SK4 - Chapter 17 - The First Archaen Cache (Patreon)

Nick moved cautiously through the cavern, his senses pushed to the extreme as he followed behind Sable on the stone-tiled ground. Jasmine moved a bit behind him, in her Arachne form. These two were the only ones accompanying him today because this challenge he was moving to was merely a Solo Test. 

He didn’t require any of his wives, and these two were merely escorting him for the odd chance that he struggled to manage any threat that appeared.

Those who delved into The Barrows found that there were numerous monstrous threats, but they were seemingly attuned to a certain level of difficulty that likely matched the Archaen Cache’s they protected.

The traps were much more deadly than the monsters, even for Nick. As an Archaen, it was easy to get used to his Soul Sense being superior to any form of sensory in terms of detecting threats. If it had a will, a hunger to kill, then it had a soul–no matter how small. 

Traps did not, and yet they could kill with ease. Not all within these barrows could be permanently disabled, and so Sable was helping lead Nick and Jasmine through the cavernous tunnels. Despite the stone tiled floor, the ceiling had stalactites and other formations, with the occasional archway with Archaen writings separating sections of the barrows.

As to what they said, most of it was warnings as to what was ahead. Hence how Nick knew what would be coming up at the end here.

Jasmine floated a light source around, not that Nick and Sable needed it much with their racial vision capabilities. And Sable continued her movements through the shadows created, skating through the darkness.

“Ah, found one. Watch your step, Boss.”

Shadows congealed near a stone tile, a spike of shadows forming over it. Nick sent his magical senses over it, and could barely tell a tiny trigger was underneath it. If he was moving through this tunnel on his own, it would have taken him all day to scan each one. Instead, Sable let her shadows creep into every surface, like a liquid.

“Good catch.”

They continued through the tunnel, the traps continuing to get more and more complex and numerous. At one point, Sable had them hanging off one of Jasmine’s threads to cross a large room, as it was the easiest way to traverse the deadly cavern where just triggering one trap nearly killed the delver’s entire party.

It was then that they arrived in front of a stone door with a Noblefrost Glyph on the ground, the markings matching the rubbings they created. It was within a relatively wide corridor, that matched much of those that Nick had run through when the rats had chased him. The place was a labyrinth, with varying sections of caverns and tiled stone.

“Nice work, Sable. That would have been a huge pain in the ass without you two, thanks for coming.”

“Anytime, Boss. Did you want us to explore further? If we leave it to the Adventurers, then this could take forever.” 

Nick frowned. “Let’s see what this gets us first, but I think them taking time is fine. You have your own important things to do, and it takes less time for us to clear than it does for us to meet the requirements. This thing was marked as the peak of the second Stratum, I’m not exactly ready for more challenging than this anyway. There may be more at this level, but who knows? If so, clearing them will be trivial later.”

Sable shrugged. “You’re the boss. And you’re right, only Jasmine here doesn’t have much to do. Even making that Soulscape thing took me nearly all week, and training takes up much of my time.”

Jasmine sniffed. “I do have much to do. Serving Master is of the utmost importance.”    

Nick chuckled. “And I do love having you by my side–both of you. Anyway, be right back. Watch over this cavern in case we get any…interlopers.”

Sable saluted as she entered the shadows, and Jasmine took guard at the door in her larger half-spider form. 

He filled the glyph by his feet with his mana and essence, and it lit up, the door opening. He walked inside and the lights of Orion wrapped around the room, and a figure formed across from him. Nick knew he’d have no issues using his Ideal here.

[Test of Swordsmanship. Defeat the enemy swordsman with your mastery of swordsmanship, mana and essence alone. No skills or Concepts are allowed for the duration of this challenge.]

It was just like when he faced his father, only even more restricted–he couldn’t even use his ice manipulation or Concepts. Another Archaen stood in front of him, wielding a plain Soul Blade. Nick drew his, and they both dashed forward, and began to fight.

