He saw it. The door was still there, but unfortunately, it was locked.
Roy arrived at the Sea of Cognition again through "deep sleep." Noticing this situation, he gradually formed a guess.
This door was, after all, an "import." Grandpa Zigg's consciousness was the key, and a connection was required to open it... Fortunately, as long as the door was still there, it wasn't a problem. At worst, he would just have to visit more often, as Maha had said.
He had to hone his Ren anyway... The image of the sand worm bursting from the ground and churning the clouds and winds surfaced in his mind again...
Roy withdrew his gaze, pushed open the gate to Demon Slayer, and continued to practice his "swordsmanship."
An old saying goes: "A month for the staff, a year for the saber, a lifetime for the spear."
The saber, as the "commander of a hundred weapons," follows a path of unyielding ferocity. At the initiate level, one can cut stone; at mastery, one can cut iron. Being able to slice through steel with a single stroke is enough to be granted the title of "master swordsman."
Therefore, wanting to achieve mastery in "swordsmanship" in one fell swoop, without accumulating a vast amount of experience, was nothing short of a fool's dream.
"September 17th, three thousand swings with no fallen stones. 'Swordsmanship' +30, 'Sun Breathing' +1, Constitution +0.31. Lasted 17 seconds against the sand worm's Ren..."
"September 30th, four thousand swings with no fallen stones. 'Swordsmanship' +33, 'Sun Breathing' +1.5, Constitution +0.4. Lasted 32 seconds against the sand worm's Ren..."
...
"November 16th, completed the 'Ten Thousand Practice Swings' with no fallen stones for the first time. 'Swordsmanship' +50, 'Sun Breathing' +3, reached the mastery realm. Total Concentration Breathing extended to one hour, Constitution +1. Lasted one minute against the sand worm's Ren and spoke the first words to Grandpa Zigg..."
"He asked me whose child I was and how I got on the ship."
"I didn't even know how to answer him before I was knocked unconscious again by a flying ship's helm."
Time always seems to fly by when one is focused and busy.
On November 16th, after visiting Grandpa Zigg, Roy left the basement and returned to his bedroom. He dragged his exhausted body to his desk, meditating to recover his mental energy while opening his status panel to summarize his training gains and losses.
In the blink of an eye, two months had passed, and the progress was evident...
[Name: Roy Zoldyck]
[Constitution: 71.7 (Note: Average person is 1)]
[Sun Breathing: 1/1000 (Mastery)]
[Manifested Aura: D- (170/10000) (Note: Rating is based on a Chimera Ant)]
[Potential Aura: D (236/10000) (Note: Rating is based on a Chimera Ant)]
[Nen Ability - Shape Transformation: 17/100 (Initiate),,, Quality Transformation: To be activated]
[Four Major Principles: [Ten]: lv1 (38/100)... [Zetsu]: lv1 (69/100)... [Ren]: lv1 (23/100)... [Hatsu]: To be manifested...]
[Swordsmanship: lv2 (996/1000)]
[Applied Techniques—Rhythm Echo: Perfected (278/1000); Limb Twist: Mastery (174/1000); Snake Awakens: Mastery (783/1000)]
[Title: Apple Tree Sapling That Can Still Be Snapped...]
From a sprouting twig to a sapling, he had to grasp both "Nen" and "Swordsmanship" with equal firmness... Roy studied the panel carefully. His Ren needed further strengthening, and his swordsmanship was just one step away from a breakthrough.
"Young master, Hall's wife has given birth..."
At eight in the evening, Gotoh pushed the serving cart in right on time.
Tonight's dinner was rosemary-seared steak, a creamy chanterelle and mushroom soup with a few slices of buttered toast, and a large bottle of milk.
"Have they chosen a name?"
Roy closed the panel and cut a piece of steak, putting it in his mouth. If he remembered correctly, Hall's child, Tsubone's granddaughter, was named Canary.
