Chapter 5
1032 Words
“Bang, bang, bang.”
In the training grounds of Eagle’s Castle, reserved exclusively for the lord, Kain, Marcus, and Catherine, clad in leather armor, were engrossed in a heated sparring session.
Sometimes they attacked each other, and other times they teamed up against Marcus. As the only high-tier first-rank extraordinary individual among them, Marcus handled their attacks with ease.
With a sidestep, he dodged Catherine’s thrust, and then parried Kain’s s***h with his long sword.
After using his strength to push Kain back, Catherine attacked again from behind.
This time, unlike her previous assault, she used a swordsman’s ability. Her entire long sword was enveloped in a dazzling red light, leaving deep marks wherever it struck, slicing through iron like butter.
Seeing this move, Marcus didn’t hold back. He raised his long sword, which began to gather a silver light.
Quickly, he swung his sword towards Catherine, sending a silver s***h of energy in her direction.
“Clang.”
Upon contact with the energy s***h, Catherine was forced to retreat, using all her strength to resist but still falling short.
Her long sword was knocked into the air, spinning once before landing on the ground.
Catherine herself was knocked to the ground by the force of the s***h, struggling to get back up.
The fight now came down to Kain versus Marcus. Initially, Kain could hold his own thanks to his bloodline’s advantage and his family’s swordsmanship.
But as his stamina waned, Marcus overpowered him, knocking him to the ground.
Grasping Marcus’s outstretched hand, Kain stood up.
“I didn’t expect you to have mastered the Gerald Swordsmanship to this extent, my lord.”
Dusting himself off, Kain smiled and said, “Still a long way to go, Marcus.”
Sheathing his sword, Kain continued, “So, how much more practice do we need?”
After a moment of thought, Marcus replied from his extensive experience, “We need at least another month. Our coordination isn’t perfect yet.”
“No problem, we have time.”
Kain then looked at the approaching Catherine with concern, “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, my lord.”
Marcus apologized, “Sorry, Captain Catherine. I used too much force just now.”
Catherine waved her hand dismissively, indicating she was unhurt.
“No need to apologize. Fight me with the same strength next time; I didn’t get enough of a challenge.”
A true battle fanatic of the territory, her passion for combat was overwhelming...
Marcus sighed internally but maintained a smile, “Alright, as long as you can handle it.”
“Of course.” Catherine nodded eagerly, already looking forward to the next morning’s training.
Then she turned to Kain, seeming to have something to report.
“My lord, the scouts we sent out have returned with news.”
Hearing about new developments, Kain’s tired spirit revived.
“Oh? What’s the situation over there?”
“According to the scouts, Wenlai Fortress was initially quiet, but yesterday, Horst’s deputy, Sean, arrived with several cavalrymen.”
“Sean, huh… Do we know his rank?”
“Not exactly, but the scouts estimate he’s no higher than mid-tier first rank.”
The appearance of another extraordinary individual put Kain and his people at a distinct disadvantage.
Frowning, Kain said, “It seems my dear uncle has gone to great lengths to deal with me, recruiting another extraordinary individual.”
“My lord, we need to intensify our training,” Marcus suggested.
Kain nodded in agreement, “Yes, they’re likely plotting another assassination attempt.”
“Catherine, Marcus, that’s enough training for this morning. Go and strengthen the training of the cavalry and soldiers.”
“Yes, Lord Kain.” The two promptly went to carry out his orders.
Knowing that the enemy had new plans, they decided to speed up the soldiers’ training, while also striving to enhance their own strength before the next confrontation.
Meanwhile, Kain also prepared himself. He took off his leather armor, replaced his long sword with a wooden sword of equivalent weight, and after a few casual swings, assumed a peculiar stance.
Holding the sword with both hands in front, he stepped forward with his left leg, and his right leg back, taking a deep breath. As he swung the wooden sword, his whole body moved in sync with it.
Just as swordsmen train their bodies and mages meditate, knights have their own unique training methods.
Due to the rarity and value of the required items, knightly extraordinary individuals are generally nobles.
Each noble family has its own inherited techniques, combining unique breathing methods with various physical exercises to achieve the desired results.
The technique Kain practiced was the Gerald family’s passed-down “Inward Heaven Technique.”
This technique, refined through four generations of the family, not only embodied the ancestors' understanding but also included a complementary swordsmanship created by Tapen Gerald.
Indeed, the swordsmanship Kain used while sparring with Marcus was this very technique, perfectly matching the physical exercises of the original technique.
Since its creation, the Gerald family's knights had significantly sped up their training, with the swordsmanship enhancing their combat effectiveness remarkably.
The breathing methods of the technique were well memorized by Kain. He continuously swung the wooden sword, sometimes thrusting, sometimes slashing, making the movements of his sword unpredictable.
To an observer, it would seem as if the wooden sword in his hand transformed into three swords as he swung and thrust.
“Whew.”
Exhaling a breath of impure air, Kain finished a set of training routines.
Feeling the warmth flowing through his body, he knew his strength had improved, though he was still some distance from mid-tier first rank.
Reflecting, Kain realized that his original talent was mediocre, explaining why he was still at low-tier first rank at 18, while Catherine, of the same age, was pushing towards high-tier first rank. But since acquiring the werewolf bloodline, not only had his strength increased, but his training speed had also improved significantly.
Where his original talent would have taken five more years to reach mid-tier first rank, Kain now needed only a few months.
With that thought, he began another round of training.
- Writer
