City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Proofread by Thomas F

Click!

I opened the door and was surprised to see the person on the other side.

There was Bell, as I had expected, but beside her was a man. I wanted to talk to the man yesterday, but Bell had been busy talking to him even when I returned in the evening.

I didn’t disturb them; they had met after a decade and a half. They had a lot to catch up on.

“Lord Kalos,” I greeted the man.

It’s not his real name. I don’t know what it is. I have read her information, but I cannot match him to any of the people who were loyal to them.

He might have a skill, an artifact, or both, or something else to change his face, but I didn’t think too much about it.

Bell is already taking a massive risk, and his would be even greater. The less I know, the greater the deniability I will have, and in this work, it is essential to possess all the necessary skills.

“Lord Silver,” he replied. Looking at his expression, he didn’t want to be here.

“Uncle is leaving today, but before he does, I have asked him to train you,” informed Bell.

It made me a little disappointed. I don’t know his power, but seeing how easily he had dealt with Jon and how I am drawing a blank with him, I could tell he is very powerful.

At least Lv. 40; such a powerhouse would have been tremendously valuable for us.

Though if his identity was revealed, it would have brought me and the city even greater danger than the undead. I’m glad he’s leaving my city.

“Thank you for the opportunity, Lord Kalos,” I replied, but the man just looked.

“Come at me with everything you have,” he said after a moment. I nodded and walked toward the rack. “You can use your rapier,” he added, to my surprise.

It’s a half-artifact, but looking at the man’s eyes. I know, he is serious.

‘Use everything, don’t hold back on anything,’ said Bell.

‘Ok,’ I replied, and a moment later, aura came out of my body before the fractal formed, transforming into a cyan blade covering my rapier.

I could see the surprise appearing in his eyes, and they turned emotional as Bell’s did when she saw my method for the first time before recovering.

Now, I could see the interest in those eyes.

“Come,” he said.

Immediately, I activated the Blitz Steps and moved toward him while swinging my rapier in the air.

The cyan aura blade moved toward him, and at the same time, I formed another blade without taking my eyes away from him.

The blade appeared in front of him instantly, but he didn’t move. I got worried, but the next moment, I saw a light green gauntlet appearing over his right hand.

As it did, the hand moved like a phantom so fast that I couldn’t catch its movements at all. When it had stopped, I saw the gauntlet holding my falling leaf blade.

I could feel the blade trying to get away from his hands; he was holding it so tightly that it couldn’t move.

Crack!

The next moment, he squeezed, cracking it into pieces.

“Aura is a manifestation of will. So, use that will in every attack. You should tell your method what it is you want it to do,” he said before coming at me.

I didn’t sense any speed skills from him, but he was faster than I and appeared in front of me in an instant, which seemed impossible, seeing the weight of the man.

The moment he did, an aura blade appeared in his hand. It is none other than a falling leaf but one much stronger than mine.

He appeared in front of me and swung the pure aura blade. There were no skills involved, but it felt stronger and faster than I could manage.

Seeing that, I didn’t hold back. I activated Blade of Gale and Mauling Strike as I swung my sword toward him.

Clang!

They clashed, and the aura blade covering my sword shattered while I felt that a mountain had attacked me.

The force was so great that I had to take the steps back rapidly. I thought he would follow me, but he didn’t. Instead, he swung his sword.

I was expecting the Falling Leaf to come at me. Instead, seven beautiful, pointy hexagonal thorns of aura materialized and came at me very fast.

Aura came out of me and went into my skills, while another stream formed a fractal, turning into a cyan blade covering my rapier.

As it happened, the seven thorns were in front of me, and I moved my blade to defend against them.

I cannot miss any, or they will pierce through me.

This man isn’t much impressed with me. There is a good chance that he might not stop the attacks. So, I have to defend against them all.

Clang, Crack, Clang!

My rapier clashed with the first thorn, feeling the massive power that shook my hand. Most importantly, it created cracks on the Falling Leaf covering my rapier.

It made my expression turn bad, but my rapier didn’t stop despite feeling the pain.

I defended against the second thorn, which created even more cracks on the falling leaf, and the third one had extended even further.

“Feel the method, its weakness, that the thorns are targeting.” He advised. “These thorns aren’t that powerful, but they were able to crack your method apart.” He added.

It irritated me a little since I hadn’t achieved this method for a long time, and I had thought I understood it.

Still, he is right. I need to find the weakness in the method. So, why did the rapier move? I felt the aura method. Its strengths, weaknesses, and the reaction when the thorns clashed against it.

The last thorn crashed against the blade, shattering the falling leaf covering my blade into pieces, but it also gave me insight into weakness.

Although I couldn’t use it to form another blade before, I saw the man in front of me and his blade coming toward me fast.

I moved my blade toward him, and at the same time, I used the aura to make the fractal.

Hun!

The fractal had formed, but it didn’t transform into the blade.

“You need to be absolutely calm in battle. A slight mistake and the fractal won’t form,” said the man.

Clang!

