......
Shin spent quite a lot of time trying different kinds of weapons until he found what was the best to learn from. He first thought that the weapons used for quickness were much easier to learn compared to the rest, but he later found that he was wrong.
After learning that he might take much longer than he thought, Shin tried the weapons on the other piles to see if he could grasp their characteristics and other properties better. After testing everything, he realized that he was surprisingly more proficient in handling heavy weapons aside from the katana.
Realizing this, Shin picked a huge mace and started swinging it with both of his hands. He wanted to see what would happen if he swung these weapons a thousand times like what Old Ryong had said.
Despite those thoughts, he did not swing recklessly or aimlessly. Instead, he properly took a stance and held the mace with both of his hands, and imagined that an opponent was standing in front of him before finally swinging with everything he had.
He repeated the process, not concerning himself about the time. He even failed to notice that Benedict had entered the room a couple of times to ask him for lunch together. But after seeing Shin was too immersed in his world, Benedict shook his head and quietly left.
Benedict felt that he was inferior to this junior when it came to dedication to become strong.
"Am I slacking too much in my training?" he mumbled as he closed the door behind him as quietly as possible.
...
As Shin was too busy with his training, Arthur was also summoned by Nathan. He was also excused from attending the class as his uncle personally fetched him.
"Uncle, where are we going? I need to attend the class since it is meant for the upcoming exploration of the ruins," complained Arthur as he sat with Nathan in the backseat of the car.
"Don't worry, this is also meant for that specific mission. I just need to train you with some things before sending you there," said Nathan as he leaned back and closed his eyes.
Arthur might not be the brightest, but he could at least sense that something was going on. He frowned deeply as he turned to Nathan. "Is there something wrong, Uncle? It sounds a little serious."
Nathan was silent for a moment before sighing. "It is not as bad as you think. But it will never hurt to be prepared for all things."
He tapped his finger on the armrest of the backseat as he continued. "We have to entrust you and your friends with the matters within the ancient ruins since we can't enter it."
"Whatever you find it will not be helpful to you anyway, unlike the rest. That is why I want you to focus on keeping an eye on a few people instead."
Arthur knitted his brow when hearing that. "If it is just keeping an eye on a few people, then I will not have any problem with that. Why's the need to train me especially for it?"
Nathan sighed once again. "It is not as simple as that. What I want to teach you is how to awaken your innate attribute much faster than the rest."
"You are already aware of what kind of attribute you have, so it will be too much of a waste if you stay the way you are and delay its awakening."
"Or should I say-... It will be a waste not to let you know how to form your 'Natural Force' when you met all the requirements for it," he added with a solemn tone.
Arthur was aware of this. He met everything to break through. His bloodline powers were one of the major factors that played in this. With such a dense and powerful bloodline, the True Blood of the Golden Divine Dragon, his physique was said to evolved matching the 'Natural Physique' that he needed for the breakthrough.
But he also remembered that the elders in the Dragon Valley to not make haste. His body would naturally transform and evolve so long as he continued to cultivate the 'Imperial Tactics'.
Old Ryong glanced at the nearby village before turning back to the man in front of him. "I should be the one asking you that. Why is someone like you doing in this kind of place, when you are supposed to be distancing yourself away from other people."
"Isn't it the reason why I isolated myself from the rest," refuted the man in a calm tone.
"Don't play words with me. You know what I am talking about," said Old Ryong as his tone grew more solemn with every word. "What a Demon like you doing in this place."
The man standing at the door, who was Jan Mateo in disguise, smiled evilly as he responded. "I don't see any problem with that when a senior like you seems to be doing the same."
"Your 'Demon' may not be as powerful as mine, but it sure has its edge over mine," he added smirkingly, seemingly provoking the old man.
Old Ryong ignored that comment as he continued. "There are only a very few 'Demons' with such a dense demonic power around, but I can't seem to remember someone like you."
"Just what are you exactly?" he asked as his hand slowly fixed his grip on his cane.
This time, the 'respect' that Jan Mateo had completely disappeared. "Hey, old man. You better do your own thing and don't get involved in my business."
"Since you are an old fossil, you should have known about the unspoken rule," he added as he crossed his hands behind him and leaned forward. "How about I use mine now? Let's not bother each other for a month and I will leave this place peacefully without creating any kind of disturbance."
Old Ryong smirked. "You are talking about the unspoken rule, yet you are unwilling to introduce yourself properly? It looks like the younger generation is getting bolder since we secluded ourselves."
Jan Mateo smiled as he said. "Trust me when I say this, Senior. You not knowing who I am is the best for the both of us."
"Never trust the words of a Demon. That is a basic rule," replied Old Ryong.
Shing!
As those words left his mouth, his suddenly flicked upwards. It hit the handle of his cane and sent it upwards, unsheathing the sword hidden under it.
Swoosh!
Old Ryong's figure suddenly flickered at that time as his other hand caught the flying sword. There was a flash of light as the old man suddenly appeared in front of Jan Mateo while pointing the sword forward.
Jan Mateo did not move as he stared at the incoming attack, completely unbothered. The shadow underneath him seemed to have as it extended itself and formed a group of tentacles that grabbed the blade of the sword tightly, preventing it from moving further.
Jan Mateo wanted to try fighting the old man, but he knew that he could not afford to do that since it would only expose him to the others.
Just like Old Ryong could not see through his disguise completely, he was also unaware of the real identity of the old man. He only knew that he was an old expert and a fellow Demonic Practitioner.
There was a tense atmosphere between the two as they maintained their positions.
A fight between demons was about to break out.
......