Book 6: Chapter 10: Absolute Precognition, Overpowered!
The Chen Clan ancestor’s gifts were not things you could just use without having the necessary skills. To wield these four swords, you needed a certain level of strength corresponding to them.
Of course, it was not like Chen Heng must use energy to drive them. Wielding them directly and slashing people with those four swords was also a good choice.
As for the names of the four swords…to make it easier to understand, those four swords are called the Four Immortal Executioner Swords. Yes, that’s right, the same ones used by Ancestor Heavenly Access in the Great Desolate World. Moreover, they have been upgraded by Chen Heng’s ancestor. Don’t ask who is powerful enough to enhance the Four Immortal Executioner Swords; it’s those technical-type transcenders.
[TL Note: The Four Immortal Executioner Swords and Ancestor Heavenly Access, also known as Sect Master Heavenly Access, are from the Investiture of the Gods, a romanticized retelling of the toppling of the last ruler of the Shang Dynasty. It integrates many Chinese mythological figures into the story, involving them in the struggle. The novel includes many stories in which various supernatural beings enter the human realm and change the fates of mortals and the course of history. I’m uncertain about the reference to the Great Desolate World, but it likely has something to do with this novel or might be a category of worlds in this novel where the setting of the world is similar to that in the Investiture of the Gods. Here is more information on the Investiture of the Gods: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investiture_of_the_Gods.]
Looking at the Four Immortal Executioner Swords in the spatial storage, Chen Heng couldn’t help but think of Luo Li’s Primal Chaos Bell. He wondered if their ancestor had robbed a Great Desolate World.
The person Chen Heng was waiting for here was Diarmuid, sent by Kayneth to scout the enemy’s situation. He wasn’t planning to make Diarmuid leave immediately, but if Diarmuid caught up, it wouldn’t be a good thing.
To avoid exposing his face, Chen Heng had donned a hood.
Chen Heng leaned against a tree by the side of the path, holding the scabbard of the sword, waiting patiently. In less than a minute, a figure walked over from the other end of the path.
“Sorry, passage is prohibited here. Please return immediately.” Actually, there was no need for Chen Heng to say that, as Diarmuid, who was coming from the other side, had sensed Chen Heng’s presence when stepping on this road.
“Are you Saber?” Diarmuid had already spotted Chen Heng but still continued walking until he was about ten meters away from Chen Heng. This position was safe enough for both offense and defense.
It was understandable that Diarmuid mistook Chen Heng for a Saber. Anyone who saw a Servant holding a sharp sword in their hands would probably think of Saber first.
That was precisely why Chen Heng was waiting here, holding a sharp sword.
Even though he was currently an Archer, he could never truly become an archer, never in his life.
He felt frustrated with the class system in the Type-Moon worlds. The last time wasn’t so bad; at least he had been a Ruler to reflect his stance. But now an Archer? He wondered if he’d have to launch a Moonfall strike.
On the other side, Diarmuid didn’t worry about his own survival. He desired to challenge formidable opponents. A Servant summoned in the Holy Grail War would not be weak. However, his Master had commanded him not to act recklessly.
While defending against Chen Heng, he communicated with his Master through the Servant-Master link.
“Test him first; don’t use your Noble Phantasm,” Kayneth dictated his approach to the encounter.
The Holy Grail War was set to last seven days and already faced complications with a total of 14 Servants. Picking a fight to the death on the very first night was senseless. Kayneth wouldn’t entertain such a notion.
Once Diarmuid received his Master’s command, he charged straight in, wielding his twin spears, aiming to probe the swordsman before him without using his Noble Phantasm.
The moment Diarmuid made his move, Chen Heng unsheathed his sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Their clash was swift, the metallic clangor from their weapons’ collisions ringing out like a blacksmith’s anvil.
Diarmuid was a Lancer, and he wielded two spears of different lengths—Gáe Buidhe (the Yellow Rose of Mortality) and Gáe Dearg (the Crimson Rose of Exorcism). Frankly, Chen Heng had never encountered a warrior who fought with two spears. This was his first battle against one. However, thanks to his Absolute Precognition, he was far from flustered.
[TL Note: Here is more information on the two spears: /wiki/G%C3%A1e_Buidhe and /wiki/G%C3%A1e_Dearg.]
As Diarmuid’s long spear swiped toward him, Chen Heng countered skillfully with his sword, pushing the long spear aside and blocking the short spear coming from Diarmuid’s left hand with his scabbard.
Diarmuid pivoted and launched another horizontal attack at Chen Heng with the long spear from his right hand.
With their long blades, Diarmuid’s spears could easily be used like halberds.
