Chapter 23: (2)
Chapter 23: (2)
Ah, yes. Im Kaiyan.
And just now, Kaiyan realized one thing. While Tariens other knights addressed him as Nim, the old knight didnt use that title.
He called Tarien as if he were speaking from the perspective of his superior. From that, one could speculate that the old knight might be higher in rank than a subordinate knight.
I have to be more cautious Hes a dangerous person.
A knight with a higher status than a subordinate knight showing curiosity towards a mere common soldier?
Kaiyan felt the need to be more careful in his actions. He might end up caught in unnecessary attention and lose his life for no reason.
Hehe, dont be so tense. I really like you. You seem young, yet your skills are impressive. It feels like seeing my young self.
Haha Thank you.
Kaiyan forced an awkward smile to avoid the old knights gaze, but his friendly gaze and compliments continued.
Heh, its really pleasing to hear that.
And his smile beamed at Kaiyan.
If this had happened a while ago, Kaiyan would have warmly welcomed the knights attention, but now, being the center of attention was quite uncomfortable.
Its not just unsettling, its ominous
What if he tells Kaiyan to become a knight or asks him to join his service? Such ominous thoughts crossed Kaiyans mind.
Even if he becomes a knight now, all he can learn is swordsmanship, and that can easily be achieved through skills.
In short, whether Kaiyan becomes a knight or a nobles retainer, it doesnt offer anything good.
Besides, I dont aim to make a fortune.
The old knight, who looked at Kaiyan with a burdened expression, seemed to have made a decision and attempted to speak with a serious gaze.
I dont usually make this kind of proposal, but you see, I
Kuaaack!
At that moment, as if conversing was a luxury, a monster rushed towards them.
If it knew how many monsters had been killed by both of them, it would never have made such a move.
Hey, theres a monster coming! Ill draw its attention!
Oh,
The old knight was about to say something, but fortunately, Kaiyan was able to avoid the situation.
Thanks to the fearless monster that rushed at them.
Thank you! Penetrating Stab!
Kaiyan thrust his sword towards the charging medium-sized monster, filled with gratitude.
Thunk!
Perhaps he put too much gratitude into the sword. It pierced through the monsters body.
With increased strength and abilities, the Penetrating Stab skill frequently managed to pierce through monsters.
Kuaaack! Kuaaack!
The monster tried to wreak havoc in agony, but at that moment, the sword of the knight who followed behind Kaiyan pierced through its heart.
Thud!
Kaiyan had witnessed it several times, but it was truly a sharp blow.
If Kaiyan were to use Aura and a skill simultaneously now, he might be able to achieve about half of what the knight did.
Whoooosh!
As the creature collapsed, the retreat horn sounded from the main camp. Finally, the fierce war that had raged today came to an end.
For the exhausted soldiers, the news would be like a ray of hope, just as it was for Kaiyan.
Well then
Just as he was about to use the opportunity to sneak away, the old knight quickly grabbed his arm.
Kaiyan tried to reflexively dodge, but his arm was caught too easily.
Hmm, you
Gulp.
What exactly did the old knight want to say?
In a highly tense state, Kaiyan watched the old knights mouth.
Thats not necessary. Just go back.
Yes, thank you for your hard work, sir.
Youve worked hard too.
With those words, the old knight returned to Tarien.
He seemed like he wanted to say something.
Kaiyan put aside his anxious thoughts and headed toward where Uncle Jeff and Uncle Max were, waving his hand.
Uncle Jeff, Uncle Max!
Both uncles had faces that showed how exhausted the battle on the front line had been.
Raising their hands, they approached with smiles on their faces as they saw Kaiyan.
Kaiyan! Are you injured anywhere?
Dont worry about me! I didnt get hit even once!
As expected, the uncles warmly welcomed Kaiyan. This is what true camaraderie feels like.
Are you two injured?
They confirmed that none of them were injured, and with the relief of not having major wounds, they exchanged small smiles.
They couldnt burst into laughter here, as the battlefield was overflowing with the dead.
Kaiyan, by any chance, did you secretly take some good medicine? How is your skill improving day by day? Its clear that youre a swordsmanship genius! Haha.
Thats right. At first, I thought that the little kid who played around with me wouldnt be the same. Hiyah Until recently, I was struggling against just four goblins.
Kaiyan felt a bit embarrassed by the uncles reasonable suspicions.
From Uncle Jeffs perspective, who didnt know about the player system, it would naturally feel unreasonable for Kaiyans growth rate.
Especially someone like Uncle Jeff, who had been in the same unit as him all this time, must have already noticed that Kaiyan was hiding something.
Not too long ago, he almost died from the goblins.
However, Uncle Jeff didnt ask about the reasons, probably considering his personality. He trusted Kaiyan, but at the same time, he might have had a slight suspicion.
Lets go back now.
Yes.
Kaiyan followed the uncles and headed toward the barracks.
One advantage that the special unit had over the outpost unit was that they didnt need to collect monster ears separately for exchange.
If they were still part of the outpost, they would be busy exchanging monster ears at the exchange station instead of resting.
**** ****
After finishing a simple meal at the barracks, Kaiyan went outside.
Today, as usual, he planned to train in swordsmanship instead of resting. A slightly more special training session than usual.
Activate Aura.
As he activated Aura within him, power began to surge throughout his body.
This was his third time using Aura. The first time was at dawn, the second time was on the battlefield, and now the third time.
The Aura, which was only half the size of a babys fingernail at first, succeeded in growing more than three times through todays battle.
Kaiyan had some expectations, but the results exceeded his expectations.
Its all thanks to the Maeslin Aura Manual. This is truly a technique tailored for me.
Crack.
As he clenched and released his fist, a strange sound came from his hand.
It wasnt the sound of bones cracking but the sound of the skin being squeezed by the immense strength in his grip.
Definitely Ive surpassed the strength of an ordinary person.
Thud.
He firmly gripped the sword and savored this feeling.
The fact that he acquired an ability that he couldnt even imagine not long ago.
I should train a bit harder today.
As soon as he made up his mind, the Aura, which had been flowing calmly within him, began to move fiercely.