Chapter 407
Chapter 407
Chapter 407
"AGH, Are you for real?. This bastard!"
SMACK!
The club Nigel was holding dug into Zeke's abdomen.
"KUHEOK!"
He immediately grabbed his stomach and collapsed to the ground.
She gritted her teeth while looking at Zeke.
"This human butcher bastard still can't get rid of his assassin habits... I told you to imbue your will into the sword, not to imbue murderous intent! Who told you to imbue murderous intent?"
Zeke crawled, gripping the sword and glaring at Nigel while growling.
"Will…? This is my will."
Nigel then pressed her forehead and frowned.
"Ha, this trash is all talk."
She clapped her hands against the club and approached the fallen Zeke.
"It seems I'll need to do a lot of work to extract the murderous intent deeply embedded in your body."
Seeing Nigel approach with a terrifying aura, Zeke flinched.
As a top-tier hitman of the Mekein Cartel, he thought he feared nothing.
But now, he did.
"...Master. Upon reflection, it seems that wasn't my true will. Can I try again?"
"It's already too late, you bastard!"
Nigel's beating began.
A club infused with her Soul technique thoroughly struck Zeke's entire body.
"KKEUUUK! Master! Mer, mercy...!"
"Shut up! You damn bastard! Today, I'll turn the murderous intent embedded in your body into dust!"
Zeke was beaten to the point of near death by Nigel, successfully erasing his hitman-era murderous intent.
Moreover, after being repeatedly hit by the club infused with her Soul technique, his body gradually adapted, and surprisingly, he opened his middle diantan and became able to handle mana.
Her doctrine that ‘you'll somehow manage if you keep getting hit,’ was proven correct.
And when Zeke stood before her again, transcending time and space, he unknowingly broke out in a cold sweat.
Nigel stared at him with a strange look.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No. I just remembered something from the past."
"If you're thinking about something else, you'll die. The day I teach a human Soul technique is truly approaching the end of days."
She shook her head and spoke to Zeke.
"Try activating Solo Spell again."
Zeke steadied his breathing and raised his strong will once more.
KUGUGUGU!
A powerful energy settled in his body, but it was definitely different from Nigel's Soul technique.
Watching Zeke, Nigel tilted her head.
"Hmm, what's this? This feeling is off. Why is it happening like this?"
She could tell that Zeke's method of activating Solo Spell was not much different from her own.
However, Zeke's Soul technique felt strangely empty.
Nigel nodded and said,
"There's only one answer in times like these."
She walked over and cut a thick wooden stick.
Then, infusing her Soul technique, she slowly trimmed the branch with her sword.
Before long, a smooth club perfectly fitted to her hand was created.
Suddenly, Zeke broke out in a cold sweat seeing the club.
'T-that...'
It was almost exactly the same club that had beaten him to a pulp in his previous life.
Holding the completed club and turning towards Zeke, Nigel said,
"Let's get hit. If we keep getting hit, it'll work out someday."
A club filled with the will of teaching flew towards Zeke.
* * *
For a full week, Zeke had to relearn the basics of Soul technique from Nigel.
"Again! You damn bastard!"
With rough cursing, the club inevitably flew.
Nigel's Soul technique even caused terrible pain to the immortal Zeke.
THWACK!
"Kreuuk!"
Zeke endured the pain that seeped into his bones and immediately stood up.
After learning that Zeke's healing factor automatically recovered wounds instantly, Nigel beat him even more ruthlessly.
And at some point, she began focusing on beating him and contemplating how and where to hit to cause more pain.
And her club imbued with will definitely felt more painful.
The frustrating thing was that after being hit repeatedly, his Soul technique actually started to function properly.
However, this wasn't because of Nigel's beating, but because Zeke had desperately thought and rethought to avoid her merciless violence.
But the last sliver of difference remained unbridgeable.
'Why is my Soul technique different from Master's?'
After repeated contemplation, Zeke finally could guess the reason.
When Zeke first met Kaisir, he had activated his Soul technique and been told it was a ‘pseudo-technique imitating spirit language.’
After that, Zeke had sealed his Soul technique and only started using the technique again after acquiring Dragon speech.
"It seems the difference is due to the dragon speech skill I use from the dragon race."
Hearing Zeke's words, Nigel wrinkled her brow.
"What is Dragon speech ?"
"Because I'm human, I cannot draw out the true power of Soul technique. So, I used dragon speechfrom the dragon race as a foundation, drawing the power of letters and adding it to my will when manifesting Soul technique."
Nigel nodded as if she finally understood something after hearing Zeke's explanation.
"Hmm, so that's why I felt something was off."
After thinking for a moment, Nigel looked at Zeke and said,
"Try displaying that dragon speech or whatever."
At her words, Zeke displayed pure dragon speech , not Soul technique.
"Burn."
With Zeke's words, the branch on the ground burst into flames.
Nigel looked at him in disbelief.
"What is this? Is this dragon speech magic?"
"I heard that dragon speech is necessary to cast dragon language magic."
Nigel nodded.
"I know what the problem is now. dragon speech is about imbuing words with will to make them happen. But in Soul technique, letters actually have little meaning. What's more important is materializing the image within."
"Materializing the image?"
"Didn't you know that's the basic principle of Soul technique?"
Nigel had thought Zeke was proficient in Soul technique since she had taught him the earlier parts. That's why she hadn't explained the most fundamental aspect.
She drew her sword and manifested her will of strength.
"How does my energy look now?"
Like before, a solid, steel-like will was felt.
"I feel an energy like steel."
"Good. What about now?"
Suddenly, Nigel's energy changed.
'Huh?'
Zeke felt a massive rock-like energy that had been silently settling around Nigel holding the sword.
"Is it... a rock?"
Nigel nodded and released her energy.
