So what if I like meat?
"By the way, the fact that we haven't met with Miba means they're already deeper in the canyon. Are they camping inside?"
"Seems likely. Knowing Miba, they probably can camp in the canyon, but I wouldn't want to do that. Camping in a dangerous wasteland is out of the question for a D-rank adventurer."
"Miba is an S-rank adventurer, so I'm not worried about them, but what about the others?"
"Ah, there's no need to worry. 'Gekkka' isn't just Miba's clan. It's one of the top A-rank clans in the Elegant Kingdom, boasting many A-rank adventurers."
"Among them, the Blood-Soaked Witch Duo is particularly famous," he said.
"'Blood-Soaked' is quite a chilling nickname."
Is it because they leave a sea of blood in their wake?
"Well, if they're fine, there's nothing to worry about. Ideally, I'd like to find Mizuhane before we dive into Drake's lair tomorrow."
"I completely agree with that."
"Well, even if we end up fighting a dragon, we'll manage somehow."
"..."
Trinity and I fell silent in response to Ava's words. Normally, we'd interject with, "How could we possibly manage?" But considering Ava, we felt that maybe, just maybe, we truly would manage. After witnessing Ava's fighting skills throughout the day, it was hard to shake that belief, leaving Trinity and me feeling uncertain yet hopeful.
"Speaking of fighting, what's that fighting style Trinity was using?"
It looked like a combat technique, but there was something distinctly different about it.
"Oh, the fighting style? Well, first I should explain the 'Imaging Effect Theory.'"
"'Imaging Effect Theory'? What's that?"
"To be precise, it's the theory that discusses how images can alter combat techniques and magic. It was proposed by the priestess goddess Fenris during her adventurer days."
Fenris—the priestess goddess—was one of the Seven Divine Kings who defeated the Demon Lord, if I recall correctly. She was said to be the leader among them, with many remarkable tales attached to her name. This 'Imaging Effect Theory' was among those legendary contributions.
"Fenris has altered the nature of combat techniques and magic with imagery. However, that doesn't mean it has changed their power. I think it's clearer to say that it has transformed the way they are activated. For example, the sword technique 'Slash,' used by Suzanne, can only be executed as a vertical swing by default. But if you visualize a horizontal slash while activating it, you can perform a horizontal cut instead."
...Indeed. I have released a horizontal slash myself. If, as Trinity said, the sword technique 'Slash' can only be a vertical cut, then what I executed would be recognized as a horizontal slash from the 'Imagery Effect Theory.'
"Magic follows a similar principle. Instead of casting from the tip of the staff or directly in front of you, you can visualize activating it from behind or even toward yourself, depending on your imagination."
Ah, I see. It's possible to launch magic backward while facing an enemy head-on. It certainly broadens the scope of combat depending on one's imagery.
"Now, this idea has evolved into the three great secret arts. The first is the most well-known and considered essential for advanced adventurers: 'Magic Sword.' The key feature of this secret art is the visualization of wrapping the sword in magic just before activation, allowing for the simultaneous release of both sword and magic."
"Isn't that different from enchantment?"
"Enchantments—ah, yes, they are indeed different from enhancement magic. Enhancement magic bestows properties onto a weapon, while a Magic Sword combines the strength of the wrapped magic with that of the sword itself."
"For example, if Ava uses the sword technique 'Tri-Edge' with a magic sword engulfed in fireballs, it unleashes a three-clawed flame sword," he explained.
"Ah! I see! Depending on the combination of techniques and magic, even greater effects can be expected."
"Well, there are drawbacks too. Unlike enhancement magic, casting magic directly onto the sword can cause wear and tear. If you recklessly unleash a magic sword, it can break in no time. It wouldn't be an issue with a legendary weapon, but legends are still just legends."
"Isn't it pointless to have a magic sword if you possess a legendary weapon?" I wondered aloud. Trinity paused, then replied, "You might have a point there." The idea of simultaneous attacks with both sword and magic seemed undermined by the sheer power of a legendary sword, rendering the magic sword less significant.
"Now, the second secret technique is the 'Round Chanting Spell.' By alternating phrases of a spell, it allows the user to recognize it as a single magic. This enables the activation of shield-type spells, which usually can't be layered, as one cohesive spell."
"Shield types include Fire Shield—a spell that creates a thin barrier reducing fire and physical damage—and Water Shield—a spell that creates a thin layer to lessen water flow and physical damage," he elaborated.
However, these shield-type spells can only deploy one attribute at a time. The 'Round Song Spell' overcomes this limitation, allowing for the simultaneous deployment of all attributes.
"But this also comes with a drawback: casting multiple spells means it takes longer, making failures more likely."
"That makes sense. The more spells you layer, the longer it takes. If it's all recognized as one spell, the chances of failure certainly increase."
"Exactly. The final secret art is the 'Compression Spell.' This condenses one measure of a spell into a single character, effectively shortening the spell. It's considered the most difficult among the secret arts due to its challenging imagery."
Hmm, 'Compression Spell.' Is it something like Notarikon? I believe that technique takes the initial letters of phrases or words to create new terms, or restores original phrases from those terms.
However, looking at this, it's clear that the three great secret arts lean more towards magic. When I pointed this out to Trinity—
"Yes, the three great secret arts are indeed more magical. That's why the school of 'Image Effect Theory' developed with a focus on combat techniques."
