Chapter 16 - Chapter 16 - The Next Sword Saint

Reniel Estim fumes at the scrawny boy's ignorant question. 'Is he really asking who I am?? The great Raze, unknown by some maggot?!'

The hot-blooded man takes a deep breath. 'No, no, he must just be simply living under a rock. Yes, that must be it, he must be in the likes of barnacle scum!'

"I see you are highly uneducated, boy, but worry not; the next Sword Saint has enough grace to inform you of how great I am." A wide, condescending smile spreads on his face as he spreads his arms open wide, before reattaching the sword onto his hip, so that he may stand. His sword was crafted in perfect likeness to the previous Sword Saint, who knelt behind him with a benevolent smile. The statue had miraculously grown said smile as he entered earlier that day, after wandering up the stairs. He had just conquered a small town not far to the south, and they were so weak all they could do was cry out to the Sword Saint for help. This had highly angered Reniel; after all, he was clearly the Chosen Disciple, and yet the townspeople had called him delusional for gifting them with his presence.

And so, he killed them. Each and every one.

'We shall see if this boy is smart enough to realize greatness.'

"Uh, me?" The boy's sharp amber eyes cut into Reniel, eyeing him up and down with a small hint of disdain from behind gleaming white bangs. "I'm quite educated. Maybe you're just not savvy enough to be known."

A vein upon Reniel's forehead pops out. He didn't know what 'savvy' meant, but the intention was clear. Still, he attempts to maintain his patience. 'Ah, he's clearly an idiot.'

He won't kill him just yet; it wasn't his fault he was raised without proper learning.

"Kid, do you even know who the Saints are?"

"Like the people who follow God…?"

"Which God do you mean?"

"Uh…"

Reniel sighs. This kid is worse off than he thought.

"There's seven Gods in the world of Puria," Reniel starts grandly, pacing back and forth as he recalls what he himself learnt long ago. "The most superior of Gods is the God of Life and Light, Luzieni, of course. That is the patron God of the top Saint here, Alyphia. Alyphia was said to have been the leader of the Saint's party, who were granted powers by the God of the People, Simulrise. They traveled a great distance across this very land of Peino to reach the Far Outlands, where the Demon King resides."

"That's some cliché ass shit."

The corner of Reniel's mouth twitches slightly. He isn't sure what was up with this boy, but the strange words and the attitude he exuded was irking him greatly. "You ought to watch your tongue in Alyphia's shrine, boy."

"I'm just being my true self. Wouldn't a Saint prefer that over pretending to be better than everyone?"

The square jaw of the well built tall man clenches even more tightly; the boy may be uneducated, but his mannerisms are simply inexcusable. His left hand rests calmly on the scabbard of his sword; if need be, he was ready to strike him down in an instant, and the boy wasn't even armed, unless he somehow knew how to use Inventory, a high-level ability.

The more he thought about it, the more temptation seeps into his bones.

"Hey, boy. If you grovel on your knees and apologize, I may think about being merciful. After all, I'm a well-known figure, and my strength will continue to grow until I become the Second Sword Saint!" Reniel laughs loudly, eyeing the boy to see how quickly he would submit.

"Eh. You don't seem all that great to me."

Reniel's face grows cold. "Well. You've asked for it, boy. You shall feel the wrath of Raze!"

- - -

As the weird man moves to draw his sword, I activate Analyze, and begin to realize that maybe for once, I had pushed a little too far.

[Name: Reniel Estim]
[Age: 24]
[Lv: 34]
[* Warning! Extreme Lv difference!*]
[Health: 87/87]
[Mana: 105/105]
[Stamina: 87/87]

STR: 52 MAG: 24
AGI: 20 DEX: 22
VIT: 26 INT: 18

ACC: 21
DEF: 39
POW: 21

[Skills: Fury (Rare), Slash+ (Uncommon), Sprint (Common)]
[* Warning! You can't really win here…*]

The last warning makes me push away the message in spite, but causes the man — Reniel — to pause.

"Did you just set a trap?"

"…Huh?"

"The Mana in your eye and that hand movement… What was that?"

I blink. Something had happened with my eye? I could feel something changing with it when I use Critical Eye, but I didn't know it happened otherwise.

