I slowly opened my eyes. First thing I saw was sky. It was sunny outside. I lied under shadow of an old tree. A few clouds gently moved as a gentle wind crassed me. I held a green leaf in my hand. Using it, I whistled. It wasn't a random whistle. A song. I was playing a song. Or a melody? I don't know. My mind felt like it was in a haze.
"No."
I didn't had a speck of musical talent in me. No way in hell I could play this song. I listened carefully. Song felt old, no nostalgic. It filled me with a sense of longing. I didn't know for what but I felt the emotion. Song stopped as I heard bells. My vision changed, despite me not moving. I saw endless greenlands. Grass was long and danced with wind. I saw a horde of cows. They lazily picked the grass. Some raised their heads to look at me. After I made sure that none of them wandered off, I pulled my hat over my face. Closing my eyes again, I fell asleep.
"No, this isn't me."
I felt the sensations this body experienced. But I had no control over what it did. A dream? Or a memory? No. Even if I was in a memory, it wasn't my memory. But why I would be in someone else's memory?
"Is this afterlife?"
I forced the haze to clear. Last thing I remember was Death Knight's sword flying towards me.
"Did I actually died?"
I felt nothing about it. I wasn't even sure what I should feel. Terror? Sadness? Anger? I just felt hollow. That was it. No screams or begging came out of me. Just a void. My thoughts were disturbed by man opening his eyes. It was so sudden that I was startled. What woke him up? He pulled the hat off his face. He looked directly at two man coming towards him.
"Is he a Gifted too?"
The man I currently shared the body seemed to detect two man coming towards him before me. Despite that he didn't moved. He just looked at them. I also inspected both man. Both of them wore old fashioned suits. One of them carried a sword in his belt. A Gifted, I thought. Other one looked ordinary and I didn't cared too much about him. But the one with sword… looked familiar. Too familiar.
"Hello, I am…"
"No."
Man I didn't cared about spoke in Turkish. Before he finished his sentence, my lips moved. The voice that came out of my mouth was cold.
"But this is…"
"No."
"Just listen for a minute!"
"No."
He looked more flustered with every no. Despite his reddening face, every no were as cold as ice.
"This is Edward Walker…"
He pointed the man with sword.
"No."
If I had a body of myself, I would probably choke on my spit and die. Edward? Edward Walker? Sword Saint? The old man who beat the shit out of me for last week? I looked his face. The man who looked down towards the body I was in was young. He was probably in his early twenties. He had jet black hair and no facial hair. His eyes were immature and full of arrogance. While his features looked like Edward I know, I wouldn't think he was the same man if I that man didn't told his name.
"He came to this countryside because he heard your sword skills! He wants to…"
"I don't care."
Edward came to him? I mean he was young and probably still at beginning of his career but even then someone like Edward coming himself meant that this man was something. Other man turned to Edward and told him something. Despite knowing English, I couldn't understand what they were saying. After a while Edward's face turned red with anger. He pulled his sword from its sheath. Other man tried to stop him but with a flash he lunged towards me. I barely saw the movement.
"My grandfather planted that tree. And you stabbed it."
I was standing up right now. I was outside of the tree's shadow. My head slowly turned back. I saw Edward. His sword was stuck on the tree I was leaning just a second ago. I also realized that I was holding a stick. He dodged his attack like that? I didn't felt any trace of mana. Did he had a Physique? Edward pulled his sword and took a stance.
"He really is Edward."
I recognized the stance. It was slightly different but I still could recognize it. Despite the pressure I felt from Edward, Man didn't took any stance. He just stood there with a wooden stick in his hand. Edward held a magical sword. Did he really thought he could win? What was this man? How come I didn't heard about this madman? Edward shouted something. Man just shook his head.
"I am just a simple peasant. My father and his father before were all peasants. I have no interest in battlefield."
A simple peasant my ass, I thought. From Edward mana leaked.
"He is preparing for a sword technique!"
Edward didn't used any sword techniques on me. If he did I was dead. He only used basic applications of mana to show me. A sword technique meant peak combination of mana and martial skill. If he successfully executed it even a boss monster would be in trouble. And he was using it on a human? What the hell are you thinking, Edward?
"I see."
Man spoke without any emotion in his voice. I realized that Edward was about to launch his attack. I wanted to warn the man. Yet I had no control. I was just an audience. A passenger. Other man already booked it and was far away. At least he was that smart. Edward launched his attack. I opened my eye to its fullest. I probably won't have any other change to observe a skill in this level. I also prayed for the man.