Adam

"Big Brother, your Swordsmanship is incredible. Can you teach me? I'm called Adam and I come from White Stone Village. My goal is to become a Hero and marry Lisa. Afterwards… go back to the village to brag to everyone! Right, I must also become a landowner so that I can be like old Peter living next door, being able to collect rent without working, smoking weed while staring at other people working…"

Back then, that silly-looking youngster stood in front of me. Despite not even being a Bronze-rank, he spoke so arrogantly of becoming a Hero. It was really a mystery where his confidence came from.

"Your movement is slow and your basics are weak. You don't have any special bloodline and your ability to understand is bad. If it wasn't for your ability to think on the spot and make accurate decisions sometimes, you are as good as completely useless! You won't break through Silver-rank in your entire lifetime!"

Since I was free and bored, I decided to try training this untalented Swordsman. But very quickly, I lost my interest in him.

"Just a normal person. Not even qualified to serve as a cannon fodder."

But, as a Holy Knight and a good elder brother, how could I say that?

"Good! You have the determination. Just follow the training schedule that I've designed for you. If you try your best to complete it, you will definitely became a great Hero."

"Running 50km with weights of 50kg. Swing your sword for 20 000 times every day. Easy, easy!" Afraid that I wouldn't teach him, Adam struck his chest confidently in response.

I wasn't lying to him. That had been the training for the rookies of the Royal Knights of Mist Country. Just that, I casually increased the repetitions by 10 times. Rookies took around an hour to swing their sword 1000 times and the efficiency would become lower as they continued on. When the muscles had reached their limit, every additional swing would be a great torture to the body.

As expected, it didn't take him long before he came running to me with sore arms, saying that he was unable to complete his training. At that moment, I would say 'You are really lousy. Fine, I shall lower my expectations' while adjusting the training based on his situation.

However, I didn't expect that this dim-witted youngster, afraid that he wouldn't be able to finish his training, had sneaked out at 3 in the morning and only came back at 4 in the morning the next day.

"Big Brother! I finished it!! You can check my work! The big tree by the river was cut by me!"

Was there still a need to check? Looking at his battered body and those blisters on his hand, for the first time, I felt that this fool was a little cute.

"He didn't notice that I was just playing with him? Looking at how his muscles are torn, it seems that he didn't remove his weights even when he was practicing his swings. His foolishness really makes one at a loss for words."

Thus, looking at the red-haired young lad who fell asleep while taking out a biscuit to eat, I decided to become more serious in my teachings.

Adam, with his numb body, remained in bed for an entire day and when he found out that he would have to remain in such a state for 3 more days, he tearfully took out the money for his food expenses for the next month to get a Priest to heal him. At that point, I told him.

"Let's adjust the training plan. Run 5km twice every day to warm up your body and do 2000 swings every day. When your basic strength is there, I will impart you true swordsmanship."

When I said this, the young lad agreed

However, this time, he left home at 2 in the morning and returned at 12 at night.

"Hehe, Big Brother Rolo, I finished today's training before 12! You didn't have to reduce the training repetitions! I know that I'm dim-witted but as long as I'm willing to work hard, I can definitely finish it."

The young lad collapses after reporting to me happily. He managed to renew my understanding towards fools.

Thus, on the third day, I secretly followed him out.

Looking at the regret the foolish lad felt waking up at 4, he hammered his own head before realizing that he was wasting time. He quickly climbed up and started to swing his sword with all his might. Looking at the sight of the total mess of swordsmanship, the skin on the arm that split open from the aftershock of the swing and him gritting his teeth to endure the pain, I suddenly felt that I had been slacking off.

"It seems that my expectation for myself have lowered recently. Then, let me start form the basics too, beginning with 30000 swings."

Un, that night, I returned home an hour earlier than that Fool-dam. During dinner, the hands that were serving the bowl were shaking. Of course, even so, I was still in much better shape than Adam who was sleeping by the entrance.

That night, I pulled the Fool-dam who had been sleeping on the streets back. After pouring cold water on him to wake him up, I dumped all the basic techniques on gripping a sword and swinging it on him.

The next day, I realized that other than his diligence, his instincts and understanding towards swords were actually quite good, just that no one had been willing to teach this countryside lad in the past.

"Let me go with 40000 swings today. I will finish it two hours earlier than that Fool-dam."

As I started seriously imparting him skills, he realized that I was also practicing basic swings. He secretly added the number of swings to do, unwilling to lose to me.