As he swung his larger, tempered Soul Blade covered in ice, the thrill of the fight filled him. Facing another skilled swordsman was something he always enjoyed, and this warrior fit the bill. Nick’s large swings were met with talent and skill, the man quickly parrying one blow and stepping forward, and stabbing at Nick’s head. 

Nick was forced to twist his body to dodge, and as he whipped his sword down powerfully, he noticed that this one fought a lot more like the Archaen Monstrous Swordsman Ideal. The man twisted his body in return, and had no problem striking hard from an odd angle, and his arm was flexing as his body twisted, much like Nick’s.

Nick was both stronger and faster, at least at first. Using his Expert Body Essence control, his chains and ropes of essence infused with mana allowed him to move faster and hit harder. His opponent was being pushed back from his superior strength and speed, until the air shifted.

Suddenly, the essence in the room began to stir, and the enemy’s movements became more mysterious. With every swing of the opponent, Orion seemed to respond, and Nick understood–the enemy in front of him was a master of Archaen swordsmanship.

This put Nick at a severe disadvantage, making up for the fact that Nick seemed faster and stronger than his opponent. Each swing of the enemy’s blade carried a certain heaviness behind it, making it difficult for Nick to deflect even with his larger, denser blade. 

The man was still using his own essence, but thanks to the ‘free essence’ added and enhancing every swing, it became a challenge for Nick to meet his attacks.

Thankfully, Nick had an answer to make himself stronger. Drawing upon the Ideal he’d been working on, he spoke the words, and moved through the verses of the kata. While he had changed the words somewhat at this point, the meaning was largely the same. 

Nick no longer required the Redemption Concept or his Ideal to use his darkness or his light. His mastery of the two had increased with his sessions with the priestesses of Seraphara, and the quantity within his body had increased from the same, along with his eating of demon cores and judging of evil bandits. 

He had committed to his Ideal, practicing it daily. The essence within him was starting to conform to both of his Concepts, allowing him to better embody them both at the same time. His power and speed increased from the darkness and the light, enabling him to match the enemy swordsman’s swings.

Something was still missing, he could feel it. His power and control clashed against the overwhelming might the Archaen swordsman in front of him was using, and Nick was slowly getting the upper hand as he got closer to the final verse. Nick got to the point where he could easily overpower the enemy, but he kept the fight going to work on his swordsmanship.

He thought he was beginning to understand what might be missing, even thinking the might portion his opponent displayed might be useful. Nevertheless, his power and control clashed with the enemy swordsman’s might, his swift blows and feints leading to powerful counters. The might pushing against his control tempered his style, Nick understanding that his control wasn’t true unless it could completely contain a strong enemy like this swordsman.

It wasn’t as if one plus one equaled two, but his sword style embodying two Concepts eventually overwhelmed the swordsman’s might, and he landed a deadly blow on the enemy, cutting him in half and scattering him into motes of light. It was a small improvement that he made, but the duel was ultimately valuable, and had found himself grinning from the challenge. 

Nick realized that he likely had a long way to go before he could become a master. The construct he just faced had a superior mastery of essence, and had also done a much better job embodying might than Nick did with his control and power.

Defeating the Archaen Swordsman, the lights of the Framework washed over him.  

[Test Complete! Reward: Memory Event Unsealed.]

[Archaen Cache collected! This Cache contains: Second Stratum Knowledge, Supply of Second Stratum Cultivation Materials, Assortment of Ascension Materials. Cache delivered to Vault.]

[Subquest Complete: Rebuild House Noblefrost - Discover First Archaen Cache.]
[Reward: New paths available within The Barrows.] 

Nick’s eyes widened as he felt something within him shift. The memory came to him unbidden, experiencing it as if he were watching it through his own eyes.

