Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 31

Honorary Sword Meeting

Pa-pa-pa-pak!!

Under the relentless barrage of the Ten Successive Slashes, Wayne collapsed to his knees helplessly. Even as he fell, he couldn’t comprehend the situation with his mind.

What had happened to him?

Why was he collapsing?

Why was that bastard standing there unharmed?

‘Wh-What. How…’

The Six Slashes of the Wild Wolf was a counter-attack sword technique that even direct blood relatives struggled to master easily. This technique was developed by the elders of the collateral bloodline as a secret art to counter the privileges of the direct bloodline.

Such a technique…

‘How could it be in the hands of that adopted bastard…!!’

At that moment, a thought struck him.

Previously, the bastard had used the direct bloodline’s ultimate technique without being taught. At that time, it was baffling, but now it seemed clear.

Surely, he must have secretly copied it by watching someone else teach it!

‘Disgusting bastard.’

Otherwise, today’s situation couldn’t be explained.

‘That son of a bitch, secretly spying on others’ teachings…!’

Even he, who had spent nearly two years training, could only use the Six Successive Slashes, while the bastard, who hadn’t even learned the ultimate technique, managed Ten Successive Slashes!

His rage was mixed with inferiority, and only feelings of animosity flared up.

Drowned in negative emotions, he had no rationality left to think clearly.

Logically, when being taught the ultimate technique, one always entered a private training room, so how could anyone spy on it?

But Wayne, as if nothing mattered, forced his trembling knees to stand and swung his wooden sword.

“You bastard! How dare you copy our ultimate technique!!”

Despite having no strength left in his body, his rage moved his arms. It wasn’t a fast speed, so Harang could easily block or evade it!

However, for some reason, Harang stood still with his eyes closed, not even attempting to block the wooden sword.

‘It’s my chance!’

Realizing that his surprise attack was going to succeed, Wayne inwardly cheered and put more force into his swing.

Tunk-!

However, Wayne’s ambitious swing was effortlessly blocked.

It wasn’t Harang, standing with his eyes closed, who blocked it.

It was Lidan Paul Kaladan.

The one who had shown the most animosity towards Harang among those present.

“Stop. Admit defeat, Wayne.”

“B-But! That bastard copied our ultimate technique!”

“Copied? Who’s better, your Six Successive Slashes or his Ten Successive Slashes?”

“T-That is…”

“It’s not copying. He developed a better sword technique.”

Lidan looked at Harang.

After his victory, Harang stood still with his eyes closed, slightly raising his head.

“Also… It’s against the etiquette of a knight and a swordsman to interrupt someone in the sacred state of forgetting oneself.”

“T-The state of forgetting oneself…?!”

To be completely absorbed in swordsmanship and lose oneself—it was said that such enlightenment came to those at least of the 4-star level, or at the latest, at the 7-star level.

However, this boy was only at the 2-star level, yet he had already reached the state of forgetting oneself! No one could believe it, but Harang was indeed standing still with his eyes closed right after the duel ended.

Therefore…

The blood relatives present could not understand Lidan’s actions.

Harang was his enemy and might someday become someone to kill in the inter-family struggle.

So why not disturb his moment of enlightenment? Why not hinder his growth?

“Though he is my enemy and might someday be someone I have to kill, it is not proper to interrupt the most sacred moment for a swordsman. I would rather cut off my own wrist and give up the path of a swordsman.”

Lidan concluded and turned around, speaking.

“Dismissed. Everyone, take some personal training time.”

Even the purebloods full of discontent could not refute Lidan’s charisma and left. As Lidan walked away, he trembled.

Blood seeped from between his tightly clenched fists where his nails had dug in.

‘Damn it…’

Though it wasn’t him who had been defeated, he felt a profound sense of defeat.

Jealousy and respect.

To attain enlightenment in the midst of battle was something not everyone could achieve.

One had to be sincerely united with their sword to even glimpse that state.

‘How do I think of my sword…?’

