[Cohen-forged Attribute Sword · Thunder “Ure” (S-)]
- Consumes the user’s lightning-attribute mana or aura to form a physical blade
- Can somewhat adjust the length/weight/shape of the blade by consuming mana
- Absorbs lightning-attribute energy that touches the sword with 98% efficiency and converts it into cutting power ※ If lightning energy is not continuously supplied, the formed blade may evaporate
※ Has no ally recognition; the user also suffers minor lightning-attribute damage
These are the description lines for the Cohen-forged Attribute Sword · Thunder “Ure” (S-).
And someone will notice the deeply meaningful phrase hidden here.
It is the part that says “consumes lightning-attribute mana or aura to form a physical blade.”
In other words, a person who cannot use lightning-attribute mana or aura cannot even form a blade at all.
Right now, to me, Ure is no different from the “bladeless sword” its nickname suggests.
For the current me, who cannot generate lightning aura on my own, there is only one extremely primitive way to charge Ure.
I have to ram the hilt straight into natural lightning.
Exactly like I am doing right now.
Zzzzt-zzzt-zzzt!
Clinging to the lightning rod as I take the lightning, my whole body tingles as if cramped.
A level of lightning energy that could electrocute an ordinary person instantly is coursing through me.
Yet the reason I am calmer than expected is simple.
I could mention my superhuman stats compared to modern humans or the mental stabilization from 『Serene Clarity (A)』, but neither is the core reason.
- Absorbs lightning-attribute energy that touches the sword with 98% efficiency and converts it into cutting power.
If not for the power of this Ure I am holding, I would have died long ago without even having time to think random thoughts.
Wheeeeeeng!
Gritting my teeth and enduring the lightning, a translucent, iridescent blade suddenly extended from the ridge of the hilt.
Immediately afterward, the current that had been dispersing through the lightning rod concentrated in a single point on Ure’s blade.
Zzzzt-zzzt!
Ah, now it hurts a lot less.
It feels exactly like getting an electric massage.
Ninety-eight percent of the lightning energy touching the blade is absorbed directly into Ure, and only the remaining 2% flows through my body.
That 2% would be instantly fatal to a normal person, but thanks to the correction from Serene Clarity, I calmly circulate the Harmony Heart Method and neutralize the stray sparks without difficulty.
The lightning stopped.
I shake off the remaining lightning energy and steady my breathing.
Then I look at Ure.
The translucent yet sharp blade of Ure was beautiful, as if crafted by a master glass artisan who had devoted his entire life to the craft.
I found myself involuntarily entranced, my soul stolen by the blade.
“W-what in the world…”
“He got struck by lightning and he’s… fine?”
Maximilian and Wolfgang stared this way, utterly dumbfounded.
Judging by how they couldn’t close their mouths, their jaws might have actually fallen off.
But it is still too early to be surprised.
I haven’t even touched the root cause of this incident, the Infinite Thunderstone.
“It’s your turn now.”
I gently stroked the blade portion of Ure and said so.
Though it has substance, its foundation is lightning energy, so my hand tingles.
Shape Transformation!
Wheeeeeeng!
When I shouted inwardly, the form of the translucent blade changed completely.
Unlike moments ago when it resembled a normal longsword, it was now thin as a rapier.
“Good, it works perfectly.”
According to the setting book of Reca Chronicles, all Cohen-forged attribute weapons share one trait: they recognize the user’s unique brainwaves and change shape accordingly.
Satisfied with the transformed Ure, I slid down the church roof as if skiing and stood before the party.
“Cool, right?”
I swung Ure around in front of them.
Since the weapon is made of lightning energy, afterimages lingered.
“C-cool…”
“Definitely…”
“…………”
The two elite knights looked on with envy.
Even the stone-faced Linfred was clearly interested, though he said nothing.
“Young Master…”
“It’s certainly an interesting weapon.”
Linia and Chesa gazed at it with strange eyes; they looked exactly like adults watching a child proudly showing off a new toy.
