CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 52 – IT IS LIKE SHE’S CUTTING REALITY ITSELF

Chapter 52 – It Is Like She’s Cutting Reality Itself

For a rather simple question, Jack took several moments to think. After all, the way he was going to allocate these points would determine the kind of fighter he would become. Did he want to be an all-rounder? An awakener who was a jack of all trades, a master of none?

Or perhaps he would go with raw strength for more damage and devastation? Maybe agility that would make him faster and harder to hit?

The options all sounded good, and each came with upsides and downsides. He wished the answer were easy, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized how brutally hard it was to answer with confidence.

’What should I choose?’ he mused with a deep frown. ’I’m not really sure.’

"Are you having a hard time choosing, Jack?" Liliana asked.

"Yeah, do you have any advice?" he said. "I don’t want to choose a path that would end up being a dead end."

"Well... I can’t do that."

"Why?"

"Because this is your path, as you said. It’s you who will fight and become stronger, not me. Choosing something that wouldn’t satisfy you will only hinder your growth. Even if I know what’s best for you, if that isn’t what you wholeheartedly believe in, then you simply won’t make it."

"..."

"You have to make that choice yourself and stick with it for the rest of your life," Liliana said with a calm, serious tone.

"Your words make me hesitate even more," Jack sighed.

"I’m simply giving you the reality of things. Many awakeners chose to go with the ’optimal’ route instead of what they truly resonated with, and they ended up dead. I don’t want you to face such a fate."

"I got it," Jack replied with a nod. As much as it annoyed him, Liliana was right. In the end, he was the one who would live with that choice, whether it was good or bad. So it was better for him to choose himself rather than let others choose for him.

"Hm..." Staring at the stats, his eyes flickered with thought before he finally lifted his finger after a minute of thinking. Liliana watched curiously, waiting to see what the boy was going to do.

[You have added 5 points to Strength.]

[You have added 5 points to Agility.]

[You have added 5 points to Health.]

[You have added 5 points to Stamina.]

[You have added 4 points to Aether.]

"Ok, that should be it for now."

"Hmm? You chose to split them equally?"

"Yeah. I realized that I’m simply not a one-trick pony or someone who relies on one aspect in a battle. I need agility just as much as I need strength, just as much as I need Aether and skills. I’m quite balanced in my fighting style, and I think the best course of action is to give every stat point and see what happens."

As Jack expected, flooding his body with that much power was an insane feeling. His already extremely strong body grew even stronger, and he felt even better. At this point, he was completely addicted to the sensation of these surges of new power.

"Fuuuh..." Exhaling, he looked at Liliana. "Ok, I’m ready."

"Looking so strong~" the demoness complimented before she floated out of the gazebo into the fields of greenery and looked at Jack. "What are you waiting for? Let’s begin?"

Seeing the beautiful nature and the gorgeous demoness floating within it, Jack could only sit there for a second, instinctively admiring the two contrasting beauties that mixed together—one pure and colorful, invoking happiness and positivity, while the other was dark yet seductive in a profound way.

One represented all that was good, and the other represented all that was dark yet desirable. But, for some reason, that didn’t make the scene any less beautiful. The two contrasting aspects mixed perfectly, enhancing one another.

A mix Jack never thought he would see in his life.

"Interesting..."

"Jack~ Come on..."

"Yeah, yeah, I’m coming."

Standing up, Jack walked down to the field and stood facing Liliana. The woman didn’t immediately speak as she simply stared at him, scrutinizing every detail about him.

"..." Jack stood there, a bit confused. "What are you doing?"

"Shhh, I’m analyzing you. I need to understand what kind of approach I will have to this."

"..."

"Hm, well, I think I know what kind of training would fit you," she said. "As you said earlier, you’re a very balanced fighter. That’s why I’ll teach you a technique that is well-balanced—a technique that will help you hone your swordsmanship even more."

"Oh? What is it?"

"It’s called The Petal Vanguard sword technique. It’s a set of seven moves—four offensive and three defensive. It’s a technique that relies on heavy strength and speed, your two strongest points."

"I see... That sounds perfect, actually."

"Exactly. Now, give me that sword. I will demonstrate using it." Liliana said as she pointed at the Song of Night. Jack didn’t hesitate as he threw it to her.

"I’ll show you the moves in continuous motion, and then we’ll break them down one by one. Understood? Watch closely."

Jack nodded and focused all his senses on Liliana. The woman floated lightly to her feet and held the sword ahead of her. Closing her eyes, she opened them a second later and—her entire aura shifted.

In her eyes, a sharp and cold glare appeared, one akin to that of a pinnacle predator. Jack was taken aback by the complete change. It was as if he were staring at a different person.

Then—

Swish!

Liliana moved, slicing with her sword. Her movements were smooth, graceful, and yet incredibly fast. Jack could swear he saw afterimages of her attack—ones that seemed almost in slow motion and yet still impossibly quick.

Then she moved again, changing her grip and performing a different move. Then another after that. They all came connected to one another, each one leading to the next in a beautiful chain of attacks.

Jack was struck speechless. What he was seeing completely transcended his expectations. He couldn’t put it into words, but he could tell with his heart—this was a far different level of mastery over the sword.

While he looked like someone using a weapon, Liliana looked like she was simply moving, the sword a part of her very body. Each slice felt smooth, silent, beautiful—like a dance of death that couldn’t be stopped.

The blade cut the air... no, it cut reality itself and then reshaped it. Her footwork seemed simple, but when one focused on it, they would realize how incredibly complex and difficult it was to master.

"What... am I watching?" he muttered. "I didn’t even know a sword could be used this way..."

A few seconds later, the next several moves happened in quick succession before Liliana came to a stop in the same stance she had started with.

Exhaling softly, she lowered the sword and her aura returned to its usual calmness as a smile formed on her face.

"That is the basic gist of it. I know it’s a bit tricky at first, but with practice, you’ll learn it well."

"..."

"Jack?"

"..."

"Heyyyy, Jack? Do you hear me? Are you fine?"

"...."