After logging back in, Ambrose yawned and rubbed his neck.
The cozy cottage of Honorable Zhen’s was empty as he had left to do his temple work.
Thus, he was alone in the empty room, with the sound of silence surrounding him.
‘Right, what item did I lose?’ Ambrose wondered and turned his attention to the air in front of him.
“Interface…”
With a single whisper, the holographic screen appeared in front of him.
He checked all the items, and it didn’t take long for him to realize what he had lost.
“No… another one.” Ambrose sighed and lowered his head. “My Black Sword… God damn it!”
After the loss of another Black Sword, he had only one left and two Red Swords.
When he had three each, he thought it was impossible to lose all of them, but now it looked very much possible!
“Shit!” Ambrose groaned and then stood up.
He shook his head, trying to get rid of the negative thoughts.
He still had swordsmanship training to go to, and he had to somehow get the Wisdom King to stop the training earlier today, which would not be an easy task.
…
“To stop training earlier, you say?” The Wisdom King sat on a garden chair with an expressionless look on his face.
“Yes… I have things to do.” Ambrose replied while standing in the middle of the raised platform.
“That’s not a mindset of a strong person.” The Wisdom King said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Ambrose kneeled down and said. “Let me prove that my training has not been futile!”
“Alright.” The Wisdom King stood up and went to fetch a sword and spear from the weapons rack.
He then walked up the stairs to the platform.
“Sword and spear?” Ambrose curiously asked.
“I will be using a sword; you will use a spear.” The Wisdom King said and tossed the spear to Ambrose.
“But I am not a spearman.” Ambrose said with a frown.
“I am well aware.” The Wisdom King laughed and then pointed at the spear with his sword. “Pick it up.”
Ambrose looked at his training sword in his hand, then put it away and picked up the spear from the ground.
“I’ll allow you to use both hands.” The Wisdom King said and moved his wooden sword in front of his body. “Let’s begin.”
Ambrose nodded and tightened his grip on the spear. He then began to slowly circle around the Wisdom King, waiting for a moment to strike.
“You have a longer range; you should’ve used it!” The Wisdom King took a long stride forward and closed the distance between him and his pupil.
‘Shit!’ Ambrose quickly jumped backward and thrust his spear forward.
As the spear’s wooden blade approached the beige-colored robes, the Wisdom King lifted his sword and clashed it against Ambrose’s spear.
The spear lost the clash and got knocked out of Ambrose’s hand, flying through the air. 𝑶𝗏xt.𝒸𝔬
“Ugh!” Ambrose then saw the grandmaster lift his sword one more time, ready to deliver the final strike.
Without letting him do that, Ambrose jumped into the air and caught the spear in mid-air.
After landing on the platform, he spun the spear around and smashed it into the Wisdom King’s sword.
This time, he used the momentum from the spinning to land a devastating strike at the wooden sword.
While blocking the spear, the Wisdom King smiled thoughtfully.
“Basic Slash!” Ambrose raised the spear and smashed it down on the sword.
However, the Wisdom King suddenly flicked his wrist, causing the sword to masterfully deflect the spear.
The spear smashed into the ground, leaving Ambrose’s side completely defenseless!
Realizing his peril, Ambrose let go of the spear and shot his hand forth, then suddenly grabbed the Wisdom King by his robe.
“?” The Wisdom King frowned, knowing about Ambrose’s lack of unarmed combat skills.
However, he did not plan for his pupil to do anything as he swung his wooden sword towards the arm.
“Heaven Drop!” Ambrose screamed and pulled the grandmaster towards him before sweeping his legs underneath him.
The Wisdom King’s vision tilted, and soon his head was nearing the ground.
“Ahhhhhh!” Ambrose screamed and put more power into the Heaven Drop skill.
If he were facing an ordinary opponent and their heads crashed to the ground via Heaven Drop, their skulls would shatter instantly.
As the Wisdom King’s head neared the ground, he quietly whispered under his breath something and stopped moving for a millisecond.
‘I win!’ Ambrose thought with small smile creeping up on his face.
But then, the Wisdom King flinched.
“Reverse.” He quietly whispered and suddenly planted his feet to the ground, and from an awkward angle, he grabbed Ambrose by his collar and threw him over his shoulder.
Ambrose spun around in mid-air before slamming butt-first on the ground, a shocked expression plastered on his face.
A wooden sword then appeared on his shoulder, the tip touching his neck.
“A fancy move.” The Wisdom King said. “You still lacked the strength to make me submit.”
“Ngh.” Ambrose rubbed his neck and asked. “Why did you tell me to use spear?”
“It showed me that you are absolutely clueless about spears.” The Wisdom King said and put his wooden sword away. “Spear is not a sword. They are weapons designed for different purposes and require different skills.”
“Huh?” Ambrose slowly stood up and watched as the grandmaster returned to sit on the garden chair.
“You might know how to fight swordsmen, but there are people in the world that have mastered the usage of magic and all sorts of wicked techniques.
“You have plenty to learn, and skipping steps will only hinder your progress.” The grandmaster said, as he settled comfortably on the garden chair.
“It would take only an hour, and then I would be right back.” Ambrose crossed his arms behind his back. “Not even that. Thirty minutes!”
The grandmaster chuckled. “You underestimate the efficiency of consistent practice. If I let you do what you wish, what stops you from doing it again?”
Ambrose sighed, realizing the grandmaster had a valid point.
But then the grandmaster sighed after seeing his student’s conflicted look and said.
“I’ll look the other way this time.” The grandmaster suddenly said and then threw a wooden sword at Ambrose. “However, you have to now train twice as much to make up for those thirty minutes.”
Ambrose’s eyes widened before he smiled and nodded. “Yes, grandmaster!”
He then turned to the wooden pole, shaped like a human, and began to swing his sword while remembering the thousands of fights he underwent in the world of souls against Inquisitors.
The Wisdom King watched as the young man trained against the wooden pole with increased determination.
A small smile soon crept up onto his wrinkled face as the young man’s figure began looking taller and mightier.
‘Still young and inexperienced, but showing great potential.’ The Wisdom King thought. ‘He might not realize himself, but he had already grown plenty. There is still a long road ahead, and only the future can truly reveal what he will be capable of.’
He then took the tea pot and poured himself a cup of tea.
After taking a small sip, he opened his aged eyes, which were filled with the wisdom of old times.
‘I wonder what the future holds.
‘It is always such a foreign concept, but I wish I would be there to witness it all unfold.
‘I want to see how the world will change and if my little student is involved in that change.’