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Chapter 15: Absolute Defense Skill
At the moment when Eurius’s sword was about to split the Count’s body in half!
“Crash!”
“Your highness… You are truly amazing. Today, I feel like I have opened my eyes anew.”
With the Count’s voice mixed with admiration and a hint of bitterness, Eurius’s body suddenly collided with something and bounced back.
Eurius rolled on the floor of the training hall with the momentum of being thrown back.
‘He finally showed it.’
Now, from the Count’s body, a faint golden light was flickering, not the blue light that ordinary force emitted.
Count Carlos had finally unleashed his Absolute Defense skill, a power that only those who reached the fourth stage! The realm of superhumans could use.
The first stage was the basic stage of receiving force with one’s body.
The second stage was the stage of strengthening one’s body with force.
The third stage was the stage of releasing force externally and affecting places that were out of reach.
And finally, he didn’t know much about it himself, but when he could manifest force into an ‘image’ that he thought of, he was said to have reached the fourth stage.
Eurius tried to attack the Count with all the methods he could do, but the Duke bounced him back with just a gesture.
“So this is the legendary Count Carlos’s [Absolute Defense Skill]!”
Eurius finally stopped his futile attack and exclaimed.
The fourth stage had different powers depending on one’s personality.
Count Carlos’s golden force barrier had an ability that was incomparable to the third stage’s force field.
It could expand to tens or hundreds of meters, and if he concentrated it in a narrow area, it would be hard to break through his absolute defense even with siege weapons like catapults or rams!
That’s why he got the nickname [One-man Fortress]!
Reflecting his serious and honest personality, he was one of the best in defense among superhumans. He was none other than Count Carlos, the commander of the Imperial Guard Knights.
Eurius finally conceded.
“It seems like there’s no point in trying anymore. It’s a rare sight to see the Absolute Defense skill of a superhuman, who are only eight in the continent. I had a really good show today.”
“It’s not at all. It was a good experience for me too.”
Count Carlos was a simple and pure warrior!
He seemed to be quite impressed by Eurius’s multitasking.
He would have won even if he hadn’t used his Absolute Defense skill, but he would have had to struggle a lot.
But their admiration for each other was only for a moment. Count Carlos had to harden his expression as he recalled his initial question.
Why did the First Prince hide his skills all this time?
What benefit did he get from showing his skills to him?
Sir Heinz also watched Eurius use multitasking with his mouth open and came to him as if he had just come to his senses.
“Your highness, what was that just now….”
Heinz’s expression also showed confusion and faint distrust.
Was this person really the same emperor he had been teaching until now?
“I owe you an apology too, Sir Heinz. I’m really sorry for hiding it from you.”
“….”
‘Of course, he won’t be convinced by this.’
Eurius explained that his excellent talent for force and skills like multitasking were all thanks to the ‘Player’s Bloodline’ that was passed down in the imperial family.
“Did you know about the ‘Player’s Bloodline’ that has been passed down in the imperial family?”
“Ah!”
Sir Heinz and the Count let out a small exclamation.
The legend of ‘Player’ was, as legends usually are, a widely known story among commoners and nobles alike in the continent.
The fact that some of the imperial family members were born with special abilities due to their player bloodline was also something that most people who had some interest in the history of the empire knew.
‘Of course, I have to keep [Stats] and regression secret.’
“I think you know why I’m telling you this story in front of you.”
Eurius looked at Sir Heinz and Count Carlos with a sincere voice.
“I beg you. Please be my subordinate!”
“I have already sworn allegiance to Your highness.”
“….”
Sir Heinz answered immediately, but Count Carlos remained silent for a moment before opening his mouth.
“If Your highness becomes emperor, I will do anything for you.”
‘But I can’t swear allegiance to you yet if you’re not emperor, right?’
This was a polite but clear expression of refusal. But Eurius didn’t show a disappointed expression.
Eurius smiled instead, and the Count had to look at him with a puzzled face.
“Then what if I become emperor and the Grand Duke doesn’t support me? What will you do then?”
“Of course, if Your highness becomes emperor, I will stand by Your Majesty’s side.”
This was an immediate answer. It was an answer that represented his rigid and honest personality.
“But what if I’m a tyrant? What if I’m not fit to be the lord of the empire?”
“A true knight of the empire does not judge the lord he serves.”
This time, there was a slight delay in the answer.
Eurius asked his last question.
“Then what if serving me causes countless citizens of the empire to die and the whole country to fall into danger? Will you still serve me?”
“….”
Count Carlos couldn’t answer right away.
Eurius smiled inwardly.