Young Nick stood across from his father, in a place he instantly recognized: his princely chambers, the very same bedroom he spent much of his time in. They sparred with their wooden training swords, the two dancing across the matted floor. Nick was learning aspects of the dance, each movement being drilled into him. 

Older Nick watched from a strange view, where it was like he could see from the angle he chose, but he still felt Younger Nick’s senses, and even heard his thoughts and felt his feelings. Like some form of magical recording rather than a true memory, or some combination of the two.

Young Nick was getting rather frustrated at how many times he was knocked down with a disruption of his footing, disarmed with a firm smack to his wrist with his father’s wooden sword, or otherwise forced to start over for not getting it right.

Older Nick couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgic seeing this scene, and to be proud of the younger version of him. Despite being frustrated with a frown on his face, he did not complain. Of course, he knew that wouldn’t work out so well with his father, but four-year-old Nick definitely thought and acted more like a well-mannered teen.

The frustration still showed on his face though, so his father, of course, noticed this. He held out a hand, motioning for them to stop, which Young Nick heeded. 

“Do you know why the Archaen master the sword as opposed to other weapons, Son?”

Young Nick shook his head. “I’m not certain, Father.”

Nicholas Senior folded his arms. “Guess.”

Young Nick’s frown deepened, as he looked down at his sword. He didn’t know what his father wanted him to say. He knew that the sword was not technically a superior weapon, only situationally more powerful than others–just like any other weapon. Weapons were tools, each with their purpose. If they were not effective for their purpose, they would never be used, and only one weapon would exist.

His father had expounded on him the value and danger of a spear and other polearms, and sparred with him using several weapons. Reach and leverage was an important advantage that polearms provided, and yet the Archaen’s Soul Blade took the form of a sword, a weapon crafted with intimate purpose.  

“Is it…because they’re lords of Orion?”

Nicholas Senior had a hint of a smile for a moment, but Young Nick didn’t notice it, looking up too late from his sword as his father asked impassively, “And why would that matter?”

Young Nick listed the reasons that he knew, some coming to mind even as he began to speak, “The sword is the weapon of an individual, other weapons finding their advantages in groups. It also has advantages indoors and in surprise combat, which lords must be prepared for. And then…you said something about imagery, about people’s beliefs and how Orion responds. It is well-known as a noble’s weapon, costing more to make, and gives off the impression of civilized, restrained power and violence. A sword can be sheathed and easily drawn unlike most weapons, yet outclasses a mere dagger or knife.” 

Nicholas Senior smiled. “Good answer, those are all great reasons and encompass most of the reasons why the sword is the weapon of Lords. Now, this next part you won’t remember anyway, but I must teach it to you.”

Young Nick tilted his head. “I won’t remember? Then…why tell me?”

“Perhaps, you’ll remember when it matters most. Now, remember what I told you about becoming an Expert in Archaen Swordsmanship?”

Young Nick nodded. “I only must master the movements and the essence, then combine mana and essence into my Soul Blade! It’s easy.”

His father chuckled. “Exactly right. Then, a Master?”

“Um… I don’t know.”

Nicholas Senior cocked his head, and narrowed his eyes at young Nick. “What did I say about saying, um, or uh? And guess.”

Nick’s cheeks reddened. Lords did not say um. “I’m sorry, Father.” He thought for a moment. The levels of mastery followed a natural progression, of combining additional things into the swordsmanship. First, Body Essence. Then, Body Essence and Mana. So the next part was… 

“Is it, infusing your Concepts into the Soul Blade?”

“That’s a good, educated guess. However, it’s a little different from that. Your ability to control or use your Concept is governed by your mastery of it–how much the essence has become you. We are talking about our swordsmanship itself right now. Creating the blade of white light does make you an Expert, but only if you meet all the other requirements. To become a master, one must have their swordsmanship embody their Concepts, making every attack carry the strength of their Path.”

“That…sounds hard.”

