"A gravity suit?"
James was astonished.
In the interstellar era, adapting to different levels of gravity was a mandatory subject for all martial artists.
A gravity suit was an advanced training device—it could freely adjust the user's personal gravity.
The effect was evenly distributed through every cell of the body, far superior to ordinary weighted training.
But, of course, it came with a "beautiful" price tag…
> "And that B-rank martial art—'Demon Blade'—it's the precursor to the A-rank 'Ghost God Blade.'
This Emma Gu, at most fourteen years old, is already at the peak of the First Realm and about to break into the Second… and she's mastered the basics of a B-rank martial art?"
> "Compared to her, I look completely useless…"
He sighed internally but didn't dare relax. He spun his staff once, guarding in front of him.
The next instant—
Whoosh!
A black shadow darted forward, as swift as a cat.
The wooden sword in Emma's hand carried a strange demonic aura as it sliced through the air.
Crack!
James felt a tremendous force surge through his hands—the staff nearly flew out of his grip, but he barely held on.
> "Blocked it!"
> "Not because I'm stronger than Noah… It's the gravity suit—she's slower than before, and weaker too…"
The realization flashed through his mind.
"Kill! Kill, kill!"
Emma's delicate face now showed none of her earlier cuteness—only murderous intent.
Her eyes gleamed red as she slashed again and again, as if James had killed her entire family.
> "So this is the Demon Blade… Its bloodlust is terrifying."
James felt like a small boat tossed in a violent storm—one wrong move and he'd be crushed to pieces.
The B-rank martial art, Demon Blade, was notorious for its maddening power.
It contained hypnotic and spiritual elements designed to push a martial artist's potential to the extreme.
The side effects, however, were horrifying.
> "No madness, no life."
They said the A-rank successor—Ghost God Blade—was even worse.
It was a technique born from the blood-soaked wars between humanity and the alien species, allowing low-level warriors to face the Outer Gods' vassals head-on.
Suddenly, Emma swung her sword again—one slash followed instantly by another, the two shadows overlapping, carrying double the force.
> "A Twin Slash?! I can't block that—"
His staff flew from his hands as the wooden blade descended.
"Stop!"
A deep, commanding voice echoed.
The wooden sword froze midair, caught easily by a pale, jade-like hand.
Emma's eyes cleared, her breathing heavy.
> "I failed to stop again…"
She turned to the man who had appeared—a tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man, at least 1.9 meters tall.
> "Dad…"
The man simply shook his head.
> "Don't be discouraged, Emma. You did much better than last time. The 'Demon Blade' originated from the ancient demonic sects—it carries inherent malice. Back then, practitioners turned entire lands into bloodbaths.
> But now that we've decoded its core, the key is to 'wield the blade yet forget the blade'—to defeat without killing. Only by suppressing its malice through willpower can you truly master it.
> Once you reach that state, you may begin learning the 'Ghost God Blade.' Otherwise, you'll lose control—at best go insane, at worst suffer qi-blood reversal and die."
Finishing his lecture, the man turned to James and Noah.
> "Thank you both. Your pay will be doubled today."
"Thank you, sir!"
Noah instantly grinned, his pain seemingly forgotten.
---
Half an hour later.
Leaving Glorious River Manor, Noah walked in silence for a long while before grumbling:
> "Damn it… If I'd known the job was sparring with a monster, I wouldn't have come. Double pay barely covers my medical bills. That guy looks rich but sure is stingy."
James was still pondering the man's last words.
> "Actually, he gave us more than money—he shared insight into the Demon Blade. You can't buy that at any school unless you have someone like Teacher Mike's favor."
> "Tch, I see it now," Noah said. "That little girl was using us as training dummies.
The Demon Blade amplifies killing intent. She can't control it yet, so she needs live targets to practice on. That's why her dad hid nearby—to make sure she didn't lose control."
He clicked his tongue.
> "If she failed to stop herself, she'd be lost forever. So to 'forget the blade' means using will to tame that demonic energy—to defeat without killing. That's how you truly master it."
Noah sighed.
> "If a B-rank martial art is that dangerous, how terrifying must the A-rank 'Ghost God Blade' be?"
James shrugged.
> "Either way, we got paid. Tools or not, we're still alive."
With that bonus, at least he could finally order his entry-level nano-protective suit.
> "Hmph. We earned that with blood," Noah muttered, rubbing his shoulder. "I used to think everyone in Glorious River Manor was super-rich. Turns out they're just middle class."