As for me, how could I possibly be overtaken by that Fool-dam. My swinging speed was much faster than him and my physical strength was much higher than his. Furthermore, I could use Holy Light to heal myself. As long as our training duration was equally long, I would definitely get in more swings than him. Thus, he lost every single time.

"If I continue on like this without changing, I won't be able to catch up to him my whole life." Very quickly, the dim-witted him came up with this conclusion.

Thus, he started to research his own swordsmanship. How should he hold the sword when he stabs? How should he hold the sword when he slashes? How could he prevent wind resistance to increase the speed of his sword? I must admit, once a fool devotes his effort into one goal, results would come out from his one-track mind.

Training with his sword, experimenting with his skills, thinking about his shortcomings, refining his sword techniques, training with his sword, experimenting his skills… The dim-witted Swordsman had already found his own path. The only thing I could teach him was just other people's experiences and high-level techniques.

However, since he was able to do it, there was no reason I couldn't do it as well! So, my Swordsmanship also improved gradually.

"Fine, since we are around the same, so let's pit our will."

After that, we started increasing my training goals to surpass each other. 20000 swings every day? Just an appetizer before breakfast. While moving about, we would swing our swords to slash imaginary foes. When we were in the forest, we would cut leaves. When we were at the mountains, we would cut rocks. When we were at the ocean, we would cut water. Eventually, we couldn't even remember how many swings we did each day. Without noticing, our sword speed also reached a speed where normal people couldn't see it clearly.

Indeed, in the eyes of outsiders, our Swordsmanship came from the same school, the Monarch Swordsmanship. Without any fanciful tricks, our swords were fast, accurate and lethal. In reality, that was just the result from the accumulation of the basics. If we weren't fast, accurate and lethal, then how could we finish our training plan and make it for dinner in time?

What was laughable was that in the future, people would call the Fool-dam a genius in Swordsmanship. More like naturally dim-witted, I would say.

Afterwards, in order to make up for his lack of bloodline and special abilities, we had hunted a Phoenix and stole the Phoenix Heart so as to help Adam obtain the Inheritance of the Phoenix.

Now, hundred years had passed and after going through countless battles and turmoil that could make one's heart shatter, from a lad by the countryside, he had fulfilled his Hero dream and even more so, stood at the pinnacle of strength of humans. But, not long ago, he told me that he was tired and he intended to throw away everything to rest. To sleep for eternity.

Just thinking about this, my rage exploded.

"Idiot! Coward! Just a woman can turn you into that state?! What about your dreams and goals? Your sword? The sword you spent so many years to forge? Those don't matter at all? Tell me! Big Hero!!!"

I could emphasize with the weariness that originated from the soul. It often bugged me, sometimes I also wished that I could rest for eternity. But, how could I accept this kind of reality?!

The Roland Sacred Sword turned dull as the Holy Light faded away. However, my furious will caused the light of my soul to shine!

"Clang!"

Our swords clashed. Similarly, there wasn't any flame on the crimson-red God Sword. Towards my questions, Adam shouted with gritted teeth.

"What do you know?! No matter how hard I tried, Lisa only looked at you! Even when she died on my shoulders, her final words were your name. Can you understand this kind of heart-shattering emotion?!"

Rolling backwards, I dodged Adam's vertical cut. Somehow, my eyes shot towards another direction. In that instant, Margaret's head was lowered, she refused to look at us. At the same time, she felt uneasy and the ground was slightly damp. Apparently, she had been crying secretly. Thus, my anger heightens!

"Lisa, Lisa, always Lisa! You have been nagging about it for more than a hundred years! For a woman who had died a hundred years ago, is this worth it?! Is a dead person that perfect in your eyes?! What about the living?!! Margaret had sacrificed so much for you, what do you intend to do?!!!"

My furious roar caused Adam to be stunned for a moment. Then, he roared back with an even louder voice.

"I don't know! I'm stupid anyway, haven't you all always been responsible for all the thinking?! Come up with an idea for me!!!"

Acting dumb because you can't face her? Messing around because you've been forced into a corner?

The Adam who was messing around made me laugh. Thus…

"A century passes in an instant, nothing is constant. Companions depart, only I continue existing. The cycle of the withering and blooming of flowers repeat every year, I only pray that I die in the midst of a bed of flowers, remembering the past in a semi-drunk state…"

At this moment, Adam was dumbfounded. Wasn't this the poem of his philosophy? It couldn't be that…

"The Severance of the River of Time!!"

