Chapter 86 - Obsidian Sect, Talent of the Realmers

- Do you guys think Artigan will get an S+ for the Siege at Lazhen? @ Lefayee (Verified, R5)

↪You have to remember, it isn't always just about getting high achievements. The way you earn them matter too. Even if he gets an S+ it won't mean he'll get the right skills, not with the way he conquered Lazhen. @ Trustrovel (Verified, R4)

↪ Yeah but doesn't that mean he's going to get some sort of monster control Epic? Maybe even a plotting Epic? It's pretty clear @ Lefayee (Verified, R5)

↪ Oh shit. Here's to hoping he ends up doing the classic [Mage] thing and plans himself into a hole. @ Trustrovel (Verified, R4)

*In a Realmnet chatroom for fourthers and above. The messages were quickly leaked to the rest of the internet a day later. Both accounts are Milock’s. The fake adventurer’s account, Limoo has been abandoned after being ousted in the argument with Regoranz.

—

The path he had chosen might have been the dumbest one yet. Ryan had chosen to isolate the path of aura into his right arm, making that a pure aura based limb. Gamielle had told him of a possibility to get the best of both worlds, of course he was going to take it. He gritted his teeth as he swung with his broken sword.

[Aura Slash]

The red wave of aura flew at the cultivator who had both his arms up as defense. Larix slammed both arms into the wave and shattered it.

“Good, again!”

Ryan sent out another [Aura Slash], the learned skill didn’t have cooldowns, it just needed Ryan to have resources. Still, this red wave was weaker, significantly so. Larix simply punched at the wave.

“Good! Again!”

Ryan sent out another slash, this one couldn’t even be called an [Aura Slash]. It was more like an [Aura trickle] as it traveled too slowly. Ryan’s right arm trembled at being unable to use the skill again.

“Switch arms, keep going until we deplete your aura entirely.”

Ryan switched his broken sword to his left arm and sent out a slash. This time it looked cleaner but wasn’t anywhere near as large as the first slash. Ryan felt like he’d expended all his aura by now.

Larix crossed the gap in two seconds. He let the cultivator put his hand on his back. The man tried to pour his own energy back into his back and his aura still rejected it. Larix looked up at Gamielle and shook his head. 

Both Ryan and Gamielle had sighed at that. They couldn’t expend all of Ryan’s energy for Larix to give a proper path forward. No matter what there was a core of his aura still in his body that refused to relent to outside energy.

It was his stupid passive. Something that had annoyed him till no end. No matter how much they depleted his aura, the passive would stubbornly persist. Ryan tried pulling at it but it wouldn’t ever deplete.

“It’s the dimensional description,” Gamielle muttered, “your skill latches onto anyone perceiving you. That means those in The Realm watching your videos are giving you a persistent replenishment in aura. Enforcing the minimum amount for your passive.”

“I was wondering about that, isn’t that pretty crazy? That I’m getting bonuses from people watching me through the internet? Across the entirety of The Realm?”

“A little, but it is an Epic. You forget that there are Epics that can stall time, break spatial boundaries and even give precognition. That isn’t to mention the most powerful Epic of all, [The Might of My Tribe]. Given the right conditions and levels, an Epic can outperform even an untrained Legend.”

When she said it like that, his Epic didn’t sound as impressive.

Gamielle shook her head.

“The problem isn’t that, it’s that you’ve been leveling your Epic. Hitting level two from an S+ reward I’d understand but four? That’s the insane part. You should barely be scratching the surface of the skill, not leveling it up right now. We need to sort this out before it hits level five.”

“So, uh what do we do?”

Larix sat to the side, bandaging his arms. There were lines of red welts where he had used his own body to shatter the red slashes. That made Ryan feel a little better, it also made him wonder why the sect leader insisted on doing it that way instead of just him blasting his aura into the sky.

Gamielle wrinkled her nose, ignoring the injured Larix.

