NOVEL WEB Chapter 15
“Is this the unique weapon you were talking about?”
Ivelyn said as the rough sword was revealed with the blanket pulled away.
She looked closely at the sword while rubbing her chin.
“Well, the appearance isn’t bad. But you don’t really know anything other than the fact that this is a unique weapon, do you?”
“What? No. Well, I have a rough idea about some information, like its name.”
… Oh no. I should have just said I didn’t know instead of acting curious like that.
She frowned and suddenly began discussing something else.
“Aren. You’re my student, and I’m your teacher, right? I’m planning to pass down advanced swordsmanship to you now. You and my little brother are going to be in the same party.”
Why is she stating facts we both already know in such a dramatic way?
“Yes. That’s true. I still can’t quite believe Ivelyn considers me her student.”
Ivelyn spoke immediately after hearing that.
“Then tell me. You’ve got some secrets, right? A teacher and a student should have a certain level of honesty between them, don’t you think?”
“…”
“Listen. Typically, regular adventurers can’t see the information of items unless they use emotional magic or scrolls.”
Ivelyn pointed between the sword and me.
“Unique items are no different. Usually, for a unique item, you need to get it appraised thoroughly by a guild appraiser who has taken an oath of secrecy. But you seem to already know a bit of info, huh?”
“…”
“You ran straight here after escaping the labyrinth. You couldn’t even leave the knight order’s premises during your training.”
Ivelyn shrugged as she pulled something out of her pocket dimension.
“I was going to say ‘ta-da!’ and hand you an appraisal scroll if you said you didn’t know. But it turned out I found something strange unexpectedly.”
Ah, damn it.
I was trying to be vague about what I knew, and now I’m in a bind?
Last time I heard that each person could check their own stats or traits, I thought everyone could see item names or descriptions too.
‘It’s another case of not knowing the basics in this world. I need to finish training and check out somewhere like the library soon.’
I casually asked Chaos.
‘By the way, Chaos, did you really not know about the situation that just came up? Couldn’t you tell me some basic info beforehand?’
[Chaos said it’s awkward to say things first unless directly asked.]
… That makes sense. Chaos usually shows a system message saying ‘I will inform you. I’m worried’ after I ask.
It’s not an AI that just spills information freely without being asked.
Ugh, now that my panic’s subsiding, I feel bad for lashing out, and it’s kind of embarrassing.
‘Sorry for coming down on you when I was pressured into a corner…’
[Chaos said it’s okay, mentioning it had a different tone, so don’t worry about it.]
Alright, since I apologized to Chaos, I need to clear Ivelyn’s suspicions now.
Before the mood gets weird, I just closed my eyes and said.
“Actually, I mentioned once that I have a certain trait related to my eyes when we first met, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“It’s not just that I can see attacks. I can also view a person’s stats or traits, along with information on specific items.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she finally spoke.
“So, because of that eye-related trait, you can see information on others, including detailed traits and item info?”
As if to continue, I added that it’s a rare occurrence for monsters to shine when killed.
And if you touch it, you absorb a random trait.
“Wow… all of that summed up sounds pretty overpowered, doesn’t it? Of course, I shouldn’t talk since my traits are just as amazing,” she said, clicking her tongue in disbelief.
More than one trait?
“Oh, by the way, can you see my info right now? I won’t mind, so why not give it a shot?”
Ivelyn urged me with an excited look.
“Usually, people get skittish thinking others will see their stats and traits. Are you okay with it, teacher?”
As soon as I finished speaking, Ivelyn scoffed.
“Hmph. Who do you think I am?”
“Ivelyn? Teacher?”
“… Who am I?”
… She seems to want a more sincere answer.
“The legendary beauty swordswoman, Ivelyn, the deepest layer adventurer with a record of reaching the 27th floor, and the leader of the Silver Cross Knights! And also, my true mentor, Aren!”
“Pfft! So extra. Do well, okay?”
“Yes!”
I almost missed a cue there.
