●●Wednesday●●●
With still no phone call in sight, Irwin turned his attention to his newly acquired sword. He had not named it yet; he thought that maybe Joaquin could help him.
He finished his morning's work and breakfast before calling Joaquin to his home. To his surprise, the man agreed, having been also curious regarding the silver sword of the Wolf's Bane.
Joaquin arrived just after lunch in a blue station wagon, unbefitting of a man who could beat Irwin to a pulp.
"You know, you could take one car in the garage." Irwin said, greeting the man with a firm handshake.
"Shut up." Joaquin then looked towards Ella with a smile and gave her a hug. "How are you doing, dear Ella? Fine?"
Ella excitedly hugged Joaquin. "Oh, It's great to see you, Joaquin! I'm doing fine now, thanks to your stupid student."
Joaquin laughed as he scanned the estate. "You have a lovely home."
"We do. Want some lunch?" Irwin opened the doors to the manor, inviting him in.
"No. Get your sword and meet me at the courtyard." Joaquin changed his tone, becoming more stern, before gazing back at Ella. "Dear Ella, do you mind-"
"I just need 5 more minutes for the butter tea. The courtyard is just to the left."
"You're an angel." Joaquin bowed his head before heading towards the training grounds.
Irwin looked at Ella and could not help but ask, "Butter tea?"
"What? Lady Anastasia created this magical pot for her teas. Blame her." Ella left to gather the tea.
Irwin quickly retrieved the silver sword from his bedroom and headed to the courtyard.
He soon saw Joaquin sitting cross-legged in the middle of the sandpit, his bare chest heaving ever so slightly.
For the first time since his arrival in this world, serenity had basked in the courtyard of Greythorne Manor. Tranquility pervading the very grounds that once housed blood-thirsty monsters.
"Are you ready?" Joaquin severed Irwin's musings. Seeing Irwin nod, Joaquin smiled softly. "Sit with me."
Irwin sat down facing his master as a soft gust of wind blew their hair. He could not help but feel a pang of excitement as he faced Joaquin, his mind imagining old Hong Kong martial-arts movies he used to watch when he was a kid.
His uncle had an enormous collection of boot-leg DVDs when he was stationed in Taiwan and the Philippines. It was quite cheap, so he said.
"The way of the sword is one of many. In Chinese philosophy, it is called Tao. To Taoist, Tao is the underlying energy of the universe and that one can harness that energy into their sword…"
He hummed after trailing on the word 'sword'. Joaquin held out his hands towards Irwin. The latter knew what his master wanted, so he brought forth the sword and gently placed it in his master's palms.
"But… Tao is not just energy. It is a way, a path. It is everything that it is and everything that is not. It is the leaf, the air, the wood, the water, and nothingness itself."
Joaquin, eyes still closed, gently removed the silver sword from its worn-out scabbard. The unblemished blade glinted under the rays of the afternoon sun, its edge sharp enough to cut paper.
"All that mysticism… that philosophical spiel matters not in front of sheer power!" He suddenly yelled, disturbing the serene ambience he had created.
Irwin's eyes widened at the shout and saw Joaquin jump from his cross-legged position into a standing ox-stance. The silver blade touching Joaquin's cheeks. "Fighting position!"
Irwin didn't have time to figure out what's happening when Joaquin launched towards him, the blade hurtling at him. He rolled on his back, barely being missed by the blade.
But he's not out of the woods yet. Joaquin followed up his strike with an upward slash, tearing apart Irwin's shirt and giving him a shallow slice.
The sand scattered around Irwin as he steadied himself, his eyes still wide from the surprise attack. He lowered his center of gravity, breathing thoroughly through his nose. Crouching down and gazing at his opponent as if he was a wounded gazelle being stalked by a starving lion.
"Every sword fight is one of life and death. There is no mercy, no yielding, only one man will prevail!"
Joaquin continued his sermon as he strode forward, slashing the sword to the left and then bouncing to the right.
Irwin felt the danger was passing through his eyes as he duck under the left swing and rolled backwards from the right bounce. He felt as if he was back in New York, surviving against Woden and his ghost riders, but, this time, he had no spells, teammates or angel blade to defeat the enemy.
"To prepare for sword fight is to prepare to bleed, to wound, to kill, to die! Your conscience will bow down to the might of your enemy's blade!"
Joaquin brought the sword back to his side before grasping the hilt with two hands. Like a ferocious tiger biting down using its sharp fangs, Joaquin struck Irwin with intent to kill.
"Don't think, MOVE!" He roared.
Irwin, senses titillating his body, forgo his defense as he rushed inside Joaquin's defenses, the blade piercing through his left clavicle and out his left shoulder wing. Before the pain could hinder his movements, Irwin latched onto Joaquin's waist and slammed him onto the ground.
