12 Is this even worth anything?

There was a carriage with a hooded elf holding the reins to the horses. On top of the carriage, there was a brown haired man who was 170 centimeter tall, wearing a blue-colored noble-fitting like attire. This man was just laying on the roof yawning to himself as he tried to hold it in with one hand.

This man was actually a 13-year old boy, and this boy was Linley.

'It's been two days already, yet it's so boring. I wished time could passed by like it usually does in novels.' Linley thought to himself.

Linley and his maid had chatted quite a bit already. From the information he can acquire, Linley knew where his future destination was. It was called Havian Academy. One of the most elite schools that was known across the entire continent. It was located in the Faulen Kingdom. A kingdom that was in the center of the continent. The so-called schooling is essentially grooming those who possess a profession into becoming stronger.

Linley was of the warrior profession, but he was still curious about the magician profession. But until the System could properly form a meditation technique for him. Until then, his desires for learning magic had to be stiffened.

Linley had expected to at least face something interesting in these 2 days already. But for some reason, this highway they were taking on seems only not vacant, but there was a lack of bandits and even magical beasts.

The path that both Linley and Melarue was taking, was actually leading to a city. Melarue explained to Linley that this specific city has a direct sea channel to Faulen Kingdom. So this road trip will change to a sea trip by the end of this week.

Of course Linley who wanted to fight something, didn't know that his maid Melarue was actually narrowly avoiding all the supposed threats on their journey so far. It wasn't that difficult for Melarue to scout forward ahead with wind magic. But still eventually, Melarue and Linley couldn't actually just go on continuing travel with their just meager supplies.

Eventually they'd hunt for their food, since Linley is a big eater.

If Linley recall past Linley Arthur's memories, he knew that Linley hasn't gone on a journey or an adventure or anything like it. That Linley only fight an owl-bear, because that owl-bear was not only threatening his father's territory, but mainly because the owl-bear was at one of Linley's training spots. Essentially, past Linley was no different from a sheltered princess who just works out a lot.

Linley knew Melarue was an excellent maid, but he didn't think she was a seasoned adventurer after all from what he know of her. Linley planned on hunting in the wild if he had a good helper or an expert at his beckoning. Linley lacked confidence, and doubt he could even hunt for his own food for the first time successfully.

If Linley were to live in the wild for like a month, Linley would not doubt himself being able to adapt to a wilderness environment. But he didn't want to face a personal struggle if he can avoid it.

Even a lion needs to tries it's best when it comes to hunting a rabbit. Asking an inexperienced person like Linley to do something that might seem simple in theory could be really difficult in reality.

Linley has been reincarnated in this world for less than a month. His innate skill or adaptability has not once been put to the test.

That's why Linley wants to get his first time fighting over already. If his first fight was something really important and if there were also things at stakes, that would definitely be bad.

Linley in his current circumstances felt like that things was always going too smoothly for him. Normally if he was a typical novel's protagonist, he would be offending people left and right. Doing stuff like stealing legacies, inheritances, and even from auctions. Stealing from the rich and even stealing the hearts of women.

Of course eventually within this day, something interesting did happen.

When the two on the carriage approached near a destroyed caravan. There was a group of bandits, just finishing up killing some victims.

Melarue already knew there were bandits here thanks to her wind magic. But she didn't want to backtrack and avoid them, since that would have cost them at least several hours of delay to their first destination.

Melarue who was driving the carriage had now stopped. She then casually had pulled out a bow and was reaching for the quiver behind her back. The only reason why Melarue was equipped like an archer, because she felt like running and stabbing each one to death or casting magic to kill them was literally a waste of energy.

Because she was an elf, her accuracy with a bow was so high that she can casually land 99% of over a hundreds shots. Even if she closed her eyes, still thanks to her sensitivity to nature and magic, she would still hit with over a 70% accuracy rate over a hundred shots.

Combined with wind magic, the lethality of an arrow shot by an elf, would have increased by several times in terms of effectiveness and power.

Linley who was bored and saw enemies for the first time. He literally jumped into the fray. He was now in front of the horses of their carriage.

"Stop Melarue, I will handle this myself. Back me up only if I'm struggling." Linley declared his intentions.

Two bandits from the group charged at Linley, believing he was an easy kill. After all, arrogant aristocratic's progeny who overestimate themselves are common in this world.

Linley simply only changed the rhythm of his breathing as the two approached him. As they were just mere steps away. Linley's presence suddenly changed, as a shining silvery aura exerted out of his entire body.

