers is completely different. In contrast to Magical Energy, berserkers cultivate Battle Energy. They do not possess an aura sea, so they refine the energy by circulating it through their body multiple times before fusing it. The fusion of Battle Energy with the body allows the berserkers to develop an aura that they can release at will. The ranking colors of these auras are the same as those of the magicians. In addition, all berserker cultivation techniques possess abilities that are able to make them go "berserk," hence their name. By doing this, the berserker''s aura immediately breaks through to the next color level, but after five minutes, his/her cultivation is completely lost for the next three days, leaving him/her completely helpless.

    The next section in the book was about cultivation talent. This talent determines your cultivation speed and the ease in which you make breakthroughs. It is classified into five categories: nonexistent, novice, intermediate, master, and godly. At the nonexistent level, one cannot even cultivate Battle Energy. It means that his/her body does not possess the capabilities to refine the Energy. At the godly level, one makes breakthroughs with ease all the way until the peak of the silver level. The difficulty of the breakthrough from silver to gold is the same for all cultivators. At the breakthrough point, one must undergo a tribulation from the Energy within his/her body. When breaking through, the silver energy must reform the body in order to change it in preparation for the gold energy. However, the person must stay conscious to constantly circulate the silver energy through the body in order to refine the body. If the person loses consciousness due to the extreme pain, the silver energy stops circulating and the body explodes from the pressure of the evolving Energy. To determine another individual''s talent, one must have a high Spiritual Sense. Only then, would he be able to probe the other person''s energy to look for talent distinguishers. One of these Sages, as they are called in the Heavenly Continent, is Gaige''s father, the current leader.

    Reading these facts, Deon pulled out the Furious God Sword technique his father left for him. Opening the book, Deon only saw one line at the top of the first page.

    "Clear your mind, absorb the Battle Energy from the atmosphere, and direct it into this book. If you have the qualifications, the next step will reveal itself."

    Deon frowned. It seems the cultivation technique put a restriction upon itself. Only certain talents are able to cultivate the Furious God Sword technique. Looking at the "God" part of the title, it seems that only godly level talents are able to access it. Deon took a deep breath and emptied his mind of all thoughts. Remembering the facts in the cultivation book he just read, Deon began to absorb Battle Energy from the atmosphere, subconsciously distinguishing it from the Magical Energy. It was an odd feeling, as if something was entering his body and cleansing it. After absorbing for about a minute, Deon felt like he had enough energy to release into the book. Little did he know that most people spend about three days to master the basic energy absorption technique. It took Deon about ten seconds, like his body already knew how to absorb the energy. As Deon was releasing the energy into the book, the book glowed with anticipation, hungrily taking in the Energy Deon was providing. After all of his absorbed Battle Energy had been consumed by the book, Deon leaned back, exhausted.

    Suddenly, the book pulsed with an immense light that lit up even the sunny day outside. Momentarily blinded, Deon turned away from the book, shielding his eyes from the glare. As the light died down, a few words displayed themselves under the first line.

    "Talent Level: Unknown. Beyond godly. All sections of technique unlocked."

    Looking at this display, Deon could not believe his eyes. Could the transfer of innate talent from both his father and mother have raised his own talent to unbelievable heights? Does that mean he will be able to go beyond gold level and reach another step? Only by cultivating, can Deon answer these questions.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.            Words began appearing underneath the first line. Deon flipped through every page of the book. Each page was filled with drawings and explanations for each level in the Furious God Sword technique. Reading through the book, Deon realized that there were a total of four levels in the technique: Agitation, frustration, fury, and ascension. The first three stages are used for cultivating and evolving Furious Energy, a variant of the normal Battle Energy berserkers use. However, there is a side effect in using this type of energy during the first three stages: As one uses more and more Furious Energy, anger will begin to cloud the vision, leaving the user unable to distinguish between friend and foe. In reaching the last stage, the user will only be just below immortality, obtaining the final evolution of the variant energy and being able to use it free from the side effects. Each one of the stages corresponds to two different colors of the berserker aura. By channeling Furious Energy into the weapon one is using, most preferably a sword, it will become incomparably sharp in accordance with the stage of the Technique the user is currently at. At the ascension level, the user will be able to fuse Furious Energy into even a stick, turning it into a dangerous weapon.

    Sitting down on his bed, Deon began to cultivate the first stage of the technique, agitation. The only way to produce and amass Furious Energy from Battle Energy is to be in a state of extreme anger. As the feeling of anger becomes more potent, the production rate of Furious Energy increases, along with the absorption of Battle Energy. However, this step of the process was extremely difficult for Deon. Since he was born, Deon has never experienced a feeling of extreme anger before. Therefore, he did not know how to even begin. Frustrated, Deon closed his eyes and began to sift through the remnants of his parents accidentally transferred memories.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Why won''t you accept us?! We love each other! This child can help bring both the magicians and the berserkers together!"

    Caleb and Veola were standing in the middle of a circle of robed and hooded magicians. Outside of the circle, wearing an arrogant and angry expression, stood an old man, named Oslo. He was the head of the Enforcers, a special magician division responsible for eliminating any berserker spies in the Azael Empire. Currently, he ordered the magicians under his command to exterminate both Veola and Caleb for having a child together.

    "Veola. You have broken the rules of the Magician Clan, set since ancient times."

    Oslo''s voice echoed through the room, disrupting the ominous silence that enveloped the room when he ordered the elimination of Caleb and Veola.

    "I am sorry. Even though you are the first princess of this Empire, you must die. Kill them now."

    Each of the magicians surrounding Caleb and Veola began channeling his Magical Energy into their palms, preparing to unleash devastating spells. The pressure formed by the formidable amount of Magical Energy caused droplets of sweat to form on both Caleb and Veola''s bodies. The old man still looked on passively, as Caleb and Veola each used his/her respective Energies to form a barrier around them. Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth. Each of these elements continuously bombarded the barrier, creating a burst of light that enveloped the entire scene...

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Abruptly, Deon opened his eyes. Some form of obstacle within his mind had prevented the memory from continuing. However, he had gotten enough information from the memory. The Enforcers had attempted to kill both his parents.

    An unknown feeling surfaced deep within Deon. It seemed as if there were something burning inside of him, threatening to envelop his entire body. His vision started to become clouded with red, as his eyes became completely bloodshot at the thought of his parents being threatened with death. The processes within his mind were slowing down, being interrupted by the intense feelings flowing through his body. To us, this sensation is known as anger. To Deon, however, it was still unknown.

    Suddenly, Battle Energy began flowing into Deon''s body, circulating throughout his muscles, nourishing and strengthening them. A trickle of this Energy deviated from the normal path and merged with the intense fury burning in his body. The new Energy that was formed felt volatile and explosive, like a bomb waiting to be detonated. According to the cultivation manual, this trickle was Furious Energy, the variant formed from the combination of extreme fury and Battle Energy. Immediately, this Energy was absorbed by his body, used for developing his aura.

    Suddenly, the outline around Deon''s body began to grow hazy. The air around Deon began to pulse with anticipation, as if it were waiting for the appearance of a new deity.  With a shockwave that blasted the books off of the bookcase, shaking the entire main house, Energy exploded out of Deon''s body and gathered around him in a slight layer over his skin. This layer was covered by a film of pulsating Furious Energy, tinged with the entire spectrum of colors, giving Deon a majestic presence. In one morning, Deon had broken through to the Clear Level of Battle Energy and the Agitation Level of Furious Energy!