“You go back to Earth and try out the exercises we’ve taught you. Figure out what feels right and what doesn’t. Take notes on how the things make your body feel without your Epic’s passive. Come back and report and we’ll have Larix and the elders come up with something. We might have a scroll somewhere regarding singular limb mutations but it’s unlikely we’ll have something for aura specifically.”

“So, just trial and error?”

“Hmph, don’t take that tone with me. Your body is optimized by the Trial System itself, in any other world that alone makes you a once in a generation genius. We’re utilizing that talent instead. If that doesn’t work… well then we’ll see about taking more drastic measures.”

“Uh… drastic measures?”

“Like cutting off both your arms and seeing in detail how either of them regrows. Or something even destructive.”

“Oh. Let’s not do that.”

“Thought so.”

Ryan spent more time in the courtyard, he tried to practice moving his aura in The Realm, trying to pay attention to how it started and traveled in his body. There was a core of condensed aura near his chest, he just hadn’t been able to notice it until now. Trying to even shift that core was like trying to move a mountain with his bare hands. The entirety of his aura started from there and moved wildly out of his body. Aura wasn’t like mana or qi, it did not normally travel through the body’s energy channels.

It emanated like fire. An everburning core that fluctuated wildly depending on how much fuel it was given. 

Ryan breathed in, then out. He tried to guide the aura through his breathing but he didn’t think that it wasn’t the right method for him. Gamielle had told him to trust his instincts here.

He stood up, eyes still closed. Obsidian robes fluttering behind him. Sword in hand, he started swinging, going through different forms. Slash into a thrust, thrust into a swing. Riposte back.

The aura flowed with him. He could feel it this time. He mimed a knife throw.

The Skeleton Lord

Zedart

Strategist Avale

General Grivkas

Valee

Kenheart

All the fights he was truly proud of, he imagined fighting them all, desperately directing his aura into his right arm. The injured arm did not react well to the amount of aura shoved into it. Its baptism at the peak of his aura did not mean it would work better under it. He had to dodge and strike back he needed his arm to move, move-

A hand grabbed Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan reacted instinctively, trying to kick out but it was deflected easily. He blinked himself awake, a calm Larix looking over him.

“I don’t believe that’s the correct path either.”

The sect leader was looking pointedly at his right arm. Ryan’s nails had shattered and blood was dripping down his fingers. He pulled his sleeve back to find his veins bulging, red bruising appearing at spots around the arm. Ryan flopped it around his face. Not feeling the pain at all.

“Whoa.”

Larix took a step back and looked at Gamielle. She was sitting, legs crossed, in the air. Her head resting on a hand, she seemed content to just let Ryan mess around.

“You would have made a good [Warrior].”

Ryan stopped flopping his arm around and sniffed.

“Thanks.”

“It’s a compliment you idiot. You should seriously consider taking a more [Warrior] aligned class in your next class upgrade.”

Ryan shook his head, “I’ll take whatever will give me more power. Besides, I know where I stand, I’ll leave pure physical classes to actual talents like Zedart.”

A ghostly hand appeared above Ryan and bopped him in the head. It was too quick for him to dodge.

“Didn’t you listen to me? The Trial System has put you at the peak of talent, battle instincts can be honed over time, skills and–”

She trailed off as she noticed his flat look. Gamielle clicked her tongue.

“Fine, you’re not wrong. Zedart is a step above, but he’s a one in a million that was given a one in a million upbringing. But there is a thing to be said about passion. I think in the long run you won’t go wrong with following a path you’re passionate about.”

Ryan blinked at the statement. Was he passionate about swordcraft? 

Of course he was. It seemed like such a dumb question, but he hadn’t really thought about how much he actually loved practicing the sword. Most children on Earth played around with swords, shields and spears. Going to extracurricular classes for combat was just a normal thing to do. When young Ryan found out that he had a bit of talent for it, he threw himself at it. Hoping to be an adventurer.

It had been such an important part of his early life that Ryan hadn’t ever thought about whether he was passionate about the sword. 

He didn’t understand meditation or channel flow but he did understand practicing sword forms. 

It had been awhile since he ever really thought about swordcraft in itself.