This was the aura of Battle-Qi. The sign of a Rank 7 Warrior. A Warrior Scholar at the very least.

Linley was a cautious person who always prefer to prepare himself. During the initial period of a few weeks since his reincarnating. He had not only acquired information about the world from Melarue and then simply just worked out when he had recovered. Once Linley had heard, he was already a Warrior who had awakened Battle-Qi. He had simply asked the System to look through past Linley's memory and tell him the method of how to utilize it.

During the weeks he was waiting for Melarue to gave him meditation techniques to reference, he had asked the system to analyze his Battle-Qi and improved it to highest degree possible at the moment. It had only took the System a week to do so, since past Linley had already awakened it, it was too simple to improve. Because even past Linley would have achieved similar results within several years just by continue on training like he did before.

Battle-Qi was essentially internal life energy now strong enough to be manifested outside of the body. There was another reason why Linley was doing push-ups before in the castle, it was simply to get adjusted to the body's physical might, knowing it's limits, and finally knowing how to pace himself with some experience.

The two bandits who witnessed Linley who had just released his aura, was now frightened. These two bandits were just Warrior Students. Linley having Battle-Qi at least proved he was a Warrior Scholar.

Warrior Students to Warrior Scholars were like children to adults.

One of the bandit holding a bastard sword with two hands swung with all his might at Linley in atom-size hopes of killing him. The sword hit Linley's left arm. But it didn't leave a scratch or even a microscopic tear. Instead the sword snapped in two, even if the sword was made of refined stronger iron, the results would have been the same.

An aura of Battle-Qi was akin to wearing a full body armor that was made of a force field. Not only does it enhance one's defensive power, but it also enhances one's offensive power as well.

Linley who was just attacked then responded in kindly. Linley did a mere left punch to his attacker's torso.

Bang! This bandit's upper half of his body exploded into pieces of flesh and blood.

The other bandit who just seen his comrade ruptured had then been scared with a face full of fear. Since he was only on par with that bandit in terms of prowess. He wanted to run away, but Linley didn't let him.

As this bandit, was kicked and sent flying in a spiral in which his corpse had then split into fractions of itself.

Linley had an expression of shock and was in silence after these two attacks.

The bandit leader was a 2 meters tall man with brown skin and had muscles he wasn't afraid to show as his top half was naked bare. Behind this man's back was a hammer and spear. He saw Linley's face and believed he was now facing the guilt and remorse of killing fellow human beings. He thought. 'What an innocent young man!'

"Go attack him now!" The bandit leader commanded with a hand signal to his men.

12 bandits who had various weapons such as swords, spears, axes, hammers, maces, and daggers then charged at Linley who was just standing there.

Of course Linley was misunderstood by the enemy. Linley who is so cautious and like to prepare himself had already long prepared his mentality of killing instead of being killed. After all, he read so many novels. The true reason behind his expression was because of the System's message.

[You have killed a Rank 5 being, you have gained 1 EP. You have killed a Rank 5 being, you have gained 1 EP.]

'A Rank 5 is only worth 1 EP. The Level 1 Sharingan cost a 1,000 EP.' Linley thought to himself.

The 12 bandits that were coming to Linley were no different from free EP.

Linley merely ran through them as they were charging at him. He sent only punches, kicks, elbow and knee blows along the way. Linley mowed them down like they were nothing.

Linley only received 12 EP from the group he had just killed and now he was looking at the leader with anticipation and hope that the bandit leader was at least worth more than fodder.

The bandit leader didn't care one bit for his now dead subordinates. To him, they were trash. Easily disposable and easily obtained.

Linley rushed forward and sent a punch towards the bandit leader. But the bandit leader merely laughed at that attempt as he too released an aura of Battle-Qi that fully covered his body as well. In comparison to Linley's shining silver color, his was just merely a plain gray color.

Still, Linley's punch appears to be ineffective even though it was a direct hit to the bare skin of the bandit boss.

Then the bandit boss pulled a hammer that was on his back instead of his spear and swung fast enough to leave behind a sonic boom with only one hand.

Linley immediately dodged by simply dashing back. The ground he was standing on earlier was smashed into a crater.

That hammer swung attack was just a distraction entirely. As the bandit had ready his spear from his back with his other hand. Visible aura of Battle-Qi extended to spear and was covering it as well.

Linley widened his eyes in shock at what happens next.

The bandit boss throw his spear with terrifying speed that was at least 3 or 4 times faster then the hammer that was just swung earlier.

