Roy focused his eyes on Damien, observing his every movement. Even the change in his breath and demeanor didn't escape his eyes.
Damien was usually aloof and relaxed, as if nothing could enter his eyes or make him feel troubled. At this moment, however, he was like a sharp blade, tall like a mountain and fierce like the swirling currents found in the ocean's depth.
"This is my Sword Force!" Damien's eyes narrowed. As that happened, the fierceness he had been hiding under a mask was fully unleashed. Roy involuntarily stepped back as he laid witness to the terrifying might of his Sword Force.
Damien was a prodigy who outshined and suppressed an entire generation seven years ago. He had mastered several types of Force. But his comprehension of Sword Force was the highest. It's just that a normal person didn't have what it takes to see his Force. It was made out of colorless aura, after all, and it's a known fact that colorless aura and anything made out of it can't be seen by the naked eye.
'I can see it.' Roy's lips stretched back into a smile. He was able to see the true form of Damien's Sword Force because of the special effect of his unique title. Roy had no control over it and didn't know how to activate it. Just like every other time, it activated by itself this time too. It allowed him to see what couldn't be seen. Invisible Force and colorless aura fell into that category.
In Roy's eyes, Damien's Sword Force was like a gray-colored mist. He made it grow by feeding it his aura, and it expanded outwards in all directions except for the one where Roy was standing. It was gleaming frostily. An air of extreme hostility surrounded it, and intense murderer intense surged within it.
'This killing intent… it is no less than mine when I am using Killing Force!'
Roy's eyes widened as he took in the devastating effect Damien's Sword Force had on the surrounding. Everything it passed through was chopped apart. It didn't matter what it was. As soon as it met with the gray-colored mist, it split apart. Whatever fell in it and all the things it enveloped were repeatedly chopped. As a result, they were cut into tens of thousands of pieces. Everything enveloped by the wave of Sword Force kept on getting cut until they were reduced to the size of a hair strand.
'Isn't this too… ridiculous?" Roy felt shocked. Enveloped by Damien's Sword Force, the mountain neighboring the one they were standing on was reduced to countless hair-like strands of solid land. This was too much. Honestly, that Sword Force was so much better than his Arrow Force. They just couldn't be compared.
"Sword Force… it's known as the king of offensive-type Forces for a reason. It's flexible like a whip and changes properties depending on a person's demeanor. My Sword Force lacks mercy so it's like that. If you perceive swords as weapons that are solely used to kill, your Sword Force will be just that destructive." Damien raised his head.
Seeing through the thick layers of mist, he held the moon in his bright, golden eyes and said to Roy, "Different people perceive things differently. No matter how hard one tries, one can't simply become someone else. Even between twins, there are dissimilarities." Damien turned to Roy, a profound glint flashing in his eyes, "Do you understand?"
Roy nodded, "You are different than me. I have lived a life different than yours. The way we perceive the sword is also different. Trying to follow your footsteps to establish my Sword Force will be a foolish mistake."
Hearing his words, Damien smiled slightly.
"That's right." Damien said, "Find your own way. Remember, its basics are the same as Arrow Force. The differences are that it's affected by your heartfelt imagination. Your demeanor shapes it, and its special properties are a byproduct of your perception."
"One's Sword Force can have more than one property?" Roy asked.
"Yes," Damien answered and then smirked, "Didn't I say it's quite flexible?"
Roy looked at him questioningly. "The way I perceive the sword… Do I have to keep it in my mind to manifest Sword Force?"
Damien shook his head, "Just be true to yourself… it will come to you naturally."
"You are making it sound too easy." Roy tried but failed to conjure his Sword Force. "But I can't wrap my head around it."
Damien chuckled, seeing him struggling, "You are struggling against yourself."
"By that, you mean?"
"You are stopping yourself from obtaining Sword Force." Damien explained, "If you think it's complex, you will find it hard to learn. But if you think it's not, you will instantly learn it. Let go. Don't think. Just take action."