"The Severance of the River of Time!!"

The blink of the light, the heartless time, the flash of a sword resembled the flowing water of a creek. A fallen leaf floated on the slow and clear water. Hundred years felt like a moment, a moment that was filled with the accumulation of memories. Two exactly same Swordsmanship philosophies came into contact with each other and both people returned back to reality from their illusion, staring at each other furiously.

Lamenting the death of a beauty, the heartlessness of time. If we were talking about things that we lost, I definitely had much more than that fool. He only lost a crush while I couldn't even remember loving the person. If Adam was able to comprehend the philosophical swordsmanship, there was no reason I would be unable to comprehend it.

"Is such a simple sword skill worthy of being called profound? I was able to understand it so easily."

"Hah, is that worth bragging? The feeling required for this philosophy is sadness. Being able to understand it easily? That can only mean that you were more pitiful than me!"

Of course, that hateful Adam. He could only be sharp at times like this!

"You're only quick on the uptake on this kind of things. Your instincts are as hateful as usual. Then, look at this!"

With the Roland Sacred Sword in front me, this time, my eyes turned dark and all light seemed to have been swallowed by the sharpness of my blade.

"Bitter over the early death of the young, bitter over the lonely widow, bitter over the passing of her, bitter over the destruction of homeland, bitter over the absence of friends, bitter over the suffering of the masses. Secret Sword.Seven Bitter Sword."

The silver longsword moved even without me swinging it. Different from the eye-catching Severance of the River of Time, the dark flash of the sword made one instinctively avert their eyes yet somewhere in between, the sword split into 7. Just like how it was impossible to avoid agony and pain in life, it quietly shrouded around your body.

This was the Swordsmanship Philosophy that I understood after shutting myself for half a month after seeing Adam's Severance of the River of Time. Since he was able to comprehend the profoundness from the experiences and life of philosophers from the East, then as someone originating from the East, there's no reason why I would be unable to do it!

"Clang!"

Even so, this new Sword of Philosophy was still completely blocked by that rapid swing of that God Sword.

"Now, I can be sure that you're much more pitiful than me. You're really worth sympathizing."

Even though he was speaking words of sympathy, but that ungrateful man smiled gleefully, as though he had won something.

"You fool! I must teach you a lesson today! Why I've been the Big Brother and you can only be the little brother!"

"Hehe, isn't it enough for a Holy Knight to just use his Holy Light? Using Swordsmanship to challenge a pure Warrior Swordsman genius? Dream on!"

The crimson-red God Sword and the silver Sacred Sword crossed blows continuously. We were attacking each other happily. All kinds of depressing philosophy came pouring out and sarcasms aimed at the opponent's weak spots shot out endlessly. At the same time, we laughed loudly and happily. It had been long since I had enjoyed such a great time.

I possessed the body of a Heroic Spirit which knew not of death and tiredness while Adam had a true indestructible body. This battle was bound to be a long one.

Not too far away, looking at the two men who had forgotten everything around them and were laughing happily, the usually calm and tranquil Margaret gritted her teeth tightly and anger and hatred filled her entire face.

"Adam and Roland, you both said that adults are selfish. From what I can see, it should be that men are selfish! Annie, remember it, next time you find a lover, you must not find one like these two bastards! Even if you fall in love, you must break up immediately!"

Beside her, Annie nodded her head, seeming to not really understand what was told to her. She looked on worriedly at the fight between her Uncle Bones and her godfather.

"So Uncle Bones used to be so cute." Somehow, she remembered the promise and the message her godfather told her awhile back. The young lady blushed. Margaret's warning seemed to be in vain.

"Is that really Swordsmanship?" Seeing the foreign eastern Philosophical Swordsmanship for the first time made Fayde and the rest engrossed in this duel. The profoundness of these skills required emotions and the proper state of mind. Rather than saying that it was a sword technique, it had already reached the depths of Rules where magic couldn't hope to reach. It was totally different from the mainstream sword techniques of this world which pursued strength and destructive ability. This duel was equivalent to opening an entirely new world for these swordmasters.

Since the battle had ended, other than the few remaining audience members, the Red Hunting Hounds and the rest had disbanded. Their goal was to head to a restaurant or some other locations. After all, now wasn't the time to waste their time with their physical bodies. They had to make every second count.

In this instant, I was still racking my brains on how to beat down this bastard which refused to fall. However, his face suddenly changed and fire shot out from his back, plunging his surroundings into flames.

