Chapter 23: Is This the Holy Spirit's Inheritance?
"What's wrong with you, kid?"
Seeing Alex before him, Stone couldn't help but ask curiously. It wasn't surprising that the Grand Knight had such a question.
Alex looked quite strange today. Despite his persistent determination, his expression showed clear signs of fatigue, as if he hadn't fully woken up.
"It's nothing, mentor. Just had a nightmare..."
Hearing Stone's question, Alex shook his head helplessly.
In fact, it wasn't just a simple nightmare.
"A nightmare? Haha, I didn't expect you'd still have nightmares... It seems you have time for nightmares, which means my training isn't intense enough. Come on, perk up! By the way, what's that about?"
As he spoke, Stone glanced curiously at Alex's waist. In addition to the standard weapon he used for training, there was also a short sword hanging there.
"Are you planning to dual-wield swords?"
"I just figured out some techniques yesterday."
Hearing Stone's question, Alex showed a bitter smile. Normally, he would have loved to chat more with Stone, but now, he didn't even have the energy for that.
"So I decided to give it a try."
"Give it a try? Alright, kid. Let me remind you, don't always think about shortcuts. Although traditional methods might seem old-fashioned, they've lasted for a reason. Let's see what you've come up with!"
"Yes, mentor."
As he spoke, Alex drew a long sword and a short sword, then focused intently on Stone.
"Hmm?"
Seeing Alex's stance, Stone was taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise.
What's with this kid?
It was no wonder Stone was so shocked. He had been training Alex for more than ten days and had gotten to know the young man quite well. Until yesterday, Alex's performance was as expected.
From their sparring, Stone noticed that while Alex had a good fighting spirit, he seemed not very adept at close combat. Although Alex had a good grasp of battle situations, his swordsmanship was on par with a novice.
Stone found this curious, seeing that Alex seemed better suited for long-range attacks, but his archery skills were also unimpressive. As for magic... he certainly didn't look like a mage.
But that was until yesterday. In fact, from the moment he saw Alex today, Stone felt something different about him.
But he couldn't pinpoint what it was until he saw Alex draw his swords. At that moment, Stone's eyes lit up with realization.
If until yesterday, Alex had been a novice, now his stance radiated the aura of a battle-hardened veteran!
In Stone's eyes, Alex stood with swords in hand, but his posture wasn't balanced. Instead, his left shoulder drooped slightly, and his body was somewhat bent.
This stance didn't look impressive; to an untrained eye, it would seem like Alex didn't even know how to hold his swords properly.
But to Stone, it was a versatile stance, capable of both offense and defense. Alex looked like a tightly coiled spring, ready to react to any move Stone made. If Stone attacked, he would either be countered or dodged.
What was even more alarming to Stone was how naturally Alex assumed this stance. There was no indication that Alex was forcing himself into it, suggesting it was an ingrained habit.
Such habits are usually found in veterans who have fought through countless battles, not in someone as young as Alex.
Was it a coincidence? Or...
Thinking this, Stone's expression became more serious. He raised his greatsword, staring at Alex. In the next moment, Stone stepped forward, his sword swinging down towards Alex like a bolt of lightning!
What surprised Stone was that just as his giant sword swung down, Alex seemed to have anticipated this move and rolled to the ground, narrowly dodging Stone's attack.
He then stood up again, holding his dual swords and keeping a close watch on Stone.
"You've definitely improved."
Stone nodded with satisfaction as he observed Alex. In the previous strike, Stone had intentionally left a gap, expecting the old Alex would have rushed to counterattack, but Alex's swift evasion and seamless recovery showed he had learned to control his impulses.
This was the mark of a qualified warrior. Charging in recklessly was a fool's errand; a skilled warrior knew when to advance and when to retreat. Without a precise internal judgment, the only outcome was death.
"Alright, let's see how you handle this!"
Stone, now intrigued, raised his giant sword and attacked Alex again.
Since this was just a "training" session, neither Stone nor Alex used any flashy, powerful sword techniques.
It was purely a contest of swordsmanship — slashes, sweeps — with Stone's giant sword cutting through the air, often aiming at Alex. Meanwhile, Alex evaded left and right, narrowly avoiding Stone's attacks each time by rolling.
This is getting interesting!
The more Stone watched Alex, the more he realized this young man was extraordinary. On the surface, Alex seemed to be struggling against his attacks, but Stone knew better.
Alex's evasive techniques, while seemingly ungraceful, were actually quite advanced. Not only did they allow him to avoid each strike, but they also kept him in a position to counterattack at any moment.
Even more impressive was that Alex hadn't counterattacked yet! Stone didn't believe this was because Alex was too focused on evasion.
He sensed a faint threat and noticed that Alex's left hand, which held the short sword, hadn't moved yet. Stone was sure that this sword wasn't just for show.
"Whoosh!!"
Stone thrust his giant sword forward again, and as expected, Alex rolled to the side to dodge. Stone then gripped his giant sword with both hands, preparing to strike down at Alex.
At that moment, Alex suddenly stopped rolling and charged forward, his left hand's short sword swinging towards Stone's right hand!
No!
The moment he saw Alex's move, Stone's instincts screamed danger. Something was terribly wrong!
Unfortunately, it was too late for Stone to change his attack. He could only watch as Alex's short sword struck the end of his giant sword.
"Clang!!"
The swords clashed, and the giant sword was deflected backward, an almost unbelievable sight.
But Stone didn't care about that; what scared him was that when Alex parried his attack, all of Stone's strength seemed to vanish.
He couldn't even stand, collapsing to his knees as if his body no longer obeyed him. His right hand lost its grip, and the giant sword flew out of his hand.
Stone couldn't even dodge; he could only watch as Alex's long sword aimed straight for his chest!
Just as Alex's blade was about to pierce him, Stone felt his control over his body return. In the face of death, Stone unleashed a burst of power!
"Boom!!"
A roaring whirlwind erupted around Stone, forming an armor of wind. Alex, caught off guard by this last-minute "cheat," was blown away, crashing heavily to the ground.
Fortunately, Stone quickly regained his composure and withdrew his power, looking at the fallen Alex with an embarrassed smile.
"Master, that was a bit much..."
Lying on the ground, Alex looked helplessly at the towering knight before him. Wasn't this supposed to be a friendly spar?
'The moment I almost won, you pulled this trick on me? Where's the basic trust between people?'
"Uh, my bad, that's on me. I lost this round, I admit defeat."
Seeing Alex's accusing eyes, Stone blushed and promptly admitted his fault. Then his eyes brightened with realization, and after checking to make sure no one else was around, he pulled Alex close and whispered in his ear.
"Hey, kid, when did you learn that move... Is this the Holy Spirit's legacy?"
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