Although I found the monk's reaction somewhat exaggerated, I could understand.
This monk is one of the most prominent figures in human history and one of the first to awaken.....
This temple was established and isolated approximately 350 years ago. He's been waiting for an heir all this time.
The person before me was a shadow of himself when he was at the peak of his life. For him to have lived this long is considered an achievement in itself...
He probably sacrificed a lot to prolong his life.
I might be generous in saying he currently has a tenth of his original power.
Anyway, I looked at the man in question's back and followed him with some concern. I still felt pain while moving, but it probably wouldn't last long...
We didn't walk much, just two minutes, and I found myself in front of a training field made of nature...
A tree affected by the signs of autumn rose high, and its branches fell to the ground.
Its leaves lie continuously on a flat circular square. The square is surrounded by small stones well planted in the ground.
I heard the sound of leaves crunching under my feet, and I smelled the scent of the various flowers surrounding the square.
I found it to have at least a calming effect, but another effect was so well tucked in I hardly recognized it.
As a former skilled pharmacist, I felt it.
I inherited his skills and learned about the impact of scent after a bit of thought.
I frowned a little, and the monk smiled when he saw my expression. Well, maybe I should start calling him by his name now.
This man's name was lost in long history, and people called him "Belphegor the Devil Slayer."
The name Belphegor belongs to the leader of the Sloth Demon Clan, Belphegor VII. This monk killed him and took his name.
The name Demon Slayer embarrassed me; it is very vulgar, but I couldn't complain. I gave him that name myself.
I didn't think about the names much since I didn't think anyone would see the game world, and I was right.
Anyway…
Belphegor noticed my distorted expression and smiled weakly.
"You seem to have noticed… clever!"
Well, it would've been strange if I didn't notice. Even someone who didn't know would notice after a little while.
This scent has a powerful sleeping effect. Anyone who sleeps here may not wake up for a few weeks. I did not know why he put this scent here...
"Since you followed me here, you have accepted to inherit this art."
I looked at him and nodded, frowning at what would happen next.
"Of course, nothing in the world is free, and you know that,"
Belphegor spoke as he took out a Soul Vow from nowhere.
"Before you die, you must build something similar to this temple. Leave your mark on this art no matter what, and say the same to those who learn from you."
Belphegor spoke strangely as if he was sure I would learn the art entirely without any problem.
"These conditions will only be binding if you master the art 100%. I would rather have the art disappear than a defective version of it spread."
I grabbed the soul vow, verified that all the terms were just as he said, and then signed it with a pen he gave me. From now on, I will call him Jor.
The paper disappeared, and the copies merged with our souls, the same that happened with Loana.
After finishing the introductions, a severe expression took over Jor's face.
"Well, what do you know about this art?"
I wanted to deny it for a moment. Since this is an art that no one knows about, my knowledge of it might be questionable, and that was true.
However, Jor didn't let me speak anyway.
"The fog was the first trial, and I have been watching you since you set foot on the mountain. The temple was your target."
I sighed. Did things have to get this complicated?
"Behind every risk, there are benefits. Without something of benefit, I can't continue my life abroad."
I've told half the truth; Jor doesn't need to know the other half.
"OK then?."
A long sword appeared in Jor's hand. It might seem he was using a spear from his clothes, but that was far from the truth.
That 'thing' couldn't be called a sword, either.
Its blade was as blunt as a worn-out cleaver, 110 cm long, and the flat part was 5 inches long and was somewhat slanted.
The handle was decorated with a comfortable material and was probably easy to hold on to.
"Tell me first, what do you know about martial arts in general? Are they intended for fighting only? Or is it a way of life? Are they designed for attack only or defense as well?"
I wanted to answer, but he did not intend to let me answer.
"Ordinary martial arts are only for killing, there is no doubt about that, but such inferior things cannot confront the enormous threat of demons."
The blade in Jor's hand moved strangely. I felt he was telling me to sleep and not worry about this world anymore.
And he was right. Maybe I should sleep.
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a wooden log fell on my head out of nowhere.
"Focus, don't let drowsiness get the better of you,"
Jore spoke before throwing the blade in his hand at me, landing right in front of me.
"This fighting style is also a way of life, and its name is the Commandment of Sloth."
I closed my eyes slightly. Wasn't it called the art of the whatever blade? Or does he want to teach me something else?
Fortunately, Jor answered quickly, putting an end to my thoughts.
"Anyway, if you wander around with such an art, it won't take long for the demons to assassinate you, so you should call it the Torn Blade Art until you gather adequate strength."
Fortunately, unlike other legendary arts, the Commandment of Sloth was an art without flashy moves, so concealing it was easy.
"This art is quite similar to the Sloth Demon's fighting style but is also completely different. You should understand it soon," Jor explained, moving on to the next stage.
"The first step is to work on your body; you're weak."
I looked down in embarrassment. Not only was my body untrained, but it was also undernourished.
I couldn't do anything but blame previous Cassian for that. He was satisfied with eating only one meal a day.
"The first step is to train your mind and body and fill yourself with the maximum amount of food possible."
"Until you master the first move, I won't let you sleep."
"Huh?"
I'm already starting to regret coming.
Here..
"You will never leave this field, and I won't let you sleep. You will train for 5 hours and meditate for the rest of the day.."
I'm not much of an expert in those things, but wouldn't this worsen my body? I mean, it is many times worse than it is currently..?
"Whenever your body collapses, I will supply you with certain energy so it will not collapse, but you will still feel exhausted more and more... until your mind completely collapses or you learn the first step."
"..."
"Is it too late to get out??"
Jor laughed lightly.
"I like your humor, but now focus on me."
Another blade came out of nowhere; he waved it randomly before disappearing again.
"What was that?"
Is he making fun of me?
"It is the first step. I'll show it to you once a day. The exercises you'll do are simple, too."
Jore waved his hand, and dozens of training machines appeared.
"Until you can hold a sword properly, you will spend most of your time with these."
"..."
***