Reaper's Resurgence - Book 6 - Chapter 36 (Patreon)

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Alexia

I continue repeatedly trying the trials over and over again, but I keep losing each time. And for some reason, the Quantum Vanguard’s clone even tries to teach me a little before killing me in some of these trials. Almost like my form in our blade-to-blade sparring bothered him too much. Enough that he decided to fix it.

He’s starting to remind me of one of those protagonists in TV shows who go about showing off while fighting, to the point of even teaching their opponents during the fight. Except that he kills me afterwards.

Which kind of defeats the purpose of teaching me in the first place.

Or, at least, it would. If I wasn’t in a trial.

Thanks to his teachings, I manage to improve quite a bit over the course of nine trial attempts.

Now, whether it’s enough for me to survive this final trial attempt? I doubt it. Which is a major issue.

If I don’t win here, I’m dead for good.

I grit my teeth as I closely watch the Quantum Vanguard continue fighting against the Corruptors. Studying his every single move in the process.

Despite all of his lessons, it’s barely even been a couple days since I started these trials. And yet, I’m already on the last attempt.

It’s a little pathetic. I honestly wish I prepared more before coming.

Or maybe I should’ve just waited to level up more?

Was I in too much of a rush? Or did I just underestimate the Quantum Vanguard since I heard he doesn’t use any of those tricks?

Pure swordsmanship is just as terrifying if not more than those tricks I can counter from the previous Quantum Beings. So I regret a lot of things about this trial right now.

Once I appear in the final part of the trial again, though, things begin to change. The Quantum Vanguard goes at me immediately again, but this time he just starts to train me right away. Unlike the previous times, where he would at least wait a little bit before training me.

And the training lasts longer this time as well. Giving me enough time to catch my breath and even give him a couple of counter-attacks.

Then something completely unexpected happens.

The Quantum Vanguard, right as he’s about to cut off my arm holding my scythe, stops his blade mere inches from me. And, while I’m still feeling confused as to what he’s doing, he pulls back and rests his blade over his shoulder.

“This is the tenth time you have challenged me, so would you just break these damned habits already?” the Quantum Vanguard declares with a frown on his face. Shocking me in the process.

He… knows this is a trial?

Or at least, he knows about the previous times I’ve fought him?

“How do you remember our previous fights?” I go ahead and ask since this guy is known to be pretty straightforward.

He just shrugs and says, “I saw some annoying line tying me to something, so I cut it during our first fight before killing you.” Then he sweeps his sword down again and repeats, “I don’t care why you’ve been trying to kill me over and over again, nor why you aren’t dying. Just tell me why you aren’t breaking these damned habits!”

My jaw drops open at his words.

Did he seriously just say that he cut through the bindings the trail placed on him…? Why the hell is this guy only seventh in the hierarchy if he’s able to do this?

None of the other Quantum Beings could.

Then again, I don’t know if they could see the bindings, or if they just couldn’t cut them. It might make some sense if they just couldn’t cut their bindings but could see them.

“I’m currently in a trial where I’m meant to kill every Quantum Being once with ten tries at each trial,” I decide to tell him in the hopes that he’ll just let me kill him like the last two Quantum Beings. “This is my ninth trial, and my final attempt at your-”

“I don’t care,” the Quantum Vanguard says, interrupting me while waving his sword around at me. “Tell me why you aren’t breaking these habits! Don’t talk about anything else, just explain your reasoning!”

I blink at his words and interruption.

So much for a peaceful ending.

Also…

“What habits?” I ask while tilting my head.

His eyes widen in shock before he rushes up to me and swings his blade, which I instinctively try to block with the blade of my scythe. Only for him to suddenly spin around and swing his blade at my waist instead.

I block that with the blade of my scythe as well.

“There! That’s the habit I’m talking about!” the Quantum Vanguard exclaims while backing away again. “You insist on blocking everything with the blade of your scythe no matter what! You can block attacks with the rest of the scythe too! It doesn’t have to be the blade! Forcing yourself to use just the blade to defend is only going to make your attempts to block awkward and leave you open to more attacks! So stop it already! It’s driving me insane watching you!”

Uh…

This is not how I foresaw this final attempt at the trial going…

He suddenly rushes at me again, and this time I take his advice to heart and block with the bar instead of the scythe’s blade. And it feels a lot less awkward to do so, with the bar easily blocking the strike.

Huh. I was blocking with the blade because it just seemed right. You block blades with blades.

Part of me was worried he would cut straight through the bar handle of the scythe as well.

The Quantum Vanguard nods his head in satisfaction after seeing that, only to frown again as he says, “You also need to fix your posture more! I’ve tried guiding you into it, but this isn’t the best way to fight with a scythe!”

Soon enough, our battle turns into a lesson, leaving me completely bewildered.

What happened to the trial?