 Chapter Five: Choosing a Weapon

    Heavenly Continent: A Basement in the Royal Palace of the Mord Empire

    A black-haired man with an ordinary face strode into a basement lying underneath the Royal Palace. He possessed piercing eagle eyes that seemed to see through anything and everything. An aura of power and mysteriousness surrounded him. Anyone could sense that he was not as simple as his face.

    Out of the shadows strode another figure draped in black robes. Even the face was completely covered. It seemed ageless and genderless. The only feature that proved it was living was the movement of the clothes as it breathed. The figure''s hand held a intricate medal with three different colored gems on it. Currently, there were two gems that were glowing. The last one was dim and inactive. Out from underneath the veil that covered the figure''s face drifted a rasping voice, neither young nor old.

    "It seems that another one has awoken. Use all of your resources to find him. The Catalyst indicates that he possesses talent unrivaled in this Continent."

    The black-haired man bowed his head and spoke in a voice with the utmost respect.

    "Yes, my lord. I will find him immediately."

    Slowly but surely, one could see the black-haired man''s figure slowly fading into the darkness until he completely disappeared, leaving the masked figure alone.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Heavenly Continent, Grayson Family Main Mansion

    Deon slowly opened his eyes as the energy around him slowly faded as he retracted his aura back into his body. Looking around the room, he was startled. His breakthrough had nearly destroyed the room. The bookshelf was completely wrecked. It was split into two halves, with books scattered all over the ground. The desk was lopsided, with one of its legs missing. The sheets on the bed were ripped and mangled.

    Suddenly, the door to his room burst open. A beautiful lady around the age of twenty dashed in, with her luscious black hair swinging behind her. Within her eyes, she carried a look of alarm at the destruction Deon had caused in his breakthrough. Looking around, the alarm she originally hide slowly faded as she realized that Deon was alright. Then, the alarm turned to anger.

    "What do you think you''re doing?! This isn''t even your own house! Now we have to find you a new room..."

    Deon abashedly looked at his feet.

    "Well, err.. miss. I''m sorry for wrecking the room you gave me on your good intentions, but I recently just broke through to the Clear level of Battle Energy. I had no idea breakthroughs would cause this much damage. Next time, I''ll go cultivate outside my room..."

    Whipping her head towards him, the lady suspiciously looked at Deon.

    "You said this was caused by your breakthrough to Clear level?! That''s not possible! With your breakthrough, you caused the entire mansion to shake. Only a breakthrough from Purple to Bronze could cause that kind of disturbance! Also, how could you break through to Clear level when you were unranked just a few hours ago?! It usually takes about a week of cultivating to breakthrough!"

    Helplessly, Deon shrugged his shoulders.

    "I''m only telling the truth. I promise that this disturbance was caused by my breakthrough. Nothing else. Please, look at my aura."

    With a look of concentration, Deon released his aura. However, he suppressed the rainbow-colored Furious Energy, as he didn''t want to reveal it yet.

    The suspicious look in the lady''s eyes faded, being replaced with shock. She looked like she was deep in thought.

    "Well, it is true that the more talent you have, the more disturbing breakthroughs you have. It must be that you have Godly talent. Don''t worry. I''ll keep this a secret. It won''t do if this information gets to the wrong people."

    Deon''s eyes betrayed a thankful look.

    "Thank you very much for believing me. I promise that I will not destroy the next room you give me. Hopefully."

    The lady smiled and nodded.

    "You are a very polite child. From now on, you can call me big sister. I''m not much older than you, and you are part of the household, so it shouldn''t be too out of place. Besides, that talent of yours is monstrous. You will need someone to help you correctly cultivate and train. Come. I will help you find a weapon and introduce you to the greatest sword master in this mansion."

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    Deon bowed and thanked the lady, following her out of the room and down the many staircases present in the mansion. Once they exited the mansion, the lady headed towards a storeroom guarded by many soldiers. Once the lady arrived in front of the storage room, the guards immediately straightened up and saluted.

    "Good Afternoon Lady Jessica. How may we be of service to you today?"

    "I would like to help this child choose a weapon. Open the door for me."

    The guards complied, using a large ring of keys to unlock the intricate lack. Once Deon walked inside, he was astonished by the sheer amount of weapons present in the storeroom. Swords, maces, spears, you name it. Almost any type of weapon could be found in the room. However, Jessica ignored the countless amounts of weapons lying around the storeroom and instead led Deon to an orichalcum door situated in the very back of the storeroom.

    "This room is where we keep our most precious weapons. Only the members of the Grayson Main Family are allowed to access it."

    Speaking these words, Jessica took out an intricate key and unlocked the door. Slowly, the door creaked open. Jessica led Deon inside the room.

    "Here. You can choose any weapon in this room. But only one, so choose carefully. The weapons in this room are all excellent grade and above. Weapons are separated into many grades, the major ones being average, excellent, and legendary, with legendary weapons being almost indestructible, except by other legendary weapons."

    Deon thought about what type of weapon he would like to have. Compared to the numerous types of normal weapons outside, the number of weapons in this secret room could be counted on his fingers. Since he was cultivating in the Furious God Sword technique, the best weapon for him would be a type of sword. Looking around, one weapon caught his eye.

    It was a seemingly normal sword, judging from the looks on the outside. The only peculiar characteristic was that the blade was completely dark, whereas the handle was completely white, giving it a strange appearance. However, as Deon decreased the distance between himself and the sword, he could feel the Furious Energy inside of himself responding, as if it recognized the sword. As Deon picked it up, it felt extremely comfortable in his hand. Its balance was perfect, and Deon felt as if it were an extension of his arm. Looking over, Jessica slightly frowned.

    "That weapon is a bit special. It is known as a growth-type weapon, and only a few of them exist in this Continent. Its formal name is the Yin Sword. Its counterpart, the Yang Sword, has been long lost. No one knows how they were created, as they seem to possess a consciousness. Only users whom the weapon acknowledge are able to use it. Once the weapon acknowledges the user, it stores itself within the wielder''s body as Battle Energy. As the name implies, the sword is able to grow along with its user, allowing it to grow beyond the legendary ranking of normal weapons. But, in order for the weapon to grow, it has to absorb some of the Battle Energy you cultivate, essentially halving your cultivation speed. But I don''t think it should be a problem for you, as your talent is probably at the Godly level. No one knows the limit of a growth type weapon''s evolution. I have heard rumors that it can even surpass legendary weapons. Sadly, the process for the growth of the weapon is painfully long though. All growth-type weapons start at the average level and grow as they absorb Battle Energy. There is also one major drawback in attempting to bind a growth-type weapon. If the weapon does not recognize you, you will die. Guaranteed. Painfully, too. As a result, no one usually attempts to bind growth-type weapon, even if they find one by chance. Are you sure you want to bind the Yin Sword?"

    Deon looked at the sword again. The Furious Energy inside of him was stirring up a storm, as if it wanted to touch the sword itself. Silently looking at Jessica, he nodded.

    "Big sis. The Energy inside of my body is behaving strangely when I touch this sword. I feel as if this sword was made for me. Please, let me try."

    After a small hesitation, Jessica nodded

    "Alright, you can try. To bind the sword, use the sword to cut your palm and allow it to absorb your blood. If you do not succeed, the sword will absorb all of your blood, leaving you to die. Once you start the binding process, you cannot stop."

