C17: Solitary Feast (4)
"Enough."
Vikir closed the book.
He had memorized every single word of its contents without a single mistake.
He had concentrated so intensely that he could recite it line by line even with his eyes closed, and he felt like he could even recite it backwards.
And now, the results were about to show.
Swish—swish—sasak!
Following the teachings in the book, Vikir drew a sword strike in the air with a knife hand (shuto).
The first tooth was sharply depicted.
And then, the second and third teeth.
Up to this point, it was achievable even with the body of an 8-year-old.
Krik!
Soon, the fourth tooth was drawn. It was the Baskerville Form 4, which he had used as his signature move before regression.
However...
...Pah!
Vikir's hand went beyond the Baskerville Form 4 and traced an even sharper trajectory.
The fifth tooth. It was slightly smaller and blunter, but unmistakably the fifth tooth.
Baskerville Form 5 (Gosik).
That was what Vikir's hand had somewhat imperfectly reproduced!
"...Unbelievable."
Vikir repeated the gesture he had just made several times.
The results were all successful.
Although his small hands and short arms as a child couldn't accurately trace the path of the sword, he could still feel it.
The fifth tooth was growing.
"...If only I had a sword."
If there had been a sword here, he would have unleashed his aura immediately.
But there was no chance of finding a sword in the library.
And it was out of the question to extract the Baalzephub sealed within his wrist's artery.
Well, anyway.
He felt a surge of joy that made tears well up.
A warm sensation surged up from his chest and he felt like bursting with energy.
Vikir desperately calmed down this overwhelming feeling.
"Now, if only I receive mana support, I can definitely ascend beyond the realm of reincarnation."
In terms of swordsmanship alone, he had acquired something much stronger and superior to his past life.
It wasn't limited to the Fifth Form; he could strengthen it up to the Tenth Form. The potential for future growth in swordsmanship was boundless.
Vikir closed his eyes and checked the mana within his body.
The expanded mana pool, blessed by Styx's teachings, was slowly accumulating mana even now.
He couldn't determine the exact level of his progress, but through this intense focus, Vikir's state had undoubtedly reached a higher dimension.
"...Graduate!"
He had risen from Sword Expert High to Sword Graduate Low.
The Graduate was different from the Expert; they could infuse liquid aura along the length of the blade.
Graduates can envelop not only the tip of the sword but the entire blade with aura, and this aura has a high density, resembling a liquid, and considerable flexibility in its form and changes.
When the liquid aura blade of the Graduate clashes with the gaseous aura blade of the Sword Expert, a distinct hierarchy is formed, as clear as when steam collides with water.
The Graduates are combat weapons endowed with physical abilities that surpass human limits.
The number of Graduates represents the status of a family and, furthermore, serves as a measure of the empire's military power.
Vikir reached this level at the age of 30 before regressing.
...And after regressing, Vikir's current age is merely 8 years old.
It was a tremendous development that couldn't even be compared to his previous self.
The realm of dreams that most swordsmen could never touch in their lifetime.
In terms of a mage's perspective, it would probably be on a level similar to a 4th Circle Master.
Even within the Baskerville family, it was undoubtedly rare for someone to achieve such accomplishments at this age, even over the span of a hundred years.
"...Moreover, the atmosphere of swordsmanship has completely changed."
The swordsmanship Vikir used to employ was the "Piercing Fang" style, a swordsmanship that the hunting dogs of Baskerville family typically learn as a foundation.
The Piercing Fang style, particularly the Fourth Form, involved thrusting at vital points like fangs.
Vikir had pierced through countless adversaries using his four fangs, like spears targeting the enemy's weak spots.
However, the Piercing Fang style carried significant risk.
While it rapidly became strong enough to be utilized in actual combat, its limits were evident.
Moreover, the wielder had to bear considerable risks in exchange for the ability to definitively kill the enemy.
In other words, the Piercing Fang style was suitable for teaching the hunting dogs, who would discard themselves as expendable assets.
However, the swordsmanship Vikir learned this time is something different.
Named "Hidden Fang Ambush," from the name itself, this swordsmanship is eerie and unsettling, moving slowly without revealing its power and aggressiveness.
The melody of the sword may seem elegant and dignified, as if nothing is happening.
However, within it, there is an evil intent that reeks of inflicting the worst pain upon the opponent.
Once it succeeds in striking even once, a relentless series of brutal follow-up attacks ensues, to the point where death may seem preferable.
The combination attacks are ruthless and relentless, while still allowing the practitioner to thoroughly protect themselves.
"A perfect technique for concealing strength," Vikir murmured quietly.
