Chapter 071: Discussion With a Sword

*clack* 

… That is strange but I probably just need to use a bit more elbow grease.

*clack*

… Maybe I just need to change the angle I'm working at; it obviously has a curved blade so it could require a particular technique.

*clack* *clack*

… Okay… That didn't work however there is still a lot I can try so it makes sense that it wouldn't work out on my first few attempts. Plus this isn't an ordinary sword anyway. So all I can do is keep trying different things then hopefully-

*clack*

WHY WON'T YOU COME OUT!

*clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* 

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<< Why Is {user}.[Armor-Cordis] Not Just Unsheathing The Sword? >>

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"I AM FUCKING TRYING OKAY!" For some reason that sword was aggressively refusing to come out of its sheath leading to me looking like a complete fool. Just repeatedly pulling on that handle leads to absolutely nothing happening other than that growingly annoying noise.

At first I thought that I simple didn't understand how to draw a sword so made some rookie mistake, I was no swordswomen after all, but it long got past that point. By now I have spent a solid few minutes just tugging on the handle of a sword. A sword that refused any attempts I made to unsheath it.

Part of me wanted to chuck the thing out the window however I didn't want to know what kind of punishment would befall me if I did that.

As it was no regular sword.

It was her sword which she let me borrow as a reward for a job well done.

She appeared all cute & bubbly on the surface yet something about her just made a shiver go down my spine like I was looking at a predator for which not even escape was plausible.

Something was wrong with that god… Though I guess I couldn't exactly say what could be considered right when it came to gods. It isn't even day (unless it's with her apparently) that you find yourself in conversation with a being of worship.

Instead you would expect to hear them speak in your mind or using some ephemeral language that used neither sound nor sight to come to a common understanding. Similar to that spiritual language that I learned from that book all those years ago. A language that… Spirits… Used…

Slowly my gaze turned downwards to meet with the sword as I suddenly felt like an idiot - how could a sword with history connected to someone like my master be simple.

Perhaps I've been thinking about this all wrong.

Often spirits are seen as nothing but items to use or sell; maybe as summons to order around as our masters like or just a resource to increase personal power. Maybe it could be said that this sword felt exactly the same as us spirits. Hardly a rare thing in the media that a sword awakens consciousness.

Obviously we couldn't have a conversation with verbal language or its written form, a sword didn't have a mouth nor did it have ears, so most humans would be doomed from the start. I wasn't a human. I am sure that my master (probably) wouldn't give me something I can't use.

She knew that I wasn't a swordswoman so why did she give me a sword?

"Perhaps it wasn't because of the sword's status but the knowledge that the sword held?" My voice unintentionally came out with more caution than I had expected. Even I had to admit that I hadn't been nearly as cautious as I should have been; I brought an arrogance that I had previously lacked.

Could I have assassinated that umpa-lumpa elf in my past life if I took it head on like I have been doing so often since I awakened my true form. Such was fine against regular humans. However, now it was time to learn from my mistakes… And potentially from this sword.

Staring at the sword I opened my mind while passively communicating my intentions to learn from the relic with all the willingness of a scholar.

Soon a moment passed with nothing happening so I worried that I had failed or had misunderstood…

I was once again taught a lesson in patience.

Its presence alone caused my shoulders to sag as if I was forced to withstand a great pressure - though I certainly was in my mind. That sword questioned who I was. All I did was inform it of how I gained it while putting emphasis on my relationship with that mini master of mine.

Which seems to have been enough for it.

A weight far greater than any ocean on earth fell upon my mind, making me stumble backwards, as a font of knowledge poured into my mind. Ancient knowledge that was far older than the planet I lived on. Within that experience born understanding was a technique that surpassed anything I had seen in this life or last.

Truly heavenly in its simplicity yet perfectly deadly in its effectiveness with both compounded within an act that every swordsman needed to know how to do. A move brought to its truly perfect extreme. Being able to be summarised as "simply drawing the sword but deciding the ending of the conflict with just that".

