Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan - Chapter 48

Theo paused, considering his options. He had gathered eight passages—the same as Remington. The final encounter with the Magic Saber-Toothed Tiger had yielded him his eighth passage. This was enough to reclaim the top spot, but his ambitions extended beyond mere rankings.

He wondered if there was a way to ‘complete’ Thunderlight Breathing, despite the missing passage.

If the second stage ended now, the opportunity to obtain the final passage and complete the technique would vanish. He’d either have to seek out a master of the technique or achieve some extraordinary contribution for the clan to earn the final piece.

Either path would likely take a tremendous amount of time.

Additionally, an incomplete technique would become a glaring weakness as he joined the fray in the battle for clan leadership after the Awakening Ceremony. Above all, Theo needed good results—and not just any good result, but one that overwhelmingly trumped everyone, even within this generation filled with exceptional talent.

‘The five major candidates have already established a firm foothold. To break through, I need to be undeniably superior in every way…’

A ‘completed’ elemental breathing technique, coupled with exceptional results, would bring about great recognition.

But completion was the hurdle.

Even though it was just a single missing piece, it left a chasm in understanding, too deep for a novice like him to bridge easily. Fortunately, Theo possessed a unique advantage to compensate for the missing piece.

[Utilizing ‘Skill: Hatchling Synchro’ to review the previously observed residual thoughts.]

Theo focused his mind, recalling the memories he had gleaned from the pieces of «Thunderlight Breathing».

The swordsman who encoded the passage into the bell. The master who stared at the stormy sky, awaiting thunder and lightning. The monk in training who practiced tirelessly in a forest, swinging a wooden sword tens of thousands of times. The dragoon, awestruck by a dragon unleashing fierce lightning.

…

…

Eight distinct perspectives intertwined, their aspirations resonating within Theo. Lacking knowledge and wisdom, there was a limit to how much he could ‘understand’ all of this. Thankfully, he had obtained clues to deduce the missing link between the passages.

It was residual thoughts he gleaned from artifacts like «Thunder Call».

‘Lightning is composed of light and heat. These two traits are inherently expansive, making them uncontrollable. That holds true for lightning as well. If I look at the attribute of Thruma with this perspective…!’

Driven by sudden inspiration, Theo unstrapped the Drake Blade and gripped it.

“Hmm?” the judge tilted his head, not getting a response from Theo.

He was perplexed by Theo’s unexpected action. He then realized that Theo’s mind, rather than being focused on him, was locked elsewhere. Somewhere far higher and steeper…

‘Oh dear!’ the judge realized.

「Proctors, move all the examinees away to a safe distance and form a defensive formation! We must make sure Theo Ragnar’s meditation is not disturbed!」

The judge didn’t know what triggered Theo, but he knew that this was a pivotal moment for any swordsman. The proctors quickly cleared the area, and the judge erected a thick Sword Barrier around Theo.

Within the soundproof sanctuary, Theo wrestled to fill in the missing passage.

‘If I can’t complete it with the original passage, let’s try substituting it with something similar. Perhaps, the missing piece can be a stepping stone to transform it into something even greater.’

Fzzt, fzzzt!

Crackling sparks of bright yellow energy danced around Theo, caught in the swirling mana gust.

Thump-thump-thump-thump—!

His heart pounded like crazy. His body had already communicated between cells and neurons with electric signals. These electric signals can be naturally formed into lightning energy.

When the Thruma attribute was added to magic power, bodily functions were enhanced. Physical enhancement made Theo think of his Dragon Heart. By flowing magic power into the veins, Dragon Heart both strengthened and controlled the body.

What if he connected the two, which had similar characteristics?

‘Instead of simple physical enhancement, I might be able to also control the lightning energy that’s manifested.’

He would use the Dragon Heart to supplement the missing portion of the Thruma attribute. Then, the Thruma attribute would fill in the Dragon Heart’s inability to influence the outer realm.

Inside and out.

Dragon Heart and Thruma Attribute.

The combination of the two could create an entirely new «Thunderlight Breathing».

‘It is said that an Oriental Dragon stirs up a tempest as he rains down lightning.’

With that, Theo came up with a new name for the elemental breathing technique he modified.

«Thunder Dragon Breathing»

This thought reflected in his body.

Ba-thump, Ba-thump, Ba-thump!

The powerful beating of his heart became audible even to the judge and proctors outside the barrier. It even caused the ground to tremble subtly.

BA-BUM! BA-BUM! BA-BUM! BA-BUM!

As the beating of his heart became louder, like a drumbeat, a ripple radiated from beneath Theo’s feet. Ripples of bright yellow lightning energy pulsed outwards, intensifying into a wave, a tsunami of energy.

Crackle, crackle!

The lightning energy continued to intensify, causing bolts to rain down all over the place.

“Wow…!” the judge gasped.

The sheer force of Theo’s mana gust dwarfed the other examinees. He wanted to immediately give Theo a perfect score.

The thing about the passages was that it was never about how many one collected but rather how well one could understand it.

However, despite his achievement, it seemed Theo wasn’t satisfied.

His eyes snapped open.

Flash!

The intensity of the thunderlight within his eyes made even the judge flinch.

And then…

Fwoo—

An electromagnetic field emanated from Theo, lifting four Death-bits from his chest. His «Psychokinesis», amplified by magnetism, granted him even greater control.

