A Background Character's Fate

45. Self Taught

I don't recognise this person but one glance can differentiate the immense difference in strength.

"Let me ask you one thing. Are you a self-taught warrior?" The old man asks.

"No, I joined a sword academy and graduated," I reply.

The old man clicks his tongue and furrows his brow. "What kind of academy neglects the inside of a warrior and only trains the exterior?"

I stare in silence, unsure what he is talking about.

...

"You don't have a dedicated teacher."

"Yes...sir."

"Well...it's commendable you got this far with yourself. However, only the most talented person in the entire world can grow to be the strongest relying on himself. Every talent must be grown with water and fertilizer."

He rubs his chin and glares at me. "Are you a criminal?"

"...No."

"So you did do evil but wasn't caught?"

"..."

"In the end, it's your circumstances." He says.

I nod. I can't tell him that until recently, I was water amongst the sea.

...

"Unfortunately, I can't pass on anything to you in your current state. Your body and mind will break." He says.

Dejection overwhelms my spirit. I'm not sure what I did wrong, I've trained my physique and aura to the best I can. Perhaps I came here too early?

The old man grunts when he sees my expression. "Ugh...you are a good seedling. I even sense holiness attributes within you. If I was still alive, I would have taken you in as a disciple under the grace of the Goddess Lucia."

Lucia...? That's the goddess The Holy Light serves.

"Sir...are you from The Holy Light?"

He freezes. "You don't know me? I'm the legendary Marcus Levan Oscarion! The one that repelled waves of monsters alone at the Hell Frontline and destroyed a notorious criminal organization!"

...Ah. I might have heard of that name.

"I did...heard of you," I say.

Marcus heaves a sigh of relief.

The Hell Frontline is a battlefield between the territory of monsters and humans. Deaths combust daily in that nightmare as both sides attempt to push each other back although the stalemate will be broken once the outworlders invade. It was where Marcus was said to breathe his last and one of the destinations of the coming expedition.

"Anyways, your current strength is a tree with little roots. Your physique is the trunk and your techniques are the branches and leaves. Despite how beautiful the top is, without ranging roots to support the tree, you will eventually collapse. In a battle, a second can determine life and death, hence, the foundation of your strength relies on your senses and intuition. That does not entitle throwing away judgment, instead, fuse judgment with intuition and senses."

I understand what he means but...how do I improve on that without consuming elixirs or cultivation advancement?

"Indeed..." Marcus says as he slams his sword down. It did not touch the ground yet evaporated the soil beneath, propelling crackling shockwaves. "Your expression says it all. The easiest way to train your interior is this-"

He disappears. Nowhere in sight. No sound in steps. But as if to inform me, I can still feel his presence.

*BAM!*