Chen Heng used his sword to block Diarmuid’s long spear, which carried momentum from the previous clash, while his scabbard blocked Diarmuid’s short spear.
Chen Heng hadn’t discarded his scabbard because he knew his opponent would be Diarmuid, a dual-wielding lancer.
Diarmuid was equally proficient in offense and defense with his pair of long and short spears.
Those using a long weapon like a spear usually feared close combat. Because of its long attack range, a spear was less flexible than a knife or sword in close-quarters combat. However, Diarmuid’s combination of long and short spears solved this issue perfectly.
Diarmuid was a formidable Lancer; his spear technique was savage, the result of countless battles, and had no particular pattern.
Chen Heng saw that Diarmuid primarily used the short spear when battling him, a swordsman.
Diarmuid intended to use his long spear to force Chen Heng into a defensive position, then attack with the short spear. This was a sound strategy; however, Diarmuid had not expected Chen Heng to fight with his scabbard, which rendered Diarmuid’s tactic ineffective.
Since this dual-spear tactic didn’t work, Diarmuid decided to fight head-on. Every spear thrust targeted Chen Heng’s vitals, seemingly in desperation, but Diarmuid always kept his short spear ready to defend against Chen Heng.
His long spear, being heavy, was often used for broad sweeps, while his short spear was nimble, like a snake waiting for the right moment to strike a deadly blow.
Chen Heng wasn’t one for defense. Passive defense didn’t fit his character. After blocking Diarmuid’s attack once more, he took two steps back, exited the range of Diarmuid’s long spear, and counterattacked.
Having grasped Diarmuid’s spear techniques, he no longer needed to take hits passively.
This time, Chen Heng discarded his scabbard and wielded the sword with both hands. Pushing off the ground with his right foot, he charged Diarmuid.
Then he launched a vertical slash. Chen Heng’s sword was hefty enough to be used as a two-handed weapon.
Chen Heng’s strength was considerable. Though the cut was a straightforward move lacking in technique, its force sent Diarmuid flying two meters back. Diarmuid managed to parry the blow only by crossing his twin spears, saving himself from a potentially nasty injury.
It was a stark reminder that a Servant was only a shadow of their former self, lacking the strength they wielded in life.
After landing the forceful blow, Chen Heng lost the urge to continue the battle. His opponent, Diarmuid, was hardly his match. And a fight was interesting only when the two sides were evenly matched.
Of course, it wasn’t a case of Diarmuid being weak. In truth, his fighting techniques were quite impressive, but as a Servant, he could never unleash his full potential.
“Lancer, withdraw.” At the same moment, the Lancer’s Master realized the raw strength of the opposing Saber surpassed his Servant’s capabilities. A hard-fought battle wasn’t advisable at this moment. Neither side had revealed their Noble Phantasm; the battle so far had been more of an exploratory skirmish.
Thus, he ordered the Lancer to retreat. A duel to the death would be a futile endeavor, especially if another Servant arrived to take advantage of the situation.
Furthermore, the Lancer’s strength would undoubtedly diminish without his Master nearby.
“Looks like we can’t have a good fight this time. Let’s have a proper match next time we meet,” Diarmuid said as he stepped back to show he meant no harm. “My Master calls me home. I suppose, as a qualified warrior, you wouldn’t want to fight to the death on the first day.” With that, he began to retreat slowly.
Chen Heng didn’t attempt to keep him, having lost all desire to attack.
Thus ended Chen Heng’s first battle in this world—an anticlimax.
He was dissatisfied with the outcome, but with no feasible solution, what could he do? Ask Gaia to bring out the Heroic Spirit’s true body from the Throne of Heroes for a match? The very thought was preposterous.
Casting a final glance at Diarmuid’s receding figure, Chen Heng pulled over the scabbard lying on the grass with his attraction ability and left.
“Elder Brother, you’re back.”
“Yes. Everyone, it’s time for us to go. It’s getting late, and we can’t possibly spend the night here. Also, it’s time to use that extra Servant summoning slot I have.” Chen Heng tossed the glowing orb created by the Dimension Administrators Association up and down.
It was an orb the size of an apple, containing a Servant summoning slot extracted through the Dimension Administrators Association’s special means.
“But where are we going? You haven’t mentioned it,” Doctor Roman pointed out, well aware Chen Heng must have used his Absolute Precognition to find the best location for them. However, Chen Heng had yet to tell them where.
“I’ll keep that to myself for now.” Chen Heng held back playfully.
“So mysterious.”
“But here’s a hint. We’re going to lodge at someone else’s place, and it involves someone related to the Holy Grail War.” Seeing the discontent on the faces of his younger sister and Doctor Roman, Chen Heng finally relented and offered a clue.
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