17

Solo Eating (4)

“That’s it.

Bikir closed the book.

He had memorized the entire book, word for word.

He had memorized it so intensely that he could recite it with his eyes closed, even backwards.

And. the results were immediate.

Ssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Bikir drew a sword in the air, just as he had learned in the book.

The first tooth was drawn sharply.

Then the second, then the third.

So far, so good for an eight-year-old.

Kirik!

Then the fourth tooth appeared. It was the Baskerville Fourth, my specialty before regression.

But.

…Pot!

Vikir’s hand drew one more sharp trajectory, beyond the Baskerville Fourth.

The Fifth Tooth. It was a little smaller and blunt, but it was definitely a fifth tooth.

Baskerville Fifth.

And there it was, unsteadily recreated in Vikir’s hand!

“……in the world.”

Bikir repeated the gesture he had just made several times.

All with success.

The trajectory of the sword was not quite right, given the child’s small hands and short arms, but it was there nonetheless.

The fifth tooth was growing.

“…… where’s the knife?”

If I had a knife right now, I would have tried to aura it.

But it’s unlikely there’s a knife in the closet.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t unleash Beelzebub from his slumber in the artery of my wrist.

Well, whatever.

I was so happy I could cry.

Something hot rises up in my chest and kicks me in the throat.

Bikir desperately tried to calm this overwhelming feeling.

“Now, as long as I have the mana to support me, I can definitely ascend to the level of my previous life.

In terms of swordsmanship alone, he had already mastered something much stronger and more refined than his previous life.

His swordsmanship was not limited to the fifth level, but could be enhanced to the tenth level, so his future possibilities were endless.

Vikir closed his eyes and checked the mana in his body.

The mana hall that had been enlarged by the Styx River was still slowly accumulating mana.

Although it was impossible to determine the exact level of his cultivation, it was clear that his cultivation had risen to the next level.

“……Graduator!

Vikir jumped from Sword Expert to Gradient.

With the ability to create a liquid aura at the tip of their blades, Graduates are a far cry from Sword Xperts.

Instead of just the tip, graders can envelop the entire blade in an aura that is liquid, dense, and quite malleable in shape.

When the liquid aura blade of a Gradient collides with the gaseous aura blade of a Sword Expert, the result is a dominance relationship that is as clear as water vapor colliding with water.

Gradients are combatants whose physical prowess exceeds human limits.

Their numbers drive the stature of a House and, by extension, the military might of the Empire.

Vikir reached this level at the age of 30 before his regression.

……After the regression, Bikir is now only 8 years old.

That’s a huge step up from where he was before.

A level that most swordsmen can only dream of reaching in their lifetime.

As a mage, he’s probably on par with a fourth-circle master.

Perhaps in the entirety of the Baskerville family’s nearly one hundred years of existence, there would be no one else of his age who had achieved this level of accomplishment.

“In addition to ……. The atmosphere of swordplay has definitely changed.”

The sword technique that Vikir had been using before was the ‘Stabbing Fang’ sword technique, which was basically what the hounds of the Baskervilles were trained in.

Stabbing Fang Sword Technique. Four of them.

Vikir had pierced through countless defenses with his four fangs, which pierced the enemy’s heart like an awl.

But the stabbing fangs were dangerous.

While you can quickly become strong enough to use in combat, there are clear limits to your growth.

In exchange for the certainty of killing your opponent, you’re also taking on a lot of risk.

It is this ‘stabbing fang’ swordplay that could be taught to hounds for use as a discard card.

However, there is something different about the swordsmanship Bikir has learned this time.

It’s called the Lurking Ambush, and it’s sinister and painful, and it moves slowly, without revealing its power or aggression.

The melody of the sword seems graceful and dignified, as if nothing is going on.

But underneath it all lies a malicious intent to inflict the worst pain on the opponent.

Once you’ve succeeded in stabbing, you’ll be met with an unrelenting barrage of brutal combo attacks that will make you feel like you’d be better off dead.

A frenzied onslaught, while still being able to protect oneself, is the perfect swordsmanship of this entire school, the Lurking Ambush.

“Perfect for hiding power.”

