Chapter 31: Foresight, Fourth Sense... A Way with Swords
'I am still not satisfied with simply extracting Rotexa. She would have never been my target if I had access to the main character of the novel or even other side characters. But she ended up being my only option. I still want to explore more, though...'
Ruthar paused his quill, staring at his journal. He was deep in thought, unsure of what to write next.
'Things are moving far slower than I planned. Since I am still in this forest, I barely know what is happening back at the Spade Horus, Gandara, Kimara, Hendricks, or even Rotexa. Even with my knowledge of the novel, I can barely figure it out...'
Ruthar glanced up at a notification that had appeared before him minutes ago.
[The Supreme Extraction System is a gift from the gods before your reincarnation.]
[Your level is too low to view more information on the system.]
[The Creator has left a note: Reach Level 5, Ruthar Hellborn.]
'When I look at this notification, I don't see more hard work or feel any fear. I only see a goal... a goal to reach Level 5 and get more information about the creator and these gods.'
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Ruthar stood with his sword in hand, ready for a training session with Vance. She had approached him at the start of the day, insisting on a 1v1 sword fight.
What confused Ruthar the most was that she didn't have a sword herself.
'Is she underestimating me as usual? I extracted Rotexa's sword arts, a family sword art, and the sword arts Hendricks taught me. She must really be joking with her life.'
Ruthar scoffed confidently, waving his sword in the air.
"Are you sure you don't need a sword?" He wanted to be sure and received a wordless shake of Vance's head.
'Well, it's your funeral.'
"So, Ruthar, come at me with everything you have, while using your demon eye. If you can land a hit on me, even a slight graze, it will count, and then you will be able to defeat Tomaha."
This sounded easy to Ruthar. All he needed to do was surprise her and land a quick hit before she could react.
'I have done well in studying the demonic eye from my perspective. I doubt I'll lose.'
"Let's begin!"
Ruthar positioned his legs in a springing stance, placing his sword by his side as it began to radiate with dark purple energy. This was Hendricks' sword art, and the surge was significantly stronger than when he had started learning.
He sprang quickly at Vance, tilting his body to strengthen his attack and swinging at her gut.
Vance reacted as though she were half-asleep, swatting the blade from its original course and letting it miss her easily.
"Tsk...!" Ruthar gasped in shock, planting a foot hard into the ground to aid a fast-paced attack. He swung his sword once more at Vance's throat.
'Yes, I can see her next movement. She's going to move backward!' Ruthar feigned his original attack, thrusting a knee at Vance, who had already retracted her head to evade.
Just as Ruthar's knee was about to hit Vance, he saw an image that dazed him into hesitation. The mirage he foresaw broke into twelve different images.
'Twelve different possibilities...'
Ruthar's hesitation dulled his movements long enough for Vance to thrust her fist into his gut.
The force lifted him off the ground and into the air. He dropped his sword and grabbed his gut in pain, crashing to his side on the floor.
"What did you see, Ruthar?" Vance was stern and void of emotion. She must have completely predicted this battle before it even began.
After Ruthar got over the pain in his gut, he received a notification.
[Eye of Adaptability has cleansed you of your pain.]
[Processing....]
[Fourth Sense has analyzed opponent.]
[You can only use this skill for fifteen seconds against this opponent.]
Ruthar was confused by the notification. This was the first time he had heard of a skill that was only usable for fifteen seconds. It would be worthwhile to test it here.
Ruthar groggily stood up. The Eye of Adaptability and Enhancement had done a great job healing him from the blow, perhaps even better than healing magic.
"What did you see, Ruthar?" Vance's voice called him back to the present.
"I saw multiple images of possibilities, like different futures I couldn't react to," he said, holding his head down and staring at the soil.
"This shows you that even the future is uncertain. You will have to be able to quickly counteract every single possibility in a split second, even if there are a hundred possibilities," she explained.
'A hundred possibilities? Is that even humanly possible or just a way to scare me again?'
"One hundred?"
"I have even fought someone with a thousand possibilities, kid. So let's begin!" Vance stretched forth one hand, placing the other behind her in a simple battle stance.
"I'll attack this time and won't stop until you impress me with your skills."
Ruthar raised his sword and steeled himself for a full-fledged attack, knowing that was what would come next.
A mirage...
No, twelve...
No, twenty...
Ruthar's eyes widened in shock as Vance raced at him with a multitude of mirages following. She approached him slowly, probably to give him enough time to react.
'THINK, RUTHAR! ONLY ONE IS CORRECT!'
A slight ding occurred in his brain, and his body tilted from a single image that flung a kick to his jaw into another image that aimed to puncture his belly.
Ruthar was surprised as his instincts were right, leaving Vance to attack the air aimlessly.
'There's no doubt. This is the Fourth Sense skill playing out... I only have thirteen seconds to beat her.'
Ruthar tightened his grip around the hilt of his blade, lunging forward to stab Vance in the eye.
Vance swatted the blade from Ruthar's hand, but he wasn't bothered. He bent his knees and pounced into the air, swinging a fist at Vance's face.
"Spade Horus sword art, first technique!" Ruthar muttered to himself, studying the twelve mirages of Vance as he closed in to land his punch.
Three images dodged while the others attacked him in different parts of his body. Whatever the option was, this was the deciding blow.
"I'M NOT STUPID, VANCE!" Ruthar planted his foot into the ground, turning sharply as Vance moved in the same direction to dodge his original punch. From the look on her face, she wasn't expecting such predictions.
'I win!' Ruthar used all his strength and speed, launching forward like lightning and striking Vance's face with his punch.
The punch seemed normal for a second, but then it sparked a large purple explosion that flung Vance into the air, crashing back-first to the ground.
[Mana: 123]
[Fatigue: 67]
[Secret Quest: You have defeated your tutor at her own game.]
[Reward: Level up Fourth Sense.]
[Fourth Sense Lv.2: Able to predict enemies' attacks longer and counter them more efficiently.]
'Whoa, I didn't even know about the secret quest, but look at how much I gained from it! The Fourth Sense is a great skill, and now it's leveled up. Damn, I love this system... It's a great cheat.'
"GAHAHAHAHA! What a fun character! You are truly a genius, Ruthar!" Vance sat up, clearly enjoying herself.
She had been holding back and fought only slightly above the strength of a normal human to test him.
'I can't believe he learned how to use his family's sword art. Isn't he a slave? He shouldn't be able to do things like that. I'll have to keep a closer eye on him.'
"With this, you'll be able to defeat Tomaha in two months."
"Really?" Ruthar almost jumped in the air with happiness but restrained himself.
"I'll be heading out again to get my fill. You can continue your body exercises and anything else you want for the day. Classes are done," Vance said contentedly, standing up and heading into the forest.
'Demons feed off other spirits and monsters to retain their lost soul energy or powers. This is the second time Vance has done this since I met her. But I shouldn't worry about that. I still have a penalty quest to avoid...'
Ruthar paused, dropping his gaze to his blade and thinking for a second. "I could actually go back to the penalty world when I get stronger and get revenge, experience, and insight about the penalty world... and level up."