    Taking a deep breath, Deon lifted the sword to his palm. With a quick slash, Deon sliced his palm open and placed the sword on the open wound. For a moment, the sword did not respond at all. Then, it suddenly glowed, the black part of the sword flashing with a sinister color, and the white part slowly pulsed. Like a leech, it quickly began extracting the blood from Deon''s palm.

    Slowly but surely, Deon face paled as the blood levels within his body slowly decreased. As the blood drained from his vessels, his vision began to flicker and his breathing increased as his body attempted to compensate for the loss of blood. After about a minute and a half of blood loss, with a gasping sound, Deon collapsed to the ground, completely losing consciousness.

 Chapter Six: Master Leo

    Deon slowly opened his eyes. Groaning, he realized that he had lost all strength in his muscles and body. He could barely muster enough energy to open his eyes. His entire body was aching and he was breathing quite hard. Then, he remembered the situation with the Yin Sword. Focusing all of his strength into his neck, he slowly turned his head until he registered someone within his vision. It was Jessica. Her eyes were expressed worry at Deon''s current condition.

    "Little bro, please continue resting. You lost a lot of blood while trying to bind the Yin Sword to yourself. When you lost consciousness, I thought that it was all over. However, as soon as you collapsed, the Yin Sword stopped glowing and detached itself from your hand. Amazingly, it didn''t kill you. It seems as if it were saying ''I''ll give you another chance. Bind me again when you are ready.''"

    Deon relaxed all of his muscles and sank into the comfortable embrace of the bed, slowly closing his eyes again.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jessica sighed and, without turning around, spoke in a loud voice.

    "I know you''re there Leo. Come out and stop hiding."

    A burly middle-aged man, around the age of sixty, stepped out of the shadows enshrouding the doorway to Deon''s room. Currently, his scarred and wrinkled face displayed exasperation at being found out by Jessica. Even though he was not releasing his aura right now, one could feel that he was extremely powerful, as he gave off an intimidating presence. However, this man was currently missing an arm. There was a stump in the former location.

    "How is it that you always manage to find me wherever I''m hiding? Do you have eyes on the back of your head?!"

    "No. I can simply smell your idiotic scent from here, you dimwit."

    Shaking his head, Leo cast his eyes on Deon''s sleeping form. Frowning, he rubbed his chin as he thought about the huge risk Deon just took.

    "What a reckless boy. Even when he was warned of the dangers in binding a growth-type weapon, he still went ahead with the process. It seems that he does not know his own limits. I don''t like him, even though his talent seems to be enormous."

    At these words, Jessica slowly turned around and stared at Leo directly in the eyes.

    "Take him as you personal disciple."

    Snorting, Leo replied, "Didn''t I just tell you? I don''t like him. He''s too reckless. And didn''t you just say I was an idiot?"

    "You are an idiot, but your weapons skills are unparalleled within Grayson Family. Even in your current condition, I still think you can win against Gaige. As someone who was the former leader of the  Five Generals, I expect no less from you. By the way, if you don''t accept him, I''m going to make you clean all the bathrooms in the mansion for the rest of your life. Weekly. Until you die."

    The expression on Leo''s face slowly turned to horror. There were over fifty bathrooms in the mansion.

    "Please! No! Alright, I''ll do it! But I''m teaching him my way. You are not to interfere with my teaching, even if it looks stupid. I promise you, I will not waste his talent."

    Jessica gave a mischievous smile.

    "Good. We may need him in the future."

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Five days later, Deon was completely healed from the ordeal with the Yin Sword. He could finally stand up and move around. As Deon peacefully sat on his bed cultivating Energy, the door to his room suddenly burst open. Leo strode in, dressed in light leather armor. Startled, Deon quizzically looked at Leo.

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    "You there! From today on, I''m your master. Make sure to address me as master, or you''re in for a scolding."

    With these words, Deon quickly stood up and bowed to Leo.

    "Your student pays his respects to Master."

    Smiling, Leo said, "Haha! It seems your politeness is not as primitive as your intelligence. I''m starting to consider liking you. Well, I''m not going to go easy on you for training. We''re going to start our first lesson today. Follow me outside."

    As Deon followed Leo outside, he wondered what Leo would be teaching him. Would it be sword technique? Or would it be an agility technique?

    Deon and Leo went outside to the training ground. Standing there, looking like an indomitable mountain, Leo spoke.

    "Ok! The first thing I''ll be teaching you is... judging other people''s strength!"

    Hearing these words, Deon''s face immediately looked downcast. While whacking Deon''s head with his scarred right hand, Leo yelled, "You fool! This is an important skill. From your experience with the Yin Sword, I learned that you can''t even judge your own ability. You were reckless, trying to contract the Yin Sword at your level. Even after hearing that you would die if you fail, you still went ahead with the process! You must be almost one hundred percent sure that you can succeed! Since the Sword let you off this time, it means that it is giving you a second chance. I''m here to make sure you are ready for that opportunity."

    Turning away from Deon, Leo walked over to the main hallway of the Grayson mansion. Each minute, there were over one hundred people walking past this area.

    "This is the largest and most populated hallway in the Grayson mansion. Your task is to determine which of these people you should run away from. Only when you get one hundred people in a row correct, will I begin teaching you sword techniques. Report your judgments to the guard next to you, he will tell you if you are correct. When you get one hundred in a row correct, come find me."

    Deon had almost zero experience judging other people. Since he was released from the cocoon, he had only interacted with less than ten people. Therefore, he had no idea how to look at people''s strength. In truth, Leo''s training had a much deeper purpose than simply allowing Deon to judge other people''s strength. It also trained Deon''s Spiritual Sense as he used his Energy to probe others. Spiritual Sense can be used in a variety of ways. One of the ways, as used by Leader Zeke earlier, is to probe another''s talent. A more common usage is to predict the opponent''s attacks by detecting changes in his Battle Energy.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    One week later

    The guard observing Deon yawned while leaning on his broadsword.

    Deon was squinting after each and every person while attempting to judge their strength by using his Spiritual Sense. At this time, he was staring at a burly man walking straight past him. Taking a deep breath, he was about to state this person''s strength to the guard.

    Suddenly, Deon sensed an Energy beyond any other he had sensed while performing this task. Whipping his head around, a skinny, black-haired boy walked past him. He looked as if he could be blown down by the wind any second. Deon shook his head, thinking, "It can''t be coming from him, can it?"

    Extending his Spiritual Sense even further into this person''s Energy reserves, Deon determined that the Energy he detected earlier did indeed come from the boy. But Deon extended his Spiritual Sense a little too deep into the boy''s Energy reserves. Without warning, the boy turned his head and looked directly at Deon with his piercing black eyes.

 Chapter Seven: The Genius

    The boy''s unfathomable eyes looked at Deon as if they were staring directly into his soul. Despite the boy''s weak appearance, Deon felt the enormous pressure the boy emitted just a moment ago. It seems that the boy''s background was not simple at all.

    Tracing Deon''s gaze, the guard responsible for watching him slowly focused his eyes on the weak boy''s stature. Scrambling to attention, the guard immediately saluted and greeted the boy.

    "Good afternoon young master Dell! How are you today?"

    Smiling towards the guard, a quiet but perfectly audible voice drifted out from Dell''s mouth.

    "Good afternoon Jim. How was your day today?"

    The guard name Jim complained to Dell.

