Chapter 208 Mystique Weapons & The Sword Spirit

"Just choose a partner and spar between yourself. I want to see you fighting until your opponent's down on the ground or your stamina falls down by more than half. Take this spar seriously, and don't just play around like it's a game." Thaddeus said, as he sat upon the chair placed in the middle. "You can decide upon the method of your spar and rules. Just don't stop until I say so." He finished his words and closed his eyes, ignoring everyone.

Currently only 8 students who managed to pass his test at that time were standing there. The rest of the class was practicing on the side with assistant professors in charge of them.

Rio, who just came out of his therapy sessions glanced at Amelia, who just dragged Rebecca and went to a corner.

'Who wants to get beaten for no point?' She thought as she gave him a final look.

[How about you fight with the protagonist. Let's see which skills Apollo chose to teach him, and which he saved for later, just so he can rank him up higher.] System said enthusiastically. It even felt if it should issue a quest at this time, with some little reward.

(Well let's just do it.)

[Quest issued]

[- Defeat Leon in a fight and break his pride.

Quest Reward - 10000 points.]

Rio who looked at the system's lousy quest and even more lousy reward, directly refused it without saying anything and closed the panel.

'This stupid AI. I hope next upgrade will give you some brain to think.'

[But.. ] When system started to speak in its defense, Rio just muted it, and told it to go and sleep. This was going to be his first quest, doesn't the system know that the first quest should always start with a nice reward or some unique gift.

'10000 points. I already got enough points and don't know where to spend them.'

What is it if it's not stupid. He was also looking forward to his first quest. And look at this disappointment.

Rio sighed and started to move towards Valtor, there was no need for him to fight Leon this early for useless show off.

He was a nice villain, who wanted the hero to live his days of glory for a while. Leon is getting praise and comments from everyone, so let him be and enjoy all this.

After all, the higher he flies now, the deeper the wound would be when he chops his wings later and makes him fall down.

'Enjoy your first few months. We'll fight in the first sem exams, where I get to crush you in front of the whole academy.'

"I need my rank 1 room back after all." Rio muttered and kept walking.

But stopped when a girl appeared in his way and stood in between.

"Do you want to spar?" Katherine said, with her usual dead body types cold expression.

Rio looked at her face for some time, trying to see if he could remember anything about her, yet got nothing, but the mild warnings of a headache. So he let it be.

"Sure." Rio said, as he just decided to train with her instead. Maybe it was because he saw Valtor and Leon talking to each other. Or maybe because he remembered that he had already promised her this yesterday.

There was also a chance that he'd unlock her gift if he got into contact with her. Just because it hasn't been issued yet, didn't mean it won't be. There was only one gift left now, and Rio had a feeling ot was Katherine's memory crystal. He just didn't know what were the conditions to unlock it.

Because while Saisha's gift was issued by system the moment he saw her, Amelia's gift was given much later. So Katherine's conditions could be similar or somewhst different, he wasn't sure.

"Let's go over there." Rio said while pointing towards an empty corner.

The use of spells and blessings wasn't allowed, as the professor only wanted to see our physical strength and techniques we learned before coming to academy. Rio watched as he saw Katherine move towards the table where several wooden swords and other wooden weapons were placed. She picked up a sword and came to a side. Rip looked at several weapons, thinking about which one to choose. In the end he looked at Katherine and after thinking something, picked up a long staff. And came to face her.

Katherine squinted her eyes seeing him pick a staff. Everyone knew he weilded a sword, as his achievements were widely spread in Arcadia.

The one who created his own sword art at the age of 15. Or the one who mastered the sword technique made by the Sword Saint. Or the one who had the epiphany after looking at the 13th Spirit's Strike.

These were all feats that basically everyone in the academy and Schilla knew. Even in the academy his name was written in the history pillars, since he had an epiphany after seeing the Sword strike Marks left by the previous weilders of Mystique sword.

[[[[[Mystique Weapons - Special weapons whose origin still remain unknown even after a 1000 years. These weapons have their own will, and no one could weild them without getting the approval of the weapon spirit. In entire Arcadia, there are around 36 Mystique weapons, which had been found until now. And only 21 of them had recognized their owner. Rest of the 15 weapons had been lying dormant waiting for their destined master.

These weapons appeared after the first tower filled with monsters appeared. These were all weapons thrown in the world and had been scattered throughout the planet. Every 25 years the weapons which still haven't recognized their owner yet, would release an attack of their previous weilder, leaving the mark of their presence behind on the world. This is like a call from the weapon spirits to their master, and a chance to see if anyone worthy has been born in the new generation.

No one who isn't worthy can touch or weild these weapon, and would be killed by the weapon spirit if they forcefully tried to bind them. This is why the remaining 15 weapons had been open for the whole world to see, yet no one worthy for them had been found.

Everyone in Arcadia tries to go and try their luck, but until now only 21 of such weapons had found their owners yet.

If an owner of the Mystique Weapon dies, it's weapon spirit would then remain ownerless for the next 25 years, and then start to look for a new owner like the previous progress, or choose to go dormant. These weapons can't be passed down through generations or given away or sold. Unless of course the weapon spirit found someone worthy enough, and chose to follow him after your death.

Duke Agnus Blake had been chosen by the Mystique Sword called Shade. That's why he was given the title of 'Owner of Shadi and 'Sword Saint'.

And Rio, his son had gained an epiphany after seeing the mark left behind by the 13th Mystique Weapon, which was another sword spirit.

This meant that after Rio reached Limit Rank, he'd have a chance to take part in the trial set by the weapon spirit, and could become it's new owner if he cleared it.

— The weapon spirits would first choose the qualifications of the person, and if he's been recognized, then he would have a chance to enter the trial and challenge it. One needs to be atleast a limit rank awakener to challenge the trials set by the Mystique weapons. ]]]]]

A thought that Rio was looking down at her or wasn't taking her seriously came to Katherine's mind, but she just ignored it as it didn't matter to her. She just needed to learn what she lacked, and that's all.

"Let's start." She said, as she prepared her stance, and prepared to attack him. magic

Yet when she swung her sword at him, he just pointed his finger at her. Before his finger touched the sword, Katherine saw thin lines started to appear on the sword, and when Rio slightly ticked on the sword's tip, the entire sword got cut in several pieces, which started to slid down & fell to the ground.

".... "

Katherine just stared at her hand which only held the broken wooden hilt with confused eyes, and when she looked up, she saw a staff pointing at her neck - "Game Over"

Amelia who was fighting with Rebecca nearby glaced at her brother and smiled, while Rebecca just clicked her tongue and muttered - "Show off."