My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 436: Chapter 157: The Power of the Eternal Talent

[Night Vision, Sword Genius, Sleep God, Lone Brave, Eagle Eye, Left-Handed, Healthy Body, Skillful Hands, Healthy Tongue, Iron Waist, Steel Bone, Strong Muscle, Cat Form, Memory, Ghost Heart, Milk, Take the Lead, See Through, Beautiful Hair, Deceiver, Wind Sensor, Eightfold Banner of No Regrets]

Eightfold Banner of No Regrets... Just the name itself is much more imposing than other talents, resting quietly at the bottom of the talent list.

Hachimangu is a famous deity in Japanese Shintoism, full name "Hachimantai Myojin," originally known as the "God of Archery." Seven hundred years ago, the first Shogunate of Japan was established: Minamoto no Yoritomo founded Hakone Hachimangu in Kamakura, gradually elevating Hachimantai Myojin to the status of "Martial God," becoming a national faith with shrines dedicated to Hachimantai Myojin built all over the country.

Aoto instantly noticed the extraordinariness of this newly acquired talent upon opening the system list.

Every talent he had previously copied had ordinary entries in the talent list.

Only the entry for "Eightfold Banner of No Regrets" had a special effect—encircled by a faintly glowing purple frame!

While Aoto was staring blankly at this talent entry with special effects due to astonishment, he suddenly realized: by focusing on this purple frame, it could expand into a new virtual screen.

On this virtual screen was a conspicuous introduction to the "Eternal Talent!"

[Eternal Talent:

Not counting the host, only one person under the heavens can possess this talent.

Unique talent! Unparalleled talent!]

The introduction was very concise.

But such an extremely brief introduction left Aoto’s feelings of shock lingering for a long time...

This world is so vast, populated by so many people, naturally ensuring there’s no shortage of people with special talents.

Therefore, as expected, "talent collision" is quite a common occurrence.

Take "Sword Genius," for example: while Chokata possesses this talent, individuals can be found abundantly, even if not endlessly.

However... "Eternal Talent" is different.

Based on the system’s current display, excluding Aoto’s ability to copy other talents, talents named "Eternal" are unique! A talent that only one person in the world can possess!

The deeper Aoto pondered, the richer his sense of amazement grew.

The magnitude of tonight’s gains left Aoto dumbfounded.

Tonight, he simply accompanied Mukiwa in scouting a suspicious tea house, yet managed to copy such a talent, rare among billions...

Such experiences, such luck, left Aoto at a loss for words.

After taking several deep breaths to gradually calm himself from the astonishment, Aoto slowly raised his gaze and stared in the direction the mysterious person just left.

—Who exactly is that cloaked fellow... why was such a figure hiding near me and Miss Kinoshita while viewing night cherries?

Aoto wasn’t sure about the current world population but estimated it to be in the billions.

A talent possessed by only one among billions... how extraordinary is such a talent?

And a person possessing such a talent... how extraordinary must they be...?

This kind of individual was encountered by Aoto just now, even with a brief exchange.

Regarding the mysterious person’s identity... Aoto couldn’t help but become more puzzled.

No matter how much Aoto felt puzzled, it was of no use.

With a lack of information, he couldn’t possibly deduce the mysterious person’s true identity just by pondering.

Thus, Aoto could only smile wryly and lightly shake his head, then withdraw his gaze, shifting his focus to the content of the "Eightfold Banner of No Regrets" talent.

When Aoto successfully copied the talent from the mysterious person earlier and the system’s prompt rang in his mind, he had immediately noticed—the triggering conditions for this "Eightfold Banner of No Regrets" were somewhat difficult to understand.

With the mindset of "I must study this carefully," Aoto concentrated on the entry for "Eightfold Banner of No Regrets," and a virtual screen listing the talent’s introduction popped up before his eyes—

[Unity of Heart and Mind, when the heart is free from confusion, one can unleash a supreme strike akin to being possessed by Hachimantai Myojin!

Heart Without Confusion, Sword Without Confusion!]

As he read the continuous introduction on the virtual screen, Aoto’s brows slightly furrowed—having become an "Eternal Talent," it must have uncommon qualities. In truth, based on the system’s description, one can faintly sense that this talent appears very strong, yet the introduction is incredibly vague!

What qualifies as "Unity of Heart and Mind, heart free from confusion"?

If I hold an unwavering determination to win, free from distractions, does it count as a heart free from confusion?

What exactly does unleashing a supreme strike akin to being possessed by Hachimantai Myojin mean? Suddenly bursting forth with all potential, with greatly increased strength?

The talent introduction is too ambiguous... making it hard for Aoto to discern this talent’s triggering conditions.

Aoto’s intuition told him: triggering "Eightfold Banner of No Regrets" surely isn’t that simple. The so-called "heart free from confusion" surely entails more than merely being free from distractions...