    "Well, Master Leo set me here to look after young master Deon. Apparently, I was to help young master Deon with his lesson in judging other people''s strength and report to Master Leo once he got one hundred in a row. So, young master Deon, could you please tell me if you would fight young master Dell here?"

    Deon opened his mouth, about to blatantly refuse to fight Dell due to the enormous pressure he detected earlier. However, just as he was about to speak, Dell''s eyes seemed to speak to him, and Deon detected an almost negligible nodding of Dell''s head. Confused as he was, Deon still spoke according to Dell''s implied instructions.

    "Umm, Jim. Of course I would fight Dell. He looks to be quite weak."

    The guard smiled and nodded.

    "Of course! Of course! Young master Dell here possesses zero talent for cultivation. After all these years, it is rumored that his aura is still unranked! That was the hundredth person, I will now go report to Master Leo that you have finished your task."

    As Jim walked away to find Leo, Dell turned to Deon. Bowing his head, Dell said to Deon, "Thank you for not exposing my secret. At the moment when you extended your Spiritual Sense into my body, I accidentally responded with my full force in retaliation. The only people who know about my actual strength are Father, Gaige, and Master Leo. In actuality, I am at the orange level of cultivation. At my age, eleven years old, that is considered to be the genius of geniuses. If word were to get to the king, he would immediately command that I be taken to the capital to train. Therefore, I would never get to see my family again. I would essentially be made into the secret weapon of the Mord Empire, only trained to kill. I implore you. Please do not tell anyone."

    Dell''s words were quite mature for that of an eleven year old, demonstrating his genius intelligence. After finishing these words, Dell''s eyes were almost in tears, and his head bowed all the more lower. Unable to do anything, Deon frantically spoke.

    "Please lift your head! I won''t say anything to betray you to the king! You can trust me."

    Hearing these words, Dell''s face was extremely grateful. Despite being an unrivaled genius, he wasn''t the least bit arrogant. This humble attitude allowed him to gain the affection of nearly everyone in the estate, as he was polite to everyone, regardless of his/her social status. Dell grasped Deon''s hands and shook them.

    "Thank you so much! From now on, we are brothers. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to tell me! Now, please excuse me. I have some matters to attend to."

    Waving his hand and running toward the end of the hall at the same time, Dell slowly disappeared behind the massive double doors.

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    "So, it seems that you have met Dell. I hope that you will honor your promise to him."

    Deon whipped his head around. The words seemed to have come from Master Leo walking towards him.

    "He is the most talented disciple I have ever had, until you. I do not wish for him to be made into a killing machine by the Mord Empire. Therefore, we are hiding his talent. His father, the Leader, has assessed his talent as Godly. It may even be on par with your''s. You did well on this exercise. Normally, it takes about a year to utilize your Spiritual Sense to this degree, but you have already mastered it within a week. Impressive. Now, as promised, I will teach you sword techniques now. Come along to the training field."

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A slim figure walked through a doorway into a room.

    "Father? You called for me?"

    Zeke''s stooped figure slowly raised his head and looked at Dell.

    "Our Family has assimilated another genius. I believe that he may even be more talented than you are. His name is Deon."

    Dell''s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

    "Deon?! I just met him in the hallway! I accidentally exposed my strength to him, and he promised to keep it a secret. I never thought that his talent would even be above mine!"

    Rather than envy at having his position as "most talented" usurped by Deon, Dell actually showed surprise. Zeke was surprised as well.

    "So, you''ve already met him? That makes things a lot easier. From tomorrow onwards, you will be training together with Deon until both of you turn fifteen years old, the age requirement to join the army. From then on, you will both join the army and fight as a unit. I believe that you two will be able to rise through the ranks quickly and even become members of the Five Generals."

    Dell was quite surprised at how coincidental it could be. He and Deon were already brothers. Personally, Dell already quite liked Deon as a person. A unit is a special designation in the Mord Army. It refers to a duo that fight on the battlefield together. In dire situations, the members are able to meld their Battle Energies together to perform powerful combination attacks. This phenomenon is called Energy Fusion. The compatibility between two people is measured in percentage, from 0% to 100%. At 100%, the attacks released through Energy Fusion can even annihilate entire regiments, groups of five hundred soldiers.

    "I have already assessed the compatibility between you and Deon with my Spiritual Sense. It is even beyond my expectations, an astonishing 95% compatibility rate. This rate may even rise to one hundred percent if you two begin training together, as compatibility rate increases as the members of the duo become more familiar with each other."

    Dell felt excited. He did not have a single friend his own age, due to his enormously high talent. The Leader was careful to publicize Dell as a cripple, resulting in Dell becoming shunned from his own age group. There was finally someone around his own age that he could interact with and spar with evenly.

    However, as Dell and Zeke were talking, they did not notice a dark outline lurking outside the door, eavesdropping on their conversation. The glint of eyes in the darkness disappeared as the shadow slipped away without the notice of either person.

 Chapter Eight: Illusion Sword Arts

    Deon stood in the courtyard of the Grayson Family Mansion, holding a rusted steel sword in his hand. Sweat dripped down his body as he continually swung the sword multiple times without pause. Suddenly, his body released a burst of yellow Energy, yelling as he stabbed the sword at the orichalcum dummy. Instantly, three yellow copies of the same sword, condensed from Deon''s Energy, converged on the point the original sword was aiming at. There was an explosion as everything around the dummy, except for Deon, was blown away from the impact. The rusted steel sword shattered as it made contact with the orichalcum dummy.

    "Illusion Sword Arts, Foundation Technique: Sword Cloning."

    A loud clapping sound came from the hallway directly opposite the training courtyard as Gaige and Leo walked over. Their faces were covered with surprised looks, as they examined the orichalcum dummy. There was a small scratch where Deon''s four swords had collided with it.

    "It seems that you have not been slacking around this past half year, having already broken through to the yellow level of Battle Energy. In addition, you are already able to condense three Energy Swords and make a scratch on the orichalcum dummy. This achievement signifies that you are ready to continue onto the next step of the Illusion Sword Arts. Truly outstanding. Even for someone with Godly talent."

    Unknown to Gaige and Leo, Deon had also broken through to the second level of Furious Energy: Frustration. If Deon had infused Furious Energy into his sword, he probably could have left a large gash on the orichalcum dummy, a feat only berserkers two levels above him could perform. Leo gestured at Deon to follow him.

    "Since you have mastered the foundation technique of the Illusion Sword Arts, you are qualified to learn the next technique. Come with me to the library. I will allow you to view the next stage. Let me warn you though. Even though the Illusion Sword Arts are extremely powerful, it is extremely difficult to master. At the last stage, you will likely be able to condense close to one thousand energy swords. But with each increase in the number of swords, you will have to work harder to control them. Controlling one thousand energy swords is an extremely difficult feat. The last person to actually master this technique was a gold level expert three hundred years ago. Are you sure you want to continue instead of switching?"

    Deon nodded. Even though his mind felt the strain from controlling just three Energy Swords, he felt that he could succeed if he persevered.

    "This technique seems to suit me. My body is quite slim so the majority of the techniques, which require brute strength, do not fit me. The only thing that I possess is an enormously large amount of Battle Energy, more than ten times the average amount. In the entire library, I think this technique is the best one for me as it trades a huge amount of energy for massive power."

    Leo gazed thoughtfully at Deon. Over the past few months, he had grown to like the boy. Ever since Deon had corrected his habit of misjudging himself, Leo had begun to trust in his decisions more.

