The Taishan Giant Strength Axe Is Like Gills
Up until now, I had always assumed magi and internal energy were the same thing. If they truly were, it would mean I couldn’t use the power my own body produced for training. That didn’t add up, did it? I hadn’t noticed it clearly before, but the problem seemed to stem from the fact that the two weren’t completely identical. This called for an experiment.
Since I was already outside, I roughly shaped some magi into the form of an axe and gave it a swing. Sure enough, drawing magi directly from inside my body was impossible. Next, I let the magi inside me flow outward like a thin mist in every direction. The moment it spilled out, the natural energy, holy power, and the foul human auras that had been drifting around were all pushed back, carving out a pure void made entirely of magi.
This time I ignored my dantian completely. Instead I followed the original training method—drawing in external energy—and swung the axe again. Wind whipped around my body, and the magi I had scattered throughout my small world began clinging to me just as they had during my training there.
That was when I understood.
“So the Taishan Giant Strength Axe is basically gills.”
Even fish breathe oxygen, but they need water flowing through their gills to filter it. My training worked the same way. Just as gills need water to extract oxygen, the energy I was meant to absorb first had to leave my body before it could strengthen me. The world’s energy was as filthy as wastewater; open your gills the wrong way and you’d drop dead on the spot.
Once I realized that, all the training I had done since coming to this world suddenly felt like a colossal waste.
“Heh… I’ve been doing it completely wrong this whole time.”
All I had to do was release the magi from my body and train with that. Instead I had been cramming energy into my pathetic little dantian and painstakingly refining it. What a stupid waste. The thought stung, but I pressed my fingers hard against my brow and shook it off.
“Whatever. At least now that I know, entering the dantian path later will be easy.”
Better late than never. Besides, building up my dantian would help when I eventually got my hands on famous arts like the Imperial Sword Form or Plum Blossom Sword Technique. Setting my grumbling aside, I tossed the crumbling magi axe that had been sucked dry and raised my fists like a boxer, ready to continue the training I had started. That was when I heard a loud, chaotic clatter rushing toward me from the distance.
“How dare you intrude upon the goddess’s domain! You’ve got some nerve—huh…?”
I thought Samson, the holy knights, and the priests were charging over with weapons drawn, but the moment they confirmed it was me they all slumped their shoulders.
“Phew… Sir Cardnios. We thought a black magician was attacking.”
“My bad. I must have let my magi spread too carelessly. Sorry—I was training.”
“Not at all. It’s a racial trait, so it can’t be helped. What sort of training were you doing, if I may ask?”
Once again Samson stepped forward as their representative, eyes sparkling with curiosity. Unlike that idiot duo, I needed to build a good relationship with the holy knights, so I deliberately curved my eyes into a smile and let out a soft chuckle.
“I don’t mind teaching you, but I’m not exactly in the habit of giving lessons for free.”
My light tone carried no trace of displeasure, so Samson simply grinned back and shrugged.
“Ah, I don’t have anything on me right now. I’m afraid I can’t pay. Would one gold coin next time suffice?”
“No need. I’ll teach you with my body this time.”
“Teaching, you say… That’s actually something we’d love to request. I’m all for it… What about the rest of you?”
The other holy knights and priests looked visibly reluctant. Well, Samson’s lack of personal boundaries was the odd part; they were the normal ones. I had helped them, but we were still practically strangers, and I was a demonfolk who radiated magi. It was only natural they’d be wary, just like the high priest. Personal feelings aside, not many idiots would pass up the chance to cross fists with an Expert-rank opponent, so we each took up our weapons and faced one another on the training ground.
Maria and Kyros, who had been turned away at the door by Cardnios, sat side by side in the prayer room. They stared up at the goddess statue bathed in a solar halo, both lost in thought.
“Um… Kyros, what should we do now?”
Hearing the faint note of relief in Maria’s voice, Kyros thought to himself that this was actually for the best. There was no need to feel anxious. If he steeled himself, there were plenty of options. Most of them led straight to bad endings, which was why he had never considered them before, but they existed. Even assassinating Cardnios was possible. Since the current Kyros knew exactly why he had failed in the game, he believed that fixing those mistakes might make it risky… but not impossible.
Alternatively, there was the human-wave strategy. It was an utterly ruthless tactic in which he would ignore the main companion NPCs who would normally be NTR’d or betrayed, instead using extras as disposable human bait before latching onto whatever gains Cardnios earned. If he actually carried it out, Kyros would end up stripped of his hero title, branded a criminal, and shipped off to the front lines—yet as a last resort it was still worth considering.
…It truly was the absolute final option, but the important thing was that a path existed. Kyros slapped an iron plate over his conscience and puffed out his chest.
“Don’t worry. There’s always a way.”
“Yeah.”
Reassured by his confident attitude, Maria leaned her head on Kyros’s shoulder and closed her eyes. She clutched the sun-emblem holy token she always carried and began to pray.
