Chapter 90
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Before the Festival (4)
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Thursday midnight. Beneath a dazzling sky still crackling with fireworks, at the serene lakeside of Endex's old campus.
I'm waiting for someone.
No, the person was already here.
"What."
Soliet, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, was lying on the grass right beneath the stone bench.
"You've arrived."
Her smartphone fixed right in front of her eyes, her fingers busily swiping through the community feed—swish swish.
"When did you get here?"
"Twenty minutes ago."
"...Why come so early?"
"The view's nice."
Bang! Bang!
Fireworks exploded again right then. Soliet didn't seem to care at all. She came here for the view, she said.
"You not going to the festival?"
"What's there to... What the hell, why'd you buy so much?"
Soliet lifted her face, her eyes going wide.
"Fleeced a sucker for it."
I'd bought one of each festival food: chicken, hotteok, bungeoppang, roasted potatoes, dakgalbi, tanghulu, and more.
"Want some? Gotta soak in the vibe at least."
"...I'm good."
Soliet set her smartphone down. She sprang up, brushed the grass off the back of her head, and stretched vigorously. I popped a roasted potato in my mouth, then gathered the rest of the food and set it aside.
"Let's get to it."
Today was the day she was teaching me footwork techniques.
"Body techniques for real?"
"Yeah."
Arkne body techniques. In other words, the way she moved her body. I planned to watch and learn.
It's not like I was lying—I'd seen her future self execute absolute sword strikes, but never her body techniques.
Why?
Because back then, that Soliet just stood there swinging her sword. And no living thing lasted more than three exchanges against her.
True story.
At least, not in my memories.
"Can you teach me the basics? Something foundational for body techniques."
"The basics? After you punched a monster to death barehanded?"
"That was with Dispel active."
"...Fine. Normally, you start with footwork, then bodywork. Arkne body techniques are built on those two fundamentals."
I'd heard of it.
Only heard of it.
"Footwork is exactly what it sounds like—how you move your feet. Lower body mana circulation is key."
"Mana circulation?"
"Yes."
"...Isn't that just One Belt Four Lines in the end?"
I asked skeptically. Soliet's face turned stern as she refuted me.
"Everyone learns body techniques from childhood. But at least Arkne techniques have nothing to do with One Belt Four Lines."
"Really?"
That sparked my curiosity.
Before regression, by the time Soliet had cut ties with her family and abandoned everything Arkne, I'd never even heard of it.
"Show me."
"Yes. Footwork basics rely on lower body mana circulation. Whether walking, running, sitting, or even sleeping—mana must always be circulating."
"...Can you demonstrate that circulation?"
I prepped the SZX-9500 Mana Optics Microscope.
Of course, even the SZX-9500 couldn't peer inside a human body. But it could vaguely observe the mana flow within.
"Yes."
Soliet channeled mana into her lower body.
"...Hmm."
Definitely not One Belt Four Lines. The mana flowed naturally through her lower body without any lines.
Similar to Body Integration, but different because this mana had 'order' to it. My dantian just blindly pumped mana like a heart, 24/7.
"Got it. That's the circulation. Next?"
"Fixation. Hold it in place."
Soliet tensed her thighs. In that instant, the mana latched onto her muscles.
I shoved my face right up to her leg. Nodding as I observed closely.
"Yeah. Definitely different."
"Add One Belt Four Lines on top, and it looks like this."
The 'lines' appeared sharply. Mana particles gripped by the muscles clung to the lines and glowed together—like leaves on tree branches.
"Of course, activating Mana Body amplifies these techniques too... but aren't you a bit too close?"
"Huh? Oh."
I quickly stepped back a couple paces. Nearly sniffed her skin there.
"Sorry. Got carried away."
"No issue. Anyway, master footwork like this, and your steps get nimble."
Soliet suddenly sidestepped—crab-walking, left then right.
"Watch."
Shh-shh-shh-shh—
Her crab steps accelerated insanely. Heat even rose from the ground.
"Whoa..."
I was impressed. Soliet stopped and nodded.
"You've really never learned this before."
"Obviously. I've been... a beggar all this time."
This explanation should suffice. I literally was a beggar.
Mana, martial arts, academics—never had any systematic training.
"Yet you've got that level of reinforced body."
"Ah... reinforced body?"
Well, there was one thing I had learned systematically.
Body Integration, taught by my master Theia Esil. She analyzed ancient theses just to teach me integration and dantian breathing.
"Alright then. My turn?"
"Yes. Give it a try. Slowly."
First, flow mana into the lower body. No different from Body Integration so far. My dantian pumped mana through my whole body like a heart around the clock.
Next, 'fixation.'
When the mana mixes into the muscle fibers and starts circulating, clamp down—tight.
Now sidestep like Soliet.
Shh-ba-ba-ba—
Not super fast at first, some lag, but after a few tries, the steps felt natural.
The result.
Shh-ba-ba-ba-ba-bat!
