Chapter 205
Chapter 205
Logan had been contemplating the nature of Transcendents ever since Luther Kyle first explained their characteristics to him.
The defining trait of Transcendents—those who surpass human limits—was the realization of their subconscious desires.
And when he saw the possibility of artificially controlling this phenomenon, the first thought that came to mind was obvious:
'What kind of trait would manifest if I naturally became a Transcendent?'
He didn't even consider a balanced awakening like his master's.
He couldn't give up the potential for something greater—just as Luther had described.
Fortunately, he had a clue.
The natural magic that had manifested in his beloved sword, Lux—Time Acceleration.
He still didn't understand why Lux's power, which aligned with his essence, had taken that form. But if he had to guess, it likely symbolized overwhelming speed.
Perhaps it was the subconscious manifestation of the martial principles his master had so strongly emphasized—the domination of space and speed.
If that were the case, the trait that would manifest upon his awakening would most likely be related to speed.
'Or...'
The desire to overturn everything.
Before his regression, his soul had been consumed by a destructive dream.
If a Transcendent's trait reflected the desires accumulated in their soul over time, then his power might manifest as something related to that—perhaps an aggressive trait.
'In the end, it probably would have been either strength or speed.'
Not that either would have been bad.
Especially if it were speed—it would align perfectly with the martial principles his master had stressed.
But after arriving in the Empire, experiencing Jerome's Absolute Sight, sensing the Emperor's shadow, and witnessing the miracles Tris Hornsby displayed, he could no longer think so simply.
'With just the power of Force Cores, I can already become the strongest in terms of basic physical abilities among my peers. The reason I can fight Aura Users now isn't because of strength or speed.'
If he became a Transcendent, he was confident that, at the very least, his physical abilities would surpass anyone's.
But.
Would physical prowess even matter against Jerome's Absolute Sight or the single technique Tris had shown him?
Once that thought surfaced, his mind began to lean toward a different path of awakening.
From then on, Logan obsessed over it.
To find a possibility that could surpass everything he had witnessed.
After long contemplation, he finally arrived at a plausible hypothesis.
'Whether it's speed, strength, or supernatural abilities, Transcendents gain powers that allow them to surpass limits they couldn't overcome before.'
The possibility of surpassing limits.
What if he could embody that possibility itself as his trait?
During his stay at the Star Palace, Logan worked tirelessly to visualize it.
Teetering on the threshold of awakening, he designed his trait and envisioned the future it would bring.
The abnormally heightened senses just before awakening allowed him to simulate a highly realistic future—yet no matter how many times he tried, he couldn't conjure a favorable outcome.
Muscles tearing and bones shattering were still the better scenarios.
But the frequent result of his head exploding was something he couldn't bring himself to accept.
'Too dangerous. Far too dangerous.'
Was it worth the risk?
Was there any reason to take such a gamble?
Even with just a basic trait enhancement, wouldn't he naturally become a top-tier Aura User given enough time?
Whenever such thoughts arose, Logan reminded himself of the Emperor, the Empire, and the single technique Tris had demonstrated.
'No! I can't afford to be complacent.'
The Empire he had personally experienced was far stronger than he had imagined—and his future was all the darker for it.
If he avoided risks and only pursued what he could safely handle, he would meet the same ruin as he had foreseen.
'Risk is inevitable.'
With that mindset, he continued researching the most viable method.
After relentless study, Logan only grasped the direction just before leaving the imperial capital.
Now, it was time to apply it in reality.
'Slowly... bit by bit.'
Huuuung.
The energy emitted by the first Force Core in his heart amplified eightfold as it passed through the second, third, and fourth orbiting cores, filling his entire body.
And the moment that overflowing energy, now familiar to his will, began to evolve in essence—
'Got it!'
A fifth Force Core burst forth, enveloping the existing cores and beginning its own orbit.
Wuuuuung.
The vibration that started in his heart spread throughout his body, suffusing him with the unmistakable power of Aura, transforming him from the core of his being.
Golden radiance poured from Logan's entire form, drawing the gaze of everyone present.
When Luther Kyle identified it as the precursor to awakening, they all cheered, holding their breath.
