071. Mana of Strength 2
At the edge of the Forest of Death to the east of Plentel Castle, a vivid red pool of blood—the Blood Lake—caught the eye. It was here, amid the nearby crimson woods and trees, that Bin and Moden faced each other.
Moden had always been intimidating, but today his expression seemed even more grave.
Bin met his father's gaze.
Just what kind of training will it be...?
His heart pounded. His skin prickled, and he instinctively clenched his fists. It wasn't fear. The old Bin might have felt it, but not now. This was anticipation—the thrill of drawing one step closer to his father's prowess. A complex, subtle emotion he could never have grasped before his regression.
…….
In the heavy atmosphere, Moden looked down at Bin's shoulder. A silver epaulet gleamed there. He spoke in a low voice.
"That epaulet doesn't just mark you as a Super Nova. It means the burdens on your shoulders have grown. And as a centurion, as well."
It was a weighty statement, advice from the family head. Moden's words carried real substance, a reflection of Bin's elevated position. Super Nova and commander of the Black Wolf Corps' 7th Division—a rank far beyond his years. Countless lives now hung on Bin's decisions. No wonder Moden's face was so solemn.
As Moden finished, Bin replied with unwavering confidence.
"Yes, Family Head!"
Bin's eyes burned with resolve, steeled against the dangers of the training ahead. They brimmed with an insatiable hunger for growth. Moden nodded approvingly.
"Fine eyes you've got. Then I'll leave the 7th Division in your hands."
Bin gave a slight nod in response. Moden then delved into the real instruction.
"The Mana of Strength is vital, but first... understand your weapon. I'll explain simply. Finding the answer yourself will make it all the more valuable."
"……."
Moden fixed Bin with a steady gaze and continued.
"For you right now, facing a 2nd-grade monster with regeneration would be daunting. No matter how many times you slice and dice them, their bodies recover, draining your mana in the end. Which means..."
Bin grasped the implication.
It could lead to the weapon's backlash...?
Hobas's image flashed in his mind. The man had begun screaming in agony.
"Gaaahhh!"
In that instant, the Great Sickle's blue glow enveloped Hobas's body. Tentacles erupted from the massive blade, instantly wrapping around one of his arms. His appearance warped—his arm ballooned grotesquely, his eyes filled with whites only. The long tongue lolling out remained the same habit.
"I'll kill you all."
Bin, having fought Hobas before, knew it well. When mana hit rock bottom, it meant relying on the weapon's power until your own will eroded away.
Moden added,
"Your body becomes a slave to the weapon. Remember this well: how to strengthen your physical form even further."
Thud. Thud.
Moden approached the Blood Lake. He drew a deep breath, then slammed his greatsword into the ground behind him.
Boom!!
The earth trembled, shaking their ears. Crimson lake water sprayed into the air. From the depths rose a monster in the shape of a massive tree.
"Ughhh!"
With a eerie groan, it extended tendrils to absorb the fallen red water. Bin frowned at the sight.
3rd-grade monster, Yabateo.
A carnivorous plant that devoured humans. Pitch-black plant-type monster. Holes resembling eyes, nose, and mouth dotted its trunk. At a glance, it looked no different from a giant tree. Countless knights had charged it heedlessly, only to be ensnared by its tendrils and mummified. This was Yabateo, leader of the Forest of Death.
Yabateo leered at the hulking Moden.
"Ughhh! A human with so much blood."
Two trunk-thick tendrils lunged at him with a sinister hiss.
Whoosh.
But Moden wasn't one to just watch. Thwack! He seized the two tendrils extending from Yabateo's body with ease. Tilting his head side to side, he murmured,
"Been a while since I stretched."
As he spoke, more tendrils—over ten—surged toward him.
Whoosh.
Moden's eyes widened. He swung the sword in his grip. A silver sword wind sliced through the air before him.
Shiiiing!!
A crescent slash cut diagonally, severing the tendrils that rained to the ground.
Thud. Thud...
And then—swish. Using Mana of Agility, Moden closed in on Yabateo in a flash. He whipped his sword around swiftly.
Splaaat!
The sound of splitting wood rang out. Yabateo's trunk—the core—split clean in two.
Codic's eyes gleamed.
What a splendid beast. That bulk, yet such speed...
As Codic marveled, the hole that served as Yabateo's mouth twisted into a smile. It looked utterly relaxed. And for good reason...
Tendrils sprouted from the severed body, knitting it back together.
Bin's eyes widened.
High-speed regeneration.
Memories of other monsters flooded back: the three-headed dragon Cerberian, the sea disaster Kraken. Their regenerating bodies replayed in his mind.
Before Bin could dwell, Moden spoke.
"Normal attacks do them no real harm. But if you condense the mana enveloping your body into one point..."
He spun his greatsword in a full 360-degree arc.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
His arms bulked up massively. The rotating greatsword grew larger too.
Bin focused intently, brow furrowed.
Mana of Strength...
Moden charged the fully regenerated Yabateo like a beast pouncing on prey. His whirling blade bore down on its core. Bin couldn't hold back his admiration.
Moon Sword...
Moon Sword—named for its blade spinning like a windmill, evoking the moon. A technique amplifying an already heavy greatsword's weight.
The descending blade cleaved Yabateo like tofu. Black ichor oozed from the gash.
Drip.
Moden glanced at its state, then turned to Bin.
"Understand your weapon like this and wield the Mana of Strength... and the outcome changes."
The Mana of Strength left a lingering resonance at the struck area, preventing regeneration.
Bin's eyes widened in conviction. With this power, even 2nd-grade monsters were no match.
Moden addressed him.
"Use this Mana of Strength against another one lurking underground. But on one condition."
Thud.
He tossed a greatsword at Bin's feet—dull blade, rusted.
The very one he'd just used.
Staring at it, Moden said,
"With this lowest-grade weapon."
Codic gaped in shock.
That sword from moments ago was lowest-grade...?!
And rightly so. This was a 3rd-grade Yabateo—tough plant monster impervious to most blades. To fell it with a lowest-grade weapon was astonishing.
Bin the blacksmith had known it already, hence his awe.
Moden, having handed over the blade, continued gravely,
"Wrap it in mana, and even a mere twig can cleave iron."
His serious expression made it clear: no jest.
Bin nodded in agreement.
Even a twig can cleave iron...
He pondered the words as he lifted the fallen lowest-grade weapon.
Right. Without Luminare.
This differed from past battles. No sword he'd forged—just raw physical prowess.
Yet his body had grown through those fights. No fear.
As Bin steeled himself, the ground cracked.
Rumble. Rumble.
Shards like broken glass. Another Yabateo emerged.
"Ughhh! Blood scent!"
Tendrils writhed furiously around it—more savage than the last. Its kin, the forest's sole other, lay dead.
"Enemy of my kin..."
Surveying the scene, its eyes shifted. It had pieced it together.
"Ughhhh..."
Its eerie voice echoed. Countless tendrils lashed at Bin like octopus arms.
The black blood on the greatsword convinced it Bin was the killer.
As Yabateo charged, Bin smirked and stared it down. He poured his body's mana into the lowest-grade weapon. White light flickered along the rusted blade, turning silver.
With a fierce glare, he locked eyes.
Let's begin.
The tendrils clashed against Bin's silver blade.
Clang!