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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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This year, I celebrated the New Year in Oz, not on the road.
And instead of rice cake soup, I gained another year.
It had been twenty-eight years since my reincarnation.
There wasn’t much of a New Year’s culture in this world.
While my master and I, having lived in Eastern cultures in our past lives, were used to it, the people here seemed to treat it as a day to gather with family and share a meal.
So, on January 1st, I had a small dinner with the two women I was living with.
The roast turkey was surprisingly delicious.
After our wild drinking party, Dorothea had developed a taste for Korean-style drinking culture and often went out with me.
Madam Maria always greeted us with a smile. When I asked why, she said that my reputation among the brothel girls had skyrocketed.
Unlike other VIPs, I was a generous tipper and had excellent table manners.
While I knew it was flattery, it still made me feel proud.
Anyway, while Dorothea and I were frequenting the bars, Vanessa stayed home and focused on her training.
One might wonder what more a Sword Master could gain from training, but she was aiming for a level beyond that.
Like the ninth and tenth tiers of magic, it was a theoretical realm, and even she didn’t know how to reach it. But I supported her dream.
Having lived for three hundred years with only a sword for a companion, she deserved to achieve her goal.
Having been a training fanatic myself, I understood her dedication.
And so, I was spending my days in Oz, lazing around, when—
“What? You want to train?”
“Yes, train. It’s been a while since we sparred.”
I was suddenly summoned to the Emerald Tower, and my master’s proposal took me by surprise.
“Didn’t you say I was strong enough when I reached the sixth tier?”
“But I reached the seventh tier. If you’re not satisfied with being weaker than me, then get stronger.”
“Seriously? You called me here at the crack of dawn just to say that?”
“I have to work during the day. This is the only time I have.”
My master gestured for me to get ready.
Damn it.
While I grumbled inwardly, I knew I couldn’t escape my master’s grasp. I prepared for the spar.
“Suuuuh…”
My master, a former martial artist, specialized in hand-to-hand combat.
And so did I, having been taught by her.
We stood in the spacious training hall in the basement of the magic tower, slowly creating distance between us.
A duel between masters always began with a battle of territory.
Slowly, deeply—
We began to breathe in sync.
Whirrrr—
Whirrrr—
It was like looking in a mirror.
The same stance, the same breathing technique.
While her body had reverted to that of a young girl, she was still my master.
I couldn’t imagine myself winning.
Which made the challenge all the more exciting.
Crack
The ground beneath my feet cracked under the immense pressure of my mana.
A quiet silence.
My master beckoned me with her finger, and I readily obliged.
BOOM!
My body shot forward like a missile.
I kicked at her waist with my leg, enveloped in Whirlwind Bone Cutter.
“Too slow!”
But my master, with an unconcerned expression, deflected my leg and, taking advantage of her small stature, closed the distance.
She then twisted her body and slammed her shoulder into my chest.
Wind Demon Divine Art
Fourth Form: Wind Forest Fire Mountain
“Gah!”
I coughed up blood and flew backwards.
But her attack wasn’t over.
Wind Demon Divine Art
Second Form: Warm Breeze, Gentle Sun
Dozens of palm strikes, like blooming flowers, rained down on my body.
If I just stood there, I would become her punching bag again. I quickly twisted my body and launched a counterattack.
“Gale Force.”
Invisible blades of wind shot towards my master.
But she, sensing the attack through the mana fluctuations, easily deflected it with the back of her hand.
…I was completely outmatched.
I immediately changed my strategy.
I switched my Spellweave Armament from Whirlwind Bone Cutter to Purple Lightning Flash.
As purple lightning crackled around my limbs, my master’s expression changed for the first time.
This was Ozma’s original spell.
It was a form of magic my master had never seen before.
I kicked off the ground.
BAM!
My body felt lighter than before.
While Whirlwind Bone Cutter was an all-purpose spell, combining offense and defense, Purple Lightning Flash focused solely on speed.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
But my master reacted to my speed, which was difficult to follow with the naked eye.
Her fist was inches from my face.
But the true power of Purple Lightning Flash wasn’t just physical speed.
It also accelerated my thought process by manipulating the bioelectricity in my brain, drastically enhancing my reflexes.
I deflected my master’s punch and kicked her in the chest.
“Ugh!”
Her small body was sent flying back.
While I had landed a hit, it didn’t feel like a clean one. I quickly twisted my right hand.
My lightning-wreathed fist flew towards her chin.
This is it!
I thought, a triumphant smile on my face.
“You thought you had won?”
My master’s face, which had been contorted in a grimace just a moment ago, now held a mischievous smile.
Swish!
With a slight touch, she deflected my punch.
My body, thrown off balance, was then tripped by her leg.
Thud!
It felt like my own strength had been used against me.
I stared at the ceiling, dazed. My master looked down at me, her hands behind her back.
“How was your spar with your master after all this time?”
I looked up at her and smiled wryly.
“You’re still as strong as ever.”
“That’s an obvious statement.”
“…What was that technique you just used?”
My master fanned herself with her ever-present white feather fan.
“The essence of Tai Chi. I adapted some of the techniques of the Wudang Sect.”
“But you’re from the Changbai Sect.”
“All martial arts lead to the same path. The higher you go, the more they converge.”
Her words, as always, were cryptic. She then looked at my stomach.
“You’ve gotten a bit of a belly. You’ve been eating well and lazing around, haven’t you?”
I quickly made an excuse.
“I’ve been busy. I haven’t had time to train…”
“Make time! You’ve always been like this! The moment I let my guard down, you start slacking off!”
Her familiar scolding made me jump to my feet.
My body ached, but thanks to her controlled attacks, I could still move.
“You called me here to train me, didn’t you? I don’t have anything else to do, so please, train me.”
My master looked at me, exasperated.
“You’re still as shameless as ever.”
“What can I say? I was born this way.”
I shrugged, and my master chuckled, covering her mouth with her fan.
“Are you prepared?”
“If I was afraid of training, I would have disappeared. You know me.”
My master nodded.
“Then I will now impart to you the newly refined secret arts of our school, which I have developed since reaching the seventh tier.”
“You mean the techniques you just used? They didn’t seem that different from what I learned.”
My master shook her head and spread her hands.
“I realized there were flaws in the original magic formulas when I reached the seventh tier. I’ve optimized them and developed a new Magic Art, tailored to our school’s secret breathing technique.”
“What is it?”
“The Wind Demon Divine Art.”
I couldn’t help but point out the familiar name.
“Isn’t that a rip-off of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?”
“Shut up.”
Smack!
“Ow! I oppose this tyranny!”
I protested as my master hit me on the head with her fan.
But she just scoffed, ignoring my opinion.
My master, for all her greatness, had a terrible naming sense.
If only she had a fraction of my talent, she could have come up with a much cooler name.
“Anyway, from this moment on, you will be the successor to our school’s secret art, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. The training will be harsh, so be prepared.”
“Master, you just said Heavenly Demon Divine Art.”
“You’re confusing me! Just shut up!”
My master’s face flushed, and she repeatedly hit me on the head with her fan.
She was clearly embarrassed at being caught plagiarizing.
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