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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 116
Upon opening her eyes and unleashing her power, Luna revealed strength that made her habitual claims of being useless seem ridiculous.
She moved lightly, almost as if taking a stroll.
With one hand, she swung her hammer effortlessly, and each swing generated a massive shockwave that obliterated the stone beast knights in her path.
The problem was that those shattered creatures couldn’t get back up.
It was understandable.
Both Leon and Sullivan didn’t even glance at the stone beast knights.
“Why... Why aren’t they reviving?”
Rebecca, unable to understand, asked the question, but none of the mercenaries could provide an answer.
However, there was one person who had seen through the situation.
“That knight, who calls himself the emperor, doesn’t have the luxury to revive those stone beasts right now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Those two, though they appear to be standing still…”
The moment one of them moved first—
Crack!
It was Sullivan who couldn’t endure the tense standoff any longer.
The instant he moved even slightly, Leon’s sword flashed, and an enormous sword aura shattered a part of Sullivan’s armor.
Not only that, but the ground behind Sullivan bore a massive scar, resembling a crevasse.
It was a feat impossible without a tremendous amount of aura, leaving those who realized it too late with expressions of disbelief.
How could a boy who looked barely in his teens wield such terrifying power and aura?
“If he takes that kind of blow…”
“Oh my god… Who is that porter?”
“That’s what I want to ask, Rebecca. Who on earth did you bring here…?”
After all, it was Rebecca who had hired Leon.
Even young elven prodigy Repel murmured to himself.
“Not just that man—what’s with that girl? How is she producing such absurd strength without using magic or aura?”
Though Leon’s sword aura had drawn everyone’s attention for the moment, Luna’s blows that continuously shattered the stone beasts were just as incomprehensible.
As everyone stood in shock, Sullivan inspected his broken armor and assumed a formal stance with his sword.
Leon also sheathed his sword and adjusted his grip.
The two collided in an instant.
The impact was so intense that those nearby were hurled back and rolled across the ground.
Their speed as they charged and exchanged blows was so incredible that no one else could even follow their movements.
“You…. that swordsmanship…”
After the first clash, Sullivan—the dethroned king—muttered with a crazed fury.
“The level of skill is similar, but it’s slightly weaker. The version of I saw must have been twisted further somehow.”
Leon’s expression revealed surprise.
Was this not the first identical opponent he had encountered since Labyrinthos?
What even was Labyrinthos?
And who were the enemies he had fought there?
Leon couldn’t begin to comprehend.
Meanwhile, Sullivan was just as shocked.
Even if they had used different powers in their clash, the swordsmanship shown in their final collision was identical.
In a battle between masters, even the smallest opening could be fatal.
Both Sullivan and Leon had instinctively sensed each other’s strength, which is why neither had acted recklessly.
But it was Sullivan who lost his composure first.
Leon, seizing the brief gap, twisted his sword.
Sullivan tried to counter, but Leon moved as if he had accelerated time, kicking Sullivan in the abdomen and sending him flying.
This time, Leon had used his own sword style—the Nameless Sword Technique.
Boom!
“You… dare to steal my swordsmanship?”
Leon then extended his hand into the air, making a subtle motion as if manipulating something unseen.
“Dark Sword Technique? So that’s its name. Sorry, but get it straight.”
He casually summoned a blackish-red aura similar to Sullivan’s and then dispersed it with ease before pointing his sword at Sullivan once again.
“Don’t compare me to you at that level.”
Because that’s an insult not just to me—but to the powerful warrior you once were.
Leon’s cryptic words only deepened Sullivan’s frenzied rage.
His face twisted like a maniacal clown mask, Sullivan aimed his massive sword directly at Leon.
“State your name, traitor.”
“Leon. That’s all you need to know, Sullivan.”
“I am the Emperor.”
“Emperor? Ha! Weren’t you just the dethroned king?”
Boom!
Their swords collided again, sending massive scars across the ground like bullet holes.
Sullivan’s subordinates had already been nearly wiped out by Luna and the black wraith wolf.
The overwhelming number of magic circles Leon had created overloaded the Soul Eater.
Bound completely by the chains that erupted afterward, the stone beasts had long since been reduced to dust by Luna’s blows, unable to revive.
Even Albion, the mercenary captain who had just been healed by Luna’s recovery magic, watched the clash in awe and muttered.
“Just watching them is enough to have such an effect…”
“What do you mean by that, Captain?”
An older mercenary nearby asked cautiously.
Albion gave a short reply.
“A Sword Master is someone who has fully realized their own world. I’ve mentioned before that seeing something shouldn’t be enough to shake that world easily.”
Yet—
The swordsmanship and aura control of those two were so refined and profound that even a Sword Master, whose world should have been unwavering, began to doubt his own.
