Chapter 266: You Cannot Escape from the Saintess (6)

Peruta made a satisfied expression as I sent him off after our training. Next, I sparred with Sumire, who seemed to have learned a lot from watching me. Of course, she could never be my opponent. Even though I pretty much stopped thinking and sparred with the mindset of leading her spear forward, her spear couldn't reach me at all.

However, only half a year had passed since Sumire really began to train in spearmanship. Although she had the basics down from the family training she had when she was young, it was still only the basics. I remembered this clearly, as she sparred with me when she started training and watched her Spear Technique become mid-rank.

From sparring with me today, Sumire learned high-rank Spear Technique. Her improvement was easy to see, and I quickly ascertained that her spearmanship advanced to high-rank Spear Technique. I didn't know how Sherafina split mid-rank from high rank, but I could feel her advancement from her spear's movements. I knew she wanted to get stronger quickly, but her speed really surprised me.

"..."

"Thank you! Shin-nim is the best!"

"No, I don't think I did much."

"If it wasn't for Shin-nim, I would have never learned high-rank Spear Technique! Shin-nim is really amazing...!"

Sumire entered her worship mode. Though I was happy, I asked her with a bitter expression.

"Sumire, did you put in any skill points into Spear Technique...?"

"No. Didn't Shin-nim say so? To not put in skill points into mana training skills or martial art skills."

"Right. So you reached high-rank Spear Technique in half a year with just your own ability?"

"It's more thanks to Shin-nim rather than my ability."

Sumire spoke as she tilted her head. She believed it wholeheartedly. Just where did this worship-like faith come from? I don't remember doing anything... Well, I guess I did. But she also participated, and so did the others...

Perhaps, this faith was what allowed Sumire to advance so quickly. I didn't want to break her wings by carelessly saying something, so I gave up on continuing this topic. Instead, I made an offer.

"Sumire, focus for a bit."

"Are you teaching me something!?"

Sumire approached me with sparkling eyes. If only Ren was half as trusting when he came to learn from me... Unfortunately, Ren's idea of learning from me was equal to being beaten up, so this was impossible. I told myself to beat him up again in the coming days and focused my attention on Sumire.

"Rather than teaching... I'm offering a method."

"Yes, I'll do it!"

Failed. I wanted to leave it to her choice, but she was going to do whatever I asked. It was the first time I felt the weight of absolute faith.

'I guess it'll be okay as long as what I tell her is correct.' I felt my responsibility increasing as I told her the method.

"To be honest, I didn't think you would get so strong in such a short time. Without even a tiny bit of exaggeration, you're a genius. You were already a genius in martial arts, but it seems you're an even greater genius in spearmanship."

"I'm nothing compared to Shin-nim. I'm still lacking!"

"No, trust me. Hubris is poisonous, but underestimating yourself isn't good either. You have to look at yourself objectively if you want to improve quicker."

Sumire's face reddened from embarrassment. I smiled and held up my sword.

"Well, saying anything more will only tickle your ears. I'll be frank. Sumire, your defense is outstanding. With Athena's power, it could even be called absolute. You can probably even defend against one full power attack from me."

By full power, I meant using Overlord, Sacrifice, and Sky God's Rage. Mm, I guess she can't block Shiva's Eye, but since I can only use this power once a year, I shouldn't think about it. In any case, the fact that she could defend against this meant that she could perfectly defend against an attack from a world's enemy.

Although she wasn't at this level in the past, Sumire was always with us as we climbed the dungeon and completed Event Raids. Her outstanding talent, effort, and ample experience made this possible.

"But your attack is truthfully weak. Very weak. Although it's improved a lot, even if you train for another year, you probably can't deal an effective blow against a world's enemy."

"That's because I'm lacking..."

"No, the only thing you're lacking is time. Time is one thing no one can change. Sorry, I didn't think we would be in such a rush either. If you had just two more years, you would have become more powerful than anyone else."

Her talent, effort, and God's true name proved this. Athena was Olympus' greatest warrior. Not even Zeus could take away this title.

"Then am I supposed to just stand back no matter what happens?"

Sumire, who was excited just a moment ago, now wore a sad expression. Seeing her face, I didn't feel like continuing either.

Nowadays, such sense of helplessness was common against Revival's members. 'There isn't much we can do in crucial moments.' 'Guild master and a few others shoulder all the burden.' Such thoughts were the cause of this helplessness.

Of course, without them, we wouldn't have been able to clear all the Event Dungeons during the last crisis, but it was also true that only the guild members other than me, Hwaya, Ina, and Daisy were left out of fighting powerful enemies. This was because other than the four of us, it was hard for the others to deal effective blows, much less fatal blows.

As a result, many of Revival's members were feeling depressed about not being able to do anything. I should have made it clearer how thankful I was for them. It wasn't too late. Since they had supreme talents in their own fields, there had to be something only they could do.

