Turning Chapter 1070

Chapter 1070

Yuder forgot everything for a moment and looked down at the sea with his hands on the railing.

The sea of Peletta was like primordial nature itself.

A place that simply existed without being invaded by anyone.

As he looked at its detached and overwhelming appearance, as if it had no connection to the noisy world affairs, a strange sense of liberation crept into his heart.

Yesterday, he had only seen a little near the town entrance and went straight up to the castle, so he couldn't see the sea. Therefore, until just now, the sea of Peletta in Yuder's mind remained as it was in his previous life when he had seen it very briefly for infiltration.

The dark night, the pitch-black water that was bone-chillingly cold. A place he had immediately turned his back on and left without even looking around, just to find the location of the secret passage.

Was that vast darkness, which had clattered behind his back like a fierce dog rushing to bite an intruder, holding a faint fishy smell, really the same place as the sea he was looking at now?

He couldn't believe it. It seemed like a completely different place.

Yuder suddenly recalled what Kishiar had said in the Great Sarain Forest.

'At first, I thought it was a terribly desolate place, but after changing my mind and looking at it again, I thought there was no sea in the world as magnificent as that.'

Yes. Now Yuder felt he could agree with those words.

It wasn't only the bright and shining things that were beautiful. Sometimes, even in the roughest and darkest things, one could definitely feel a charm. If he didn't describe those quiet waves that captivated his gaze as if being sucked in and wouldn't let go as beautiful, what other word could he use?

Yuder took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

And he focused all his senses on the wind blowing in his ears and the sound of waves coming from afar.

-Whoosh...

All thoughts slowly subsided. Even the senses and consciousness that he always kept on edge became blurred and calm. At that moment, a very old conversation suddenly popped up in his mind like a bubble rising to the surface of the water.

'-Will you ever go to Peletta? There's a sea there too.'

Yes. That was the voice Yuder had forgotten for a very long time and was able to recall only after hearing the man talking about the sea of Peletta in the Great Sarain Forest.

The time when Yuder Aile was really twenty years old. When he often encountered the Commander, who would go somewhere unknown, while staying in the outdoor training ground later than any other member to train.

When Yuder perfectly mastered the swordsmanship textbook according to his words, which could have been either nitpicking or advice, Kishiar started appearing almost every night at a similar time to watch his training. Realizing that his words definitely had a great effect on filling in his lacking parts, Yuder no longer cared whether he was watching him or not.

He remembered that there weren't many conversations between them. The silence could have been burdensome, but surprisingly, it wasn't. It was because Kishiar had the ability to erase his presence remarkably well and watch people despite his eye-catching appearance.

He didn't know what was so fun about watching someone else train, but Kishiar said it had become more interesting than going out. Yet, sometimes he would let out an incomprehensible sigh or a short exclamation that sounded regretful, making Yuder feel down.

As time passed, the conversations between them gradually developed in directions other than the training advice of the day. He asked Yuder about his life in the Cavalry, and Yuder retorted that if he was so curious, he should come out and see for himself as the Commander. It was possible because he was confident that the other person wouldn't get too upset no matter how impudent his answer was.

Kishiar laughed out loud, and the next day, he really came out to see the members' daytime routine in person. Seeing the surprised members, who were flustered and made mistakes one after another at the sight of the Commander appearing for the first time in a long while, Yuder thought he shouldn't say such things next time. He felt like he had been caught up by the Commander and didn't feel good.

At that time, Yuder was just vaguely thinking about the initial idea of a combat method that simultaneously used his attribute ability and swordsmanship. Now it was as easy as breathing, but back then, there was no precedent and his knowledge was severely lacking, so it was impossible to move forward with just a vague goal.

What more should he study to achieve his desired goal? What kind of training should he do, and what kind of experience should he accumulate to reach the place he wanted?

He was curious, but there was no one to ask. Only one person came to his mind at that time. That night, Yuder abruptly threw a question at the Commander who came to watch him like an idle person.

'May I ask you something?'

'To me?'

'Yes.'