That said it all really, he shook his head. Gamielle gave him a weary smile.

“Well I tried… I just think you’d be happier.”

He gave her a genuine smile for once. “Thanks Gamielle.”

Larix, the third wheel, coughed and cleared his throat, “Might I suggest we open up the courtyard and let the others in the sect use it? Maybe Artigan here can look upon the elders and find out where he stands in the talent department.”

–

It wasn’t long before most of the courtyard was filled with disciples, it had turned into a first come first serve basis to watch two elders fight. That wasn’t what drew the crowd. Apparently the elders gave exhibition matches all the time. It was Gamielle, and the mysterious stranger that had come in wearing the sect leader’s robes that drew the crowd.

An elven elder stepped up to the middle, getting ready to fight. She glanced his way and gave him a glare.

Gamielle gave him the commentary. She spoke loudly without caring whether someone heard her or not.

“She’s Elder Gudriel, fought in pretty much every Earth conflict. All her mana channels got burned and she found a new path in pure qi. It’s honestly a miracle she’s alive,” Gamielle’s voice turned into a whisper, “She might have figured out who you are, we don’t normally let adventurers keep their looks hidden.”

That made a lot more sense. Ryan wasn’t the best at guessing the age of elves but Gudriel had scars. Deep lines that indicated a battle worn warrior. Most of those could have been removed but clearly were left on purpose, or it was a cultivation thing. Ryan really had no idea. People kept looking their way, many just staring and flinching from him.

“Gamielle I kind of feel uncomfortable looking down at them.”

They were sitting on an elevated platform, Gamielle had placed him in the center with Larix standing by the side. Larix the stupid cultish idiot had just followed her orders. It made Ryan look like he was the sect leader, looking down at two elders going at it for his entertainment.

Ryan was okay performing in front of a camera. Being placed literally on top of everyone and lording over them? That he was a little less okay with.

Gamielle snapped her fingers.

“Stop squirming and pay attention.”

Opposite of Gudriel was the old man that had brought him the tea. Ryan hadn’t been able to tell he was an elder and he realized how much of a mistake that was. The elder was good.

Both elders were probably stronger than Larix.

“That’s elder Lindred, he’s one of the original Realmer cultivators. They didn’t call it cultivation back when he progressed. Lindred carved his own path, and he was the previous sect leader.”

Interestingly enough the stockier human was more fluid and graceful than the elf. Gudriel was more forceful and powerful, opting for sweeping strikes and trying to get close while Lindred tried to maintain the distance. Using his arms to divert the powerful blows. Neither used weapons, just their fists.

They exchanged blows. Far, far faster than Ryan could at his peak. Sometimes they’d break the sound barrier and sometimes they slowed to a pace that most of the audience could follow. Gudriel’s leg swept out, deliberate and slow, at a regular human’s pace. At that speed each of their moves seemed slow but perfectly polished. Each deliberation and feint a masterclass of combat.

Lindred’s arm guided the sweeping kick to the side. Throwing out a flurry of blows with his other. Gudriel stepped back.

Then they repeated the sequence, except this time at realm two speed. They did this again and again until even Ryan was having a hard time keeping up with how fast they were going. They started shattering the sound barrier with each strike. Realm six.

Then they moved faster. This time the sound barrier didn’t shatter. They were using their qi to guide each strike. Every strike was fast as hell yet it was the same movements they did at the first realm. Their bodies were in constant motion. Possibly as good as any adventurer in the eighth realm.

That was the demonstration. The training for the younger generation.

Then they fought for real.

Gudriel changed posture and went low, her fists starting to glow. They were stronger than any sort of [Extended Blows] skill Valee had thrown. Hundreds of earth shattering blows flew at Lindred. The old man slipped and weaved between them. A blur himself, he used a single arm to guide the ones he couldn’t dodge. Once again, Gudriel was unable to get past Lindred’s defenses.

Then they slowed down, back to a more reasonable realm six speed. Repeating the new sequence at each pace they slowed.