Sumire would be the beginning.

"Don't make that face. Do you remember what I said? I said I'm offering a method."

"Ah, r-right, you did."

Sumire's expression became slightly brighter. How much my words affected her showed how innocent she was.

"I'm saying it's impossible if you continue with your current training method. That's why we'll use a slightly unconventional method."

"Unconventional... method?"

"Yep. It's honing your blade for a single thrust."

"A single... thrust..."

Seeing Sumire murmur after me, I held my spear and took a stance. Obviously, it was the stance I took when I used Heroic Strike. Sumire also noticed it.

"Shin-nim, that's..."

"Yep."

Sumire had the greatest defense, Athena's shield, Aegis.

Once activated, Aegis automatically blocked the enemy's attack without having to be held and even petrified the enemy. Sumire usually held the spear in one hand, but during this time, she could use both hands to hold the spear. The enemy will also be blocked by Aegis, and she'll be thoroughly protected. Perfectly blocking the enemy's attacks while attacking with her spear. It was any spearman's dream.

Even so, just learning one technique didn't advance one's spearmanship. It only advanced his technique. Plus, even if he strengthened his technique, without proper spearmanship as the basis, it could never reach its maximum potential. That was why I never taught Sumire techniques.

Now, it was different. Sumire advanced extremely quickly. She not only had the talent to learn Heroic Strike, her level of spearmanship was more than enough to draw out its power. If she added Athena's power on top of it? I was already looking forward to it.

"I'm a bit embarrassed, but it's the greatest technique I can use with pure spearmanship."

"It's an honor!"

Sumire cheered up completely when I told her I would impart Heroic Strike onto her. Well, since she couldn't use Heroic Aura, it wouldn't be Heroic Strike, but...

"Right, let's call it the Goddess' Strike."

"I, I haven't even learned it yet! And such an embarrassing name..."

"I'm sure it's better than Heroic Strike."

My eyes were completely serious. I still didn't understand why I gave this skill such a name. I regretted it immensely. I regretted it every time I used it. Still, I shouted its name loudly every time. I could still hear mother's complaints from when I kick my bedsheet because of it.

"First, I'll show you a Heroic Strike using only my energies."

I summoned Ruyue and asked her to create an extremely hard ice boulder in the center of the training room. In an instant, freezing energy filled our surroundings, and a giant ice boulder reaching the training room's ceiling appeared.

[Even Shin won't be able to break it easily!]

"Thanks."

I then summoned Peika and had her enter my spear. I then quickly took my stance. I pulled back with my right hand, and my left hand supported the spear from underneath. I leaned my entire body back slightly and bent my knees adequately. I was used to focusing my energy in one place, so I didn't really need to do all this, but since Sumire was learning it from scratch, it was good to learn the proper stance.

"You have to feel the energy in your body. See how I concentrate it and shoot it out."

"Yes."

First, I roused Heroic Aura. It was an energy at the summit of all auras that empowered allies and erased evil. It could also strengthen all auras I possessed. It was truly a power befitting a Hero.

Next, I gave Peika my mana and also took out the Lightning God's power. Though it was granted by the dungeon, this power proved that I was chosen by lightning and thunder and that I had the qualification to rule over them. It wasn't much different from a god's true name. What this meant was that I would still maintain this power even if I lost my qualification as an explorer.

I could feel all of these powers concentrating on a single point on Chaotic Spear. My body's muscles, mana, aura, and elemental power. Everything came together. Peruta Circuit spun fiercely, while Mad Typhoon mixed the energies accordingly and create a tiny whirlpool at my spear tip.

Sumire, who was watching me from a distance away, was completely focused. She didn't even breathe. Suddenly, I felt a bit uneasy.

"Ruyue, materialize and strengthen that a bit more."

[Un!]

Concentrating Heroic Strike's destructive power onto one target was also one of the conditions of learning it. Not uselessly dispersing its destructive power and focusing it entirely on the target! My ancestor was undoubtedly a pervert.

I could also add Trishula, Sacrifice, Frozen Roar, Sky God's Rage, Twin-headed Ogre's Tattoo's close-range attack amplification, Succubus Queen's Tattoo's 2x mana... but I held myself back. It was already powerful enough.

"Huu... Haap!"

When I felt that I squeezed out every ounce of power, I attacked. Although I stabbed slowly so Sumire could clearly see it, my spear still traveled extremely quickly. As if it was being sucked in by the ice, it drove into the center of the ice. At that moment...

"Kyak!"

"I knew this would happen!"

The moment the spear tip struck the ice, its boundless energy devoured the ice, breaking it into thousands of pieces and scattering it. Sumire screamed and held up her shield, but the ice shards disappeared without hurting anyone. The ice was under Ruyue's control.

