Chapter 67: Self-Training

Duke's shadow transport technique was a revelation to Rayan. With just a shadow cast by a coin, one could traverse the realms of void and instantly reach an ally's side. If he could master this technique, wouldn't he be able to go wherever he wanted?

Duke saw through Rayan's little thoughts and sneered coldly, "Do you think shadow transport is for showing off and picking up girls?"

Rayan's face reddened slightly, "Boss, I didn't think that much..."

"Shadow transport requires passing through the realm of void and demands the learner to have an exceptional affinity with shadows, being able to fully merge with them."

"If you teach me, I can do it."

"Big talk!"

Duke laughed heartily, "Kid, do you know how long I spent honing my shadow affinity?"

Before Rayan could respond, he spread his arms wide, "Ten years, a full ten years. Do you want to be stuck in this shabby place called Shadowcrest Ridge being my assistant for ten years? Heh, I wouldn't mind that."

Rayan silently lowered his head.

Although he loved both Duke and the crow and had come to consider this place his home, in order to reclaim the Twilight Blade and seek higher training to achieve legend status, he couldn't possibly stay here for ten years.

Knowing they would eventually part ways, the sooner he left, the less dragged out his sadness would be when the time came. Rayan had set himself a timeline: regardless of whether he could break through the Tenth Tier Battle Qi, he would leave Duke's protection in a year and venture out on his own.

Thinking this made Rayan suddenly feel a pang of heartache.

Duke seemed affected too, but being tough as old ginger, he returned to the previous topic and said nonchalantly, "All in all, shadow transport isn't suitable for you. Not only is the learning period long, but that move is only meant for Assassin support. It also consumes a lot of Battle Qi, which isn't ideal for a combat-type Fighter like you."

Rayan nodded convincingly. He understood that Duke wasn't unwilling to teach him but was instead teaching according to his abilities, already considering what was suitable and what wasn't within this short year.

"Let's have dinner first. I've been quite busy lately, we can talk about this later," Duke said casually.

"Yes, boss."

Rayan paused, then spoke again, "By the way boss, can I ask a new question today?"

"Go ahead."

"Are there people in this world who can transform into birds?"

"What kind of question is that?"

Duke scoffed with a laugh, "Holy Light Sisterhood has many transformation spells; turning people into birds, sheep, or pigs is all possible."

Rayan shook his head, "I'm not talking about transformation spells used on enemies in battle, but transforming oneself into the form of a bird."

Duke's smile faded, and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Transforming into a bird? If it's advanced magic..."

"This person who transformed into a bird is a man."

"A man..."

Duke wasn't particularly surprised, but his eyebrows knitted together, deep in thought.

On the Auroria Continent, there are clear laws that men are not allowed to study magic. For three thousand years of magic. If transforming into a bird is considered advanced magic, then Mina's mother would have witnessed a male mage who should have been burned at the stake.

Rayan thought Duke would outright tell him there are no male mages in this world, but Duke's silence made the situation oddly eerie.

"Could there really be male mages?"

After waiting a few minutes, Rayan couldn't help but speak out.

A thoughtful expression crossed Duke's face, "Did you read about the transforming into a bird thing in a book?"

Rayan shook his head, "It was Mina's mother who told me. She said she once saw a man touch Yin Lisha's apple, and then he turned into a big bird and flew away. I actually thought she was seeing things..."

Duke sighed and propped his chin with both hands, "I'm afraid I can't answer your question because I once swore not to discuss topics related to this. Why don't you ask something else?"

Rayan blinked calmly, his gaze falling on the lightning scar on Duke's arm, "That scar wasn't caused by a female mage of the Holy Light Sisterhood, but by a weapon specifically crafted for you by another mage, right?"

Duke's expression turned strange, his authoritative demeanor like a mask about to crumble. Beneath that mask, his lips twisted painfully, his eyes half fixed on the present, half drifting to some other place, recalling something.

After a moment of heavy silence, he slowly began to speak, "That's quite a double-edged question."

Admitting the lightning scar was from a weapon was tantamount to admitting that there were "other mages" in the world besides those of the Holy Light Sisterhood, as the Sisterhood would never craft such a bizarre magic weapon for an Assassin.

"Rayan, Rayan, you really are..." Duke's expression resembled that of a chaste maiden cornered by a lecher.

