Terminally-Ill Genius Dark Knight

“You’re a dirty little bastard, you wretch. You should wear a mask forthe sake of every man in the world.”

“What kind of nonsense is that ……?”

“There is such a thing!”

Vernon shouted something I couldn’t understand, obviously angry that I’d struck his sword.

But I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t let him get away with it, could I?

‘Besides, I’ve been through a lot lately with my [nagging] illness…… and while I love playing an asshole, it’s time to take care of myself.’

It was a quick conclusion.

‘Most of the other things I can control, so I don’t worry about them, but I can’t do anything about [nagging illness].’

“Nox… how the hell did you learn the form already…?!”

Talia, who was standing behind me, asked as she approached me.

She looks quite surprised, but I just shake my head.

“Uh, no. I haven’t learned it yet. I just read it.”

Read it.

In the world of Inner Lunatic, not many people realize how absurd this statement is.

Instructor Vernon, however, seems to think otherwise.

As proof, his gaze is somehow glued to mine. I’m pretty sure I’ve been caught red-handed.

But then I’m relieved.

‘There’s no way Vernon is a crazy unit like Lars.’

I decided not to make a big deal out of it.

I don’t remember bald Vernon having that setting.

……Of course, it wasn’t long before my expectations were quickly betrayed.

“Gray hair. You’re done, stay. Private lessons.”

“…What do you mean, I’m the best here, so why do I need tutoring?”

“That’s why. I’m the type of person who pushes the wannabes.”

Vernon said, crossing his arms proudly.

Turning to the other students, who were looking at him in disbelief, Vernon made a fist.

“If you’re going to be a wannabe, you’re going to be a wannabe, too, or you’re going to spend the rest of your lives being cut up by demons. Do you understand?”

-Ah, yes!

-I understand…….

-He’s bald again… He’s a professional, but he’s got a personality…….

-Don’t say that. All men are potentially bald.

-…… -I’ll die fighting the devil before I go bald.

“I can hear you. You little sons of bitches.”

Finally, Vernon couldn’t hold it in and punched the student who said the last word right in the head. He smirked at the cadet who took the hit, then continued.

“You have qualities.”

“Ouch…! What? What’s that supposed to mean all of a sudden…….”

“I mean that you have the qualities to walk the same path as me. I’m not talking about swordsmanship, of course.”

One of the boys looked up in shock.

Vernon’s curse was more destructive than he realized.

Anyway.

“Well, enough about my hair, we need to get on with the lesson.”

Vernon naturally changed the subject from hair.

For the record, he also naturally turned the conversation to my extra coursework. It’s a shame, I thought, but surprisingly not a bad thing.

If I thought about it a little differently, wouldn’t I have a chance to learn the [Light Step] faster?

There’s no reason to turn down a lesson in this situation.

“From now on, I will slowly show you the Imperal Family’s technique, the [Step of Light], and bring out its spirit so that you can master it. If you have no talent, this will take a long time, and if you do, you may get the hang of it as quickly as that poor gray-haired fellow.”

Vernon began the lesson surprisingly well.

As he releases his magic power, he begins to alter its properties. He reverses its shape, imbuing it with a faint hint of divinity, and puts it on his feet.

Even if it is not the main element, what if the [magic substitution] process could be handled like this?

It was the world of Inner Lunatic where other elemental magic could be used as well.

‘Of course, their efficiency is somewhat inferior to that of the main element.’

Before I could continue, Vernon’s swift movements caught my attention.

“Now, first things first.”

A glowing white aura gradually envelops Vernon’s feet, but it quickly dissipates.

With each subsequent step, the magic permeating his body exerts an unknown tension on the ground. It soon becomes one smooth flow.

It turns into a single, flickering beam of light.

I watched and thought to myself.

Would I be able to mimic that movement now?

And how long would it take me to master it?

After a few moments of contemplation, Vernon was already walking away from the students again.

That’s the first step of the [Light Step].

‘The [Light Step] footwork is actally not that bad. In the later stages, there are even steps that can kill an enemy in front of you with just one step.”

The entire process of the [Light Step] consists of a total of three steps.

This is the same as the first step.

“How about this, one step of the [Light Step] is this. It is the first step, the invisible one, the one that is so quick as a flash of light that it blinds the opponent to his own vision.”

A move as delicate as Vernon’s shimmering hair.

The student’s jaw dropped in shock.

I was thinking something else.

‘One day is enough.’

It was, of course, an estimate of how long it would take to learn the first formula. There was no way I could be wrong.

The conclusion was already drawn.

I will master that one step in this remedial class.

Dozens of times faster than Vernon thought possible.

I took a slow breath.

It was almost time to take that one step.

It would be a small step, but it would never be small to me. Perhaps to the wretch who had taken my body. For Nox von Reinhafer, it would be the same.

* * *

Meanwhile,

Paracelsus and Talia von Steiner.

The two prospective knights, who had been called alongside Nox in the first lesson, were currently feeling both devastated and embarrassed.

