Chapter 87

No matter how strong a single person’s power is, there is always a limit. It’s impossible to overcome an army of thousands with just one’s own strength.

A single person can only do so much with their own power. No matter how strong an individual’s power is, it is ultimately finite.

Once all the power is exhausted, all that remains is a powerless human. This is what it means to be Third Tier.

-As long as one is human, everyone starts as Third Tier. The beginning is always about looking at oneself.

The stage of nurturing and cultivating one’s own power is Third Tier. In the common understanding of the world, reaching the level of an Expert would still fall under Third Tier.

When people think of Third Tier, they often think of it as low-level or inferior, but that’s not the case. This stage might actually be the most important of all.

-You must perfectly solidify your own foundation before you can resonate with the world. Third Tier is about looking at oneself, Second Tier is about looking at the world. How vast is the world, and how strong is the power that resides within it? No matter how strong a human body is, it can never surpass nature.

-So, the idea of refining and improving myself to reach the ultimate is not the correct path. It’s good to become stronger, but only to a certain extent. Just as a child’s goals differ from an adult’s, once you’ve enhanced your own power to a certain degree, you should start thinking about how to make the world’s power your own.

But if you obsess over that alone, you’ll never escape Third Tier.

Second Tier is the realm of communication. Communicating with the world and drawing power from it. Heron swung his sword slowly, as if he were a butcher slicing meat. The sword crawled toward Roka like a slug.

-Look carefully. This is what it means to harness external energy. There’s so much power in the world, so why exhaust your own energy to swing a sword?

Just as I thought I could block it, the sword accelerated. As the sword passed, the surrounding magical energy gathered, resonating with the sword and causing it to tremble.

Heron had only put 10% of his own power into the sword, but that 10% drew in 90% of external energy, unleashing an unstoppable force. In an instant, the sword strike, now ten times stronger, reached right beside Roka’s neck.

If this were a battlefield and Roka had made Heron her enemy, she would have lost her head the moment she let her guard down upon seeing this sword. Roka’s expression stiffened, and her tail stood straight up from tension.

But there was excitement in her eyes. No one had ever explained it to her like this before.

“Tell me more.”

-It’s called the heavens, nature, or the universe, but the point is the same. Second Tier is the realm of communicating with the external world. It’s not just about wielding the power within you, but also drawing in and controlling the power outside of you. You can’t rely on luck from the start. This also requires consistent effort.

At first, you might use 100% of your own power, but in Second Tier, you use 50% of your own power and draw the remaining 50% from external energy. But how vast is the world, and how small am I?

Wouldn’t it be unfair for both sides to contribute half of the magical energy? If you don’t like that, you must train hard. Gradually increase the proportion of energy you draw from the world, so that with 10% of your own power, you can draw 90% from the world.

Furthermore, you should be able to summon the power to move mountains with just the flick of a finger.

-Like how the flapping of a butterfly’s wings can create a small ripple that amplifies through the atmosphere and leads to a massive typhoon. The ultimate goal of Second Tier is to draw great power from small efforts. You probably don’t know how much you can do with just the strength to lift a single feather, do you?

Drawing external magical energy to rapidly recover your own magical power is something any Master can do, but that level is merely straddling the threshold between Third Tier and Second Tier.

At least, that’s how the Swordsman without a Master saw it.

A true Second Tier should be able to astonish the heavens and terrify the earth with just a handful of magical power. Roka was nowhere near that level, not even close to Second Tier.

“Then what does First Tier do?”

-Every disciple must eventually surpass their master.

The Swordsman without a Master smiled faintly.

Would this child ever reach the realm of First Tier? Who knows.

He only left behind a seed. Whether the seed grows into a cucumber, a watermelon, or a giant tree like the World Tree depends entirely on how the child nurtures it.

-I learned the sword from nature. Though I was called the Swordsman without a Master, my master was this world. If it is the way for a disciple to surpass their master, what should I surpass?

First Tier, in essence, is this.

-Second Tier has its limits. If the density of magical energy around me is high, I become relatively stronger, but if I go to a place where magical energy is scarce, the power I can exert becomes limited. That’s why Second Tier is Second Tier.

-No matter how strong or weak the surrounding power is, whether it’s friendly or hostile, whether the heavens or the earth collapse, First Tier remains unmoved.

