Episode 33
“Shaton Draker?”
The revelation that Shaton was the first to create the Aura Cultivation Technique was shocking enough. But the idea that the noble knight Shaton might be a descendant of the Draker lineage? That was something Zeke had never even considered.
“Why was this never passed down through history?”
Until now, the origins of the Aura Cultivation Technique had been shrouded in mystery. It was simply assumed that each family had developed their own methods over time. But now, the secret of its true origin was unveiled.
Once Zeke managed to calm his initial shock, he turned his attention to the excitable Kaishir, who was practically bouncing with energy. Gently, he coaxed out information about the Elemental Sword.
Kaishir, despite his rough demeanor, was eager to share what he knew.
“Well, at least you’re better than the others. You actually understand what I’m saying.”
Over the next few weeks, Zeke learned the theory behind the Elemental Sword from Kaishir. To his surprise, the Elemental Sword was a far more systematic form of swordsmanship than he had imagined, and many of Kaishir’s legendary feats had been significantly downplayed over time.
“You took down the Gorgon by yourself? The legends say it took all twelve knights of the Clock Tower working together.”
“Clock Tower knights? Never heard of them. I went in and took care of it myself. The others just cleaned up afterward.”
Listening to Kaishir recount these forgotten tales, Zeke had no choice but to believe that the spirit before him was indeed Kaishir himself. Having left his physical form, Kaishir had somehow managed to remain in this realm as a spirit, bound to the ruins.
“How is that even possible?”
Kaishir shrugged it off as if it were nothing. “The dragons helped, of course.”
“What? Dragons?”
Kaishir seemed more surprised by Zeke’s reaction. “Why wouldn’t they?”
“Because… dragons are supposed to be enemies of humans.”
“What nonsense. No one cares for humans more than dragons do.”
Kaishir gestured to Zeke’s sword. “That sword and heart of yours, didn’t Bahamut give them to you?”
Zeke’s eyes widened. “Y-yes, that’s right.”
He had to tread carefully. If he upset Kaishir now, all his efforts to gain his trust could be undone.
“Your Majesty, have you ever heard of… dragon slayers?”
At this, Kaishir’s expression darkened. “Those cursed fools who sneak into lairs and boast about hunting dragons after killing a precious hatchling? I remember cutting off their heads.”
Zeke wisely kept silent. If Kaishir knew his ancestors had slain Bahamut and displayed its teeth and heart, he might meet the same fate as those dragon slayers.
Kaishir’s anger subsided, and he looked at Zeke with curiosity. “How did you manage to get Bahamut’s teeth and heart? That dragon had the worst temper of any I’ve met.”
Zeke lied smoothly. “The Murray family has always been close to Lord Bahamut. As you can see, I have a unique constitution. He found it amusing and gifted them to me.”
Kaishir nodded. “Makes sense. That dragon always had a thing for interesting people. Got him in trouble with Chronos more than once.”
“Chronos?” Zeke wondered if this was another dragon’s name, one not mentioned in the records of dragon slayers.
“Is the Kingdom of Chronos named after Lord Chronos?”
“Probably. I was Chronos’s contractor, and he helped a lot when I founded the kingdom. Naming it Chronos was just the easiest option.”
Learning that the legendary kingdom’s name was chosen so casually was almost disappointing.
“A contractor with Chronos? Can dragons really make contracts with humans?”
Zeke had many questions but was cautious not to reveal his lineage as a dragon slayer. He asked lightly, as if out of idle curiosity.
From Kaishir’s stories, it seemed that in his time, humans and dragons were on good terms, with dragons aiding the less civilized humans. Dragons acted as “world harmonizers,” unable to offer unconditional help to the material world. They could only assist their contractors by taking human form and imposing restrictions on themselves to maintain balance.
“That’s so different from what I know.”
The history after Terracan Draker defeated the evil dragon Bahamut and saved the continent was well-documented, but earlier records were scarce. Some scholars even speculated that ancient civilizations were more advanced than today’s.
Kaishir’s tales highlighted just how little was known about the ancient past. Dragons had been integral to human history, and many ancient items found in ruins defied current magical understanding, likely due to dragon assistance.
Zeke was curious about why the once-close relationship between humans and dragons had soured.
“I’ll have to watch Kaishir’s chronicle videos later.”
With that thought, Zeke decided to focus on mastering the Elemental Sword. He had told his family he was in Argos for a retreat, but he needed to return to Atlas before the new term at Valhalla began.
Learning the Elemental Sword was going smoothly, but Zeke hit an unexpected snag.
“No, no, that’s not it. You get everything else right, but why do you keep messing this up?”
He struggled with the “Water Force,” one of the four elemental powers.
Zeke tried again, channeling the power of water into his sword. It swept around him with the force of a waterfall.
Kaishir smacked him on the head with the scabbard. “Idiot! That’s not water’s power; that’s a waterfall’s power! Water’s strength lies in its softness. Haven’t you heard that softness overcomes hardness?”
