Free Web NovelChapter 12: Chapter 12: The Swordsmanship Level That Surprised Kaelon
Early in the morning, Duane had just woken up to find Owington and Jasmine already waiting outside his door.
Ralph had clearly redefined their duties the previous night. Although both were novices, they performed their tasks well.
Seeing Duane awake, Jasmine deftly brought him hot water, a towel, and other washing supplies, then went to prepare breakfast.
Meanwhile, Owington helped Duane get dressed, tidied his clothes, and inquired about the day’s schedule. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Upon learning that Duane intended to find Kaelon at the training ground, he took a moment during breakfast to go and inform Kaelon ahead of time, allowing him to prepare.
Although it had only been two days since he’d transmigrated, Duane was already getting used to this comfortable life of being waited on hand and foot.
However, he also knew that if he wanted to continue living like this, he couldn’t afford to slack off on the things that mattered.
So after his meal, he instructed Jasmine to assist Mara in the kitchen that morning and prepare the ingredients he had mentioned the day before.
Different dishes would likely give his Basic Cooking Skill Level a better boost.
「Lakefront Training Ground.」
Kaelon was scrutinizing Jack and John’s sword-holding squat. He lightly kicked the backs of their knees, causing them to stumble.
"When you fight, your stance must be stable!"
He bellowed, "If you can’t even stand steadily, how can you possibly hold your Sword? And how are you supposed to fight an enemy?"
Although Jack and John had already held the strenuous position for several minutes, they showed no signs of complaining or making excuses.
"The Lord will be here soon. Don’t you dare embarrass yourselves in front of him!"
Hearing that the Lord was coming, the two took a sharp breath, gritted their teeth, and pushed themselves to hold on.
They had received word from Kaelon the day before that the Lord wanted them to focus entirely on their training for the time being, exempting them from their manor patrol duties.
This gave them more time to train under Kaelon.
Besides, the Lord was providing them with ample food. They had no reason not to give it their all.
They weren’t fools; they knew this was a potentially life-changing opportunity.
One minute, two minutes, three minutes...
After several more minutes, they felt their legs trembling, on the verge of collapse.
But just then, they spotted the Baron’s figure appearing at the path’s entrance ahead!
In that instant, they didn’t know where the strength came from, but they managed to steady their trembling legs.
"My Lord, you’re here!" Kaelon greeted as he approached.
"Good morning."
Duane returned the greeting, his eyes scanning over Jack and John.
It was a sword-holding stance from Basic Swordsmanship, one he had also practiced over the past two days.
At first, it had been very strenuous for him as well. But later, he wasn’t sure if it was because his Skill Level had increased and he’d learned a trick to it, or if his body had simply been forced to adapt to the training’s intensity. In any case, he could now hold the stance for a long time.
But looking at their stance, he could tell they were nearing their limit.
"You can stop and rest on the side," Duane said.
"Yes, My Lord!"
The words were like a heavenly melody. The two men answered, then did their best to walk normally as they moved to the side.
"My Lord, Owington came by a moment ago to inform me you had something to discuss?"
"Yes, there is."
Duane said with a smile, "I feel like my strength has improved recently. I estimate I’ll break through and become a Basic-level Warrior soon."
Kaelon’s eyes lit up. "Congratulations, My Lord!"
’A Basic-level Warrior isn’t much to speak of, but at least it indicates his body is in good condition.’
"A sixteen-year-old Basic-level Warrior is nothing to be congratulated for, and besides, it’s just a feeling for now."
Duane smiled and said, "The main reason I sought you out today was to spar with you. I’d like you to point out any areas where my Swordsmanship is lacking."
"I would be happy to be of service!"
Kaelon was naturally more than willing, but the thought of the dangers of sparring made him hesitate. "My Lord, sharp weapons can easily cause injury. I’m worried..."
"It’s fine!"
Duane glanced at Owington, who, after a brief moment of surprise, reacted quickly and presented the Longsword to him.
Duane drew his Sword. "A Warrior’s growth is forged in sweat and scars. If you don’t even dare to spar for fear of getting hurt, you’ll never be able to improve."
Kaelon was taken aback by these words. ’How could the once frail young master have such profound insight?’
Standing nearby, Jack, John, and Owington were also moved by his statement.
’The Lord may not be strong, but his spirit is something we should learn from.’
"As you wish, My Lord!"
