Chapter 201
Chapter 201
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: Scheme (2)
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The next day, the group set off for the Empire once more.
“What do you think a sword is? I think of it like this. It’s life itself. If it’s not straight, it’s useless.”
“……Yes, I see.”
Even after yesterday’s events, Javier was chattering away at Liam as if nothing had happened. Liam’s face was full of exhaustion.
*What a ridiculous guy.*
Demian was inwardly dumbfounded.
No matter how shameless a person was, to act like this after plotting to stab him in the back.
At least Joshua was keeping his mouth shut, which was a relief.
*I did well to crush his spirit yesterday.*
If Joshua had kept talking to him like his father, it would have been hard to hold back his anger.
They traveled like that for quite some time.
In the distance, a mountain range shrouded in mist gradually came into view.
Even at a glance, it was clear the terrain was extremely rugged.
“That’s the Gormak Mountains.”
Javier pointed at the range and said.
“It’s the shortcut from the Dufflin Kingdom to the Empire. It’s a bit dangerous, but if you follow us closely, there won’t be any problems.”
Javier took the lead. The others followed behind him.
The group moved deep into the mountains along the ridgeline. True to its dangerous reputation, there wasn’t a single sign of human presence.
Occasionally, dangerous beasts like snakes or bears appeared, but they posed no real threat.
After all, this group was swarming with knights who could kill such beasts barehanded.
*It’s the perfect place for killing people.*
Demian thought as he surveyed the mountains.
Then, suddenly, Demian’s senses picked up killing intent.
It wasn’t the killing intent of a beast. It was far heavier and more insidious.
Demian glanced at the Dufflin Kingdom knights. As he expected, the intent was emanating from them.
“Michael, Veronica.”
“Yes, brother.”
“What’s going on?”
The two turned their heads at Demian’s words. Demian said with an emotionless face.
“Prepare yourselves.”
It was a sudden command, but neither questioned it.
Their eyes sharpened in an instant, and they began scanning their surroundings.
“By the way, have you all heard of the Gormak Mountains?”
Javier Silva suddenly stopped walking. He turned to the Apple Kingdom knights and asked.
“There’s a legend that a massive serpent from ancient times rampaged underground and created this range. Not sure if it’s true, though.”
“I thought it was a magnificent place. So it has a legend like that.”
Liam replied in a soulless voice. Javier burst into hearty laughter.
“Good that you think it’s magnificent. It’s the last scenery you’ll ever see, so take a good look.”
“What do you…….”
In that instant, the Dufflin Kingdom knights drew their swords in unison.
“Sir Javier! What is the meaning of this!”
Liam shouted in a panicked voice. Javier shrugged.
“I don’t see any obligation to explain that.”
“Sir Javier!”
Javier ignored Liam’s yell. Instead, he turned to Demian and said.
“First, we need to secure the most important one.”
Javier dismounted. The moment his feet touched the ground, his body vanished.
He reappeared right in front of Demian. Javier reached out to grab Demian by the collar.
That was when it happened.
Just before he was caught, Demian pulled his head back. Javier’s hand clutched only empty air.
“……Huh?”
A look of bewilderment crossed Javier’s face.
Even if he’d been casual about it, for a mere high-class knight to dodge *his* hand?
“You little…….”
Javier tried to grab Demian again. But Demian leaped from his horse first.
And without looking back, he began to flee.
Javier couldn’t help but be taken aback by Demian vanishing into the distance in the blink of an eye.
Abandoning his comrades and running away?
Javier let out a long laugh. It had been ages since he’d encountered someone this amusing.
“Joshua, I’ll chase Demian Haksen. You handle Liam Bluegreen. Don’t leave a single one alive. Kill them all.”
“Yes, understood.”
After issuing the order to Joshua, Javier pursued Demian.
“Stop!”
Liam Bluegreen tried to block Javier’s path, but it was futile.
There was no way a high-class knight could keep up with a master-class one.
Javier brushed past Liam Bluegreen. In the distance, he could see Demian Haksen fleeing desperately.
“Try running as far as you can! I’ll catch you soon enough!”
Javier chased after Demian with a gleeful shout.
But something was off. No matter how fast he ran, the distance wasn’t closing.
Every time Demian pushed off the ground, he leaped dozens of meters farther. Just as Javier closed in, he pulled away again.
It was as if his leg strength was being ‘amplified.’
“This guy?”
From a master-class perspective, high-class knights were barely better than insects.
To fail at catching such a despised bug wounded his pride.
In the end, Javier decided to reveal a bit of his true power.
He poured strength into his legs. His speed surged in an instant. He reached Demian’s back in the blink of an eye.
“Got you!”
Javier reached out to seize Demian by the nape.