    "Then come along, I''ll show you the next stage."

    Leo led Deon to the huge Grayson Family library at the back of the estate. With regards to the amount of books, this library was the second largest of its kind in the Mord Empire, only surpassed by the Royal Library. It possessed close to two thousand different types of sword arts. Sword Arts are separated into two different types: Strength and Control. In general, strength type arts are more popular, as most berserkers are usually born with particularly robust bodies. Control type arts are not only extremely rare, but almost nobody uses them. Even though they generate enormous power, a few usages of the most basic technique is enough to exhaust an average berserker to the point where they cannot even move anymore. The library only contained a total of five types of Control Sword Arts.

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    As the two walked in through the huge double doors, the stooped, old librarian greeted them politely.

    "Master Leo and Young Master Deon. Welcome back to the Grayson Library. How can I help you today?"

    Leo smiled kindly back to the old librarian.

    "Please lead Deon to the place where you keep the Illusion Sword Art Manuals. I have something important to do, so I will be back later to pick him up. Go along, Deon."

    The librarian led Deon to an obscure part of the library, where only the main family members had access to. He directed Deon to the bookshelf that was labeled Control. There were only a few manuals on the shelf, most of them covered with dust. Only the Illusion Sword Art manual was dust-free.

    "Here is what you are looking for. If you need me, please feel free to call me over."

    With these words, the librarian hobbled back to the front of the library, in his original position.

    Deon opened the book and turned to the page describing the first technique after the foundation stage. It was labeled Illusion Sword Arts, First Technique: Heaven''s Ring. This technique surrounds the opponent with a ring of the Energy Swords created and stabs inward, with all the swords converging on the center. The attack power increases as the number of swords increases. Deon excitedly began reading the instructions.

    Suddenly, Deon heard a commotion from outside the library. Curious, while holding the Illusion Sword Art Manual, he walked outside to a chaotic scene.

    There was a burly man, with a greatsword strapped to his back, that stood at the center of the Grayson Family Estate, surrounded by the Grayson Family guards, with all of their weapons drawn. Despite being outnumbered, the man was quite calm. He exuded the presence of someone overwhelmingly powerful. However, the guards did not retreat. At the head of the guards was Gaige, holding his broadsword so  tightly, his knuckles turning white.

    With an slightly alarmed expression, Gaige questioned the man, "Now what would the General of the Northern Frontier, Anders, be doing at the Grayson Family Estate."

    With an indignant expression, Anders frowned.

    "You know what I''m here for. In fact, I''m here at the king''s command. Bring out the boys named Deon and Dell immediately! His Majesty knows the secret you have been keeping!"

 Chapter Nine: Trouble

    Momentarily, a surprised look appeared on Gaige''s face, but, just as quickly, it disappeared. Having noticed it, Anders'' frown furrowed even further.

    "Your face just proved that I am correct. Now bring them out, or I''ll decimate this entire family. I have the elite troops of my army waiting in the forest. Even you, Gaige, the General of the Western Frontier, cannot beat me and all those troops. Now give those boys up!"

    Gaige''s face twisted in anger as he heard these words. Anders was blackmailing him with the Grayson Family. Deon, standing in the shadows of the library, heard these words and saw Gaige''s conflicted face. Deon knew that the survival of the Grayson Family was on the line, so he only had one choice.

    "General! I''m here! What do you want?"

    Anders turned his head towards the source of the voice. He smiled as his eyes focused on Deon''s slim figure.

    "That''s a good boy! Now come here. The king wants to see you."

    Suddenly, Deon felt an enormous pressure exuding from Gaige''s body.

    "If you take him, you''ll have to go through me."

    In the months that Deon stayed at the Grayson Family Mansion, he got along well with almost everyone there. His kind and humble nature allowed nearly everyone to like him. In particular, Gaige thought of Deon as a younger brother.

    "What''s going on here?"

    The Family Leader, Zeke, and Leo suddenly walked out of the hallway. There was obvious shock in his eyes at the chaotic scene next to the library. Anders bowed to Zeke, acknowledging his position as family leader. Gaige''s hostile aura slowly faded.

    "I was sent here by His Majesty to take the boys named Deon and Dell back to the capital for special training. His Majesty has learned of these two Godly talents within your family and will take them for training so they can be of use in the Mord Empire Army. I was ordered to take them by force and destroy this entire family if you resist."

    Zeke''s face displayed a worried expression. He did not want to turn over the boys to the king, but he did not want his family destroyed either. What a dilemma. Suddenly, Dell popped his head out from within the crowd.

    "General, I am the Dell you are looking for. Deon and I would love to come with you. Our only condition is that you don''t press charges on the Grayson Family for harboring us. Right Deon?"

    Deon nodded. It seems that his peaceful time at the Grayson family had come to an end. They had done more than enough for him. Facing toward the leader, Deon spoke.

    "Thank you so much for your hospitality towards me. I will never forget the favors the Grayson Family has done for me. The only way I can at least partially repay you is by preventing the destruction of your family. Also, Master, I thank you for training me over these past few months. I have developed greatly thanks to your guidance. I will never forget you as well."

    Zeke''s face displayed complicated emotions. After a long while of thinking, he finally spoke in a haggard voice.

    "Alright. I''ll allow you to take them General. But I have a few conditions. You had better follow these. Even your elite troops will take immense casualties if you dare to attack us."

    Anders nodded.

    "I was expecting this. Now what are your conditions. As long as they are reasonable, I will accept them."

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.            "First of all, you are not to merely train these two as tools of killing. Send them to the Royal Academy. Please treat them as normal students. I guarantee this will be a better way of development for them than just training for killing. Second, I want these two boys to join the army at the age of fifteen. Third, when they join the army, they will join General Gaige''s army, at the Western Frontier."

    Anders rubbed his chin. Thinking for a while he smiled.

    "Those conditions are reasonable. Alright I agree. I can speak for His Majesty as well, since he gave me command over this issue."

    Turning to Deon and Dell, he spoke a few more sentences.

    "You guys. Please don''t even try to escape. I don''t actually want to destroy the Grayson Family. They have been very generous to me. If any of you disappear, I will be forced to eliminate the Grayson Family."

    Deon and Dell stayed silent. They were satisfied with the conditions Anders agreed to.

    "I''ll give you three hours to prepare and bring anything you need with you. Meet me outside the gate of the Grayson Estate once you are done preparing."

    Anders turned around and walked back out the entrance of the estate.

    Deon and Dell sighed. They knew in their hearts that they couldn''t hide forever. They just didn''t think it would come so soon. But on the bright side, the Royal Academy is the best cultivation school in the Empire, so they will get the best resources, and be able to get stronger.

    "And," Deon thought secretly," I may be able to find out who that old man is in my parents'' memories. I''ll kill him when I find him. Plus, this cultivation training will help me achieve my parents'' dream even faster."

    Deon headed back to his room to prepare for his departure. Looking at the Illusion Sword Arts book in his hand, Deon stopped, and turned towards the library to return it. The librarian suddenly rushed up to Deon.

    "Keep the book. Think of it as my good bye gift to you. You were always polite and kind to me. This is your payment. Just promise me one thing: Keep persevering in your cultivation and cultivate to the final stage of the Illusion Sword Arts. I promise you. It won''t be disappointing."