-When I realize the immovable heart and stand at the center of balance, I can stand firm no matter how the world tilts. For now, it’s enough to know this much. Delving deeper would only complicate things.

Seeing Roka’s confusion, Heron smiled slightly. Of course, it’s natural not to understand. If one could understand this with just a single word, who would need to train?

It’s hard enough for Third Tier to understand Second Tier, let alone study First Tier. To the current Roka, his words probably sound like nonsense, like empty wordplay.

Everything has its time, and for this child, the time has not yet come. There’s no meaning in discussing the life of a butterfly to a caterpillar that hasn’t even formed a cocoon.

A child needs their parents’ help when they’re young. Only when they grow up can they become independent. For Third Tier to chase the philosophy of First Tier is like a child recklessly leaving home to venture into the world.

It’s not too late to follow this path after growing a bit more and being prepared.

-It would have been better if you had met me after growing a bit more, but this is also fate.

Let’s say you could somehow understand Second Tier. Roka’s impression of First Tier was, honestly, absurd.

It felt like a scammer spouting drunken nonsense. It didn’t seem any different from a quack doctor claiming his medicine could cure all diseases and adding all sorts of praises to his explanation.

The only difference is that while a scammer aims to take something, this person is trying to give.

The sword he had been holding lost its shape, melting and transforming into something resembling a round metal plate.

-Originally, I would have given you this sword as a whole, but as I said, the sword doesn’t suit you as much as the blade.

Roka’s eyes widened as she reflexively caught the metal plate. It began to be absorbed into her without any warning.

The wolf, seeing it melt and absorb into her, was on guard, but Heron simply closed his eyes, as if his job was done.

-That sword was forged from the heart, so I melted it back into its original form, the womb. Someday, when you realize your own heart, you can melt the womb with the fire of your heart and forge your own blade.

The swordsman, known for his kindness both in his time and to future generations, now seemed to have no regrets, gently turning to leave.

“Wait, just a moment!”

-Hm?

“You’ve talked a lot, but you haven’t really taught me anything. Tell me a bit more before you go…”

-Child. What’s important for you now is not enlightenment, but laying the foundation.

He didn’t teach much.

He only left behind the womb. Everything has its time, and he and this child met far too early.

Enlightenment isn’t much help when wandering in Third Tier. Time and effort are not things he can give just because he wants to, so there’s not much more he can do.

A chick inside an egg doesn’t need to think about flying in the sky. It should focus on eating the egg’s nutrients, growing, and breaking out of the shell first.

So, he only laid out the roadmap for the future, not intending to impart anything immediately. The Swordsman without a Master valued the basics, and that’s something that depends on effort and will, not inheritance.

-When you’ve nurtured your own power to a level where it can resonate with the external world and reached the threshold of Second Tier, what I’ve left within the womb will help you. For now, there’s nothing more I can do.

“Tell me something useful. Something I can use right now. Something… that can help immediately.”

Everything precious had disappeared, and her heart felt hollow.

Someone had taken over that hollow heart. The only thing left that she wanted to protect at all costs. If she couldn’t protect that person, Roka had no reason to live.

-You need power to protect someone, don’t you? Child. Is your enemy that strong?

The girl nodded. The Third Prince, Edmund, clearly looked at Kyle with displeasure. Roka definitely sensed the faint killing intent in those calm eyes.

Even if the opponent is a prince of a nation, she needs the power to protect what she wants to protect.

The swordsman without a master read the determination conveyed from heart to heart.

-You’re in a precarious state now. The pursuit of power is always like this. You have a reason and purpose for seeking power now, but becoming stronger is more thrilling and addictive than any drug.

Those who wield a sword to protect someone often end up making the pursuit of strength itself their goal. Some even push away those they once wanted to protect in order to enhance their own power.

The order has been reversed. It’s no different from chasing money to gain happiness, only to end up selling happiness to make money.

The pursuit of power is an individual’s freedom, but the swordsman without a master advised. Well, this is just advice. He only hopes to be a guide for the path this child will take.

-But if you become obsessed with power, you’ll lose sight of the fundamentals. The power you speak of, magical power, is ultimately a stepping stone to understanding yourself.

-Eventually, you’ll realize. Everything you pursued, everything you thought was yours, was never truly yours from the beginning, but merely borrowed.

