At the familiar voice, the wariness in Linley's eyes vanished at once. He lowered his wooden sword, delight showing on his face as his eyes curved into crescents. "Uncle Hillman!"
Naturally, he recognized his father's close friend, one of Wushan Town's strongest warriors. But Uncle Hillman was usually busy with the town guard and seldom came to the back mountain to watch him practice.
Wanghou stepped forward, his gaze settling on the wooden sword in Linley's hand. He shook his head gently, his tone somewhat stern yet still warm. "You're practicing your swordsmanship wrong."
Linley's little face fell at once. His lips turned down slightly as he muttered, unconvinced, "I'm practicing from the swordsmanship manual Father left..."
"The manual is lifeless. People aren't." Wanghou took the wooden sword from Linley and flicked his wrist lightly.
Whoosh!
The seemingly ordinary wooden sword came alive in his hand, tracing a smooth, rounded arc through the air. Splitting, chopping, thrusting, lifting-every movement was simple and crisp. His center of gravity remained steady as he exerted force, and every turn of his wrist was just right, fully displaying a Sixth-Level Warrior's fundamental skills. Though no battle aura reinforced it, the sword carried an intimidating edge, as though it could cleave the air.
Linley's eyes lit up instantly. He watched Wanghou's movements intently, even quieting his breathing. His little sword-holding hand unconsciously imitated the motions, his eyes full of longing.
"Did you see that?" Wanghou stopped and returned the wooden sword to Linley, explaining patiently, "When you strike, your center of gravity is too far forward, and your footing is unstable. An enemy only needs to sweep at your lower body to make you stumble. And your wrist needs to turn a little farther, so you can make full use of the blade's sharpness instead of chopping with brute force..."
He broke down his understanding of swordsmanship into the simplest possible terms, combining it with techniques commonly used by Wushan Town's hunters as he explained it to Linley bit by bit. From applying force to controlling his center of gravity to timing his strikes, he covered every detail with the utmost patience.
Linley's comprehension was extraordinary; he could truly be called a born genius, grasping each point with the slightest guidance. In mere moments, when he swung the wooden sword again, his movements had become much more precise. His footing was steady, and his strikes flowed far more smoothly. Even the sound of the wooden sword cutting through the air was several times sharper than before, its power clearly having increased.
Seeing the boy's excited, radiant expression, Wanghou smiled faintly. He brought out the finely polished refined-iron shortsword from behind his back and held it out.
"Here. This is for you."
"This is..." Linley stared at the dark shortsword, his eyes round with longing and disbelief. He had practiced with a wooden sword all this time and had never owned a real iron sword!
"A refined-iron shortsword. Its weight is just right for you." Wanghou patted his head, a note of instruction in his voice. "Use this for your practice from now on. A wooden sword can't give you a true feel for swordsmanship. An iron sword will let you feel how force travels, and help you get used to a weapon's weight more quickly."
Linley carefully accepted the shortsword, brushing his fingers lightly over its cold blade and feeling its solid weight. The chill against his fingertips carried a reassuring strength. His little face flushed with excitement, his nose tingled, and even his eyes grew damp. His voice caught slightly. "Thank you, Uncle Hillman!"
He gripped the shortsword tightly, as though holding a priceless treasure, and eagerly swung it twice. The sound it made as it cut through the air was several times sharper than the wooden sword's, carrying an intimidating edge.
The instant Linley swung the shortsword, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice abruptly rang out in Wanghou's mind:
[Ding! Complete fusion of the host's soul and body detected. Binding requirements met. Divine Guardian System officially activated!]
Wanghou's body abruptly stiffened, and the smile froze on his face.
System?
His heartbeat suddenly quickened, and an unbelievable surge of joy welled up within him.
Just as I thought! The transmigrator's standard perk-my cheat had finally arrived!
He forcibly suppressed his tumultuous feelings and continued listening to the mechanical voice in his mind.
[Current world: Yulan Continent] [Current time: Autumn, year 9990 of the Yulan Calendar] [Host identity: Hillman, captain of the Wushan Town guard, Sixth-Level Warrior] [System core mission: Select a ward and help them defy fate, change their destiny, and reach the pinnacle of the world] [Available wards: 1. Linley Baruch: Second son of the Baruch Clan, descendant of Dragonblood Warriors, exceptional innate spiritual power, swordsmanship talent unmatched throughout the ages. Protection difficulty: ★★★★★ 2. Wharton Baruch: Youngest son of the Baruch Clan, honest and kind, with a somewhat late Dragonblood Warrior Bloodline Awakening. Protection difficulty: ★★★ 3. Hogg Baruch: Patriarch of the Baruch Clan, Sixth-Level Warrior (unable to cultivate battle aura due to his Dragonblood Warrior bloodline), master smith, and a renowned descendant of Dragonblood Warriors on the Yulan Continent. Protection difficulty: ★★★★☆]
Wanghou's gaze swept rapidly over the three possible wards as he quickly weighed his choices.
