The Transmigrated Author
Chapter 238: The Sunlit King (4)

[Mireksan Mountain - The Sunlit King Boss Room]

"Qi release?" Jan thought to himself, his breath catching in his throat.

He watched as the King slowly lowered his sword, a flicker of curiosity in his golden eyes.

Why had he revealed that information?

But the words "Qi release" resonated with Jan, stirring something deep within his memory.

He remembered a time, long ago, when someone had explained a similar concept to him.

...

...

...

[Flashback to ??? years ago]

—Mr. Raul, you're incredible!

At the very top of the ninetieth floor of the tower, scattered corpses of Demon dragons were flat on the grass floor.

Jan sat above a pile of them and watched as Raul pulled out his sword from the carcass of the boss dragon.

"—I wouldn't have thought I needed to draw my sword but... heeup! "

Raul leapt from down below and the demon dragon king's body dissolved and burned into small red pixels.

"—Those big birds were certainly enough to gain my attention."

Sheathing his long broadsword, Raul gazed out at the world from the vantage point of the ninetieth floor.

[Alert!...Alert!...Alert!...]

[The King Of The Demi-Dragons Has Been Slayed...]

[The 90th Floor has been cleared.]

A long line of system messages appeared on both their screens, announcing their victory.

[The following rankers of the 90th floor have been given a contribution.]

__________

-l-em,py-r

[Contribuitions:]

1st. Raul Alan (97.00%) (Title: Godslayer) - (Team: T-1)

2nd. Jan (0.03% (Title: Apprentice) - (Team: T-1)

3rd. N/A

__________

As the notification echoed through the tower, the red barrier on the floor dissolved, replaced by the word 'clear' hovering above them.

Jan leaped off the dragon carcass he'd been resting on and approached Raul.

He noticed Raul was holding an item - a vial filled with a strange liquid and a heart.

Raul, hearing Jan's approach, quickly stored the items in his inventory with a flick of his wrist.

"—I thought everyone else had finally caught up to us, Mr. Raul," Jan said.

"—It seems the world has given way for us to forge this path, after all, Jan... They couldn't keep up with us after the 70th floor," Raul replied, amused by the notifications.

As Raul turned around, he saw a teleportation portal at the center of where the castle had once stood.

"—By the way, Mr. Raul, what was that attack you used? Was it a skill of the system, or was it your outer world abilities?" Jan asked, his curiosity piqued.

Raul looked at Jan and smiled. "It's an outer world ability..."

"—But... that energy was unlike anything I've ever seen! You literally walked into the dragon's territory and released a tremendous amount of energy, and suddenly dragons crashed from the sky, and everything on the floor trembled!"

Raul chuckled at Jan's enthusiastic gestures. He walked towards him and ruffled his hair.

"—Are you sure it's not one of those abilities you purchased from the black market dealer, Merk?"

"—Oh, Merk the merchant? Of course not!" Jan protested, batting away Raul's hand.

"—Then tell me what it is," Jan demanded, pouting slightly.

Raul retracted his hand and placed it on his chin, pondering how to explain it.

Hmm...

"—Think of it like this... masters of Qi only practice on what's within one's body, but has any master ever thought of how to exert qi outwards?"

"—No, I don't think so... I heard that qi needs a source to be projected, like using a sword to release it or using your arms and legs."

"—Incorrect!"

"—Most people think of Qi as something to be contained and controlled... Like water in a cup, they try to hold it, shape it, use it for their own purposes. But true mastery lies not in controlling Qi, but becoming one with it."

Jan's eyes widened at Raul's words.

"—Jan... Qi is the essence of life, It flows through everything, connecting us all. And when you truly understand that connection..."

He paused for a moment and flicking Jan's head.

"Well... the possibilities are endless. Qi... is freedom."

...

...

...

The memory of Raul's demonstration and the power he had unleashed through sheer force of will ignited a spark within Jan's understanding.

"Right... I remember," he muttered, tightening his grip on his broadsword.

"Qi... or aura... it's all the same."

He took a deep breath; the realization hitting him like a thunderbolt.

Even after a lifetime of training and combat experience, he had never truly grasped the essence of Raul's teachings.

He had focused solely on control, on harnessing his aura within the confines of his body and his weapon.

But what if, as Raul had suggested, true mastery lay in the ability to express one's inner being, to unleash their aura without limitations?

Jan had never replicated Raul's attack back then, and he wasn't sure if he could now.

That same attack where Raul didn't even feel the need to draw his sword but because of how strong his sheer will was Raul could even shake the oceans from his presence alone.

But now that Raul was no longer around, everything had changed.

The weight of Jan's past life, the burden of his responsibilities, and the determination to protect his loved ones proved that he had worth within this world.

If anything could push him to attempt such a daring feat, it would be the opponent standing before him, blocking his path to growth.

The Sunlit King.

"Do you finally understand now?" The Sunlit King's eyes glowed with satisfaction, witnessing Jan's rapid growth even amidst the heat of battle.

"I wasn't sure if I should believe you'd pushed me in this direction... but..."

Jan's voice trailed off and his gaze locked with the King's.

He stood tall with his sword sheathed, but an incredible amount of aura radiated from him.

"I will shake the will of others... and convey my own conviction!"

WOM!!!!

A surge of energy erupted from Jan and a wave of golden aura crashed throughout the entire room.

Pillars crumbled, chandeliers shattered, and the ground trembled under the sheer force of his awakened power.

"He's arrived!" The king smiled, his voice booming through the chaos. "Boy, what is your name?"

One thing felt clear at that moment.

"Jan Ates," he replied, unsheathing his sword.

"Jan Ates, hmm... Jan, the honor is mine. Here, I will fight you as the Sunlit King, Everon Jr II Reginald Emory Eve."

The King, after long centuries, had found an opponent worth fighting.

And for Jan, he had learned a technique so complexly advanced that even the strongest guild masters of today hadn't fully grasped it yet.

That technique was... Dominance.

________

To Be Continued...

________