Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 751: Skywalker Sword

CH751 Skywalker Sword

***

Alex also considered the way he had killed the gorilla alpha wasteful.

He could have achieved the same result with a spell. The only reason he had not was because he wanted to test both the Warlord Sword Art and the Skywalker Sword.

Ignoring the silently grumbling Kavakan, Alex examined the sword in his hand.

Although he knew the weapon had originally belonged to the Sword Emperor rather than the progenitor of House Skywalker, that was about all he knew.

He did not even know its true name.

In fact, he doubted the Sword Emperor had ever bothered naming it.

As a result, he simply continued referring to it as the Skywalker Sword.

As the weapon of a Class 7 expert, the Skywalker Sword was far from ordinary.

From what Alex could determine, the blade was virtually indestructible, forged from an alloy that neither he nor Sugud could identify, though both were certain it contained more than a few legendary-grade materials fused together.

At the very least, it would require more than ordinary legendary power to destroy it.

Unfortunately, while the sword itself could withstand legendary levels of force, the wielder would not be nearly as fortunate if they lacked comparable defensive capabilities.

Beyond its incredible durability, the sword could also accept virtually any form of energy—mana, internal energy, combat energy, berserk energy, and more.

In theory, that meant anyone could wield it.

Reality, however, was somewhat different.

This adaptability had not been designed primarily for the user’s benefit. Rather, it existed to support the sword’s greatest ability—Energy Absorption.

Somewhat similar to Alex’s Plate of Happenstance, the Skywalker Sword could absorb residual energy from the battlefield and convert it into power for its attacks, thereby reducing the wielder’s energy expenditure.

For example, the Rain of Swords technique Alex had just used was powered entirely by energy the sword had absorbed from the surrounding battlefield, supplemented by the blood and energy from the gorilla alpha’s body and beast core respectively.

With sufficient control, Alex could potentially utilise the sword’s Energy Absorption ability both defensively and offensively.

For instance, he could direct the sword to absorb the mana contained within a spell or combat technique launched at him.

However, accomplishing such a feat would require extensive practice, as well as considerable Spiritual Force.

Fortunately, Alex possessed a natural advantage in the latter, while the former was simply a matter of time and practice.

‘That said, it’s still a little lacklustre for the weapon of a Class 7 expert,’ Alex thought. ‘Then again, we’re talking about the Sword Emperor—an expert of the sword who couldn’t even be bothered to create actual sword techniques.

‘It’s already a feat that he crafted a sword at all, and didn’t fight with on a random stick for example.’

Alex recalled the Sword Emperor’s training during the Weapon Stele trial.

The man had simply instructed him to swing his sword over and over in whatever manner felt most natural, correcting only minor wasted movements and inefficiencies.

He was the very embodiment of returning to simplicity.

‘I wonder what he’d think if he knew the progenitor of House Skywalker created a “sword art” from his teachings.’

The thought amused him.

According to the introduction of the Warlord Sword Art—the patriarch-exclusive combat technique of House Skywalker—the House’s progenitor had created the sword art after studying the sword marks the Sword Emperor left upon the entrance to his cultivation chamber.

That same cultivation chamber had later been converted into the Skywalker Family’s most important vault.

Being a genius swordsman in his own right, the Skywalker progenitor had drawn inspiration from those sword marks and eventually conceived the Warlord Sword Art.

While this ensured that some of the Sword Emperor’s methods were passed down to future generations, Alex wondered whether the man himself would appreciate the technique.

After all, the Sword Emperor had vehemently believed that formalised sword arts were the wrong way to learn the sword.

Then again, the Warlord Sword Art was not necessarily a technique for swinging a sword.

Rather, it was a method of controlling the energy within the sword to enhance one’s attacks.

The Warlord Sword Art was divided into three strikes—or, as House Skywalker referred to them, three swords.

The First Sword taught the principle of channelling energy through the blade in a manner that created a shield-ignoring effect against energy-based defences.

Meanwhile, the Second Sword focused on generating a material shield-piercing effect capable of penetrating physical protections.

Whether it was the First Sword or the Second Sword, both could be incorporated into virtually any sword attack, be it a slash, thrust, sweep, or otherwise.

Their true focus lay not in the movement of the blade itself, but in the effects created by the user’s energy as it left the sword.

The First Sword manifested the user’s sword energy in a manner that allowed it to phase through an opponent’s active or passive energy defences—whether a mage’s mana shield, a warrior’s energy coating, or simply the natural energy barrier possessed by all beings infused with mana.

As for the Second Sword, it compressed the user’s sword energy to such an extent that it could penetrate material defences, most commonly armour.

While it was possible to utilise these two “Swords” with any form of sword strike, Alex found that he preferred using the First Sword with a slash and the Second Sword with a thrust.

Hence why he had developed his own variation:

First Sword—Slash.

Second Sword—Thrust.

The Third Sword was somewhat special.

It could not be used without the Skywalker Sword, as it was fundamentally a method for controlling the energy absorbed by the weapon.

In fact, the First and Second Swords of the Warlord Sword Art were also most effective when used with the Skywalker Sword.

That was why the sword art was considered a patriarch-exclusive combat technique.

Only the patriarch of House Skywalker could wield the Skywalker Sword and, therefore, utilise all three “Swords” to their fullest potential.

The Rain of Swords Alex had just used was not truly a technique in its own right.

Rather, it was simply an application of the Third Sword, using the energy accumulated within the Skywalker Sword to create an attack.

Alex could just as easily have unleashed a single slash, pouring all of the stored energy into the released sword energy.

Essentially, the Third Sword was comparable to an elemental sorcerer’s Mystic Art, allowing him to shape the Skywalker Sword’s stored energy into whatever attack he desired.

The synergy between the Skywalker Sword and the Warlord Sword Art was remarkably similar to the relationship between his Dragon Kumite and the Plate of Happenstance.

‘Come to think of it, there’s also potential synergy between all four. If used properly, it might be possible to improve my mana efficiency even further.’

Alex continued mulling over the possibility as he walked back towards the waystation where the convoy was resting.

***