    With a mysterious smile, the librarian returned to his position. Deon frowned. For a brief moment there, he had detected an enormous amount of Battle Energy in the librarian. Who was that old man? Thinking that it was a mistake, he shook the thought to the back of his mind.

    Clutching the manual, Deon walked towards his room.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    After packing all of his things in his bag, Deon walked towards the entrance of the estate along with Dell. Anders was waiting outside. With his Spiritual Sense, Deon could sense the presence of close to a thousand troops waiting in the forest. None of them were below the bronze level of Battle Energy. It seems Deon still had a long way to go.

    Wordlessly, Anders gestured at Deon and Dell to follow him. Slowly, they disappeared into the forest.

    On a balcony of the Grayson Estate, a lone, masked figure was watching them with scheming eyes.

    "Now that those two are gone. I have nothing more to fear in the development of my ten year plan. Everything is going smoothly, with those two gone. Mark my words Zeke, you will be dead at the end of the tenth year."

    With these words, the figure turned around and disappeared into the shadows of its room.

 Chapter Ten: The Royal Academy

    A figure of a man slowly materialized within a basement at the Royal Academy in the Mord Empire. Upon closer observation, the most pressing of his qualities was his eagle eyes that seemed to pierce through anything they looked at. Another figure, shrouded in the shadows of the basement spoke to the man.

    "Are you here on the orders of the Master? If you are, please tell me what Master says."

    "Two children are now headed to the Royal Academy. Your objective is to bring them to the Master. Preferably alive."

    The man in the shadows bowed, his eyes twinkling with maliciousness.

    "Alright. I will accomplish this task without fail."

    The eagle-eyed man wordlessly nodded and disappeared back into the darkness again.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    After walking for many hours, Deon and Dell arrived at the Royal Academy. In terms of size, it was on par with the Grayson Family Estate. Maybe it was even bigger. However, in terms of luxury and taste, it far surpassed that of the Grayson Family. At the entrance of the Academy was a large gate, completely constructed of orichalcum and embossed with gold. Like the Grayson Family Estate, the Academy was entirely encased with a high wall, much like that of a castle. To gain entry, one had to demonstrate proof of either enrollment in the academy, usually in the form of an issued badge, or demonstrate high status. Otherwise, even if a gold-ranked expert attacked the wall, it would be nearly impossible to gain entry.

    As Anders walked up to the gate, a guard directly above the gate called down.

    "Please show your proof of identity!"

    Anders pulled out a badge made completely from orichalcum. It was engraved with his identity and rank. The guard lowered his head and welcomed Anders to the Royal Academy.

    As they raised the gate, Anders, Deon, and Dell walked into the estate of the Royal Academy. Contrary to Deon''s expectations, the Academy was bustling with activity. On the grounds outside of the classroom, there were many students selling goods. Food, clothing, medicine, and even weapons. The main hall of the Academy was even larger than the Grayson Family Main House. Anders led Deon and Dell into the main hall to see the headmaster. The headmaster''s office was located at the very top of the main hall, where it is most quiet.

    Anders led Deon and Dell up to a set of double doors and knocked. An aged voice spoke.

    "Come in."

    Dell and Deon both entered the room to see an old, but sage-like, man sitting upon a large chair. Currently, his eyes were directed toward Deon and Dell. Deon had an uneasy feeling, like these eyes could see every part of him.

    "Ah. So these are the new students. To begin with, I would like to welcome you to the Royal Academy, where only the best students are accepted. I have heard that both of you possess Godly talent. I did not believe it until I saw you two myself... You two are more than welcome here."

    Deon and Dell both bowed and thanked the headmaster for his warm welcome.

    "From now on, you two will be assigned to the first years. Let me tell you, our graduation requirements are very strict: You must have been here for at least three years, and you must have reached at least bronze rank. If you reach bronze rank before the end of these three years, you will be assigned to the genius class and be given extra benefits and resources. Now go on, the first years are in session outside right now in practical training. Go along and join the class. Anders stay here. I need to talk to you."

    Deon and Dell respectfully exited the room, leaving Anders standing there awkwardly. The headmaster fixed his eyes on Anders.

    "Those two boys are the future of our Empire. With their talent, I wouldn''t be surprised if they became stronger than you in ten years. Plus, from my Spiritual Sense probe, their Battle Energies are extremely compatible. Keep them under surveillance. I have a feeling their stay here won''t be so peaceful."

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Deon and Dell walked outside and headed towards the training grounds. When they got there, they saw a group of children around their age whacking away at training dummies. Watching over them was an beautiful lady around the age of thirty. Her lush, black hair and fair skin put her right up there with Deon''s mother. However, the look on her face right now was anything but pleasurable. She seemed to be extremely exasperated with the performance of her class right now. Sensing a few figures approaching from behind her, she turned around.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Ah. The two new students. The headmaster told me that you''ll be coming today. Now start whacking away at these training dummies, practicing whatever technique you''ve been learning. I hope you''ll do better than these trash... Oh, and you can just call me Teacher Sofia. By the way, you had better not slack off. Despite my looks, I''m at the bronze level of Battle Energy."

    Deon and Dell immediately shook their heads.

    "Uh. Ma''am! I mean Teacher Sofia! Of course we won''t slack off. We''ll try our hardest."

    Deon and Dell immediately ran to the training dummies and picked up some practice swords from the rack on the side of the field. The structure of the dummies was much like those in the Grayson Family Estate; they were completely made from orichalcum.

    Deon picked up his sword and faced the dummy. Suddenly, he felt a rather strange energy fluctuation coming from beside him. It was Dell. Deon was curious as to what type of sword arts Dell used. From the corner of his eye, Deon closely observed Dell.

    "Infinite Blade Art: Thousand Needles"

    Dell swung his sword at an enormous speed. However, this speed was mainly due to his physical strength and didn''t utilize Battle Energy at all. Deon thought this was quite strange. Every sword art that he looked through used some type of Battle Energy in the sword swing. Other than the strange fluctuation at the beginning of the swing, Deon hadn''t detected any other Energy.

    As soon as Dell''s sword struck the dummy, hundreds of small scratches appeared along the orichalcum surface of the dummy. Deon was stumped. How could a sword swing do that much damage? Currently, that one attack was even more powerful than Deon''s Illusion Sword Arts.

    Watching Dell, Sofia''s eyes widened.

    "Infinite Blade Arts?! There''s actually still someone who trains in that technique? And still, you managed to achieve that level of mastery? You are an absolute genius! Even though the technique requires a small amount of Battle Energy to activate, compared to other Control type sword arts, the control you need to possess over your Battle Energy is enormous. Basically, each scratch made on the orichalcum dummy is from a small amount of Battle Energy controlled by the user. Haha, I never thought I would have such a genius in my class! He can actually use a Control type sword art!"

    Dell humbly lowered his head.

    "Actually, Deon uses a Control type sword art as well: the Illusion Sword Arts."

    Sofia thought she couldn''t be shocked any further. It seems that she was wrong, as her face turned completely pale.

    "Illusion Sword Arts?! Isn''t that the one that requires an immense amount of energy! Almost no one is suitable for that skill due to the Energy requirements. Let me examine your Energy stores, Deon..."

    As Sofia extended her Spiritual Sense into Deon''s body, surprise flashed in her eyes once again.

    "Ah. I''ve been surprised too much today. I think I just had ten years taken off my life span. You have more than enough Energy. Over ten times the normal amount. What kind of monsters are you two! In all my years teaching here, I have never encountered such geniuses!"

