I Can Copy And Evolve Talents

Chapter 1315: As Vast as the Horizon

Northern bombarded the blind man from all corners of his blind world. He seized sound—the gentleman’s greatest ally—and twisted it into his greatest enemy.

It was a vile thing to do. Unforgivable!

His swords screamed from every direction, slamming with titanic might that made Duke Amene’s arm ring like a struck bell with each desperate block. The vibrations crawled up through bone and sinew, accumulating, compounding into something that would linger long after this battle ended—if he survived it.

The Duke’s talent reinforced his body endlessly, as long as his soul essence held. But it wasn’t as simple as body reinforcement.

It was more like the talent taught his body about itself—he moved better, learned faster forms of motion mid-battle, executed movements synonymous with the birth of a genius blazing with the endless energy of a day star.

Most people experienced epiphanies rarely in battles like this. Duke Amene’s talent took epiphany to a different level entirely—with his body, with his hearing, with his weapon.

He was constantly experiencing enlightenment.

And this was precisely what made his terror so complete. Because that enlightenment let him perceive more clearly the vastness this young sir possessed.

Northern was like the horizon, and he was a lone man walking toward it. No matter how fast his legs carried him, no matter the bursts of speed he gained, the horizon remained spread far and wide—forever beyond what his fragile limbs could ever reach. He could walk for eternity and never close the distance by a single step.

The sounds that had once beckoned him to detect attacks now became omens of his own destruction. The talent that bolstered his body and understanding of sword-based assault had become something unfriendly, almost hostile—a curse masquerading as a gift.

His opponent was simply too vast. It was haunting that his sharpened senses refused to come to agreement with that truth.

Or maybe they had. He just couldn’t stop. If he stopped for even a moment, he feared he would be consumed entirely.

So faced against a creature of such incomprehensible vastness, the only thing a determined blind man could do was keep trying. Keep trying despite knowing the horrendous fate that awaited him.

This made the battle harrowing in a way no wound could match. It turned the Duke into an enemy of himself, made him detest his own resolve for prolonging what couldn’t be won.

On the outside, though, it was a wordless expression of sword.

Admiral Yan found himself frozen. Awe? Terror? He couldn’t untangle them anymore.

Lord Northern understood the meaning of wielding dual swords. His blades flowed like they were the Tempest themselves—cutting through the wind while adopting its nature.

Or was the wind itself their ally? He couldn’t tell.

’There’s nothing to learn!’

Duke Amene had invited him to this duel in hopes that he would glean something useful. But from where Admiral Yan stood, this place served only as a mirror—reflecting his own patheticness back at him with a condescending laugh he could do nothing about.

He was a Master. Not the best, but his years of experience had never failed him. He had survived harrowing lands that had killed many of his caliber. He stood on the verge of becoming a Savant.

Admiral Yan was bent on reaching Sage before he died. He refused to give up on that dream.

But now, watching this, such a ceiling for living a great life felt so shallow. So... demeaning.

The delicate weave of blade strikes cleaved the air and sent furrows into the ground, carved the walls in clean lines and swept the courtyard with terrific might. Every motion was art. Every exchange was annihilation postponed by the thinnest margin.

He questioned himself: would a Sage ever be enough? Would anything ever be enough?

He wanted to become a Sage, but watching a Paragon fight made him wish—

He shook his head.

’No... I could never.’

Admiral Yan understood that much and reined his greed in place. But still, he thanked his stars for being fortunate enough to witness this divine scene. How many people could claim they had seen something like this and lived?

Because now, he was convinced of one certain thing. Strangely enough...

’We’re going to win!’

Admiral Yan knew what he was seeing. He had watched Duke Amene on the cruelest of battlefields. He had seen this man tear down a horde of monsters alone.

Duke Amene was the epitome of strength—the highest ceiling Admiral Yan had ever witnessed. The Duke could hold his own with Paragons. He was the one who had taught the headmaster of Caevlyn Citadel how to wield weapons.

A single force of utter destruction.

If Duke Amene were to lead an army toward the Empire, Admiral Yan was certain his only true opponent would be exhaustion. The Duke possessed a talent that caused him to grow endlessly, his only limit being his body and soul essence.

And yet... today... Admiral Yan was watching such a man struggle. Watching him swing his sword in desperation, in pain, in fear.

His mind removed Duke Amene from the board and replaced him with Northern instead. If such a man—with this level of comprehension—led an army toward the Empire...

Admiral Yan couldn’t even see Northern breaking a sweat. Meanwhile, Duke Amene’s clothes were soaked through. His short hair was wet like he had sweated through his scalp.

Could one even say exhaustion was worthy to be Northern’s enemy?

Was anything?

The world was vast and unknown. The Reimgard Empire was even more unknown than known. Admiral Yan was sure there were harrowing creatures out there that would drive even Northern to caution.

But the difference between people like him and Northern was this: instances like today were their daily lives, their greatest struggles. For Northern, this would probably be vacation. The rare thing. The uncommon...

The Empire was one such vacation. If anyone could show them some humility, it had to be this man.

One detail bothered Admiral Yan more than all of this.

The point of this battle was for Duke Amene to experience the weight of Northern’s sword. And at the beginning, Northern had said he was going to use one talent and hold back his strength.

He was holding back his strength.

Terror seized the Admiral. His eyes widened like he was beholding a world-ending disaster as vast as the entire sky.

”Holy... stars. Just how strong could he possibly be?”