"Do you understand the difference? Both the solid steel energy and rock energy are manifestations of strength will. But the power of Soul technique you can display differs depending on how you image it."
Zeke immediately understood Nigel's words.
"Manifestation of specific images... Double Spell is about imagining more deeply and expressing it with will."
Watching Zeke quickly absorb the core of Soul technique, Nigel could somewhat understand why her past self had taken a human as a disciple.
Nigel waved her club around and shouted,
"Yes, now that you know, try it quickly! If you can't, be prepared to be beaten again!"
Zeke gripped Bahamut and drew his energy.
Unlike usual, he used the power of his soul instead of dragon speechto move his power.
TSUTSUTSUTSU!
Soul technique energy rippled from Zeke's body.
It was rougher compared to when he raised power with spirit language, but now he could control it with his own will.
Zeke infused a specific image while maintaining that power.
'An impenetrable fortress wall.'
He imagined a solid wall and imbued it with strength will.
KOGOGOGO!
Nigel, watching Zeke, suddenly felt a massive fortress wall spreading where Zeke stood and was startled.
'A human can actually manifest Soul technique?.'
In fact, until just now, she didn't believe Zeke could perfectly manifest Soul technique.
She thought he was only mimicking an incomplete Soul technique using spirit language, thanks to the dragon heart embedded in his mid-meridian.
But seeing Zeke's energy now, she couldn't deny it.
"Whew."
After withdrawing his strength will, Zeke felt this technique consumed much more mental energy compared to manifesting Soul technique with incantation, but he could feel the will was properly imbued.
'This is true Soul technique.'
Moreover, previously using Soul technique itself had side effects, but now, perhaps because he had become incomparably stronger than in his past life, there were no side effects like headaches.
Zeke approached Nigel, who was staring at him blankly.
"Master, how was it? Did I do it correctly?"
Snapping back to her senses, Nigel flustered and shouted,
"Don't get conceited just because you've done one basic thing!"
Zeke was momentarily surprised by her words.
'I've been praised by my master for the first time.'
In his past life, he was always scolded and beaten without ever doing anything right, but this time he could show something properly.
Zeke felt like his past life's trauma was slowly healing.
Seeing Zeke looking somewhat pleased, Nigel's insides boiled.
She quickly threw the club she was holding and drew her sword again.
Imbuing her Soul technique into an ordinary Arming Sword, a massive greatsword energy rose.
Nigel looked at Zeke and said,
"I'll engrave today's lesson completely into your body."
"Yes, Master. Let's rest for a moment..."
"Shut up! There's no such thing as rest in my dictionary!"
Zeke was forced into an endless sparring session with Nigel and encountered his limits.
However, thanks to his limit breakthrough skill, Zeke could overcome the wall blocking him and master true Soul technique.
Thus, a week later, Zeke had learned all the remaining parts of Soul technique that he couldn't learn in his previous life.
* * *
KOGOGOGOGU!
As Nigel blocked Zeke's sword imbued with Soul technique, a massive wave burst out around them.
Nigel, deflecting Zeke's sword strike, manifested her silver will, completely concealing her presence and moving stealthily into a blind spot.
Zeke also deployed a defensive area by manifesting his will of defense to guard against Nigel's attack.
KWACHING!
After colliding once, they distanced themselves and steadied their breathing while holding their swords.
Soon, Nigel lowered her sword.
"Enough. Continuing would be meaningless."
Zeke had now become capable of manifesting Soul technique at Nigel's level using Solo Spell.
Zeke unknowingly smiled, pleased at being acknowledged by Nigel.
Seeing Zeke, Nigel clicked her tongue.
"Stupid bastard, the real power of Soul technique starts from Double Spell! Don't forget that you, who has just barely understood Solo, are still far from catching up to me!"
Looking at Nigel's unnecessarily harsh scolding, Zeke smiled slightly.
Having somewhat overcome his trauma from his previous life's master, he could now face her without as much fear.
"Thank you for your teachings, Master."
At Zeke's gratitude, Nigel turned her head and went to sit at the table made in one corner of the wooden house.
Zeke immediately began preparing a meal by taking out various tools from his inventory.
Even in his previous life, Zeke always prepared meals for his master Nigel.
This was because she would never take the initiative to prepare food when alone, to the point where he couldn't tell what she survived on.
As Zeke laid out various dishes on the table, Nigel began eating with an excited expression.
Stuffing her cheeks full of food and eating hurriedly, Zeke offered her water.
"Please eat slowly, Master."
Though once a master who only inspired fear, Nigel was the one who saved him in his previous life and taught him many things that allowed him to survive.
Zeke had always been troubled by not being able to seek forgiveness from his previous life's Nigel.
As if reading Zeke's state of mind, Nigel said while tearing into bread,
"Don't make such an expression."
"Pardon?"
"At first, I couldn't understand what the previous me was thinking when accepting you and sending you away... Well, now I might understand a bit."
She looked at Zeke and continued,
"Accepting you and releasing you from the covenant was ultimately my will. So you don't need to feel sorry to my previous self or think you owe her anything."
Nigel precisely spoke the words Zeke had been wanting to hear, as if looking into his heart.
Zeke scratched his head, looking embarrassed.
"...You're truly impossible, Master."
"Hah, it'll take you hundreds of years to follow a great master like me, you damn brat."
As she laughed and continued eating enthusiastically, Zeke said,
"I have something to ask you, Master."
Seeing Zeke's sudden change in atmosphere, Nigel frowned but then opened her mouth in a hearty manner.
"What is it suddenly? HMPH. I don't know what it is, but ask. I'm in a good mood because the food is delicious, so I'll answer."
Zeke slowly looked at Nigel and opened his mouth.
"Master, are you perhaps... a dragon?"