Chapter 167 They Were Undoubtedly A Group Of Good Young Men
The Adventurer Party ≪Wood Sword Appreciation Club≫ belong to the Clan ≪Wooden Sword Way≫.
They were a party formed through a unique set of circumstances, just like the ≪White Lily Maiden≫. As their name suggests, they were a group of wood sword mania who gathered together.
People with the same interests naturally came together, and since they were all explorers, they formed a party.
The members of the ≪Wood Sword Appreciation Club≫, formed in this way, numbered 5.
All of them had jobs related to swordsmanship.
Although their party formation was quite biased, they somehow managed to succeed. Just like a magician party that emphasized firepower, their extreme focus on swordsmanship surprisingly clicked, and they became Advanced Explorers in no time.
And then, fate brought them to meet the 'Wood Sword Meister' through the ≪Extreme Sword≫ incident. After that, they joined the "Unique Individual Nord Slaying Operation," which led them to be invited to the Clan ≪Wooden Sword Way≫.
Luckily, they were able to join the Clan, and initially, they were undoubtedly a group of good young men.
Although they were wood sword mania, they had gentle and kind personalities, leaving a good impression on everyone they met....
However, as they became active in the Clan, they changed. On the surface, they remained gentle and kind, but in reality, they were no longer just wood sword mania, but rather a group of fanatics...
So, let me explain.
They were wood sword mania, but at the same time, they were also explorers. And even though they formed a party with people who shared the same interests, they didn't take it as seriously as the Maiden Squad.
They were just a normal Adventurer Party.
Their wood sword mania trait wasn't something they prioritized over their work, like many enthusiasts do. It was just a small pleasure in their daily lives. That's what wood swords meant to them.
In other words, the members of the enthusiast group were basically ordinary explorers.
However, their activities in the clan would quietly, but rapidly, change them.
But let me make one thing clear: it wasn't some dramatic event that transformed them. They just participated in clan activities like any other clan member.
However, Aaron Gale's training method, "Create strong wooden swords," quietly but quickly changed their perception.
This training method seamlessly merged their "wood sword mania" and "explorer" aspects, drawing them into clan activities.
And so, they came to understand. The lifestyle their Master embodied was the only path to becoming the strongest explorer.
Wooden Swordsmith was, in fact, the strongest combat job.
There was no room for doubt about this "truth." Because the strongest person they knew proved it.
When they formed the clan, their Master asked them.
"Do you wanna get stronger?!"
They.
They were obsessed with wooden swords, but they wanted to get stronger. Of course, that's because they were explorers. As genuine explorers, they had a desire to get stronger honestly.
However, that's not all. They saw it. The person they respected was performing an incredible mock battle in front of a large crowd. Or, they saw his extraordinary achievements in the special mission to defeat the Nord.
――≪Master Craftsman≫ Wood Sword Meister.
――≪Extreme Sword≫ Aaron Gale.
They admired him. One person had 2 different sides.
They admired one person twice as much――――and so, they became fanatics.
No matter what, as long as they were under their admired person, they could make their favorite wooden swords and rise to great heights as explorers. They had no complaints, and under the guidance of Clan Master Aaron, they enthusiastically made wooden swords and trained.
They did everything Aaron said, asked for, and guided them to do. They never said no or shook their heads.
If Aaron told them to carve wood with a wooden knife to make a wooden sword, they did it with a smile.
If they were given a normal wooden sword and told to hunt the Treant, the material for wooden swords, in a labyrinth, they did it without questioning.
Even when they were pushed to the limits, such as having a snowfield picnic or climbing the Dragon Mountain floor while fighting off a large group of monsters, they didn't curse and faced it head-on. If Aaron told them to acquire a technique to run in mid-air, they happily did so, and even participated in a monthly "That Thing" where they fought a naked devil to the death, standing on the edge of death.
It's an environment where people'd want to complain about a hundred or 2 hundred things if they're normal. Even if it's a gathering of kind-hearted good young men, the number of unreasonable things is more than enough to make them want to scream.
However, despite all that, their bright and cheerful smiles never clouded over.
If the ≪White Lily Maiden≪ had worked hard with pure killing intent, the ≪Wood Sword Appreciation Club≫ had trained while enjoying themselves, filled with respect and admiration.
As a result――they ended up abandoning all the individual Jobs skills they had acquired and learned Aaron's unique sword techniques and Battle Techniques instead.