“You said it, Son. For many, it’s not that challenging, all considered. They often only have a single, offensive Concept, with several aspects added to it, and it’s not that difficult to incorporate that into their fighting styles. Strength, Superiority, Speed, Sharpness, it’s easy to imagine a fighting style that embodies or takes advantage of these things. But what about Love? Devotion? Softness? Or, how about combining two of them? A true master swordsman has incorporated all the aspects of his path into his swordsmanship, though, Orion would call you a master with just one.”

Young Nick tried to imagine a fighting style that incorporated love, or softness into it, let alone combining them. It sounded impossible. “How do they do it?”

His father gave him an infuriating grin–the one he’d make when he knew what he said next was going to make Nick frustrated. “What is a swordsman?”

Young Nick nearly groaned. He hated it when his father answered his question with another question!

He parroted his father’s words back to him. “It’s a person who doesn’t use a sword as a mere weapon or a tool. A person who makes swordsmanship a part of who they are–a part of their Path.”

“Good! That’s right. Do you think there’s a Swordsman Concept?”

“Yes? I mean–I think so. You said there are as many Concepts as there are stars in the sky, and that they can be nearly anything I could imagine.”

“Yes. And that’s true, but some Concepts are much more difficult to connect with. It’s not that they are better, but it’s that in a sense, they require multiple aspects to truly stand apart from a more basic principle. Many swordsmen do not start with a swordsmanship Concept, but rather form a sword one first, and then combine it with some aspect of their swordsmanship that resonates with them.” 

Nicholas Senior let that information sit with Young Nick for a moment. 

The boy frowned in thought. “So, are you saying that to become a master swordsman, you must form a Swordsmanship Concept?”

Nicholas Senior shook his head. “No, but it certainly helps. One must understand swordsmanship enough that they could crystalize it into a Concept. To achieve mastery, they understand how to tie every aspect of their Concept into their swordsmanship. It’s what differentiates a mage who attacks with spells in the shape of a sword, and a man who's every movement and sword swing embodies that of a swordsman. Or…from a king who partially uses a sword to defend himself. A master of swordsmanship has certainly made being a swordsman a part of his path, but it doesn’t mean that they are exclusively that.”

Young Nick knew that his father was certainly a swordsman, but also a king. He asked, “Are you a master swordsman, Dad? Or is it…grandmaster? I bet you’re above that!”

Nicholas Senior chuckled. “I wonder? Now, theory is all well and good, but I think it’s time for you to feel it.”

His father drew a training sword out of nothing once more, a simple wooden sword as he walked a little further away from Nick on the training mats.

Young Nick was excited. His father sparred with him, but he would always lower himself down to a mere Expert when he fought him–something a person in the mere first stratum could accomplish.

Suddenly, he took a stance, and it was like the air around him changed. The Essence of Orion responded, stirring toward him as he moved through a kata. The swings looked simple, ones that Young or Old Nick would have no trouble copying. 

Yet something carried with every movement, an underlying truth that Older Nick could feel lurking under the surface, and he doubted with Young Nick’s magical senses was he able to feel at the level Older Nick could. Perhaps, that was the reason for this special recording, for this moment to still be valuable and useful to him. As if his father was still alive, and teaching him right now. 

It felt almost like how Convergence Skills would often draw in essence from the surrounding area. While Nicholas Senior could easily supply essence for these attacks, he was not. It was just like the Archaen Swordsman Older Nick had just faced.

His father had taken a two-handed grip, and each swing and movement seemed to be filled with a Concept, a truth of Orion. Nick got the impression that even if he blocked a simple sword swipe, it would knock his arm back from the incredible force and might behind each blow. Almost like Lothar’s Jab in how it knocked enemies back, but with every single movement. Nick’s impression was that the concept embodied a singular thing.

Strength. 

