Kweeeek!
The massive boar let out a shrill scream before finally collapsing.
Thud!
"Got it!"
A tall, handsome man burst into a radiant smile, unable to hide his joy.
That man was none other than Kavel Lynegrime.
"I finally did it. You saw that, right, Ruin? You saw your dad hunt?!"
And then—
"Yes, good work, Father."
The boy who replied without the slightest ripple of emotion was none other than Ruin, once known in his previous life as Subject 1872—the 'Legendary Shadow.'
It had already been three years since he mastered Heaven's Seamless Garment (Cheon-ui-Mubong) and awakened again. Now he was five years old.
Though still a child, his calm and deeply settled gaze was far beyond his years, especially when compared to his peers.
"Ahhh, tonight we're going to eat until our stomachs burst! Daisy will be overjoyed too. Hahahahaha!"
As his father jumped about in excitement, Ruin gave a slight shake of his head.
'Is it really that big a deal?'
But then, recalling his father's circumstances, Ruin allowed a faint smile to curve his lips.
'Well, considering it's been days since his last success, I suppose it must feel huge to him.'
With that thought, he recalled what had happened a few days earlier.
Normally, Kavel always hunted alongside Brion, a professional hunter. But when Brion left the village for over ten days due to personal matters, Kavel had no choice but to hunt alone to support the family.
Yet, despite years of hunting, his skill had never improved. For days, he only wasted his strength and returned home empty-handed.
By the seventh day, he sat slumped in despair, drinking heavily.
"Haah, I'm worthless. Absolutely useless."
"Honey, don't say that. If it's this bad, maybe it's time to try using your sword for—"
"Daisy!"
Cutting off his wife's words in a panic, Kavel shouted firmly.
"I told you before, didn't I? Hunting must be done a hunter's way. The moment a swordsman uses his blade for hunting, he ceases to live as a swordsman."
But his declaration only sparked Daisy's fury.
"Oh, then why don't you actually catch something for once? What good is clinging to your pride when you can't even bring home food? Does pride put food on the table?"
"What—what did you just say? Pride? Are you saying I'm—"
"Yes! Let's put it all out in the open. That jerky you're eating with your drink right now—where do you think it came from? I hunted that deer myself and made it into jerky! So what, because I used magic to bring down a deer, does that mean I'm no longer a mage?"
"No, that's not what I meant—"
"Enough! I've had it with your nonsense. Do whatever you want."
Bam!
Slamming the door, Daisy stormed into their room.
"D-Daisy! Honey!"
Kavel was left to sleep on the couch that night, alone.
And—
"..."
From inside his room, Ruin had quietly watched his parents' rare quarrel with keen interest.
Glug, thunk!
As his father downed more liquor and hung his head, Ruin cast him a sideways glance.
'Looking like that, he almost seems pitiful.'
Even a master swordsman who could dominate the world would have areas where talent failed them.
And in Kavel's case, hunting was that weakness.
Ruin couldn't help but feel a strange sympathy for his father.
At the same time—
'Well, I do owe him quite a bit… maybe I should help him out.'
Almost as if granting a favor, Ruin made up his mind.
The very next morning, at sunrise, he went to Kavel.
"Father, let me come with you."
"What? Come with me?"
"Yes. I want to join you on your hunt. I've always wanted to learn."
"Oh-ho, my son is already grown! Fine then, let's hunt together, Ruin!"
And so, they set out to hunt side by side.
"..."
Ruin quickly realized why Kavel always failed.
Swish, thump! Rustle, crackle!
Kavel, insisting on hunting like a proper hunter, refused to use mana at all. He moved his body clumsily, making noise with every step.
Naturally, the highly alert wild animals avoided him completely.
And then—
"See here, if you put bait in the trap like this, they'll get caught."
He even used tools to make up for his shortcomings.
But—
"Father, are you just going to sit and stare like that?"
"Of course! I have to watch closely with my own eyes to know if they're caught or not."
His very presence radiated killing intent as he stared at the trap.
'No wonder nothing comes near.'
Now he understood just how skilled Brion truly was—how remarkable it was that he'd managed to succeed with Kavel tagging along.
"Phew… Father."
"Shh! Quiet, Ruin! You'll scare them off if you keep talking."
Kavel's fussing drew another sigh from Ruin.
'At this rate, today will be another failure.'
He shook his head and turned his focus outward.
After three years of relentless training in Heaven's Seamless Garment, his senses had grown razor-sharp.
Though cursed with mana insensitivity—unable to learn martial arts or cultivate energy in his dantian—
'My senses are sharper than most who've trained in martial arts anyway.'
Soon, he spotted two deer ahead and a boar behind them.
He subtly lured the boar closer.
And how?
It was simple.
Thud, thud-thud!
By making sounds.
'That little trick served me well back when I lived as a shadow.'
It was a technique he had learned from an old master hunter in the Paterion family's territory—sounds transmitted through the ground to agitate animals, imitating the footsteps of prey.
Thump, tap.
As he repeated the rhythmic stomping, a thought struck him.
'Repetition and transmission…?'
Each stomp carried vibrations through the earth, traveling far, stirring the hearing of wild animals, and luring them toward him.
