Li Ke stood there, entirely dumbfounded.
"What is this? Since when do I get the kind of special treatment reserved for anime protagonists?"
Muttering to himself, he casually flipped open Aganzo's journal. His eyes instantly widened.
Right on the very first page he glanced at, a passage leaped out at him:
'Why is it that after breaking through that specific realm, I can inexplicably make my blades float in mid-air? Can a swordsman's intent truly possess such power? Upon closer inspection, the foundation for cultivating this power has been there since the beginning. Is this also a form of mental energy? It seems the swords I can manipulate at will must be weapons once wielded by masters. Because those blades already harbor their own residual intent, does the resonance with my mental energy trigger this phenomenon?'
'Further research has yielded more answers. Sword intent is indeed another manifestation of mental energy, but when it resonates, it generates an even more devastating force... In that case, I should devise a sword array. I need to think of a proper name for it.'
'Let's call it Spiritual Blade: Tempest! After all, the assault is like a violent storm. It can summon the phantoms of those legendary weapons without even needing to physically hold them, bypassing any unwieldiness in battle. Since these weapons are condensed from mental energy, they not only resonate to deal massive damage, but can also be manifested infinitely... It's practically like a lightsaber. No weapon weight... and no drag during a swing.'
An Awakening?!
Li Ke instantly realized what he was looking at.
In the world of Arad, ordinary people could never exert power beyond their physical limits. They might defeat monsters twice the height of a building, but they remained fundamentally human.
But a select few were different. They could tap into an unimaginable, transcendent power—a strength born from walking their own unique path.
That power was universally known as an Awakening.
Once the power within the body awakened, one was no longer a mere mortal.
The subsequent Second Awakening occurred when a transcendent mortal pushed their limits yet again, stepping into the realm of the gods. In their chosen field of expertise, they defied common sense and the very rules of the world, achieving godlike status.
The secret Blood Ignition technique Li Ke had just acquired from G.S.D technically belonged to the realm of a Berserker's Second Awakening—a technique touching the domain of gods. However, because Li Ke wasn't a traditional Berserker, the technique would only serve as his profession's First Awakening.
And yet... Aganzo had just casually tossed him a journal containing the blueprint for a Blade Master's Awakening—the path of a standard swordsman.
To put it simply, a master who reached the Awakening stage could single-handedly crush an entire army. And not just any army, but the armies of a high-fantasy world. Even dragons could be slaughtered by someone who had achieved their First Awakening.
As for a Second Awakening, they were forces of nature beyond the coping capacity of ordinary mortals. The calamitous monsters capable of bringing about the apocalypse on Arad were merely troublesome opponents in front of a Second Awakening user.
And a Third Awakening? Aside from a few exceptions, it practically elevated a warrior to the status of a true deity.
At that stage, even the Apostles could not ignore your power. The safety of the entire world rested upon a single whim of your thoughts.
"Seriously, what is going on here?" Li Ke muttered, staring at the notebook in disbelief.
Li Ke didn't believe for a second that he just happened to have amazing luck. Even though he was an Endless Traveler, his track record proved that fortune rarely smiled on him. More often than not, if his strength hadn't been completely broken and overpowered, he would have faced a guaranteed death with absolutely no way out.
"Is it because of the Power of the Primordial?"
Li Ke immediately thought of the Power of the Primordial swirling inside his body. This was the monumental force he had obtained from being with Seria. Not only had it granted him a powerful forbidden energy, but it also seemed to have passively upgraded his luck and affinity within this world.
Whether he could prove that hypothesis, however, remained to be seen.
"Well, a win is a win," he muttered.
Taking a deep breath, Li Ke turned and walked back toward the inn where Seria and the others were staying.
Once back in his room, Li Ke began rapidly flipping through both swordsmanship manuals.
The one G.S.D had given him was clearly transcribed by someone else. The handwriting was quite young and immature, but the characters were written squarely and neatly, and the explanations were incredibly thorough.
In fact, they were detailed to a fault.
"The power of Waves, the power of swordsmanship... Old man G.S.D really wants me to abandon the path of the Blood-Qi Secret Technique."