Nicholas Senior continued for a few swings, but then he shifted his stance, his feet becoming closer to one another, and he took the sword on with a one handed, fencers grip. The air stirred once more, and then he began to move, his feet flowing across the floor rapidly as he dashed. His flurry of attacks came with expedient movements, each swing of his blade or shift of his weight carrying an underlying principle, each one blurring in Nick’s view and giving him a new impression. 

Speed.

Again his stance shifted, wider this time, and his feet moved in an odd, meandering pattern. His swings were like a caress, his passion carried through every movement. Young Nick could even feel the emotions his father had for him, his heart swelling with affection. While each attack didn’t look deadly, Older Nick knew the truth. 

The movements carried a power within them, his will and conviction enhancing their strength. While this wasn’t nearly as strong as the strength Concept in terms of how hard the blows might hit, it would take essence and mana from the attacker to even have a chance of overcoming it.

Love.

Older Nick witnessing this was more than a bit surprised about this Concept being displayed, was Love really a part of Nicholas Senior’s Path? However, he knew that those who had truly advanced toward the peak could understand the many truths of Orion enough that they could display it without it being a part of themselves. 

This was common for crafters who wanted to infuse these Concepts into items, but apparently, his father had such an extensive mastery of swordsmanship, that he could infuse and demonstrate even such an esoteric one like love into it.

His father then moved on to a few other Concepts, such as ice and even the fiery light Nick had a choice for when he picked his specialization, and then a few other magics. It was only a mere wooden sword, but his swings chilled the area or his movements made with cold precision. He also did his kingly concept that Older Nick had seen in his fight with him, showing the control and gravity of his Path. 

Again and again his father showed different aspects. It was beyond Young Nick what his father was trying to show him, besides it being amazing. Older Nick had begun to understand more about swordsmanship, and what it means to be a master. Lothar had it easy with only one Concept, his Warrior’s Concept much simpler for his axe style to embody that just one aspect.

Older Nick was certain that if he only had the Heroic Concept or the Frost King Concept, he’d have already become a master. Maybe it was an arbitrary goal, for him to combine them both into a fighting style like he did. After all, Lothar had said you could just use one if he wanted, but he would ultimately be much weaker in the end if he did. Unfortunately, he had no real guidance beyond that, as much like Nick, anything he’d learned beyond that was likely sealed when he arrived on this shard.  

Nick’s father finished showing off one Concept, and then he looked at Nick with a serious look in his eyes. Like he was looking deep into his soul at Older Nick, knowingly. “Those were simple, weren’t they? A single aspect or Concept is easy to feel, and not so difficult to master, all told. But now pay attention, Son. There’s a reason why only true elites of Orion master more than one Concept early on. But I do believe I need an assistant for this one, for you to really see it demonstrated.”

He drew his Soul Blade from his shoulder, the light filling the room. Young Nick frowned at it, as it was a different color than usual. “Hey, what is that? It looks different from your other one.”

Nicholas Senior smiled. “Just something I’m working on, Son.” His hand ran across his Soul Blade, filling it with essence. “Arise, Blade of my Soul, Champion of my Spirit. Awaken, Artura.”

The Soul Blade shifted to that of a golden saber, before an elven swordswoman appeared in motes of light. A large, two-handed sword was draped across her back, and she was covered in armor. Now that she and his father wasn’t trying to kill Nick and he had more time to pay attention to her, he realized that she might not actually be an elf, but her features were heavily covered by her armor, aside from her face.

The woman kneeled in front of Nicholas Senior, her eyes on the ground in front of her. “My lord. How may I serve?”

He threw her a training sword, which she caught without looking, surprised. She looked up at him and asked, “I thought we had finished with my training, Milord?”

Nicholas Senior smiled. “You have. I need you for a demonstration for my son there,” he nodded to the side.

She looked over at Young Nick, suddenly, and her eyes widened. “You mean…Him?”

“Yes, Him. Perhaps some day, he’ll be your wielder.”

Artura looked over at Nick with a blush as she stood, and then bowed with a little bit of a flourish, placing the sword behind her at the small of her back. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Young Master. Your father has…told me so much about you.”

