A Disaster-Level Assassin Has Been Freed

Chapter 135: Aura Cultivation Method (4)

“Glen, how long has Boss been back in his room?”

“Uh, let’s see… About three days, I think.”

“Only that long?”

“Only that long? He went in with just a chicken leg and hasn’t come out for three days, and you say that…”

“Ahem. I mean… I thought it might’ve been a week or so. I’m worried about him, you know.”

“Eddy Boss.”

“Yeah?”

“Be honest.”

“What, what do you mean?”

“You know, don’t you? A Graduate isn’t in danger from skipping a few meals. You’re just eager because of the Aura Cultivation Method, aren’t you?”

“What, you little—!”

Eddy huffed, reaching for Darren’s collar.

But he stopped.

Lowering his hand, he smacked his lips, hesitated, then confessed, “Fine, I’ll be honest. I’m excited about the Aura Cultivation Method. It’s keeping me up at night! What about it?”

“That’s more like it!”

“And you guys! Aren’t you excited?”

“Of course we are…”

“Very excited.”

“Obviously. I’m dying to know why Boss went back to his room and when he’ll come out!”

The Eddy Mercenary Corps chattered noisily.

It was only natural.

The Aura Cultivation Method!

Something only accessible to prestigious swordsmanship families or prodigies admitted to elite swordsmanship halls.

With a chance to learn it, how could their hearts not race?

‘If I had my way, I’d run to his door and knock right now…’

Eddy thought, smacking his lips again.

But he couldn’t. No matter how casually they joked with Boss lately, there were lines to respect.

But he was curious.

If he’d teach it, fine; if not, fine. Why keep them in suspense?

Was he deliberating?

Reluctant to share?

‘No way…’

That couldn’t be it.

From what he’d seen of Harang’s character, he never hesitated to give to others.

But someone seemed to think differently.

“What if Boss ran off?”

“What? You little—!”

“No, think about it. For a swordsman, the Aura Cultivation Method is as precious as life. Even if it’s for his brothers, with us nagging and subtly pressuring him like thugs… You know how much Boss hates being coerced.”

“You little—!”

“What! Did I say something wrong?”

“You didn’t, but you’re not the one to say it!”

“Yeah! Want to die, you punk?”

“Darren, you’re getting cocky lately!”

A torrent of criticism rained on Darren.

It was only natural. He was the one who first suggested subtly probing and pressuring Harang, only to flip and say such things, so the Eddy Mercenary Corps couldn’t help but be furious.

But then, an event cooled their heated tempers.

“Hey, everyone’s here?”

“Gasp!”

“Boss!”

Harang, who had been holed up in his room for days, finally emerged.

“W-Welcome, Boss!”

“Indeed!”

“It’s been a while! You look even more radiant.”

“Haha, hahaha.”

“……”

“……”

Awkward greetings followed by awkward silence.

It was inevitable.

Asking outright felt tactless, and bringing up other topics was impossible with their burning desire for the Aura Cultivation Method.

That desire was so intense that even the usually oblivious Harang noticed and chuckled.

He said, “I’ll teach you the Aura Cultivation Method.”

“Ohh!”

“As expected!”

“We believed in you, Boss!”

“What? Darren, you bastard… Do you know what this guy just said, Boss? Just a moment ago—”

“Hey! What’s that! I didn’t say anything!”

The Eddy Mercenary Corps erupted into chaos. They clenched their fists with gleeful expressions, as if they’d never been worried, their faces beaming with joy.

But it was too early to celebrate.

Harang’s next words were utterly shocking.

“But it’s an Aura Cultivation Method I created.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“What did you just say…”

“I said it’s an Aura Cultivation Method I made myself.”

“……Why? Yourself?”

Darren, who had been smiling the widest, asked in a dazed voice.

The others looked at Harang with the same sentiment.

Why discard the acquired Aura Cultivation Method and teach one he made himself?

More importantly, was it even possible to create an Aura Cultivation Method?

At his young age?

‘That’s impossible!’

Darren screamed internally.

Of course, there had been attempts to create Aura Cultivation Methods. Many with deep knowledge of swordsmanship had tried to improve existing ones.

But what was the result?

Nine out of ten failed.

No, ninety-nine out of a hundred failed.

The problem was that most who failed tested their theories on their own bodies, and as a result…

‘Their Aura got tangled in their bodies, and they became crippled.’

Gulp

Darren looked at Harang.

So did the others, their eyes filled with unease as they stared at their Boss.

But Harang was unfazed.

Glancing at everyone, he began speaking casually, “The Aura Cultivation Method I acquired was too difficult for you all to learn. It also had some flaws… Of course, its strengths far outweighed the flaws, but it’s better to have no unease, right?”

‘The most unsettling thing right now is that you made an Aura Cultivation Method yourself.’

Pale thought to himself.

He didn’t say it aloud.

But though he kept silent, his mind was in turmoil.

“Hm.”

“Hmm…”

The Fist Brothers and Darren were the same.

No matter how invincible Boss had seemed so far, this was an entirely different matter.

Thus, while Harang enthusiastically explained, everyone’s expressions grew increasingly grim.

Then, Eddy, who had been quietly listening, took a deep breath and asked, “Boss.”

“Yes.”

“This might be a rude question, but I’ll ask just once.”

“Go ahead.”

“The Aura Cultivation Method you improved, can we trust it and learn it?”