I see. That explains the emergence of a school here. I've heard that the priestess deity Fenris was known as a swordsperson with a magical inclination. Hence, the three great secret arts were born from her complete mastery of magic. After Fenris crossed into the divine realm, those who emphasized combat techniques over magic enhanced their abilities through the 'Image Effect Theory.'
"For example, even with just one swordsmanship technique, the ways it can develop lead to numerous schools of thought. If I were to mention three notable schools of swordsmanship, they would be:
1. The Steel Slash Power School, which relies on tremendous force to overpower everything.
2. The Telight Flash Sword School, known for its speed and precision slices.
3. The Varant Beast Sword School, which combines the power of beasts with transformation techniques.
While strength and speed are common traits, they are certainly not to be underestimated, which is why these schools are recognized widely.
The Varant Beast Sword School might seem tricky, but its practicality, combined with the power of beast transformation, has earned it a place among the renowned techniques.
"What about the Ruf=Grand Rope Sword School that Trinity utilizes?" I asked.
"It's a hybrid style founded by Ruf=Grand, combining dagger techniques, throwing techniques, and whip techniques," came the reply.
"The whip... oh, so the rope acts as the whip," I realized, glancing at the rope hanging from Trinity's waist.
"Exactly. You can slam it to create openings or ensnare opponents to throw them off balance. And there's this as well," Trinity said, suddenly rising and throwing a short sword at the lifeless chimera before us.
"Ruf=Grand Rope Sword School: Return Fang Strike."
In an instant, the sword returned to Trinity's hand.
"Ruf=Grand Rope Sword School: Serpent Choke Fang Strike."
Trinity hurled the short sword again, but as it soared through the air, it changed direction mid-flight, slicing through the chimera before returning once more to its master's hand."
"Ah, I see. The reason for that iron ring on the hilt of your short sword now makes sense," Ava remarked, pointing out the 2-centimeter ring attached to Trinity's weapon, which held a clawed rope. This setup allowed her to throw the short sword and then retrieve it with the rope's claw, or to use the rope in conjunction with the sword for both slashing and grappling.
"I'll tell you, my skills are just at this level, but a master of the rope sword style would be far more formidable," Trinity added, emphasizing the versatility of the technique, which combined tricky rope maneuvers with both close and long-range sword attacks. Indeed, if mastered, it could offer a significant advantage in battle.
As a D-rank adventurer, it seemed Trinity was still relatively new to the Ruf-Grand Rope Sword style. "Interesting. So, is there a school of martial arts that doesn't involve weapons?" I asked.
"There is, but… it's rare. There's the Violet White Style, which uses fist and kick techniques for attacks solely with the body, and the One-Punch Style, which focuses on a single devastating blow. But anyone wanting to learn unarmed techniques is a real battle enthusiast," she replied.
That made sense. Trinity was right; fighting monsters in this world without a weapon could be suicidal. However, I wondered if the swift and explosive techniques of the Hurricane Thunder Karate I learned in the real world could be effectively applied here if I combined them well with the other martial arts.
No, the Swift Wind and Thunder style of karate focuses primarily on footwork. In this case, should I learn a style that emphasizes foot techniques? I should also keep the Violet and Shiro style, along with the One-Point Punch style, in the back of my mind.
"Oh, right. Speaking of styles, there are those that combine magic with martial arts, right?"
"Sure. There are styles centered around magic swords, for example."
"Hm, then it wouldn't hurt to learn a bit of magic. Ava, since we have the chance, could you teach me a few beginner spells?"
"Oh, I want to learn, too! Usually, you either get taught magic by a style or pay to learn at a magic guild. If there's an opportunity to learn, I want to take it!"
Trinity, eager to join in, asked Ava for magic lessons as well. Normally, one wouldn't expect a complete beginner who just logged in today to make such requests, but this was Ava we were talking about.
"I'm not exactly the teaching type," Ava replied, "but fine. If you want to learn some easy beginner spells, I can teach you."
And so, we decided to use this camping trip to learn magic from Ava. However, I must point out that magic is not something you can master in a single night. You need to recognize the flow of magical energy and feel things you've never sensed before, which is quite a challenge.
By the way, Trinity, who already had some magical ability, quickly managed to use the spells Ava taught us and was proudly showing off her skills.
***AIWOn Information Exchange Thread 296***
896: Melody-chan LOVE: 12/31/2058 16:55:20 ID: m6DiTAN6v
Hey, what exactly is a snake?
897: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/31/2058 16:56:52 ID: A910Res5
What do you mean… a snake is just a snake, right?
898: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/31/2058 16:57:06 ID: HkOj33sSn
There's really no other way to answer that—it's just a snake.
899: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/31/2058 16:57:49 ID: Ki10cA10cH
Can you give us more context about how you got to this?
900: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/31/2058 16:58:36 ID: nzo3IxtI73
>>896 Could you be referring to the Snake from the Thieves' Guild?
901: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/31/2058 16:59:46 ID: s61965whBL
Can you elaborate a bit more on your question?
902: Melody-chan LOVE: 12/31/2058 17:01:20 ID: m6DiTAN6v
Wait, does the Thieves' Guild actually keep snakes?
903: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/31/2058 17:03:22 ID: MacJ2016
No, no, haha! They don't keep snakes at all!
"Snake" is a code word.
904: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/31/2058, 5:04 PM ID: MdrSoks69