Free Web NovelChapter 21: Chapter 21: Black Thorn Sword Style
Chapter 21: Black Thorn Sword Style
I have to get that talent.
The thought crossed Andras’s mind the moment he finished reading Selene Vaelthorn’s status.
His gaze lingered on the distant figure of the black-haired woman standing near the center of the training grounds. Even while supervising soldiers, Selene radiated the presence of a predator calmly watching weaker creatures struggle beneath her gaze.
An A+ Rank Talent.
Not only that, but a talent perfectly suited for warfare and close combat.
Crimson Battle Instinct.
A faint smile touched Andras’s lips.
A talent like that would become terrifying in the hands of the wrong person.
Or perhaps...
The right one.
The morning wind swept across the training grounds, carrying the scent of steel, sweat, and dust through the air. Soldiers continued their drills without pause while instructors barked orders from every direction.
Clang.
Clang.
The sound of colliding blades echoed endlessly.
Andras slowly lowered his gaze toward the wooden sword resting in his hand.
The moment his fingers tightened around the hilt, memories from the original owner surfaced once again.
Sword forms.
Combat footwork.
Breathing techniques.
Years of relentless training engraved directly into muscle memory.
The original Andras had spent countless hours here under Selene’s supervision. Although his personality had been rotten, he had never neglected his training.
Especially when it came to swordsmanship.
Andras casually swung the blade through the air.
Sharp.
Clean.
Precise.
Not a single movement felt awkward.
He immediately understood why.
The sword style taught within the Darkmoor Duchy wasn’t some elegant noble art created for ceremonies, duels, or tournaments.
It was a battlefield style.
A killing style.
A style born from war itself.
Fragments of memory continued surfacing inside his mind.
The official name of the technique was:
Black Thorn Sword Style.
A military swordsmanship art developed centuries ago during the ancient wars against demons and monster hordes.
Unlike noble sword arts that emphasized elegance, posture, and appearance, Black Thorn Sword Style existed for one purpose alone.
To kill enemies as efficiently as possible.
Andras narrowed his eyes slightly.
Honestly...
He liked it.
The style reflected the nature of House Darkmoor perfectly.
Cold.
Efficient.
Practical.
There were no unnecessary flourishes.
No flashy movements.
Every strike existed to kill.
Every step existed to survive.
The philosophy behind the style was simple.
A dead enemy matters more than a beautiful strike.
Its creators had understood something many warriors forgot.
On a real battlefield, elegance meant nothing.
Survival meant everything.
Andras slowly recalled the core principles of Black Thorn Sword Style one by one.
The first principle was:
Heavy Forward Pressure.
Darkmoor soldiers were trained to relentlessly pressure opponents without giving them room to breathe.
Advance.
Attack.
Overwhelm.
The style focused heavily on denying enemies the time needed to reposition or cast spells properly.
Especially mages.
The moment a mage lost distance, their threat level dropped dramatically.
That was why Darkmoor soldiers specialized in aggressive forward momentum.
The second principle was:
Formation Compatibility.
Unlike noble duelists who fought alone, Black Thorn Sword Style was designed for warfare involving hundreds or even thousands of soldiers.
Every movement connected naturally with allied fighters.
No wasted swings.
No reckless attacks that endangered comrades.
Darkmoor soldiers fought together like parts of a single machine.
That alone made the Darkmoor Army terrifying during large-scale battles.
The third principle was:
Efficient Mana Usage.
Most inexperienced fighters wasted mana recklessly.
Black Thorn Sword Style emphasized control rather than excess.
Mana reinforcement was applied carefully and precisely.
Strengthening muscles.
Sharpening strikes.
Reinforcing defensive blocks.
Nothing more.
This allowed soldiers to continue fighting long after others had exhausted themselves.
And finally—
Ruthless Counterattacks.
The style taught its users to punish hesitation immediately.
The instant an opponent exposed a weakness, even for a fraction of a second, Darkmoor soldiers struck without mercy.
No hesitation.
No honor.
No wasted opportunities.
Andras could understand why the style had endured for generations.
It was brutally effective.
A faint smile appeared on his face as more memories surfaced.
The beginner forms of Black Thorn Sword Style.
Even ordinary soldiers within the duchy were taught these techniques.
First Form — Iron Fang.
A swift diagonal slash aimed at the neck or shoulder.
Simple.
Direct.
Lethal.
The technique focused entirely on speed and precision rather than brute force.
Second Form — Black Guard.
A defensive stance designed to redirect attacks instead of blocking them head-on.
Useful against physically stronger opponents.
Efficient.
Practical.
Third Form — Thorn Pierce.
A thrusting technique specialized in targeting armor gaps and weak points.
Frequently used within battlefield formations.
Fourth Form — Wolf Advance.
A coordinated pressure technique designed for group combat.
One soldier attacked.
Another followed immediately.
The pressure never stopped.
Fifth Form — Execution Line.
A finishing strike.
Fast.
Merciless.
Created specifically to kill wounded enemies before they could recover.
Darkmoor soldiers were taught from the very beginning:
Hesitation on the battlefield leads to death.
Andras slowly exhaled as he lowered the wooden sword.
These forms alone surpassed many ordinary military sword arts.
But what truly made Black Thorn Sword Style dangerous was its adaptability.
The style wasn’t an end point.
It was a foundation.
A base upon which stronger techniques could be built.
Advanced practitioners naturally modified it according to their mana affinity, talents, and combat preferences.
Selene herself was proof of that.
She had mastered Black Thorn Sword Style years ago.
But she hadn’t stopped there.
Instead, she combined it with Crimson Battle Instinct and created her own personal sword art.
Crimson Wolf Execution Art.
A sword style built around instinctive counters, battlefield awareness, and relentless pressure.
The moment an enemy revealed killing intent, Selene reacted.
No hesitation.
No wasted thought.
Her body moved before conscious decision-making could even occur.
Andras quietly looked toward Selene once more.
She stood near a group of sparring soldiers, correcting a knight’s stance with cold precision while showing little emotion.
From memory alone, Andras already understood why she was feared throughout the duchy.
Not because of noble status.
Not because of authority.
Because of strength.
Pure, overwhelming strength.
His grip tightened slightly around the wooden sword.
Then another thought surfaced.
If Selene could create her own sword art using Black Thorn Sword Style as a foundation...
Then he could do the same.
His eyes narrowed faintly.
Echo Resonance.
False Ceiling Break.
Both talents possessed completely different characteristics from Selene’s.
That meant his future sword style would evolve into something entirely unique.
A style built around:
• Resonance
• Deceptive timing
• Explosive bursts of power
• Psychological pressure
A sword art that enemies would struggle to understand.
Andras slowly raised the wooden sword once more, settling naturally into a combat stance.
The noise of the training grounds gradually faded from his awareness.
At that moment, only one thought remained.
He needed strength.
Enough strength to survive this world.
Enough strength to escape the fate written for the original Andras Darkmoor.
And enough strength...
To stand above everyone else one day.
