Chapter 14 Moment Of Enlightenment

One of them, holding a spear, swung the spear he was holding to stab me.

The stab was perfectly straight without wobbling in the slightest. 'If they were regular thugs, their movements wouldn't be that smooth.'

Seeing the spear's swift and measured thrust, I was still calm. When the spear was about to hit my body, I just dodged to the side.

I didn't dodge in style. I just dodged like I was tripping over something and accidentally dodged their attack.

"Oops! That was close."

When I managed to dodge, there were several other sharp weapons aimed at me. Of course, I also avoided all of them.

Slash!

Swoosh!

Tsuk!

"W-why didn't anyone get hit?"

"And we almost hit him. Does his luck exceed heaven?"

"Heh, step aside. Why are you guys getting in the way."

This alley is small, so, it can't accommodate all of them if they attack me at the same time.

If they launched attacks in unison, there was a high chance that they would get in each other's way.

When they, 9 people, attacked simultaneously, their positions would coincide with each other. They will look like people who are on a fast train during rush hour.

Moreover, if they swung their weapons at each other, there was a very high chance that they would injure each other's allies.

It was for this reason that I approached them earlier. Rather than waiting for them to launch an attack on me on the wide main road, I'd rather choose a field that is advantageous to myself.

Unlike many of them, I am only one person. I can attack freely without worrying too much about allies.

Firmly gripping the sword in my hand, I prepared to start swinging it. Since the quality of this sword is trash, I need to be careful. I don't want to destroy this sword right away.

If the weapon in my hand, the decoration sword, were to clash with one of their weapons, then, there was a very high chance that the decorative sword in my hand would instantly shatter into pieces.

I had to avoid clashes between weapons that could cause my sword to break. I better aim for the gap between them. Immediately, I launched a counterattack.

Swoosh!

One.

Tsuk!

Two.

Slash!

Three.

....

Slash!

And ... 9.

I stabbed, slashed, and thrust them all cleanly.

First, I dodged their attacks, then when I found an opening, I just attacked.

When the sword in my hand hit their skin, muscle, and flesh, blood started splattering everywhere.

On average, I cut their hands off. Their severed hands immediately flew into the night sky. Blood followed the pieces of flesh I had just slashed like a fountain.

In part, I slashed their legs off as well, which resulted in their severed legs falling straight to the ground, as if they were part of the gravel on the road.

Then, there was also a small part that I stabbed. I stabbed their stomachs through their bodies.

When the intensity of the fight, which had previously reached its peak, had now subsided, the screams of the people I had slashed instantly resounded, filling this dark alley.

"Aahhh~"

"M-my hand!"

"M-my feet my f-feet~"

"Cough! Cough!"

Some people reach for the place where their hands and feet were now gone. Their expressions said as if they couldn't believe that their limbs had separated from their main bodies.

Different from the people who were still dazed and unaware of reality, some of them were crying loudly and trying to stop the bleeding they were experiencing by pressing on their wounds.

However, the people I stabbed in the stomach could only spit out mouthfuls of blood. The blood came out of their mouths and fell to the floor.

What the 9 people have in common is their eyes filled with despair.

When I defeated them all, I stood steady and swung the sword in my hand. The blood that was still attached to the entire surface of the sword was directly splashed onto the ground, making the sword I was holding instantly clean.

"Fuuu~"

I took a deep breath.

I looked at the people screaming in pain on the ground. They were the ones I was just faced with—to be precise, I was defeated.

Their number is 9 people.

I'm just using my sword skills that I've been honing over the years.

After all, if I had to judge their skills, their skills would be at the very bottom.

If I had to say the exact reason why I was able to beat them, it would probably be because...

Moments of Enlightenment.

The Moment of Enlightenment is the moment when what you learn penetrates your soul. Not only can it not disappear, but when you reach the Moment of Enlightenment, what you learn can also reach new heights.

I experienced the Moment of Enlightenment while studying the sword in my previous life. So, even though my body is weaker now, I can still use my sword skills.

Maybe that's the reason why I was able to defeat them so easily.

After looking at them and being convinced that they couldn't fight back anymore, I turned around and noticed the only person still standing.

Seen from anywhere, he was the boss of the thugs. He was the only person who was still unharmed.

He gritted his teeth, looking very angry. He looked at me as if he saw the person who killed his parents.

After a long period of gritting his teeth, which I thought would fall out, he spoke.

"Stupid! You guys aren't even good at dealing with noble children who never wield a sword?"

"You don't have to blame them. Aren't they all your subordinates? And now it's your turn to fight me, right?"

"Kukuku. Don't compare me to a useless bastard like them, dammit."

"If you don't want me to compare you to a rat-like them, can't you just attack me right away? Didn't you say you were going to start a festive feast? I already prepared a bloody feast for you, didn't you."

"You bastard! I'll cut you into pieces. I'll torture you and make you suffer!"

After a series of curse words, insults, and wishful thinking, he drew the sword at his waist and prepared to attack.

I also made the final preparations.

I closed my eyes and started to feel the Mana sleeping inside my body. I awakened the Mana inside me slowly.

Then I opened my eyes to see the system message.

[Active Mana:-]

[Active Mana: 500.]

After I awakened the Mana in my body, the previously empty Active Mana stat was instantly filled.

I don't know how much 500 Mana is. For now, I ignore it.

In the next step, I activate my skill. I channeled Mana into my hands.

[The Strengthening skill has been activated.]

[Your power has increased.]

A feeling of comfort flows into every pore of my skin. Something strange enveloped my body. That is Mana.

I smiled when I felt that feeling.

The grip on the sword in my hand tightened. I accidentally gripped the sword in my hand firmly.

'Am I excited right now?' I wondered to myself in confusion.

"Diieeeeee! I'll show you the prowess of a swordsman, brat. A kid like yourself will pee in his pants and run away when he sees the prowess of my Swordsmanship skill."

Just as I was lost in a sense of comfort, the screams of the man I assumed to be the thug's boss echoed.

He kicked the ground and immediately took off towards me.

His body glowed with a faint white color, barely visible. Maybe he used a strengthening technique.

However, the faint light on his body reflected how much mana he used.

That means, his Mana Core capacity is low, or maybe he can't use Mana properly?

Regardless, he still wields a sharp sword, so, I have to be careful.

When the distance between us was close, he swung the sword in his hand.

'Vertical slash, huh.'

I positioned myself with the sword horizontally in front of me. I'm ready to defend against his attacks.

The method I use does not demand to defend head-on. I just tilted my sword so that the direction of the trajectory of the sword he swung could flow to the side.

Clang!

Srrkk!

First, the sword he swung clashed with mine, producing a crashing sound. Just as the impact occurred, before the brunt of the attack accumulated, I tilted my sword.

As a result, his attacks flowed to the side of my body.

His expression looked disbelieving as I managed to block or dodge his attacks.

I didn't delay any further, the moment he drew his sword and was ready to slash at me again, I had already attacked him.

I hit him with a horizontal slash straight into his stomach.

Crock!

The slash of my sword managed to slash his stomach. I could feel his guts tearing through the sword in my hand.

From the source of the wound he suffered, there was blood spurting everywhere.

"Ack!"

He retreated backward clutching his torn and bleeding stomach.

[You have acquired the Swordsmanship Skill.]