Though he was a 4-star at the age of nineteen, an undoubtedly remarkable swordsman, he still thirsted. In Kaladan, his level was just average, barely noteworthy.

‘Have I ever considered my sword as one with myself, even once?’

To him, a sword was merely an extension, a tool for cutting. He had never thought of it as part of his body.

Or rather, he might not have been able to.

Yet, that young boy, living half as long as he had, was already feeling the state of ‘unity of body and sword.’

‘Kuh…’

He clenched his fists. If he were to strike the boy now, that enlightenment would scatter to the winds, perhaps never to return.

But as a swordsman…

As a knight…

As a descendant of Hero Kaladan, his pride couldn’t allow it.

‘So I…’

“Argh! I can’t accept this!!”

Startled by the scream behind him, he turned his head to see Wayne thrusting his sword at Harang.

‘Damn it, that idiot!’

Lidan bit his lip and drew his sword, but he was too far away to reach in time.

At that moment…

A thought crossed his mind.

Perhaps, by another’s dishonor, the boy’s enlightenment could be shattered. It might actually be a good thing?

Suddenly, Lidan’s sword stopped. His body, contrary to his thoughts, had moved on instinct, but now there was no longer a need.

Thunk! Whirl!

“Wh-What?”

Harang, who had been standing still with his eyes closed, extended his wooden sword towards the sword flying at his back, pulling it out of Wayne’s hand as if with an invisible hook.

Wayne stared blankly at his sword flying into the air.

Then Harang precisely thrust his wooden sword into Wayne’s neck.

Thud-!

“Cough, cough, ugh, ugh!”

As Wayne collapsed and started retching, Harang slightly turned his gaze and looked at Lidan. He then nodded slightly in greeting.

“…Thank you.”

As he raised his head again, his pure and clear silver eyes stared at Lidan.

“…..”

Lidan couldn’t respond. The horrendous, dishonorable thoughts he’d just had couldn’t be erased.

Pretending to be honorable, acting the knight, yet harboring such thoughts.

Even if no one else knew, it would be an eternal, festering wound in his heart.

After giving Lidan a nod of gratitude, Harang picked up his wooden sword and silently returned to his spot, resuming his practice against the wooden dummy.

Even though he had gained such enlightenment, he didn’t rest, continuing his training without pause.

“Haha…”

Remembering how he always found excuses to rest—today was for learning a new skill, yesterday was for a duel—Lidan suddenly felt ashamed of his own lazy, pathetic self.

“Brother Lidan, should we punish Wayne?”

“…”

Lidan looked indifferently at Wayne, who was still writhing in pain. He no longer saw him as a knight, but merely as a disgrace.

Raising his wooden sword, Lidan gave a ceremonial salute towards Wayne.

Then he declared.

“With this final salute, I will no longer acknowledge Wayne Kaladan as a knight.”

“……!”

Following Lidan’s declaration, the other blood relatives also complied.

“To Wayne Kaladan.”

“No longer.”

“Acknowledge.”

“As a knight.”

“Ah, ah…”

Even while shedding tears from the pain of being struck in the throat by the wooden sword, Wayne understood the situation and began to cry even more.

No longer being treated as a knight.

In the traditional knight family Kaladan, this was one of the greatest punishments.

* * *

Time passed quickly again, and three months went by.

With the Honorary Sword Meeting just one day away, the participants were all trying to calm their nerves and rested from training.

They did this to ensure they were in the best condition for the duels at the Honorary Sword Meeting.

‘Cutting down on precious training time just because of that Honorary Sword Meeting is ridiculous.’

Harang’s thoughts were different.

Whether the Honorary Sword Meeting was tomorrow or not, what did it matter?

Even after the Honorary Sword Meeting, he wouldn’t stop wielding his sword.

Harang’s training intensity had increased. He even reduced his sleeping hours and managed his nutrition with chicken breast sandwiches, not wasting time on meal breaks.

Three months ago,

Harang had gained new enlightenment.

It was a fundamental realization about the synchronization of skills and swordsmanship.

