Chapter 299
Chapter 299
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 299
Chapter Title: The Golden Lion - Mutual Assessment (2)
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In the original story, the Golden Knights are only mentioned very briefly.
—The brilliant shield of the Empire.
Knights who protect the imperial family at all costs, renowned for their exceptional skill and esteemed reputation.
However, despite that description, their actual appearances in the latter half of the story were fleeting, so their overall presence wasn't significant.
The extent of their power was almost a complete unknown…
So I had assumed their strength was on par with, or perhaps just below, the 'Pillars of the Empire'.
However,
it took less than a few minutes for that assumption to be shattered.
…….
BOOM!
Amidst the roar that shook the ground, a brilliant golden energy erupted like an explosion.
"...!"
Even inhaling and exhaling had become a struggle.
I hadn't stopped moving for a single moment, and my breath was already caught in my throat.
—!
Kicking off the ground again to create distance, I managed to snatch a short, sharp breath.
Shaaa...
For a while now, my entire body had been emitting a powerful spiral aura.
While it wasn't on the level of manifesting the skill 'Asura Spiral Spear', it was no exaggeration to say I was using every bit of power I could muster without activating a skill.
And yet, the situation remained overwhelmingly difficult.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the golden energy sharpened like a spearhead and shot toward me.
I twisted my waist sharply to dodge it, but there was no time to pause.
Thud!
Twisting my ankle, I kicked off again, widening the distance.
Throughout this training, the potent golden energy had never once shown a simple, predictable pattern.
Not a single attack was the same.
It changed every moment, sometimes shooting out like an arrow, sending a chill down my spine more than once.
As I moved ceaselessly around the training hall, a thought of another power suddenly came to mind.
'Release... I can't use it.'
But I immediately dismissed that option.
Due to a series of recent accidents and crises, my body had been broken and healed countless times.
In just a few months, I had faced enough danger to kill a normal person several times over.
And yet, I had miraculously been healed each time.
But Adelia had told me something last night.
—If you keep getting injured and pushing yourself like this, you might soon lose the ability to even hold a spear.
Her voice, filled with concern and reflected in her serious eyes, was still vivid in my mind.
She had said that healing didn't mean a complete recovery; small traces of past injuries would always remain in the body.
And if those traces accumulated, a time would come when healing would no longer be possible.
That was why, for me now, the power of Release was like a forbidden territory.
If I were to use it, I would have to be prepared for the consequences.
BOOM!
The golden energy narrowly missed me, striking the ground and making the very earth tremble.
"..."
As the roar echoed, leaving a ringing in my ears, my thoughts began to fade.
I focused solely on the training at hand.
Having pushed my speed to its absolute limit, I couldn't afford to look away from the golden energy targeting me for even a second.
Time blurred as I dodged one attack after another in a state of pure focus.
But I wasn't dodging with ease; every moment was a desperate crisis.
...As my body gradually began to react instinctively to the energy, I couldn't help but marvel at Sir Isabelle.
'How on earth can she…'
move like this?
This was by no means a structured form or a set pattern of movements.
I would throw my body in the direction I predicted the attack would come from, but each time, an assault that surpassed my expectations would rush in.
Outwardly, it took the form of a golden lion, but the movements I felt were like those of a cunning serpent, stalking me.
Just like now...!
Swiiish—!
A bizarre sound, as if the very air was being torn apart.
Having narrowly evaded the golden energy that grazed past my body, I could feel my mana was running low.
It hadn't even been an hour.
Barely thirty minutes had passed, I thought... but the continuous, rapid movements had already brought me to the brink of my mana limit.
"Hah..."
As I gasped for breath and tightened my grip on my spear,
Sir Isabelle ceased her assault. I could see her standing still, watching me.
As if to ready her stance again. She watched me with a calm gaze and raised her sword, a sight that made me tense up even more.
But then.
Sir Isabelle's lips curved into a slight smile.
"You're doing quite a bit better than I expected."
"...Thank you."
I was surprised by the unexpected praise.
Sir Isabelle gave a small nod and asked calmly.