Linley narrowly avoided this spear by the ear. His hair and clothes was ruffled by the accompanying shock waves and sonic booms that follow the spear. Even Linley turned his head and saw once it had hit the ground, a dust cloud that was at least ten meters high appeared above it.

"What was that? That was some power." Linley commented subconsciously.

"Kid, have you not seen Weapon Mastery before? Hahaha, or did you only trained in Perfect Control Battle-Qi? If so, what a novice's mistake to make." The bandit boss was laughing as he thought he might have overestimated the person he was facing.

Perfect Control Battle-Qi and Weapon Mastery were both methods that at least Warrior Scholars can learn to do to enhance their combat efficiency to be much higher. Although it had no impact on speed of cultivation, both methods are actually well-known, but there was no standardized teaching of this since each one must be personally self-developed and tailored to the the individual themselves.

Perfect Control Battle-Qi is essentially achieving maximum qualitative state of one's Battle-Qi. It is done by personally matching one's breathing, heart beat, blood flow, muscle's synapses, and even one's sensitivity of their skin to match with their Battle-Qi in motion. Such control requires at least several years of practice. It was a power boost to ranks itself thanks to the change of quality. A Rank 7 version would be on par with a Rank 8 normal Battle-Qi, while a Rank 8 would be on par with a Rank 9 normal Battle-Qi. But for a Rank 9, it would be the equivalent of achieving a half-step to Rank 10. It is also why Linley's aura of Battle Qi is shining silver in color.

Weapon Mastery is essentially extending one's aura of Battle-Qi to their weapons. The requirement would be resonating a special frequency of oneself and said weapon. This would require at least a few years of experience and in concept this was similar to 'Becoming one with the sword'.

If one learns Weapon Mastery and then Perfect Control Battle-Qi. Then one has to learn Weapon Mastery once more, because Perfect Control Battle-Qi changed one's own original frequency.

Learning Weapon Mastery after learning Perfect Control Battle-Qi, was way more difficult than learning Weapon Mastery by itself. It is at least 10 times more difficult due to causing the original person's frequency to become much more sophisticated. One would need to speed at least a few decades to learn Weapon Mastery after learning Perfect Control Battle-Qi.

There was also another downside to learning Perfect Control Battle-Qi, in which even if learned at a previous rank, once a person have ranked up. That person must relearn Perfect Control Battle-Qi once again starting from scratch. Even then, the supposed difficulty even increases as the rank increases.

Compared to learning just Weapon Mastery, one only need to learn it once and as they ranked up, they would keep that said learning already.

That's why those who learn Perfect Control Battle-Qi are in the minority unless they were at Peak Warrior Scholar or at a peak title of some sort.

Linley who now felt enlightened that the real strength of Warriors didn't lie in just their fist, but instead in their weapons. After all, Linley didn't know this Weapon Mastery existed and was this powerful.

Linley rushed quickly back to the area where he mowed down bandits and then with his biased reasoning. He grabbed a regular iron sword and told the System in his vague thoughts.

'System, Use my imagination and what I believed to be the concept of applying Battle-Qi to one's weapons! Quickly, even put analyzing and forming the tailored Meditation technique on hold until this fight is over.'

Linley believed the concept or the essence of both technique were actually the same in nature.

[Host, the System shall do as you command.]

Linley only did this in hope of achieving Weapon Mastery as soon as possible. Linley was full of anxiety as he looked towards Melarue. Linley personally believed in his own heart that his maid was not a fighter, but was a competent little girl who was good at chores. That's why Linley had to do his best and work his hardest with no holding back at defeating this foe. He just assumed if Melarue were to shoot arrows at this bandit boss, he would have just shouted them away like a fierce man.

Of course in hindsight, Linley literally forgot she was a Rank 7 Magician. After all, she hasn't cast any impressive magic that left a deep impression in front of Linley.

Linley held his sword and faced toward the bandit boss with fear and hesitation. Linley would have ran away if he by himself, but he felt that in the end that his elf maid wouldn't survive in the ensuring escape to live another day.

"Young man, do you really believe that you can master Weapon Mastery that quickly." The bandit boss sneered.

Linley was hoping that this man was arrogant enough to keep talking and make a villain monologue at least. He still remembered it took the System about a week to perfect his Battle-Qi. So if the difficulty was lower, then he was hoping the System would be done analyzing in at least a day. Of course in reality after about ten seconds has passed, the System has messaged Linley.

