Hard Carried by My Sword-Chapter 30

Chapter 30
The mansion near the slums was a place where not even a passerby remained after sundown, yet lately, one visitor had been coming consistently.
“
Keugh
!”
Leon let out a short groan.
The hand gripping the sword hilt was trembling violently, and his sweat-drenched body steamed with heat. Not even the hundreds of laps he once ran on the Academy training grounds had left him this exhausted.
He stood frozen, holding the Holy Sword raised horizontally, fully ready to thrust it forward at the enemy before him.
El-Cid, upon seeing the tremble in his stance, demanded, —Focus.
It had been more than thirty minutes now in the bull stance, the form of a forward thrust. Contrary to its offensive appearance, it was renowned for its defensive utility.
Leon had practiced it countless times at the Academy. And yet his entire body now shook as if convulsing. It wasn’t because of the sword’s weight.
T-this is killing me...!
If it were only about holding a stance, he could endure all day. His body had been trained to its limits, and with El-Cid’s inscription of Acquired Martial Root, he had surpassed those limits. He could bend coins with two fingers or balance on a single toe.
There was no reason to tremble under a mere one-kilogram lump of metal, so why was he soaked in sweat, gasping for air, and moaning in pain?
The forearm gripping the sword twitched. Veins bulged and receded across, and the relentless contraction and release had swollen the entire arm.
And it wasn’t just his forearm, either. His biceps and triceps, his deltoids, and even the latissimus dorsi beneath them were all the same. If one looked closely, even the thickness of his thighs was shifting.
Though he held just a single pose, his entire muscular system was writhing uncontrollably due to what was no different from an intense full-body workout. This training was El-Cid’s idea.
—Feel how your body is moving. When you’re operating Aura, the human body surpasses its limits. You can’t move the same way you normally would. You have to go beyond the limits defined by joint range and muscle elasticity.
Without anything, humans were inherently weak. They couldn’t take down as much as a single wolf without weapons, and no matter how much they trained, they couldn’t even dream of shattering a boulder.
However, with Aura, it was a different story.
They could tear a whole bear apart bare-handed, pierce granite with a finger, and depending on their talent and training, even overwhelm a dragon. Power that transcends the very limitations of the human race—that was Aura.
—And yet, most practitioners who gain that transcendent power are no more than slightly stronger than the average human. Why is that?
Leon didn’t have the energy to answer, so El-Cid continued, —It’s simple. They’re trapped within the framework of being ‘human.’ Aura is, after all, an added function acquired later. It’s not ‘natural’ like a fish’s gills or a bird’s wings. So the way people use it is inevitably crude.
El-Cid was aware of Aura’s true potential. Once Aura was fully mastered, there were no limits to how it could be used. It could substitute for lungs to breathe, for the heart to circulate blood, and even for the nervous system. If all Aura could do was make one a bit stronger or coat a weapon with energy, humanity would’ve perished long ago.
—Watch what Aura does when your body hits its limit. If you don’t understand this power, you’ll waste it like the rest—just skimming the surface.
“
Grrk
...!”
—Why does using Aura make you stronger? Why faster? Why more sensitive? If you don’t know any of that and let power use you, then you’re no different from a monkey that only knows how to throw rocks.
Leon clung to his fading consciousness. He couldn’t understand every word El-Cid said, but he felt the deeper truth behind the teaching.
With no room for distractions, his mind drifted into a state close to no-self and began to peer inward. Muscles and veins squirmed beneath his skin, and the blood coursing through them rose in his mind like an illusion.
I need... to see... how the Aura moves...
This was why he had pushed his body for hours. Only when one reaches their limit does Aura reveal its true nature. The saying that surviving a brush with death makes one stronger—this was the same principle.
His muscle fibers frayed one by one, blue bruises bloomed across his body as capillaries ruptured. Even Leon’s transcendent willpower was nearly spent.
And the very moment he stood on the brink of collapse, the Aura dormant within him surged to life. The power of the sun came to life like the breaking dawn and its warmth filled Leon’s exhausted body to the brim, flooding him with mysterious vitality.
What am I saying...? No!
Leon used all his focus to shake off his previous thoughts. Mysterious, really? Why was he so quick to claim he couldn’t understand what was happening inside his own body? El-Cid had told him not to stay trapped within his limits—never to define boundaries for himself.
So he refused to give up and kept watching. His golden eyes pierced through every change occurring within.
Ah!
Then, he saw it. Aura stitching torn muscle, Aura sending blood back through his veins, Aura burning away accumulated fatigue, and more.
He couldn’t explain how it was possible, but he understood how it worked. That meant he could use it.
His battered body rapidly stabilized. As the Aura flowed with his blood, the capillaries near the surface glowed gold, scattering a soft light around him.
El-Cid smiled at the sight and affirmed, —Good.
Leon himself didn’t quite realize it, but his Aura abilities had advanced several steps. The fact that he was a commoner who had never learned a formal Aura training method turned out to be a blessing. Had he held any preconceptions from anyone else’s training, he wouldn’t have absorbed even a tenth of El-Cid’s teachings.
Because he was a true blank slate, he was able to take everything in without resistance.
—A diligent mediocrity is better than a half-hearted genius.
In this area, Leon far surpassed Lyon. Having never received proper training, he recognized his own thirst. With no unnecessary pride, he absorbed new knowledge swiftly. At this rate, reaching full external Aura manifestation would come soon.
A little while later, Leon opened his eyes. Staring at his palm, he muttered, “This is... a strange feeling. It’s like the Aura is alive. Flowing through my veins, seeping into my muscles... I had no idea it moved like that.”
—The fact that it’s the sun Aura probably adds to it, too.