Li Ke leafed through the scroll, which detailed the cultivation methods for two distinct types of power.
The first was the power of Waves (Asura's path). In this world, Waves were considered the fundamental frequency linking all things in existence. Human life, sound, senses, touch, hearing, taste, and even sight—in the eyes of a Wave Master, they were all just 'Waves.' They were the fluctuations of the world, inherently tied to the power of movement and stillness. If one could master these Waves, they could master the power of motion itself, thereby commanding everything.
"This actually suits Toph perfectly," Li Ke mused with a smirk. "When I track her down later, I'll use this to trade for her virginity."
Still talking to himself, he shifted his attention to the standard swordsmanship section.
This part broke down basic sword fundamentals and explained how to utilize internal Qi to supplement them. Strictly speaking, it was still a form of Qi cultivation, but unlike the style used by Nen Masters, a swordsman's training focused heavily on tempering physical conditioning and speed. G.S.D had written extensively on how to project sword beams and how to train one's reflexes.
Following that were various medicinal formulas meant to replenish blood and Qi, soothe pain, stimulate the heart, and enhance physical attributes. For Li Ke, however, these were somewhat redundant.
After all, he possessed the Living Flame of the red dragon, and the physical improvements offered by these medicines were far too slow to show results. They were better than nothing, but only barely.
However, G.S.D had left a rather amusing note at the end:
'Before your swordsmanship reaches the level where you can freely project sword beams, do not rashly engage in combat with spearmen. Unless there is a catastrophic gap in your respective strengths, you will essentially stand zero chance of winning.'
"Well, that's realistic..." Li Ke chuckled. "But honestly, just getting the Blood-Qi Secret Technique details alone has already made this trip worth the price."
He exhaled deeply, solidifying his plans. His primary goal in speaking with G.S.D had been to determine how to advance his training path, and the instructions for Blood Ignition were more than enough. The rest, even if he couldn't directly use it, would serve to broaden his horizons.
Next, Li Ke turned his attention to the notebook Aganzo had given him. But the moment he opened it, he found a massive collection of random rants and complaints.
'Dark Elves are so tedious. I told them it wasn't poisonous, but that guy still brought a dog over to test it... Problem is, how is a dog supposed to eat spicy food? Naturally, he got bitten, didn't he?'
'Mm, I have to admit, even though the Empire people have a truly obnoxious personality, their uniforms really highlight their figures... But they're still infuriating. What do you mean, "for the revival of my family, I must ravish you!"? Why are Empire citizens so utterly shameless about trying to get knocked up! Isn't that a custom unique to the Bantu tribe?!'
'Had a nightmare. Dreamt about those muscle-bound Bantu women pulling my pants down. Seriously, Bwanga, you absolute bastard, I am definitely going to throw you into a pile of your tribe's women. How do you have the nerve to tell me "this is Bantu tradition," you miserable prick!'
'What the hell is Siran talking about? It's bad enough that he loves drinking, but can he please fix his slurred tongue! I can't understand a single word out of his mouth! I thought he meant he was covering me, but he almost chopped Vaughn to death instead!'
'Mm, ran into the Imperial guard today. Was that the princess's personal guard? Even the maids are wearing uniforms...'
'Man, this is exhausting. I love greatswords and I think they look incredibly cool, but honestly, seeing Vaughn walk around so effortlessly makes me a little jealous... Still, the greatsword is my absolute favorite! It's just so damn stylish!'
'Mm, this technique is incredibly cool, it's just a bit rough on the shoulders. I need to research a way to use Qi to reduce the pain. But slamming into an enemy with your shoulder to knock them back, then leaping up for a slash—that move is genuinely badass and practical!'
'I hate Empire food... But seriously, can the Empire people tone it down with their uniforms? The way it accentuates the body is way too obvious, isn't it?! Siran, that dirty old man, keeps staring! And Bwanga! Didn't you say you weren't interested in women?!'
'The Imperial nurses' outfits look really nice, though they're a bit strange.'
'Man, do the Empire people love leather pants that much? Though they do look pretty good.'