Chesa approached me, eyes full of curiosity, and asked,
“Aiden. From what you just did, that sword absorbs lightning energy, right? You plan to discharge the stone with that power?”
“Something like that.”
Though the method I am actually going to use is far more shocking than she imagines.
“No matter what weird thing I do from now on, just watch quietly.”
With those words, I slowly walked toward the fountain.
The closer I got, the more intense static crackle-crackle sparked all over my body, but I paid it no mind.
Reaching the fountain, I stabbed the stone with the tip of Ure.
The entire blade shone blindingly.
Pzzzt-pzzzt!
It absorbed all the lightning energy emanating from the stone, and in proportion, the thin rapier blade gradually lost its transparency and became clearer.
Suddenly I pulled Ure away from the Infinite Thunderstone.
This much charge is enough.
[Infinite Thunderstone (S)]
- Greatly increases lightning attribute dominance upon ingestion
- Greatly increases lightning attribute resistance upon ingestion
- Grants the trait Thunder God Physique (S) upon ingestion
- Increases mana stat upon ingestion
- Increases potential…
- Upon ingestion…
- Ingestion…
As when I saw 『Firebird’s Heart (S)』, there are so many lines I can’t even read them all.
Just thinking about eating this now makes me drool.
Of course, I can’t eat it raw like this.
If I were Regenshauer, who had completely mastered the “Thunder Cry” breathing method, it would be different, but eating it raw right now would literally be suicide.
“Your turn to shine.”
I looked at the still crackling Ure.
The amount of lightning energy this thing can absorb and dominate at once is proportional to the density of the blade… that is, the degree of charge.
If I use this well, I can perfectly digest the Infinite Thunderstone.
I gripped Ure in reverse.
And thrust it into my own abdomen.
Stab!
A burning pain flared in my stomach.
The lightning energy from Ure spread through my blood vessels and throughout my entire body.
But I could endure it.
“Aiden!”
A near-scream came from behind.
Chesa’s voice.
She must be shocked by my sudden act of self-harm.
Unfortunately, I have no time to reassure her.
Ignoring the tingling all over my body, I picked up the 『Infinite Thunderstone (S)』 from the fountain without hesitation.
And swallowed it whole.
Zzt!
Immediately convulsions wracked my entire body.
But if I falter here, everything is ruined.
I sat cross-legged.
And began circulating the Harmony Heart Method.
[Serene Clarity (A) stabilizes your mind.]
It was a life-or-death crisis, yet my mind was clearer than ever.
Once every few hundred years, somewhere in the skies of this world, the intense lightning energy of the entire world gathers and condenses into a single point.
The mass, having absorbed enormous lightning energy and grown heavier, eventually takes on properties close to solid and falls to the earth in the form of a meteor.
As one can see from Mirsen village, such meteors become calamities that summon lightning.
Scholars of the ancient magical empire gave it the formal name “Infinite Thunderstone.”
Strictly speaking, the Infinite Thunderstone is not a stone but a simple mass of energy.
It is small enough to swallow whole, though doing so would be life-threatening.
Exactly like Aiden is doing right now.
KRA-KOOOOOM!
A bolt of dry lightning struck the cross-legged Aiden, who sat motionless.
Yet Aiden did not even twitch and remained seated.
“I-is he really okay?”
“…………”
Wolfgang asked in a trembling voice, but Chesa had no time to answer.
Her violet eyes simply watched Aiden as he continued breathing.
Five minutes.
That is how long it had been since her fiancé suddenly stabbed his abdomen with a strange-looking sword and swallowed that terrifying stone.
And during that time,
Aiden had been struck by lightning three times.
For some reason, the lightning he drew ignored even the thunder-attracting iron lightning rod and struck directly into Aiden, who had swallowed the thunderstone.
The sight of Aiden after being struck was a spectacle.
His neatly combed brown hair now stood on end, white smoke rising from various parts of his body.
His skin had turned bright red from overusing an unknown breathing method.