Realizing that she was unhurt, Sumire stayed stiffened for a while with her shield held up, then lowered it with slightly trembling hands. Her voice also shook her hands.

"It's too powerful. But Shin-nim, this isn't your full power, right?"

"Mm, it gets stronger if I add gods' true names, item effects, and skill effects. But..."

Other than gods' true names, an ability like Lespina's nullified them, so there wasn't that big of a difference realistically. Sumire murmured with a dumbfounded expression.

"Too, too powerful. So this is Shin-nim's power... As expected of Takemikazuchi..."

"Please."

It seemed what I just showed Sumire went beyond what she could accept. I let out a dry cough and brought her back to reality.

"This is my technique. The technique you'll make is different. There will be no lightning, no elemental power, and no Heroic Aura. Still, Sumire will have Sumire's mana and Athena's power."

"Even if I learn it, will I be able to display the same destructive power?"

"Probably."

'With your crazy talent, it might be possible.'

"What I'm about to show you now... is what Heroic Strike was based on."

I asked Ruyue to create another ice boulder. She used the same amount of mana, and its hardness was the same.

"This technique was something my ancestors created when they didn't know mana. It was created purely to display power surpassing the limits of one's physical body..."

As I explained, something caught my attention. Why did I just think about my sparring with Peruta? It felt like something was about to pop out of my head. I thought back to what I said to see if anything popped up, but nothing happened.

"Shin-nim? Are you okay?"

"Ah, yeah... I'm fine."

I couldn't understand. Still, I felt sure I would understand it one day. Soon, that is. Believing this, I set aside my idle thoughts and took up the same stance as before.

"I can't say I mastered this technique my ancestors created, but I rate it highly since even without mana, it's on par with an attack using mana. Sumire, you'll have to use this skill as the basis to perfect your own technique."

"Uuu, I have to learn something even Shin-nim didn't master?"

"You can do it. Trust me. Unlike Heroic Strike, you'll get a feeling for it when you see me use it."

I held up my Chaotic Spear again. I let go of all my mana. I didn't draw Lightning God's power either. Using the pure power of my muscles, blood, and bones, I frantically drew everything under my control and outside of my control onto a single point. After concentrating and concentrating and concentrating... I eventually couldn't see what was in front of me.

I could see one thing. The tip of my spear and the single point it needed to pierce through. I wanted to tell Sumire to concentrate, but I couldn't say a thing because I was controlling my body. In terms of difficulty, the last technique, in which I drew out all my power, was greater. Now, however, the process of controlling everything about my body and concentrating its power on a single point felt extremely difficult.

Then, I realized. Mana's support. Mana, which followed my will, helped me control my body much easier. I was used to receiving mana's support in using this technique. Now that I was relying purely on my power as a human being, controlling this power felt this difficult.

My heart thumped. If I realized this any later, my spearmanship might have even regressed. Although mana was powerful, I couldn't allow it to take over what a human's power could do. Mana had its own role. There was a domain that mana should never invade.

That was the concentration and flow of power. It was good that I realized it now before it was too late to turn back. It was good that I could still improve in my own area, rather than Peruta's. Just mastering high-rank Spear Technique wasn't the end. Just learning Mad Typhoon didn't mean that it was the only path I could walk.

"Shin-nim, you said you wouldn't use mana..."

I could feel a weak whirlpool rising. I didn't stop it. Because I was completely immersed in concentrating my body's power onto my spear tip, Peruta Circuit, which had become one with my body, was naturally reacting.

I was ready. With that thought, I reached forward. The spear smoothly drove into the ice. At that moment, I muttered to myself. I'd done it.

The giant ice boulder, which took up a large area, disappeared like it never existed. Although I didn't use any mana, what I accomplished was even more absurd than what I accomplished before. After pouring out my body's entire energy, I staggered slightly. As if it was waiting, Peruta Circuit swirled and consoled my exhausted body. Sumire finally exhaled the breath she was holding in.

"Amazing...!"

"Did you see that?"

"Yes, I did! I did, Shin-nim! Everything! I'll definitely learn it, definitely! With this, I should be able to fulfill my role!"

"I've been saying that."

Although there was a side-effect of Sumire's worshiping me even more, Sumire had regained her enthusiasm. I could practically see the fire burning in her eyes. Not even I thought it would work so well.

On the other hand, there was something else in my mind. The power I just showed. If I could combine it with mana and my other abilities...!

At that moment, when us master and disciple were burning with zealousness, a voice tickled my ears.

[Did you finish what you needed to do on Earth, Revival's master?]

I tried to remember who the voice belonged to and finally remembered. She was the administrative guild master Lost Valley's master, Eleine. She continued without hesitation.

[You should have time for us now, right? There's a request.]

[Request?]

[Yes, request.]

I felt like I could see her grinning.

[A Dimensional Mercenary request in the Edias continent, happening under the supervision of the dungeon.]