Chapter 79 - 78 - The Blade Finds its Path
The next morning, mist still hung low over the grounds of the Valderacht Estate when Riven arrived. Dew soaked the earth and grass, the cold seeping slowly into the soles of his feet. But he didn’t complain. If anything, the chill morning air cleared his thoughts more than usual.
Crysthalis rested lightly in his right hand—
not for battle, but for something deeper: self-discovery.
He stood at the center of the field, recalling Ashtoria’s movements from the day before. The way she positioned her body, controlled her breath, and shifted her stance with each demonstrated style. Every motion seemed to carry its own philosophy. And today... Riven intended to explore them one by one.
First: the heavy and powerful style.
He steadied his breath, then lowered his stance. Knees bent, shoulders slightly raised, center of gravity dropped. He pulled Crysthalis back, then swung forward as if trying to break a boulder in front of him.
WHUUM!
The strike pulled his whole body with it. His chest shuddered, arms tensed, feet rooted firmly in the ground. He repeated the motion. Once. Twice. Three times. Each slash felt like a crashing wave, sweeping everything in its path.
But his body rejected it.
Each movement felt like a burden, forcibly imposed. He had to wrench his waist to follow through, had to grip the hilt so tightly his fingers cramped.
"This isn’t me," he muttered under his breath.
A style like this demanded a solid frame, muscles like stone, and the stamina of a giant. Riven could mimic it, but he couldn’t become one with it. He exhaled and moved on.