Kaelon set his Shield aside and drew his Longsword. "I will control my strength. Please, attack at will!"
Kaelon was a Peak Human Tier Warrior with abundant Fighting Qi. It would be difficult for an ordinary person to injure him with a Sword, especially since he was also wearing Light Armor.
"Alright!"
Duane’s eyes narrowed. His relaxed demeanor vanished as he lunged forward with the speed of a cheetah, his Longsword tracing a silver arc straight for Kaelon’s neck.
"This..."
Kaelon had been through numerous battles with Carter. Although his strength didn’t match Carter’s, his eye for combat was sharp.
He could tell at a glance that there was something unusual about Duane’s strike.
’When did the Lord’s Swordsmanship improve so much?’
However, as fast and sharp as Duane’s Sword seemed, his opponent was Kaelon.
Unflustered, Kaelon simply shifted his body to the side and, with a light touch of his Longsword, effortlessly neutralized the attack.
"My Lord, that was a fine attack!" he praised.
Duane felt the tip of his Sword being guided away. The experience he gained when his Skill Level had its breakthrough flashed through his mind.
He took a step, closing in to Kaelon’s side. His straight Thrust transformed into a horizontal slash, still aimed at the neck.
Kaelon was inwardly astonished. ’That transition... it’s not something an ordinary person should be able to pull off.’
He couldn’t help but focus a little more, once again skillfully deflecting Duane’s attack.
Fortunately, Kaelon was only defending and had no intention of attacking, which gave Duane the perfect opportunity to launch a relentless assault.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The sharp sound of Longswords colliding rang out across the lakefront.
The three spectators—Owington, Jack, and John—were stunned by the scene!
They had all heard that the Baron was an ordinary man incapable of cultivation, but the level of combat skill he was displaying at this moment completely upended their understanding.
Jack and John couldn’t help but assess in their minds, ’If we were in Kaelon’s place, could we win?’
They quickly shook their heads in secret.
’No chance. We wouldn’t stand a chance.’
’Perhaps their stamina was comparable to Duane’s, but when it came to Swordsmanship techniques, he was far ahead.’
’Even the Baron’s first strike would have been enough to throw them into complete disarray.’
The Swordsmanship spar continued.
Though none of his attacks had landed, Duane wasn’t the least bit discouraged. He relentlessly searched for an opening in his opponent’s defense.
After an unknown amount of time, Duane ceased his attack.
His chest heaved violently; the prolonged assault had consumed a great deal of his stamina.
Just as he stopped, a line of text appeared before him:
[You engaged in a satisfying spar with your opponent. Basic Swordsmanship Skill Level +69]
"Awesome!"
Duane’s face was alight with a pleasant surprise. ’A single sparring session gave me this much!’
He couldn’t help but summon his attribute panel.
Before the spar, his Basic Swordsmanship Skill Level was 13/300. Now it was 82/300!
’It’s rising so fast!’
"Let’s stop here for now. I need to rest for a bit!" freёwebnovel.com
Duane was in high spirits. "Kaelon," he praised, "your defense is truly impenetrable!"
"No, no, no!"
Kaelon, however, waved his hands repeatedly, a look of amazement on his face. "Your level of Swordsmanship is truly astounding! If our strengths were equal, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to defend so well."
The implication was that even if Duane were a Peak Human Tier Warrior, he still wouldn’t be able to defeat Kaelon in terms of pure Swordsmanship.
"Although I managed to deflect all of your attacks, your level of Swordsmanship is top-tier even among Advanced Warriors. I believe that as long as you can raise your strength, your combat prowess will be formidable!"
Kaelon said this, but he felt a sense of pity in his heart.
’If Duane had the same talent for cultivation that he has for the Sword, the Brian Clan might have produced a second Carter.’
’Then, even after going to Black Forest Island, they might one day be able to return.’
Duane handed his Longsword to Owington to be put away and motioned for Jack and John to resume their training.
He then went to rest on a nearby stone bench.
This single sparring session had increased his Basic Swordsmanship Skill Level by 69 points—a huge gain.
’At this rate,’ he calculated, ’I only need to spar with Kaelon another four or five times to break through.’
’Initial, Entry, Skilled... I should be able to find out what the next Level is soon, right?’
While mulling this over, he looked at Kaelon. "After you all finish your morning training and have breakfast, let’s spar a few more times."
"As you wish, My Lord!"