The man, who was lying on a tree with his arms folded, looked at Yuder with an indecipherable face and then nodded.

'It's the first time you've asked a question first. Hmm. Alright. Go ahead.'

'I want to use the power of an awakener in harmony with the sword, but it's not working well. Do you happen to know what I should do?'

'The power of an awakener with swordsmanship?'

Kishiar was silent for a long time. Yuder thought he might ignore him, thinking he was talking nonsense. But he didn't.

'If it succeeds, it could rewrite history.'

A small whisper with no discernible emotion. That's why it felt even more like he was telling the truth. It felt strange. While Yuder was perplexed, Kishiar asked for a more detailed explanation of the matter. Yuder told him about the things he had vaguely imagined.

No matter how hard Yuder trains with the sword now, it's difficult to catch up with the knights who have been training since childhood. The accumulated time was something that was not easy to catch up with, no matter how talented one was. However, he had the ability to freely use the power of nature.

Then, couldn't he use his ability to supplement his lack of swordsmanship and insufficient experience?

If it was possible to put fire and water on the sword and attack together. If he could create openings in the opponent with wind and earth and thrust the sword into those openings.

If he could make it blend very smoothly and naturally, wouldn't it be possible to flexibly and overwhelmingly subdue any enemy, whether they used weapons, magic, or had attribute abilities like himself? He was convinced of that, but he still lacked the ability to execute it.

Thinking about it now, Yuder's explanation probably wasn't very clear objectively. How well could a guy who lived in the mountains and never had to fight someone properly with his life at stake explain abstract and complex tactics?

However, Kishiar clearly understood his incoherent words. And he answered.

'In other words, you want to use the sword and magic at the same time. There are already knights who use magic tools, but what you want is something similar yet more powerful, right?'

'Yes.'

'Then, train separately as you are now so that you can use both like your hands and feet. If you try to combine them when both are not at a certain level, it won't work out. And study tactics and strategies while sparring with as many different people as possible.'

'How do I study tactics and strategies?'

'I'll recommend a few books.'

Yuder put the book titles he recommended in his head. The man, who was watching him mumble and memorize, gave advice on ability training for the first time.

'It seems you're not too worried about using your ability because you're confident in it, but if you let your guard down like that, it might be the awakener's power, not swordsmanship or tactics, that will hold you back later. Explore the fundamentals of the power you possess. Have doubts rather than using it as if it's natural.'

It was as Kishiar said. Until then, Yuder had never tried to make the power he possessed stronger or explored it. The power was already strong, and swordsmanship and studying were severely lacking, so he was busy just filling in the lacking parts.

However, he thought there was some truth to his words, so Yuder said he understood. And a little later, he had to ask again because he didn't know how to explore the fundamentals of his ability.

'My ability is to handle the attributes of nature, but I don't understand what you mean by exploring its fundamentals. Can't you explain it a bit more simply so that even a country bumpkin like me can understand?'

'I meant to observe in detail what properties those attributes have. If it's fire, watch the fire, and if it's water, watch the water. Shall I give an example? When you think of exerting a strong ability, do you know the standard of how much power you can use? Can you summon a fire large enough to swallow a mountain? Waves that engulf the land? A storm strong enough to uproot trees? An earthquake that tears apart and shatters everything you step on?'

'I've seen a wildfire. I also know about storms... because I had a hard time when my house almost flew away. I've never directly experienced an earthquake, but I know what a ground tremor is.'

However, he didn't know what waves were.

The limit of someone who had lived in the mountains and came down was only waterfalls or large rivers at most. Even that, he had seen on the way to the capital, so he didn't know well. The sea was an unfamiliar existence that he had only heard about in people's stories, even its name.

The man, who realized that Yuder had never seen the sea, rubbed his chin with a thoughtful face and then suddenly opened his mouth with a faintly smiling face.

'Will you ever go to Peletta?'

There's a sea there too.

He didn't remember what he had answered to those words. The man quickly changed the subject and closed his mouth as if he had never said such a thing. However, Yuder couldn't stop thinking about the existence of the sea, which he couldn't go to right away, until he fell asleep that day...