novelraw Chapter 75: New Attribute & Talent
Chapter 75: New Attribute & Talent
The Black Knight dropped to one knee before the throne.
Immediately, Damon felt a strange sensation ripple through him, a connection between himself and the knight. It was familiar, a lot like his bond with Kitsune, but at the same time, it was entirely different.
While Kitsune acted however she pleased, the knight did not.
It remained utterly silent, awaiting Damon’s command as if nothing else in existence mattered.
"Rise," Damon said.
The Black Knight stood almost instantly, the darkness within its greathelm stirring as it lifted its gaze toward him. Even through the helmet’s void-like interior, Damon could feel the weight of its attention.
But his focus shifted away from the knight.
He summoned his status window and examined the description of his new attribute.
[Attribute: Dark Legion]
[Description: Within your Domain reside the echoes of souls, born from black ice and ready to obey your command. Current Troops: 1]
As he reread the description, Damon quickly realised the attribute was directly connected to his ability, Domain of Darkness. The two seemed to function in tandem, neither would be of use without the other. They were paired by design, complementary pieces of a greater whole.
But another question burned in his mind. How does he raise more troops?
The brief description before him offered no answers. He dismissed the status window and looked back at the knight, who stood motionless, still awaiting his command.
Having a level 60 knight, ten levels above his own, sounded completely impossible. And yet there it stood, idle and completely obedient.
’They should be fine for a while... right?’ Damon thought to himself as he lifted his Jian sword.
One thing had become painfully clear during the battle against the Black Knight. His swordsmanship needed work. And who better to learn from than the very knight who had exposed that gap in skill?
"Attack me-"
Damon’s command barely left his mouth before the knight had already moved.
CLANG!
Their swords clashed without hesitation. The knight didn’t falter at the sudden command to strike its own commander. It simply listened and attacked without even a hint of doubt.
Damon’s lips curved up slightly, caught off guard by how readily the knight obeyed, but he didn’t dwell long on it. He activated Absolute Comprehension and began studying the knight’s swordsmanship with intense focus.
The Black Knight didn’t hold back even a little.
Its sword found its way toward Damon’s armour numerous times, each strike deliberate and precise. Of course, it was all by design. Damon needed the knight to go all out, as he extensively studied each of its movements, and soon he began to grasp a good understanding of the swordsmanship the knight was using.
[Your comprehension of *Abyssal Sword Art* has significantly increased!]
The learning speed with Absolute Comprehension was extraordinary. Damon only needed to see a move twice before being able to replicate it against the knight. What would take others months to learn, he absorbed in a matter of a few minutes.
The battle of pure swordsmanship continued for another hour. Until finally, just as Damon’s stamina neared its end, a notification echoed in his head.
[Your comprehension of the *First Step of the Abyssal Sword Art* has been completed!]
[You have received a Talent: Abyssal Sword Art I]
"Enough," he said through ragged breaths.
His stamina was gone.
The knight paused mid-swing, its blade stopping only an inch from Damon’s head before it suddenly dropped to one knee.
Damon ignored his close encounter with death and instead frowned at the notification.
’What’s a talent?’
He opened his status screen again, seeing a completely new section he hadn’t seen before.
[Talents: Abyssal Sword Art I]
As his focus narrowed on the only talent listed, a brief description appeared.
[You have mastered the first step of the Abyssal Sword Art. The knowledge of this deadly art is engraved in your mind. Steps: 1/5]
’So there are four more steps to complete mastery...’
It made sense.
Despite learning at an extreme rate, there was still much about the knight’s movements that caught him off guard. Each exchange revealed something new to master, layers of technique he had yet to comprehend.
But with his stamina depleted and his group waiting, this would have to wait for another day.
He lingered for a moment, trying to figure out how to return to Earth.
After a few failed attempts at simply thinking of the school bus he’d last been in, he thought back to the ability itself.
The moment his thoughts connected with the Domain of Darkness, his surroundings changed in an instant. The view of the school bus appeared before him, and he found himself back in his seat.
"Boss!" Nyla exclaimed as he materialised beside her. "Where did you go?"
Every member of the group turned from their seats toward Damon, who blinked several times against the disorientation washing over him.
"How long was I gone?" he asked Nyla, who sat right beside him, her shoulder brushing against his. Other members of the group were scattered throughout the bus, all staring at him with varying degrees of concern and curiosity.
"I think around two minutes," she replied.
Damon frowned.
He was certain he’d spent far more time in the Domain. At least an hour, possibly longer.
"It’s true," Kitsune’s voice suddenly cut through his confusion. "You were only gone for two minutes."
Surprisingly, she seemed to already know what had happened. Through their connection, she had gleaned exactly what she needed to satisfy her curiosity.
"I see," Damon murmured in response, slowly realising what that meant.
Time must’ve flowed differently in the Domain. It was valuable information, one that meant he could train extensively inside the Domain without worrying about losing too much time in the real world.
"So," Elias suddenly cut in from a few seats ahead of him, "did you do all you had to do?"
"No," Damon replied flatly.
There was still something else he needed to do.
His Bloodthirst ability... he was going to evolve it.