Chapter 1387: Michael’s training montage

Michael didn’t know how long time passed. The only thing in his mind was mastering the sword style that was slowly starting to emerge in his subconscious.

It was at the tip of his tongue. He felt as if he was on the very verge of awakening something truly powerful. A swordstyle that was completely unique to his own self, yet could stand toe to toe against the very best of them.

After all, he already knew the sword styles that every single swordsman used in the world. Meaning, the very foundations of the sword was ingrained into his very mind thanks to ChatJK6. All he had to do know was to carve his own path, find which moves worked best with his personality and goals.

Clone Draco moved with relentless precision. Each of his blood spear targeted Michael’s weakness as if there was a large red circle painting it.

ChatJK6, just as Michael asked her to, gave a no-holds-barred performance as she piloted Clone Draco. She knew Michael the best, meaning that she also knew his tendencies and weaknesses.

For the first time, Michael found himself struggling. Blood spilled around him as his entire body got inundated with cuts from the blood spears.

There were times in which Michael wanted to give up. He was far too tired to swing his sword, far too tired to step back and avoid a blood spear.

But ChatJK6 also knew his body’s limits. She knew when he was truly at his very wits end. And she didn’t stop until Michael was truly spent and exhausted to the point where he would collapse onto the cold, black ground of the floating island.

Days passed. Months. All he did was focus on honing the moves that he had begun to learn during his fight with the real Draco.

And soon, he found things suddenly started to click in his head.

Before, he was simply moving his body fluidly, as if he was water. If he were to compare himself to somebody, then his movements from before were like that of the drunken masters Michael saw on TV back in his old world.

But he was not a drunkard. He didn’t move so erratically and so randomly that his opponents couldn’t hit their marks. That was not his style.

So, he began to change his style. Make it a lot more coordinated than before. With moves that he had created himself.

And he also realized that he was not a person who simply just let his own sword style dictate the pace of the fight.

He was not as powerful as Caliburn. He was not as fast as Jaku. He was not as graceful as the Heavenly Swordmistress.

He was Michael Vanderbilt. He was someone who valued information so that he could use it to his advantage.

That was why his Mithril Artifact was a Drone. It was the very best form of surveillance that would allow him to gather information from his opponents and use it in order to win against them.

And so, Michael began to think about his opponent. What sort of sword style did they use? What were their preferences when it came to dodging? What were their instincts telling them?

Thankfully, with the myriad of swordstyles that ChatJK6 had in her library, Michae was easily able to decipher Draco’s movements down to its very foundational point.

Draco was a man who prided himself in his sustaining ability. He inundated his opponents with a bleeding effect, meanwhile, all the blood he gathered would eventually come to him and replenish all of his injuries.

Michael knew he wouldn’t win against a man like this if he was just going to defend.

He had to adapt. Evolve to the specifications that the fight required.

That was his style.

Michael raised his Unity Saber and charged towards the Clone Draco. His speed was incredibly fast. He almost turned into a vertical spear that headed straight for his opponent.

Blood spears whirred past him. Michael twisted his body, like a bullet rotating in order to create further distance and stabilization. It also helped that it had allowed Michael to dodge against the blood spears being hurtled in his direction.

He reached the Clone Draco, his Unity Saber headed straight for his neck.

Clone Draco whirled his blood spear, creating a protective shield.

But Michael reached forwards with his other hand. His wrist glowed incandescently orange as reality itself began to burn.

Then, he used his Quantum Step, immediately finding himself behind Draco.

The Unity Saber pierced through Draco’s shoulder blades, completely burning through his insides.

The Clone Draco dissipated into magic particles. For the first time in a few months, Michael had won against Draco in a head to head using only their weapons.

"Haaa.... Haaa...."

[Congratulations,] ChatJK6 said. [You have created your own sword style. What would you like to call it?]

Michael thought for a second before he smiled.

"Quantum Evolution Swordstyle," he told her.

Now, this swordstyle was still in its infancy. For now, the only form that he had mastered was its defensive measures. Using his extensive knowledge of the basics of swordsmanship, he could easily modify his movements in order to match his opponent, thereby nullifying any kind of attack they create.

As for its offensive capabilities, Michael was still a long ways away from truly finding a ’killer’ move.

He even had to use the Quantum Step just to win against Draco. If he had truly mastered offense with his new sword style, then he’d be able to defeat Clone Draco using only his Unity Saber and nothing else.

Michael plopped into the ground, completely exhausted after that little sparring session.

But it was at this moment that a strange light emanated from the obelisk in the middle of the island.

A prismatic beam shot from the top of the monolith, spreading all around the island like it was some sort of sonar scan.

Michael felt his own body get examined.

Then, a bright light blinded him completely.