Chapter 16 (1/2)
Chapter 16. To Lea Marquisate (3)
TL: Warriormonk
Editor: Isleidir
The following spar was completely different from any of the previous duels.
“Wh-What the f.u.c.k?”
Luke’s eyes almost popped out of his face in surprise. Kurotan’s movements had suddenly sped up by more than twice. His strength had also improved incomparably from his previous state.
Kaang. Kkaang.
Luke retreated while frowning after the swords clashed a couple of times. His hands were numb from the shock of Kurotan’s blows.
“How is this even possible? Kurotan only awakened his Aura last night, and he’s already using it to strengthen his strength and agility…”
Unlike Luke’s frowning face, Kurotan’s face shone with ecstasy.
“Good, it has been a while, this feeling.”
Chwaang. Chw.a.n.g.
It did not take a long time before Luke’s movements became disorderly.
Kurotan’s attacks were simple and straightforward, because he had only learned basic sword techniques. The path of his attacks, in other words, was perfectly clear. However, it was difficult for Luke to keep up with Kurotan when he had almost doubled his physical abilities through his Aura.
“Keeuk, En-Enough.”
Luke raised his hand in a gesture, and Kurotan backed off reluctantly.
“What is it? You’re already tired?”
“I was the one saying that, just yesterday…”
Luke sheathed his sword, and plopped himself down by the campfire, a s.p.a.ced out look on his face. Kurotan squared out his shoulders with a confident look.
“I cannot yet display my full abilities because I don’t have enough Aura. Time will solve this problem.”
“Oh, great, it must be nice for you to have a genius level talent.”
Kurotan glanced curiously at Luke, who was complaining.
“You cannot yet control your Aura?”
“No, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Luke spat back in annoyance.
“How would I know? Every time I try to suppress it and bring it under my control, it slips away…”
“Your method is incorrect.”
“Aura, or Maal’s Blessing, cannot be moved forcibly.”
“Then how can I control it?”
“First, you must become closer with the Aura. In other words, befriend it.”
Luke rolled his eyes. How do you become friends with a non-living thing such as Aura, a form of processed mana?
“It will all become clear once you befriend Aura. The process is a little bit tricky, but once you befriend Aura, it will entrust itself to you. You must wait calmly until then.”
Luke swallowed in a sort of antic.i.p.ation. He had never heard anything like this from his senior Knights. Until now, the only method he had been taught to control Aura was to forcibly suppress and then move it.
‘Is this how Orcs are able to control Aura so easily without even having a structured technique for Aura cultivation?’
Luke looked at Kurotan seriously. Humans would not walk around blabbering about the secrets to controlling Aura. Even if a human was willing to share the secret, it’d most likely be for a huge price. However, Kurotan did no such thing.
Luke listened intently to the rest of Kurotan’s explanation.
“If I just befriend Aura, I can circulate it through my body, just like you?”
“Yes. But there is a single requirement.”
“What is that?”
“The circulation path must be smooth and natural. Aura and mana are very different. Unlike mana, Aura will stop and retreat to its original place if the pathway is not natural.”
“Is that so? So that’s why you emphasized a natural pathway so much.”
“Yes. The ways that warriors earn Maal’s blessing, or awaken Aura, can differ. But one rule must absolutely be followed.”
“The flow of the mana must be natural?”
“Yes.”
Luke tweaked his head in curiosity.
“But how do I feel whether or not the flow of mana is unnatural?”
“That is up to you. As with Aura, you must first befriend mana for everything to be clear.”
Luke frowned.
“Isn’t that too abstract?”
“I will tell you step by step, how to befriend mana.”
“Ok, I’ll give it a shot.”
Luke followed Kurotan’s instructions and tried to ‘befriend’ mana. It was a method that demanded incredible patience from Luke.
“Try to feel the flow of the mana, to become one with it.”
“How?”
Kurotan bared his teeth in a savage smile.
“The flow of mana becomes fiercer and faster the more you fight. It becomes easier to feel it then.”
Unfortunately, Luke had to unsheathe his sword once more to duel Kurotan.
Chw.a.n.g. Chwaaang.
The Kurotan who had awakened Aura had astonis.h.i.+ng speed. In addition to his sharpened senses and reflexes, his strength and agility were now augmented by Aura. Luke ran out of breath soon after.
“Huk, Huuk.”
Kurotan, on the other hand, had barely changed his pace of breathing. It was a scene completely different from the duels not very long ago.
“d.a.m.n… Looks like your stamina is also helped by Aura.”
“Of course. I will not get tired so easily before my Aura runs out.”
After fighting mindlessly for a while, the flow of mana throughout their bodies quickened. Luke began to sense things he had not been able to before when he tried to listen to Kurotan’s advice.
“It’s not perfectly clear, but I think I am feeling the flow of mana.”
“More. Concentrate.”
“How?”
Kurotan bared his teeth in a smile once again.
“If we fight even more, you will be able to feel it more clearly.”
“This G.o.d d.a.m.ned…”