Chapter 51: How Pleasing It Sounds for the Old Priest to Die Suddenly |
Aro froze. He was always the one to knock weapons out of his enemies'' hands, yet now it was his turn to be disarmed, leaving him momentarily stunned and unable to react.
Nemus, who had just been rushing over, was already standing beside the Watchman. With a slight lift of his Knight''s Sword, he flicked the falling long blade, sending it flying right back into Aro''s grasp.
"Come. However much force you use, I will match it. I will not bully you," Nemus declared to Aro, glancing briefly at Opper, who had ceased all movement.
Aro took a slight step back, his fingers shifting to tightly grip the hilt of his blade. From the corner of his eye, he could already see Opper''s current predicament.
In his heart, he clearly understood the dire situation they were in.
Judging by the current state of affairs alone, they were completely at a disadvantage. There was no need for words—only battle!
Angling the blade, Aro lowered his stance and let out a beast-like roar before his body blurred, charging straight at Nemus.
He swung his blade upward from a diagonal angle. The moment he felt the resistance of Nemus''s Blade Edge, Aro twisted his body, redirecting his own blade to the other side to guide Nemus''s sword along with it.
However, his envisioned maneuver failed. Nemus retracted his wrist while taking a step forward, then swung his arm out, thrusting the pommel of his Knight''s Sword straight ahead.
He stumbled back several paces before finally regaining his balance and stopping his backward momentum.
Barely had he steadied himself when Nemus gave his sword a twirl, flicking the grounded long blade up into the air and sending it right back into Aro''s hand.
"You have some Innate Talent, but you waste too much of it. Again?" Nemus offered his assessment. Then, with the gentle tone of a host asking a guest if they wanted another cup of Black Tea, he inquired if Aro wished to continue fighting.
Aro panted heavily. His only arm was numb and weak, making it exceptionally difficult to even grip the blade in his hand.
At this very moment, he understood one thing with absolute clarity: his skills had been completely crushed.
If the gap between the Watchman and himself was like that of a wild beast and an intelligent human using tools, then the gap between him and Nemus was that of Insects and Giant Dragons.
The disparity between them vastly exceeded the difference between him and the Watchman.
If he continued to fight, he would absolutely die.
Beneath Nemus''s gentle smile, a bone-chilling killing intent was already coiling around his body.
Glancing at Opper in the distance and seeing the man shake his head, Aro loosened his grip. He let go of the hilt and chose to surrender.
"Giving up is no disgrace. Your blade technique is steeped in Extremism. Technique is a reflection of life; only by letting go can your blade skills advance further."
With a single glance, Nemus could see the very limits of Aro''s skills.
All of the man''s techniques were driven by an incredibly extreme mindset.
This approach would only cause his skills to become increasingly radical.
Being extreme was not inherently bad, but an uncontrolled extreme merely proved that he was losing control.
And an uncontrollable technique was utterly worthless.
"To me, the core philosophy of technique is absolute control. In your Cognition, the core of technique is driven by emotion. But right now, I am stronger than you."
"Therefore, I am the truth."
Having dealt with Aro, who had dared to raise a weapon against him, Nemus walked over to Opper.
Along the way, two Halflings lay paralyzed on the ground, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths. They did not dare to twitch a single muscle, terrified of disturbing Nemus.
The two outlaws were also exceptionally well-behaved at this moment. They could clearly sense that the Nest Beast hairs on their bodies had completely wilted, not daring to bristle in the slightest.
Continuing forward, Nemus approached the dual swordsman who had just scrambled to his feet. The man kept his head bowed low, lacking the courage to even look at Nemus.
The hands gripping his swords trembled incessantly as his inner worldview was once again shattered and remade.
He had always thought of himself as a genius, only appearing somewhat inferior because he had the misfortune of encountering a monster like Aro.
It was only at this moment that he realized the truth: whether it was him or Aro, they both merely possessed a slight amount of Innate Talent.
In the face of a true genius, they were nothing but fireflies and candle flames indulging in One-Sided Wishful Thinking, believing themselves to be the bright moon and the Sun in the sky. At the same time, a deep sense of unwillingness pierced his heart; he wanted to elevate his Innate Talent, to become a true master of Sword Art.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, the dual swordsman could not help but raise his head to gaze at Nemus''s departing back.
He wanted to learn the way of the sword from him.
Shortly after, Nemus stood directly in front of Opper.
The translucent Feather Sky Serpents squirmed uneasily, not even daring to flick their tongues.
The black fur of the Nest Beast around Opper also quickly retracted back into his body, becoming incredibly docile.
The ferocious beast that usually required him to spend a fortune on suppressive drugs now seemed so pathetically powerless.
This made Opper realize the crux of the issue: the ferocity of the Nest Beast was never the problem; being too weak was the real issue.
If he were strong enough—just like the Old Priest—then the Nest Beast would merely be modified and turned into a handy tool in his grasp.
"Are you truly Nels?" Opper asked.
"Identity is unimportant. What matters is that I am here." Nemus did not answer the question directly. He simply smiled at Opper. "Just like right now—I am here, and thus, your identity might change as well."
This was an offer of surrender.
"There is nothing we cannot negotiate," Opper said, regaining a fraction of his confidence.
Purr was impossible to reason with because his mind was filled with Faith; conventional exchanges of benefits could not tempt him.
But Nemus was different. Although Nemus was incredibly strong, he was not entirely beyond communication.
"All the Old Priest wants is for the Bloodline Experiment to succeed."
"If we work together to eliminate Isabella, then find a way to procure some Whale materials, the Old Priest''s demands will be fully met."
"We can absolutely join forces, profit from all sides, and turn this place into our own personal paradise."
Opper painted a picture of an idealized future.
"The Old Priest will not live much longer. You can be the master of this paradise, Mr. Nels. You can obtain everything you desire."
"If that is all you have to offer, it seems I have overestimated you." Faced with Opper''s temptations, Nemus simply shook his head and sighed with disappointment.
"Why is your vision forever confined to this tiny village?"
"It is just the meager smuggling profits of some Whalehide Ore, and yet you are already satisfied?"
"Vision determines your Upper Limit." Nemus looked down at Opper from head to toe before continuing, "Your vision is limited to this village, and so you will be forever trapped within this village."
"The Old Priest has spent his entire life limited to his Bloodline Experiment, so his whole life is destined to be trapped by that Bloodline Experiment."
"So I ask you now, Mr. Opper. Have you ever truly set your sights on the outside world?!"
Nemus''s question, accompanied by his immense oppressive aura, pierced deep into Opper''s heart.
He had seen the boundless luxury of Sky Spring City, and he had witnessed the bustling commercial trade of Tail Fin Town.
He could not help but give a slight nod.
"Excellent. Then let the Old Priest become the stepping stone for my Advancement."
"The Old Priest dying suddenly from his prohibited experiments, and a Holy Knight stepping in to restore order—how incredibly pleasing that sounds!"
Comments 1