[Delusion (?????++++)
The union of Death and Ice has given birth to a new power. The sole owner of Death Ice is the one who wields this sword. May you never die under the cold, and if the day comes when death must embrace you, may you do so with a smile.
Every life taken with this sword will grant the user a 0.5% increase in attack power, attack speed, and attack depth for half an hour.
Each life taken with this sword will grant the user a 0.05% increase in magic power, magic speed, and magic depth for half an hour.
Each life taken with this sword will grant the user a 0.005% increase in stamina for half an hour.
Each life taken with this sword grants the user a 0.005% speed boost for half an hour.
The user has passively gained 100 ’Agility’ status.]
This... was unbelievable.
After easily reading the sword’s properties, Atlas saw that its defence system had collapsed, meaning that the logic and power increase mechanisms that favoured ’good’ or ’evil’ people were gone.
The Holy Sword had completely changed and taken the name [Delusion].
Atlas couldn’t help but smile.
He decided he needed to stop for now, then stood up and said, "Emma, let’s go."
Emma asked in great surprise, "As you command, my lord... but where exactly?" Atlas replied directly, "We’re going to the training ground. The pressure the sword is putting on me is unbelievable. I have to get used to it."
Atlas said a quick goodbye to the Sages and, without waiting, quickly took Emma by the hand and started walking towards the training ground.
There were four training grounds under Shadowfall Palace. On the outside, to the left of the palace, there were 16 training grounds for warriors to practise.
In short, the ones outside the palace were for warriors, while the ones inside and below were made for the Shorekeeper Clan to use.
When they reached one of the dual training grounds, Atlas drew his sword, Delusion, without stopping and took a stance against Emma.
Emma smiled and, seeing the excitement and seriousness on Lord Atlas’s face, drew the sword from her waist and said, "I will do my best, my lord. Even if I am a mage."
"Come on, Emma," Atlas said suddenly.
"We both know that the sword in your hand is a staff. You weren’t the assistant captain of the empire’s first knight brigade for nothing, were you? Every member of your unit had special abilities," he added to his own words.
"Haha... I’m trying to strengthen myself in multiple areas, though not as much as you, my lord. I hope I can honour you," Emma replied.
At the same time, the seriousness between the two began to increase. They looked at each other and stood there, not knowing who would make the first move.
"No using abilities. No aura, no magic. Just a duel, Emma," said Atlas, and as soon as he saw Emma nodding her head up and down, he lunged forward.
Emma was stunned by Atlas’s speed. Atlas was now very strong, very durable, and very fast. This was, of course, normal, as Hercules and Thanatos’ gifts had directly buffed him and drastically increased his three stats, which had not increased for a long time.
Atlas was in a much better condition.
Still, he did not have as much experience with the sword as he did with magic.
Even though Emma was much slower, she stopped Atlas’ sword strike with a single move, and she didn’t stop there.
Emma made another move and knocked the sword out of Atlas’s hand by striking the hilt of what Atlas would call the Holy Sword Delusion with her sword.
At that moment, Emma lunged forward and, contrary to expectations, delivered a direct headbutt to Atlas.
"ARGHK!" Atlas screamed and immediately fell to the ground.
Atlas realised who Emma truly was the moment the tip of her sword neared his throat.
Despite being far stronger, faster, and more resilient than Emma, Atlas had lost to her... He had completely forgotten that the person who had trained Emma was his own sister, Eva.
There was no chance that someone trained by Eva would be weak in combat technique, no matter who they were. It was simply impossible to think otherwise.
When Atlas touched his forehead, he realised it was literally split open. Still, what Atlas felt was not pain but excitement. The fact that Emma was far better than he had imagined proved that he had made the right choice.
The selection of the person who would wield the Shorekeeper’s shield and sword had been made correctly.
Atlas, who had come to his senses and stood up, recalled the Holy Sword Delusion to his inventory and drew the sword again.
"One more time, please," Atlas said. At that moment, getting used to the sword was the last thing on his mind. He simply wanted to perfect the sword art that had been lacking throughout his entire life and previous lives.
Emma knew how far Atlas could go when he set his mind on something; after all, she had heard it from Eva herself, but... she hadn’t expected this much.
For a few seconds, she had even feared that Atlas’s mind had been shaken.
Still, Emma knew that she wouldn’t dare to be disrespectful in a duel, especially against her lord. Of course, this also meant something:
Destroy your lord so that he can learn something.
When Atlas stood up and returned to a proper stance, Emma smiled and was filled with a sense of teaching she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Suddenly, Emma lunged forward. The young woman made a move toward the sword Atlas was holding, and when Atlas dodged the attack, she shouted, "Press down hard on the ground, my lord! If you want to counter an attack, plant your foot on the ground and strike the incoming blow firmly without hurting your arm!"
When Atlas heard this, he shook his head, and when Emma made a similar move again, Atlas used a bit of speed and strength to slam his foot into the training ground’s floor and then struck Emma’s sword with all his might:
An incredible metallic clang echoed throughout the vast area in an instant.
Emma couldn’t hide her astonishment.