Rumeorn (1)
As the one-month grace period was newly granted, the Awakened began to engage in more systematic training.
During the mornings and afternoons, the focus was primarily on training to raise their fundamental skills.
Rather than haphazard physical conditioning, they trained in physical stamina alongside learning the basics of weapon techniques from Eclipse.
Awakened who used cold weapons had no choice but to completely overhaul all their old habits.
“Is this really correct?”
There were some Awakened who voiced such doubts.
But in the end, they had no choice but to follow Eclipse’s instructions. The reason was simple.
Because Shin Seongmin followed Eclipse’s words with absolute obedience.
Shin Seongmin began actively asking Eclipse about the parts he found puzzling.
What posture was correct when gripping a sword, and how he could unleash more powerful swordsmanship.
Eclipse began answering all of these questions in detail. However, he did not offer separate advice on sword styles tailored to each individual Awakened.
“If your fundamentals are solid, you can perform any kind of swordsmanship. In the end, swordsmanship is simply the application of cutting and thrusting. Various branches may attach themselves to that process, but the core always derives from the fundamentals.”
“Flashy swordsmanship is not bad. Heavy swordsmanship is not bad either. But any sword style that lacks solid fundamentals will inevitably reach its own limits in one form or another.”
“Every sword style has its own strengths. Finding those strengths is a matter of your own skill. A style that suits me may not suit you. Therefore, I cannot teach you every single one of those styles in detail. The same applies to other weapon techniques. The only thing I can thoroughly teach you is solid fundamentals. In truth, that is the case for most forms of attack.”
“In addition, it is important to develop your physical abilities accordingly. The body can never be disregarded in combat. Of course, you all can use mana to perform all sorts of irregular sword techniques. But that is precisely why the body is even more crucial.”
“Why is the body so important?”
To Shin Seongmin’s question, Eclipse answered as follows.
“The body is bound to develop in some form or another. If you strengthen those developed parts with mana, that will become the combat method that truly suits you.”
The impression Eclipse had gained while observing the swordsmen and warriors of this world was this:
They relied far too heavily on mana.
It wasn’t that people on Earth neglected physical training entirely, but they tended to focus more on increasing the volume of their mana than on tempering their bodies.
He understood that it was for the sake of immediate, effective combat.
Eclipse clearly understood that fact as well.
How many people must have died for the combat arts of this world to develop?
When the Gates first opened.
Because of the immediate threat, people must have focused on the suddenly awakened power known as mana.
On that alluring power that allowed them to transcend human limits.
So naturally, they had no choice but to neglect their innate human strength.
After all, tempering the body required an immense amount of time from the very beginning.
Of course, increasing the volume of mana also required a great deal of time.
However, unlike physical training—where the effects were not immediately noticeable even with consistent effort—mana produced increasingly visible results the more its volume grew. That was why people began paying more attention to increasing their mana than to their bodies.
Their choice had been half right.
After all, they had to survive first if they wanted to plan for the future.
But excessive focus on mana had caused them to abandon the potential of their own bodies.
Eclipse felt genuine regret over this, so he began preaching the importance of the body to the Awakened.
Shin Seongmin, who had asked the first question, nodded thoughtfully at his words before asking if he could provide an example of supplementing physical development with mana.
“Could you perhaps give us one example?”
“For an example, Lee Mina fits that description. Since she has trained in swordsmanship that emphasizes speed, her muscles have developed in accordance with her reflexes and agility.”
Suddenly called out, Lee Mina tilted her head and asked.
“Me?”
Eclipse nodded and continued.
“Yes. If you become accustomed to a combat method that channels mana into your developed muscles, you will be able to move even faster. Of course, you will also need to practice controlling that increased speed.”
“Ah… Thank you for the advice.”
Lee Mina nodded.
Thanks to Cineas’s help, she had been focusing solely on raising her speed.
Of course she had trained her swordsmanship in her spare time, but in the end, most of her battles had revolved around accelerating with Cineas’s assistance and striking at the openings her enemies revealed.
And that limitation had been thoroughly exposed during her fight against Yusoha.
No matter how much she increased her mana or received Cineas’s help, she simply couldn’t get any faster.
Because mana volume didn’t explode upward after a certain point.
To her, the advice Eclipse had just given was remarkably effective. He had pointed out a part she hadn’t paid attention to before.
