Hm?
I lifted my head at a strange feeling.
All around me stretched a vast plain, blanketed in snow.
Was this a dream?
Just a moment ago, I had been reading the secret manual inside the cavern.
Then a voice came from behind me.
“You came?”
“…?”
When I turned, the handsome man I had seen in my dream before was standing there, looking at me.
“Are you… the Patriarch?”
He nodded at my question and spoke.
“Raise your sword.”
“Pardon?”
“Raise your sword and display Snowfall.”
I tilted my head in confusion, but since there must have been a reason, I obediently drew my sword and performed the first form, Snowfall.
But as soon as he saw it, his brow furrowed.
“Huh. What kind of sloppy swordplay is that?”
“…Pardon?”
I couldn’t help being flustered.
That meant my technique was a mess.
Snowfall was the form I was most confident in.
It was the first form, so I had trained it the most. And since I had learned all the forms, I understood its true intent better than anyone.
Even Master had praised it as excellent.
But the Patriarch frowned the moment he saw my Snowfall, and shook his head in displeasure. Of course I was shaken.
“Isn’t this it?”
“It’s not.”
“But the movements are correct. They match exactly what’s written in the manual you left behind.”
“The movements might be correct. But if you don’t fully contain the true intent, can something that only looks right be called Snowfall?”
“…”
His words piqued my curiosity.
“Then what is the real Snowfall? I’ve never seen it. How can I grasp its true intent?”
At my question, the Patriarch nodded.
“Exactly. Better to show it to you once than explain it a hundred times.”
With a light motion, the sword in my hand was suddenly in his.
But its shape had changed completely.
“The Silver Mist Sword… it looks different.”
“This sword has no fixed form. It takes the shape best suited to its wielder. That’s why it’s called the Silver Mist Sword.”
It was named the Silver Mist Sword because it was like formless mist.
And because of that, it could govern mist.
“Watch closely.”
“…!”
The moment he held the sword, a chill ran up my spine.
And for the first time in ages, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long while.
Cold.
A cold that seemed to cut into the flesh.
Ah…
Snow began to fall.
The sword Qi that scattered with the Patriarch’s movement fell like snow in the dead of winter.
Only after he finished the form did I come to my senses.
And I was stunned.
The world around me had been completely devastated.
“…”
“This is Snowfall.”
I had known Snowfall was more tyrannical than I had imagined, but I never dreamed it could be like this.
“Snowfall forcibly turns the surroundings into winter. At the same time, it creates the ideal conditions for continued battle. As you know, the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art grows stronger as the ambient temperature falls.”
“That’s true.”
“Which means you can fight even in a desert.”
The Patriarch grinned.
“And then you crush them with sword Qi.”
“…”
Is it just me, or is the Patriarch’s personality unusually intense?
.
.
.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the cavern.
Was that really a dream?
When I looked down, the Silver Mist Sword was once again in my hand.
Should I… try it?
I stood up and recalled the Snowfall the Patriarch had shown me.
I slowly began moving my sword, retracing the memory.
.
.
.
At last, I managed to contain Snowfall’s true intent within the form.
“Is this enough?”
As if answering my question, the part of the manual where the first form was written scattered like sand blowing in the wind.
No way…
If I learn all the forms, will this manual disappear?
At that moment, my vision spun.
“Hm?”
I was once again standing on the snow-covered plain. And the Patriarch stood before me.
“We meet again.”
“That means you’ve perfected Snowfall. Let me see it.”
At his words, I immediately performed Snowfall.
The Patriarch nodded.
“Passable.”
Ah, thank you for letting it slide.
“Do I have to perfect all the forms of the True Snow Twelve Form Sword to leave this training chamber?”
He smiled and nodded.
“You do.”
So I really have to learn them all to get out.
It felt overwhelming, but I also felt strangely at ease.
Because I had a clear goal.
“But Patriarch, there are people waiting for me outside. And…”
“Even so, there’s only one thing I can do for you.”
“Pardon?”
“Help you master the True Snow Twelve Form Sword as quickly as possible.”
Right.
The faster I learn, the sooner I can get out of here.
Time passed.
At first, I was terribly anxious. It felt like I had gone missing.
But thankfully, the arrangements I put in place should function even without me.
I felt bad for Palgap and the escorts, but it couldn’t be helped.
How could I have known it would turn out like this?
Still, once they return, Master will probably understand what happened and inform my parents.
I steeled myself and focused on sword training.
This was an opportunity I couldn’t have obtained even with a fortune.
Time to focus entirely on martial arts, with the very creator of the True Snow Twelve Form Sword personally instructing me.
How should I put it?
Is this what they call an author’s direct one-on-one lesson?
And I finally understood how extraordinary the Black Dragon Star Body was.
When Master had told me my innate talent was exceptional, I hadn’t thought much of it.
But now, I realized just how critical that talent was for a martial artist.
Whenever the Patriarch demonstrated something, I could just understand it.
I can’t explain it. Just by seeing it, I knew what to do.
When I asked the Patriarch about it, he smiled and said:
“It’s because you’re a genius like me.”
That sounded like bragging.
I don’t know how much time passed. But it felt like five years.
Only two forms remained in the manual.
The eleventh form, White Night, and the twelfth form, Snow Blossom.
I hadn’t learned them yet in this life. And in my past life, I only barely touched them with my First-rate level.
Even Master had said you had to reach Peak to truly grasp those two forms.
