Chapter 7

Black The Origin

Chapter 7: The Cursed Attribute

At the east in the Leave Capital, at the Nerom Training Field, were hundred of students are coming to learn swordsmanship on Nerom, the only King Rank Swordsman in the East.

Their students fight each other. Nerom was just watching from afar with his usual seat.

"HMMM.. mhMHMMM.." Humming on the bench while watching the Kids killing each other.

Alkhun wonder if he was really teaching or just bribing them. The old man looks in his direction and he immediately avoided his gaze.

"Hey, Kid!!" The attention of the students was put into him and he immediately feel uncomfortable.

"What is that, a new student?"

"I have never seen him before.."

"He must be an aristocrat."

"Yeah, looks at his black cloak, tat's made of expensive silk.."

Alkhun walks in Nerom's direction. Everywhere he went, people would be people, huh? He grabbed the silver coins from his pocket and handed them to him.

"I will take classes from now on."

Nerom looks at Alkhun from head to toe. It's been like a year since Alkhun asked him to be his student, and Alkhun has grown taller and become more masculine.

"Hmmm... Not yet." Nerom grins.

"Master, I've been training for a whole year already, wasn't it enough?" Alkhun bows giving him the tuition fee.

Nerom looks at the 5 silver coins that were enough for a normal student's fee for 5 months. He smiled mischievously.

"I'm afraid it wasn't enough." Alkhun frowned.

"How.. much?" He hesitantly asks.

"100 silver coins." Alkhun bits his lip.

Even though he is a descendant of an elite family, he wouldn't have that much money. That's enough to buy a house. Alkhun reached his pocket.

"1000"

"Huh?"

"I changed my mind. 100 silver coins are not enough. It's 1000."

Alkhun looks at him unbelievingly.

"Master's bribing another aristocrat again, huh?" Alkhun hears a student says.

"Aren't you asking for too much?--"

"Then defeat me in battle." Alkhun was silenced.

After months and months of grinding. Training with the wooden sword. Every time he spars with Nerom, his sword doesn't even hit him. He is a King Rank Swordsman after all. Alkhun grips his bandaged hand.

If it is not enough then he will work harder, but he can't help but think. How many years will it be before he can beat Nerom in battle?

"I have improved master, such thing wasn't needed anymore." Alkhun bows. "Please take me in your care."

"Nope." He casually replied. "Okay, Alkhun." He stands up from his seat.

"Training a descendant from an elite family, 100 coins weren't nearly enough. Mostly for a King Rank Swordsman like me. People pay Hundreds of Gold coins just to have private lessons with one,

More on Descendants.."

"Then why teach at a cheap price?" Alkhun look at the other hundred students, he can tell in one glance that most

of them are commoners.

Nerom looks at him on the side of his eyes with those purple eyes. "It's simple, I want to provide privilege education for those who have a dream in swordsmanship but don't have the penny..." Looking at his students in the field, his eyes were determined.

"I want more King Rank Swordsman in the East." He smiles and looks at Alkhun.

"I can be one." Alkhun declared that makes Nerom Laugh.

"his is why I hate nobles."

"Huh?"

"They were born with talent, they ignore hard work." Alkhun was silent. it was true, he knew it was.

Heaven has always been unfair. Giving talents to the rich, when they can afford classes. Giving nothing to the poor and they will never experience learning from decent teachers. It's like an all-or-none bet in life. After that, it's all up to you, so at the end of the day, luck was more important than hard work. That makes Alkhun somehow glad that his from an Elite family and sad at the same time. But...

He grips his palm. "That wasn't true--"

"Alkhun what are you fighting for?" He is shocked at the sudden question.

Alkhun avoided his gaze before answering; "... life."

Nerom Patted Alkhun's head. "You might be genius, but your still long way to go. You see, you have to know why you're working hard first."

"I'll accept you here..." Alkhun looks at Nerom face smiling at his students.

"In one condition." He never expects anything free, it's Nerom's taking about.

"Defeat the strongest guy here... right night."

"...huh?"

Everyone at the field was surrounding the two guys holding a wooden sword. A large difference in height, masculinity, and appearance. Alkhun was wary of his opponent, he can feel almost no mana coming from him, but he is not a mage, but a swordsman. The strongest guy here, he was using his mana-sensing ability while in battle.

"Hooo!!!" Guys shouting all over the place voting for his opponent.

He holds his long sword with his two hands and breathes focusing only on his opponent.

"Let's start...' nerom started. "...now." Alkhun stays decides to take the defending side.

His opponent grins and runs in his direction, slashing the sword on his left, nerom was able to avoid it. Then Right, he can feel that he was going easy on him. Alkhun just keeps blocking and avoiding, cautiously sensing what, where, and when the unusual attack of the opponent will be.

"You're fast.." It said as it slash its sword at alkhun head and Alkhun blocks it. There face side to side, Alkhun blocked the feet that were about to kick him at his torso. Alkhun was holding his opponent's feet when it retreated.

It falls to the ground holding its feet. Trampling on pain. "ArGGG... What is this burning sensation?" He shouted in pain.

"Did he perhaps use magic?"

"No way, that's not allowed."

"Yeah, unfair."

Alkhun looks at his hand. He is certain he didn't use any magic. Could this be... He grins bitterly, realizing that he also acquired that attribute from his mother.

"Hmm.. interesting, interesting." Nerom nodded in the middle of the crowd.

"Master, did you see that?"

"He used magic."

"Yeah, that's against the rules." Everyone agreed and Nerom just smiles and he looks entertained.

"Okay, Nerom you can come over here now anytime you want."

"But... master?"

"Why is that?" Everyone starts complaining about it.

"He doesn't use magic, it was a magic attribute," Nerom explains and everyone starts groaning. They just can't believe the strongest among them would be defeated just by that.

Alkhun flipped the pages of the book he's reading. It was an Old book Sarah gave him. There were stories and mythologies in the west. He holds his birthmark under his hair.

"The weakening attribute," He finally finds what he's looking for.

A rare attribute is only seen in the Witch families. "Anyone who touches one's skin, that is weaker will feel a burning sensation." Alkhun grips tighten.

Witches with this attribute. They tend to become a commoner. As it is an attribute that solely exists to hurt others. The attribute can also be known as a...

"..cursed."