[While researching magecraft, you also began your training in the martial arts.]
[You still chose the sword as your weapon of choice, but keeping the System's helpful hint in mind, you did not forget to practice the spear in your spare time.]
[It was a pity that repeating firearms had not yet been invented in this era, otherwise your swordsmanship would have reached the pinnacle of the Ashina Style.]
"...The Ashina Style, huh? You're calling me scummy, aren't you? But in reality, everyone just spams beam attacks, who the hell fights in close combat?"
Pouring all his shadow mana into the fragile wooden sword in his hand, a single, deceptively light strike sliced through the skeleton summoned by the witch as easily as a knife through tofu. Su Shu was almost lost in the exhilarating feeling of his martial skills improving. The combat instincts of the Ultimate Lifeform were truly extraordinary. With just a few days of training, this body could master the muscle memory that veterans took years to accumulate. Combined with the Eye of the Mind he had honed, if he detected an enemy's opening, his inescapable shadow blade could decide the fight in an instant.
His old dad, the Vile King, would also occasionally come down to spar.
Whenever that happened... victory was out of the question. The best you could say was that lasting a few more seconds counted as a win. Under the demonic dragon's sword style, which poured down like a torrential waterfall, the youth's sword was as precarious as a leaf in a storm, instantly overwhelmed.
But with every new exchange, the time Su Shu could last grew longer...
[Vortigern did not deliberately push you in your martial training, yet your skills continued to improve at a rapid pace.]
[Three years passed in a flash. Under Vortigern's complicated gaze, he, your sparring partner, used thirty percent of his strength, and you still managed to last ten rounds against him.]
[Tossing aside the broken wooden sword, you could feel the significant progress in your martial arts. Yet, when you looked at Vortigern, you saw no joy in his eyes.]
[The old man was silent, finally letting out only a faint sigh.]
["Alvin, when it comes to swordsmanship alone, your father has nothing more to teach you. From now on, whatever path you wish to walk, go and explore it to your heart's content."]
[Watching Vortigern's figure recede into the distance, not even the vast twilight of the night seemed as lonely as the old man's back.]
[You had never seen Vortigern look so desolate. Why would the Vile King, who could bear the condemnation of thousands, let out a faint sigh at his son's rapid growth?]
[You realized that the answer behind it might be extremely cruel.]
[But even so, this could not stop your training.]
[You did not know when the next simulation would trigger. Opportunities were hard to come by, and you would seize every possibility that could contribute to your survival.]
[Disguise, stealth, assassination, counter-reconnaissance, presence concealment...]
[Rather than a knight, what you learned and excelled at was more akin to an unorthodox assassin.]
[You had no qualms about this. As Vortigern said—only by surviving is anything possible.]
[Your survival skills improved at an astonishing rate. Soon, not even Morgan could find any fault in your techniques.]
[She had to admit that now, even as a great magus, it would take her considerable effort to defeat you. For an eleven-year-old child, this was simply unbelievable.]
[By now, you had enough capital to protect yourself.]
[Alvin Pendragon. The world did not yet know of the Son of the White Dragon's birth. Therefore, you did not need a disguise to stand under the sun.]
[The time was ripe. It was time to measure this land with your own two feet.]
[The pale moon was bright, the stars brilliant.]
[Bathed in the moonlight, you pushed open the window of your bedroom and leaped from the high tower of the castle. Your agile figure melted into the boundless night, like water dissolving in water.]
[Vortigern strengthened the city guard's patrols as a test for you, but soon, even the tightest security became meaningless.]
[Under the cover of night, the massive fortress city was like your own living room. Skilled in moving through the shadows, you could come and go as you pleased within Londinium.]
[You would leave before dawn and return at dusk. The changing of day and night marked your daily departure and arrival.]
[As your various skills improved, the range of your travels grew ever wider. It became common for you to be away for two or three days, or even half a month.]
[At first, you merely strolled through the forests near the fortress. Gradually, your footsteps extended to the towns and villages a hundred miles around Londinium. After all, for you, the Ultimate Lifeform, traveling a thousand miles in a day like a fine steed was no difficult feat.]
[During your travels, you encountered plundering bandits more than once. Among them were not only roving Saxons but also Celts.]
[You felt a certain melancholy about this, but you were not surprised.]
[In such a chaotic era of war, the law of the jungle naturally became a universal creed for survival.]
[Everyone said these bandits were the claws of the demonic dragon Vortigern. They said the reason the great Britannia had fallen into such a state of decline and turmoil was entirely the fault of the monstrous calamity unleashed by the evil-drenched dragon.]
[Is that so...]
[These rumors, which contradicted what you had seen, plunged you into ever-deeper confusion...]
[—What exactly does my old dad want to do?]
