'Where am I?'
Jin was surrounded by walls on all four sides, and the ceiling was right in front of his face.
He couldn't feel his limbs. His thighs, especially, felt like they were burning from the inside out.
'I guess Shaku cut my legs off. He wasn't lying about severing my limbs. Did Boras stick them back on?'
Severance injuries were an area that even the best healers could not deal with. However, Jin decided not to compare this tribe to entities in the normal world.
They were not only strong, but they had insanely advanced skills and technology, comparable to the modern age.
The modern world would never understand this tribe. The average warrior, Shaku, was beyond the best Guardian Knight of Runcandel.
Even considering the Dark Knights…
These beastmen would've ruled the world before their extinction. Imagining that sight, Jin shuddered.
'Maybe the gods exterminated this tribe because they got out of control.'
In another moment, Vahn spoke once more.
"Is it not possible? Boras?"
"Of course, I can do it. However, I don't understand why you want to offer your blood to Jin immediately. Do you want to test him?"
"Didn't you give him your molar when you met him? Along with the memories, too."
"That's a different matter. Can this kid even retain your blood? If anything goes wrong, he'll instantly die. That's why Temar refused it in the first place."
"Temar and he are different."
"Yes. I agree. I do like Jin a little more, but the others only remember Temar because he was super strong. Do you think Jin is stronger than Temar?"
"No, he's lacking. But only for now."
Jin could only listen. His voice didn't even come out, nor could he even move his limbs. He had no way to communicate.
"Then why would you…"
"After all his development, Temar became a human that even I couldn't handle. However, what happened after that? He faced the same fate as the others who disappeared from our tribe."
"Mmm."
"If this child faces the same destiny, what do we have left?"
"We will need to wait for the next apprentice."
"After Temar, one thousand years passed. Unlike Solderet's prophecies five thousand years ago, only one apprentice came."
"…Are you saying Jin might be the last apprentice to ever come?"
"Yes. Above all, I don't hear Solderet's voice from this child at all. Something must've happened to the God of Shadows. This child's death might cause our world to fall apart."
Boras sighed.
"It seems you want to give Jin everything we have. But this is a huge gamble. If it is as you said and if Jin can't handle the blood, everything is over."
"Seeing the battle with Shaku, I don't think that'd happen. If the worst happens, then maybe he wasn't meant to be."
"It's been a while since I've seen you so desperate."
"I would call it anticipation rather than desperation."
"Well, whatever. If you say so, then I don't have any rebuttal. I will begin the transfusion. Let's pray that Jin can retain the blood."
A moment later, the little chamber was filled with Vahn's blood.
Jin closed his eyes and welcomed the blood.
* * *
Thank goodness he drank the Thousand-Poison Antidote.
Jin's body sensed Vahn's blood as an 'external poison', so over the course of a month, he developed a resistance to such an external concoction.
As a result, the blood's negative effect disappeared, and only the divinity filled his body.
As soon as he woke up, he felt it. If it weren't for the Antidote, he wouldn't have woken up for an entire year, nor would he have woken up at all.
He saw Vahn when he opened his eyes. While Jin lay in the chamber, she never moved a single step.
"Welcome back, Apprentice."
"I don't know what to say. Boras offered his molar, and this time, it's blood. Without my permission as well."
"Did you want to decline?"
"Did I ever have such jurisdiction? You knew that I was awake when you had the conversation with Boras?"
"If you feel disrespected, then I apologize."
"That is not my point. Well, I guess it's like making a contract with another god. You're the Battle Goddess."
"Very peculiar. I thought you'd try to argue with me."
"If you were my enemy, then I would have. I had no mind to argue with you in the first place. I have no time to do so. I must return before May."
Jin knew that a month had passed. While the Antidote did its work, he had been conscious.
It was currently March 16th, 1797. Jin only had two more months planned in Lafrarosa. He had to return before June 1st, the date of the Compass Interception Operation.
"How's your body?"
"Very good. I feel light and powerful. Though, it feels weird that I have a Heart of Light on my chest."