‘His mastery of the Thruma attribute was already astonishing. When did he learn «Psychokinesis»? What was he planning?’ The judge watched with mounting anticipation.

Smirk

A playful smile bloomed on Theo’s face.

Fwoosh!

The four Death-bits launched, each aimed in a different direction. Three targeted the others who had demonstrated Elemental Breathing, Erika, Ray, and Remington.

“This brat…!”

“Gasp!”

“Oho…!”

Each reacted in their own way.

Erika, assuming a challenge, swung her fire-imbued sword downwards.

KABOOM!

The collision of dagger and sword produced an explosion, not a metallic clang. The lightning energy reacted violently with the flames, erupting skyward.

Bzzzzzt—

The bright yellow lightning energy coalesced, taking a new form.

A dragon.

A phantom beast of concentrated lightning energy swooped down, its claw aimed at Erika’s head.

It was the «Dragon’s Claw».

* * *

Reaper Scans

[Translator – Mr.Ghost]

[Proofreader – Harley]

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* * *

“……!”

Surprise flickered across Erika’s face, caught off guard by this new application of lightning energy—

Rumble!

A shockwave erupted, followed by a cloud of dust that swallowed Erika whole.

“A Thunder Dragon!” the judge exclaimed, awestruck.

This new attack required immense control over the element.

That meant that Theo was now in the Expansion stage, surpassing Remington’s display earlier.

Ray and Remington fared no better.

Ray’s blizzard was shredded by the Thunder Dragon’s claws, and Remington’s water stream became a conduit for the Thunder Dragon’s ascent.

Three of the top performers of the second stage were simultaneously overwhelmed.

The skill gap was undeniable.

With a single move, Theo asserted his dominance. Examinees and proctors alike were speechless, lost in stunned silence.

‘Wait, where is the last one?’ The judge remembered that there were a total of four daggers.

Rumble—

Accompanied by a tremendous shockwave, it was fast approaching the judge.

“Testing me, are you? Are you questioning if this old geezer has what it takes to be judging you young’uns? Very well!”

Though seemingly disrespectful, the judge laughed heartily.

Like Remington’s skill, Theo’s prowess had piqued his interest. He wanted to trade blows with his much younger junior.

Being challenged was always exciting.

Fwip!

Clang!

The judge flicked his hand upwards. The overwhelming disparity in magic power neutralized the Death-bit before it could form a Thunder Dragon, sending it spinning into the air.

Fshhh—

As steam momentarily obscured the view, Theo appeared, swinging his Drake Blade. The judge, anticipating this, countered effortlessly.

«Water Current Breathing – Water Jet Cutter»

Crash!

Hand and blade clashed, scattering lightning energy.

Theo recaptured the scattered lightning energy with his electromagnetic field, drawing an arc with his blade.

“The Thruma attribute is the most potent among the six elemental attributes, but it also consumes the most amount of magic power,” the judge explained.

The concentrated lightning energy along the blade formed a pillar of light that shot skyward.

Rumble—

A three-strike combo followed, and three flashes of light assaulted the judge.

It was the «Triple Dragon’s Claw». Or rather, «Triple Thunder Dragon’s Claw».

Boom! Boom! Ka-boom—!

The judge calmly weathered the onslaught. He deflected the first attack by smacking it away with the side of his hand. As a tingling pain shot through his fingers, the judge’s eyes narrowed.

‘Not bad.’

Before the second attack landed, the judge smiled, reaching for the still-spinning Death-bit above.

“The judge grabbed a blade…?!”

“Th-The Zenith Dragon has drawn a sword!”

The proctors were even more shocked than the examinees as the judge swung the Death-bit downwards.

BOOM!

Theo’s attack was blocked for the first time.

Kgh!

Theo suppressed a surge of blood in his throat, pushing forward with [Colossal Might] to unleash the final claw.

Shwing!

“Reciprocating a junior’s enthusiasm is a senior swordsman’s duty,” the judge chuckled, drawing a shape with the dagger.

The moment he saw it, Theo instinctively understood.

Like Lady Plum Blossom, the Zenith Dragon was offering a glimpse into the profound understanding he developed throughout his long life.

「Like the other Nine Dragons, I’ve developed my own interpretation of the Clan Head’s swordsmanship. I call this «Watercolor Waterfall».」

Time seemed to slow and the world blurred like a watercolor painting.

A landscape painting of lush trees and mountains.

The massive waterfall cascading down the center cleared Theo’s heart.

Splash!

「I heard the Clan Head, Lady Plum Blossom, and Commander Julius all tried to show you this. I’m curious about what you’ll learn from me.」

With a soft chuckle, the waterfall crashed down upon Theo’s Thunder Dragon.

Time resumed its normal flow.

Theo was lost in a daze, processing the lingering afterimage gifted by the judge.

Meanwhile, the judge once again placed his hands behind his back as he shouted, “Theo Ragnar, pass! Not only does he get a perfect score of one thousand, but he has also earned an additional five hundred points for demonstrating a complete understanding of Elemental Breathing!”

“……!”

“……!”

“……!”

As proctors and examinees stared in disbelief, the scoreboard updated.

1st. Theo Ragnar (3,021 points)

2nd. Remington Narcio (1,689 points)

3rd. Erika Lanke (1,326 points)

4th. Ray Ragnar (1,102 points)

…

Three thousand points!

It was an astounding achievement.

And…

「Young man, would you consider becoming my disciple?」

An offer followed.