Chapter 239: Apprentice of Him

The third form of the Vanishing Stance was exhausting as the first and second.

To perform the third form, Ned must exert more energy not just from his arms but all over his body.

The first form of the Vanishing Stance was a mastery of its movements. The first form's attack varies from opponent to opponent. But the generic attack was a stab, pull, then slice. Mastering this easy movement will lead to the second form: which was explosiveness. This however took a lot of Ned's energy. Without mana to support his attacks, his energy was drained at a faster rate.

Mastering the explosiveness of the second form will make Ned's attack powerful even without using mana. This made Ned awe-inspired to train the Vanishing Stance since he never knew that energy in the body could be used to make an explosive attack.

Although he has been using the Water Moon Stance to fight single opponents. He never really mastered it to the point that he can shoot energy instead of mana. This energy was the lifeline of nonmagic dependents like rouges and warriors. They rely on their true strength instead of investing heavily in magic like mages.

All this time, Ned thought that he could only use energy to fuel his Overclocking skill.

Mana was different from energy. If mana is the essence of the world, then energy is the essence of the body. It fuels the muscles to move. But using it to perform Stances will double the consumption rate.

At third form. Ned was thought to materialize his intent when fighting. By materializing his intention. Ned's attack will become devastating together with energy. All the mastery of the first form and second form will become useless if he couldn't find a way to materialize his intent. Simply put, why is he fighting? Why is the training? What is the purpose of his life? Those questions will form Ned's intent.

Damn, this is hard, Ned thought by cursing himself. In the simplest format, the intent is emotion. And emotion Ned was lacking. He could be happy if he wanted, he could cry, he could get angry. But why?

Ned has clouded of different emotions that he wasn't sure if his emotions were real or simply put a product of his brain just to accommodate his current situation and feelings.

Ned hated his former self. He hated who created him, he hated the people that used him to do their biddings. Even though he hated killing innocent people, but his actions were never really judged. Nobody told him that killing is bad, that killing ain't necessary to survive. He doesn't hate himself for killing. He hated himself that he followed his creators.

He only evolved because he felt emotions. But were those emotions necessary? Were they real?

Shit! He cursed in his mind once again. He held a knife on his chest as he tried to attack Roy but failed to do so. His movements were lagging to the point that he couldn't land a scratch.

Will I use Overclock? Should I use it to prove to him that I can do it? That I can hit him?

Ned shook his head. "No," he muttered. That would be cheating, and I won't learn anything if I took the shortcut.

"Giving up already?" Roy said. He held his unnamed blade to his right while he danced in front of Ned, mocking him along the way.

Ned knew that Roy was doing it deliberately but it has gotten annoying that Ned couldn't focus anymore. It's been an hour since they started training, but he never laid a finger on Roy. And it has been three days after the meeting of the beasts in Sas Koron's throne room. And it has been three days that Ned has been trying to understand what intent was.

"Stop, kid. Look," Roy said raising a hand to stop Ned from mindlessly charging. "Listen, not all attacks came from raw power. Yes, they are necessary, but you do not rely on them. Only thugs use raw strength. I'm pretty sure you're not one of them. Yes? Then, think. Not all intent is hatred. It could be happiness, it could be your determination."

"But I am determined."

"Oh yeah?" Roy said under his breath. "Then it is not enough. Tell me. Why are you here?"

"It's because... "

"You see?" Roy cut off Ned after a long time of pause. "You're not even sure why you're here? Don't waste my time kid. I have an army to command if things go wary in the North. I should be in the other chamber training those young beasts. But I'm here, because of Edwin, because—hate to admit it, but you've got a potential kid. So tell me."

"Because... "

[Ned. Are you alright?]

That would be the sexist voice Ned has ever heard from ICE, but unluckily, his focus was not on her voice but the ring on his finger.

He closed his eyes that were full of doubts, but—

With a flick of his wrist. The Praha's Cube appeared on his hands.

"Of this. Your friend, the one you owe to, Ser Edwin Tulor Godefroy put my Master inside the Praha's Cube along with his partner Testa."

"By the Maker," Roy exclaimed. Sheathing his blade back to its scabbard. He then jogged going to Ned. "Praha's Cube. An Inheritance item. He did procure the Cube from a Limbo. That bastard lad. So you're saying he gave this to you? I don't understand, why put your Master here?"

"My Master killed his father."

"What?!"

Roy took a step back. Further away from Ned. Further away from Praha's Cube. If he could leave, he could have the chance, judging from his heavy breathing.

Ned wasn't sure but, looking at the burned face of Roy, through his eyes, he could see fear swimming inside his pupils.

"What's the matter?" Ned asked. At first, he was unaware of the air getting hot. Slowly, he could feel sweat forming over his forehead.

Roy's horns were breaking of light to the point that flames were dancing at its tip.

Roy unsheathed his blade. After a moment of muttering, maybe cursing, the blade on Roy's hand spew of flame then enveloped the blade.

This is bad, Ned thought. Instinct told him to reach for his blade on his waist. But he doesn't have a blade hanging on his waist. With a thought, he flicked his ha—

Then a slice of fire cut the air in front of Ned.

If Ned evaded using only his body, then it would be too late for him. Instead, he used Overclock. Successfully evading the raging fire.

Yet another came the moment he landed near the door behind him.

The fires, two of them, were like a bigger version of Roy's blade that dances in the air and cuts everything on its path.

Wave after wave, Ned evaded the attacks.

Roy's eyes were brimming with fire. Literary. The horns over his head and shoulders fared as well.

"Do you want to know what is Intent, Ned?" Roy unleashed another barrage of fire.

Which Ned easily evaded with the help of his Overclock. But it won't last for long.

"Then I will show you. I will show you how I burned the innocent people of my lovely town. I will show you that being the apprentice of him will do you no good." Roy demanded. His voice roaring inside the chamber.

"Apprentice of who?!" Ned cried, raising his hand, ready to conjure Egnious.

"The apprentice of the Overlord of Greed."