'Mm, the cloak I found this time is really cool. Also, I finally heard someone say I'm the most handsome out of the Four Bludgeon Masters. I'm happy.'
'...'
Li Ke stared at the pages, completely speechless.
Li Ke silently closed the notebook. While it did contain a great deal of technique development and deep swordsmanship insights, it was mostly filled with the internal rants and grumbles of Aganzo—the supposedly quiet, brooding, cool guy [tv-movie].
Rather than a notebook on swordsmanship, it was practically a culinary travelogue, a critique of various regions, and a massive collection of complaints about his own companions.
Li Ke felt that if this were his own journal, he would definitely burn it to ashes before he died. He wouldn't care if his body was blown to bits, as long as he left his flawless reputation untarnished in the mortal world!
"...Mr. Aganzo is certainly a man of uninhibited character."
That was the only evaluation he could offer, but the image in his heart of Aganzo as a tragic, cool, middle-aged tough guy had completely shattered.
He now knew that even before Roxy's death, this gentleman was not only a hopeless drunk, but just like himself, he absolutely hated eating vegetables. On top of that, he had a massive thing for uniforms, and while he looked indifferent to the flesh, he was totally a guy who stared at the leather pants of female swordsmen!
"Then again, it makes sense. Who wasn't young once? Aganzo isn't some immortal god above mortal desires."
Li Ke reopened the notebook. Looking at the entries with a newfound sense of calm, he began filtering for actually useful information.
As the journal went on, Aganzo's notes grew increasingly heavy and grim. Li Ke lost his desire to read it for laughs, but he still found plenty of valuable knowledge.
Awakening.
Aganzo's description of it was remarkably simple. One day, during a battle against a formidable foe, he had fought to his absolute physical limit. He was right on the verge of collapsing, when suddenly, his spirit felt a call.
Something was calling out to him. At that moment, he had no time to overthink it; his entire body and soul were poured into the fight. In the very next split second, a broken sword scattered on the battlefield rose and struck simultaneously with his own blade, covering the gap in his assault and killing his opponent instantly.
From that day on, he felt an unnatural sensitivity toward swords. Simply by caressing a blade, he could feel how many battles it had endured. If the previous wielder had reached the same realm as him, he could even see how that person had fought, what they had thought, and how they had swung the blade!
Eventually, when meeting other powerful swordsmen, he could gauge their level of mastery at a single glance. He could freely manipulate sword beams, and he could even manifest phantom copies of legendary, or even long-destroyed, weapons out of thin air to aid him in combat.
Yet, he didn't allow himself to be blinded by these mystical abilities. He chose to continue developing his own greatsword techniques, merely using this special trait to create the move known as Spiritual Blade: Tempest.
The moment the sword array unfolded, the resonant sword intent of countless divine weapons would paralyze anyone with an ordinary will, leaving them to helplessly await their demise. Even a powerful expert caught in the synchronized slashes of twenty-four blades would never find a happy ending.
While the sword array was active, every strike from the swordsman would deal multiplied damage, and the resonance would make their swings faster and faster until they hit their physical limit. It was, without a doubt, a definitive ultimate move!
Aganzo himself could unleash a maximum of forty-eight consecutive slashes, but for someone with greater stamina, that number could scale indefinitely!
As long as your body and energy could withstand the sheer strain of the drainage!
"What a terrifying style... The power scaling in Arad is truly absurd."
Li Ke carefully studied Aganzo's description of the technique and the state of Awakening, which triggered a sudden sense of familiarity within him.
It felt exactly like the sensations he had experienced back in the world of One Piece. In that world, his power had been inexplicably high, and his realm of mastery—thanks to Observation Haki and other unique traits—had reached an advanced level that perfectly mirrored the domain Aganzo was describing!
"If that's the case..."
Li Ke narrowed his eyes. He instantly entered a serious combat state, activating his fully powered Observation Haki. In the very next moment—
The sword beside him began to tremble, hovering slightly into the air!
More than that, Li Ke could vividly perceive every battle this blade had shared with him. He felt the clashes from Demon Slayer, and the lingering wills left imprinted upon the steel by both himself and his foes during those life-or-death struggles!