Magical power is just a tool. It should never become the goal. It’s like a raft you use to reach land. Once you find solid ground, you must eventually abandon the raft.

Once you set foot on stable soil, the shaky raft will no longer be needed or missed. The swordsman without a master spoke solemnly.

-Child. Since you need power, I’ll teach you one technique before I go, but promise me one thing. Don’t become so enamored with the power of the technique I show you that you pursue only that power.

“Is that… bad?”

The elders of the tribe always wanted me to become stronger, and I failed to meet their expectations, losing my clan. To Roka, the idea of not pursuing power felt strange.

He himself is so strong, so why can’t I be?

-It’s not bad.

The swordsman without a master laughed.

-But sometimes, what you think is going backward is actually the right path, and what you think is a straight path might be full of twists. It’s funny, but focusing too much on becoming stronger can actually prevent you from becoming strong. Child, do you think I gained my current strength by pursuing power?

Magical power is the essence of the universe. To explore magical power is to explore the universe.

Everyone who wields magical power, whether they know it or not, is exploring their own truth. The truth of magical power, which has existed since the beginning and will continue to exist, holds many secrets and veils. The more one touches this truth, the more one grows.

Yet, even with such opportunities, people don’t realize they are opportunities.

They only train in magical power to become stronger, without thinking to delve into the fundamentals. The swordsman without a master always found this regrettable. He is not a swordsman who wielded his sword to become stronger.

If you walk the right path, power will naturally follow. It’s something you gain in the process of training, not the goal of training, and it shouldn’t be.

-Someday, if you reach where I stand, you’ll understand what I’m saying.

Will this child ever realize that when I elevate myself, power is something that just naturally appears? Even if she does, that day will be far in the future.

Of course, if you need power right now, just preaching won’t get you anywhere.

“Uh…”

-You want to say that day is far off, don’t you? You want to hold something in your hand right now, don’t you? I understand that feeling. I wasn’t strong from the beginning either.

This kind swordsman did not refuse the earnest request of the younger generation.

-You possess the Power of the Sun, so I’ll teach you a technique inspired by the sun.

This is a technique Master Heron realized while watching the sunset.

A technique born from the twilight that dyes everything and the image of extinction. Even if I teach it to you, the current Roka probably can’t even mimic it properly, but that alone should be enough.

-I don’t know who your enemy is that makes you so anxious…

Flash! Roka’s vision was dyed with the light of the sunset.

Beyond the sunset, there was an unknown entity emitting seven colors of light. A giant of light, or perhaps a god of light, screamed and radiated colors to oppose the sunset, but Heron simply walked toward it, sword in hand.

Swish! He swung his sword. The sword’s speed was slow enough for Roka to observe clearly. But wherever the sword passed, the magical energy along its path extinguished and emitted the light of the sunset.

The most beautiful line of death was drawn. Everything placed on that line had no choice but to be annihilated. The sunset pronounced twilight upon everything it touched.

As the line was drawn, even the screams were destroyed, and the sword imbued with the sunset split the giant of light in two, top and bottom. The severed body was swallowed whole by the sunset.

-If you can even mimic this Sunset Slash, you should at least be able to buy yourself some time to escape.

The girl didn’t want to miss even a moment of this astonishing scene, her eyes wide open, her ears perked up, observing every detail intently. In her mind, the moment the sunset was drawn replayed endlessly. The problem was that the gap between Roka and Heron was beyond anything she could imagine.

Even if he showed it hundreds of times in a row, the gap was so vast that she couldn’t understand a single thing she saw.

It was clear that even a slight reproduction of this power would be a great strength, but there was nothing she could comprehend from watching. She couldn’t even attempt to understand.

All she could do was engrave this scene into her memory, trying to memorize it whole.

Desperately trying to etch what she saw into her mind, the afterimage of the sunset seeped into Roka. The swordsman without a master kindly placed the image of the sunset directly into her heart.

-Someday, I hope you can create such a technique yourself.

The end of everything. The sunset, symbolizing twilight, is essentially no different from the dawn that symbolizes the beginning. Everything in the world is like two sides of a coin, so the sunset that seeped into Roka felt like the warm sunlight of a cold morning. The girl, deeply engraving that warmth in her heart, expressed her gratitude.

But when she looked back, the man was nowhere to be found. It was as if she had woken up from a nap, feeling only refreshed in her head.