.
.
.
“I’m here.”
“Good.”
I was used to it now. I gave the Patriarch a proper bow.
Without a word, he took the Silver Mist Sword and swung it.
“…!”
In that instant, I witnessed the true face of White Night, something I had never seen in either life.
A white night.
Not because the sun hung in the sky, but because even the sun had frozen.
Of course, he hadn’t actually frozen the sun. But that was how it felt.
When Master had demonstrated it, it was never like this.
The Patriarch sheathed the sword and spoke.
“This is White Night.”
“Wow… that’s really hard.”
“Why? It’s just all the forms from the first through the tenth put together.”
Just as he said.
That made it sound simple.
But it didn’t look simple to me.
“You have to link all the forms in perfect harmony. If you had to calculate all of that… that’s just ridiculously hard. Did you even consider your future disciples when you created this?”
At my question, the Patriarch looked away and cleared his throat.
“Hrm.”
That told me everything.
He hadn’t thought about who would be learning it. He made it to his own standard.
He could calculate it instinctively.
When I stared at him, he looked off into the distance and muttered.
“I didn’t expect my descendants to be so lacking.”
“…”
No point in arguing here. It would only tire my mouth.
The sword art was already made. And the Patriarch was already long dead.
The problem was the ones left behind.
The Patriarch had asked me to rebuild the Snow Wind Palace and given me a massive reward, but to do that, the sword art needed some improvement.
“But isn’t the True Snow Twelve Form Sword only for the direct bloodline?”
“Eh? What are you talking about?”
“Pardon?”
“That sword art was practiced by all disciples of the Snow Wind Palace.”
“…”
I was speechless.
Master had clearly told me it was a secret art passed down through the family line.
“The Snow Wind Palace never had martial arts restricted to the direct line. The position of Palace Lord wasn’t inherited by blood. It was passed to the one with the strongest martial arts, recognized by the North Sea Ice Palace Lord and the Snow Wind Palace disciples.”
“…”
It seemed the rules had changed over time.
If that was the case, there wouldn’t be much trouble putting my plan into action.
“Then, is it alright if I tweak the True Snow Twelve Form Sword a bit?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Make it easier to learn.”
The Patriarch thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Fine. Do as you like.”
I got permission.
Another long stretch of time passed.
At last, only the final form remained.
Snow Blossom.
“The final form, at last.”
At the Patriarch’s words, I nodded.
“Yes. I guess this is farewell now.”
“Farewell?”
He gave a faint smile.
“Why do you think that?”
“Well… it’s the last form of the True Snow Twelve Forms.”
“Do you think that’s the only sword art I created?”
“…”
Ah… that’s true.
Master had said he created many arts, but they had all been lost.
“Time has good things, but some bad ones too. That’s when things vanish.”
“…”
I asked just in case.
“Don’t tell me this is the only place where those sword arts can be learned?”
“No. I left them in several places, not just here.”
That answered it.
But… would I have to go through all that again?
I wanted to pass.
Maybe he read my thoughts. The Patriarch looked at me with sorrowful eyes.
“But those will only respond to the heir to whom I gave a second life at the cost of my own.”
“…”
“If that heir doesn’t learn them, the martial arts of the Snow Wind Palace will vanish forever.”
That’s playing dirty.
Old master’s tears?
That’s cheating.
“I’ve rambled on too long. Let’s begin training again.”
The Patriarch’s expression turned solemn as he raised his sword.
“Watch closely. This is the final form of the True Snow Twelve Form Sword. Snow Blossom.”
Snow was falling gently.
Was it Snowfall?
No. Accumulated Snow.
In the midst of the fierce wind, I felt something warm.
Warmth?
No, heat.
I’d heard this before. If cold continues to build and build, it can cause burns like fire.
That’s right.
The extreme of yin becomes yang.
Pwoof—!
Then a single flower bloomed.
Snow Blossom.
It was beautiful.
.
.
.
Time passed again.
When I perfected even Snow Blossom and awoke, the manual, now blank, scattered like sand in the wind.
And my eyes closed.
I was finally leaving the training chamber.
How much time must have passed?
Everyone must be worried.
I have to hurry back.
…or so I thought.
“Young Master? Why are you spacing out like that?”
“Huh?”
Before me stood a single stone. The one that bore the inscription asking me to prove my qualification.
When I turned around, Palgap and the escorts were staring at me.
For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.
“Hey… have I been standing here this whole time?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“For how long?”
“What do you mean, how long? What kind of question is that?”
“Huh?”
“It’s only been half a gak (around 8 minutes).”
“What?”
I had clearly trained for years inside that cavern, yet only half a gak had passed?
I looked back at the stone, but there was no writing on it anymore.
“The letters… they’re gone.”
“Pardon?”
“What letters?”
I raised my internal Qi and placed my hand on the rock, but nothing happened.
What was that?
An illusion?
.
.
.
We returned to the North Sea Ice Palace’s inn, and I went to a room alone.
I had to confirm whether the treasure I stored in the secret vault was real.
I opened the vault carefully.
“This is…”
The vast piles of gold and jewels. The ice-crystal sword tassel. All of it was still there.
I didn’t know what kind of mysterious power was at work.
But one thing was certain.
The Patriarch of the Snow Wind Palace… really was the best.
–TL Notes–
Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!
If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/InsanityTheGame
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt
He’s the best!!