Being able to push his own teacher into such a corner gave Rayan a slight sense of pride, but he tried not to show it, "Boss, you just need to answer yes or no, I can guess the rest myself."

Duke pursed his lips, seemingly weighing his words carefully. "...Yes."

Though Rayan had anticipated the answer, hearing Duke admit it still made him involuntarily gasp.

"So there really are male mages on the Auroria Continent..."

"I never said that," Duke's expression was as stiff as stone.

"That means, Mina's mother wasn't seeing things, Yin Lisha was indeed murdered."

Rayan spoke to himself, "But why would a male mage who should have been burned at the stake want to harm a commoner girl? It doesn't make sense. Was it a mistaken killing? Was Morien the actual target? But why..."

"Let's leave it at that."

Duke's face became stern, his voice irritable, "Hurry up and finish eating, then disappear from my sight."

"Yes, boss."

The matter with Morien seemed to have reached a conclusion, and pursuing the clues about the male mage seemed somewhat pointless now.

Rayan buried this mystery deep in his heart, quickly finished his breakfast, and then meticulously wiped the table, chairs, and glasses a hundred times each. Seeing it was still early, he greeted Duke and headed back to the storage room behind the house.

He chose not to continue reading but found the five bottles of underwater breathing potion left by Morien. Leaving Ravenstorm Inn, he headed down to the White River near the Rope Bridge.

Although his Battle Qi had risen from Fourth Tier to Seventh Tier, the Crow Sword was still not very smooth. To gain an advantage in future battles, he needed to make the most of his time practicing, and the riverbed was the ideal place for it.

Leaving the inn, the crow, like a follower, kept circling above him, and when tired, landed on his shoulder, tilting its head to preen its feathers. Each time Rayan looked at it, the crow would proudly turn its head away, feigning indifference.

Rayan just smiled, not calling it out, but continued on his way.

They quickly reached the White River through a shortcut through the dense forest. The river churned with turbulent waves, the current relentless. The repaired Rope Bridge above was empty, no one walking on it.

The air was colder than the previous days; standing in front of the river, he could feel the winter chill hitting his face.

Rayan completed a set of warm-up exercises to stretch his muscles and joints, then stripped off his clothes, grabbed the Crow Sword and underwater breathing potion, and dove into the water.

"Wu ah!"

The splashing water wet the crow's feathers, causing it to clumsily circle above the water surface.

Rayan chuckled, drank the underwater breathing potion, flipped over, and plunged into the icy riverbed.

The White River was clearly more turbulent than the Darkwater River. The riverbed was anything but calm, with wild underwater grass and sudden undercurrents swirling around. Rayan focused his Seventh Tier Battle Qi, starting his self-training in this challenging and resistive environment.

Training in such harsh conditions, every half-hour was equivalent to a whole day of intensive training on land, yielding results many times greater than usual.

Since the Heart of Moonlight had enhanced his physique, the Crow Sword was no longer as heavy. But to truly master the control of this giant sword, he had to link the basics of swordsmanship from the beginning.

Rayan earnestly started with the first move of the basic sword techniques, climbing ashore to drink another potion each time one ran out, consuming four bottles of the underwater breathing potion before he could perfectly execute the first move of the basic sword techniques in such rapid currents.

He was quite satisfied with his progress, still having plenty of stamina left, and intended to continue practicing the second move. However, with only one bottle of underwater breathing potion remaining, he had to keep it as a reference for his potion brewing.

Reluctantly, he climbed ashore, dried off his body, dressed, and prepared to return to Ravenstorm Inn.

Suddenly, the crow cried out above his head and then swooped down with its talons extended. Its fierce posture was clearly in retaliation for Rayan splashing it earlier.

"Brother Crow, do you want to join me in sword practice?"

The crow was a Fourth Rank or higher Feral Beast, equivalent to an Eighth Tier Battle Qi in strength. Moreover, the crow's diet was the same as Rayan's, also progressing along. To spar with such a formidable opponent was far more exhilarating than sparring with three soft Bandit mercenaries!

Rayan was thrilled, first raising the Crow Sword to block, then quickly reversing his wrist for a side slash.

The crow opened its huge wings, spun around skillfully avoiding the slash, and its talons reached towards Rayan from an unimaginably tricky angle.