Hogg Baruch!
That name made his heart tremble. That man, once so spirited but burdened with heavy shackles by his family's legacy, was Linley's father, Wushan Town's pillar, and the inheritor of the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline. In the original story, he had refused to bow to the Radiant Church, been falsely branded a "heretic," and died a miserable death, becoming a lifelong wound Linley could never erase.
If he protected Hogg, he could not only preserve the Baruch Clan's pillar but also let Linley grow up sheltered by his father's love, sparing him from shouldering a blood feud too early. Those heart-wrenching tragedies might be prevented at their very source!
Wanghou was tempted.
Yet in the end, his gaze settled on Linley's name.
Linley was the Baruch Clan's hope, the true inheritor of the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline, and someone who would one day shake the world and wield authority over Hongmeng. Protecting Linley meant protecting the Baruch Clan's future. Everyone he cared about-Hogg, Hiri, and Wharton-could be kept safe within that protection.
Moreover, Wanghou harbored the fixation of a reader from another world. He wanted to see that boy walk a different path with his own eyes, one with fewer tears and less blood, and more warmth.
Wanghou took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent feelings, and silently said, System, I choose my ward-Linley Baruch!
[Ding! Ward confirmed: Linley Baruch] [Beginner mission issued: First Meeting Gift] [Mission details: Within three days, go to the Baruch Clan's back mountain, find Linley practicing swordsmanship, point out the flaws in his swordsmanship fundamentals, and give him a weapon suitable for a young martial practitioner.] [Mission requirements: Make natural contact in your capacity as "captain of the town guard." Do not reveal the system's existence] [Mission rewards: Advancement to Seventh-Level Warrior, MAX proficiency in the skill "Precision Shooting," basic swordsmanship insights (perfect grade)] [Failure penalty: System unbinding, annihilation of the host's soul]
The cold penalty notification sent a chill down Wanghou's spine.
Soul annihilation meant he would not even have a chance at reincarnation.
But he felt no fear. Instead, his gaze sharpened further. Having been given another life, he was no longer that timid corporate drone. He accepted this responsibility to protect!
The instant he confirmed, warmth surged through his entire body. Wanghou could clearly feel the battle aura within him growing denser and more powerful. Strength filled every part of his body, and his senses became much keener-the chirping of insects in the distant woods and the sound of earthworms burrowing beneath the ground reached his ears with perfect clarity. His mastery of firearms in particular had reached perfection. He could accurately hit even a fly a hundred meters away!
[Ding! Host detected to have completed the beginner mission: First Meeting Gift] [Mission evaluation: Perfect (consistent with identity, precise guidance, target satisfaction 100%)] [Rewards delivered: Advancement to Seventh-Level Warrior, MAX proficiency in the skill "Precision Shooting," basic swordsmanship insights (perfect grade) integrated]
Wanghou clenched his fists, feeling the strength surging within him as his lips curved with determination.
A Seventh-Level Warrior!
In Wushan Town, that was truly top-tier fighting strength!
He raised his head and watched Linley happily practicing with his shortsword in the sunlight. A brilliant smile filled the boy's face, like the most dazzling sun of autumn.
Warmth welled up in Wanghou's heart, followed by an unshakable resolve, and he silently swore an oath.
Linley.
Hogg.
Hiri.
Wharton.
In this life, as long as I, Hillman, am here, the Baruch Clan's tragedy will never happen again!
Whether it's the Radiant Church or savage magical beasts, anyone who wants to hurt you will have to step over my corpse first!
The sun sank in the west, its golden afterglow bathing the back mountain and stretching the shadows of the man and boy far, far behind them.
Hillman knew this was only the beginning.
The road ahead was still long.
He had to keep growing stronger, from a Seventh-Level Warrior to the eighth level, the ninth level, then Saint-level and Deity-level, until he possessed enough power to shake the world.
What he wanted to protect was not merely Linley's growth, but the boy's entire life, which should have been brilliant yet had once been covered in scars.
At that moment, Linley still did not know that this Uncle Hillman, who had suddenly become especially patient, would become the firmest support and most reliable armor in his life, accompanying him through his youthful days in Wushan Town and into that vast, eventful future.
He only knew that the shortsword he had received today, along with that precious guidance in swordsmanship, was the best gift he had ever received.
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