Ivelyn, brightening the atmosphere, said, “Anyway, I’m your teacher and, before that, a deep-layer adventurer. If anyone wants to know, let them. Even if the whole world knows my info, most won’t dare challenge me.”
She came closer and poked my nose with her finger.
“And why are you acting like you’re not in the spotlight? You’re going to be my student forever, right? I know you’re hiding more. How do you think I survived this long?”
[Chaos grimaced, noting Ivelyn was quite perceptive.]
“But I get it. You fell into the Great Labyrinth naked, so I can imagine there are many things you don’t know and that must be confusing?”
After saying that, she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and smiled.
“I’ll just be satisfied with the big secret you’ve shared for now. When you’re ready to open up more, then tell me.”
… Teacher.
She seemed ticklish and loosened her arms.
“Alright! Now, can you tell me what you see about this sword?”
I explained the name and details of Barak.
And added, “It grants strong lightning resistance, and I gained a trait from defeating the monster that dropped this unique weapon. It’s roughly a trait that deals with lightning…”
────
[Purple Lightning (C)] [A]
Absorbed trait from the purple Kikeru.
To handle its destructive lightning, which is a mutated version of a human, a cost must be paid. It can grow with consistent use.
─ Without lightning resistance, each time the trait is used, it inflicts lightning attribute damage and causes a shocked status effect on the user.
─ After focusing, it can be used as the technique “Lightning.” A headache occurs immediately after use, depending on the scale of the technique.
─ The technique “Lightning Step” can be used once a day. Stacks reset at midnight.
────
I learned this after acquiring it, but when absorbing from enemies, it seems to adjust to me to a certain extent.
‘I had no idea when I absorbed the crummy stealth from the goblin archer since the description was so short.’
Unfortunately, I couldn’t naturally harness lightning resistance like the creature, so I didn’t have techniques like overflowing electric attacks or the lightning release that almost killed me.
“So, that trait doesn’t simply say ‘I can handle lightning’ like higher-tier traits, right? Is the grade D? C? What derived techniques do you have?”
“The grade is C, and the techniques are Lightning, which can be used by focusing, and Lightning Step, which can be used once a day.”
Ivelyn seemed to think for a moment before speaking.
“Then let’s start with Lightning. Since it has a penalty where it brings headaches depending on the scale, we should find a compromise to utilize it in combat. Start with the weakest!”
“Yes.”
Since I needed lightning resistance, I held the sword’s handle in my right hand.
[Strong Lightning Resistance Granted.]
[Stamina Decreased by One Level.]
‘Lightning.’
The moment I whispered the technique’s name in my mind, I instinctively understood how strong and where to strike lightning, and how focused I needed to be for it.
Start weak.
Crackle—
Boom.
“Ugh.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I used the weakest I felt, but it still hurts like a spike in my head.”
“Hmm, now use it at maximum strength!”
Maximum strength, far away to hit. … Focus!
Crackle. Crackle—
Kaboom—!
…
…
“Aren, Aren! Are you awake?”
The voice calling my name snapped me back to reality.
As I sat up, I felt a pounding headache emerge from my hazy mind.
‘Ugh.’
I could hear a high-pitched ringing echoing in the back of my head.
‘Was I lying down? I meant to just try it at maximum strength, but did I just pass out right after?’
As I clutched my head, Ivelyn spoke.
“Let’s try the other one when your body is fully recovered. After all, it’s only usable once a day, so there’s no rush. Now, chug down that potion and get back on your feet.”
I drank the potion and looked up.
Oh my.
The exact spot I aimed for was utterly devastated.
Also, purple remnants sizzled on the ground, still crackling with sparks.
“That power is definitely strong for a C-grade technique, at least in recoil. Now that I have a rough grasp on it, let’s practice how to use it appropriately in combat.”
You want to do more even with a head still ringing? No way.
“Ugh!”
After enduring a headache with potions for a day, I finally found the appropriate balance.