Nothing short of terrifying gin efficiency… Also strangely focused on cutting off their arms. At this point I was half convinced this sword had a fetish for limb based amputation.

My thoughts in turn caused that sword to get miffed at the accusation; seemingly telling me to not blade the messenger for the message. Still, I took a moment to ponder that knowledge. Obviously such a technique didn't directly apply to me in the traditional sense nonetheless there was a lot to learn from it.

Although that wasn't all that sword shared with me.

Within that was knowledge of how weapons like itself came to exist and to say it was fascinating was a great understatement. The short answer was "mana enriched subatomic tunnels". Long answer was that my master purposefully let her energy flow through the metal as she made the blade.

Everyone's energy moves in a unique fashion through their building and that is then carried over when they utilise that outside their body. By letting one's energy flow through the material when it was being reformed those mana "tunnels" would "extend" into the crafted item. Letting mana flow through easily.

That was just the beginning.

Using specific materials to create runes, spirit infusion, formations or arrays allowed one to then infuse a technique into the item. At least that was the most common understanding. Many techniques to accomplish similar things existed across the realms.

I just listed the three most common versions as stated by the sword.

What truly got my attention was the swords "statement" on the common forms of enhancement & following enchantment of relics.

All of that?

Just a way of getting around the physical races limitations when it came to one particular element that they just weren't gifted in. Expressing intent. In other words, since they weren't able to communicate in the way spirits were, they had to come up with hundreds of different work arounds.

To me this meant a new form of power that I can make into both income & influence had just become obvious to me. Together (with my strange mix of jobs) there is no limit to how far I can push this knowledge; it was hardly surprising a smile formed on my lips. "This… This has changed everything!"

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<< What Is So Great About A Sword That {user}.[Armor-Cordis] Considers It Better Than Either Of The Two Available Variant Systems To Her? >>

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"Because this is both powerful and unique to me instead of Wechuge. One which has the potential, when I commercialise it, to give me a level of influence to decide entire wars like never before. A change in the level of the first computer system!" The grin on my face contorted beyond human limits but I couldn't care.

This was too good to focus on little things like "maintaining a human appearance" as it just possessed so many possibilities that even I couldn't see the end of it.

It was then that I broke out of my revelry upon the wake of a startling realisation.

Something about this was too perfect to be coincidence.

If I didn't have that book, one which I only read due to being a gift from my birth parents, that had been prepared from before I even awoke my memories… If I didn't get my linguistic job due to that very same mysterious book. Or perhaps if I didn't arrive in the very city I did and lose my eye.

…

"Nah~!" Shaking my head of such silly thoughts; nobody could predict all of that happening as that would be like seeing my entire life play out in front of them before I was even born.

Instead of wasting time on stupid theories that had no actual basis in reality I carefully placed the sword down after clearing a desk through less than careful methods. Aka I just dragged my arm across the countertop before placing the sword down. Not worrying about all the random items that clattered down.

Following that I grabbed some random sheets of paper followed by some considerations on what I should use as ink. I would need something which could carry my power a- "Eh~ screw it, I'll just use my blood like they do in those cultivation stories, it'll probably work!"

Bringing my left index finger to my mouth as I used my sharp fangs to pierce through the surface layer of my humanoid form. Pressing it down onto the paper as I began drawing some symbols. The actual design wasn't as important as the intent; something mortals couldn't comprehend.

"And there we have it; a fire b-" Everything erupted into fire as that paper immediately became overwhelmed with the power of my blood.

Unable to even handle the dormant power of my blood.

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<< Congratulations!>>

<< {user}.[Armor-Cordis] Indeed Made A Fireball! >>

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"You are being petty and jealous because you look uglier than the newer system!" I yelled at that bitch of a bot as I clicked my tongue; realising it was back to the drawing board when it came to this project.

Still… This proved it was possible.

It's still troublesome for now.

"Perhaps if I use materials already used to similar energies to spiritual power…" Mumbling as I got to work once again in further reviewing my understanding so that I wouldn't be as weak as the first time I entered the game. This time would be different.