Sidegrade (2)

I rubbed my chin, staring at the aura that had grown far larger than before.

According to Sword Master, this manner of development yielded astronomical inefficiency. An aura billowing like roaring flames versus one refined to razor sharpness—even a cursory glance made it obvious which was superior. Yet a wall of staggering height stood between the two states, making that leap agonizingly difficult to achieve. He had remarked that anyone capable of crossing that threshold would be hailed as a strategic asset courted by entire nations, which ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠meant natural talent played an overwhelming part in the equation.

I haven't even been here a month, so I can hardly count on having that kind of talent.

Even if my body was steadily adapting to the Forest of the Four Seasons, innate genius was another matter entirely. The metallurgy technique the dwarf had taught me was simple enough—you just followed the instructions to the letter. Internal cultivation arts and aura, however, operated on completely different rules. They were powers that relied entirely on intuition. Which meant that even if my mana reserves ballooned indefinitely, it was all meaningless if I couldn't grasp that fundamental 'feel.'

I should ask Sword Master first.

The realm known as the Aura Blade, or Sword Gang. Did I really have to rely on something this horribly inefficient until I finally managed to step into that realm? If there was no other choice, I would make do, but unforeseen complications could always crop up. I needed an expert's perspective.

The Heavenly Demon will probably chime in too. I ought to ask her if passing out the instant you hear a mnemonic formula is normal, while I'm at it.

Rather than questioning them separately, I decided to make a post on the Gallery. That way, everyone could bounce ideas off each other in real time. Perhaps someone else would offer useful advice as well.

A cold prickle ran down my neck. What if my soul really had slipped clean out of my body? But nothing was confirmed yet. Right as I was mulling it over, another comment appeared.

NecromancyIsLove had dropped in out of nowhere, claiming astral projection was entirely feasible. His credibility was sub-zero, yet no one disputed the concept itself. That meant I truly had to consider the possibility that it wasn't a dream, but my soul slipping out.

Brain death, or ending up in a vegetative state. I got ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the picture. A dream was infinitely preferable to astral projection; if my soul went missing, I'd be utterly ruined.

I was curious about that as well. Had anyone ever developed like me? Even Sword Master seemed at an utter loss for words. Fortunately, history had a way of producing every freakish anomaly imaginable, and before long an anonymous user chimed in, recalling a precedent.

I followed Sword Master's advice. Was this billowing, flame-like shroud actually effective? Aura was not merely intangible energy; it possessed physical form. Its manifestation changed depending on the implement: edged weapons gained cutting force, while blunt instruments became exponentially harder. Reaching the realm of the Aura Blade would unlock effects far beyond that, but that was a concern for later. For now, I had to verify whether this flaming shroud—having grown past a mere heat haze—held practical utility.

These trees should do.

I halted before a grove of reasonably thick trees. I needed to produce an enormous amount of charcoal anyway, so I could chalk this up to timber felling. Gripping the sword draped in rolling flames of aura with both hands, I drew it up slowly. No need for a shield.

Start recording.

I had to post the proof to the Gallery, so I didn't forget the video. Settling into my stance, I brought the blade down in a clean, forceful diagonal slash.

Shwwrck!

Perhaps because it was a joint effort between the Heavenly Demon's Sword and aura, the movement felt silken smooth. But what truly mattered was the outcome. I waited in silence for the aftermath to unfold.

Craaaash!

The tall trunks snapped and fell along the exact path my slash had carved. The cross-sections were mirror-smooth, true to the blade's exceptional quality.

The aura part, too.

Where the extended aura had slashed, the trees behind them came crashing down in unison. The aura was far from decorative vanity—it carried real cutting power. A conflicted grimace formed on my face, torn between celebrating and sighing. Well, time to upload it to the Gallery.

Well, nothing I could do about that. I shut down the Gallery.

Wild theories had run rampant, but one truth remained undeniable: the mnemonic formula Heavenly Demon gave me had certainly worked. The only issue was that its effects had manifested in an entirely lateral direction. To use an analogy: I took hair-loss medication, only for a majestic beard to sprout forth while the hairs on my crown continued their steady retreat.

That's depressing in its own right.

If that happened in real life, you'd want to wrench your own neck around in pure rage. Shaking off the useless thought, I looked back down at the blade.

Not that I can reduce the mana pool, either.

Manifesting aura required a certain threshold of mana. To put it simply, mana was like oil. When oil met fire, it flared into an inferno in an instant, but until it reached its flash point, it remained an ordinary liquid. In my case, the flash point remained unchanged, yet the reservoir of fuel had ballooned exponentially. I couldn't wrap my head around the underlying logic.

Which brought me to one burning question.

How much larger will the Mythrecon Sword burn?

I checked the time; there was still a brief window before breakfast. Gripping the Mythrecon Sword, I poured mana into the hilt.

Shwoooosh!

The blade glittered like a river of emerald stars. Truly stunning, no matter how many times I beheld it. Watching the phosphorescent glow course across the metal, I released my aura. I had anticipated it expanding perhaps 1.5 times its previous size, but—

ROOOOAAAR!

"Whoa."

A roaring pillar of aura erupted, so colossal I had to tilt my head back just to take in its full height. Even factoring in the blade's exceptional amplification, wasn't this absurdly overpowered?

The Heavenly Demon wasn't kidding around.

If someone like me could unleash this, actual masters would be downright terrifying. What made it more absurd was the minimal mana drain. At this rate, an errant swing might end up catching me in its own blast radius. I quietly dispersed the flaring aura. It seemed best to hold off on brandishing this until I learned how to compress it properly.

Should I just use this as a long-range zoning tool?

It sounded dumb as hell, but it might actually prove effective. A dry laugh escaped my lips.

Meanwhile, around the same hour...

Sword Master Ash, who had just been struck with the Heavenly Demon's ban hammer, sat in her estate.

"My, look at you! Helping your mother out for once?"

"Just... felt like fulfilling my filial duties, I suppose."

"If you have free time on your hands, bring home a decent husband. That is true filial piety."

"Yes, Mother..."

Thanks to the Heavenly Demon's divine 'grace,' she was dutifully fulfilling her rare filial obligations.