The force and weight in which Irwin bore down on Joaquin's body disoriented him, causing him to lose grip of the sword. Irwin didn't let the moment pass before pummeling his master down to unconsciousness.
He only stopped when his numbed fists cracked his master's skull. Blood poured from his split knuckles as saliva trailed down his busted lips.
"R-Richard?" He gazed at Ella, eyes crimson mad.
"It's fine. I can heal him." He said calmly. A large potion bottle filled with viscous green liquid appeared in his hand, which he poured in his master's caved-in head, not entirely sure if it will work if he's dead.
"What happened, Richard?" Ella tried to come close, but Irwin told her to stay in her place.
"You dead, Joaquin?" Irwin asked.
Joaquin's bloodied face began to glow in a dull green light, his cracked bones resetting back to its original place as his skin healed at an unprecedented pace. A few tense seconds later, Joaquin rapidly inhaled the air as he woke up screaming.
"Calm down." Irwin held Joaquin back as the man thrashed around in place. "It's alright. You're alive, alive. I healed you before you died. It's alright."
Joaquin soon calmed down, still breathing hard from the shock of quasi-revivification. "I-I'm alive. Damn."
Irwin helped the man up and brought him to the parlor room, where Ella served Joaquin butter tea and Irwin a bottle of soda.
"I'd like to apologize." Irwin stated, pressing down the bloodies bandage on his left shoulder.
Joaquin calming his mind, his face bereft of blood and pus. "For what?"
"For nearly killing you."
"I see." Joaquin nodded, taking a long sip of his tea. He enjoyed the refreshment, gazing at the eastern side of the manor where the garden was located. "But you healed me, did you not?"
"I did. B-"
"Did you learn something from our training?"
"I… I did, actually." Irwin gave it a thought, and he did. "I-I was hasty. Too hasty in battles. Every battle is a fight to the death. My enemy knows this, so they prepare beforehand, but I don't. I just… head-on in."
Joaquin nodded." You think your war strategy will work in skirmishes? You prepare for the big but miss the small. What if your enemy does both?"
Irwin smiled, realization crunching down in his mind. "I see. Thank you for the instruction, master."
"My pleasure. Besides, you don't need to worry that much. It's not that big of a liability yet." Joaquin stood from his seat. "I will go now. You may use the silver sword."
Irwin stood from his seat and bowed his head at Joaquin before looking at the leaving figure of the dark-skinned man. "Y-you're not gonna ask how I healed you?"
"No. Best to leave things to the imagination." Joaquin said as he left the room.
Irwin could hear him conversing with Ella before tuning them out. His mind reeling from Joaquin's teachings. He gazed at the silver sword atop the coffee table with one thought on his mind.
"I should probably name it."
Wednesday ended with nary a ring from his phone. He wondered if they had lost his number.
●●Thursday●●●
Irwin was, by no means necessary, a training enthusiast. In fact, he loathed the idea of working out, both physically and magically. Moving his body in and out for hours on end was just a downright hellish experience.
If not because his system allows him to monitor his progress in his skills, albeit on a larger scale that he would like, then he would still be level 1 in most skills.
He had just finished his lunch and was contemplating whether to train with Joaquin or not. While the wound on his shoulder had closed up, it still hurt to move it around.
Deciding to text Joaquin and postponing his training, his eyes glazed as he begin window shopping in the Spell section of the Trade Store.
He had vowed to himself that he would acquire a defensive spell whenever he had the chance. He had 330 credits to spend, but, apparently, his indecisiveness regarding spending was not only related to money. The potion from yesterday cost 20 credits, which is cheap compared to accidentally killing Joaquin.
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[ Spells & Rituals ]
▪︎ Human
▪︎ Pagan
▪︎ Fairy
▪︎ Celestial
▪︎ Infernal
▪︎ Purgatory
▪︎ Natural Order
■■
[ Human ]
▪︎ Blessing Water (10)
▪︎ Vessel Immobilization (50)
▪︎ Solitary Immolation (60)
▪︎ Mind Swap (175)
▪︎ Dimensional Leap (200)
▪︎ Slumber (80)
…
▪︎ Energy Shield (40)
■■
It was then that he came across a defensive Human spell. Interested by the name, he clicked upon it.
■■
▪︎ Energy Shield ▪︎
Level: 01
Type: Manual
Classification: Defensive; Human
Invocation: Sine detrimento est…
Range: 2 centimeter | Two (2) centimeter per level
Components: None
Effect: As long as the invocation is chanted, a shimmering field of energy surrounds the caster's body. The energy shield is resistant to physical attacks. The strength of the shield is equivalent to the power supplied by the caster.
■■
Irwin immediately bought the spell, gaining a simple yet powerful defensive spell against physical attacks. He ought to test it first, though, for any ranged weapons, lest he become one of his dummies back in the training grounds.