*
As the day changed, still clutching my aching head, I arrived at the training ground where Ivelyn greeted me with a smile.
“Aren, you’re here? You waited long, didn’t you? It’s finally time to learn swordsmanship.”
Finally, training was reaching its climax!
I clenched my fists while trying to calm my excited heart, but Ivelyn waved me off.
“Let’s see if you can put mana into the sword—turn around!”
Turn around? Pump mana into it?
Is she not going to teach me how to properly stance with the sword or explain some techniques?
“You look curious. I bet I know what you’re thinking, but I’m different from others.”
She clicked her tongue and continued.
“Most people teach swordsmanship by correcting your stance, talking about what each attack means. Plenty of mediocre folks do that, but… hmm.”
Isn’t that what everyone thinks when they hear about swordsmanship?
“If a certain level of powerful people say that, fine. But I bet my method is better than average idiots. Just turn around. I’m going to show you how to wield mana and drill you in practical use.”
As I turned around, she placed her hand on my back.
“Focus. From now on, I’ll send a bit of mana to flow along the path of Explosion Sword Style.”
Explosion Sword Style?
“This is a rather dangerous technique. If you misuse mana, blood vessels can burst, and overuse can lead to irreversible damage to your body.”
Mana began flowing into me from her hand on my back.
“First, we’ll start with the basic operation path. Basics are essential, so you must memorize it.”
I closed my eyes and focused as her mana started swirling across my body.
It was wild and fierce, yet it flowed delicately along a predetermined route at a fixed speed.
“Next, while you swing the sword, you’ll need to twist the path for when you need to adjust.”
“Ugh!”
As the base operation allowed the mana to flow throughout my body, it exploded from my shoulder and arm, gradually gathering again.
“Finally, we have the last one, the backlash. It’s only for a moment, but this will reverse the flow completely. Hold tight; I’ll flip it back quickly.”
Crack.
“───!”
I felt like my blood was being rerouted.
It was a clear pain that seemed to twist my insides, but it also filled me with an uncontrollable force.
“Stop.”
Gulp!
As soon as her hand fell from my back, I vomited a bucket of blood.
I thought I was going to die. I really need to avoid that last one.
In pain, I watched as a system message appeared in front of me.
[You have acquired the trait Ivelyn-style—Explosion Swordsmanship.]
────
[Ivelyn-style—Explosion Swordsmanship] [A]
A sword technique crafted by the deep-layer adventurer Ivelyn to suit her weapon. Originally specialized for great swords, it has been tailored to be usable with any weapon.
─ You can enhance your attacks by flowing mana along a predetermined path. In this case, the sword’s durability drops sharply.
─ During an attack, you can forcibly adjust the path by detonating mana inside your body. This applies significant strain on the body.
─ Technique “Backlash” can be used. This is a very dangerous technique that can lead to death if overused.
────
“I see your expression has changed. Did you manage to acquire the trait safely?”
“Yes. But I hope I never have to use that Backlash technique again.”
Ivelyn scratched her cheek.
“Yeah, I just wanted you to feel something like that; it’s good to have tricks up your sleeve.”
So basically, she’s saying to use it only in life-or-death situations.
“Of course, it’s extremely dangerous, so don’t use it unless you’re in a serious pinch. Now, let’s set aside the dark talk and get to the physical part!”
Without a wooden sword for training, I asked.
“Are we really going to use real swords for practice?”
“Yep. I’ll use a supply iron sword, and you’ll use that Barak sword. Give it your all!”
I hesitated, and Ivelyn laughed at me mockingly.
“Are you really thinking you could touch me? Oh, please. You’re still too early. Don’t daydream, just give it your best shot!”
Right. Obviously, if my mind is in the right place, I couldn’t even touch her.
But even after getting those words, I couldn’t stay quiet.
“Then let the beginner make the first move!”
And with that, my last training commenced against her!
*
“You’ve worked hard these past days. Now, go visit the adventurers’ guild. The training ends here!”
Day 14. Finally, all the training was complete.