But as the golden light, which had illuminated the dark night camp, continued until dawn, the knights guarding Logan's perimeter began to show signs of unease.
"Sir Luther... does it normally take this long?"
"Hmm. I've heard it varies. Usually, it's over quickly, but..."
As the expressions of Victor and the other knights darkened at his words, Luther chuckled and continued.
"In my case, it took quite a while too. The longer it takes, the greater the transformation. Just keep watching."
His laughter eased their worries somewhat.
But Logan's meditation continued even as the newly risen sun passed its zenith and began to set again. Exhausted from the anxious wait, the knights started taking turns sleeping.
Then, at some point—
Flash.
At sunset, Logan's eyes snapped open amidst an explosion of golden light.
And—
"That was faster than I expected. We could've moved further and set up camp."
He smiled as if he had merely closed and opened his eyes, but no one pointed out the misunderstanding.
"M-my lord... truly...?"
"Are you really a Transcendent now...?"
At Victor and Henderson's questions, the knights' gazes sharpened.
"Yes. I'm an Aura User now."
The moment Logan freely manipulated the sacred golden light at his fingertips—
The campsite erupted in cheers that lasted for a long while.
"But this must remain a secret for now. Even after we return to the territory."
"Yes! We'll keep it in mind!"
No one asked why.
They were all elite MacLaine warriors who had faithfully supported him throughout the long journey.
Logan simply nodded without further explanation.
However, one person did bombard him with fundamental questions.
"You don't seem particularly changed... Don't tell me you got a generic trait— No, no. After all I explained, that can't be it, right?"
Luther Kyle, looking uneasy, was met with Logan's amused grin and a nod.
"Of course, Sir Luther. Thanks to you, I've achieved great results. I will repay this debt without fail."
"Hahaha. Then it's all good—but why don't you seem any different? Did you really listen to what I said? Physical enhancement and force compression would've let you crush everyone—"
"I can confidently say I've obtained something even better. Would you like to see?"
"Huh? Of course! Let's spar right now!"
Luther cheered, but for some reason, Logan hesitated slightly.
"What's wrong? Aren't you coming?"
"Well, even before awakening, we were evenly matched, weren't we? If I go all out, I fear I might humiliate you..."
"What the— Hah... Hahaha! Hahahaha! Well, fine! Just show me! Prove you're the future of the kingdom!"
"Then, what would you like as a reward?"
"Anything! Even if you ask me to become your subordinate."
"No take-backs?"
"Of course!"
Huuung.
Logan smiled, feeling a proud fullness spreading from his heart throughout his body.
Even the basic physical enhancement from becoming an Aura User was around 30%.
'I heard a generic awakening would've been closer to 100%.'
But this was enough for him.
His body had already surpassed peerless strength and could contend with Aura Users.
Even without calculating the energy efficiency of Force and Aura, his combat prowess had already risen significantly.
'A true life-or-death match would've been meaningless anyway.'
Even before, he had the ability to kill Luther Kyle if it came down to it.
Logan's swordsmanship—or more accurately, the Sword Duke's swordsmanship—specialized in speed, making it a natural counter to Luther Kyle.
It would've been a repeat of his previous duel with Blake.
Now that he had awakened, the gap would only widen.
But this wasn't just about victory.
Having seized the possibility born from Luther's advice, Logan wanted to show him at least once.
And he wanted to confirm it for himself.
"Come. I'll show you exactly what I've gained."
"Good!"
As Logan raised his sword, Luther Kyle swung his beloved warhammer, War Lord, without hesitation.
Clang!
Swoosh!
An attack Logan would've had to fully evade before, he now deflected with a single slanted parry.
Luther, suddenly off-balance, threw his weight into the motion, adding rotation to his hammer for an even mightier swing.
Kwaaaaang!
The earth-shattering strike was effortlessly dodged as Logan stepped aside, his sword tracing an elegant arc in the air.
Ssskkt!
With a sharp slicing sound, the neck area of Luther Kyle's armor was cleanly severed.
Had the golden Aura only grazed the armor?
The giant could keenly feel that, had Logan been serious, the duel would've ended right there.
"You've grown terrifyingly strong, Logan. Don't tell me it's a speed-related—"
"No. Up until now, that was just my basic ability. What I showed you was my enhanced physical prowess, not my trait."
