Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 578: Enlightenment; Intent!

CH578 Enlightenment; Intent!

***

[Ultimate Quickdraw Art: Death Phantom Razor]!

Havel gathered the last remnants of energy within his body and unleashed the ultimate art of his Quickdraw Sword Style.

Swoosh!

Time seemed to slow as his blade flashed through the air with incredible speed, slicing toward the koi swimming in the pond.

Miss!

Miss!

Miss!

All three simultaneous slashes failed to strike the target.

Havel dropped weakly to his knees.

His desperate attack had failed, consuming the last of the energy he had left.

His head hung low as he stared blankly at the sword in his hand.

Pain and weakness screamed through every fibre of his body.

Yet none of that occupied his thoughts.

All Havel could think about was his sword... and the strange sensation he had felt when he struck just now.

’I felt it...’

’I felt something repel my blade.’

’I was right!’

Although the strike had failed, Havel refused to dwell on the despair that threatened to overwhelm him.

Instead, he focused on the single positive outcome.

His attack had indeed been faster than before.

And because of that increase in speed, he had finally sensed the ward protecting the koi from his strikes.

’Faster...’

’I have to strike even faster...’

However, that was easier said than done.

He no longer had the strength to even rise from his kneeling position, much less lift his sword.

Minutes passed as Havel struggled to gather enough strength to stand.

Each attempt ended the same way...

Failure.

There was simply too little fuel left in the tank to make a difference.

Still, Havel clung stubbornly to his determination.

If he failed now... he would starve to death.

’Get up!’

’Get up!’

’Get up, damn it!’

He roared the words internally, over and over again.

Refusing to give up.

Refusing to surrender.

Until finally...

Drip!

In the depths of his desperation, Havel felt something drop into his energy pool.

A sudden spark of energy surged through his body.

Rather than question where it had come from, Havel immediately channelled the energy through his limbs.

Then he realised something.

It was only enough for one final action.

Either he succeeded— and gained a chance at survival.

Or he failed... and died.

Slowly, Havel rose from his knees.

He settled into a striking stance and prepared to unleash his attack.

Just then, his teacher’s words echoed through his mind once more.

—

”Death Phantom’s Razor is a tussle with the phantom of death. If you win the tussle, you live and gain the right to wield its scythe. If you lose... you die.”

—

’I will survive!’ Havel roared inwardly.

In that instant, everything between him and the koi fish in the lake seemed to disappear.

The world narrowed.

There was only him and the fish.

One final strike...

A desperate attack that would decide everything.

[Ultimate Quickdraw Art: Death Phantom Razor]!

The same ultimate technique burst forth.

But this time, there was a major difference.

One...

Two...

Three...

And finally...

Four!

Havel poured every last ounce of strength into the technique.

At last, he broke through his limits and forced out a fourth simultaneous slash.

Crack—

Shatter!

The terrifying speed required to execute the fourth strike finally allowed Havel to bypass the ward protecting the lake.

The barrier shattered from the inside out, its defence collapsing after Havel’s blade slipped past its outer protection.

The ward broke.

The seven koi fish within the pond were now completely vulnerable.

Unfortunately, there was one small problem... Havel had completely drained himself of all remaining energy.

He lay collapsed on the bank of the lake, staring weakly at the fish swimming within the water.

Catching one of them would take almost no effort.

But he did not even have the strength left to move a finger.

He could not even maintain consciousness as his vision slowly began to blur.

He was about to pass out from starvation.

If he had possessed even a little energy left, he might have laughed at the cruel irony of such a death.

Fate truly was a cruel mistress.

And then...

Havel’s vision went black.

He died.

Or so he thought.

-

Suddenly, Havel’s eyes snapped open.

He found himself seated inside the pavilion.

A half-eaten roast fish rested in his hand.

Across from him sat the beautiful elven swordswoman, calmly eating a fish of her own.

”Did you enjoy your fish?” the elf asked.

Havel stared blankly between the fish in his hand and the woman before him.

His body felt full of energy— as though he had never collapsed from hunger at all.