"She's called Canary... The master chose the name two months ago. That guy Hall was so happy he couldn't stop showing off to everyone he met, with the smug look of a petty man who'd struck it rich. It's just infuriating to look at..." Gotoh seemed to have quite a few complaints about his predecessor... And it was true, Hall was a slippery character, not the type Gotoh favored...
Roy thought of that smiling face but made no comment, his thoughts drifting...
He vaguely remembered that not long after Canary was born, it was Killua's turn.
And sure enough... "The mistress is pregnant again," Gotoh said in a low voice. "The master is so pleased that every butler in the household has received a double salary."
'Not just that, after the birth, it will be a triple salary... That's a silver-haired child, after all...'
"That's good." Roy finished his steak and drank the creamy soup with a blank expression. "Go buy some practical baby supplies and send them to Hall. After all, he was with me for two years. I should show some consideration for our past relationship."
Gotoh pushed up his glasses. "Young master, you are just too kind to us servants. That guy really hit the jackpot, having the honor of serving you for a while..."
"Don't say that. Just go and do it."
"Yes."
After the meal, Gotoh cleared the table and went downstairs to prepare the gift.
Roy sat blankly at the dining table for a while, then got up and went to the window, gazing at the night view under the moonlight to aid his digestion. His eyes inadvertently noticed two or three figures strolling hand-in-hand in the garden... A woman was holding a man's arm. She had just become pregnant and was far from showing, yet she deliberately puffed out her belly, enjoying Silva's company. The electronic eyes on her face displayed a happy heart shape.
'This one will definitely have silver hair.'
Roy could almost hear the woman's inner thoughts. He watched quietly for a while. At a certain moment, he noticed the man seem to sense something and turn his head to look. The young man turned back into the room and closed the door with a "bang."
Time only ever rolls forward, never back... Refusing Silva's prying eyes, Roy silently reminded himself to focus and not be distracted by irrelevant matters.
He took a cold shower, and when he came out, he had changed into his pajamas. He lay flat on the bed with his hands crossed over his chest and closed his eyes to enter his dreams.
The familiar sensation of falling came over him. He passed through the vibrant dream tunnel and arrived at the familiar Sea of Cognition...
Roy glanced at the locked "Gate to the Dark Continent," remembering Zigg's words... "Whose child are you?"
With a sigh, he turned and pushed open the gate to Demon Slayer.
As usual, he picked up his asauchi and the basket and headed for the depths of Mount Sagiri to practice his swordsmanship, a group of ghosts trailing behind him.
"No need to hang crushed stones today." His master leaned against the doorframe and called out to him. "Don't forget the feeling of an empty swing. Try to break through your own limits."
"Okay."
The basket full of crushed stones was set down.
Roy took his asauchi and walked into the dense forest, one deep step at a time. Behind him, following his every step, was Urokodaki Sakonji, treading in his footprints at an unhurried pace.
Makomo and Sabito circled the two. The little girl looked from Roy to Urokodaki Sakonji and back, whispering to Sabito, "Master must think Eiichiro's hands are steady enough. He wants to see what he can do now to adjust the future training plan."
Sabito caressed his beloved sword, his eyes fixed on Roy, and shook his head gently. "No, master isn't adjusting the plan."
"He has been training Eiichiro at ten times the intensity of Giyu all along."
"It's Eiichiro who has disrupted master's plan."
'Ten times?' Makomo muttered softly, "I always thought it was twenty."
"You're a girl." Sabito didn't say more. He could only say... as humans, everyone's limits were different...
That Eiichiro fellow couldn't be judged by ordinary standards. Freed from the restraint of the crushed stones, who knew what level he would reach today...
'Could he have already surpassed Giyu?' Sabito narrowed his eyes, filled with anticipation...
T/n:
If you like the novel so far, please leave me a 5-star review
I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a Review—Power Stones
patreon.com/Hard_Worker +50 chapters