Mother and I headed to the Vanguard of Vengeance's training area. I fidgeted here and there, since my clothes no longer fit like they used to. They felt too tight. It looked like I needed to visit a tailor to get my asurents taken again. That sounded like a pain.
Maybe I could borrow so clothes from Leroy. Yes, he still dwarfed , even with my new body, so I'd look like a child playing dress up. However, at least his clothes wouldn't feel suffocating.
"Do you really need to wear that?" Mother asked, raising an eyebrow at .
"Yes," I said, putting emphasis on the word.
In addition to my ill-fitting clothes, I wore the wooden mask, the one I acquired in Icefall City. I stopped wearing it a long ti ago, since I no longer needed it, but I hadn't thrown it away. Instead, I kept it as a nto. Good thing too, because I certainly needed it now.
After I finished examining myself with the hand-held mirror, I changed into my clothes and put on the wooden mask, before Mother and I ate a quick breakfast. We then decided to head towards the training area to et up with the others.
I had been unconscious for about a week. By this point, the others had reached Third Rank as well. They were in the training area, getting used to their new level. I figured I might as well join them.
Not only did I need to get used to being at Third Star, but I also needed to get used to my second mana core and my new body. We were almost at Mirkvale Forest, and I didn't want any handicaps slowing down.
"Would it really be that bad to show off your face?" Mother asked, pulling out of my thoughts.
I sighed.
"Before this, my face attracted far too much attention," I said. "I learned to ignore it, but it still happened." I pointed to my face. "Things would only be worse if I walked around showing this off. It's best for everyone if I hid it."
Mother snorted.
"I think you're being dramatic," she said. "My beauty always attracted attention, but it was never a problem."
"Says the woman who said she was jealous of ."
Mother paused before responding.
"Fair enough."
The two of us remained silent for the rest of our trip. We soon reached the training area. It wasn't anything special. Despite its size, the Vanguard of Vengeance had limited space. I found it amazing that it had a training area at all. Then again, it was a warship. Thankfully, soone equipped the training area for martial artists as well as wizards.
When Mother and I arrived, we found most of my companions in the midst of training, with Grandmother Sky supervising. The only ones missing were Kiki and Lord Dominic.
I assud the latter was busy with sothing involving artificing, while the forr followed along as usual. However, other than those two, everyone else was here.
They were split up into pairs, sparring with one another. Cally fought Priest Jai, Leroy fought Priestess Natille, while Anna fought against Grandmother Sky. Each pair occupied an arena separated from the rest of the training area by a barrier-type runic circle.
Good thing too. From what I observed, reaching Third Rank had increased my companions' power by an order of magnitude. Without those runic circles, they would've wrecked the rest of the training area.
The others looked busy, and I didn't want to disturb them, so Mother and I decided to spar as well.
"It's been a while since we last fought," Mother said, grinning at . "I look forward to seeing how much you've improved."
" too," I said, uncertain.
While I knew how strong I had been when I reached Third Star in my past life, things were different now. Not only have I reached higher mastery over martial arts, but I had a different body and a second mana core. This bout would be quite the learning experience for .
Mother and I entered the arena, before activating the runic circle. A translucent barrier sprang into existence around us.
"Shall we start off slow to warm up?" Mother asked.
"Please," I said in a grateful tone.
With that, Mother and I faced off against one another, both of us taking a stance. After a mont, we sprang into action and charged one another. At first, we kept things light, probing each other's defenses. Neither of us used any techniques. For the sake of fairness, Mother restricted her strength to Third Star. This allowed to test out my new body without too much pressure.
In short, I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, my new body felt strange and awkward to . My movents felt clunky and uncoordinated. An outsider might not have noticed, but I certainly did. I had muscle mory for a body with different dinsions. It would take so ti to get used to it.
On the other hand, my new body was better in every conceivable way. Faster, stronger, tougher. I estimated that my new body was half again better than a regular Third Star martial artist. While I still couldn't compare to a Fourth Star martial artist, at least when it ca to raw physicality, I wasn't that far behind either.
After exchanging several blows, Mother and I pulled away from each other.
"Perhaps Grandmother was right," my mother said in a reluctant tone. "Her thods worked. You gained imnse benefits."
I grinned at her and nodded.
"However," Mother continued. "I still don't like that you had to risk your life for it."
I shrugged.
"With great rewards co great risks," I said. "Now then, shall we get serious?"
Mother nodded.
"This ti, I won't hold back as much, since I know you can take it."
The tension in the air between us ramped up as we faced one another. No more probing. It was ti to start the real bout.
As Mother and I faced one another, I ntally reviewed all of my techniques. At Third Star, I still couldn't use my more powerful techniques, such as [Mist Clone] and [Evasive Mist]. However, I could use most of my basic techniques to their full potential.
Except for [Sevenfold Slash] and its derivatives. Right now, I could only use up to the fifth slash without damaging my mana core.
Unless my second mana core changed things. At the mont, I didn't know my own limits.
It was ti to find out.
All these thoughts passed through my head within a fraction of a second. When that second ended, Mother and I charged one another.