[Aura Sword][Flying Blade][Heavy Blade][Blast Blade][Giant Blade][Aura Blade]――and [Rapid Flash] and [Skywalk]
They had acquired combined techniques and variation techniques that didn't use [Giant Blade] by combining these (although [Skywalk Rapid Flash] was still unacquired).
Why did they all go out of their way to learn the same sword techniques and Battle Techniques?
At first glance, it seems like they're just becoming a inferior version of Aaron, losing their individuality and obsessing over his sword techniques and Battle Techniques for no reason. However, there was value in the club members doing so.
There's a certain characteristic they originally had that needs to be mentioned――
――Why did they, with their lopsided party composition of all Swordsmen, manage to become Advanced Explorers?
That's the question.
The reason for this is not just because their firepower was well-balanced――it's not that simple. Since everyone has the same Jobs, they can accurately grasp what each other can and can't do, resulting in extremely high coordination accuracy.
By unifying their sword techniques and Battle Techniques, their coordination accuracy reached an unparalleled level, unmatched by others. Moreover, their hobbies are also the same. Although they lack individuality, this actually establishes a kind of collective, intuitive understanding.
Their individual combat abilities are still no match for those at the top of the clan rankings.
However, if they work together in pairs or more, their combat power will skyrocket――――that's the evaluation.
And they themselves don't disagree with this assessment.
* * *
"――The Maidens' squad is being pushed back, huh."
The members of the ≪Wood Sword Appreciation Club≫, who had arrived at the Aron family's grounds from Caduceus, stood on top of the massive walls surrounding the grounds, observing the battle unfolding within the Aron family's territory.
They immediately realized that the Maidens' group was being overwhelmed, but
"Well, they'll be fine, I'm sure."
no one suggested going to their aid.
They knew that the cornered Maidens would transform into beasts and devour their attackers directly.
"Let's leave the ones below to the Maidens and take care of the ones in the air."
the young leader of the appreciation club proposed, and everyone nodded in agreement.
The ones in the air, of course, referred to the Space Magicians attacking the Aron family. Although they posed a greater threat than the adepts below, the appreciation club members didn't seem intimidated.
"We're no good at fighting the Space magicians in a party, but since we're a group, it's better to fight in multiple teams. To take them down efficiently, let's divide into 2-person and 3-person teams."
"""I understand."""
As soon as they decided on a plan, they quickly moved to their positions.
Wooden Sword Way-style Battle Technique――[Rapid Flash]
They exploded their aura at their feet and started sprinting like they were shot out of a cannon.
But, despite saying they would fight together, they somehow ended up scattered all over the place. However, the leader of the club didn't panic and kept his eyes fixed on the Space Magician, closing in on him.
――[Rapid Flash]
With one final leap, he jumped high into the air and closed in on the Space Magician.
"Hello! Die, please!!"
"W-what――?!"
The young man grinned and swung his sword.
Wooden Sword Way-style Sword Technique――[Flying Blade]
The sword infused with aura flew towards the surprised Space Magician, but it was blocked by the suddenly deployed [Space Barrier].
Meanwhile, the Space Magician who dodged the surprise attack quickly counterattacked.
"What are you?!"
A wide-range magical energy beam was released, and the magic was activated a moment later.
Space Magic――[Space Rupture]
Bang!!
Like the shattering of glass, cracks spread in all directions through space. If you touched those cracks, you'd be defenseless and cut off. It was a vicious, wide-area attack magic. However――,
"Haha! Just as Master said!!"
Wooden Sword Way-style Battle Technique――[Skywalk]
The young man with sparkling eyes jumped into the air, using the sky as his foothold, and effortlessly dodged the attack range of [Space Rupture].
He wasn't even using a feint with his magical energy, and the time it took to activate it wasn't particularly fast either. Any expert explorer could easily avoid it.
Moreover, he repeated [Skywalk] and jumped around in mid-air, firing [Flying Blade] at the magician while taunting him with words.
"You guys aren't used to fighting, are you? That's why your precious Space magic is going to waste!!"
In response, the magician, who came from a high-ranking family and lacked resistance to provocation, instantly flew into a rage.
"You brat!! What do you know about Space magic?! Don't get ahead of yourself!!"
"Hey, hey! I'm not belittling Space magic!! I'm just saying you're a total failure as an individual!!"
"Shut up, you lowly commoner!!"
In an instant, the magician pointed his staff at the young man jumping around in the air, releasing a massive amount of magical energy.
It seemed like he was trying to cast an even bigger magic than [Space Rupture]. However, as the magic grew in scale, the time it took to activate it naturally increased as well. The young man didn't miss this opportunity.