James smirked.
> "Middle class is a myth. They've got no real assets—'upper middle income' at best. You can tell by the fact that he's pushing his daughter to become a martial artist instead of a mecha pilot."
> "Yeah, yeah. Just upper middle class pretending to be nobles," Noah laughed, already forgetting his pain.
---
Happy Home Community.
> "That was fast."
James saw a delivery package at his door.
> "I literally ordered this on the way back…"
He carried it inside, scanned his ID, and the box automatically opened, revealing a silver metallic sphere.
James pricked his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto it.
It wasn't a "blood contract," just the DNA recognition process for ownership.
Ding!
Following the manual, he placed the sphere against his forearm.
It instantly melted, turning into liquid metal that spread across his body.
> "Hmm… light, breathable…"
He moved around, discovering it didn't hinder him at all.
> "Mask mode!"
At his command, a silver mask formed over his face, complete with transparent lenses protecting his eyes.
> "Full-coverage defense… Color change—rose gold!"
The suit flickered through several colors before settling on pure white.
> "At school, no need to be that cautious…"
He had it morph into a casual white T-shirt and lounged in his chair, grabbing his holographic glasses.
> "Time to play!"
---
A few hours later…
> "Sigh… as expected."
James lay lazily on his bed, face full of contentment.
> "Even after transmigrating, without a golden finger, I'd still just be a salted fish…"
Accepting one's own mediocrity was, perhaps, its own form of growth.
James understood this well.
As a former office drone, weak in academics, he knew that even if he'd transmigrated to ancient times, he'd probably die quickly—language barriers, disease, famine, war.
A more advanced world would only make things worse.
In truth, his only real advantage was his golden finger.
Without it, he'd simply have to obey fate.
> "Sometimes… lying flat is a kind of wisdom."
He glanced at the clock and forced himself to sleep—there was still school tomorrow.
---
The next morning.
At Yucai High School, Teacher Olivia's soft yet steady voice filled the classroom:
> "…Outer God Vassals are divided into:
Lower Servants, Upper Servants, Lower Vassals, and Upper Vassals.
But between the Upper Vassals and the Dominators, there exists another rank—the Offspring of the Gods."
> "These Offspring are far more corruptive and powerful than any Upper Vassal. Some of the strongest are said to rival the power and authority of a Lower Dominator.
However, their birth conditions are extremely strict, and their numbers few—thus they're not considered a full species."
James looked at the empty seat beside him.
Noah was absent—injured, recovering in the school's medical center.
> "The school med pods can even reattach severed limbs… and students get discounts.
Of course Noah wouldn't waste money at a private clinic."
As he took notes, he suddenly felt a gaze.
> "Lily White?"
He looked up to see a girl with delicate features watching him thoughtfully.
Her porcelain skin seemed to glow, her demeanor gentle and refined.
Dressed in a snow-white training uniform with a black belt around her waist, she looked both elegant and sharp.
> "So it really was her at Glorious River Manor… is she nervous about it?"
Before he could think further, the bell rang—time for his favorite class: Martial Arts.
> "James! I'm back!"
Noah came jogging over, his acne-red face full of excitement.
No student ever skipped martial arts class—even those who'd skip everything else.
After all, an instructor like Mike would charge at least 10,000 Star Credits per hour for private lessons.
> "All healed?" James asked, raising a brow.
> "Of course! Good as new!" Noah flexed his arm proudly.
Interstellar medical tech really was something—especially with only minor injuries.
> "Teacher Mike's here!"
Before James could reply, Mike strode into the room, his gaze sharp as a hawk's.
> "Start with stance training—then fist drills!" he barked, his voice like thunder.
"Yes, sir!"
The students responded in unison, striking their Great Dragon Stance poses in perfect synchrony.
James focused completely, losing himself in the rhythm of the exercise.
Suddenly, his spine jolted, like a whip cracking down his back—his whole body stiffened.
> "Your stance is too rigid. Adjust the qi flow at your third spinal node," came Mike's deep voice at his ear.
James followed instinctively—and immediately felt his skin tighten and his qi deepen.
He glanced at his status panel:
[Great Dragon Stance: 69/100 (Beginner)]
> "Finally! With Teacher Mike's guidance, my progress just jumped again.
One bit of proper instruction makes all the difference…"
(End of Chapter 5)
---