Chapter 520
Episode 143: Accelerated Training (Part 1)
At the Hidden Palace, the heads of the Golden Swallow Guild first reported the current state of their business to Jin.
The Golden Swallow Guild’s cosmetics had become nearly irreplaceable.
Thanks to their development not only of color cosmetics but also a full range of skincare products and clothing, people of all ages and genders around the world were using their goods.
Their products had become iconic of the era.
“Who would’ve thought the flowers and snowflakes from the Hidden Palace would be so good for human skin? If it were just about making money, Partner, you’d already be near the top as an individual. Let’s dedicate this glory to the great, beautiful, and almighty Thalaris!”
Jin nodded at Pang’s words.
“How’s the development of magical items coming along?”
“We’re still pouring water into a bottomless pit. But hey, we have plenty of money, right? If we keep at it, something will come of it eventually. Money doesn’t lie.”
The profits from the guild’s business fattened the coffers of Jin and his comrades, but the largest investment went into magical item development.
Their goal was to one day challenge the market monopoly held by Ziphl.
Time passed, and the world advanced.
Yet, as Ziphl’s influence grew stronger, Runkandel’s presence shrank. To stop this unchecked dominance and decline, Runkandel needed more than just military power.
“But recruiting researchers and magical engineers isn’t easy. Aside from the top experts, we’re mostly working with people gutsy enough to collaborate with us in secret. So progress is inevitably slow.”
Whether for defending Tikan, analyzing the machines of the Second Tower, or developing magical items, they desperately needed a genuine genius engineer.
Of course, the chances that a single engineer could solve all their problems were slim.
But without the right people, nothing could move forward properly.
“I’ll also be more proactive in finding talent from now on. Keep up the hard work.”
“Don’t worry, Partner. Oh, and that one who bought clothes on our recommendation—Nodav Sarsang? His real name was Sandra Ziphl, right?”
“Yeah. I heard if I’d said his clothes weren’t good, he would’ve tried to wipe you all out.”
“Quite the fierce customer. We’ll have to be careful when taking his orders from now on. Oh, and I forgot to mention in the report—we tried adding the Watertail kids to the ad board as a test. They got a good reaction for being cute. Take a look.”
Pang showed Jin the ad design, and Jin chuckled softly as he headed toward the training grounds. Thalaris was waiting.
“Hmm, Siron really did care for Mary, didn’t he? Seeing how carefully he wrote this vision scroll. Well, if he trains properly and stays on course, he could be one of the strongest of your generation in Runkandel. That is, if you don’t count Luna.”
Thalaris was examining the vision scroll Siron had left behind.
The moment Jin entered the training hall, his expression shifted.
“I was just going to help lightly, but with that serious look, it’s a bit intimidating. Hmm, this mission must have been quite a shock for my son-in-law in many ways?”
“My desire to grow stronger is always full, but especially so in the Sota Desert.”
“Because of that Hedora superhuman? I’ve thought about that person too, but no one comes to mind. As I said earlier, the most likely is that he’s a martial artist your father saved in the Black Sea.”
“It’s not just because of that tower guardian—I felt powerless overall.”
“Your judgment was impressive, though. They said the mission wouldn’t have succeeded without you, according to your handsome older brother. Well… I think Runkandel had safety measures in place in case you failed.”
“If my own weakness had been less, Sir Jane the Black Knight wouldn’t have died.”
“On the other hand, if it weren’t for you, that Black Knight Mon would have met his end too. You did well. And you’re only twenty—how much stronger do you think you need to be?”
“I believe I need to be at least as strong as my father was at my age.”
“You seem stronger now than Siron was at twenty.”
“No way.”
“Unnecessary impatience will only eat you up.”
“I’ve heard that a few times before. I know it well. That’s why I plan to channel this impatience strategically. First, I’ll master the secret techniques, then organize the overall situation, and finally begin secluded training.”
“Secluded training?”
“In Laprarosa, the world of the Underworld race. I don’t plan to come out until I reach the tenth star.”
“That won’t take long. Hmm, you’ll also have to figure out how to bring the Underworld race out of that dead world… My son-in-law is busy. It’s enough to make your head spin. There’s nothing better than training for that. Especially for clearing your head, Runkandel’s fifth secret technique—the Lightning Thrust—is perfect.”
Runkandel’s ultimate moves, secret techniques, and special arts can only be used by purebloods blessed with exceptional bodies. Therefore, they cannot be taught to non-purebloods.
But Thalaris knew the fifth secret technique, Lightning Thrust, better than most purebloods. She was the person who had sparred the most with Siron Runkandel in the world.
“Even I can’t teach the more complicated Runkandel secrets. Aura manipulations like ‘Aura Opening’ or ‘Concentration’ are impossible for me because their body structures are different. But the fifth secret technique isn’t like that. It’s very simple, son-in-law.”
“Simple?”
“It’s just a ridiculously fast thrust. Aside from complex ones like the third secret technique, Golden Ring Form, most Runkandel sword techniques are like that.”
