The white light flickered continuously in the cave.
The next day, the chieftain, who came to the cave entrance to deliver food, immediately dropped the basket in his hand when he saw the flashing light and rushed into the cave.
Upon entering, he saw Rocky sitting cross-legged in the center, surrounded by two swords glowing with white light. The first sword was the weapon Rocky had materialized previously, but the second one was completely new. This second sword was enormous—so large that it was almost as tall as Rocky himself. The white light emanating from both swords appeared unstable, with white crystal-like shards breaking off intermittently.
"This... What is this?" the chieftain thought, confused. Why had Rocky materialized a second sword, and what was its purpose?
As he stood in confusion, Rocky slowly descended to the ground, opening his eyes and greeting the chieftain.
"Grandpa Chieftain, I succeeded!"
"Succeeded?" the chieftain thought, still puzzled. What had Rocky succeeded in?
Rocky grabbed the Sword of the Wise King, held it out to the chieftain, and handed it to him. At first, the chieftain didn't understand, but as he held the sword, he noticed a strange new pattern etched onto it. The pattern resembled the divine characters he had seen in the cave before—the ones that either enhanced abilities or created rules.
The chieftain's eyes widened in realization. "Did you successfully engrave the divine character on the weapon?" he asked, now understanding what Rocky meant.
Rocky nodded. "Yes. I discarded my previous weapon and re-materialized this one."
The chieftain's smile faded as he realized the implications of what Rocky had done. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
After carefully checking Rocky's body for any signs of harm, the chieftain let out a sigh of relief. "You fool! Don't you know that abandoning a materialized nen object leads to the backlash of nen? The consequences of that backlash are uncontrollable and can be deadly!"
Rocky froze, taken aback by the gravity of the situation. If he had known how dangerous it was, he might not have tried it, but the backlash, which seemed to be a permanent sacrifice of part of his Qi, wasn't a problem for him. It was just a temporary setback.
"Don't worry, Chief," Rocky reassured. "I'm fine."
The chieftain, still shaking his head, couldn't help but scold Rocky, though he realized it was already too late. "Next time, tell me what you plan to do first. Never take such risks again!"
"Okay," Rocky agreed, though he knew he might not always follow the advice.
The chieftain then asked, "Why did you carve the divine character on the sword?"
Rocky smiled, leading the chieftain outside. "I want to show you the new ability of the sword."
Once outside, the chieftain grew more puzzled. What was Rocky going to do?
"Grandpa Chieftain, be careful," Rocky warned. "I'm going to attack you!"
The chieftain frowned at the words. From what he knew of Rocky's abilities, the surprise attack was the most effective tactic, but it wasn't likely to work on someone aware of it. He had always believed that the weapon needed to be thrown for its effect.
But then, in a flash, Rocky swung the sword violently. The chieftain flinched, but something unexpected happened. A faint sound of glass breaking echoed, and in an instant, the blade appeared at the chieftain's throat. It had moved with incredible speed and precision, stopping just in time.
The chieftain's eyes widened, and he stared at Rocky in shock. Despite being prepared with his own weapon, he had barely been able to react in time. If Rocky had been the enemy, he would have been dead.
Rocky grinned, explaining the ability. "This is the true power of the sword. As long as my attack is launched within a certain distance, I can teleport directly to any position around my target."
The chieftain's eyes gleamed with admiration and awe. This was a truly deadly ability. "You little devil... You really are a monster!" he exclaimed, a mix of pride and exasperation in his voice. "That's terrifying! But where's the other sword?"
Rocky smiled, revealing his second weapon. "The Yaksha King Sword. This one is designed for emitter abilities."
Unlike the Sword of the Wise King, which focused on close combat and immediate effects, the Yaksha King Sword could release nen bullets that tracked their target. This ranged attack would automatically follow anyone Rocky had marked with his apparition ability.
In theory, using the Yaksha King Sword was a way to keep enemies at a distance, allowing Rocky to launch attacks while evading retaliation.
But Rocky was clear about one thing: if he had to use this sword, it meant he was facing an enemy he couldn't directly confront. In such cases, fleeing and surviving were more important than fighting.
"With this combination of abilities, I've got a strong defense. I can either attack from a distance or get close quickly when needed," Rocky said, proud of the development. He wasn't invincible, but these abilities would keep him alive in situations where he would otherwise be in danger.
The chieftain shook his head with a smile. "You've truly become a monster, Rocky."