In truth, she had considered the potential of her body before.
But even when she trained, the effects were so minimal that she hadn’t felt much desire to continue. She had thought it would be more efficient to spend that time going out to obtain spiritual herbs instead.
Shin Seongmin, who had been quietly listening, asked Eclipse.
“Then what about me?”
“You, Shin Seongmin, are similar to me. Your body’s condition is balanced and stable. You simply need to thoroughly master the fundamentals. Your ability to improvise and read your opponent’s sword also seems excellent.”
He gave Shin Seongmin the highest praise he could offer.
Eclipse had even thought that if Shin Seongmin had existed in his own world, he could have raised him into quite a capable knight.
The other Awakened nodded in agreement with his evaluation of Shin Seongmin. There were even murmurs of “As expected of an S-class.”
Anyway, once the brief question-and-answer session ended, Eclipse continued examining the Awakened’s fundamentals.
If someone’s posture was off, he corrected it directly. If an Awakened performed well, he didn’t hesitate to offer praise.
When some of them struggled, he even demonstrated the basics himself.
When he thrust with a spear, when he demonstrated a precise stab with a rapier, when he showed a punch, when he swung a greatsword, when he wielded a blade.
Every Awakened present could only stare in utter disbelief.
It was simply too perfect. How could those be the same movements they themselves performed?
They were clearly the same thrusts and the same cuts—how could they look so different?
They were faced with a massive shock.
Realizing that Eclipse had not said their fundamentals were lacking for no reason, the Awakened began devoting themselves to the basics as if possessed.
It was a completely different scene from when Yusoha had trained in swordsmanship before.
Watching Eclipse praise the others and correct their postures, Yusoha felt a twinge of discontent.
Come to think of it, Eclipse had never given her direct praise that often.
Even when she built her fundamentals splendidly, even when she trained her body like a madwoman.
Yet these people received praise from him for doing just a little.
That fact left her feeling so sulky that, in the end, Yusoha picked up her sword and asked Eclipse to check her posture.
“Eclipse.”
“What is it?”
“Can you look at my posture too?”
“The swordsmanship you display has already reached a sufficient level. Now it is important to refine your own unique sword style based on solid fundamentals. It would also be good to try the swordsmanship you originally used once again.”
“Uh, um. Really?”
“Yes. Over the past month, you have achieved tremendous growth, so your fundamentals are on a different level from those Awakened over there. Therefore, it would be better for you to put in new kinds of effort. For example, increasing the volume of your mana to draw out your body’s power more effectively.”
“…Okay.”
Yusoha felt the brief sense of discontent she had felt fade away.
Once that day’s training ended and it was time for everyone to disperse, Yusoha got into her car in the parking lot and began heading somewhere.
Eclipse, who had been in his massive armored form, released his materialization and asked her.
[Soha. Where are we going right now?]
“To my grandfather’s house.”
[Your grandfather’s house?]
“Yeah. You told me to try something different. So I’m going to put in a different kind of effort.”
[If it’s a different kind of effort, then what exactly…?]
“I’m planning to increase the volume of my mana over this month. So I intend to stay at my grandfather’s house for a while.”
[What does increasing your mana volume have to do with your grandfather’s house?]
“There are quite a lot of spiritual herbs at my grandfather’s place.”
[Ah.]
“Separately from that, I told you I possess iron-attribute mana, right?”
[You did.]
“My grandmother is practically the incarnation of iron-attribute mana, so I also want to learn a bit more about mana manipulation from her.”
[I see. Understood.]
“And after the Hwanryeong tournament ended last time, my grandfather contacted me. He said he wanted to meet you in person, Eclipse.”
[Is that so?]
“Yeah. So I’m killing two birds with one stone. I’m going to train, and you’re going to meet my grandfather.”
[Understood. Is there anything I should be careful about?]
“He’ll probably be happy if you just show him who you really are. My grandfather isn’t particularly sensitive about etiquette or things like that. He has a very flexible way of thinking. Enough to take a Guardian Star like my grandmother as his wife.”
[Noted. Still, just in case, I will act cautiously. I don’t want to make a bad impression on your blood relative.]
“If you do that, I’d be grateful.”
The two of them began heading toward the mountain valley where Yu Hyeok and Rumeorn lived.
This is a fanart of Danha drawn by Mr. Kim1bak. Thank you so much.