At first glance, Hidden Fang Ambush bears a striking resemblance to the Piercing Fang style.
Therefore, it shouldn't be too difficult to hide one's swordsmanship skills.
After all, the very name of the technique is "Hidden Fang Ambush."
Vikir looked around and confirmed that there were no eyes watching him.
The sense of excitement for reaching a higher realm made his heart beat faster.
Buzzing...
He heard the buzzing of flies in his ears.
Looking down at his wrist, he noticed Baalzephub extending the pointed end of his black fang.
"It's tucked away," Vikir scolded Baalzephub harshly, preventing the fangs from being exposed carelessly.
On the other hand, he was calmly calculating how much influence Baalzephub would have on his current abilities.
Vikir Van Baskerville.
8 years old.
With swordsmanship skills that can reliably reveal four fangs and an aura that solidifies into a fluid-like state, he can be considered a Sword Graduate novice.
In addition, his worn-out combat sense from his past life, along with the power of Baalzephub, a demonic sword capable of absorbing the skills of the fifth fang and monsters, if combined, would be enough to unleash a power beyond that.
"If I set my mind to it, I could somewhat contend with a Sword Graduate intermediate level."
For assassination, a probability of 100%, and for a head-on confrontation, around 50%.
"...The issue lies in how much of my abilities I should reveal."
Who would believe that an 8-year-old has reached the level of a Sword Graduate?
However, it would be foolish to fully expose my abilities.
In the world, it's customary to hide about 30% of one's strength.
"..."
Vikir, as an 8-year-old child, pondered momentarily on how he should act appropriately.
And soon, he came up with an answer.
To instill a certain level of expectation in Hugo while subtly withholding substance, and at the same time, not making the surrounding enemies overly vigilant.
There's no need to live in frustration while completely concealing my power.
On the contrary, it's necessary to reveal a suitable amount of strength to create an opportunity to escape Hugo's surveillance.
"For example, a mission in a province or admission to the academy."
As soon as Vikir leaves this library, he will have to report the results to Hugo.
And he had already finished calculating what stance he should take on the test of that proof.
Finally.
Vikir took out a magnifying glass from his pocket and placed it by the window for a long time.
Tsu tsu tsu tsu tsu...
The cover of the "Hidden Assassin's Swordsmanship" manual gradually turned darker as it received the light filtered through the magnifying glass.
Whoosh!
A flickering spark soon emerged.
Vikir silently gazed down at the swordsmanship manual that was catching fire.
Finally, the swordsmanship book containing the secrets of the Baskerville Style 10 Forms vanished from this world forever.
It remained only in Vikir's mind.
From a distance, the sound of maidservants bustling about could be heard.
"Oh my, what's that smell!"
"Sniff, it's a burning book!"
"This area isn't even protected by preservation magic! Ugh!"
The maidservants, holding buckets of water, rushed around in a panic and came face to face with Vikir, who had a apologetic expression.
"Sorry. It's because I left the magnifying glass anywhere... If there's something I must report, I'll speak to the steward about it."
Upon hearing Vikir's words, the maidservants waved their hands as if to say it was nothing.
"Oh, Young Master, there's no need for you to apologize."
"It's our fault for not transcribing properly for you, Young Master."
"It's fortunate that it happened where the books were gathered, hehe."
The maidservants seemed to pay attention to the part where Vikir said, "If there's something I must report."
Vikir looked at the scattered ashes on the floor and spoke.
"Well, it was just a worthless book. It wouldn't hurt to consider it as if it never existed. As you all know, the steward has been quite busy lately with the Morgana-Ruby Mine dispute. Do you think he has the luxury to worry about such trivial matters?"
Upon hearing his words, the maidservants vigorously nodded their heads.
"Oh! Yes, yes, it seemed like that."
"We lower ones always hope that the superiors are feeling comfortable."
"If the Young Master would just turn a blind eye, well, what can we do? Ah, well~"
It was a good thing that they could skip the bothersome report as well.
"Yes. You're already busy with organizing and cleaning the library, so I apologize. Since I remember the contents of the burned book, I'll transcribe and fill it in appropriately."
After making sure to conclude everything, Vikir turned around.
"He's such a kind person. He even considers the maidservants' perspective and should let the others know about this anecdote."
"Oh! Hey! You should mention that the book got burned too!"
"Just praising him will suffice! He's kind and has a good impression!"
As he reached a higher level of enlightenment, his sense of hearing became even more acute.
Although he could faintly hear the murmurs from the maidservants behind him, he didn't pay much attention.
He needed to practice how to respond to Hugo's call immediately after leaving the library.