"Are you at your limit?"
"Not completely. I can go a little longer."
I replied, shaking my head.
Honestly, it was incredibly difficult. But this training was completely different from any I had done before.
'That's why it's more meaningful.'
Even though I was training with her, this new method didn't feel like we were sparring or matching moves at all.
Instead, her movements were filled with the kind of unpredictability that reminded me of the apostle I faced in the past—the Beast Apostle from the Demonic Beast's Frenzy. And Sir Isabelle's assault was far more threatening.
"..."
As she stared at me in silence, I carefully wiped the sweat from my brow but didn't look away.
I felt it would be a waste to stop the training now.
I was right on the verge of my limit.
A desire to see just how far I could go filled my heart.
Perhaps she saw that determination in my eyes. Sir Isabelle let out a soft breath and nodded.
"Hmph. Very well, just a little more then."
"Yes."
As our short exchange ended, I slowly raised my spear.
'This time...'
I completely changed my mindset—I wouldn't dodge.
—I would resist her energy with my spear.
It would be difficult, but I felt it was possible.
My trust in Sir Isabelle had grown much stronger than before, which was why I could make this change.
"..."
Watching her prepare to leap lightly, I suppressed the fear rising in my heart.
Against such immense power and destructiveness, I knew I couldn't keep dodging forever.
A moment would surely come when dodging was no longer an option.
To prepare for that, I had to be able to thrust my spear.
'I can do it.'
No, I *had* to do it.
Because I trusted her, I instilled in myself the belief that it was definitely possible.
—!
And then, with a burst of golden energy even more dazzling than before, I saw the golden lion rush toward me.
Her sword was merely pointed straight ahead.
But the golden energy enveloping her shimmered strangely, surging toward me unpredictably, not from the front, but from another direction.
***
—He's definitely different.
Isabelle thought so as the training progressed.
There are times when you can gauge a person's level just by looking. While one couldn't fully trust that assessment since everyone's traits were different, Isabelle trusted her eyes—as long as it wasn't an esoteric-type trait.
And now.
Her assessment of Han Cheon-seong had risen considerably.
"..."
As she gazed at him, she could tell from his physical state that he was at his limit.
His entire body was drenched in sweat, and through his disheveled hair, she could see eyes that had not yet lost their will.
It was a completely different sight from his usual gentle demeanor.
Although the power and aura he exuded were nothing compared to hers, the look in his eyes was alive.
'Most importantly, he refuses to break.'
This was specialized training meant to counter apostles, something that would intimidate or fluster most people at first, yet he was showing this much spirit.
She took a small breath, her resolve wavering.
'Stopping here would be for the best.'
She knew that stopping the training now would prevent any undue strain on his body.
What he had accomplished so far was already impressive, but the gaze that met hers was asking for more, and she couldn't bring herself to stop.
"Hmph. Very well, just a little more then."
"Yes."
At his short reply, she readied her stance.
She focused on refining her control, handling her energy with more precision to prepare for any contingency and ensure she could adjust her power in an instant.
Ssk.
Then, as she saw him raise his spear, she felt a strange sensation even as she kicked off the ground.
'I told him to dodge the attacks...'
Is he planning to block my power with his spear now? It didn't seem like a good choice.
After feeling impressed this whole time, she felt a twinge of disappointment at the end and altered her assault once more.
Whip!
The moment she lightly kicked off the ground again mid-stride, she accelerated sharply, her form arriving in an impossible location.
Appearing right behind him, she unleashed her golden energy, pressing down on him.
He would react.
But she could see he wouldn't be able to block her power.
Whirl.
Just as she predicted, she saw him spin around rapidly and even thrust his spear to meet her energy.
'Hah...'
In that instant, just as she was about to completely erase the energy she had manifested,
Chwarararak!
A spiral current erupted from the spearhead like a storm, and her eyes widened in an instant.
"What...?"
Even before her energy reached the spearhead, she clearly felt the change.
This wasn't her reducing her power of her own will...
Her energy was being neutralized by the storm-like current bursting from that spearhead.