"…Ah. Yeah. Wanna come find out what it was?"

I hold up my middle finger with a grin, causing the blondie to fume. I think the vein on his forehead might actually pop.

[Enemy in sight.]
[Critical Eye Skill activated.]

'Ah, shit.'

Without regard for any 'trap' I had set, Reniel dashes forward. I knew he had 20 Agility, but the difference between his and my Stats is near incomparable.

And the main issue would be his Strength.

[Underdog Skill activated.]
[All Stats increased by 12%.]

With the minimal increase of my Agility and Instinct, I barely manage to pull out an Upper Canine and block the slash of the man. As soon as his blade touches mine, the Canine shatters in a shower of white, throwing me back from the force of his blow.

I tumble several feet, but I am used to something like this. Quickly regaining my posture midair, I pull out the other Upper Canine before my feet finally touch down firmly.

"Interesting. You CAN use the Inventory. That takes quite a bit of knowledge to gain. Does that mean you were lying before?"

The man stands in a poised, yet elegant stance. I, on the other hand, maintain a relaxed posture, ready to react to an attack from any direction.

"He already broke one of the Upper Canines… He doesn't know the trick, does he?"

"Why on Puria are you muttering? It's so unsightly."

This time, with my eyes locked on him, I can see the windup of his movements as he flies in to attack me once again. I swing my blade in an upwards arc, deflecting his own sword. Although I redirect most of the force, my arm still aches from the impact. I crash my weapon back down, but the self-proclaimed 'next Sword Saint' easily steps back, avoiding the blow.

"And your movements. They're extremely ugly. Were you never properly taught how to handle a blade? If so, you have no chance against—"

"'The next Sword Saint.' Yeah, I know," I cut him off in a mocking voice, causing him to stomp angrily at being cut off. At this point, his face is nearing beet red, and I was all for it. 'Anything to get him off his game.'

I watch the edge of his blade carefully. Sure enough, when it begins to swing, I begin a deflection for the blow I know is coming.

SHHH-TING!

The attack flies uselessly to my left, but after only two attacks, my hands are beginning to grow numb. Still, I push forward. "Just need one good blow."

"Would you quit that muttering!"

Ignoring the childish man, I twist my body, supposedly swinging for his head. He brings his blade up to block it, potentially because the anger that was still growing could be seen on his face and he wasn't thinking straight. Grinning, I curve the blade, carving a narrow S shape in the air as the attack is redirected to his knee. Still, the difference in Agility proves too great, as he jumps back. But, it had caught him off guard, allowing the tip of the Canine to nick his knee.

[Critical Mark has been hit. Dmg was adjusted to 350%.]

Slick!

The small sound amplifies suddenly as a large cut appears over Reniel's knee. It buckles, and I literally leap at the opportunity.

[Target in sight.]
[Critical Eye Skill activated.]
[Slash Skill was activated.]

The tooth turned weapon fills its empty insides with purple Mana, and the edges follow suit. Keeping this new momentum, I swing at Reniel's side. He hastily slashes upwards to intercept my blade, but mine changes direction suddenly. It slides against the side of his as he tries to block it anyway, but I get an even smaller cut onto his left shoulder.

[Critical Mark has been hit. Dmg was adjusted to 350%.]

Fwip!

Reniel's cry of anguish echoes out in the shrine as a new, decently-sized cut marks his left shoulder. In anger, he lashes out quickly, causing me to block at an awkward angle. I brace my sword with my left arm for extra support, but his Strength still far outmatches mine, chipping the edge and cutting into my forearm as I am sent flying once again.

As my body smashes back down, I stop my momentum with my heels as I slide at least twenty feet on my back. Craning my neck up, I see the upside-down sight of Reniel struggling to his feet and sigh. If my hands weren't nearly blue from how numb they had already gotten, I might have properly felt the cut on my arm, but I didn't, thanks to the mix of focus and adrenaline pumping through my system. An unsettling grin begins to take over my face.

"For a Sword Saint, all you got going for you is Strength, huh?" I call out mockingly, swiping my left arm out to splatter the blood collecting on it upon the floor.

"…What the fuck did you just say?"