El-Cid, who had the same attribute, replied, —The sun carries the power to accelerate life. Minor wounds heal fast and stamina recovers quickly too. But, as fast as you regenerate, you have to replenish nutrients at the same rate. Otherwise, you’ll wither like a crop left under the sun without fertilizer.
“So that’s why you told me to bring food?”
—Yeah. Back when I was alive, I had quite the appetite.
Leon wiped away sweat with a towel and took out some dry bread and jerky from his pack. It was enough to fill three regular people, but he finished it quickly. It wasn’t surprising as the training had gone on for hours, and the Aura-fueled recovery had burned through a tremendous amount of energy.
Once he finished eating, Leon collapsed onto the ground.
“I’m exhausted...”
Rock Slimes and Living Armor were nothing compared to El-Cid’s training. This was the real trial—each time he pushed through, it felt like dying and coming back to life. The relief was so overwhelming, that it dulled his sense of accomplishment and made him doubt his progress.
Reading his thoughts, El-Cid said, —Seriously, you doubt and worry too much. You know what, why don’t you see it with your own eyes?
“My eyes?
Oh
!”
Realizing what he meant, Leon opened his stat window.
Name: Leon
Title & Class: Hero (who finally took his first steps)
Level: 23
Strength: 134 (D)
Endurance: 140 (D)
Agility: 131 (D)
Aura: 76 (E)
Skills: Sword Mastery I (max), Sword Mastery II (2), Rodrick’s Vision (3), Rodrick’s Footwork (3), Acquired Martial Root II, Aura Wielder II (5)
After glancing through it, Leon grew flustered. He said, “What the...? ‘Sword Mastery II’ I understand, but ‘Aura Wielder II’? Wasn’t it on stage one last time?”
—That’s just how fast you’re improving. Well, I guess you
have
been learning directly from me. Most people have to dig around for years to figure out even a fraction of this.
El-Cid sounded proud, but soon started grumbling, —Your skill list is getting too long though. Should we consolidate ‘Sword Mastery’? Maybe group the ‘Rodrick’s’ series under one heading too? Instead of tracking every stat down to the decimal, it might be better to show broader tiers.
“What do you mean?”
—Like this.
A brand-new, consolidated stat window popped up.
Name: Leon
Title & Class: Hero (who finally took his first steps)
Level: 23
Strength: D
Endurance: D
Agility: D
Aura: E
Skills: Sword Mastery II (2), Rodrick’s Martial Arts (3), Acquired Martial Root II, Aura Wielder II (5)
It was definitely easier to read with fewer things cluttering the sight. Leon asked El-Cid to remove the embarrassing title too, but the sword didn’t even pretend to listen, so the argument was wrapped up quickly.
“Seven Star Sword isn’t on here,” Leon muttered in disappointment.
—You can’t register a sword technique if you can’t even perform the first move. You’d know that yourself if you had any sense of shame.
“
Ugh
.”
Leon had no rebuttal for El-Cid’s jab and went silent. The Seven Star Sword, also known by the name “Grand Chariot,” was a secret sword technique Rodrick developed in his youth.
A hidden art composed of seven forms, mastering just one of the forms could bring immense advantage in battle. Using all seven in the sequence was the mark of a true master. What made the technique so terrifying was the fact that Rodrick perfected it at the age of sixteen... and then moved on to something else.
And you’re telling me he was a human just like me...?
Trying to compare himself only made Leon feel more pitiful. It wasn’t even a matter of inferiority—it was just absurd.
With that thought, Leon stood up. Since it came up, he figured he’d practice the Seven Star Sword.
“I want to have at least one move ready before facing the Evil.”
Leon was still weak. He was growing stronger rapidly, but he hadn’t yet reached the point of externally manifesting Aura. Even if he kept training like this, it was impossible for him to become strong enough to dominate the slums within two months.
That’s why he needed a trump card—something he could use in a pinch. Even if he managed to create an Aura Weapon using the Holy Sword’s power, it would be meaningless if he couldn’t wield it properly.
“If I add your Seven Star Sword to the Aura forged by the Holy Sword, I should be able to land a solid hit on anyone, right?”
—Unless they’re a Master, they’ll be dead.
“That’s more than enough!”
With that, he could have something to rely on no matter the situation. Fueled by motivation, Leon raised his sword.
All he had to do was train until it worked. A hundred times a day, a thousand times if needed, right here. His body and mind, hardened like forged steel, made even such madness possible.
Apparently, though, not today.
—Leon. We’ve got company.
At those whispered words, Leon’s face hardened. No one had any reason to visit this abandoned mansion. That meant they weren’t here for the building—they were here for Leon.
He responded calmly, “Humans?”
—No signs of monsters or the Evil. Doesn’t look like any strong ones either. Judging by their appearance, I’d say thugs.
“From the slums?”
—They’re not exactly friendly, but I don’t think they’re here to fight.
He figured this would happen eventually. He’d used the mansion as a cover for his visits too many times. There had to be someone in the slums keeping an eye on him.
Whatever their reason, it was time to face it directly. He needed allies inside the slums if he was going to investigate them properly.
“I’ll meet them.”
Not everyone in the slums was an enemy. There might be clues that could lead him to the evil he was searching for. Leon quickly packed up and turned toward the door.
—
Hmm
.
With a brief brilliant spark, El-Cid transformed into an ordinary longsword. The Holy Sword was far too flashy—it wasn’t something he could just carry around in the slums. Anyone well-versed in relics of the Church or Rodrick’s legacy could identify him just by looking at the blade, so its true nature had to remain hidden.
“Let’s go.”
Whoever it was waiting outside the mansion, Leon—wielding the Holy Sword—had nothing to fear.