[Freezing Mist]
I opened my mouth, flooding the arena with a freezing cold mist. In response, Mother opened her mouth and breathed out a cone of fire. It wasn't as powerful as a Dragon's Breath, but it was by no ans weak.
The cone of fire clashed with my [Freezing Mist], vying for dominance. I didn't bother fighting back. The confusing effects of my [Freezing Mist] wouldn't work against Mother, and neither would the cold. However, I still summoned it for one specific purpose.
[Mist Sword]
I ford twelve illusory swords out of the freezing cold mist, which glimred in the light. Controlling them with my mind, I sent the illusory swords to attack my mother from all directions. At the sa ti, I used [Lightning Dash] to charge right through the cone of fire and right towards my mother.
Mother evaded the illusory swords with disgusting ease. Her fluid movents reminded of a cat's, as if her joints were liquid. My illusory swords never ca close to touching her, even though they looked like they should've. I could've attacked all day with them and not hit her.
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Not that it mattered. Their purpose was to distract Mother, not harm her.
Despite this, Mother still had enough presence of mind to send several claw swipes made of fire in my direction. I used [Elusive Mist], contorting my body to avoid them, while still charging towards my mother.
The two of us t in a flurry of blows, claw vs sword. While I had greater reach and speed, Mother had greater strength and agility. She always managed to block or avoid my attacks, and this was with my greater mastery of martial arts. Not only that, but she continued to evade my illusory swords.
A part of felt gratified by this. I an, I must've inherited my talent from sowhere.
Another part felt annoyed. What would it take to land a blow on this woman?!
As if in response to my thoughts, Mother attacked with a blow that I couldn't avoid, even with [Elusive Mist]. It was too fast. So, I didn't bother. Instead, I decided to take a massive risk.
[Storm Dragon's Claw]
I swung my sword six tis in rapid succession, moving as fast as I could. This strained my mana cores to their limits, damaging both. However, neither one cracked.
I heard laughter in my ears and realized it was my own.
Mother evaded the first four swings. However, the fifth one forced her to abort her attack in order to block it. The air around us seed to ripple as my sword t her clawed hand.
And then it ca ti for the sixth swing.
For [Sevenfold Slash] and its derivatives, each slash was exponentially stronger than the last. The seventh, and final, slash was powerful enough to cut through several buildings. The sixth wasn't as powerful. It was only strong enough to cut through a single building.
However, even that was too much for my poor sword.
In the middle of my swing, before it even reached Mother, my sword cracked and then shattered under the force of my technique. This threw off balance, leaving wide open.
Mother took advantage and sent flying with a palm attack. I flew backwards, before I slamd into the barrier. Despite the pain, I still managed to land on my feet.
I lifted the handle of my broken sword and scowled at it.
"Damn it," I said, my voice a little hoarse. "Looks like this is my loss."
Worst of all, if my sword hadn't broken, I felt as if I could've won this bout. The sixth slash was equivalent to an attack from a Fourth Star martial artist. While this wouldn't trouble Mother too much under normal circumstances, she had restricted her strength to match mine. With that in mind, using the sixth slash should've led to my victory.
Mother walked over to with a frown on her face.
"What happened to the sword I gave you?" she asked.
"It broke while I fought Lady Isabel in Eastwatch," I said, still scowling at my broken sword. "I borrowed this one from a paladin of Tempest."
Which reminded , I needed to pay that paladin back.
"You need a better weapon," Mother said, pursing her lips. "One more suited to your current level."
I nodded in agreent.
"Getting a suitable sword on short notice won't be easy," I said.
Mother held up a hand, palm out.
"Don't worry about it," she said. "Leave it to . I promised you a better sword, when you first left Sturm Manor, rember? It's ti for to keep that promise."
I thought back to that mont and vaguely rembered sothing along those lines.
"You don't have to-" I started to say, before Mother cut off.
"I made a promise," she said, glaring at . "You don't want to make a liar, do you?"
I shook my head.
"Good. Don't worry, I'll get you a suitable sword before we reach Mirkvale Forest."
That was just a few days away. I knew my mother was capable, but I didn't see how she could get her hands on a suitable sword within such a short ti fra.
Eh, I could always get my hands on a weaker sword. Maybe several of them. That way, when one broke, I could pull another one out right away.
Either way, that was a problem for later.
Mother and I deactivated the barrier and left the arena.
By the ti Mother and I finished with our sparring match, the others finished with theirs as well. Anna beelined right for , while the others followed a step behind her.
"Gabriel, how do you feel?" she asked, giving a concerned look.
"I'm fine, Anna," I said in a reassuring tone. "In fact, I feel better than fine. I feel great."
Grandmother Sky snorted.
"See? I told you."
Anna glared at her for a mont, before turning towards .
"Your companions worried about you over these past few days," Grandmother Sky said in a sardonic tone. "Even though I repeatedly told them that you were fine."
Cally scoffed.
"That's because every ti you get involved, Gabriel ends up unconscious," she said.
I held my hands up in a reassuring gesture.
"Really, I'm fine," I said. "No need to get worried."
Priest Jai frowned at .
"Why are you wearing a mask?" he asked. "Did sothing happen to your face?"