Young Nick was a little confused about this turn of events, but he smiled at the pretty elven woman. “Nice to meet you. Thank you for your guidance.”

She smiled at that, and Nicholas Senior then took his stance, and Artura was then forced to focus on him. The two stirred their essence, and dashed forward to meet their wooden swords.

The two fought, and Older Nick started to see that while two Concepts were more challenging, it was possible to weave together two styles into a single fighting style. One could be offensive and another defensive, both add on to one another to increase their overall power. 

Then he had even used conflicting elements like softness and hardness to create a whole fighting style, producing something entirely new. In that case, it became an adaptable, flexible fighting style that could cushion blunt blows or deflect sharp ones with rigidity, while acting much like the Archaen body already did. Able to whip or bend limbs in odd ways, or strike hard with an unyielding blade.

Several more were displayed, including one that felt rather close to what Older Nick was trying to achieve, an ice and heaviness swordsmanship. It was similar in that power was brought about from a heavy blade, and that the ice chilled Artura and slowed her. However, it was different in that the ice carried aspects of chilling cold that were simply different from what Nick focused on. Nick’s Frost Aura was cold because his frozen will was empowered by the loyalty and devotion of his kingdom, and Nicholas Senior’s sword was cold because he infused the truths of cold into them. The result was similar, yet a world apart in difference. 

And Artura herself seemed to use a fighting style that was like the reverse of Kaya’s. A sort of precise sharpness combined with an unyielding defense, and he thought this matched the golden gates and fortress imagery he had seen when he faced his father. Kaya was more focused on offense, rather than a combination of the two.

Eventually, his father stopped. “I think that should do it, Artura. Thanks for the help.”

“My pleasure, Milord.” She turned to Nick and smiled. “Until next time, Young Master. I hope we meet again.” She dispersed into motes of light, and Nicholas Senior looked proud of himself as he put away his Soul Blade on his shoulder.

“So, what’d you think, Son?”   

Young Nick was moved by what his father showed him, but Older Nick, who was watching through his eyes, was shocked. He already had some ideas on how to improve his fighting style, and how to bridge the gap properly between both power and control, and even including other pieces of his Concepts. 

The key was mastering the essence further, which he was well on his way to doing already. He had worked on the style, and now, he needed to weave in aspects of his concepts into the essence more thoroughly.

“That was awesome! I can’t believe you didn’t use any magic at all. Swordsmanship is amazing!”

His father grinned at him. “I’ve always favored it, but any path on Orion when taken to the extreme is truly magical.” 

He walked over to Young Nick, and put his hand on his shoulder, looking on at his son fondly. “Every person has their own reason for picking up a weapon. To fight for a cause. To take and to kill. To defend and protect. For power and for safety.”

Nicholas Senior let go of Nick and walked to the center of the mats, and took out the training sword again, this time to gesture with it as he spoke. “But ultimately, those who take up a weapon do so to exert their will on the world, all deciding on the same thing. That by taking up their weapon, their dreams and desires will not be ignored. Not unless those who stand against their path can withstand their violence–the skill, the power, and the sharpness of their blade. Conflict and war is ever-present on Orion and under the heavens, a truth that can never be denied. A swordsman with a blade by their side is always ready for it.”

From the moment he arrived on Orion, Nick had decided on the sword as his means of exerting his will on the world, of resolving conflicts that he couldn’t resolve with words or simple actions. Sure, the Soul Blade was powerful, and it was easy to gravitate toward using it just for that reason alone. 

However, even in moments where he unlocked his frost magic or found other options, he still had opted for means of excelling and improving his swordsmanship. The Soul Knight class hardly provided any benefits to swordsmanship at all, and yet, it was Nick’s singular focus on how to fight, to become stronger and become more. 