Roy couldn't accept his advice. His words conflicted with his mindset.
"That's like charging into the enemy's rank like a blind man."
"Sword Force…" Damien covered the distance between them in an instant and poked his chest, "It comes from the heart, not the mind. From within. External influence might shape you. But it's up to you to decide how you want it to be. Merciless. Malevolent. Benevolent. Kind. It has different faces. And with it, it's rumored you can kill Buddha and scare the devil."
Hearing his words, Roy felt enlightened.
'Arrow Force is like a skill. You just need to press a button, and it will manifest. But Sword Force… is more complex.'
"Do you understand what it is?" Damien asked him.
"It reflects the user." Roy replied to him, "It is a part of oneself."
"Finally… you get it." Damien was pleased with his answer, and then what he saw widened the smile on his face.
Roy's Sword Force was coming into being.
『Ding! Congratulations. You have been enlightened after hearing the words of an expert Force User.』
『You have taken a step toward forming it.』
『It's quite unstable and might not be created.』
『Would you like to increase the chance of forming the Sword Force to 100%?』
"Cost?" Roy mentally communicated with the system.
The system replied,『500k XP.』
"Do it." Roy mentally answered it.
『-500k experience points』
『Ding! Congratulations. You have learned Sword Force. Its special properties are based on how you perceive swords and their relationship with life in general, and your special-grade black aura affects it.』
Roy's Sword Force immediately came into being. Damien saw fluid-like shadows escaping Roy's body and spreading outwards. In mere seconds, the inner part of the mountain was submerged in it. It was sticky and sticking to his skin like goo. Damien found it hard to move through it.
"This is so weird. Is this your sword force? Its property to bleed out speed is quite special. But why is it not cutting anything?" Damien looked at him in bewilderment. "Does it lack offensive properties?"
"No, it isn't like that." With those words, Roy shot down the ridiculous thought in Damien's mind. "It has three properties. You are already experiencing the first one. It cuts speed."
No matter how fast a person, the second they enter its absolutely insane radius of effect, their speed would instantly bleed out, and they will become as slow as a turtle or even slower than a snail. That's just magical it was.
"Tell me, what does a sword mean to you?"
Damien's question might not seem like much, but he was asking for a lot. The way a person perceives a sword determines the special properties of their Sword Force. If Roy told him what a sword means to him, he would be laying his Sword Force bare to him. But he didn't mind. Damien had already explained his sword force to Roy. It's not because he trusted or liked Roy, but because he was simply arrogant. He didn't believe that anything could stand its ground against his Sword Force. That's why he didn't bother hiding it. Meanwhile, Roy just wanted to respond to him in kind.
"Its first property is to cut speed. You have already experienced it. My Sword Force probably gained it because I believe Sword is a good tool to block, and there can be no better block than taking action to stop one's enemy before they can fully unsheath their swords or show their fangs."
"Interesting." Damien said, "Continue."
Roy pointed at a nearby tree. A fountain burst out of the surface of the fluid-like shadow pooling beneath their feet and sprayed the tree. In the blink of an eye, it was reduced to pieces. The same thing happened again. But this time, the water spraying out of the pool of darkness passed through the tree. Unlike the previous one, It wasn't harmed at all.
"This is the second and third effect of my Sword Force. It cuts whatever I want to kill and doesn't harm what I don't want to see hurt. You asked what a sword means to me, right? Well, here's my answer. It's a cherished tool that I can use to block threats, protect my loved ones, and kill those who threaten to shake up my world or harm my people and me."
"Impressive." Damien was really impressed by Roy's sword force. "Your Sword Force cut speed and whatever you perceive as a threat. But it's unharmful to those who you perceive as innocent. It can't cut them. In many ways, it's similar to the knight who taught me Sword Force."
Roy could feel jealousy in his voice and his eyebrows raised. Was Damien jealous of him?!
'Why?! Is it because my Sword Force is similar to his teacher?' Roy wondered.
