Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 127
>Chapter Title: Supreme!
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Parun's mansion, square in layout with a central training ground.
Standing in the middle of the training ground, Shine took in me and Professor Parun in turn with his eyes.
“What shall we do? It seems better to have an opponent after all…….”
His gaze was utterly villainous.
He seemed to be speaking to Parun, but it was clearly aimed at me.
‘Like a little punk.’
He still hadn’t forgotten the grudge from the 4th base camp.
That duel(?) back then had been a fair and square fight where we’d both mobilized our full resources…… including our connections.
How could someone be so narrow-minded…….
‘Well, no helping it.’
I stepped forward, loosening up my fidgety body.
I’d just acquired a new skill called Blink, after all, and I needed a suitable opponent to test it out.
More than that……
Circle
The one I’d started building when leaving the Great Forest of Hameln had only recently been completed.
But embarrassingly, even after warming up my joints, no opportunity for me to step in had arisen.
“Then, I’ll be your opponent.”
“Oh? You, you say?”
“I just got my hands on a useful artifact, after all.”
It was a surprising sight in many ways.
Not just because of Parun’s polite tone.
For the haughty Parun to show such courtesy to someone was surprising enough, but what caught me off guard was that look in his eyes.
‘……Battle lust?’
That’s right.
It was the thrill of battle gleaming in Parun’s eyes as he headed to the center of the training ground.
‘I never knew Parun had a side like this.’
Of course, I didn’t know Parun all that well.
But the image I had of him was quite distant from any thirst for combat, that much was true.
While I was admiring this new side of Parun, their conversation continued.
“Then, prepare yourself.”
“Understood…….”
Instead of saying more, Parun undid the jacket he’d kept impeccably buttoned.
Charrlk—
Immediately after, metallic spheres spilled from within his jacket.
Eight spheres. Each about the size of a child’s fist. The metal orbs floated around Parun as if possessing a will of their own, but on closer inspection, it was clear he was controlling them.
I narrowed my eyes, taking in the scene.
‘What the hell are those for?’
Controlling eight different spheres individually wasn’t easy.
A typical mage could handle maybe two or three at most.
Well, with Parun’s multitasking ability, it probably wasn’t much of a challenge……
‘The question is whether they’re worth the effort.’
I’d never seen an artifact like that before, so I couldn’t easily guess its value.
Probably for magic support……
“Are your preparations complete?”
“Yes.”
Wooong— Wooong.
With the floating metal spheres in tow, Parun’s reply echoed across the training ground.
“Then, I expect a good duel.”
“Likewise.”
No further words were needed.
Details like how much power to unleash—rules necessary for a friendly spar—weren’t required either.
This was possible because both had reached a realm where they could freely control the flow of power.
“Then, I’ll give the signal?”
“…….”
“…….”
Neither responded, but the silence was affirmation.
‘Alright, then let’s see what I can do too.’
There were two key points to observe.
How much power the vampirized Shine had recovered.
The success or failure of this endeavor depended on the extent of Shine’s recovery.
‘Well, he’s got the basics down, so he should manage at least somewhat…….’
The other point was Parun’s exact level.
During the Karahen incident before, the environment hadn’t allowed him to fully unleash his power.
With that thought, I soon shot a sphere of light into the air.
Thung—
The glowing orb floated up like a dandelion seed, arriving between the two.
Bang!
It burst.
The battle began.
“Huu…… Hah!”
Shine struck first.
* * *
It was merely a simple test, but Shine had no intention of letting this opportunity slip.
‘My body’s been itching for a fight anyway.’
He’d fought countless battles in the Great Forest of Hameln too, but it was different from his Death Knight days. He had flesh now.
The sensation of breathing, air flowing in and out, his chest opening and closing, muscles twitching—all etched vividly into his mind. So, how far could this body keep up?
His body in life had been a perfect masterpiece, as if sculpted by the gods.
Body moved as thought willed, thought followed as body moved. A supreme harmony where neither mind nor flesh fell short.
“Huu…… Hah!”
It started with a light sword strike. But to the defender, it was anything but light.
Pheet—!
A sharp whoosh echoed as the cheap iron sword cleaved the air.
Good. A smile bloomed on Shine’s lips. But only for that instant.
Tsrurrung!
Cracklecracklecrackle—!
The metal spheres emitted a cicada-like whine. Dozens of force fields bloomed along the sword’s path, blocking the slash.
As speed gradually slowed and the blade lodged into the force field, Shine’s smile deepened.
Honestly, at first he’d wondered what gave him such confidence.
‘Closing distance against a knight……?’
Given the special nature of a spar, it was unavoidable, but if he were the mage, he’d have started at a safe distance.
Yet Parun hadn’t. The gap between Parun and Shine was barely ten paces. Far if far, but to a knight like Shine, it was a single breath away. And it had been.
From that recent defense, though, it seemed his confidence had reason.
But those thoughts didn’t last long.
Tsrurrung!
The metallic whine resounded again. Crackle, the force field clamped tight on the blade. Shine tensed with a ‘Hah!’, but the lodged sword wouldn’t budge.