His two Concepts either directly fed into his ability to strike with his blade, or controlled his enemies to allow for it. And Orion only kept rewarding him and improving his advantages, but that was part of what Orion did. Through its many Tests and Trials, it nourished one's strengths and abilities, assisted in overcoming one's weaknesses, and helped one become more. 

If Nick had focused on frost magic, he likely would have gained several traits or rewards that would have nurtured his desire for the skill. Perhaps, his most recent test would have been, the ‘Test of Frost Wizardry’ or similar. Still, he had chosen swordsmanship, and so Orion matched his focus.

Even in his past life on Earth, devoid of his Orion memories, he still gravitated to the sword. It resonated with him, down to the very essence of who he was. He loved how his skill, strength, and speed translated to power. He loved the thrill of the fight, overcoming his opponents with his talent and skill with the sword, his might, and his ingenuity. 

A swordsman balanced those traits more than most other weapon specialists in his mind, and this attracted him like a moth to a flame. Combined with all the other elements Young Nick had mentioned, the sword was his personal weapon of choice, even without the Soul Blade.

His father continued, “You might not walk the path of a swordsman, Son. You may choose to become a mage, wizard, or scholar… or, hopefully, a king like your dad. Just know that to master swordsmanship means not only mastering the sword, but also conflict and yourself. Weapons and war only exist because conflict does, two entities’ desires clashing. All beings experience conflict, a truth of the heavens and Orion. This is important for you to remember, no matter what path you ultimately walk.”

Young Nick looked down at the sword in his hands, moved. Until that moment, the sword was just something for self-defense for him–a tedious thing among many for him to learn. He had known that a swordsman didn’t merely look at a sword as a tool alone, but hadn’t known what that meant. 

To become a swordsman and make it a part of their path was to accept the truth of conflict. That by having dreams and desires, his path would eventually clash with another’s, and the sword would be the means for his will to be the one that was realized.

He gripped his sword tightly, and thought about how this conversation had started. Young Nick had been frustrated with learning the dance, but now, he had a much greater respect for swordsmanship, and what his father was trying to teach him. Perhaps, having his hand smacked and getting knocked to the ground, and forced to repeat a monotonous task wasn’t that big of a deal. His father was teaching it to him for a reason, and the road to mastery of anything was paved with hard work, his mother said.

Young Nick stood across from his father, and took his stance with a smile. “Thanks, Dad. I’m ready to learn the dance again now.”

Nicholas Senior smiled wide. “Good attitude, Son. You’ll become a master in no time.”

Older Nick hadn’t remembered this moment until now, but it was perhaps this very moment that Young Nick had decided to become a swordsman. A desire to become stronger, and to master the blade and himself. Something that resonated down to the center of who he was.

The vision stopped replaying in Older Nick’s mind, coming back to his body standing within the stone room where he dueled the Archaen. The door was open now, and Jasmine and Sable had entered, but he scarcely paid attention to this.

Like a flame was ignited in his chest, that memory joined Nick as he understood the truth. He had been concerned about taking on a third Concept, and for them to be too disparate, too different. But the truth was that Swordsmanship was the bridge, an umbrella that encompassed the other two. 

It was also the thing that resonated with him the most, and it was a truth of conflict, something that fit both heroism and kingship rather well. Both heroes and kings must be masters of conflict, their wills colliding with evil or other kingdoms, or even their own people to protect their people and the weak. And Nick’s swordsmanship was what would carry out that will.

That flame within him felt like it was all-consuming. It was drawing from his Heroic Redemption Concept and his Dominion of Frost and Fealty Concepts, starting to steal from what he had built the compatible functions and aspects, truths that matched his swordsmanship. 

But Nick did not want that to happen, he wanted to keep these three things the way they were and progress them separately.           

It was with no hesitation that Nick took out the Spark of Insight and Major Enlightenment from his manly storage location in his chest pocket, and crushed the vial in his hand. The spark entered his body, and like living electricity, was drawn toward his Soul Core.