[The System has complete it's analysis and formed an automatic frequency resonating routine to perform Weapon Mastery to any weapon the Host wield and desires. Requiring permission before activation.]

'That was too damn fast! System. Explain yourself, have you been holding back on me with all the handouts until I'm in trouble?!' Linley thought rapidly as he thought of a cliche in System novels.

[Host, the System is indifferent and does not do handouts. Simply put, the method of Perfect Control Battle-Qi and Weapon Mastery are both similar methods of manipulating Battle-Qi. Perfect Control Battle-Qi is only more difficult, because of strict requirements of resonating with one's biological functions that are in motion. While Weapon Mastery is more easy, because it's resonating with a weapon that is still and not changing in motion.]

'Okay, activate the routine now System.' Linley got the gist of the explanation and was now hurrying up to do battle with the bandit boss.

Linley who was holding a sword, now has his shining silver Battle-Qi extends from his own body and covered the sword in his aura.

"That's impossible. Did you just breakthrough?!" The bandit boss was shocked at such as a scene. To the bandit's eyes, he had thought this young man he was fighting was an incredible genius and at least over 20 years old at the very least.

Perfect Control Battle-Qi required several years already and adding learning Weapon Mastery afterwards. That was at least past a few decades of training in total for normal people.

Even Melarue who was spectating on the side was shocked and amazed as well, but felt this was all normal for her young master. Linley not knowing this, Melarue had believed the cause of all of this sudden new potential was due to Linley making a contract with a mysterious red dragon days ago. Even though the reality was, Melarue didn't even know about Linley's relationship with Altina that well at all or even Altina's true identity. If she did, Melarue would be extremely angry and angst.

"Never mind, that's doesn't matter anymore, what happens then is not what happens now. You as a genius is now worthy of learning my name. Remember it well. Khan the Barbarian! A Rank 8 Warrior who had fought in the Twilight War!" As the bandit boss named Khan now performed Weapon Mastery on his hammer that he was now holding towards Linley.

Linley didn't know if he was boasting of something special or if he was bullshitting him entirely. But Linley still took this enemy as a worthy adversary that is fitting for his first proper fight. Linley didn't want to hold back now.

'System, analyze the enemy's attack patterns, discover his weakness, and most importantly find and fix the flaws in my fighting style.' Linley thought to his System.

[Host, the System shall do as you command.]

Both Linley and Khan charged at each other with quick speeds that both left sonic booms and dust trails behind themselves.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Linley with his sword and Khan with his hammer collided with blows from their swings. Each and every swing was several times faster than the speed of sound.

They both exchanged a move per round. Each round last a mere second. So far, they've been exchanging blows for three minutes already.

This fight might seem even now, but Linley was at a disadvantage here initially during this exchange.

Linley's Rank 7 Perfect Control Battle-Qi allows his aura to match straight on against Khan's Rank 8 normal Battle-Qi aura in terms of quality. Not only that, Battle-Qi aura would only last for at least 10 minutes for Warrior Scholars, but for those with Perfect Control Battle-Qi aura can last up to even at most a hour for Warrior Scholars. Implying that Linley's aura can outlast Khan's at the very least.

Linley had an aura advantage, but Khan had the weapon advantage. Linley's iron sword is ordinary and only weigh about 1 to 10 kilograms at most. But Khan's hammer was specially crafted and at least weigh 1 ton. Meaning there's at least a 100 times difference in weight and naturally through this exchange, this weight difference show it's worth in comparing durability in their exchange.

Khan initially had the experience advantage, but Linley's ability to adapt was higher than he had personally imagined and along with the fact, that he was truly sweating heavily through the pores of his body as he used his full mental concentration to even keep up against such an experienced fighter during first several rounds. Thanks to the System's quick responses and summarized analysis of Linley's poor fighting style, Linley was able to improve with each and every blow he had made during this fight.

Now the two was even, perfectly neck to neck. It was a matter what gives in first, Khan's aura or Linley's sword.

Clang!

They have both then disengaged with their powerful swings of their weapons at each other. This was the 300th move in this exchange, meaning 5 minutes has passed since they both charged at each other.

Khan disengaged because he was thoroughly shocked by Linley growth and talent as a swordsman. At first, Linley was like someone who picked up a sword for the first time. But as the battle went on, he had felt that as if Linley was transforming into a sword master who was countering all his blows and slowly gaining the advantage here. Thus pressuring Khan to retreat and forced to recover his composure.

