Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Sword Duke #2
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The Sword Duke had no official disciples.
Aside from the Demon King Mitra, no one had ever received proper instruction from him. Even Galahad, the Sura warrior renowned as the strongest among the five great generals, had only sparred with him a few times.
Yet this very Sword Duke was now offering to teach him.
It was an unprecedented event.
An extraordinary offer that none of the Demon King's children had ever experienced.
For Ingong, however, it seemed fitting to add the modifier 'as always.'
Felicia’s mouth hung open, and Karma’s eyes sparkled. Karak, too, couldn't hide his awe, letting out a series of impressed gasps.
The Sword Duke's face was smiling. But his eyes were not.
They were blue, a deep, piercing blue. An abyssal darkness hidden within that blue seemed to see through Ingong's very soul.
Ingong swallowed dryly. He had anticipated something like this, but hearing it directly made his heart pound more than he'd expected.
The de facto strongest being in the Demon World had offered to teach him.
This was a hidden event. A stroke of serendipity!
“I am not asking you to become my disciple.”
The Sword Duke's lips curved into a slight smile. Karak blinked and snorted as if to ask what he meant, while Felicia shot a sharp glance at the Sword Duke.
The Sword Duke paid them no mind. He continued speaking, his gaze fixed solely on Ingong.
“My circumstances do not allow me to raise a disciple with peace of mind. And more importantly... the Prince is already learning the Divine Beast Fist. There is no need for you to learn my sword.”
Ingong had never fought in front of the Sword Duke. All he had done was summon a white, flame-like aura to confront the man with the spear. Even that hadn't lasted long due to the Sword Duke's intervention, making it nearly impossible for him to have identified the type of martial art Ingong practiced.
But what if it was the Sword Duke?
The Sword Duke's blue eyes met Ingong's red ones. For the first time, those eyes, which hadn't smiled like his face, expressed pleasure.
Ingong knew instinctively.
Even now, as their gazes met, the Sword Duke was reading information about him. Whether it was through magic or the skill of a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle, he couldn't tell. Ingong felt as if he were being dissected alive by the Sword Duke's gaze.
And then, someone let out a belated cry of shock.
“Wait, Divine Beast Fist?! Not Beast Fist, but Divine Beast Fist?!”
Felicia whirled around to look at Ingong, astonished. But her shock didn't last long.
Felicia soon understood.
The strangely deep bond between Ingong, Chris, and Caitlin. The reason why Chris, who usually treated the other children of the Demon King like they were invisible, paid special attention only to Ingong.
They had taught Ingong the Divine Beast Fist, a technique passed down only among the Lycanthrope royalty. Felicia wasn't foolish enough to not understand what that meant.
Felicia felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment and regret. But she didn't voice it, and Ingong had no time to look back at her.
The Sword Duke continued to speak.
“Besides the Divine Beast Fist, there are several other energies mixed within the Prince's body. Even I cannot discern what each of them is... but it is truly fascinating. Moreover, these many powers do not repel each other but embrace one another. You could even say they coexist in harmony.”
What were the powers the Sword Duke had read? Was Conquest among them?
“It seems the Prince has not been learning the Divine Beast Fist for long. A few months at most, I'd say. Yet your accomplishment is truly astonishing.”
Ingong broke into a cold sweat without realizing it. The Sword Duke hadn't done anything hostile toward him. Even now, he was merely expressing admiration and curiosity. But even so, he was tense. Just how much was the man before him seeing through?
“The reason the Demon King has shown interest is likely different from mine. He was not a Demon King who showed such attention even to the 2nd Prince, who was born with a talent that can only be described as insane... a presence that I and the other powerful beings of the Demon World instinctively felt the moment he was born.”
Ingong felt dizzy.
The Sword Duke's assessment of Zephyr was beyond imagination.
A talent so great that the powerful beings of the Demon World couldn't help but sense his existence the moment he was born. What on earth did that mean? He couldn't even fathom what level of skill that implied.
And then there was the matter of the Demon King.
The Sword Duke's speculation that the Demon King's interest in Ingong wasn't due to his various powers.
Then why had the Demon King shown interest in him? Was withstanding his gaze during the first audience the sole reason?
The Sword Duke rose to his feet. Ingong's gaze naturally followed the Sword Duke's eyes upward. The Sword Duke squared his shoulders and spoke.
“In any case, I have taken an interest in you, Prince. I wish to impart some of my enlightenment to you. What are your thoughts?”
Ingong closed and opened his eyes once. He pushed aside all the questions filling his mind and focused solely on the Sword Duke.
The Sword Duke's teachings.
There was no reason to refuse.
He was not Ingong's enemy. Even his piercing gaze held goodwill at its core, not animosity.
After taking a moment to compose his breathing, Ingong faced the Sword Duke with a somewhat stiff expression. Instead of forcing an awkward smile, he looked the Sword Duke straight in the eyes and said,
“I ask for your guidance.”
Karak clenched his fists. Felicia let out a sigh of unknown origin and gave a relieved smile.
The Sword Duke smiled as well. He placed a hand on Ingong's shoulder.
“I will teach the Prince one method of aura manipulation and a few techniques. How you apply them will be up to your own skill.”
“Understood.”
Under normal circumstances, the conversation would have paused here. Learning aura manipulation or techniques required the right conditions.
But not for the Sword Duke.
“Then let us begin immediately.”
the Sword Duke said, and Felicia, who thought nothing could surprise her anymore, widened her eyes as if to say, 'What now?'
Without giving Ingong a chance to reply, the Sword Duke reached out with his large hands and gripped Ingong's head. He then closed his eyes and activated his aura.
Ingong instinctively closed his eyes. His instincts, honed by cheating death several times, urged him to comply rather than resist.