    With the entire class staring wide-eyed at Deon and Dell, Sofia kept ranting on about how talented Deon and Dell were. Never before had they seen their strict teacher so excited.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Anders watched this scene from the shadows of the main hall. He sighed.

    "Weren''t you two supposed to keep your talents hidden?! Dang it, now I actually have to watch these two. They''re bound to be at the center of attention. Who knows whether that attention will be hostile or not."

 Chapter Eleven: The Announcement

    Note from Author:

    I am so sorry for not posting any new chapters recently. I was extremely busy lately, so I didn''t get the chance to write any new chapters.

    Thanks for reading and enjoy the chapter!

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    After class, Deon and Dell quietly retired to their rooms. Expectedly, they were both roommates with each other. Entering the room, Deon found it quite similar to the one he was used to at the Grayson Family Estate. Even though it was smaller and the beds were crammed into a corner, Deon found the room suitable for that of a school. By this time, it was already evening. Washing up, Deon and Dell both went to bed. However, as soon as Deon heard Dell''s breathing slowly diminish into that of a sleeping person''s, he sat up and began cultivating as he did every night; by cultivating while Dell was asleep, Deon avoided Dell''s inquiries on his strange appearance while cultivating. As soon as he began cultivating, however, Deon was surprised.

    The density of Energy in the air was many times higher in the Royal Academy than that of the air in the Grayson Estate, raising Deon''s cultivation speed by at least two times. It was probably due to some object within the Academy. Deon made a note in his mind to ask his teacher about it tomorrow. Although Deon had already broken through to the yellow level of Battle Energy, the effort it would take to get to the orange level would by many times higher. And even more so for his cultivation of Furious Energy. At around midnight, Deon ended his cultivation period and extracted the Illusion Sword Art Manual from his bag. In the library, he did not get a chance to finish reading the method for Heaven''s Ring. Compared to the Foundation Technique Deon had trained in for the last few months, Heaven''s Ring required a much larger amount of Battle Energy for it to be useful in battle; the strength of the skill is proportional to the number of energy swords the user is able to create. Thinking about this, Deon put the technique to the side for now; to make Heaven''s Ring useful, he should probably focus on increasing the number of swords he can create. With these thoughts on his mind, he slowly drifted off into the realm of sleep.

    The next morning, Deon had woken up late. Dell was already gone, heading to class.

    Fuming, Deon quickly pulled on his clothes and rushed out the door of his room, all the while cursing Dell for not waking him up as well. Deon pulled open the door to his classroom, and ran inside. As if it was preplanned, the entire class turned their heads toward Deon, including Sofia.

    "Deon, just because I proclaimed you a genius yesterday doesn''t mean you can skip class leisurely. Now get to your seat before I send you outside to run a few laps."

    Not a single trace of yesterday''s awe remained on Sofia''s face. She had reverted to her original ice cold countenance.

    "I''m sorry Teacher Sofia. It won''t happen again."

    With his face burning, Deon headed up to his seat next to Dell. As Deon sat down, Dell leaned over and whispered with a smirk, "You were sleeping so soundly, I didn''t want to wake you up. By the way, you drool when you sleep."

    Deon replied sarcastically, "Well, thanks. I really appreciate your concern."

    At this moment, Sofia, who seemingly didn''t hear Dell, turned her head towards Deon and said, "Deon. First you come in late. Then, you disturb my class with your talking. Are you going to run around naked next?"

    Deon lowered his head and muttered an almost inaudible apology.

    "Now, since Deon is probably finished disrupting the class, let me continue with what I was about to say. In about three months, there will be a ranking tournament for the first years. This tournament will determine your status for the next three years here at the Royal Academy. Students here are ranked S rank through D rank, with S being the highest and D being the lowest. This rank determines the cultivation resources you will have access to. As many of you may have noticed, the rooms that you are currently residing in possess an extremely large density of Energy. As your rank increases, you get access to rooms with higher and higher densities of Energy, with S rank being the most and D rank being the least. By the way, there is only one S rank room in the entire school. If you manage to place first in this tournament, you will have the right to challenge the current S rank student. However, I doubt you will be able to beat him, as he is currently at the bronze level of Battle Energy. A rank titles get granted to first through fourth place. B rank titles are granted to fifth through eighth place. C rank titles are granted to ninth through twelfth place. D rank titles are granted to the rest of the students. However, these ranks are not permanent. Starting from second year, you are free to challenge anyone of one rank higher than you. If you manage to defeat him/her, you will take his/her rank, and he/she will take your rank. Keep this in mind if you do not want to lose your rank through laziness. Oh and by the way, in this first year, there are over five hundred students, so obtaining a rank above D is extremely difficult."

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Deon listened closely. With the huge density of energy in his current room, which is a D rank room, he is already absorbing Energy at almost twice his original rate. With an S rank or A rank room, he might be able to increase his absorption rate by eight or even nine times! At this rate, assuming that he will be able to endure the breakthrough from silver to gold, Deon would reach gold rank before the age of twenty, an earth-shattering accomplishment. The current record is gold rank at the age of thirty, set by the Head of the Five Generals. For normal people, it would be lucky to reach bronze rank before the age of sixty.

    Sofia continued speaking.

    "Not only will you have access to abundant cultivation resources for S rank. By the time you turn sixteen, you will be guaranteed a position of Battalion Commander in the army. If you are A rank, you are given the position of Squad Captain at sixteen. The rest have to start as regular soldiers in the army."

    This announcement blew Deon''s mind away. The rank of Battalion Commander was extremely prestigious. It was only two levels below the rank of General.

    After class finished, Deon accompanied Dell to the sparring field. Deon wanted to test his abilities against Dell''s. The two of them started as opposite sides of the field. They lifted their practice swords and observed each other. Preparing to charge at Dell, Deon then noticed something familiar. Like the time when Dell slashed at the orichalcum dummy, there are almost no fluctuations of energy around Dell. Without warning, Dell pushed off his back foot, heading straight for Deon.

    With an inhuman reaction speed, Deon raised his sword. Steel clashed against steel as the two swords met each other. Deon jumped backwards and activated the skill he had trained over and over again.

    "Illusion Sword Arts: Foundation Technique, Sword Cloning."

    Almost immediately, three yellow swords materialized around Deon. Lifting his sword, Deon commanded them to head for Dell. A split second later, Deon jumped after the swords and thrust his steel sword at Dell.

    With nimble steps, Dell leaped backwards as each sword missed him by a hairbreadth. With a casual whip of his sword Dell knocked away Deon''s real sword. Amazingly, Dell hadn''t used a single sword skill yet.

    With another step off his back foot, Dell jumped at Deon again. However, this time Deon detected something strange about Dell''s sword. He just couldn''t put his finger on it. The swords clashed once again, but this time Deon heard Dell''s voice mutter.

    "Infinite Blade Arts: Hundred Needles."

    In an instant, tens of scratches appeared on Deon''s body, each one the size of a hair. Even though each scratch was extremely tiny, the blood loss added together was enormous. Deon slowly lost consciousness as he collapsed onto the dirt floor of the training arena. His last thought was depressing.

    "Damn it. I couldn''t even land a single hit against him. And he defeated me with a single sword skill. I have a long way to go."