"Haha! Look at my skills too! I've been practicing hard!!"
He swung his sword, and an aura blade flew out from its trajectory. However, its path was slightly off from the Space Magician's.
"Hah, you idiot! Where are you――."
It flew off in a completely different direction, and the magician's face twisted into a sneer――right after that,
Pop!!
and the sound of something bursting echoed.
Wooden Sword Way-style Sword Technique [Blast Blade][Flying Blade] combined technique [Blast Flying Blade] variation―― [Flying Blade - Falcon]
This technique accelerates the flying slash by exploding a part of the aura, and further changes its trajectory at a sharp angle.
Among the combined techniques the members of the Club can currently use, this is the most advanced skill. However――even the young man didn't think that this one hit would decide the outcome. The real deal is what comes next――.
"What are you aiming――for?"
In an instant, the aura blade changed its trajectory and accelerated, bypassing the barrier that had been set up between the magician and the young man, and beheaded the Space magician.
"Eh?"
As the barrier disappeared, the young man watched in awe as the magician's body and head fell to the ground.
Without even activating Skywalk, the young man fell to the ground, deeply bending his knees and landing like a beast.
"......Has he, died?"
He confirmed that the Space magician was truly dead.
He had thought that even if he used [Flying Blade - Falcon], the attack would be blocked if it came straight from the front. However, he had planned to use this tricky technique to catch the magician off guard, and in that instant, his hidden ally, who had been hiding outside the magician's sensory range, would unleash a speed-prioritized [Flying Blade - Falcon] without trajectory variation to take down the magician.
So, the real deal was supposed to be the [Flying Blade - Falcon] unleashed by the hidden ally.
For that reason, he provoked him with words, focusing all his attention on himself... but it was all in vain.
"Leader?"
The hidden comrade approached him, looking at him with a questioning gaze.
The young man apologized.
"Sorry! It seems that changing the plan earlier was a good idea! I can win easily on my own."
"...Looks that way, doesn't it? Maybe the enemy is weaker than expected?"
"No, I think it's because Master's sword skills are just that amazing!!"
It wasn't that the enemy was weaker than imagined. Master's sword techniques were simply more excellent than expected.
The comrade, who was told this, also nodded in agreement.
"That's true! Master is amazing after all!"
"Yeah, yeah! ...But, sorry, can you tell the other 3 to go solo too?"
"Ah, yeah, okay, got it."
The young comrade reluctantly agreed and took off running.
Meanwhile, the leader also set off to find the next target.
He put away the "Black Radiance" he had been using and took out the "Rock Iron" Master had made for him instead.
"But, it's frustrating... I still want to try out different wooden swords and techniques... If I run out of opponents, I might ask non-Space magicians to be my opponents too. It's not often I get to cut down people, not monsters, after all."
He muttered this with an innocent-looking face.
Let me make it clear, he was originally a kind and normal young man. But why did he become like this?... His strong admiration and excessive enthusiasm had surely changed his mind. Maybe it's because of who he admires, or maybe it's important....
Anyway, when he naturally made a psycho-like comment, someone suddenly appeared from nowhere,
――BOOM!!!
And, a sound like something was shattering into tiny pieces echoed throughout the Aron estate.
"No way...if we don't hurry, the Space Magicians will escape too..."
The maiden' true nature as beasts was finally revealed, and he quickly realized it.
"We can't afford to mess around. I need to hurry too!!"
With that, the members of the club hurried to take down the enemy Space Magicians on the grounds.
As a result, before the wild maidens could finish off the attackers, they managed to defeat the Space Magicians.
Although they struggled against the magicians who specialized in defense using the [Space Barrier] in the latter half, they were able to settle the fight in a short amount of time.
The details will be spared, but the reason was the enemy magicians' lack of combat experience and the unexpectedly high performance and applicability of the Wooden Sword Way's sword techniques against humans.
They were able to knock them out with the explosive sound of [Flying Blade - Falcon] and [Blast Blade] and take them down while they were stunned.
The leader, who had confirmed the usefulness of the Wooden Sword Way in close combat and was reminded of their master's correct assessment of their weaknesses, let out a triumphant cry at the end of the battle.
"That's right, Master's words were correct!! Master is always right!! Space Magicians are no match for us, the Wooden Sword users!!!"
They were able to defeat the Space Magicians so easily, and they could feel their growth. And they were convinced that it was all thanks to their respected Master.
By the way, his eyes looking up at the sky were completely gleaming.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)