"What?!"
'It's just that you're too weak.'
A thought he couldn't voice to someone who was now more of a benefactor than an enemy.
A complex emotion he hadn't even considered until yesterday now weighed on Logan's mind.
'He really is weak. It's not just his large frame or exaggerated movements. Luther Kyle is among the weakest of Transcendents.'
He had long known that Aura Users were divided into tiers.
Most commoners—even knights—tended to view Transcendents as a separate class of beings, so distinctions weren't usually made.
But now that he had ascended a tier, the difference was starkly clear.
Luther Kyle's level was that of a low-tier Aura User, barely past the threshold.
The same level Logan had just reached.
Though Logan was a special case, awakening alone had already allowed him to surpass Luther.
It was hard to believe Luther had been an Aura User for over a decade.
'Did he stagnate, or did he choose not to grow? If Luther is like this, then Wicken Calria must be similar.'
It only made him lament the overall level of the kingdom's Aura Users.
'Is Master the only one I can rely on?'
Hiding his bleak thoughts, Logan raised his sword again.
Even if Luther's level was disappointing, he still owed it to him to demonstrate what he had gained.
"Now, I'll show you the trait I obtained thanks to you, Sir Luther. Brace yourself."
At those words, Luther's face hardened, and crimson Aura soon enveloped his body.
His pride—the Aura Armor, his ultimate combat stance.
Facing him, Logan calmly recalled the trait engraved in his soul.
'The design is perfect.'
The vague concept of surpassing limits had been refined into something concrete, with the Force Cores providing the key to enhancing efficiency.
Unlike other Force Users who scattered their cores, Logan concentrated his Force Core in his heart to maximize output and efficiency—the source of his current power.
'That made it easier to visualize.'
Force Cores had the unique characteristic of increasing in number as one's mastery grew.
'Here goes.'
The moment he pulled the trigger engraved in his soul, the five-star Force Core in his heart spat out another core.
Simultaneously, Logan's perception of the world shifted.
The Force throughout his body surged more than twofold in an instant, and his ability to control and utilize it amplified accordingly.
The flaws he had seen in Luther's stance multiplied from one to four or five in an instant.
It wasn't just an amplification of Force and efficiency—it felt as if his soul itself had ascended.
A temporary, yet perfect, elevation of his state.
If ascending one's state strengthened Force Cores, then the reverse process should also be possible—and his hypothesis had proven correct.
'Success!'
Energy efficiency alone had quadrupled.
His actual combat performance had skyrocketed beyond comparison to before.
Luther Kyle's eyes widened as he sensed Logan's transformed presence.
"...Try to block this."
The brilliant golden Aura erupting from Logan's sword cleaved through Luther's crimson Aura like a hot knife through butter.
For the next five minutes,
Luther Kyle was forced to acknowledge every flaw in his technique as Logan systematically exploited them all.
'His overly powerful physical traits have ironically made him a slave to his own body.'
Looking down at Luther from a higher plane, Logan had discerned the reason for his stagnation and forcibly made him aware of it.
A form of repayment for the knowledge Luther had shared about trait design.
"Th-thank you. You... you've awakened an absurdly powerful trait."
Logan met Luther's complex gaze—
Thud.
Then collapsed to the ground as his Force plummeted.
"What the— Are you alright?!"
Luther, despite bleeding profusely, was the one shouting in concern at Logan's pale face.
But Logan, though utterly exhausted, weakly waved him off with a faint smile.
"It's temporary. A side effect I have to accept. Anyway, I'm grateful for the power I've gained."
He meant it.
There was another reason he hadn't shared with Luther.
'It worked! My intuition was right!'
The momentary, overwhelming surge in combat power that had awed Luther was merely the secondary benefit.
The true, greatest advantage of this trait—the one that had excited Logan from the moment he conceived it—
'Even if only for five minutes, I can directly experience a higher plane of existence.'
Right after awakening, he had faintly grasped the previously incomprehensible Divine Sword Secret Art: Fifth Form.
Progress slows as one reaches higher levels—that was common knowledge.
But Logan was certain he had developed the ultimate trait to overturn that very principle.