Chapter 37: Backward
The outcome of the battle naturally ended in the complete victory of Shating Iron Sword and the others, so effortlessly that it seemed more like warming up in the martial arts arena during regular training.
“Senior, the eight ogres have been cleared!”
The one speaking was Shating Iron Sword, subtly leading the conversation. Dragon Slayer smiled faintly but didn’t respond. Tyr could only sigh inwardly and continue speaking.
“Perfect coordination, and the combat skills are very sophisticated. Yes, it’s strong enough to trust you with guarding our backs.”
Tyr looked up at the sky. It was noon, and in this season of transitioning from winter to spring, it was very hot. Tyr pointed to a shady spot under a big tree and said,
“Let’s take a short break over there first. We might have a lot of work to finish in one go!”
“Yes!” Anticipating the fierce battle ahead, the four immediately became serious. After all, they were about to face a super bounty target with a reward of thirty thousand gold coins, not the small fry with rewards of three or four thousand.
Sitting under the shade of a tree, the six of them took out some reserved food. Butterfly of Sunflowers even took out a soup pot from the bag, pouring soup into a bowl and handing it to Tyr without delay.
“Well, um, senior, please drink.”
“Ah, okay, thank you.” Tyr initially wanted to refuse, but the aroma was hard to resist. He reluctantly abandoned his pride and took the bowl of soup. With one sip, warmth spread through his body, even in the sweltering environment. It was a comforting sensation. The flavor was also exceptionally well-balanced, matching the skills of the top chefs in the Duke’s mansion, in Tyr’s opinion.
“It’s delicious, really delicious.”
The repeated compliments made Butterfly of Sunflowers suppress a somewhat pleased smile, while Emerald Star beside her also leaned over and said.
“Little Butterfly has skills comparable to the royal chefs. If it weren’t for this silly girl feeling that going to the palace would take her too far from her family, she wouldn’t have worked so hard to become a mercenary.”
“Fei, Emerald Star, what did you say!” Butterfly of Sunflowers glared at Emerald Star, feeling that such a casual attitude was too rude to speak in front of seniors. However, Tyr didn’t mind at all. Originally, he didn’t consider himself to be anyone special. If it weren’t for being accustomed to the attitude of superiors being served all day long in the Duke’s mansion by Yuehai, he would definitely feel uneasy about being so humble in front of these mercenaries.
“Having a skill always earns respect, which is a good thing. Even if you don’t pursue it, having a skill by your side ensures you’ll never be idle in the future,” Tyr’s words left Butterfly of Sunflowers and the others stunned. Before they could react, Tyr continued.
“Oh, by the way, Butterfly of Sunflowers, and Shating Iron Sword, you come over here too.”
“Sure.” Shating Iron Sword stood up from the tree he was leaning against, picked up his massive sword, and walked over to Tyr’s side, sitting down slowly.
“May I ask, senior, is there something you need me for?”
“Yes, it’s about swordsmanship.”
“Swordsmanship?” Butterfly of Sunflowers tilted her head in confusion, while Shating Iron Sword suddenly perked up, his eyes shining brightly as he said.
“Is the senior going to criticize and correct our swordsmanship? We are truly grateful for this opportunity!”
“Ah!” The Butterfly of Sunflowers finally realized that the senior was going to take advantage of the rest time to correct their shortcomings in swordsmanship! The girl, who was a beat behind, quickly knelt on the ground and bowed her head slightly.
“Please, senior, critique and correct us!”
Uh…
Tyr’s mouth opened slightly, hesitating for a moment. He had just wanted to ask them about their swordsmanship, how did it suddenly turn around like this?!
Emerald Star’s face showed envy upon hearing this, but she was a mage, and swordsmanship was completely unrelated to her. Nearby, Wind Slash Ghost also perked up his ears in envy. Although he was a rogue, he occasionally used short swords and daggers, so there was still a chance for him to learn something in this regard.
“Oh, so this sudden rest is for this purpose, Mr. 123 is indeed remarkable.” Dragon Slayer looked at Tyr with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, making the young man feel instantly powerless.
“Alright, fine.” Tyr gritted his teeth and could only start by using the routine of the holy-grade martial arts to make some simple adjustments to the swordsmanship of Shating Iron Sword and Butterfly of Sunflowers.
I remember that Shating Iron Sword’s swordsmanship is characterized by large openings and closings, breaking myriad techniques with a single force.
Tyr muttered to himself, feeling that it was somewhat similar to the divine descent technique. However, the divine descent could weaken the opponent’s strength while attacking, so in comparison, Shating Iron Sword’s attacks seemed as childish as a newborn baby’s.
“Shating Iron Sword, I cannot teach you shield techniques, but there are many aspects of your swordsmanship that need correction.” Tyr picked up a dry twig from the ground, stood up, and walked to another tree, saying.
“You’re equipped with a broad-bladed sword that relies on brute force. It’s a heavy weapon designed for overpowering opponents even if the shield is destroyed, allowing you to abandon defense and strike with both hands holding the sword for a fatal blow. I won’t say much more, but I hope you remember this sword technique! It’s called ‘One Force Shatters Ten Thousand Methods’.”
Swish! A white light flashed, and as Tyr swung the branch, the tree, which needed three people to encircle, was instantly cut in half! The crashing sound of the falling tree startled many birds, but what was even more shocking was the mercenaries. Although they had heard of Tyr’s prowess, they had never witnessed it firsthand. Now, seeing Tyr effortlessly cut such a massive tree with just a branch, how could they not be astonished? Even Dragon Slayer, sitting nearby, put away his smile, pondering the significance of that sword stroke.