[Despite bearing the name of the Vile King, a lawless rebel, Vortigern's armies were strictly forbidden from looting. Violators were severely punished.]
[His method of controlling these foreign tribes was to grant them land to cultivate, to exchange military merit for tax exemptions, and to build them homes so they would no longer be displaced.]
[The issue of land is often the cause of turmoil. You had to admit, Vortiggen possessed a strategic vision that was ahead of his time.]
[Combined with the demonic dragon's iron fist, this army of foreigners was managed by the Vile King with absolute loyalty and control. While some deserters and stragglers surely existed, the number of bandits you encountered seemed far too high...]
[What was even stranger—]
[After Vortigern captured a city, he never engaged in looting or massacres. Instead, after searching the city, he would allow the Celts to flee with their families and belongings.]
[This was less like conquering territory and more like... driving these people away.]
[Vortigern often led his armies on campaigns, seeking neither wealth nor power.]
[So, what was he chasing?]
[If he truly wanted to command foreigners to plunder his own people, why go through such a convoluted process?]
[Unfortunately, Vortigern never answered your questions. Your old dad being a man of riddles was truly frustrating. But alas, you couldn't beat him in a fight, so you could only bury these doubts deep in your heart.]
[What was undeniable was that these roving Saxons were not Vortigern's army. And as for the bandits who robbed and pillaged, though you lamented the harshness of the times, you would show no mercy.]
Shhhlick—
A dark sword light, almost as thin as a shadow itself, sliced through bone and flesh with a sickening, grinding sound.
A blossom of blood rained down on the forest path, slowly seeping into the earth.
Wiping the bloodstain from his blade with his fingertip, Su Shu felt no fluctuation in his heart, despite this being his first time killing someone.
There was no pleasure, and no fear.
Watching a human body be severed before his eyes was no different from his usual practice swings on a wooden dummy. The cut was just as clean and neat. After all, when it came to the act of killing, Su Shu found it impossible to invest any emotion.
Perhaps, he thought, he really did possess the cold-blooded nature of a villain.
Watching their companion's head fall to the ground, eyes wide with death, the bandits' legs began to tremble.
The youth stepped out from the spreading pool of blood, his pristine blade reflecting their terrified faces.
"Since you drew your swords, I presume you've prepared yourselves to die, yes?"
As the silver-haired youth's faint voice sounded, the layered shadows in the forest began to flow silently. A thin, silent blade of darkness sliced through necks, like the Grim Reaper swinging his crescent scythe.
In a fleeting instant.
Splurt—
Before the horrified eyes of all the bandits who had dared to draw their swords, Su Shu had severed every one of their heads.
"He's bad news, run!"
The remaining bandits scattered like birds.
But for those who had the sense to flee, Su Shu possessed none of the virtuous qualities of a merciful saint.
Crack—
Thin slivers of shadow shot out from his fingertips with precision.
Almost simultaneously, a chorus of pained cries rose from the fleeing bandits. They hissed in pain as they fell to the ground. Looking at the fingers that had fallen into the mud, they instinctively tried to pick them up, only to find with horror that they couldn't.
Because both of their hands were now just bare, smooth palms. They had just received a complimentary set of Doraemon-style paws. They would likely never be able to hold a weapon again in this lifetime.
"I'll spare your lives since you didn't draw your swords."
Crouching in front of the bandit leader, Su Shu's iron-gray eyes were as calm as an ancient well.
"Remember my face. If you have any remaining comrades, feel free to come find me for revenge."
Bathed in the fearful and hateful gazes of the men, the silver-haired youth left these words behind and departed without a backward glance.
[Walking through the vast forests of Britain, you followed your interests and studied the various flora of the Age of Gods.]
[The forest was filled with towering ancient trees that would take several people to encircle. Their branches and leaves were lush, their trunks straight and thick. The emerald canopy almost completely blocked out the sun, making your own tall frame seem tiny in comparison.]
"So this is the favor of the Age of Gods..."
The silver-haired youth reached out and touched the ancient, towering tree before him. The friction between his palm and the rough bark made a soft sound that spread through the quiet forest. The stark contrast between the immense and the minuscule made one feel the silent, awe-inspiring power of nature.
He leaped up suddenly, using the complex branches to push off with agile movements. A streak of moving silver soon disappeared into the lush green canopy.
He stopped on a thick branch of the giant tree. Green leaves rustled down beside him. The sun's rays filtered through the gaps in the leaves, splashing across the youth's face. His fair skin was illuminated by the clear light, giving it the exquisite, warm beauty of fine green jade.
Standing atop the canopy, Su Shu gazed out at the boundless horizon under the blazing sun. As far as the eye could see, there were endless seas of towering, emerald clouds.
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