The Sword Duke's aura was a brilliant gold. Just as Caitlin had done when she first showed Ingong the path of aura, the golden aura guided Ingong's own. It presented a path completely different from the Divine Beast Fist.
[You have learned S-Rank Martial Art, Sura Heart Art Lv1.]
As always, Ingong instantly embodied the new technique. A strange smile played on the lips of the Sword Duke, whose eyes were still closed, and the golden aura guiding Ingong began to penetrate every corner of his body.
Ingong realized that the aura throughout his body was being activated in a way different from before. His breathing method also changed.
And then, he acquired knowledge. Images appeared in his mind. It was the image of the Sword Duke performing the techniques.
The few techniques the Sword Duke had promised.
One was a movement technique. If the movement of the Divine Beast Fist was an explosion, the new technique the Sword Duke taught him was the wind. It was swift and light, and at times, as fierce as a gale.
Another was a technique performed with the palm, not the fist. Unlike Explosive Fist or Gigantic Piston, which destroyed and crushed opponents, it was a technique that literally pushed them away. From the image of the Sword Duke performing the technique, Ingong got the impression that it blocked external forces. He felt he would have to perform it himself to understand why he got that feeling.
The last one was a kicking technique. The downward kick, as fast as a flash of light, seemed simple at first glance but was just as swift and powerful.
[You have learned Sura Heart Art - Wind God Lv1.]
[You have learned Sura Heart Art - Taishan Lv1.]
[You have learned Sura Heart Art - Lightning Lv1.]
The transmission of the Sura Heart Art and three techniques.
Ingong was impressed by the Sword Duke's unexpected method of teaching, but the Sword Duke was even more impressed.
Ingong's speed of learning the techniques was too fast. Even with the direct infusion method, his speed was beyond belief.
‘A genius on par with the 2nd Prince?’
No. That wasn't it. He seemed to have a decent talent for combat itself, but there was nothing special about his ability to embody techniques.
But if that was the case, what explained this speed? Had the Sword Duke himself misjudged the 9th Prince's abilities? The Sword Duke himself, of all people?
If so, that was good. It could be called a pleasant miscalculation. The Sword Duke let out a pleased laugh and prepared to finish the infusion of techniques.
But he couldn't. It wasn't because Ingong was resisting. Nor was it because an unexpected problem had occurred during the transmission process.
The transmission of techniques had finished properly. Ingong had learned the Sura Heart Art and the three techniques the Sword Duke had intended to teach.
But Ingong's transformation wasn't over.
A white aura surged like flames from Ingong's entire body. Karak, Karma, and Felicia, unaware of the situation, could only watch in awe, but the Sword Duke knew better. He was baffled by the change taking place inside Ingong's body.
[You have learned S-Rank Martial Art, Sura Heart Art.]
[Thanks to repeated serendipitous encounters, the level of Protagonist's Body has increased.]
[The level of Protagonist's Body Lv2 Skill - Impervious to a Hundred Poisons has increased. Upon reaching level 3, Impervious to a Hundred Poisons can evolve into Impervious to a Thousand Poisons.]
[You have learned Protagonist's Body Lv3 Skill - Harmony Lv1.]
Inside Ingong's body, his aura split in two. The two auras, having chosen different paths, respectively channeled the Sura Heart Art and the Divine Beast Fist.
It was a phenomenon even the Sword Duke had never seen before, something that shouldn't be possible in reality. Even if one managed to do something similar, it was an act so reckless that ninety-nine out of a hundred would have their body and soul destroyed by the rampaging aura.
The pure white aura surrounding Ingong's body swelled even larger. Karak, who had been merely gasping in admiration, realized something was wrong. Felicia also turned to the Sword Duke with an urgent expression.
“Sword Duke?!”
The Sword Duke heard Felicia's voice. But he didn't stop Ingong. He simply watched.
Karak looked back and forth between Ingong and the Sword Duke. He glanced at Felicia as if seeking a solution, but it wasn't as if she had any brilliant ideas either. After glaring at the Sword Duke with resentful eyes, she gritted her teeth. She didn't even know what to wish for, but she prayed and prayed for Ingong.
‘Master.’
Green Wind, who had temporarily moved her residence from the White Eagle to Ingong's body and soul, quietly closed her eyes. Amidst the violent flow of aura, she thought of the great Enkidu and the watcher Ainkel.
The powers of two different Elder Dragons.
Ingong, who had united two powers that could be called polar opposites.
This time was the same. It was no different.
The two auras, which had been racing down different paths, slowly became one. It wasn't just the auras merging; the very methods of aura manipulation became one.
Sura Heart Art and Divine Beast Fist.
Two different S-Rank martial arts.
But not anymore. The two no longer rejected each other.
[Sura Heart Art and Divine Beast Fist achieve harmony.]
[S-Rank Martial Art, Divine Beast Fist, evolves.]
Ingong had conquered the Sura Heart Art and the Divine Beast Fist. Because he had truly dominated them both, he was able to give birth to something new.
Something that possessed the explosive power of the Divine Beast Fist and the swiftness of the Sura Heart Art.
A new power that transcended the limits of S-Rank!
[You have learned SS-Rank Martial Art, Sura God Fist Lv1.]
Sura God Fist.
It didn't end there. Ingong had skill points he had been saving up.
[The level of Sura God Fist has increased.]
[The level of Sura God Fist has increased.]
Sura God Fist Lv3.
The power that had been surging from the depths of Ingong's body and soul took a clear form.
Karak, who had been watching with a worried face, excitedly looked back at Felicia and the Sword Duke, while Felicia watched Ingong with her hands tightly clenched. Karma prayed, whispering Green Wind's name.
A look of wonder appeared on the Sword Duke's face.
And then, in an instant.
Ingong opened his eyes. He unleashed the pure white aura.
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