He saw the female monster, feeling her twisted desire for procreation. He felt his own absolute, unwavering focus when he cut her down. He saw his own frantic agitation when he slaughtered the creature with the star-patterned skin, recalling the desperate urgency to eliminate the threat at all costs.
—And the sheer sense of helplessness and terror he had felt when facing that mountain-sized titan. And then—
The cosmos!
Li Ke's consciousness snapped wide awake. In that split second, he had glimpsed a boundless sea of stars. First Earth, then the solar system, followed by the Milky Way... with each passing moment, his perspective shifted as his own world shrank exponentially. Eventually, even the entire galaxy became a microscopic dot, the humanly observable universe telescoping down into absolute nothingness before his eyes!
Sifting through his memories, Li Ke instantly recognized whose residual trace this was.
"So this is... the 'will' of that world?"
Staring down at the plain, utterly unremarkable greatsword in his hands, Li Ke felt a jolt of astonishment.
The sword itself remained entirely ordinary. In fact, just about any decent weapon could easily shatter it to pieces. Yet, it had recorded something absolutely monumental. In the hands of a common mortal, it was nothing more than scrap metal. But in the hands of a master who had crossed the threshold, like himself or Aganzo, this blade was practically on par with an Epic or a weapon of legendary lore.
Because they could tap into that infinitesimally vast world-will, converting it into raw sword intent to unleash an unfathomable display of power.
"Looks like I can't just carelessly break this thing. A silent witness to a world's will, huh?"
Caressing the blade that now bore such a staggering imprint of will and aura, Li Ke found the situation somewhat ironic. If Aganzo's journal hadn't opened his eyes, he might have very well packaged this weapon up as a formal apprenticeship offering to G.S.D.
Knowledge truly was the ultimate treasure.
"Study... As expected, learning is something a man must never stop doing, no matter his stage in life."
Li Ke let out a soft chuckle. He decided he would need to procure another weapon. As for this particular blade, he would shelve it for the time being. With his current level of mastery, using it casually would be a massive waste of its latent potential.
"Come to think of it, given my current state of mind, I should be able to track down a weapon that perfectly aligns with my needs, right?"
Following his sudden realization, Li Ke immediately thought of his pocket watch fitted with the compass. He pulled it out, intent on using it to guide him toward a suitable blade.
Sure enough, the compass needle began to spin wildly. Li Ke excitedly threw on his clothes, pocketed the manual, and bolted out of the inn.
Along the way, the needle constantly shifted its orientation. This only fueled Li Ke's excitement, as the frequent adjustments meant the weapon wasn't far away. He wouldn't have to endure a grueling, long-distance trek to claim it.
He quickened his pace into a full sprint, drawing sharp reprimands from the town guards stationed along the streets.
But he was dying to see what kind of weapon this compass was leading him to, so he paid the guards no mind, keeping only a passive eye on his surroundings.
Before long, Li Ke arrived at one of Hendon Myre's main thoroughfares, passing by an array of vacant storefront slots. The compass pointed dead ahead.
He charged forward, and then—
He was greeted by the sight of a full, shapely backside.
And it happened to be the backside of a very familiar acquaintance.
When he approached, this familiar figure was bent over with her rear sticking out, thoroughly engrossed in adjusting some piece of machinery. Li Ke took a couple of bewildered steps forward, only to realize that the compass needle was still pointing directly at the person's rear end.
"What the actual... Forget it."
Speechless, Li Ke walked right up and delivered a firm, resounding slap to that very backside.
"Yo, Kiri!"
A familiar, supple elasticity and softness rebounded against his palm, giving Li Ke a rather pleasant sensation. The victim of the slap instantly jumped a mile into the air, drawing her weapon in a flash of motion. A revolver was leveled straight at Li Ke's face.
But the moment she caught sight of his face, Kiri—whose skin was currently smeared with several streaks of machine oil—couldn't help but roll her eyes. She lowered her gun, offering him a familiar gesture and an equally affectionate greeting.
"Oh, you're not dead yet!"