Chapter 135
As night deepened, the malevolence of monsters grew more rampant. Yet, Yan, with unwavering focus, methodically cut them down.
Swish! Swish! Swoosh!
With every burst of light from Ascalon, the monsters’ heads inevitably flew off. Valdes quickly pounced on the beheaded beasts, skillfully disassembling them to harvest magic stones and valuable parts that could be turned into coin. He had already surpassed two hundred monsters.
Yan, dripping with sweat, watched Valdes diligently at work and asked, “Getting the hang of it?”
“The hang of it?” Valdes replied, unable to articulate a proper response, which made Yan sigh deeply.
“Why do you think I had you disassemble them?” Yan prodded further.
Valdes couldn’t bring himself to say that he thought it was because the lord found it too dirty or bothersome.
As Valdes hesitated, Yan sat down beside him, where he was disassembling a freshly caught monster, and pointed at the creature.
“This beast has a hide that hardly yields to blades.”
“Really?”
“But you, instinctively, avoid the tough hide and strike at its weaknesses.”
“What do you mean…?”
Valdes tilted his head, puzzled by Yan’s words.
Yan sighed once more, took Valdes’ dagger, and without invoking any mana, swung it at the monster’s carcass.
Thud!
The hide repelled the dagger as if it had struck iron. Valdes’ eyes widened in surprise.
“Now do you understand what I meant?”
Valdes nodded slowly, though he didn’t fully grasp Yan’s meaning. He did realize, however, that he had been instinctively finding the monsters’ weak points.
“That’s your talent. Knowing instinctively where you must strike,” Yan said, reminiscing.
Valdes had been called a demon blade in the past, not just because of the abnormal enhancement from drinking Momon’s elixir, but also because of his inherent talent.
A talent for instinctively recognizing weaknesses, or rather, an ability.
If he realized this and combined it with training, he might not match his previous life, but he could at least become a top ten warrior trainee.
That’s what Yan believed.
Just then, Momon, peeking out of his pocket, startled.
“[…The Path of Sensation?]”
“What?”
“[Ask the boy if he’s ever suffered from severe fevers once a month.]”
Yan frowned slightly at Momon’s odd question but asked as he was told.
And then…
“How did you know?”
Valdes asked, eyes wide with shock. He had tried to hide it, but Yan’s question caught him off guard.
Yan couldn’t answer; it was Momon who had instructed him to ask.
Momon responded to Valdes’ answer.
“[Indeed, it’s the Path of Sensation. Those born with it usually don’t live past twenty. Their brains die from processing too much information through their senses.]”
Momon continued.
“[But if one fully awakens the Path of Sensation, it could rival the eyes of the barbarian we saw before. Depending on the level of mastery, it might even surpass it.]”
Yan’s eyes flickered with interest.
‘A power surpassing Vila’s?’
Vila’s divine eye was a talent of the ages, able to see mana.
Yan knew Valdes’ ability was extraordinary, but he hadn’t realized it was to such an extent.
He had only thought it was a slightly more developed intuition.
“[It’s a kind of talent. Born with senses several times sharper than an ordinary person.]”
‘That’s impressive? Isn’t it just being a bit more sensitive?’
“[Tsk, tsk, being born with it is a blessing. To have senses comparable to a superhuman, do you think that’s ordinary?]”
“That much?”
Yan was taken aback, and Valdes, standing nearby, jumped in surprise.
Yan dismissed it as nothing and continued his conversation with Momon.
‘So it’s that impressive?’
Yan also occasionally felt a certain chill during missions or tasks, and his judgments were always spot-on.
He thought Valdes belonged to the same category.
“[It’s different. You infer from the atmosphere and situation, but he instinctively realizes the opponent’s weaknesses. Right now, it’s just finding slightly softer spots, but if fully awakened, it would be a different dimension.]”
Momon explained with a tone of wonder.
“[I’ve only read about it in records. I never expected to see it in person. I’m curious to see how far he can grow.]”
‘So it’s impressive, then?’
“[If he can freely control that ability, he could take down everyone except the one we saw in the mines and the descendants of Bahamut.]”
Momon was referring to Theo of the Beowulf family, seen in the mines.
And his talent was comparable to that of Prince Leon.
Yan had taken what was meant for Valdes, so he felt he owed him.
“This is a jackpot…”
He had stumbled upon an unexpected treasure.
Valdes, feeling Yan’s strange gaze, instinctively stepped back.
Yan looked at Valdes and smiled slyly.