I stiffened for a mont.
"Let's just say that it's best for everyone involved if I wear this mask," I said.
Anna and Grandmother Sky spoke up at the sa ti.
"Agreed."
"Yes, it is."
I looked between the two of them in confusion, before I realized that the two of them must've seen my face since they had watched over while I was unconscious.
"I don't know why you two are worried," Mother said. "Gabriel's new face isn't that bad."
Leroy and Cally found this concerning, while Priest Jai and Priestess Natille looked confused.
"Show us your face, Gabriel," Cally said. "Let's see what's wrong."
Leroy nodded in agreent.
"I'm telling you, it's a bad idea," I said.
Cally narrowed her eyes at .
"Are you embarrassed?" she asked. "Is that it?"
No, not at all. However, I didn't know how to tell her that without revealing my face.
"Now I'm curious as well," Priestess Natille said.
Priest Jai crossed his arms.
"If it's sothing that would impact our mission, then we should know about it as soon as possible. This is no ti to be embarrassed."
It looked like I wasn't getting out of this without showing my face.
"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you."
I started to pull off the wooden mask, but Anna stopped .
"Gabriel, don't," she said in an urgent tone.
"Priest Jai is right," I said. "The sooner they see my face, the better. This way, they can get used to it."
Anna looked unconvinced, but no longer tried to stop . anwhile, Grandmother Sky wore an amused expression on her face.
I finished pulling off the wooden mask. The mont I revealed my face, my companions stared at , stunned.
I sighed.
Yep. This is what I had expected.
When I first saw my face in the hand-held mirror, I was stunned as well.
Before I consud the spirit core, I was already beautiful. Still masculine, but with an effeminate edge. If I wanted to, I could cross-dress and pass as a woman. My adventures in Eastwatch proved this.
My old face looked ugly compared to my new one. After consuming the spirit core, my beauty had reached divine heights. That wasn't an exaggeration or vanity on my part. It was a statent of fact. If one of the gods descended to the mortal world and walked around without disguising themselves, they'd look similar to .
Back on Earth, there was a poem about a face that launched a thousand ships. I didn't rember who wrote it, but it was about Helen of Troy, the woman whose beauty started the Trojan War. My beauty matched, if not exceeded, hers.
My features looked roughly the sa, with silvery-blue hair and eyes, but now they reached the peak of mortal perfection. In fact, they went beyond even that. I imagined that I looked similar to Tempest in his true form.
"See?" Mother said. "I told you it wasn't that bad."
I gave her a withering look, before facing my companions again. For so reason, Grandmother Sky and Mother seed unaffected by my appearance. Maybe because they were family. Anna seed immune as well, from the worried expression on her face.
My other companions, however, gazed at with awe and worship in their eyes. They gaped at , their jaws slack. I found this uncomfortable. They were supposed to be my comrades and companions. Friends. However, they looked at as if I were sothing more than human. I hated it.
"So beautiful," Priestess Natille whispered, dazed.
She reached for , but Anna grabbed her wrist. My fiancée wore a terrifying expression on her face.
"Don't," she said in a dark tone.
Priestess Natille ignored her and continued to stare at .
Alright, that was enough of that. I put the wooden mask back on. This snapped my companions back to their senses. They shook their heads, as if freeing themselves from so kind of spell.
"What the hell was that?" Cally asked, shaken.
"I warned you," I said.
Cally gave a dirty look.
"That was-I expected-I didn't think-" Cally growled in frustration. "I hadn't expected you to look like that! I repeat, what the hell was that?"
"It was like looking at the face of a god," Priest Jai said, still wearing a stunned expression.
Priestess Natille nodded. She gazed at with an unfathomable look in her eyes.
"You can never show your face in public, my lord," Leroy said, looking grim. "You might start a riot otherwise."
"A riot?!" Cally exclaid. "He could start a war! People would fight to possess him."
I grimaced. She wasn't wrong. I had the kind of face that people would literally kill to own. All in all, this beauty was more of a curse than a blessing.
"Grandmother," Mother said in a quiet voice. "I know Gabriel is more beautiful than ever, but aren't they exaggerating?"
Grandmother Sky sighed.
"No, they aren't," she said. "Gabriel's beauty is beyond mortal limits. You, Anna, and myself are unaffected because we are his family. Other people are not."
"How is this even possible?" Priest Jai asked.
I spread my arms out wide, letting him know that I was as confused as he was.
"We need to get you a disguise ring," Anna said in a firm tone. "This wooden mask is too flimsy." She paused. "In fact, we need to get you multiple disguise rings. That way, people who see through the first disguise ring won't be affected by your looks."
I nodded in agreent.
"I'll talk with Lord Dominic," I said. "Knowing him, he might be immune to my looks."
"I wouldn't put it to the test," Anna said.
In the midst of all this, Aleah Jeffers walked into the training area. Yes, she was the Wandering Witch. However, when she was in her public persona, I decided to call her Aleah Jeffers. That made it easier to differentiate between when she was acting and when she was being herself.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Aleah Jeffers said in a professional tone. "I just wanted to let you all know that we've almost reached the Mirkvale region."
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