CREEEAK— CREEEAK—
Dragging the carrier, I climbed a small mountain near my rented studio.
I arrived at an outdoor fitness area overlooking the neighborhood.
The moment I put together the arms, legs, and torso inside the carrier.
【If you are going to cut me into pieces, at least tell me first!】
Sir Isra screamed.
“Would telling you make any difference?”
【I could at least prepare myself.】
It was no different from a dentist saying, “Open wide if it hurts.”
Still.
I was a kind master, so I would accommodate it.
“From now on, I will tell you before I take you apart.”
【Better yet, do not take apart people—no, Undead.】
That would be difficult.
If I wandered around the city with an Undead, people would not have anything good to say.
Whether I argued with police officers who came after receiving a report.
Or received demerit points from the Rift Management Agency.
Neither outcome would be pleasant.
【I swear on my chivalry that I will never attack the living!】
“I believe you. But I am not sure whether other people will.”
【What a terrible age. A society that does not believe a knight even when he wagers everything he has.】
Could it stop judging this place by the standards of the land where it had lived?
The elderly people exercising glanced at me before returning to what they had been doing.
【There are living people here as well.】
“Get used to it. It is fine.”
The people who came to the outdoor fitness area were always the same regulars.
When I first trained my Undead Control, I had received plenty of suspicious looks.
I had lost count of how many bottles of Bacchus energy drink I had bought to ask for their understanding.
It had taken a long time to earn this level of acceptance.
Enough small talk.
Let us get to the point.
“Teach me Imperial Swordsmanship.”
【Let me warn you in advance: my instruction will be harsh.】
“That is fine.”
Five years of waiting.
A way to improve my Undead Control had finally appeared.
Any training would be fine.
As long as my cursed body could improve!
【Since you have inherited the Heavenly Martial Physique, your athletic coordination itself should have improved.】
“If I were satisfied with that much, I would not have asked you to train me.”
【Good. If you are prepared, then I will not hesitate to drive you hard.】
Sir Isra threw a white bone.
When I unconsciously reached out toward the flying bone.
“Huh?”
It settled smoothly into my palm.
Before, I would naturally have fumbled it, dropped it, or barely managed to catch it.
Was this the Heavenly Martial Physique?
【Why are you so surprised?】
“You would not understand, Sir.”
The humiliation of chasing a soccer ball, getting my legs tangled, and falling flat on my face.
Sob.
Who would have thought catching a flying bone with ease could feel this moving?
【Stop wallowing in self-pity.】
Tch.
It would not even give me time to savor the moment.
“What are we doing now?”
【Carve the bone into the shape of a sword.】
“All right.”
SCRAPE— SCRAPE—
While I carved the bone with a knife.
Sir Isra picked up a long stick nearby.
【Watch carefully.】
The tip of the branch pointed toward the sky.
Holding the bone in both hands, I copied Sir Isra’s stance.
WHOOOSH!
The stick descended in a perfectly straight line without the slightest deviation.
It was chilling.
The dreadful presence contained in the sword stroke sent cold sweat down my spine.
How could a stiff zombie body perform such a movement?
【Swing it as I did.】
WHOOOSH!
The long bone cut through the air.
“I did it.”
【Again.】
“?”
【Do it again.】
WHOOSH—
【Again.】
After repeating it ten times, my forearms began to tingle.
【Hmmmmmm.】
Sir Isra let out an unsatisfied hum.
“I am doing it exactly as you showed me.”
【It seems that because I adapted the sword stroke to this body, it does not suit you.】
I could not tell what the difference was, so I remained quiet.
Sir Isra rubbed its chin.
【I will use a somewhat rough method.】
WHOOOSH!
Just after I swung the bone for the eleventh time.
The branch struck my shoulder and leg with a sharp snap.
Damn it.
The rough method was physical-force learning.
“Urgh.”
A groan escaped me.
【There is too much tension in your shoulders. And why are you relaxing your legs?】
“I need to tense my legs too?”
【Your lower body supports your upper body.】
Keeping its criticism in mind, I swung the sword—no, the bone—again.
SNAP!
The stick struck my arm and waist.
“Urgh.”
【If your hips twist while swinging a sword, your center of gravity will shift as well.】
How much longer did I continue getting struck after that?
SNAP! SMACK!
My entire body hurt.
My arms, thighs, shoulders, hips, sides.
There was nowhere I had not been hit.
Yet something was strange.
As I continued getting struck, I began to sense something.
It was not clear.
But every time I swung the bone, it felt as though I sensed something more.
By the time I had forgotten how many times I had swung it.
[Skill — Imperial Swordsmanship has been registered.]
[Strength has increased by 2.]
[Agility has increased by 1.]
[Vitality has increased by 1.]
[Imperial Swordsmanship]
Type: Martial Arts
Rank: A
Classification: Passive
An orthodox swordsmanship handed down through the Imperial Knights of the Arcturus Empire.
It is renowned as an exceptional swordsmanship with a fine balance between offense and defense, free of any glaring weakness.
Comprehension: 1%
A translucent window appeared along with the system message.
【Imperial Swordsmanship has been registered?】
“Yes. But why is it not the modified form?”
【Tsk, tsk. You have not even learned to walk, yet you wish to fly.】
“What is this talk about walking?”
【The Isra Form is a modified swordsmanship based on my personal realizations.】
It seemed that once I mastered the original Imperial Swordsmanship.
I could learn the Isra Form, a transformed swordsmanship and superior technique.
【Goodness. I understand my seniors’ feelings a little now.】
Why were we talking about its seniors’ feelings now?
【How could I not be astonished when you learned the core principle of the First Form of Imperial Swordsmanship in only a few hours?!】
So Imperial Swordsmanship had been registered because I had grasped its core principle.