‘As expected, the Count is a much smarter person than he is known to be.’
If he was really a dull and typical knight, he would have followed him without question even in his previous life when he was emperor.
Eurius was sure that the Count in his previous life was not swayed by the Grand Duke’s influence.
Eurius pretended to sigh.
“Then there’s nothing I can do.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not. I’m more guilty for asking you this when you’re the commander of the Imperial Guard Knights who only have to follow the emperor’s orders.”
Eurius looked at Count Carlos with a complicated expression and said with a smile.
“Then, I hope you will train well with Sir Heinz. As you know, we both have a lot to improve.”
The Count was a man of few words.
Since he had sworn an oath, he would not let the incident in this training ground reach the ears of the emperor.
It was a gamble with uncertain outcome, but Eurius had already achieved something by confirming that the knight was someone he could make his ally depending on his performance.
If he had chosen neutrality for the sake of the empire in his previous life, this time he would choose himself as the path.
“I think you can take your time to decide your answer after seeing my future self!”
When he became an adult and started his active duty, the count would follow him without hesitation if he judged that he had the qualities to be the emperor of this empire.
No! He had to make sure that happened.
‘And I have already accomplished the most important goal.’
The most important thing was that he had gained the opportunity to spar with a superhuman-level warrior and open his mind at any time.
…
“The wall of the fourth stage cannot be broken by simple training. You have to go through countless battles and grasp the enlightenment that comes in an instant.”
That was what Beatrix emphasized to him in his previous life.
“But, Lize, wasn’t there a lack of wars in the continent until recently? Then how did the superhumans reach that level?”
The person who he asked this question was a rare genius who had reached the level of superhuman in her twenties in the history of the continent.
Swoosh.
Beatrix drew her sword quietly as she looked at the curious Eurius in his previous life.
“That is through sparring that is similar to real combat. Let’s start with a higher intensity than usual today!”
‘Is that it!?’
He had to scream inwardly and endure the training (?) that beat him up from that day on.
…
Eurius shivered as he finished recalling his previous life.
‘I have to reach the fourth stage as soon as possible. Only then can I move on to the second plan.’
When he turned twenty and had his adulthood ceremony, he would be given the opportunity to act outside. He had to enter the fourth stage by then.
“Count Carlos, one last request. Please don’t go easy on me because I’m a prince.”
“Of course.”
Count Carlos readily agreed.
He thought that there was not much he could teach Eurius in terms of force manipulation, since his achievement was already at this level.
What Eurius lacked now was solid swordsmanship basics and enlightenment through combat!
The count promised to guide him mainly through sparring.
‘Status window!’
[Russel Carlos]
Job: Imperial Guard Knight, Grandmaster (Superhuman)
Strength S Agility A+ Intelligence B Spirit A Force Aptitude S Force S
Personality: Perfectionist, Loyal, Hardworking, Taciturn
[Traits]
Swordsmanship (S+) Commander (A)
Absolute Defense – A fourth stage force control skill. You can defend any area within your force domination range.
[Eurius von Scharnos]
Job: Prince, Force Master
Strength A+ Agility A+ Intelligence B+ Spirit A- Force A+ Force Aptitude SS+
[Traits]
Swordsmanship (B+)
Imperial Bloodline- You have awakened the player’s authority.
Emperor’s Dignity B rank (1st victory) – It increases your noble bloodline, experience, charisma and leadership as the emperor of the empire.
Quad Core – A circle with four auxiliary loops. You get additional bonuses in all aspects related to control of force.
Force Master – You have mastered the third stage force control skill perfectly. You can also affect external objects or materialize your force.
Sixth Sense – The sixth sense given to outstanding force users. You can sense things that are not detected by your five senses using your force.
[Hidden Skills]
Restart – Players can turn back time and start their lives over. However, since you are not an official player, you are limited to one time. (Currently permanently unavailable)
Second Round Bonus – You have inherited some of your abilities, memory and talents from your previous life.
Overheat – A skill that only you can use with four cores. It temporarily raises your force rank by two levels. However, excessive or prolonged use can damage your cores.
Comparing his status window with that of Count Carlos, a superhuman, Eurius nodded again.
‘As expected, there is not much difference between me and a fourth stage warrior in terms of simple stats!’
It was a matter of enlightenment, as Beatrice said. Even now, he had grown enough to compete with superhumans, except for their secret skills.
What if he reached the fourth stage!
How much faster would he grow than other superhumans!
“Anyway, I request another sparring. I was actually sorry for the last one.”
Eurius began to resume his training with excitement.