Rising god
Chapter 52: Training I

Chapter 52: Training I

Baines stood in the dimly lit corridor of the Darkan estate, the echo of his footsteps swallowed by the oppressive silence. It took a full five minutes to calm from his outburst, however, his mind churned, the old man’s parting words from the library encounter reverberating like a distant bell: Things have changed.

The cryptic message gnawed at him, but he pushed it aside. ’I’ll find out soon enough,’ he thought. The library’s third floor, with its sparse collection of martial tomes, had lost its allure.

His earlier fascination with Aura Manipulation Techniques had faded, replaced by a mechanical determination to absorb knowledge. In just under two hours, he’d scanned the remaining books with Eye before striding out.

"Oh, Sir Jin, you’re out earlier than expected," the servant stationed outside said, bowing with practiced deference. Beside him stood a new figure, a man in ornate robes, his expression expectant. Baines barely registered them, his focus inward as he brushed past, heading for his quarters.

The servant and the newcomer exchanged glances, their faces etched with surprise.

"That brat..." the robed man muttered, his brow furrowing in displeasure. It seemed he only now remembered. This boy was just a soldier in their family, nothing more.

"S-Sir, please calm yourself," the servant urged, his tone urgent but measured. His role extended beyond mere guidance;

Appease anyone Jin might offend along the way due to his attitude.

And as a member of the Darkan Special Force, assigned to protect the family head, he was no ordinary servant. His polite demeanor only masked a ruthless assassin, meaning he couldn’t be pushed around. "Please relay your message, and I’ll deliver it to Sir Jin without fail."

The robed man studied the servant, sensing the steel beneath his humility. "A-Alright," he relented. "Tell Sir Jin to visit the Flaming Palm Pavilion sometime." With a curt nod, he departed, his robes swishing against the stone floor.

The servant bowed, watching the man’s retreat, his thoughts unreadable. Then he, too, vanished.

In his sparsely furnished room, Baines wasted no time.

Seated on the edge of his bed, he outlined his next steps. The first was to transfer the vast array of techniques from the Dawnless vault and the Darkan library into his mind. The volume was in staggering hundreds spanning cultivation, manipulation, and combat techniques. Eye could handle the transfer, but it required him to enter a forced sleep unless he wrecked his brain.

And using that opportunity, he could rest his body and restore his mental energy and have a clear mind.

"Wick," Baines called through their mental link.

"Yes, Master," Wick’s voice responded, its tone laced with concern.

The ethereal head materialized, its purple eyeball darting nervously. Wick had sensed Baines’s brief disappearance in the library’s void and feared for his safety.

"I’ll be out for a while," Baines said. "I want you to make some pills and monitor the dawnless. Ensure they are doing their job."

"Yes, Master." Wick’s head bobbed, its worry easing at the clear directive.

Baines nodded, lying back on the bed. "Eye, now."

With that command, Eye initiated the transfer, plunging him into a deep, artificial slumber.

The process was intensive, recalibrating his neural pathways to assimilate the techniques while subtly adjusting his muscles to align with their physical demands.

The Darkan estate still buzzed with pride, its atmosphere electric with the recent acquisition of the Mortuary Ruins’ lands, thanks to Jin’s triumph. The family faced the monumental task of assessing the territory’s potential, whether for agriculture, mining, or settlement, before relocating citizens. Executives were dispatched in waves, leaving the main estate quieter.

A week passed in this state.

...

Baines’s eyes snapped open, his mind a swirling vortex of new knowledge. Cultivation techniques for mana and aura, manipulation methods to bend both energies, and combat skills of sword, palm, fist, body, and a rare double-sword method flooded his consciousness, each one vivid and ready to be tested.

He rose, his body thrumming with latent power, and left his room, the door creaking softly behind him.

Whoosh.

The servant was already outside, as if anticipating his emergence and destination, he spoke, "I’ll lead the way." his voice was steady, but his mind conflicted. Assigned to protect and guide this enigmatic genius, he struggled to reconcile Jin’s erratic behavior. After the library, he’d expected him to begin immediate training, however, he took a week-long slumber. The man’s unpredictability was maddening.

They arrived at the training facility, a cavernous chamber of stone and steel. Racks of weapons lined the walls with swords, spears, and staffs gleaming under dim light.

The central space was vast, its floor scuffed from countless sparring sessions, designed for unhindered movement. Baines selected a training sword, its weight balanced but unremarkable, and assumed a stance.

To optimize his progress, he’d instructed Eye to categorize all techniques into a star system, with the Nameless Martial Arts at the pinnacle, followed by Absolute Cut and Destruction’s Will. Lower-tier techniques, like those from the Dawnless vault, were ranked from first stars.

He began with the first-star sword techniques, starting with Tri-Sword, a basic triple-slash from three angles. His blade sliced the air with a whoosh, striking from above, left, and right in fluid succession, each cut precise yet unadorned.

As a 6th star, it wasn’t difficult to perfectly perform a 1st star technique without difficulty.

Next was Wind Edge Slash, which harnessed ambient breezes to extend the blade’s reach. With his enhanced aura control, manipulating the wind was effortless, the air humming as his sword traced an elongated arc.

Iron Line followed, a heavy, linear slash that prioritized raw power, the blade descending with a force that vibrated the floor. Draw Cut, suited for his bladeless sword, was a swift sheathe-and-draw strike, ideal for rapid counters. Finally, Guard Breaker, a piercing thrust to the ground, sent a shockwave designed to stagger blocking foes.

"Phew..." Baines exhaled, sweat beading on his brow as he completed the 1st star sword techniques. He then transitioned to movement skills under the 1st star.

Lightfoot Step, a nimble stride that reduced weight; Shadow Drift, a gliding motion that blurred his form; Air Dash, a burst of speed propelled by aura; and Flicker Move, a deceptive teleport-like shift.

After performing them, he began integrating these movement techniques with his sword strikes. He experimented on which techniques went best with which, and which technique enhanced the other.

He then explored the 1st-star palm and fist techniques, like Stone Palm and Iron Fist, simple strikes that relied on raw force. He couldn’t always bank on having a sword to be there for him. His experiences so far had taught him to expect the unpredictable.

The movements were simple, so simple it felt like he was joking; however, they addressed gaps in his arsenal, grounding his combat style in versatility. The day ended with him retiring to his room, where he ate a modest meal of bread and stew, bathed, and slept, his body humming with progress.

The next day, Baines returned, repeating the 1st-star techniques with increased fluency.

With Eye’s ability to bring out holograms of previous enemies and with the numbers he had fought, it was enough for him to practice on. From the masters in the Last Front to the old man he met the previous day, he used the 1st star techniques to battle them throughout.

He lost in some, tweaked some techniques in some awkward techniques, and by the end of the day, he lost in one strike to the old man.

The day ended with lessons etched into his muscles.

On the third day, he advanced to second-star techniques, their complexity a noticeable step up.

Crescent Slash curved through the air, its arc sharper; Gale Step propelled him with gust-like speed.

The servant, watching silently, noted the elegance in Baines’s movements, the air dancing with each strike.

Over two days, Baines blended first- and second-star techniques, discovering synergies—like pairing Wind Edge Slash with Gale Step for a whirlwind assault. He didn’t limit himself to just 2nd star techniques and used them in battle.

His hologram battles grew fiercer, his losses fewer as he adapted.

On the sixth day, as he began third-star techniques, there was a visitor.

Tasha.

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