“First time hearing it.”
“You little… You just claim ignorance when it suits you. Anyway, water’s power isn’t about brute force. Watch.”
Kaishir demonstrated, his sword flowing smoothly like a calm surface, moving leisurely like a river, sometimes striking with the force of a waterfall.
“All four elements are important, but water is the most crucial. Life began in water, and over 70% of our bodies are water. Got it, you blockhead?”
Zeke, who had always pursued extreme strength to survive in his past life, found it hard to grasp a sword style that emphasized softness and subtlety. His mind and body knew the movements, but his heart couldn’t fully embrace them.
Kaishir decided to start from the basics. Zeke had to meditate for hours in a cross-legged position, just like Kaishir, to clear his mind.
He needed to master the Elemental Sword quickly to return to Valhalla, but sitting still for hours was torture.
Thwack!
Whenever his mind wandered, Kaishir’s scabbard would strike his head.
“Clear your mind and look deep within yourself.”
Kaishir’s words were surprisingly priest-like.
A month passed, yet Zeke still couldn’t grasp the power of water. His impatience only led to more distractions, earning him more blows from Kaishir.
Finally, Kaishir decided on a different approach.
“I can’t believe my successor is such a blockhead.”
“Maybe it’s your teaching methods, Your Majesty.”
“Shut up. We’ll try something else.”
“There was another way? Why didn’t you say so earlier? We’ve wasted so much time.”
“You’ll regret saying that.”
Kaishir’s new method was simple: the essence of water’s power is ‘relaxation.’ It was about letting go of tension, and Kaishir’s plan was to exhaust Zeke until he naturally relaxed.
Zeke chuckled, confident in his passive skill of infinite stamina, which made him immune to fatigue.
But he was mistaken.
“Huff! Huff!”
The training was intense, beyond what his infinite stamina could handle. It was an endless duel with Kaishir, without food, sleep, or rest.
Kaishir even used the “Field of Gravity” to increase the gravity on Zeke’s body tenfold.
Despite the weight of his body, Zeke had to find a way to dodge or block Kaishir’s relentless attacks.
“Move faster!”
Boom!
A storm blade, powered by a field of wind, came crashing down on Zeke. He quickly summoned his own wind field to counter it. But Kaishir’s strength was too much for Zeke’s elemental power to handle. He was swept away, slamming into the wall.
Fortunately, he had grown stronger since the beginning and managed to stay conscious. But Kaishir wasn’t about to let him rest. He picked Zeke up and pummeled him with a new technique. Knowing that Zeke had a healing factor and seemingly endless stamina, Kaishir was having the time of his life.
“Ah, this is fun! Such excitement is hard to come by in the dull spirit realm!”
For a month, Zeke endured Kaishir’s relentless training, forcibly injecting his body with exhaustion. Just when he thought he couldn’t move a finger, Zeke found himself swinging his sword and stepping into a stance, his body completely relaxed.
In this state of utter fatigue, he couldn’t tell if he was wielding the sword or if the sword was wielding him. It was a sensation he had never experienced in his past life.
Lost in a trance, Zeke swung his sword. With his body entirely relaxed, the blade moved smoothly, almost naturally, finding its own path. Suddenly, he understood the technique for creating the ‘Water Field,’ something he had struggled with endlessly.
In that moment, enlightenment struck Zeke.
Vroom!
Having grasped the essence of relaxation, Zeke wielded his sword in a way he never had before. He used the elemental sword, unleashed a gale, and even summoned aura to perform dragon-slaying techniques. His hands moved instinctively, following their own rhythm.
The energy that had been swirling around him for so long finally settled within his body. He had broken through the barrier from a Blue Knight to a Red Knight.
Zeke opened his eyes.
[You have successfully completed the sudden chain mission.]
[As a reward, you receive the Tears of the Fairy King.]
[You receive 500 Karma Points as a reward.]
[You have successfully completed the main quest mission.]
[Your system administrator privileges have been upgraded to intermediate level.]
[Intermediate administrator system privileges are now active.]
[With the upgrade to intermediate administrator, new system functions have been unlocked.]
[The beginner quest book has been upgraded to an intermediate quest book.]
[System linkage features are now active.]
[Skill shortcut slots have been unlocked. (Only active skills can be used.)]
[Item shortcut slots have been unlocked. (Automatic equipment and potion consumption available.)]
[The portal movement system on the minimap is now active.]
[You receive 500 Karma Points as a reward.]
[You receive three random skill cards and three random boxes as a reward.]
A series of messages continued to appear.
[You have acquired the Elemental Sword of the Hero King Kaishir.]
[The special skill Elemental Sword (S-rank) has been added.]
[Your soul has grown.]
[The power of your unique authority has increased.]
[With the growth of your soul, the seal on Bahamut’s Heart has been partially lifted. Current compression seal level is 90%.]
“Unbelievable.”