I knew there were several ways to pass on skills, but I had never thought I would experience one like this.
【I thought it would take days.】
“Is it because of the Heavenly Martial Physique?”
【That is part of it, but it is also because you and I are linked through our minds.】
For some reason, Sir Isra clicked its upper and lower teeth together in frustration.
【It took me two whole days to perform the First Form perfectly!】
Ah.
That was what it was upset about.
I was dumbfounded.
I had realized my athletic coordination had improved when I caught the flying bone.
But even so.
My swordsmanship progress had been fast enough to make a knight who called itself the strongest on the continent resentful.
【You seem unconvinced.】
“Would it not be natural for me to be?”
【Control the small zombie once more.】
CLICK—
I reassembled the miniature zombie inside the carrier.
“Awaken.”
A faint light filled its pupils along with the command.
The Goblin-based zombie looked up at me.
“Uuuurgh.”
Let us see.
Something that could serve as a sword...
“Here it is.”
I placed a branch in the zombie’s hand.
“Perform the swordsmanship once.”
“Uuuurgh.”
With a feeble groan, the zombie swung the branch.
WHOOSH!
The hairs on my body stood on end.
It was only a stick.
Yet it felt as though a blade were flying toward my neck.
It was very similar to the feeling when Sir Isra swung its branch.
Although it was a miniature zombie incapable of exerting proper force.
The sharpness contained in its sword stroke had not diminished.
“It is even more amazing that I can sense this.”
Before acquiring the Heavenly Martial Physique.
I would have thought the zombie was merely performing pointless exercises.
【That is because you understand the First Form of Imperial Swordsmanship.】
Sir Isra’s lingering thought echoed in my mind.
What if.
My understanding of swordsmanship increased.
And the number and quality of the Undead I commanded improved as well?
Imperial Swordsmanship was an A-rank skill.
And beyond that.
What if I learned the swordsmanship Sir Isra, the strongest knight on the continent, had modified and created?
My Undead would find it difficult to encounter worthy opponents.
“I have chills.”
My motivation was certainly secure.
【The road ahead is long, so do not grow complacent.】
“Who said I was complacent?”
I could not be satisfied with this much.
For five years, I had struggled and desperately awaited the day I could finally stand in the sunlight.
This was an opportunity I had obtained with difficulty.
Did it think I would let it slip away easily?
“I can keep going all day.”
【I hope that enthusiasm lasts.】
Sir Isra twisted its face.
****
The next day.
“Yaaawn.”
I opened my closed eyes and stretched.
What was this?
My body felt incredibly refreshed.
Before going to sleep, I had ached as though I were dying.
But when I opened my eyes, all fatigue had vanished, as though I had returned to my elementary school days.
【It is thanks to the Heavenly Martial Physique.】
A sharp lingering thought pierced my mind.
Sir Isra stood beside the bed, looking down at me.
“Have you been standing there all night?”
【Protecting you is my duty.】
“Next time, block your senses and get some rest.”
【I will consider it.】
It was not for its sake.
Having a zombie guard me from beside my bed would give me terrible dreams.
Even so.
A smile gradually pushed its way onto my lips.
【Why are you smiling?】
“Because it was not a dream.”
I had encountered an Otherworldly Soul.
Escaped the cursed body that had plagued me.
And learned an A-rank swordsmanship.
I had worried that everything would turn out to be a dream when I woke up.
But it was real.
“Phew.”
【You smile, then sigh. I do not know how I am supposed to respond.】
“Just stand there.”
Why did it have to find fault with a sigh of relief?
I activated my status window and checked yesterday’s results.
[Imperial Swordsmanship]
[Proficiency — 3.1%]
[Strength: 51 → 56]
[Agility: 44 → 48]
[Vitality: 51 → 55]
[Toughness: 9 → 11]
The reward I had gained by exchanging pain.
It was the result of swinging a bone while being beaten by Isra.
The increase in melee-related stats was an added bonus.
“My attributes increased this much?”
I could not believe it, even when I looked again.
The total number of attributes gained through training Imperial Swordsmanship was fifteen.
At E-rank, each level granted five bonus stat points.
It was no different from gaining three levels.
【Your growth rate will slow as time passes, so do not expect too much.】
“Simply having my stats increase is incredible.”
Hunters generally had two ways to increase their stats.
Leveling up.
Or consuming elixirs.
If it became known that stats could rise from swordsmanship training alone, there would be an uproar.
【Will you train Imperial Swordsmanship again today?】
“No.”
I had gained the Heavenly Martial Physique.
And learned Imperial Swordsmanship as well.
Now that I had escaped my cursed body.
It was time to return to my main profession and test just how much stronger my Undead had become.
“I am going to clear a Gate.”
【Oh?】
“Sir Isra, do not step in.”
【Will that be all right?】
“I need to conduct a performance test before the examination.”
The Rank Advancement Examination took place on the tenth day of every month.
Today was the third.
Exactly one week remained.
If I wanted to confirm how much my Undead Control had improved.
Real combat was the best choice.
【Hahahaha! I can resolve something as trivial as a Rank Advancement Examination for you.】
“I have no intention of relying on Sir Isra.”
The hated curse that had held me back for five years.
Would it not be far more meaningful to overcome it with my own strength?
【I like that ambition.】
“I am not doing this for your sake.”
This was my resolve.
As a Hunter.
A resolve to overcome the wall before me and grow stronger.
I packed the carving knife inscribed with reinforcement formulas.
A hammer and chisel.
As well as other portable equipment.
【That looks inconvenient.】
“It cannot be helped. I need it to create Undead inside a Gate.”
【What?】
“If I bring Sir Isra along, there will be no room left.”
If I wanted to test my Undead Control.
Creating them on the spot would be the most efficient method.