His blade clashed against me with such force. I was barely able to stop myself from flying back like a broken doll, but I needed to take rapid steps back, with the blood leaking out of my lips.

I felt like even my bones had cracked.

I was taking a step back when the thorns came at me once more, and this time, there were nine of them.

The blade is very good. It’s a half-artifact, but it will put too much pressure on me if I defend them with the weapon alone. I need the aura method.

So, while I moved my rapier to defend against them, I formed a fractal.

This time, I didn’t let the panic grip me and remained calm as the fractal formed.

I have been practicing since I came back and using it to spar against Bell, but there is a difference between Bell and this man.

Bell is powerful, but I know her. I didn’t feel the fear in her presence like I do in the presence of this man.

The thorns reached me, and my rapier was inches away from clashing against them when Falling Blade appeared on the sword.

Clang, Crack, Clang!

My blade clashed against them and, like before, began to crack, but this time, the cracks were smaller.

However, it still didn’t help, as the ninth thorn shattered the blade.

“You should have materialized the method faster. Your enemies aren’t going to wait until you do it,” he said, and saw his blade come at me.

It was already halfway toward me.

He is too fast, and I’m having a hard time keeping up with him, but I understand how precious the opportunity is.

One rarely gets to train with a powerhouse as strong as this one. I need to seize this opportunity with everything I have.

I pushed more aura into my skill and began to form fractals at speed, which I had never done before. It formed, and I didn’t expect it to turn into the blade, but it did.

Clang!

His blade clashed against mine, shattering it while at the same time sending me back fast, with the blood leaking out of my mouth.

This time, the attack was more intense than the last.

I rapidly took the steps back while at the same time, moving my aura to form a fractal. A moment later, a cyan blade covered my rapier.

It put a smile on my face, but only for a moment before I noticed the hexagonal thorns, and there are twelve of them.

They moved, but not toward me; they moved up. Instead, they formed a ring and came toward me before surrounding me.

“The enemy would not attack you from only one direction,” he said, and the thorns came at me from all sides.

They reached me in an instant, and I moved my blade to defend against them. Pushing the aura into Blade of the Gale and Mauling Strike, as well as fast reflexes.

Clang, Crack, Clang!

I defended one thorn after another and was able to defend against seven with small cracks spreading across my blade when five came at me at once.

I felt fear as I saw their sharp edge and their fast speed. I had defended against as many of them as possible, but I will not be able to defend against them.

They reached me, and just when they were about to pierce through me. The sharp edge disappeared and became flat; it made me relieved.

Though only for a fraction of a second. The man may not want to kill me, but he is not showing me mercy.

Bam Bam Bam!

The thorns struck me hard from all directions. They are powerful enough to crack bones but not enough to shatter them.

The man had controlled the power well.

“Uncle!” said Bell. “He is fine,” replied the man, and he appeared in front of me before attacking, without giving me even a moment to recover.

I am far from fine; those five thorns stuck me in places that give me pain whenever I move.

Still, I gritted my teeth and swung my sword toward him. I will not stop because of these minor injuries and little pain.

Once more, he attacked me with thorns, and this time, the numbers were even more than before. I defended against nine, but the rest hit me.

Time passed, and I continued with the training.

Within an hour, I was thoroughly tired. I had never used so much aura as I had in this spar, but I didn’t stop. Instead, I pushed myself even harder, activating Energizing Essence.

Another hour passed, and I still kept fighting despite nearly every part of me screaming and bleeding.

It is a very rare opportunity, and the coming undead had made it even more valuable.

Bam!

Seconds turned into minutes, and I kept pushing myself before finally, I crashed hard against the wall.

I tried to get up but couldn’t.

“You are good, worthy of being taught by House Avandel.” He said, extending his hand toward me. I took it and got up slowly, bearing the pain that every part of my body was giving me.

“If you had a year or two, you would have a chance against them, but with the current state, you do not,” he added, with a shake of his head.

I smiled, and so did Bell. Making the man arch his brow.

“It’s bad, but it’s not without hope, my lord,” I replied. There is hope, small as it may be.

He is curious but didn’t ask.

“Thank you for this opportunity, Lord Kalos. If there is anything I could do, please don’t hesitate to ask,” I said, and the man laughed.

“Even with your legacy, you are too weak to help with anything, but you might in the future,” he replied.

To that, I only smiled and walked out of the room slowly, bearing the pain. These three hours had been the best; I had made a massive improvement.

Most importantly, I now have an idea of how to fight the powerhouses of Lv. 40 and above. That will help me a lot against the undead.

When I got out of the training rooms, healing spells covered me, and I also drank the healing potion to expedite it.

He was careful not to injure me seriously, but he did injure me enough that I would need to be in bed for a day. I cannot afford to do that.

The pain began to recede with every step, making me regain my gait.

Hun!

I had reached the elevator and was about to step into it when I suddenly stopped as I sensed something. It’s very faint, but I could feel it.

It’s from the south, Inam, actually.

“Old Vanis is really doing it,” I muttered before stepping into the elevator, wishing that he would succeed.

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