If not for the single sentence he had left beforehand—“No matter what weird thing I do from now on, just watch quietly”—the entire party would have already rushed to the fountain.
Chesa, barely regaining her composure, looked at the sword lodged in Aiden’s abdomen.
The fact that Aiden was still alive was entirely thanks to that sword.
Ure, which appeared to have been charged to its limit, was releasing the current flowing from the Infinite Thunderstone he had swallowed straight into the surroundings.
KRA-KRA-KRA-KOOOOOM!
Another bolt struck.
The instant lightning pierced his head, Aiden, who had only been breathing, snapped his eyes open.
[Infinite Thunderstone (S) ingestion/digestion rate 97%]
[You have perfectly digested a heavenly elixir formed from the condensation of nature’s lightning energy. Potential level increased by 10!]
[Acquired trait Thunder God Physique (S)!]
[Lightning attribute resistance greatly increased.]
[Lightning attribute dominance greatly increased.]
[Stamina +1] [Strength +1] [Agility +2] [Perception +1] [Mana +3…]
After confirming the messages filling the air, he stood up and pulled Ure from his abdomen.
“Off.”
The shining lightning blade vanished as if it were a lie.
In a daze, he muttered the command that came to mind, and the blade evaporated.
Aiden tucked the hilt-only Ure back into his bosom.
He smirked.
“Lucky.”
During the digestion of the Infinite Thunderstone, my Harmony breathing had not faltered once.
It was all thanks to 『Serene Clarity (A)』.
If it had wavered even once, the digestion rate would have dropped drastically.
“He… he endured the lightning.”
“Who in the world is that noble?”
“It’s the Thunder God… the Thunder God!”
The villagers who had silently watched Aiden endure four lightning strikes while digesting the Infinite Thunderstone began murmuring, and soon erupting into cheers.
“The Thunder God removed that cursed stone!”
“We don’t have to suffer lightning anymore!”
“I knew you’d do it, damn it!”
Soon a message appeared before Aiden’s eyes.
[The residents of Mirsen village feel overwhelming awe toward you for surviving four lightning strikes.]
[Divinity +2]
“Really lucky.”
Finally, Divinity has risen.
And by two points, no less.
Showing the spectacle of receiving lightning directly while many villagers still remained and clearly engraving his feat into their minds.
That was the reason he visited the village with the Infinite Thunderstone first after leaving the mansion.
Aiden, satisfied with the Divinity-related messages, walked toward the waiting party.
“…I’m pretty much done with business in this village. Let’s go collect the reward from the lord as written in the contract—”
Mid-sentence, Aiden’s body suddenly swayed.
“Aiden!”
Chesa rushed over and supported his collapsing body.
But Aiden was already fainted.
“Aiden… you reckless fool…”
Unable to hide her flustered feelings, she gave a wry smile.
Her childhood friend was truly an unpredictable man.
Wolfgang approached and asked her,
“My lady, what shall we do? The Prince said to go to the lord’s mansion…”
“We can’t leave the village with our leader in this state. Let’s borrow the village head’s house or an inn room and wait until Aiden regains consciousness. Linia! Please explain the situation to the village head.”
“Understood, my lady.”
Mirsen village, freed from the clutches of lightning, instantly turned into a festival mood.
Yet one man stood apart from that atmosphere.
“This damn it all!”
The cursing man’s name was Pedro Tieres.
He was the alchemist who had manufactured the thunder-attracting iron lightning rod and installed it on the church roof.
He had briefly left the village to procure materials needed for research.
But the moment he returned, he heard that some noble young master who visited the village had swallowed the lightning stone in an insane display.
Pedro was an alchemist but also well-versed in lightning magic.
He had already invested more than half a year and a fortune into researching the stone.
To think a brat with no foundation solved it; he was furious.
“Uaaaaargh! I’ll rip open his stomach and take the stone back!”
Behind the raging Pedro followed more than a dozen mercenary warriors.
Their destination was the village head’s house in Mirsen, where Aiden, who had swallowed the Infinite Thunderstone, was resting.