” Hah! I finally reached the stage of Knight Squire.” Barry Burton clenched his fist as he stood in a field.
While staying in the hospital, injured from his fight, Barry kept channeling his aura to refine his physique more and more. And when he got discharged, he immediately checked his progress.
‘ According to the memories of Grand Knight Reinher, from he stage of Knight Squire, one can use his aura to communicate with natural forces.’
‘ I can now materialize aura externally, strengthening my weapon or creating a defensive barrier around myself. Not to mention, I can also tap into elemental power, turning my aura into blazing flames or cold ice.’
‘ However, I need to chant the incantations while using my aura. Not to mention, it will consume my aura thrice as fast.’
Barry had his wooden training sword. Despite its appearance, it weighed over 175 quarter pounder patties. However, for Barry, It was light as a stick. (Yeah, No way I would use metric system in America!)
Closing his eyes, he channeled his aura into his sword, making a faint glow appear around it. When he tried to make it hot, the glow turned slightly red.
” Reinher Family Radiant Sword Art! Flame Slash!”
Continue reading at empire
Barry shouted as he swung his sword. He used a nearby tree branch as a target, trying to give it a burning slash.
However, instead of having a knife cutting through a butter sensation, Barry felt some resistance in the cut. However, he didn’t mind as his branch cut and fell on the ground.
‘ Hmm, I can sense my sword slash has gotten sharper, as even a wooden sword can cut through a tree branch.’
‘ But I used the Flame Slash though? I can’t see any charred mark on the cut?’
Thinking that he might have used the technique wrong, Barry tried once again. Although the sharpness of his sword increased slightly, the effect of flame remained non existent.
However, Barry didn’t lose his hope. He kept using the trunk as a dummy, delivering one slash after another. After at least a dozen time, He suddenly had a thought.
‘ Huh? The cuts…they are pretty warm. However…it’s not enough to scorch, I think?’
Barry realized something. It wasn’t that he was executing his techniques wrong. It’s just that the heat produced by his ‘Flame Slash’ was so lukewarm that it showed no apparent effect.
It’s like using fire from a match stick to burn a healthy and vital tree trunk.
‘ Since my technique is right, I think I need to increase the intensity of flames first. From inwards to outwards, using aura to combust the atmosphere…’
*Two hours later*
” DAMN IT! ALL IT DID WAS TO GET HOT BY A FEW MORE DEGREES!” Barry cursed aloud as he threw his sword.
‘ No, There isn’t anything wrong with my technique. But my body…something is wrong in my body.’
Sitting cross legged, Barry utilized his breathing method. When he tried to manipulate the aura inside his body, he saw something odd.
‘ A Knight Squire’s aura is like a clear mountain stream, pure and unending.’
‘ But mine…’
It looked more like someone who is about to end up taking a piss. Not only did the aura appear to be more turbid than before, but the flow also became very stagnant.
‘ Wh-What is this? Shouldn’t the aura of my body get more clear as the quantity increases? How come it increased but became more muddy?’
‘ What the hell happened that turned my aura into such a state? No wonder I can’t use the Flame Slash!’
Barry kicked the ground with anger as he thought about that. However, as he was about to get up, he suddenly got a call from Luke.
” Hey, Lil bro, Are you free? We got a special job this time.”
” What is it, Luke?” Barry calmed himself down and asked.
” We got an escorting mission for the Bridgestone Town’s archeological team. I heard they unearthed something unholy and rather want protection.”
” Haah, You see Luke, I am a bit busy…”
” There might be some ancient artifacts.”
” I am in.”
Barry’s attitude instantly changed when he heard that. ‘ Damn it, What a fool I was. Of course, there might be some treasures because it’s an archeological site!’
‘ And with Reinher’s memories, I will be able to recognize them before anyone else.’
Clenching his fist, Barry decided to go to Bridgestone Town to seek his fate.
.
.
.
.
.
Jun Tianyun was standing inside an ancient crypt as he looked around with his Eyes of Fortune.
‘ Hmm, It’s more of a prison rather than a tomb. The runes around here…’
Although they looked intricate and ominous, Jun Tianyun recognized it instantly.
‘ It’s made up of High Enochian runes! All of them make up a powerful light attribute binding spell that seals the place.’
