CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 54 – FREAK OF NATURE

Chapter 54 – Freak of Nature

The moment Jack invoked those words into his consciousness, he felt the sword vibrate in his hands. It was subtle, barely noticeable to the naked eye, but for Jack... it was like a tidal wave of energy crashing into his body.

’Huh?’ He frowned as the empty scene in his head shifted into complete and utter darkness. He looked left and right, but all he saw was blinding darkness and void. There was nothing else, not even a small noise.

’What is happening?’ he muttered. ’Is this the sword reacting to what I said?’

Even in that darkness, Jack didn’t feel fear or worry. In fact, he was quite relaxed, as if he was where he belonged—a place that welcomed him with warm arms. A few seconds passed like that before something finally appeared in his vision.

In the distance, the sword manifested in the air before slowly floating toward Jack. The boy stared at it dazedly and extended his hand forward. His instincts told him to grab the sword and hold it tightly—to make it his sword, his partner in battle.

As the weapon inched closer and closer, Jack felt the connection grow stronger until... his hand wrapped around the hilt and gripped it tightly, and the surge of energy finally wrapped around him completely. His hair rustled, and he felt as if a part of him he had missed for so long had finally returned.

In a split second, the darkness vanished, and Jack found himself back in reality. He blinked, inhaled, exhaled, and then looked up at Liliana, who had a wide, proud smile on her face.

The two stared at each other for a few moments in silence, as if their eyes were talking instead of their mouths, before he lifted his sword and said,

"It’s mine."

Liliana didn’t reply and simply nodded her head. Then, she floated down to him.

"I knew you would figure it out on your own. That’s my Jack for you."

"I don’t even know what I did, but it worked out..." Staring at the sword, Jack could feel the instant difference. For him, Song of Night was no longer a foreign object or a tool. He could sense that he had created a bond with it—one that seemed to finally break any limits he’d had while using it.

"What you did was speak to your sword like an equal, Jack. The sword felt your intentions and put its fate in your hands as your weapon," Liliana said. "Now, we can truly begin the real training."

"Will this make a difference?"

"Oh, you’ll see for yourself."

Jack stood up and faced Liliana. Then, the demoness began explaining the first move to him. Using body demonstrations, she broke down each step—each sway, each hand movement.

Jack listened and watched carefully, noting down every single thing he saw. His mind easily registered all those details without much effort. Especially after evolving so much, his mental capabilities and intelligence had increased considerably. Now, he could see things better, and more importantly, he can understand them better. It was as if some mental blockades disappeared after he leveled up so much.

Jack didn’t know if that meant he was smarter now, but he was certain that he was at least way faster mentally now.

"Focus on your movements and what your intent is. Deliver each strike with intent," Liliana explained before stepping aside. "Now, try to do that move."

Jack nodded and took a stance. ’This won’t be easy to replicate. But let’s see...’

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and opened them again, turning them sharp like his blade.

Clearing his mind, he simply drew the image of Liliana’s movements in his head and then... he moved.

Swish

Swinging the sword, he moved with his body, delivering a flashing strike. However...

’Tsk, that wasn’t good enough.’

"That was an amazing first try, Jack. But I want you to shift your balance more and focus on your hips and legs to deliver a harder and faster strike."

"Ok..."

Jack stepped back and tried again, doing what she asked. This time, the strike was faster and more elegant.

"Not that. Your shoulders are the ones that are going to swing, not your wrists or elbows."

With that, Jack tried again—and again—and again. Each try, he fixed one problem under Liliana’s supervision. With every attempt, he felt himself getting more comfortable, improving rapidly. His connection with his sword and his natural talent made it far easier for him to adjust and fix almost instantly.

It was so efficient that Jack reached a point where he didn’t make the same mistake twice in a row.

Meanwhile, Liliana, who was watching, could barely keep her mouth from falling open.

’What in the heavens above...’ she thought. ’What the hell is wrong with this kid?!’

Swish

"Again..."

Swish

"Again..."

Swish

"Again..."

Watching him attack and then retry on his own, fixing mistakes and improving faster than before, was mind-blowing.

’How is he improving so fast?! I’ve only shown him the first move twice and given him a few pointers, and he’s already looking like he could use it effectively in battle. What kind of ridiculous learning speed is this?! No, no, no... no talent should be able to learn this fast...’

Liliana had supervised and trained countless individuals—many of them special talents, some even considered geniuses by every realm’s standards. However, never in her life had she seen a talent with this level of adaptability and self-learning like Jack.

It was as if the boy were a machine, gathering data and efficiently adjusting with each attempt, his understanding of the sword deepening by the second. She could even see his aura shifting along with his technique.

The boy wasn’t just learning—he was reshaping his very understanding with every move.

"...What are you, Jack? What even are you?" she whispered as she watched.

In a matter of an hour, Jack already looked completely different from when he started. He had swung the sword hundreds of times by that point.

His body was drenched in sweat and his arms ached, but he was so focused on the task that he forgot about everything else. His entire being—body and mind—was completely engrossed in the repetitive technique.

He fixed, changed, morphed, and molded his very being around learning that specific move. Each attack felt like a step closer toward perfection.

He felt like he was where he belonged—in this loop that he could control however he wished.

Unbeknownst to him, his rapid improvement was so extraordinary that by the time sixty minutes had passed, he looked like someone who had been training that move for weeks, even months. What would normally take hundreds of hours to learn, he accomplished in one.

Liliana... was simply speechless.

There were no words to describe the sheer absurdity of what she was witnessing. This far exceeded talent. This was a realm Liliana didn’t even know existed.

She had always thought Jack was unique—one of a kind—and seeing him fight had only proven that. But this training had shattered her perception entirely. It had broken every concept of limit she thought existed.

’He isn’t a talent... He’s a freak of nature.’