Draconic King of Shadows-Chapter 52: Forging a New Path

"You got defeated," Hakuro’s words hit Damion like a bullet train, and he clenched his fists. "Did you forget the purpose of battle? To win regardless of your strength?"

The old man circled Damion and Kenzo, staring at them deeply as they bled from several wounds.

The medics on standby were shivering in fright, watching as Hakuro disciplined his students, brutally.

"And you Kenzo, I wouldn’t blame you for your actions. However, sacrifices are meant to be made when eventual safety is guaranteed,"

"If it wasn’t for the academy’s rules that forced any medic to act when they felt a student was going to die, you three won’t be alive."

Matilda shuddered from where she was.

"Regardless, let this be a lesson to you all. You lost that day, and were bedridden for a whole week. Remember that feeling of weakness, and make sure you strive to never feel it again. Understood!"

"Yes, Master," they chorused.

Hakuro took a step back, and with a single glance at the medics, they exploded into action, sprinting towards Kenzo and Damion to treat their wounds.

The floor beneath them was soaked already, but they didn’t seem to feel the pain. Their minds were occupied with the knowledge they had just received, and they pondered on its meaning.

"Strength... I need more of it," Damion muttered as a green glow coated his body.

Soon, they were back to their peak, and they rose to their feet, waiting for Hakuro’s next orders.

"Have you progressed in the use of Phantom Slash?"

Kenzo nodded his head, but Damion shook his.

Hakuro sighed and shook his head. "I didn’t think it would come to this, but Damion... your fighting style needs to change," Hakuro suddenly said, earning himself a slightly surprised stare from Damion.

"In what way, Master?" Damion asked.

Hakuro walked over to Damion, took his hand into his palm, and traced his fingers over the black hand wraps.

"You follow both the path of a Swordsman and a Pugilist," he said. "You can’t do both at once, because at some point their ideals will clash, and you would hit a tight bottleneck you would not be able to surpass."

Damion raised his gaze and opened the System to see his two skills, Swordsmanship and Krav Maga.

"It might seem like something easy to solve, but you have great talents for both, and there’s only one way to cull that problem," Hakuro said once more. "Forge your own path, create your own discipline, and break past your limits,"

"Remember, a man is only limited by his thoughts. If you believe you can do it, then you can achieve it."

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[New Quest Received]

[Quest Description- You have been challenged by a master Martial Artist.

Create a Martial Arts fit for the Draconic King of Shadows, and Forge your own path to supremacy]

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[The skills, Swordsmanship and Krav Maga, have been lost]

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Damion struggled to contain the sudden shock that overwhelmed him. A few words was all it took for Hakuro to slash his combat strength in half.

Damion’s head dropped, and those who witnessed the exchange thought he was devastated. However, though he was devastated, it was for a different reason from what they thought.

Hakuro walked over to Kenzo and spoke with him too. Hakuro encouraged him to focus on the path of the sword, even going as far as telling him that’s what he was best at.

Kenzo took his words seriously. He had never seen a Swordsman like Hakuro, so he respected him wholeheartedly.

He had given only two people in the whole world that kind of respect. One being Hakuro, and the other, his dead father.

Kenzo’s Ability synced so well with his Swordsmanship, that it almost seemed unreal. His progress in combat had improved by leaps and bounds with no signs of stopping, and his mastery over his Ability was only growing.

Damion didn’t feel the need to continue the class after he lost his two combat skills, but he stayed nonetheless.

The training for that period was physical fitness. Damion along with Kenzo and the other students were forced to lift weights and do some exercises.

Some gave up midway, but Hakuro wasn’t so graceful and forced every single one of them to participate. What was the point of them attending the class if they weren’t going to be part of the activities?

At the end of the class, some students collapsed, but the medics were diligent in their work.

Damion ended up in his room after another long day, thinking about how he would solve his new problem.

"Create a Martial Art?" He wondered. "Would something that profound and complex be that easy?"

Hours passed as Damion’s mind continued whirling. He came up with several ideas and plans, wondering if the Blessing of Knowledge could help him, but when it turned dark though, he rose from his bed, clearing his mind of every disturbing thought.

"Agony needs to test my new weapon."

His coat appeared on his body, and the Magitech Armor reacted in kind, shifting and changing to the shape of a vest to avoid a bulge in the coat.

Damion stared at his fists, then shifted his gaze to the two swords in his Storage. Seemingly realizing something, he pulled up the info of the Magitech Armor and activated the Jaws of Ophidia.

"No effect," Damion muttered, pondering. "Is it because it’s not entirely crafted from a Beast Core?"

"I expected it to have a stronger effect even, since the Green Rose Poison Heart and the Jaws of Ophidia were related in some way... or was I wrong?"

Damion went through the information of his equipments, before doing the needful to the necklace and jumping through the window.

He landed silently, seemingly unbothered by the force of the impact. The location of Agony’s target came up in his mind, and with that, he moved.

Damion crossed large distances swiftly, his pace a perfect balance between haste and efficiency. Despite his incredible speed, he seemed to cover the distance in a very short time, arriving at his destination with practiced ease.

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[Shadow Possession- Lvl 1]

[Skill Description: Your shadow is your alternate version in the Shadow Realm, and can be manipulated at will.

Fuse with your shadow, and all your skills and physical stats would be doubled]

[Cost: 10 MP]

[Duration: 5 Minutes

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[Shadow Possession has been activated]

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