Chapter 163: Legacy Arts (2)

The six books floated before Malrik. Before he could reach out to inspect one of them, Eldric spoke in a quiet voice.

"Do you know what truly sets Legacy Arts apart, Seventh?"

Malrik looked at him in silence. Truth be told, he didn’t know.

System skills were clear and straightforward to him. With the system’s help, he could learn to use them easily, as the system ingrained the activation method of each skill directly into his mind. Legacy Arts, however, were entirely different. They were complex combat styles passed down through noble families, and mastering them required personal effort and practice. Their power also varied depending on their Tier.

Malrik slowly shook his head.

Eldric smiled, placing his hands behind his back as he contemplated the floating books before them.

"The fascinating thing about Legacy Arts is that the system formally recognizes and categorizes them, even though it didn’t create them. They are the product of decades of sweat, blood, and experimentation, whether developed by humans or other beings. Once you read one of these tomes and memorize its contents, the system will open a new section in your personal interface. It will display the art’s Tier, and more importantly... it will track your progress in mastering and understanding it."

Malrik’s eyes widened slightly. This was entirely new information to him.

He had never expected the system to track progress in arts it hadn’t designed itself, but that others had developed through their own experiences and experimentation.

Eldric noticed his interest and continued his explanation:

"Do not think a Legacy Art is merely a set of movements and weapon thrusts. A true martial art is far more complex than that. It teaches you how to control your body’s muscles and joints, coordinate your movements with your weapon, and even integrate your skills with the mana pathways inside you, step by step, until you can unleash a force that an ordinary body could never withstand."

He paused for a moment, then added:

"And some exceptional arts also include their own Movement Arts, which govern your footwork, speed, and movement across the battlefield. Once you reach a sufficient level of mastery, your movements, weapon, mana flow, and skills will no longer be separate elements. They will all work in perfect harmony, as parts of a single, unified style."

Malrik began looking at the six books with far greater interest. They no longer seemed like mere inherited combat styles to him, but rather holistic systems that demanded a profound understanding of the body, the weapon, and mana.

Eldric fell silent for a moment, then tilted his head slightly and added in a much more serious tone:

"And I’ll let you in on a secret. The system places such great importance on these arts that some holders of combat Classes cannot advance to the next rank without inventing a new Legacy Art or developing an existing one to a higher Tier themselves."

Eldric shifted his gaze from the ancient books to Malrik, then continued:

"Therefore, it is not uncommon to find monsters and great individuals who spend their entire lives inventing and refining unique martial arts simply to pass them down to their descendants. They leave behind a legacy for their descendants to carry forward, allowing each generation to add its own touch and leave its mark on those that follow."

Eldric swiped his finger through the air, causing the first of the six books to drift toward Malrik as he spoke like an expert presenting his wares.

"The first is [Crimson Serpent Dance], an art created by a mercenary king from the far South."

"This style focuses heavily on extreme physical flexibility, training the user to shift attack angles in ways that would otherwise seem impossible."

"Most importantly, it features its own dedicated Movement Art—allowing you to slither across the battlefield like a venomous viper that is nearly impossible to catch."

"As for the second tome, it is [Lullaby of the Stagnant Shadows], acquired from a noble family that fell in the Northern Wars a thousand years ago."

"Its philosophy is built entirely on concealment and ambush, training your body to move the very instant the opponent’s gaze wavers.

When you thrust, the enemy sees the spear coming from one direction, while the real blade tears through their throat from a completely different angle."

"It is an insidious, highly flexible assassination art, but training in it requires immense precision and long, dedicated practice to grow accustomed to it."

Eldric paused for a moment, giving Malrik a few seconds to absorb the details, before continuing.

The third is [Rending Gale Path], created by a great general two thousand years ago.

It relies on absolute speed and light mana flow to deliver hundreds of consecutive thrusts. This relentless onslaught suffocates the opponent, leaving them absolutely no room to breathe.

