Osirs's classmates were now all heading home. No one waited for him, and no one seemed to care.
He sat silently next to Teacher Volved, just as he'd been told, but until now, the teacher hadn't said a word. It seemed he was waiting for the others to get far enough away.
To pass the time, Osirs gently stroked the small white fox's head. It let out a few pleased noises, which made Osirs smile and chuckle at its behavior.
"It looks so cute," he thought, amused by the way the little fox squirmed in enjoyment.
But then a sharp cough pulled him out of his thoughts, it came from Teacher Volved.
Osirs looked toward his teacher, a bitter smile forming on his face. He had a feeling he knew what was coming.
"Alright, Osirs," Volved began. "Against all my expectations, you succeeded with the Burning Body Technique and reached the Body Tempering Stage. That means you no longer need this basic training. Instead, you'll be joining a group directly, specifically, the Black Sword Group."
"Black Sword Group?" Osirs repeated in surprise, blinking as confusion settled in. It was the first time he had ever heard of it. "What's that?"
"Haa…" Teacher Volved sighed at his question, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "The Black Sword Group is one of the elite units in our military. I used to be part of it myself. But now that I'm too old, I've stepped back from that life. However, I'll be recommending you as a new recruit."
He paused before continuing.
"In the Black Sword Group, you'll be trained in the art of war. And they'll help you with advancing to the next stages of your cultivation."
"Oh," Osirs exclaimed, then nodded as he accepted the development. "Good! I would be happy to join the Black Sword Group!"
Hearing his enthusiasm, Teacher Volved looked at him with a faintly sad expression, but said nothing. After a brief pause, he looked away.
Just as he was about to leave, he stopped and turned back to Osirs.
"Go to the Lower Peak Mountain tomorrow morning, just as the sun rises. I'll inform them to expect you and take care of you."
With that, Teacher Volved walked off toward his home, leaving Osirs alone on the training ground.
But Osirs didn't mind. A small smile tugged at his lips as he turned and made his way toward his usual relaxing spot. Though it was a bit far, it only took him five minutes to reach the small mountain that gave him a clear view of the entire village.
He set the small white fox down on the grass, letting it rest, and then sat beside it, gazing up at the blue sky. Only half a day had passed, and yet it felt like so much had happened.
While watching the sky, Osirs intended to reflect on his fight with Soue, but then something interrupted him.
A message appeared.
[Do you want to receive your reward given by the God of Light? Yes / No]
Seeing the familiar black-and-yellow system screen, Osirs grinned and happily tapped the air on the "Yes" option.
The moment he did, the screen began to glow and shift, transforming into a soft white light. The light then split into two shapes, one gradually forming into the shape of a book, and the other into the form of a sword.
The transformation only lasted a few moments, and then both objects rested before him on the grass.
But even as the shapes became clearer, Osirs found himself… disappointed.
He had been hoping for something to help him unlock his sealed Mana Detection skill. But it seemed this wasn't the case. These rewards felt far less exciting than he'd imagined.
Still, he leaned forward, curious to see what they were. He decided to examine the sword first.
It looked rather ordinary, no engravings, no mystical aura, nothing like the legendary weapons he'd heard about from the village elders as a child.
But the blade looked sharp and sturdy.
As he grasped the handle, a small status screen appeared before him.
[Name: Blessed Sword of the God of Light
Description:This seemingly normal sword was blessed by the God of Light as a reward to his first believer, Osirs, for completing his divine challenge. Though its appearance is plain, it has been imbued with the god's authority and was created with the intention of being helpful to Osirs. As a result, it is exceptionally sharp.
Effects:
– Blessing of the God of Light:If the sword comes into contact with dark or evil forces, it will not be affected by them. Instead, it can weaken or even destroy their effects. However, this power scales with the wielder's current stage. The higher the wielder's stage, the stronger the sword's purifying effect.]
Stunned. Osirs was truly stunned by this Blessed Sword. For a moment, he simply stared at it lying on the ground before shifting his attention to the book.
Unlike the sword, the book didn't look normal at all.
Its appearance was bizarre, etched with strange, almost unnatural patterns that didn't seem to belong.
When Osirs touched the cover, he felt that it was made from a type of wood he didn't recognize. Strangely, a system screen popped up before him.
[Name: Five Essences of the Sword
Description:The Five Essences of the Sword was created by ***, a swordsman who sought to form the perfect foundation to ascend to the Spiritual Realm through the essence of the Sword Path. However, he ultimately failed to master all five essences due to his lack of talent and chose a different path to ascend.]
"The Five Essences of the Sword... What an interesting name," Osirs muttered as he read the title. His curiosity quickly turned into fascination as he read the description.
"Failed to use the five sword essences because he wasn't talented enough? Then this must be something truly valuable…"
His eyes gleamed with excitement as he clutched the book tightly and flipped it open, eager to read the contents.
An hour passed in silence.
When Osirs finally closed the book, he looked up at the clear sky above, his expression frozen in shock and disbelief.