Jin pointed to his chest.
Not a heart made from aura, but a real heart formed from Vahn's blood. It glimmered in the light.
It was the size of Jin's fist, but the aura inside was not small.
"Just because I have this probably doesn't mean I am one of the Brethren. I'm sure the retaliation from Shaku and the others might become worse."
On the other hand, Garmund, Boras, Rinpa, and Beliz would appreciate it very much.
"Probably."
"Did you think that I couldn't change their minds without your help?"
Jin met Vahn's eyes. If he heard a confirmation or a blatant lie, he would break the Heart without remorse.
"If I say no, will you break the Heart? Since it isn't strength you acquired yourself?"
Vahn read him like a book.
And, as always, Jin formulated a ponderous answer.
"Exactly so. However, this Heart is something I acquired myself. Though it wasn't something I wanted immediately, if I didn't meet your expectations, then you would've never offered the transfusion in the first place. I merely take this as a process of inheritance."
"So why do you want to break it?"
"I can do whatever I want with anything that I acquired. If it was a power that you wanted to share, then I would not even think of breaking it. I would never destroy something that isn't mine."
Vahn smiled.
"You would've gotten accepted by the others well enough without my blood."
"Then I will use it well."
Jin wore the robes kept beside his chamber.
Clang! Clang!
While he absorbed the blood, he kept hearing hammering from Boras's smithery.
"I will be practicing the second technique of Shadow Blade. Do I spar with Shaku in the afternoon?"
"The Seventh Legend will also be in the training area. Beliz will teach you the third technique."
"I love the tight schedule. I hope to see you in the afternoon."
* * *
Training in the morning then sparring in the afternoon.
Just like that, 49 days passed. Jin had 49 losses against Shaku, and every time he lost, he got a limb severed. Boras slapped it back on every day.
The Illustrious Legends were unstoppable.
If gaining the Heart of Light would instantly close the gap, every warrior in the world would seek such a heart.
However, every time Jin lost, he got a better taste and feeling of how strong these monsters were.
At first, he thought that Shaku was very strong, but after ten battles, Jin compared Shaku to Luna. After twenty battles, he doubted his comparison with Luna, and after thirty times, he scrapped his comparison completely.
At the fortieth, he felt certain that he could sever one of Shaku's arms.
Just from the way he viewed his opponent, Jin knew he was growing at an insane rate. If Luna was a far mountain, Shaku was the first hill that started to reveal its peak.
"Why the long face, Shaku? Are you bored of me?"
Jin enjoyed each battle, while Shaku got more and more hesitant to fight aggressively.
Even the First Legend, Valtirok, who always looked at Jin without any emotion, no longer viewed him with contempt.
They didn't want to admit it, but Shaku—and even Valtirok—cherished Jin. He wasn't arrogant ever since the Battle Goddess accepted him, he didn't hate anyone even though his limbs were being chopped off. He never gave up through countless defeats either.
In fact, since the others had been caring about Jin ever since, they felt that beating him to a pulp was not ideal.
"Not… that, but I feel like you've grown on me. Cutting you has become very awkward."
'Yeah, just like when Temar was here.'
He didn't speak those words in front of the crowd. At some point, no one mentioned Temar to Jin.
"I said that I won't be trained well with such a hesitant mindset. Let's do it right."
"Alright."
"Wait, Vahn!"
Someone sought Vahn.
It was Tantel.
"What is it? Tantel?"
"Jin Runcandel must leave Lafrarosa soon. It also seems that Shaku and the First Legend accepted him."
"Continue."
"I think we should accept him as our Brethren and give him an opportunity to clash swords with the others. Shaku has taken up too much time."
"I agree! The Brethren who cared for him could only watch this entire time. Please give us a chance as well."
Shaku nodded first.
"I feel the same. I wish to see others spar with Jin."
Even Shaku tried to convince Vahn, so she nodded.
"Understood. Then if all of the Brethren accept it, we shall proceed with the general opinion."