[Chapter 216] Confusion

"So how does this training work? I have never done this before as the queen forbids it, saying that magic should be a royal's weapon." Asks Soca with excitement as she gazes at me, Emily standing beside me with her blades in her hands.

Emily clears her throat as she holds out one of her blades, "Let's start with some basic bladed combat-"

"-that will take too long. Soca, go to the weapon rack and pick up the weapon that feels the best for you, anything you have here, I can teach you to use, even if I have never touched it before." I interrupt as I open my interface, gazing one of my best passives.

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Weapon Proficient (Passive) [Maxed]: You have mastered too many weapons to count! Becoming a master of weapons is a hard task, but you have achieved the impossible.

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With this ability, it is possible for me to fight with any weapon my hands touch, even if it has never been used before or it's the first of its kind. This would be undermined by many since many would usually prefer one weapon over the rest, but I figured out this skill's full use can be utilized for teaching others.

Soca looks between me and Emily, as if waiting for confirmation, before eventually going over to the massive weapon rack at the side of the training area. Around us are guards and newbies doing training, every so often glancing at us. After all, an Anomaly, a Royal assassin/guard, and the Princess all being together means something unique is happening.

I smirk at myself happily when I suddenly feel a set of eyes staring at me. I turn around to see Emily glaring at me, as if burning a hole in me.

"I feel as if my experience is being underminded. What makes you better at teaching than me?" She asks with a sharp lip. I smirk under my mask as I hear her sharp words, reminding me of those kids I saw in the noble district.

I eventually just shrug as I simply ask, "So who do you think would teach better? An assassin with years of experience? Or a king who can create demons from men, has years of experience, and has enough power to blow this entire kingdom up?"

She stares at me as her jaw drops, as Soca grabs each weapon, Emily can barely stutter out her question.

"Your a king?" She asks as she stares at me with shock.

I run my chin as if thinking for a moment before speaking, "I guess a king is too soft of a word…" my voice drops as it somehow becomes even more menacing in its tone, "…Shadow Emperor is better."

It's as if all the color has left her body, she can't even speak as she stares at me in awe. After about a minute, I see soca arrive back, carrying a unique weapon in her hands. A smile slower grows on my face as my blood begins to boil, as if my vitality is growing.

"A snake whip? Fantastic choice!" I admire as she stands in front of me the whip in her hands. However, this one appears to be different in form, the snake tongue splitting only a foot away from the base weave. The leather looks rough and worn, although it can be seen that dust has grown on it.

She blushes as she holds it, glancing up at me, "I had to do some searching since whips were retired as weapons a few years ago, but I found one."

I nod as I hold out my hand, 'Absolute Shadow.'

The shadows around me bounce with life as they combine, forming a replica of her whip, but more violent looking in nature. White veins throb across it as snake like hooks grow across their surface, causing even the surrounding guards to gasp in awe. Soca stares at the whip, as if entranced by it.

I grip it firmly as I look at a dummy about 30 meters from me. As my grip tightens on the whip even further, the veins pulse with excitement as the hooks glow brightly with bright white light.

I snap my wrist as the whip flies towards the dummy, but instead of losing power the farther it goes, it seems to increase. The second the hooks hit the dummy, they erupt in a flash of luminescence, causing many to look away. But when they look back, the dummy is disintegrated into dust.

I yank my hand back, causing the whip to fly at me, but I simply grab one of the empty spots in between the hooks. The entire training grounds fall silent as everyone stares at me, who is seemingly unphased by what just happened.

'Seems to work as designed. Luckily I was able to put a soul in it during creation.' I had designed the whip to increase in power with how strong I am holding the grip, but the compensation is speed. So to use it at it fullest power, one has to find the perfect timing between the 2.

I turn to look at Soca as I hold out the whip, her face is in seeming bliss as she looks at the whip, but then confusion grows on her face as my hands hang there.

"What?" She asks after several moments, unable to handle the awkward silence anymore. I push my hand towards her as I tell her, "Take it. Your training starts now if you want to begin to even think of accomplishing anything before I leave."

Soca stares at the whip for several moments before slowly grabbing the whip, the white veins slowly pulsing. She gently carries it as she looks up at me, a new one in my hands already.

"If you are able to master it within the time I have before war, I'll give you 2 gifts besides that whip. So let's begin."

She stares at me in shock, her mind seemingly overwhelmed by the situation. She was just given by a weapon with power she has never seen before, but now is expected to master it within an unknown amount of time, which could be today, or a month. She hardens her resolve as she snaps out of her confusion, her grip hardening on the whip as the veins glow with power.

"Then let's get started!"