Their techniques were so—
Deep.
And above all, powerful.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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“Mind Master…”
A realm that transcended swordsmanship to wield the sword of an indomitable will.
No boy who looked to be in his teens should be capable of reaching such a state.
No record in the continent’s history would show a Mind Master—or even a Sword Master—of that age.
So who was this boy?
In awe of the unbelievable skill displayed by the man he had hired as a mere porter, Albion watched every movement of their swordplay, unwilling to miss a single moment.
* * *
In truth, compared to a healthy Kraken, Sullivan was undoubtedly weaker.
His level was that of a Mind Master—a realm beyond that of a Sword Master.
He appeared to be of a non-human race, but his actual species remained unknown.
I had also just learned that he had come from an extra-dimensional place.
There were other reasons why the battle couldn’t end quickly either.
Was it because he was overwhelmingly strong?
It was true that he had reached the level of a Mind Master.
However, the bigger problem was that he was at my level.
The level of a Sword Master isn’t weak, and it’s true that I can wield Mind Master-level power with my massive aura.
Still, I couldn’t fully replicate the unique abilities of a Mind Master.
This wasn’t like when I was just imitating aura blades as an Expert or a Master.
I might be stronger than other Sword Masters, but when facing a Mind Master... well...
Luckily, I had plenty of aura, so I wouldn’t lose.
But landing a decisive blow was still difficult.
Just driving him away would be enough, but there was the magic core attached to his armor.
And there was the ring—Fate Lord—which he was suspected of having.
That was the problem holding me back.
It didn’t seem like he was wearing it.
“Luna, can you pinpoint the exact location?”
Honestly, from just glancing at his appearance, I couldn’t see the Fate Lord ring Luna had shown me.
I didn’t think he’d keep such a ring well-guarded either...
“When the black spear appeared earlier.”
Ah, it’s inside that?
Then it’s simple.
If I can’t kill him easily, I’ll just drive him away.
But I still needed to take the magic core on his armor and the Fate Lord in his subspace along the way.
He didn’t seem to know exactly what we were after yet.
Clang!
“Can you pull it out if you get a chance?”
“If you can lock him down, it’s easy. It’s easy to interfere with subspace using subspace.”
“I’ll open a door when the opportunity comes, so you retrieve it.”
“But that guy’s speed is pretty fast.”
“Then we’ll just have to slow him down.”
I accelerated the command mana circle, which was already showing signs of overloading.
Then I activated the magic I had prepared.
[2nd-Circle Necromancy]
[Slow]
“What is this? This weak, simplistic power?”
I heard Sullivan’s sneering as the slowing effect took hold of his body.
Sure, a 2nd-circle Slow might not mean much to someone above a Sword Master.
However.
I was currently at the 6th circle.
My command mana capacity was at a transcendental level—the level of a Death Lord.
In other words.
Even with the same magic, my range of application was entirely different.
In an instant, more than dozens of the same magic circles appeared in all directions in the air.
[60-fold stacking]
If multi-casting was hard, I simply amplified my casting speed to the extreme.
Boom!
The simple Slow spell, which was originally just a minor annoyance, exploded in effect and ensnared him completely.
I saw confusion flash in his eyes.
Yes, until now, I had fought him only with my sword.
He was strong, sure, but why would I keep doing that now?
There was no reason to continue fighting sword-to-sword.
Besides, I now had swordsmanship and aura techniques that allowed me to gain a compatibility advantage over him.
[Heavenly Demon Divine Sword]
[Overwhelming Pressure]
Rumble!
At the same time, an oppressive aura filled the entire area, creating an invisible pressure that crushed everything around it.
“Gah?!”
“Ugh?!”
The mercenaries flinched in surprise at the unexpected pressure, but most of the weight was concentrated on Sullivan.
Even though I had only just surpassed the wall of the Sword Master, this was enough to handle someone of his level to a certain extent.
The remaining gap could be bridged through experience, aura reserves, and my unique realizations.
Have you ever played a game?
After defeating the same boss hundreds of times, you become so familiar that the initial thrill is gone, replaced by sheer familiarity.
That’s what mastery is.
In that sense, he could only see me as someone trying for the first time.
But I was already experienced when it came to him.
If I lacked strength, I could draw it from elsewhere.
Without any hesitation, we both charged at each other like streaks of light.
Moreover, there was an irritating message that had been catching my attention since earlier, amplifying my experimental urge.
[Beginning adaptation.]
[The body is synchronizing with the soul’s trajectory.]
This wasn’t a joke.
My body was subtly becoming different from that of a normal human.
* * *
A battle between two beings.
One was a person; the other, with a massive frame and blue skin, wasn’t quite human.
In any case, the fight between Leon and the self-proclaimed emperor Sullivan left everyone stunned.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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