“Just a ridiculously fast thrust…”
“The reason other martial artists can’t imitate Runkandel swords is because they don’t have the body to support that incredible acceleration and explosive power.”
A white chill gathered in Thalaris’s right hand, forming a sword—Manbing.
“However, a martial artist as skilled as me can imitate it somewhat like this. Watch closely.”
Flash!
Manbing’s blade sliced through the air of the Hidden Palace training grounds. A dazzling aura flared, and the space warped and split along the path of the sword’s tip.
Without any preliminary movement, Thalaris’s thrust surpassed the secret technique Mary had performed.
The range of impact was smaller, but that was a higher level. The force was minimally dispersed and completely focused on a single point.
‘Incredible. If Thalaris-sama unleashed this thrust at full power against me, I probably wouldn’t be able to react.’
And she hadn’t even gone all out. Jin was certain she could perform an even more extraordinary thrust.
“How is it? Similar?”
“More than similar—it’s far superior to what Mary showed.”
“Of course. It’s exactly the same technique. Though it can’t compare to the original your father performs. Ugh, my waist… my shoulder feels like it’s tearing.”
“Are you alright?”
“Trying to imitate Runkandel swordsmanship is impossible. That’s why it can’t be used in real combat. I’d end up taking more damage than the enemy.”
Most martial artists couldn’t handle the thrust Thalaris just performed.
But if Thalaris fought someone of similar skill, this thrust would be a fatal mistake.
Naturally, there was a huge gap between a superhuman like Thalaris and Jin. It was a wall that couldn’t be expressed by simple ranks like first or second star.
‘Knowing that, it still gives me chills. If Thalaris-sama decided to kill me…’
Within ten minutes.
It would be over within that time. The certainty was undeniable, yet it left a strangely bitter feeling.
Reading Jin’s thoughts, Thalaris smiled gently.
“If I tried to kill my son-in-law at full power without interference, the result would come within five minutes.”
“I thought it would be ten minutes, but it’s even less.”
“The distance I stand from you may seem far. And it is. But if we compare it to steps… it’s only a few. And when I was twenty, I was at a lower level than you are now, unlike Siron.”
Jin didn’t believe it, but it was true.
“And your growth is still steep. Is lasting five minutes against me really so short? Considering the density of time we’ve experienced, I’m the one who should feel wronged, son-in-law.”
She wasn’t wrong. Jin bowed his head slightly.
“I believe I was arrogant and disrespectful, Thalaris-sama.”
“Reasonable arrogance, so I’m not offended. Now then, show me. Lightning Thrust. I’ll simplify the theory Siron deliberately made difficult.”
Mary’s vision scroll was carefully written but made understanding harder, filled with traps in each paragraph to encourage deeper insight into sword theory.
Swish!
Bradamante radiated brilliance. Condensed aura left a sparkling afterimage, and a sharp aura band traced the blade’s diagonal path.
It was a Lightning Thrust almost identical to the one Thalaris had just performed—faster and more powerful than Mary’s.
Though Jin had only glanced at the scroll when he had time and barely practiced, he could perform the Lightning Thrust perfectly now thanks to Thalaris’s help.
‘The moment I thrust the sword, Thalaris-sama’s power… was assisting me.’
The core of the Lightning Thrust was acceleration. The sword thrust involved seven accelerations using aura.
Thalaris had supported all seven moments with her own power so Jin could feel the exact timing.
‘Is that even possible…? To assist perfectly in sync with my speed?’
Doubt is one thing, but suspicion is unnecessary. After all, he had already experienced it firsthand. Talaris smiled knowingly, as if she had expected his surprise.
“So now you can pinpoint those acceleration points that were once too complex to grasp with theory alone, right?”
“Uh… yes, Lady Talaris.”
“That means you don’t unleash your aura all at once, but rather split it into seven precise bursts timed perfectly. Most ordinary warriors lack the sensitivity to aura to do that, and even if they somehow manage it, their shoulders and waist would be wrecked.”
Jin immediately prepared for the next practice.
“Spend a day or two training with my guidance, and you’ll get a much clearer feel for it. Once your body memorizes that sensation…”
Whoosh!
Before Talaris could finish explaining, Jin struck again with his sword.
This time, Talaris offered no assistance. She hadn’t expected him to launch a second thrust before she even finished speaking.
But Jin was entranced.
Completely absorbed in the sensation Talaris had awakened within him, he unconsciously executed the second thrust. The sheer thrill of that simple solution overwhelmed him, and he barely registered the rest of her explanation.
And the second lightning-fast thrust he unleashed closely matched about ninety percent of the form he had achieved with her help on the first.
The moment the second strike scraped across the ice wall of the training ground, Jin’s eyes widened in shock at how he had acted on instinct, ignoring Talaris’s words.
Talaris blinked in astonishment, stunned by the results Jin had achieved with just a single round of guidance.