"…!"
The concept reminded him of Heaven's Seamless Garment, which had stalled at the cusp of the First Star.
'It's the same flow of energy.'
That martial art absorbed surrounding energy, dispersing it evenly throughout the body, then gathering it again in cycles.
But if he applied the principle of repetition and transmission—
A flash of enlightenment burst across Ruin's mind.
But before he could dwell on it further, Kavel's scolding cut in.
"Ruin, sit still! Keep fidgeting and you'll scare them off."
Ruin chuckled softly.
"Sorry, I was just bored."
"Listen, hunting requires patience and—"
Just then—
Grrrrrr!
"Father, it's a boar."
"Shh! Quiet!"
Kavel pressed a finger to his lips, never breaking focus on the beast approaching the bait.
"Just a little closer… that's it."
The wild boar dug at the earth, stepping toward the trap.
Thud!
Thanks entirely to Ruin's luring sounds.
"..."
At last, the boar stepped into the trap's range.
"Now!"
Swish!
Kavel yanked the rope.
Thud, crunch!
The ground collapsed, and the boar fell onto sharpened stakes hidden below.
Kweeeek!
The beast shrieked and thrashed wildly, mortally wounded.
And then—
With a final desperate charge, it hurled itself straight toward Ruin.
"Ru-Ruin!"
Kavel's heart froze as the boar lunged—
But—
Swish.
With a simple sidestep, Ruin avoided it effortlessly.
"?!"
Slice!
Kweeeek—!
At that moment, Kavel's sword severed its neck.
The beast gave one last cry before collapsing, lifeless.
"R-Ruin, are you all right?!"
"Yes, I'm fine. What about you, Father?"
Answering as if nothing had happened, Ruin tilted his head.
"Me? Of course I'm fine! Your father is strong, after all!"
But Ruin shook his head.
"No. That's not what I meant. I was talking about that."
"What?"
Ruin's finger pointed at the sword in Kavel's hand.
"You said it yourself. The moment you use your sword for hunting, your life as a swordsman is over. But you drew your blade… sorry, it was my fault."
"…What?"
Bowing his head politely, Ruin apologized.
For a moment, Kavel stared blankly at his son.
Then—
Thwack!
"Ow!"
He flicked Ruin on the back of the head with a playful grin.
"Who told you to apologize?"
"Huh?"
"I didn't cut that boar as a hunter. I used my sword to protect my precious child from danger. And that—"
Kavel's voice rang with pride.
"—is something any Lynegrime swordsman should take pride in!"
Then he muttered, half reproachful, half amused—
"And after your father does something so cool, my son's first words are 'sorry'?"
"..."
Ruin stared at him in silence.
'Protect…?'
The word felt strange to him, almost ticklish somewhere deep inside.
But—
'…Not bad.'
Understanding his father's heart, Ruin couldn't help but let a faint smile escape.
"So, this boar wasn't hunted—it was merely acquired by chance while you were protecting me?"
"Eh? Well… yeah, something like that."
Kavel scratched his head awkwardly.
"Then I guess today's hunt was another failure. What a shame."
"W-wait, if you put it that way… hahaha…"
Though Kavel grimaced in disappointment, he quickly burst into boisterous laughter.
And so, with their "accidental" boar, father and son returned home.
"Oh my, what's this?"
"It's… uh, a boar I stumbled across by chance! Quite the size, isn't it?"
Smiling broadly, Kavel responded to Daisy's curiosity.
"What do you mean by 'by chance'? Didn't you hunt it?"
"No, Mother. Father just… came across it."
"Right, right! Totally by chance! Hahaha!"
On the way back, Kavel had begged Ruin not to reveal the truth to Daisy, and Ruin had agreed.
But their strange exchange only made Daisy narrow her eyes suspiciously.
"Honey."
"Y-yeah?"
Kavel stammered, uneasy under her gaze.
"At last… you've made the big decision!"
Her voice carried a tremor of emotion.
"Eh? Wh-what decision?"
"Of course. Giving up such pointless pride. That's the right thing to do. After all, we're not in Lynegrime anymore."
"W-wait, you've got it all wrong! I really did just stumble across—"
"Enough. I'll handle preparing dinner. Our great boar-hunting hero should go wash up and rest."
She patted his shoulder and turned away, cutting off his protests.
And then her tone hardened.
"One more thing. Today is the last time Ruin goes hunting with you. From now on, absolutely not."
"Wha—but—"
Daisy's decree was final.
"Now then, time to show off my skills in the kitchen."
That evening, the roast boar was the most delicious thing Ruin had ever tasted.
A few days later.
"Ruin, let's go."
"…?"
"This time, I'll prove my hunting skills once and for all! Get ready."
"And Mother's permission…?"
Kavel grinned mischievously.
"Son, there's an old saying passed down for generations."
"A saying?"
"Yes: It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission."
"…Excuse me?"
"Don't worry about it. Just get ready—before Daisy catches on."
And so, Ruin was once again dragged out, half against his will, for his father's next "proof of skill."
----------
T/N:
You'll also get 5 extra chapters just for being a free member!
Access 30 chapters in advance on my Patreon: [email protected]//SwordProdigyexe