"Looks like time's up."

The helpless Adam smiled bitterly. The recent battles had caused his body to instinctively borrow more power from the Phoenix Heart and it seemed that he had finally reached the end of his time. His physical body which had reached its limit could no longer restrain the Phoenix Heart.

Looking at this situation, I gritted my teeth, intending to fulfill my final promise. But Adam suddenly started to regret.

"No, Roland, I feel that since you're even more pitiful than me, I should do it myself so that t you won't be even more miserable."

Fire shrouded the entire body of Adam. With a quick motion, he stabbed his right hand into his left chest. After the splatter of blood and flesh, a fire-red object was dug out.

"Phoenix Heart!"

Yes, the so-called Phoenix Heart was not the name of some treasure or some description. It was a true beating heart of a Phoenix.

After losing his heart, Adam didn't die immediately. Instead, he smiled while looking at the pink heart in his hands.

"Back then, for this object, we spent more than two years tracking and hunting down the Phoenix. Even after Little Red 'exposed her identity' and used the entirety of her strength, we still ended up lying in the church for a month after the incident. Actually, I had been regretting ever since then accepting the Inheritance of the Phoenix. I almost caused the death of the entire team."

After looking at it for the final time, he casually passed the most precious Phoenix Heart to me.

"I still have to trouble you in the end. I'm sorry, Big Brother Rolo. I've bothered you with many things in my lifetime. It looks like I won't be able to see the creation of the great world in your dreams. But, Big Brother, you're so amazing, I'm sure nothing cab stop you. You will definitely succeed."

After the passing of so much time, hundred years later, he still called me Big Brother just like back then, when we were adventuring.

Looking at the heartless person with a big hole in his chest, looking at this little brother of mine who felt regret being unable to see the world in my dreams, what else could I say?

When he could stand no longer, Adam collapses by the side of the rock wall.

Looking at him, I was at a loss of words. Finally, a feeling that I never had before arose from me, made me unable to suppress my words any longer, made the lump in my throat disappears.

"Foolish lad, I wanted to let you see it. If you all aen't here, then what meaning is there to my dream?! Dumbass, treat it as the pleading of your Big Brother, live on!"

Indeed, even if peace were to really come, what meaning would it have if I ended up alone in this world?

The tears of the dead dripped drop by drop on Adam's face. But, he still looked at me with that silly smiling face.

"Big Brother, we've known each other for so many years but this is the first time I see you shedding tears. Hehe, should I be proud? But, I'm really tired. I have done everything that I wanted to this life and I am contented. Let me rest."

In a confusion, Little Red landed on the surface and the blue figure closed in. Even when she couldn't see him clearly anymore, her words still came pouring out.

"Selfish! Bastard! You never consider other people's feelings!"

Looking at the tearful young lady, Adam opened his mouth to say something but in the end, it turned into a weak apology.

"I'm sorry, Margaret. I'm really sorry… If there is an afterlife, I will definitely marry you."

I suddenly felt an urge to convert Adam into an Undead or Heroic Spirit. But Adam seemed to have seen through my thoughts and mustered his strength to shake his head towards me.

"Bastard! Your instincts are only spot-on at times like this!"

Unable to look on at Adam's final farewell, I turned around. But, when I looked at that foreign yet familiar figure, I was stunned.

"In the end, I still feel like meeting Lisa. At least, give me a chance to confess…" This was the final farewell from Adam, words that he was afraid to say so as to not hurt Margaret.

After a hundred years had passed, the figure of the young lady that he had a crushed on had already become blurry in his memories, needless to say his love to her. Maybe, Adam knew that he had driven himself up a corner, trapping himself in the memories of the past. Just that, he really found himself unable to take that step forward.

"Fine. Say it. I was listening."

That was a familiar voice, the voice that echoed in his dreams countless times. Adam widened his eyes in disbelief.

"Lisa!!"

Yes, that was the Great Thief Lisa. Equipped in light leather, high-cut boots with many different tools and daggers by her waist.

But, in our eyes, the traits of the Demoness that were covered by her illusion were obvious. She was obviously Elisa dressed up as Lisa. But, how could she know the dressing habits of Lisa?

"Why are you looking at me so bizarrely? Right, Big Brother Rolo, I must thank you. You pulled me out from the River Styx on time. After breaking into the realm of Legends and awakening my true Demon name, my memories have all returned."