“Yes. Trust it.”

A question loaded with multiple meanings.

And an answer that addressed them all.

Eddy nodded.

Turning to everyone, he said, “I’m learning it.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“Without Boss, I’d have been stabbed to death by the Travion Family or slaving away under the Jeten Guild.”

“Hm.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing Eddy’s words, everyone groaned.

He was right.

Before Harang came, they were living trashy lives, merely satisfied with surviving day to day.

Hiding in the shadows, lacking confidence to shine.

Bullying those weaker than them.

Drowning painful thoughts in a bottle of strong whiskey to escape their problems.

But not anymore.

Marzen’s people no longer feared them.

They no longer dreaded tomorrow, staying up with liquor.

Though tough, their training gave them confidence that they were becoming better each day.

All thanks to Harang.

“Boss Harang, I’ll learn it now. Let’s head to the training room.”

Eddy turned to Harang, his eyes blazing with determination to follow him, even at the cost of his life.

“I-I’ll learn it too.”

“Me too!”

“Damn it, let’s do it! What’s the worst that can happen—death?”

“Alright! I’m in…”

“Yeah! Even if I die, I won’t be alone, so it won’t be lonely!”

Seeing this, the rest of the Eddy Mercenary Corps steeled their resolve and spoke to Harang.

They’d follow him.

Even if death awaited, they’d do it together without fear.

“……I said it’s not dangerous.”

Seeing their reactions, I couldn’t help but feel odd.

‘What do these guys think I am?’

I understood their unease, but honestly, it stung. I had worked so hard to lower the difficulty and eliminate the original method’s flaws for their sake…

‘Well, can’t be helped.’

I sighed.

There was no choice. To dispel their doubts, I had to teach them with my utmost effort.

I nodded and said to everyone, “Alright, fine. Let’s go to the clearing behind the hideout.”

“Uh… the clearing?”

“Not the indoor training room?”

The Fist Brothers asked.

Since the Aura Cultivation Method involved focusing on one’s inner world, it was vulnerable to external disturbances, so it was typically practiced in enclosed spaces—a fact even the unrefined knew.

But I shook my head and said, “No. The Aura Cultivation Method I created isn’t static… meaning it’s not done sitting still. It’s dynamic, practiced while moving.”

“……”

“……”

“……Is there such a type of Aura Cultivation Method?”

“I don’t know. But there won’t be any issues.”

I spoke confidently, but despite seeing my assurance, everyone’s expressions darkened once more.

* * *

Several months passed.

During that time, the Eddy Mercenary Corps devoted themselves to Harang’s Aura Cultivation Method, not Delkaro’s, spending their days training.

Fortunately, no one suffered harm.

On the contrary, they marveled at their noticeably faster Accumulation speed and smoother Aura manipulation.

“Sorry, Boss!”

“We doubted you and… sob, sob!”

In truth, I hadn’t altered much.

I reduced the twenty required Aura Roads to eight, drastically lowering the difficulty and increasing stability. This allowed them to practice Aura Cultivation while performing simple movements.

As a result, the Eddy Mercenary Corps could control Aura both traditionally and through the Aura Circulation derived from the cultivation method.

In other words, I eliminated the risk of becoming too accustomed to paved roads and unable to send Aura elsewhere.

This made the energy accumulation slightly slower than the original method, but the gains far outweighed that, making it a successful—nay, evolved—adaptation.

It was astonishing.

Though I hadn’t altered much, the Aura Cultivation Method was as complex and intricate as high-level magical spells.

To manipulate it without disrupting its harmony showed that my understanding of Aura manipulation surpassed that of most swordsmanship hall masters.

Even more remarkable, while practicing dynamic Aura Cultivation, I didn’t reduce my Aura Roads but instead increased them.

‘No need to make them as large as the twenty main paths. Creating smaller side paths will let me control Aura faster in combat.’

This wasn’t easy either.

Many Graduates had similar ideas but ultimately failed, a task requiring bone-grinding effort and considerable luck.

I achieved it through talent alone.

If the Mercenary King Austin knew, he’d be stunned again.

“Phew.”

I didn’t think much of it.

I was simply happy to be stronger and able to grow faster.

Finishing today’s training, I muttered to myself, “I’ve done enough personal training. Now I need sparring closer to real combat…”

Tch, I smacked my lips.

I had no sparring partner.

The best would be the Mercenary King Austin, but he was traveling the southern continent to expand his mercenary brokerage, making him hard to meet.

Philip Portville?

Sorry to say, but he was too weak.

Some might call that nonsense—disparaging a Graduate and the head of Marzen’s greatest swordsmanship family.

But it was true.

Even when we first met, the gap between us was significant, and now it was like the difference between heaven and earth.

‘He’s better than Jeten, but still not satisfying.’

‘But there’s no one else.’

‘What do I do? Should I just go to Philip Portville?’

‘But it’s not enough.’

As I mulled over these unsatisfying thoughts, I felt a massive energy in my senses.

Startled, I turned to look behind me.

“……”

A man with a long sword walked steadily toward me.

After briefly admiring his imposing figure, I grinned.

“Did you eat something good or what? A lot?”

“I’ve been eating a lot. Leftovers from the kids, though.”

The man answered in a gruff voice to my question.

Hagio.

The 11th-ranked powerhouse of Godok approached, exuding a presence far stronger than before.