■■
Congratulations! You have bought [Energy Shield]. [Energy Shield] Spell Scroll is now in your Trade Counter
Store Credit: 330 -> 290
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With physical defense in the bag, Irwin set about buying a spell that will help with curses and Marks.
■■
▪︎ Remove Curse (120)
…
▪︎ Transplant Curse (80)
…
▪︎ Mark of Mutual Dependence (110)
■■
The three spells were the best he could find that are below the 150 credits price range. The next curse removal spell was worth 230 credits and something called Essence Cleanser, a Hellenistic ritual, it seems.
'Which spell to take? Remove Curse seems like a simple ritual. Maybe I could pair it up with that ritual delay spell Lady Anastasia's always bragging about. But, the mark seems good, too. All I need is to mark myself and their curse will also affect them; It will all boil down to which of us has more vitality. Wait, what if… what if I just get a consumable? Like that Monster Banishing Card? Let's check'
Solidifying his thoughts, Irwin returned to the list of categories.
■■
▪︎ Armors & Mystical Items
▪︎ Weapons
▪︎ Spells & Rituals
▪︎ Flora & Fauna
▪︎ Potions
▪︎ Materials
▪︎ System Consumables
■■
[ System Consumables ]
▪︎ Offensive
▪︎ Defensive
▪︎ Utilitarian
▪︎ Support
▪︎ Special
■■
[ Special ]
▪︎ Ink City Wide Devil's Trap (350)
▪︎ Archangel's Grace (1500)
▪︎ Celestial Expulsion Sigil (300)
▪︎ Curse Purge Card (25)
▪︎ Planeshift Card (75)
…
■■
Irwin whistled at the sight of the consumables, his greed thumping his heart to buy everything in sight.
'They have fucking Archangel's Grace in here!' Irwin's mind was boggled by the sheer might of the Trade Shop.
The Celestial Expulsion Sigil alone was worth the 300 credits. Just as the name suggested, it will expel all angels, even archangels, from their vessels and return them back to Heaven. It also has the added benefit of disorienting angels for enough time so that the caster can leave the scene of the crime.
The Planeshift can teleport him to any realms, be it Heaven, Hell, or purgatory. Granted, of course, that he had enough power to survive such an environment.
Irwin removed those thoughts, content with just buying four Curse Purge Cards. While the cards were relatively cheap, compared to the other items, its power is dependent on the magic power of the user. As long as Irwin had enough magic power, the card will continuously erode the curse in his body until it removes itself.
■■
Congratulations! You have bought 4x [Curse Purge Card]. The items are now in your Trade Counter.
Store Credit: 290 -> 190
■■
'Since I'm shopping… why the hell not?'
■■
Congratulations! You have bought [Vessel Immobilization]. [Vessel Immobilization] Spell Scroll is now in your Trade Counter
Store Credit: 190 -> 140
■■
Congratulations! You have bought [Solitary Immolation]. [Solitary Immolation] Spell Scroll is now in your Trade Counter
Store Credit: 140 -> 80
■■
With a sigh, Irwin realized he was now dirt-poor again. System-wise, of course, he's still rich as all fuck. The thought cheered him up once more.
'Skills'
■■
|Skills|
[ Personal Skill/s: Marksman (Lvl 02); Minor Alcohol Tolerance; Natural Order (Lvl MAX); Unarmed Combat (Lvl 02 -> 3); Swordsmanship (Lvl 01 -> 02); Krousurgy (Lvl 01) ]
[ Job Skill/s: Human Magic (Lvl 03); Arcane Resistance (Lvl 05) ]
[ System Skill/s: Natural Immunity (Lvl MAX); Enhanced Physique (Lvl 02) ]
---
|Magik|
[ Personal Magik ]
▪︎ Mind Guardian (Lvl 02) (Human)
▪︎ Flame Whip (Lvl 05) (Human)
▪︎ Blood Scry (Lvl 05) (Fairy)
▪︎ Blight Hex (Lvl 01) (Human)
[ System Magik]
▪︎ Ward Of Obviation (Lvl 01) (Pagan)
▪︎ Age Transfiguration (Lvl 01) (Pagan)
■■
'I seem pretty well rounded. That's nice. Barely have enough Fairy magic, though. Maybe I should prioritize other magik kinds next time I get the chance.'
Irwin willed the three spell scrolls out of the Trade Counter. In the next second, his hands became filled with three perfectly produced, glossy scrolls tied with a yellow twine.
Information on how to use them had been ingrained in his brain before, so he invigorated his magical power and enveloped the scrolls with it.
The scrolls suddenly combust in flames and quickly turn to ash, whereupon it flew into Irwin's nearest orifice.