Could it be that a miracle had happened? Demon Nobles would remember memories of the past but it would be just like watching the life of another person. However, Elisa was not a complete Demon yet. At that moment, too many possibilities rushed into my mind and my brain turned into mush in a moment.

"I… I."

Even though the one in his dreams was just in front of him, but he just couldn't say the words 'I like you'. Instead, his eyes were somehow attracted to Margaret, who was crying by the side.

The cold beauty of the past had turned into a tearful lady. Despite being obsessed with hygiene, mud was all over her and yet, she paid it no heed and simply sat there, weeping.

"Why're you looking at Big Sister Margaret? Is the target of your confession her and not me?"

The death of his loved one in his embrace was the greatest regret of his life. When his memories continuously beautified the dead, it became a dead knot. No human was completely emotionless. Perhaps, he had already been conquered by the cold-faced warm-hearted Saint who quietly sacrificed a hundred years for him for, just that he kept rejecting the possibility using Lisa as an excuse.

Now that Lisa had appeared in front of him, escaping was no longer possible. He didn't even know what kind of feelings he was harboring for Margaret in this instant.

In terms of feelings, there were memories that would be continuously beautified and past grudges. The dead could never be beaten. In this instant, the conflict in his emotions for many years, the intangible dead knot, under the miracle of the resurrection of the dead, had started to become undone.

"Alright, even if you confess to me, my answer will still be 'I'm sorry, you are a good person. The one I like is Big Brother Rolo'. Right, Fool-dam, Big Brother Rolo and I had started dating. If you don't believe me, you can ask him."

"Me?" Just when I was stunned, Elisa's words ring by my ear.

"Master, do you remember the favor you owe me? Accept my confession. That's my condition."

That familiar way of calling me made me confirm that the one in front of me was Elisa. Somehow, I heaved a sigh of relief. After hesitating for a short while, I nodded my head.

"Un, we just started dating. I didn't have the time to tell you."

"Wait. If you both are dating, then I will have died ridiculously for another person's woman, Won't I become a big laughingstock? Hey, you both are teasing me right?!"

Adam's sharp instincts, as usual, were sharp in unneeded times. By the side, Margaret, sensing the changes, was overjoyed. She immediately stopped the time of Adam's physical body so that he wouldn't die on the spot.

Looking at this situation, I understood in an instant. I smiled.

"Fine, then continue living. I have a few proposals here. For example, join my army?"

"I don't want to do that!"

It was 'I don't want to do that' and not 'I don't want to live'. In that instant, we were ecstatic.

From the way Adam kept on secretly peeking at Margaret, I somehow guessed that it wasn't the appearance of Lisa that changed his mind. Rather, Lisa's appearance made him unable to continue avoiding it, forcing him to face Margaret's feelings head on. Naturally, his thought of dying disappeared.

"Fine, I still have dozens of proposals…"

"Remove those which are obviously bringing me down! To become someone else's dog, I don't want to fight for those hypocritical Gods!"

"Tsk, then there's only one remaining. I shall remove the Titan Heart from Roland No.2 and together with the Titan Core that I obtained from the auction (stolen it previously, the outer skin of the Titan Heart), we will make you a man-made Titan Heart. You have seen the 500-year-old cradle of a Phoenix, have you seen a Titan die of old age? Your physical body will rapidly become one belonging to the Titans. However, your attribute will change from fire into lightning and that Titan Heart is still far inferior from the Phoenix Heart, these will cause your strength to fall rapidly for a short period of time. Are you still willing?"

"Ok! Do it quickly, I've had enough of the empty feeling in my body, it feels awful."

Somehow, seeing how this stubborn fellow was finally enlightened, we all heaved a sigh of relief together. Frenzy joy filled our heart and we smiled at each other.

But, the Roland Sacred Sword which was gradually shortening, returning back to its original form, reminded me that I didn't have much time left.

Fortunately, Kakajil did something good through the permanent Spatial Distortion. Little Red was able to retrieve the Titan Heart and Titan Core from Vance City swiftly. Furthermore, I did the operation personally, making it much more successful this time round.

Very quickly, when everyone surrounded Adam, who had just been operated on, and Annie, I left silently. The trouble with Adam had finally been settled and now, it was time for me to achieve my aspirations.

Returning back to the Sulfur Mountain City Court, Elisa was already waiting for me there. Holding in her hands the Origin of Codex.

"Alright, it's time to shock the world. The Law Faction, it's about time for it to have a true God."