Linley disengaged because his System finally completed it's analysis on Khan's fighting style and seen through it and noted the weaknesses for Linley to exploit. Linley was preparing to end this fight quickly with the System's assistance.

Unlike the exchange before, once they had collided once more. The fight ended extremely quickly now.

The amount of clangs was decreased massively compared to before.

Linley was swifter, fiercer, and even more deadlier then when they were fighting before. Khan was overwhelmed by this perceptive genius who was taking advantages of his weak points in his style of fighting. Khan was forced on the defensive.

A fast sword attacking against a heavy hammer that was defending. The answer was obviously now clear, Khan's strength was now his weakness.

It was now time for Linley to reap off the rewards from all his hard work, now that Linley finally chop off Khan's head and killed him now.

[You have killed a Rank 8 being, you have gained 1 EP.]

"..." Linley was speechless.

'System what beings do I have to kill to gain 1 EP?' Linley had to know what qualifies for 1 EP.

[Any beings that are Rank 1 to Rank 9, when killed, will grant the Host 1 EP for each kill. Take note, for killing beings below Rank 1, the Host will not receive anything.]

"Fuck!" Linley cursed out loud. He wasted all that time and efforts when he could be killing the chickens of magical beasts and he would have easily gained more EP by doing that than this.

Linley was fuming with anger now. Of course, Linley noticed there was still a bandit remaining but he was hiding under some damaged remains of a carriage. This was due to Linley because more sensitive in the environment due to his aura-state.

"Well 1 more free EP left to get!" Linley screamed in his thoughts.

Linley in his aura-state simply took a step over there and then with one harsh kick, he sent the destroyed part of the carriage flying into the sky.

Linley was actually surprised at what he had saw.

It was a scared, short, round, fatty of a bandit. One could mistake him as a dwarf, but he was a being of human race.

Then something clicked in Linley's head. He had finally realized why every Chinese main character needs a fatty sidekick. After all, this even applies to him to, since he was a Chinese in his past life, therefore he was still a Chinese in this life.

"What's your name, fatty?" Linley rudely asked.

"My name is-" The fatty was interrupted.

"Your name is Fatty Wang or die right now." Linley gave him a death threat immediately.

"Yes, yes. My name is Fatty Wang. That is most definitely all true and all correct, boss." Fatty Wang responded rapidly as he gave in to the enemy rather quickly.

"Boss?! Who do you think are? Do you think you're worthy of calling me that? Huh?!" Linley screamed at the fatty for little to no reason.

"I'm sorry sir, my lord, my gracious savior, I mistaken myself as human being even though I am actually a piece of garbage below the feet of humans. Forgive me, for I have eyes, but I couldn't see god right in front of me." Fatty Wang praised shamelessly to Linley and trying to stroke his ego for forgiveness.

"Good, you recognize me now right for the first time in your life. Now call me my lord for now on. Then kneel and beg for more forgiveness." Linley spoke arrogantly for fun.

"Yes my lord, yes my lord, yes my lord." Fatty Wang repeated as he kneel, gravel, and beg multiples times to appease this aristocratic tyrant.

"Fatty Wang, go pick up all the weapons that the bandits have. Leave the broken ones behind." Linley commanded the fatty to do a minor task.

Linley head back to Melarue, but remnants of his anger was still inside him.

"This, I, Melarue. That fatty is my follower now. Understand." Linley tried to tell her, but ended up cutting his sentence into pieces.

"I understand completely, young master." Melarue didn't care if Linley wanted to make a bandit as a follower. She clearly saw Linley's strained expression and noticed he was trying to hold something back inside him. Melarue assumed this was a drawback from such power increase due to contracting the red dragon.

Fatty Wang brought all the bandit's weapons near the carriage. Linley took all the swords from the pile of weapons and took them for himself, since he likes swords.

"Fatty Wang, you carry the rest of the weapons on your person, including your boss's weapon as well. Also for the sake of let's say training, you're going to travel the journey on your two feet." Linley was being a jerk and was trying to vent off stress by bullying the fatty still.

"Yes, my lord. Thank you for you graciousness and gracing me with this opportunity, my lord." Fatty Wang spoke while shamelessly praising Linley still.

In the next three days of the journey, the group has finally reached their first destination.

Of course during these three days, Fatty Wang was able to appease of some of the anger of Linley, by accomplishing well at his command to capture the "chickens" of the magical beasts and bring it to him

Literally Linley was able to kill some chickens for EP, and then had some nice chicken to eat.