At that moment, Demian spun around. He drew his sword and thrust it at Javier.
“Futile struggle!”
Once one reached master-class, they could protect their body with mana.
A high-class knight’s aura couldn’t harm a master-class.
The tip of Demian’s longsword pierced Javier’s torso.
“……?”
In that instant, a heavy impact struck Javier. It felt like striking not a sword, but a boulder.
Of course, such an impact was nothing to Javier.
But the sudden blow sent his body flying backward. The problem was that this was a ridgeline.
“Oh dear.”
Javier’s body tumbled down the mountain.
He twisted in midair, pointing his feet downward.
His body hit the ground. It shattered with a thunderous boom. But Javier was unscathed.
“……You really are an amusing one.”
Javier looked up with an intrigued expression.
For a high-class knight to make him eat dirt like this multiple times.
This couldn’t be explained by mere talent.
Demian Haksen clearly harbored some enormous secret.
“I’ll capture you right now and make you spill every secret.”
Falling to the base of the mountain was no issue.
If a master-class like him went all out, he could seize a high-class knight in an inst—
“No need for that.”
An unexpected voice rang out as Demian Haksen dropped down from above.
Javier tilted his head at the sight.
“Why didn’t you keep running?”
Demian had only been able to toy with Javier because he’d been off guard.
Otherwise, no high-class knight could stand against a master-class.
Knowing that, Demian hadn’t fled—instead, he’d come down here to confront Javier.
“There’s no better place to kill you than right here.”
“Kill me?”
Javier laughed as if he’d lost his mind.
An insect that would burst if he pressed it with a finger dared talk of killing *him*. How could he not laugh?
“Truly…… a spirited young man.”
Javier smirked at Demian.
“You’ve entertained me, so I should return the favor. I’ll give you three minutes. Attack me all you want.”
No human hurts from an ant’s bite.
Even if he gave thirty minutes instead of three, Demian Haksen couldn’t touch him.
“You really are annoying.”
Demian spoke toward Javier with clear displeasure.
“But since you’re graciously offering, I’ll accept.”
Demian Haksen began fiddling with his wrist. Slowly, he unwound the bracelet coiled there.
Immediately after, black mana erupted.
* * *
“……Black mana?”
Javier Silva cried out in shock.
Meanwhile, the black mana spread, dyeing the world around them.
“What in the world…… This can’t be…….”
The Demian known to the world was a once-in-a-generation genius deeply tied to the Church.
For such a Demian to wield black mana—even an experienced veteran like Javier couldn’t help but panic.
“……Interesting. Truly interesting.”
But Javier’s shock lasted only a moment.
“I planned to capture you alive and have Joshua kill you right away…… but I’ve changed my mind. I’ll torture every secret out of you.”
Javier’s demeanor shifted.
The levity vanished completely. A chilling aura, like a beast baring its fangs, radiated in all directions.
The secret Demian revealed had drawn out Javier’s true intent.
But Demian paid little heed to Javier’s state.
He looked down at his wrist. Two faint patterns glowed there.
The test was over.
The Authority of Wrath could amplify anything—but only for a fleeting instant. It required technique and senses.
To revive them, Demian had used the Authority of Wrath against Javier.
Amplifying reaction speed to dodge a master-class’s movements.
Amplifying leg strength to distance himself from a master-class.
Amplifying impact to push a master-class off the mountain.
All perfect. He was confident he could deploy the Authority of Wrath in real combat without issue.
“Ten times. That’s what you offered, right?”
Demian manipulated his black mana to form a ritual circle.
Soon, a complex circle took shape. Intricate beyond belief for something conjured in seconds.
But this alone couldn’t activate black magic. The black mana was far too insufficient.
Other black mages would have slaughtered masses and absorbed souls to solve it.
But Demian had a way to replenish black mana without such repulsive acts.
He gathered black mana in his palm and invoked the Authority of Wrath.
The small spark of black mana blazed like it had been doused in oil.
He poured the amplified black mana into the circle. It filled seamlessly, activating the black magic.
Black droplets began gathering before Demian’s eyes. They soon formed a massive blob.
“What are you……?”
Javier’s expression hardened instantly.
An insane foreboding emanated from that black magic. Even a master-class like Javier couldn’t ignore it.
Demian aimed the massive blob at Javier.
Menheuk (眠黑).
One of the ancient black magics Archlich Dorgo had kept as a personal secret.
The massive water blob began compressing. From the size of a house to a mere fist.
Finally, the compressed blob unleashed with a roar. It sprayed out like shotgun pellets.
The droplets pierced everything in Demian’s path.
Trees, rocks—even the cliff ahead were no exception.
Countless holes riddled the sheer cliff. Moments later, it collapsed.