At lower speeds the [Extended blows] felt… off.

Gamielle noticed Ryan’s frown.

“Tell me what you see.”

“It’s like a learned skill activation, but it’s worse? I mean it looks like Gudriel’s using a learned skill but it doesn’t look right.”

“Exactly.”

The extended attacks from Gudriel were slightly too wide, a little too large, and didn’t seem any stronger than her regular attacks. She kept it going for far longer than an [Extended Blows] should have lasted, but each blow felt sloppy. Even at realm six speeds it looked worse than a third realm adventurer’s [Extended Blows] skill.

“Do you get it now?”

He did. Gudriel was stronger and was probably several times older than he was. She’d probably been honing the skill for decades. It was still far from perfection and perfection was where the Trial skills started from.

That felt wrong, wrong and relatable.

They kept watching, in the end Gudriel somehow barely won the third round. Leaving it two to three to Lindred. Gamielle waved her hand and both cultivators bowed to her. Gudriel giving Ryan another glare before stepping off. 

Another two appeared in the center. Younger and fresh-faced. Eager to prove themselves in front of Gamielle. It was the teenage dwarf Taris and her human friend.

Both looked a little nervous, they kept glancing at them and flinching away from Ryan’s passive.

Then they fought.

It was… bad. There was no other way to put it. Even if you were charitable and gave them some room for being nervous it was still bad. Taris punched out far too stiffly and couldn’t withdraw his fist in time. Ryan could tell from the speeds they were at least realm 1 but they fought like people that weren’t used to their bodies.

Even [Warriors] that had blitzed three realms didn’t look this uncoordinated.

Taris got the shit beaten out of her. At their levels, reach was a vital issue and Taris had neither the skill nor speed to overcome it.

Gamielle clapped.

“Well done, both of you. You’ve both progressed very well.”

Both of them bowed towards her and walked off, Taris looking especially embarrassed. The show matches continued for another hour, Gamielle sounded supportive each time, and each time they finished fighting the competitors would bow towards her.

Considering the way she talked about other adventurers, Ryan couldn’t hear her words as anything other than patronizing. She was someone who had seen every kind of prodigy go through the Trials. She talked about other Tyrants as if she had met them regularly.

How could she take these fights seriously?

But none of them heard it the way he did. The cultivators puffed up with pride at her encouragement. They fought with passion and fervor.

By the end of the hour, Ryan stopped hearing Gamielle's praises as patronizing.

His own childhood struggles against adventurers’ children seemed like nothing compared to what these people were trying to overcome. They knew it was impossible, yet they still tried to bridge the difference between adventurers and themselves. In the same realm any adventurer was significantly better than pretty much every single cultivator here.

It was the same reason why Ryan had managed to defeat General Grivkas. The demonic General was an upgraded class, the strongest in the army. Yet he was still barely faster than Ryan. The Trial System upgrades were simply far, far better than what they could accomplish on their own.

By the end of the hour, Ryan truly did understand what Gamielle had meant when she said that these people were fighting against the heavens itself.

–

When the day ended, Ryan took up residence in a free apartment. He didn’t let Gamielle push him towards a fancy building that was probably Larix’s home. He just stared at the bare ceiling unsure how to feel about the Obsidian Sect. They laughed, played games and ran around chasing each other.

It was a true community that cared for each other.

Then the kids would pick up swords and practice like their lives were on the line. Instructed by war torn veterans with scars and mutations on their bodies.

Ryan had trained hard, in his childhood, he had trained as hard as any of the people in the Obsidian Sect.

But there was an edge here that he never had as a kid. They were all preparing for a war. He had just wanted to succeed so he could become a cool adventurer.

The steely determination of the Obsidian Sect was getting to him. They didn’t exist in the world he grew up in, the world he knew. Not even adventurers looked like that. Only when he had pushed adventurers to the limit had they looked like that.

Barry and Seffara sometimes looked like that.

Ryan sighed and used [Return To Earth].

He’d forgotten about how he had pranked Seffara when he had left Earth.

////

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