Vikir muttered quietly.

At first glance, the Dosari Ambush Strike bore a striking resemblance to a stabbing fang.

So it shouldn’t be too difficult to hide their swordsmanship.

After all, it’s called ‘ambush’ in the first place.

Bikir glanced around, making sure that no one was watching.

His heart was pounding with the exhilaration of reaching a higher level.

Buzzing.

The sound of a fly’s wings in his ears.

I glance down at my wrist and see Beelzebub pointing the tip of a black awl at me.

“Get in there.”

Bikir rebuked Beelzebub harshly so that he would not dare to show his teeth.

On the other hand, he was coldly calculating the extent to which this Beelzebub would affect his current performance.

Vikir van Baskerville.

Age 8.

A swordsmanship that can reliably reveal four teeth, and an aura that has materialized to the level of a dilute liquid.

Combine that with the battle-hardened experience of his previous life, the fifth tooth that he can unsteadily draw, and the power of the magic sword Beelzebub, which can absorb the skills of monsters, and he’s more than capable.

‘If I put my mind to it, I should be able to take on any Gradient intermediate.

A 100% chance of assassination, a 50% chance of hand-to-hand combat.

“……The question is, how far do you reveal your skills?”

Who’s going to believe you when you say you’re a grader at the age of eight?

It would be foolish to show off your skills.

In the real world, you’re supposed to keep 30% of your power hidden.

“…….”

Bikir paused for a moment to consider the appropriate behavior for an eight-year-old child.

It didn’t take him long to come up with an answer.

Just enough to build up Hugo’s anticipation, but not so much as to put his enemies on edge.

You don’t have to hide your power and live in fear.

Rather, it’s the right amount of power that gives you a chance to slip under Hugo’s radar.

“A provincial assignment, for example, or a place at the Academy.

As soon as Vikir leaves the library, he will have to report his findings to Hugo.

And he’s already done the math on how to position himself on the proof table.

And now.

Vikir took a pair of reading glasses from his pocket and stared at the window for a long time.

Tsutsutsutsuts……

The cover of the ‘Lurking Ambush’ swordsmanship manual gradually turned black under the harsh light of the magnifying glass.

Crackle!

Soon, embers.

Vikir stares down at the burning book.

With that, the sword book containing the ten Baskerville formulas was gone from this world forever.

It remained only in Vikir’s mind.

In the distance, he heard servants scurrying about.

“What is that smell!”

“Sniff, sniff, it’s Jasser Khan!”

“It’s not even a preservation spell, ugh!”

The servants rushed over with buckets of water and were met by an apologetic Bikir.

“Sorry. I left my magnifying glass everywhere……. If it’s something that must be reported, I’ll be sure to tell the butler.”

The servants waved their hands in dismissal.

“Ah, well, that’s not something for the Master to apologize for.”

“It’s our fault for not keeping you straight.”

“At least it’s a good thing we’re in a place with a bunch of janitors, hehe.”

The servants seemed to take note of the ‘if it must be reported’ part of Vikir’s words.

Vikir looked at the ashes on the floor.

“Well, it wasn’t worth much, so I suppose it’s better to pretend it never happened, and as you all know, the butler is quite busy these days with the ruby mine dispute with the Morg family, so who has time for such a trivial matter?”

The servants nodded eagerly at that.

“Aha! Yes, that’s what I thought.”

“Well, we lowlifes always want to make our masters feel comfortable.”

“As long as you look the other way, we’re fine.”

Even they are glad to be spared the annoying report.

“I see. I’m afraid I’m going to have a lot of work to do cleaning up the storeroom, but I’ll make sure the burned books are filled with appropriate transcriptions since I remember the contents.”

Bikir made sure she was finished and turned away.

“You are a good man. You’ve thought of the servants, and I’m sure you’ll tell the others the story.

“Huh! You should tell them about the book!

“Just praise her, she’s a good girl and makes a good impression!

Your hearing has become more acute as you’ve gotten better.

I could hear the servants chattering softly behind me, but I didn’t pay much attention.

She needed to practice how to respond to Hugo’s summons as soon as she left the library.

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