In the case of the first form of the Speed Butterfly Sword, it was almost by luck that he could combine the ultimate technique with the skill.

At the time, the footwork was similar, and the movements were alike, allowing him to synchronize the skill with the ultimate technique immediately upon realization. However, he couldn’t always rely on such luck.

‘The Six Slashes of the Wild Wolf and the Cheetah’s Leap…’

Synchronizing those two was much more challenging than he thought.

They were completely different types of techniques.

The Six Slashes of the Wild Wolf involved firmly planting both feet on the ground and swinging the sword consecutively from a stationary stance.

In contrast, the Cheetah’s Leap involved preparing from a stationary position and then charging at immense speed

.

Combining a stationary stance with an accelerating technique seemed utterly impossible, but Harang saw potential.

As a pro gamer in his past life, Harang used to combine two skills to ensure the delayed skill hit the enemy accurately.

First, he would cast the delayed attack skill and then use a movement skill to close the distance within range, hitting the enemy without delay…

Even back then, it required tremendous focus.

It wasn’t just about pressing buttons consecutively; in reality, it required moving the body to input the skill commands two or three times or more, which was something even martial arts masters found difficult to do.

Many pro gamers couldn’t adapt to this new technique and retired or declined, while the monstrous new talents who quickly adapted shone as rising stars.

The combination technique had such overwhelming destructive power that Harang needed to master it once again.

‘The lack of synchronization rate is fatal. It’s exhausting to perform both simultaneously…’

His current synchronization rate barely exceeded 4%.

In his previous life as a pro gamer, his synchronization rate was close to 99%, making anything he imagined possible. He could even defy physical laws.

‘With the current synchronization rate…’

Harang shut his eyes tightly, erasing one sense after another. Hearing, smell, taste, touch, and finally, sight.

He focused all his senses solely on the sword, emitting them into the sword.

In this world, there was only the sword, and he was…

Swish!

“Cough…!”

Harang dropped to his knees, breathing heavily. Blood dripped from his nose, and it felt as if someone was squeezing his lungs, making it hard to breathe.

Barely supporting himself with trembling hands, he lifted his head.

‘…I did it.’

The wooden dummy, which had been fifteen steps away, was now right in front of him, shattered into eleven pieces on the ground.

[Skill ‘Cheetah’s Leap’ is synchronizing with Kaladan Swordsmanship.]

[Skill ‘Sky Sword’ is awaiting creation…]

Even with no strength left in his body, Harang smiled.

He knew that the impossible skill combination he had achieved could potentially revolutionize the history of Kaladan Swordsmanship.

“Ugh!”

As he staggered to stand, blood burst from his nose and mouth, clutching his chest.

But he couldn’t pass out like this. To fully make the enlightenment his own, he had to sit and meditate immediately.

“Huuuu…”

The unique swordsmanship of this world was entirely new, completely different from anything on Earth.

No matter how long he trained, Harang could not say he fully understood techniques that had accumulated over hundreds or even thousands of years.

In such a situation, merging ‘skills system,’ akin to otherworldly technology, with swordsmanship was immensely taxing.

‘Though it’s incredibly difficult and burdensome, if I succeed, I can achieve things impossible with just this world’s swordsmanship.’

Like turning the stationary counter technique of the Six Slashes of the Wild Wolf into an offensive technique.

‘It’s like mixing water and oil, but if I use the system’s blessings to blend them…’

Harang recalled countless skills he had used in his previous life. He tried to merge them one by one with Kaladan Swordsmanship, gradually breaking through the limits of the system’s synchronization rate.

Though the growth rate of synchronization in this world was abnormally slow, it was possible through a completely different training method than virtual reality.

For example, meditation.

By merely closing his eyes and practicing countless sword techniques and skills in his mind, Harang pushed his own limits.

[By utilizing the system’s blessings beyond limits, synchronization rate increases!]

[Synchronization rate increases, and attribute points rise!]

It was an indication of breaking through limits.