In truth, they had taken a certain amount of pride in their abilities.

After all, they had come out on top in the few classes they had competed in, and had been recognized by the venerable Knightmaster Flitzel, so it was no wonder.

Unlike Talia, who had low self-esteem, especially when compared to her sister, Paracelsus had never met anyone he felt was stronger than him, except his master.

Celsus. A mythical being in a state of awe.

The seven stars of the continent that stood tall.

But even he hadn’t displayed this level of genius at Nox’s age. The old master had once said to himself.

-Haha, to say the least, I was the least talented. Theo’s Supreme Black Sword was excellent, the Moonlight Sword… that’s for sure, and the Heavenly Sword was dangerous. But what they didn’t have, I had, and that’s why I was called a Sword Master.

-Compared to you at your current age, I fall far short, so don’t let that stop you from training properly.

He had been told by his master himself that his childhood, the childhood of Celsus, the Seven Stars of the Continent, was poorer than his own.

Moreover, he had not become a great man to tell lies.

But Nox had surpassed even himself in such talents.

Where does his talent lie?

Why couldn’t I catch him?

Pressure and excitement pulsed through every inch of Paracelsus’ body.

It was a strange sensation, like an electric current running through him.

‘I know the power of my inspiration,’ he thought, ‘and how exalted it is. And yet…… there is a being greater than him? I could not believe it at first.’

The story of the mythical sword told to Paracelsus was a myth.

An inflated tale.

No sword could surpass my master, he was sure.

But Paracelsus soon realized he was wrong. When he saw the Nox von Reinhafer’s Supreme Black Sword, the second iteration of it.

He was sure.

Nox was many times more worthy of the name genius than he was.

It wasn’t that he felt defeated; he was genuinely in awe of Nox. He muttered to himself.

“So… he’s a total nutcase…….”

“Huh? Nox is not a crazy person…….”

Talia snorted and corrected Paracelsus.

Paracelsus laughed hysterically and assured her that he didn’t mean that at all.

“…I don’t mean that, I’m just referring to the outrageous talents of a nobleman. That’s completely out of the ordinary, and it’s going to take me a long time to catch up…… maybe.”

It might take a lifetime to catch up.

It was the first time in his life that Paracelsus had ever uttered such words.

Not when he lost his parents and was abandoned in an orphanage during a time of war, not when he was forced to join the Knight’s Order to feed the orphanage.

Even when I dueled with my master, confident that one day I would surpass him.

But in moments like these, when others would have scoffed.

He realized that his limits could be cut.

Nox von Reinhafer.

The appreciation of a genius of his own age was worth it. Paracelsus’s clenched fists shook with pleasure.

Talia did the same.

When Nox finally pierced through Instructor Vernon’s [Step of Light] and struck it down. They both cried out in amazement almost simultaneously.

“What the hell!”

How in the world did Nox von Reinhafer become so strong? It was a moment where you couldn’t help but wonder.

It can’t be explained in just a few words.

Paracelsus and Talia.

Almost simultaneously, they decided to ask Nox how and why he had improved his swordsmanship in such a short time.

Nox, oblivious to the fact that he’d gained two admiring gazes, simply slashed his sword against Vernon’s blade.

It wasn’t even a greatsword, just a wooden sword.

But the sword Nox displayed was the most beautiful of all.

Even Vernon muttered something about it.

Damned handsome,

and damn strong.

* * *

A few hours later.

Vernon’s classes had all ended safely.

The lesson began with the substitution of his own magical attributes, not to mention the possibility of breaking the [Step of Light].

Aside from Echidna and me, there was no one else who could do this.

Paracelsus, Talia, Penelope, and Echidna.

We have a lot of talent, but in the first place, it’s about finding the right balance between swordsmanship and magic.

It was a difficult adjustment for those who had been taught too heavily in one direction or the other.

“It’s natural. [magic substitution]. It’s not a skill that can be learned easily. Not only the achievement of magic, but also the talent required to wield a sword. You can only do it if you have everything.

“……Yes.”

Vernon scratched his head and looked at me.

We’d been in make-up class for about two hours.

Now he was on the verge of tears.

“I mean why are you skimming classes so fast!”

Vernon blurted out.

I just shrug my shoulders and didn’t answer. I have a talent for magic and a talent for the sword.

On top of that, I’ve just discovered the existence of a mysterious divine power.

Nox’s talent, which didn’t even show up in the status bar.

A divinity that is considered one of the main elements.

Where does it come from?

‘Of course, I don’t have time to ponder this…….’

For now, I decided to make good use of what I had.

With that in mind, I lighten up.

[You have successfully acquired the Active Skill ‘Step of Light – 1st Step’].

Instructions. You have successfully mastered the first step of [Step of Light].

“Aaaahhhh!”

Vernon screamed as he tried to pluck a hair from his head.

There wasn’t a single hair left…….

Unable to say it out loud, I clamped my mouth shut.

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