 Chapter Twelve: Overwhelming Power

    The craggy ceiling of a brightly lit room hazily swam into DeonˇŻs vision as his eyeˇŻs fluttered open. Groaning, he found that his movement was highly restricted. It turns out he was wrapped in a coat of bandages. The memory of being brutally beaten by Dell was still fresh in his mind, and he cringed just thinking about it. Sofia was sitting on a chair next to him in a white coat, reading a book. Hearing Deon slowly shift around, SofiaˇŻs eyes fixed on Deon with a cold glare.

    ˇ°Why did you attempt to duel Dell? You shouldˇŻve been able to realize that you wonˇŻt be able to beat him. Well, for now, at least you only got away with minor injuries. Circulate your Battle Energy around your body. It should seal up those wounds, and I can remove your bandages. DonˇŻt look so surprised. IˇŻm the school nurse as well as your homeroom teacher. Now hurry up and circulate your Battle Energy, so I can get out of here. IˇŻve been watching your unconscious body for the last three days.ˇ±

    Contrary to the condition of his body, DeonˇŻs store of Battle Energy was relatively robust. Just by looking at his Battle Energy, no one would be able to guess DeonˇŻs current sorry state. Closing his eyes, Deon focused on circulating his current Energy through his body. A soothing feeling passed through his body, and he could feel the remnants of DellˇŻs attack disappearing from his body.

    About an hour later, Sofia stood up and unwrapped the bandages from DeonˇŻs body. Giving him a new set of clothes, she wordlessly stepped out of the room, and her footsteps faded off into the distance. DeonˇŻs bones creaked and his muscles cracked from his three days of inactivity. He stretched until his body was back to normal again. Looking around his bare body, he was surprised to see not even a single scar on his skin. Pulling on his clothes, Deon stepped out of the room he was resting in. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around his neck.

    ˇ°Deon!! I was soooo worried. I think I was a little too harsh on you, considering IˇŻve been training for many times as long as you have. Whoa! Not a single mark is left on your body! The medicine here is really useful! Teacher Sofia was really worried when she heard that you were injured. She immediately brought you to the nurseˇŻs office.

    The arm belonged to Dell, whose face revealed a happy expression at DeonˇŻs awakening. Even though he was a genius, DellˇŻs inner child revealed itself to people he had befriended.

    DeonˇŻs face started to turn blue as he gasped for air.

    ˇ°Let go of me! YouˇŻre suffocating me!ˇ±

    With a huge effort, Deon ripped DellˇŻs arm from his neck. Gasping for breath, he gave a tired look at Dell.

    ˇ°Could I ask you a question! Exactly what level of Battle Energy are you in?ˇ±

    ˇ°Well, currently IˇŻm in the red level of Battle Energy. But if I use my Sword Skill, IˇŻm able to defeat purple level opponents.ˇ±

    Hearing this, Deon almost fainted. He was lucky he got away with such small injuries, facing a red level opponent. DeonˇŻs Spiritual Sense did not have any effect on Dell, as DellˇŻs pool of Energy was so small, Deon couldnˇŻt detect anything from it.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A few days later, Deon and Dell were wandering around the marketplace inside the Royal Academy. In this area, there were many students selling various products, from food to weapons. Looking around, Deon and Dell saw many interesting products. However, all of the products that they were interested in were extremely expensive, and the two boys did not bring too much money from the Grayson Estate.

    Deon was particularly interested in the weapons. Ever since he had failed the blood binding with the Yin Sword, he had been preparing to attempt the binding again. However, before that happened, Deon would need a temporary weapon.

    Suddenly, Deon felt a pull on him. It seemed that the Furious Energy within his body was reacting to something. The feeling felt very similar to that of the Yin Sword on DeonˇŻs body. Following this intrinsic pull, Deon sauntered over to a stall in the corner of the Royal Academy, selling a few items. The owner of the stall was a tall student with a hood covering all of his features. The pull that Deon felt led him over to a sword. It was covered in rust, and it seemed extremely ancient. However, the pull the sword had on Deon was unmistakable. Eyeing the sword, Deon asked the stall owner how much it cost.

    A flat voice drifted out from underneath the hood.

    ˇ°One hundred gold.ˇ±

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    The extravagantly low price startled Deon. Not even normal weapons would be that cheap. Deon reached his hand out to pick up the rusted weapon.

    Suddenly another hand shot out and picked up the sword.

    ˇ°Mister. IˇŻll be buying this sword.ˇ±

    Taking out a bag of gold coins, the owner of the hand tossed it to the stall vendor. The vendor bowed and went back to his business while the owner of the hand picked up the rusted sword.

    ˇ°Wait! IˇŻm the one who saw that sword first. I was about to buy itl.ˇ±

    The person who stole the weapon from Deon turned around at the sound of DeonˇŻs voice.

    ˇ°Well I paid for the sword first. Get lost squirt. ˇ°

    An angry look surfaced on DellˇŻs face.

    ˇ°You there! Apologize to my friend and hand the sword over.ˇ±

    The person carrying the rusted sword turned around, and Deon could easily see his features. He was built like a bull, strong and robust. Over his shoulder was a large polearm. The personˇŻs face was sculpted like a marble statue, which would probably cause almost any girl to go crazy over him. The size difference between this person and the two boys was quite apparent.

    ˇ°YouˇŻre making me apologize? You should be the one apologizing for disturbing me. If you bother me again, donˇŻt blame me for attacking you. Wait. How about this? If any one of you manages to defeat me in a duel right here, IˇŻll give you this sword. Free of charge.ˇ±

    Dell got into a fighting position.

    ˇ°YouˇŻve got yourself a deal. Get ready. IˇŻm coming.ˇ±

    The person put down the rusted sword and smiled.

    ˇ°Great! IˇŻve been longing to have a battle. DonˇŻt disappoint me!ˇ±

    ˇ°Dell! Wait! Let me duel him. ItˇŻs my problem here!ˇ±

    Dell smiled and shook his head.

    ˇ°I can sense that this person is beyond you in terms of strength. Let me do it. Count it as compensation for your injuries.ˇ±

    Dell yelled.

    ˇ°One thousand needles!ˇ±

    Immediately afterwards, he jumped directly at his opponent while drawing his sword. Deon noticed that DellˇŻs speed was almost two times as fast as when Dell had faced Deon. It seemed that Dell really was going easy on Deon.

    Contrary to their expectations, heavily built person simply stood there and yawned as DellˇŻs sword swung towards him. Suddenly the personˇŻs hand shot up with a layer of energy surrounding it and caught DellˇŻs sword in mid swing. DellˇŻs eyes betrayed his shock. Even though there was no energy inside his sword, DellˇŻs raw sword attack should be able to pierce through any defense below his level. There was only one possibility this person''s level was higher than Dell''s. But there was more than simply this one sword attack.

    The one thousand needles that Dell had conjured earlier rushed towards the person at a great speed. However, to DellˇŻs horror, these needles traveling at close to the speed of sound simply ricocheted off of the personˇŻs skin, like they had struck an orichalcum block.

    ˇ°Haha. That tickled. YouˇŻre not even worth looking at. Now, it seems to be my turn.ˇ±

    A cruel smile emerged on the personˇŻs face. With a blur, the personˇŻs other hand rushed towards Dell at an extreme speed, to the point where it produced a shockwave from breaking the sound barrier. Since DellˇŻs sword was being held, he did not even have the chance to block as the fist collided with DellˇŻs chest, producing a cracking sound and throwing him back into an adjacent wall.