The fourth and fifth books moved forward.

The fourth is [Overwhelming Tide], a balanced offensive and defensive style from a noble family that perished in the Northern Wars.

It teaches you how to use the momentum of the enemy’s attacks to block and redirect it right back at them.

And the fifth is [Perception of the Cursed Bloodlust], a suicidal art that originated in a demonic cult wiped out centuries ago.

Its philosophy is purely insane; it relies on converting your pain and wounds into combat energy. The more you bleed and the lower your physical strength drops, the more ferociously and frantically fast your spear strikes become. It is pure offense that knows no retreat and possesses not an ounce of defense.

Eldric fell silent.

The first five books drifted slightly backward, while the sixth and final book moved forward. Or rather... what remained of it.

Unlike the others, it wasn’t a luxurious, leather-bound tome but an ancient, dilapidated book. Its wooden cover was cracked, some of its edges were burnt, and its pages looked so brittle they might crumble to dust without the preservation magic protecting them. Carved into the weathered wooden cover was a faded image of a bleeding red moon.

Eldric’s tone shifted, taking on an air of regret and mystery.

"As for the sixth... unfortunately, this art is incomplete. As you can see, entire pages are missing, and large sections of its mana flow pathways are burnt and obliterated. We don’t even know its true name or who its founder was."

Eldric contemplated the burnt tome for a moment before adding:

"But after studying some of its surviving fragments in depth, we found that the sheer complexity of the required muscle coordination and mana pathways suggested it was at least Intermediate Tier, and might even reach the High Tier. Unfortunately, given its damaged state, we have no way of confirming its true Tier or guaranteeing the safety of anyone who attempts to train in it."

Eldric fell silent for a moment, allowing Malrik to absorb his words before asking, "So, what will you choose?"

Malrik looked at the six floating books before him, but his eyes bypassed the burnt sixth book without hesitation. There was no point in picking an unknown, incomplete art, regardless of its potential power.

He discarded it immediately, casting a quick glance over the five remaining options, and began comparing them.

[Perception of the Cursed Bloodlust]? Impossible. An art that transforms pain and wounds into combat power? That was sheer suicide for a necromancer who didn’t possess the body of a fighter trained to endure heavy blows.

[Overwhelming Tide]? A balanced offensive and defensive style, but it didn’t suit him. He had no intention of clashing face-to-face with monsters. His souls and guards would handle direct combat while he stayed in the back.

[Rending Gale Path]? It relied on delivering hundreds of rapid thrusts, but that brought him right back to the flaw of his old spear, Crimson Gale. Furthermore, it was designed for prolonged, close-range combat, which was exactly what Malrik wanted to avoid. His goal was to acquire an art that would help him survive on the battlefield without having to engage enemies directly. And if he was forced into a direct clash—as he had been during his fight with Biggie—it shouldn’t force him to abandon his role as a mage.

Only two options remained.

[Crimson Serpent Dance] and [Lullaby of the Stagnant Shadows].

The first was tempting thanks to its built-in Movement Art, which would grant him excellent speed, evasion, and the ability to reposition quickly. However, its reliance on exceptional physical flexibility made it less suitable for him. His body was athletic, yes, but he wasn’t flexible enough to perform the twisting, contorted movements of a serpent.

As for the second...

[Lullaby of the Stagnant Shadows].

An art built around concealment, ambush, and exploiting blind spots, with visual deception that made it extremely difficult for enemies to pinpoint his actual location.

Malrik didn’t need any further deliberation.

His expression changed, a cold glint appearing in his eyes as he imagined how he could combine this art with his own abilities.

This was the art most compatible with his style.

But before Malrik could reach out and touch the cover of [Lullaby of the Stagnant Shadows], his hand froze in midair.

A familiar voice suddenly rang out inside his mind.

"Take the burnt book... It is a Legacy Art of the Transcendental Tier."