Nailed it, more or less. Ground didn't scorch, but it singed a bit.
"How's that."
I turned to Soliet.
"..."
Soliet said nothing.
Her eyes looking at me felt off. Her pupils suddenly went blank.
Did I mess up? She's got this scary vibe for no reason.
Ahem. I cleared my throat and asked again.
"What?"
Soliet swallowed.
"Just now, from you... I..."
Before she could finish, she nodded to herself.
"Saw a glimpse of genius."
"...Huh?"
Utter nonsense to me.
Last time it was 'talent,' now a 'glimpse of genius'? Did her level go up or something?
"..."
Soliet added nothing more. Seemed speechless too. Probably for different reasons than me.
"...You're the genius."
If we're talking pure talent, she's the pinnacle in Arkne's 300-year history.
"No. It took me a week to learn this footwork."
"How old?"
"Six."
"Who you kidding?"
I'm just mimicking her, and my limits are clear. Higher realms of body or sword techniques always need Mana Body support, and Notebook capacity will hit a wall eventually.
"I'm not kidding. Try again."
Soliet's eyes went wide. Uncomfortably wide. What, baseballs?
"Kinda pressuring me here."
"You'd react the same finding a diamond rolling in the street."
"Wasn't rolling in the street."
"Just do it. My eyes hurt."
Soliet furrowed her brow.
I repeated the footwork.
Shh-ba-ba-bat!
Smoother than before. Soliet's eyes blinked rapidly.
"There it is again. That glimmer. You sure you don't want to learn swordsmanship? Even Arkne would welcome you."
"You focus on it. You're Arkne's greatest talent ever."
Pre-regression, she abandoned Arkne. Perfected her absolute sword at the cost, but she shouldn't have.
She belonged in Arkne.
"What nonsense. Don't spout crap about things you don't know."
Soliet scowled.
"What. You are the greatest talent."
The one who could perfect the root of Arkne swordsmanship.
Talent to break through extremes.
That's Soliet.
"You saw my father's interview? Total bullshit."
"Why would I watch your dad's... interview."
...Soliet. You can reach Arkne's zenith. Accomplish what even your ancestors couldn't.
For a moment, a resonant voice echoed in my ear.
Soliet's father, Igiris. Calling back the disowned Soliet.
Why did this memory trigger now?
"Anyway. Your footwork's flawless already. Next is bodywork. Master both perfectly, and you'll acquire lightness skill. Now, bodywork—"
"Let's call it for today."
"Wha, what?"
Soliet frowned.
No joke, my body was already feeling the strain. Footwork was legitimately complex and tough—mirroring it took a toll.
Notebook capacity was eating up 6 already.
No wonder Soliet was hyping the genius bit.
"Gotta eat."
Need recovery.
My recovery runs on food.
Ripped into a chicken leg. Ate a whole potato. Chewed tanghulu. Tore into chicken thigh. Ate bungeoppang. Chewed hotteok. Ripped into chicken breast. Soliet glared at me with laser-beam eyes.
"...You're so lazy."
"What. Did you get the Latynel textbook?"
By the way, this was an equal exchange. I teach Latynel, she teaches body techniques.
"Yes."
Soliet pulled the textbook from her duffel bag.
"Bought it this time?"
"From Father's study."
"...Huh."
Kinda weird. Not used to Soliet being close—no, still on speaking terms—with her father.
Obviously not daddy-daughter cuddles now, but still.
"Hand it over."
I checked her textbook. Definitely well-worn.
"First chapter it is."
I said, swallowing the last chicken.
"Yes."
"Kaedeius Radeoman. Means 'the Emperor's Man.'"
...Twenty minutes later.
"You got a rock for a head?"
Couldn't hold back, and Soliet pouted.
"No. It doesn't make sense. Why use it so inefficiently?"
For twenty minutes straight, she'd repeated that.
Inefficient, right? It's inefficient. So inefficient. Inefficient—
"Just memorize it as is."
"...That's why there's no progress."
"It's a dead language. What, evolve it? Just memorize."
What's with the efficiency obsession.
"Memorize all these words by next week."
"...Lazy ass gives tons of homework."
Soliet grumbled, stuffing the Latynel textbook back into her duffel.
I lay silently on the grass. Getting seriously sleepy. Aftereffect of the intense movement.
"...You check the community?"
Soliet asked out of nowhere.
"Nah."
"Look at this."
Smartphone appeared before my eyes.
[Panda Eating Bamboo Sound]
Chomp chomp chomp—a panda munching bamboo.
"...Neat."
Answered without thinking, but something felt off.
Where'd Soliet come from?
I turned my head and flinched. She was lying there, our crowns nearly touching at a slant.
"..."
Heart thumped a bit, but no falling for it.
Soliet's just indifferent.
I'm not the naive kid anymore. Not immature enough to think grandchildren from a fingertip brush.
"This too—"
"...I'm resting, so no weird stuff."
"..."
She started to shove the phone closer, then slyly pulled it back.