A white flash erupted right after.
Kwaaaaaang—!
It was an explosion of cold air. Not one or two layers. A total of…… eight layers. Overlapping torrents swept over his body.
Huu, huu……. He’d drawn up ether to brace against the impact, but the bone-chilling cold piercing deep couldn’t be blocked. Tricky. So tricky……
“……!”
Shine realized the anomaly right after.
Kwuduk! Kwujik!
The ground surged, shackling his ankles like chains. No, not just ankles. Crackle, crackle! Like multiplying ice, unyielding rock enveloped his lower body.
And that was it?
Whiiiiiing— Kagagagagak……!
The air suddenly turned frigid, whipping through space. Amid dozens of icy blades slashing at his body, Shine finally wrenched free his cheap blade with force.
Snap…… Perfect. He meant it.
Lower body bound, Shine’s sword cleaved space.
Could a sword cut wind? Impossible. Beyond invisible, wind wasn’t something the act of ‘cutting’ applied to. But……
Pibit, pibibit, pibibibibibibit!
In an instant, dozens of times. Shine’s sword slicing space cut the blade-winds. No, ‘cut’ wasn’t quite right.
It stabbed, slashed. Tore and pierced the wind’s grain, scattering it utterly.
At this point, even Parun couldn’t hide his amazement.
How could a sword without ether dispersal scatter wind? And not ordinary wind. Wind was mere phenomenon. Each of those dozens of wind blades was magic.
Eight Heart
Magic achieving eightfold overlay with the aid of eight artifacts.
Moreover, done with his lower body fully bound—could you believe it?
This had transcended realm into the domain of pure technique.
And yet, what did he say……?
“Looks like your warm-up’s over.”
“…….”
Parun didn’t reply.
He merely curled his lips slightly upward.
Just as Shine hadn’t cloaked his sword in ether, Parun hadn’t gone all out either.
Kwuduk!
The brief standoff, less than five seconds, ended as Shine broke free of the earthen shackles.
Kwang!
“……Guh!”
A heavy blow struck his chest! Parun spat a mouthful of blood. The ether-clad sword tip had reached his solar plexus.
He’d barely overlaid force fields to block the intruding blade, but the impact wasn’t light. No time to hesitate, though.
Tsrurrung, tsrung!
“That trick again?”
As Parun retreated, crash! The overlaid force fields shattered. Shine’s form shot after him like an arrow.
Pursued mage and pursuing knight. A feast of techniques where neither lagged.
Kuduk, kwaduk! Seruk—!
Jagged fangs erupted from the earth. Ice crystals bloomed, lightning gathered atop. Three attributes at play. More astonishing was the multitasking.
A normal mage would vomit blood from such a feat, but Shine was no pushover.
Slash, thrust, parry. Every motion flowed seamlessly, without excess.
Each strike pierced a spell’s core.
Chiiing—!
Lightning bolt struck down.
Flash!
Sword light gleamed.
Kugrrr—!
Earth rose like a tsunami to engulf, only for space to sever cleanly.
This had surpassed ‘test’ level.
A single slip from either, and heads would fly, limbs crushed by magic.
No killing intent, but intent mattered little. Danger was danger regardless.
Yet why?
‘More, more…….’
Shine’s eyes blazed with fervor. His flushed face deepened its smile.
He was enjoying it.
How long he’d yearned for this moment.
A sword wasn’t just swung. Swordsmanship was the product of body breathing, mind resonating.
Shaaaak!
Pheet!
A sharp ice spike grazed his cheek. Yet Shine smiled as he stepped forward.
He ‘saw’ the ice spike, ‘intended’ to dodge, and his body ‘moved.’
The feared gap was a mere inch. But a 0.01mm error drew blood.
Shine adjusted the gap.
Chiiing—!
Lightning struck again.
Shine’s sword cleaved empty air. One strike repelled the bolt, absorbed it. Intent to fire it back on the follow-up.
But.
Pajijik!
“……Kuh. Heh, hehehe.”
Absorbing the lightning onto the blade was fine, but ether couldn’t control it.
Another gap between body and mind.
Shine adjusted the interval again.
Adjust, adjust, adjust, adjust……
An endless chain of adjustments.
Each a hair’s breadth from life and death.
But Shine calibrated his body endlessly, as if life were worthless.
No, strictly speaking, not ‘body.’
More precisely, realigning the mind calibrated to his past body with the current one.
Pheet!
The ice spike grazed his cheek again.
Error: 0.001mm.
Kung!
A blizzard swept with razor-sharp ice shards. Pajik, pajik! Lightning coursed along ice crystals.
Enraptured, Shine felt thousands of shards, swinging his sword ceaselessly.
Error dwindled.
From 0.001mm to 0.0001mm. Then ever smaller. Smaller. Smaller……
As the gap shrank endlessly, converging to zero.
A thrill raced through his body, and a smile bloomed on Shine’s blood-and-sweat-smeared face.
This body too……
‘Supreme!’
A laugh of utter ecstasy.