”What just happened?” Havel could not help asking.

”Divine Enlightenment Koi,” the female elf replied, pointing toward the fish in Havel’s hand.

”It creates an illusion of the consumer’s greatest fear in order to bring them the enlightenment they require.”

”Congratulations,” she added casually. ”You have awakened your Sword Intent.”

”Not only that, you managed to cultivate it to the third stage despite only being a Second Circle. I suppose the Divine Enlightenment Koi truly lives up to its reputation.”

Havel stared incredulously at the fish in his hand.

’A Class 2 (Intermediate) warrior with Tier III Sword Intent?’

He was stunned.

He had never heard of such a treasure before.

An item capable of helping someone birth their Intent was already a ground-breaking treasure in its own right.

Yet this fish could go even further, raising the newly awakened Intent to a level that broke the natural rank limitation.

”Thank you,” Havel said, bowing respectfully to the woman.

The elf waved her hand dismissively.

”I am only fulfilling a dying wish,” she replied.

She looked at the man before her —someone who resembled her kin, yet was clearly not— and could not help but shake her head.

”I had intended to pass on my [Instant Horizon Sword Manual] to you,” she said.

”But I can already tell that you would never abandon your current technique.”

”That is rather unfortunate.”

”It means my sword art will be lost to history.”

She let out a soft sigh.

Then she lay back upon the bank of the lake, turning her back to Havel as she idly traced her fingers across the surface of the water.

”You may leave now.”

”Your trial is over.”

A portal of light opened before Havel.

Unlike the phantoms from the other trials, it seemed the elf was simply too lazy to personally send him away.

Havel nodded and stood up.

He walked toward the portal.

However, just as he was about to step through it, he paused.

Then he turned back toward the woman.

”What is your name?” he asked plainly.

”I will remember it.”

”I cannot tell you my name,” the woman replied without turning around.

”After all, my sword art will remain lost to history because of you.”

Havel smiled wryly.

”Well, since that old man is pretentious enough to hand out such grand titles, I suppose I can do the same,” the woman muttered in a low voice that Havel barely managed to catch.

”Instant Blade Empress,” she said suddenly.

She turned her head and looked back at him with a playful smirk.

”You may remember me as the Instant Blade Empress.”

Havel nodded solemnly.

”I, Havel Landomas, final disciple of the Phantom Flash Swordsman of the SageShadow Plane, pay my respects to the Instant Blade Empress.”

He performed a ceremonial bow of the Noble race, one that was somewhat akin to a kowtow.

After completing the bow, he remained kneeling, seated upon his heels with his sword placed across his thigh.

”You have my utmost gratitude,” he said sincerely.

”I will never forget the favour you have done for me today and will forever carry it within my heart.”

Not only had he awakened and cultivated his Sword Intent, but he had also experienced the crucial state required to further develop the [Ultimate Quickdraw Art: Death Phantom Razor], the pinnacle technique of his sword style.

For a swordsman of the Phantom Quickdraw Style, such an opportunity was invaluable.

He could not possibly be more grateful.

The elf did not turn around to acknowledge his words.

Instead, she casually waved her hand.

The portal suddenly surged forward, pulling Havel into it and ejecting him from the trial.

”Sigh...”

After he disappeared, a quiet sigh echoed through the space.

The Instant Blade Empress lay on her back, staring up at the pavilion ceiling.

”What use is remembering the title of someone who died centuries ago?” she muttered, shaking her head lightly.

Her gaze then drifted back toward the koi fish gliding lazily within the lake.

”Phantom Flash Swordsman, huh...”

She murmured softly.

”Sounds like the sort of rival who might have pushed me to try harder. Perhaps I might have grown stronger than that shifty old man.”

”And if I had, maybe I could have defended our homeland better than he did.”

She shook her head again.

”What is the point of thinking about that now? I am merely a fragment left behind.”

”Since my task is finished, I may as well slumber one final time.”

She chuckled softly.

”To think the end of the greatest genius of the elven race would be just as dull and lazy as the life I lived.”

***