‘ However, due to the corrosion of dark ominous energy, they lost their shine, making them look like part of darkness runes.’
With his Eyes of Fortune, Jun Tianyun easily avoided the traps. As for the treasures inside, there was a chest full of gold coins, some old artifacts, and ancient scrolls.
But there were three things that caught Jun Tianyun’s eye. A bottle of elixir, a glowing book, and a coffin with a hexagonal star embedded in it.
Jun Tianyun walked inside and removed the star. The cave suddenly started to rumble as a copious amount of corrosive black gas came out of the coffin.
” MWAHAHAHAHAH! OUT! I AM FINALLY OUT!”
” AFTER THREE THOUSAND YEARS! I HAVE RETURNED!”
A skeletal arm dramatically stretched out from the crack of the coffin lid. However, it suddenly gasped with shock as Jun Tianyun suddenly clutched it.
” Wh-Who is it!?”
” Whoa, Did I give you a jumpscare?” Jun Tianyun jested as he retracted his palm.
He never expected that suddenly clutching an arm out of nowhere would even scare an undead lich.
” Bastard! Who dares to mess with me? I, THE GREAT KING OF-“
” Calm down!”
The ominous voice cut in the middle as an oppressive aura covered the entire cave.
” Wh-What’s this overwhelming pressure?! Wh-Who are you!”
” Do you want to try your luck and guess? I am comfortable in either way.” Jun Tianyun replied coolly. However, his Divine Suppression became more and more clear.
” I…Forgive me, My Lord! Your servant didn’t know it was an esteemed divine being!”
A skeleton suddenly jumped out and knelt before Jun Tianyun. Jun Tianyun was a bit surprised when he heard that.
” Hoh, You know about divine beings, huh? Are you a contracted of one of them?”
” Yes, My Lord! I am the servant of Lord of Undead and Darkness, Count Zeirg of the dark world!”
” He is a true divine being, commanding legions of undead and dark beasts!”
Jun Tianyun didn’t show, but he frowned inwardly.
” Hmph, As if I care about that puny thing. What matters more is you. What are you doing here?”
” Three thousand years ago, we were in a fierce battle against the Radiant Church and Celeron Empire. The Inquisition Order and Cardinal Pillars ambushed me, trying to vanquish me from the world.”
” However, they underestimated me and my immortality! They could only imprison me. But, Guess what? I outlasted all of them!”
The skull’s jaw cackled as it tried to laugh. Jun Tianyun shook his head.
” Fine, I won’t bother you. However, You must do something for me if you wish to escape from here.”
” This… I would like to hear the conditions.”
The lich’s eyes flickered with blue flames as it gazed at Jun Tianyun. However, he didn’t dare to make any rash moves. After all, the aura coming from his body was too intense, and incomparable for a mortal human to possess.
” Hold this down and lay in your coffin. In three days, quite a lot of people will come here to seek treasures. All you need to do is…Do what you do best.”
” Only that? You want to kill me a few mortals?” The lich was stunned.
” What? Are you refusing the chance to have some snacks after thousands of years and refine their corpses into soldiers?”
” Haha! Willing! I am willing to comply!” The lich laughed as he nodded.
When he looked at the jade piece Jun Tianyun handed, he was a bit shocked.
‘ I can’t feel any power from this stone. However, it does possess a special kind of aura…An energy that’s beyond elemental energy and spiritual energy.’
” My lord, What is this treasure?” The lich asked curiously.
Jun Tianyun grinned when he heard that. ” Just something that attracts luck.”
The lich was confused yet intrigued when he heard that. Jun Tianyun cut in before he could ask him anything else.
” Do you have any knowledge you wish to share? Any secret techniques or old buried history?”
” Oh, Now you speak… I do have a thing.”
The lich raised his hands as he summoned a staff out of nowhere. The staff is made up of the spine of an unknown beast, with a three orifice skull embedded on top of it.
He pulled out a few orbs and passed to Jun Tianyun. ” This is the accumulation of my life. All the research and experiments I conducted on humans, along with histories and arcane secrets I collected.”
” A fine trinket to my addition. I hope my followers enjoy it.” Jun Tianyun swept it inside his God’s Space and turned to leave.
” Keep the plan in your head and do according to it. We will have a grand show in a few days.”