“Haa… Goddess…”
When her prayer—neither too long nor too short—ended, Maria let out a deep, resentful sigh. Kyros, who understood her heart better than anyone, silently stroked her pale golden hair. After several minutes of his gentle touch, Maria’s eyes suddenly snapped open and she shot to her feet.
“No! We can’t stay like this! Kyros, let’s train!”
“Huh? All of a sudden?”
“What do you mean, all of a sudden! Our enemy is an Expert close to Master rank. No amount of training will be enough!”
After shrinking in on herself for the past two days, Maria had returned to her usual determined self. A pleased smile began to form on Kyros’s lips. It would have, anyway—if a powerful surge of magi hadn’t suddenly washed over them.
“…Ah. Again.”
“Ugh, again?”
Simultaneous groans escaped them. Even though they were in the middle of the cathedral, the magi was so intense that the pair hurriedly equipped their gear and broke into a run. The Expert-rank high priest and knight captain were already present, along with the User-rank holy knights and priests. The situation was better than in the plaza, but they still couldn’t afford to be optimistic. Cathedrals were open facilities by nature; there were far more non-combatants than fighters, so they had to hurry to prevent innocent casualties.
“Everyone! We’re here—”
“How strong is it th—”
The moment they reached the holy knights’ training ground where that powerful magi was emanating, both of them froze mid-sentence and stared blankly ahead.
Ten holy knights and eight priests were coordinating in perfect formation, sparring with Cardnios. Or rather… could that even be called sparring? It was a one-sided scene of violence—holy knights sent flying, priests rolling across the ground.
The sight was quite the shock to the pair. Having trained alongside the holy knights, Maria and Kyros knew their coordination was excellent. They had even witnessed four User-rank holy knights easily subduing an Expert-rank criminal before. So watching the holy knights being pushed back so completely was hard to believe.
“Oh, Sir Samson. That one had some weight behind it.”
A pitch-black arm wrapped in magi lightly flicked away Samson’s flail, which had been shrouded in holy power. Cardnios spared a brief glance at the barrage of holy magic that followed, then leaped straight into the center of the holy knights. The battle had turned into chaotic melee; the priests’ spells had stopped. Finding the situation progressing exactly as he intended, Cardnios smiled with his eyes and threw a punch that sent one knight flying.
Apparently displeased by the sight, another holy knight charged like a lance, sword raised. Cardnios dropped into a prone position like a dog, dodged, then grabbed the passing knight’s ankle. In one smooth motion he stood, lifted the armored adult male like a doll, and hurled him away.
Realizing this couldn’t continue, the holy knights tried to surround him with shields raised, but Cardnios was faster. He kicked the shield directly in front of him as if shoving it aside.
BOOM!
The metal shield, reinforced by holy power, crumpled and sent its bearer flying backward. Cardnios didn’t miss the opening. He slipped into the gap where one man had been, then slammed his fist into the nearest knight’s helmet as if slapping his cheek.
CLANG!
Metal rang out and the knight collapsed limply. With the knights’ charge momentarily halted, Cardnios scanned his surroundings. More than half the holy knights were down, and nearly all the priests caught in the chaos were rolling on the ground. After taking it all in—
“Hah-hah.”
He laughed. It was the sound of genuine enjoyment, as if it had slipped out unconsciously. Maria and Kyros, who hadn’t even joined the spar yet, felt a chill run down their spines. The holy knights currently facing him were no different; the metallic clatter of their trembling armor filled the air.
“Kyros, should we jump in too?”
“Mm…”
Honestly, Kyros did not want to step into that carnage. It wasn’t just because Maria’s arm hadn’t fully healed. The mere thought of fighting that monster made fear slowly rear its head. So he turned to look at Maria.
“Huu…”
She was taking deep breaths, clearly feeling the same fear. Yet even so, the unyielding resolve in her eyes made it clear that if it had to be done, she would not back down. This was the same steadfast gaze she had shown when he rejected her for the tenth time, when she had been kidnapped by a black magician right after becoming a saintess, and when she had been forced to end the suffering of the black magician’s test subjects herself. It was the strong eyes that never broke no matter how heavy her heart grew—the beloved eyes that had made Kyros fall for her and forget his fear.
Because he remembered the way his uncle from his previous life used to speak whenever things got tough, Kyros felt a pang of nostalgia. He smiled faintly and gripped his weapon tight.
“Let’s go.”
“Yeah!”
Their formation was always the same. Maria took the lead, raising her holy shield Blind Guardian. Kyros followed right behind her, using his holy spear Subtle Coordinator to keep their opponent in check.
Holy Relic Tower Shield
Emits an aura of absolute defense while drawing aggro from all enemies in range.
“Hm?”
Cardnios tilted his head at the tower shield that suddenly rushed toward him—the one decorated with three canine heads. Soon, however, he let out a low chuckle as if it didn’t matter either way.