“Come here for a second.”
He led Valdes somewhere, with Valdes following with an uneasy expression
* * *
Valdes and the Goblin Encounter
Valdes pondered over Yan’s sudden departure, leaving him alone with a promise to return shortly.
“How did he know about my recurring fevers?” Valdes mused, ashamed of his frailty, a secret he had kept to himself until now.
“Truly, he is remarkable. To discern my condition with just a glance.”
It was then…
Rustle! Rustle!
A goblin emerged from the underbrush, clutching a crude dagger, its grotesque eyes fixed on Valdes, its tongue licking its lips.
Valdes’ face hardened.
He hadn’t expected a monster to appear during Yan’s absence.
Screech!
The goblin charged with a primal scream, its movements unrefined, devoid of skill or mana. Yet, to Valdes, it was a terrifying adversary.
“Ah, ahhhh!”
In panic, Valdes twisted and ran, but the goblin pursued relentlessly.
“Lord! My lord! Save me!”
His cries echoed, but there was no sign of Yan. The goblin was closing in.
Screech! Screech!
The goblin leaped, its dagger aimed at Valdes’ head.
That’s when it happened.
“Whoosh!”
Valdes, who had been fleeing, suddenly rolled to the side.
Crash!
It wasn’t graceful, but he evaded the strike.
“Ouch, ouch…”
He groaned, rising from the ground, feeling the pain where he had hit rocks instead of soft earth.
Screech!
The goblin howled, not expecting Valdes to dodge.
Valdes hastily drew his dagger, one that had disassembled countless monsters, far superior to the goblin’s weapon.
“But I’ve never fought with it!”
Valdes’ face fell.
Screech!
Thud!
The goblin charged again.
At that moment…
Throb!
A sharp pain shot through Valdes’ left shoulder, instinctively making him turn right.
Thump!
The goblin missed and tumbled to the ground.
“Huff, huff.”
Valdes aimed his dagger at the prone goblin, but his hand trembled with fear.
“Damn it!”
He knew this was his chance, but he couldn’t move.
Rumble…
The goblin slowly rose, growling lowly.
Valdes bit his lip, tasting blood and pain, calming his racing heart.
“I’ll die if I stay like this.”
Gripping the dagger firmly, the trembling ceased.
The goblin stood, limping.
“Now!”
Valdes sensed the opportunity and charged for the first time.
The goblin, caught off guard, tried to rise in panic.
But…
Stab!
Valdes’ dagger pierced the goblin’s throat.
He shuddered at the repulsive sensation, dropping the dagger and retching.
“Blargh!”
After wiping his mouth, Valdes struggled to his feet.
Then, applause came from behind.
Clap, clap, clap!
Valdes turned with a dazed expression to see someone atop a large tree.
There was the small skull and the lord he had been searching for.
“…My lord?”
“Impressive. I didn’t fully understand when I heard about it.”
[Didn’t I tell you? It’s impressive. The problem is continuing to overcome death and control the sensation.]
“Sensation Path… I’ve learned something new.”
Yan dropped from the tree.
Thud!
Landing smoothly, he approached Valdes and patted his shoulder with a bright smile.
“Well done. Do you understand what fighting is now?”
“I, I almost died.”
“I told you, crossing the line of death is the fastest way to become stronger. It seems more intense for you.”
Yan pulled out a leather pouch and poured its contents on Valdes’ thigh, easing the pain from the rocks.
“If you want to stop now and live a normal life, you can. But if you want to become stronger, you must continue to overcome such challenges.”
Yan looked directly into Valdes’ eyes.
“What will you do?”
Yan knew he had tremendous talent.
But Yan thought he wanted to use him because of the information he owed from a past life.
If Valdes chose to live a normal life…
“I’d be disappointed, but I’d let him go.”
Valdes hesitated, the recent experience weighing on him.
Until recently, he wanted to be strong, but the path was scarier than he thought.
Yet, after a moment…
“I want to be strong.”
Yan smiled brightly at Valdes’ resolve.
“Accepted.”
Yan laughed contentedly, having gained the talent named Valdes.
He ruffled Valdes’ hair, then suddenly turned, his face shifting from a warm smile to a cold sneer.
He sensed a tremendous energy nearby.
In this forest, only one being could emit such power.
Yan patted Valdes’ back.
“Go back to the village. The monsters won’t roam for a while.”
“Why?”
“The ruler of this forest has appeared.”
Yan smiled coldly.
It seemed the knights, including Set, had finally summoned it.