Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Darius (1)
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Jamie’s eyes widened.
Just one strike. With that single blow, someone who had reached the Master Class was sent flying without any resistance, crashing into the wall.
What was even more shocking was that no one had properly seen how the attack was executed.
It wasn’t on the level of missing the movement.
The man who had introduced himself as Darius stood motionless in place.
A sudden explosion of wind had erupted right in front of him.
“...Not magic.”
Siegfried’s eyes narrowed.
It superficially resembled a wind-burst spell, but not a trace of mana flow could be felt.
“He struck and returned so fast it was invisible.”
“Hard to believe, but yes.”
Siegfried nodded slightly at Jamie’s words.
Even Siegfried, a master of spatial magic, had never seen movements like Darius’s before.
The great mage, renowned as a powerful battle mage through countless combats, felt cold sweat trickling down his neck.
At that moment, Braha’s scream-tinged shout came from below.
“Han!”
Braha immediately summoned an earth spirit to extract Han, but Darius wasn’t just watching idly.
Boom—!!
The wind exploded again, and the earth spirit was forced back to the spirit realm the instant it was summoned.
“Braha, fall back.”
“Yeah, pull back.”
Izaya and Ramu sensed the gravity of the situation and assumed combat stances, but they too could do nothing.
A gale swept in.
The two men were flung high into the sky.
“Captain! Ramu! You bastard...”
Braha tried to summon multiple spirits for an attack, but Darius moved first, striking the back of her neck.
Braha collapsed limply.
Siegfried glanced at the unconscious Braha, then at the two men hovering high above.
“Not going to help?”
“Can’t help.”
Zziiing—
The space was under threat.
Siegfried swallowed dryly. He always maintained perfect control over a fixed area of space.
Ready to deploy spatial magic at any moment.
But now, an unknown force was forcibly breaching the space he had secured.
No need to ask who.
‘Darius, was it?’
A familiar name. He couldn’t recall where he’d heard it, but there wouldn’t be many with that name and such skill.
“Young master needs to move.”
“Got it.”
Siegfried was the only one being checked.
Jamie observed Darius’s movements while adjusting his mana flow to envelop Izaya and Ramu.
Both were already unconscious.
Jamie slowly lowered them to the ground and glanced at Darius.
“How long do you plan to keep that up? Target.”
“Hoo.”
A loud sigh echoed from the cliffside.
Small rocks tumbled down as Han emerged from there, covered head to toe in dust, looking utterly disheveled.
“Gave me a scare.”
Ting-a-ling—
A bell rang.
The dust began to vanish. Not disperse—vanish.
“Interesting authority.”
Darius smirked, his thick sausage-like lips curling upward.
Time seemed to flow backward.
That was the only way to describe the phenomenon emanating from Han.
“Now it’s my turn?”
“Anytime.”
Han snorted derisively at Darius’s confident demeanor.
He didn’t know what this guy was about, but Han wasn’t one to just take beatings.
Repay favors twofold, grudges tenfold.
“Take this.”
Ting-a-ling~
The bell shook again.
Boom!!
Darius’s body floated upward. The wind exploded. It was the exact attack he had unleashed on Han.
Han had returned it in full. Not mere reflection.
“Hyah!”
Han kicked off the ground and charged forward.
The bell shook wildly, yet eerily silent.
Aura gathered on each bell.
Spinning the stick once extended the threads connected to the bells.
Boom!!!
A barrage of aura-clad bells rained down where Darius had crashed.
The threads shortened to original length. Gripping the bells in one hand and stroking the stick with the other turned it into two thick rods the length of forearms.
Han reached Darius’s embedded position in an instant with bizarre footwork.
Then he swung the two rods furiously.
Massive destruction ensued. The wildly flailing rods seemed capable of toppling mountains.
“Nice!”
Combining the rods formed a wooden oar.
But not for rowing a boat.
“Chidogon!”
Finishing blow.
One strike would suffice.
This ends it.
Kwaaang!
The ground split, forming a massive crater.
A tremendous shockwave spread in all directions, whipping up a gale.
Jamie was awestruck by the sheer power.
Stronger than the giant bear Teberon’s forepaw, former lord of Mirene Forest.
This was a Master Class from Frontier...
‘How many powerhouses like this do they have?’
Bayrill was formidable enough, but Han exceeded him.
But Jamie shook his head.
Same thought as Siegfried and the just-finished-attacking Han.
“1.72. Momentary spike. Strong.”
Behind Han, Darius brushed dust off his suit and neatly smoothed the disheveled parts.
As if nothing had happened.
“Dodged it.”
Han struggled to stay composed, reverting Chidogon to bell form.
“2.30. That was his evasion value.”
“Those numbers aren’t fixed, huh?”
“Combat power always fluctuates. For example...”
Whoooosh—!
A gust rose, wildly tousling Han’s long black hair.
His unusual garb flapped as if about to tear.
A black fist halted right before his nose.
Han couldn’t react. Humiliating, but he was relieved it stopped. Then humiliated again for that relief.
“That’s 2.09.”
Idle state was 2.01, so only a 0.08 increase.
Evasion against Han’s attack raised it by about 0.2, a decent acknowledgment.
“Authority seems reality manipulation type.”
As Darius said, Han’s Master authority was Phenomenon Alteration.
Ability to change any reality concerning himself in desired ways. Only possible when he’s the central subject; can’t interfere otherwise.
From reversing Darius’s initial ambush to altering the bell’s form—all Phenomenon Alteration.
“Range limited to self?”
Darius pierced its essence at a glance.
“Nothing compared to Creon.”
Among current Masters, the strongest reality manipulator was Creon, Sword of Zenith God.
Once posing as Savlo, advisor to Bell Marquis of Uptown, his authority was Cause Reversal.
Unprecedented power to invert the order of all things.
Han’s was child’s play by comparison.
“Can that authority defy even death?”
If it could override death, it’d be different, but already confirmed otherwise.
“Impossible.”
He’d have nullified the ambush outright, erasing or reversing it. But Han activated after the strike hit.
“Hand over the item.”
“So you’re... the pursuer from the auction house?”
“Surrender it, and I’ll kill you painlessly.”
Darius flexed his massive fist.
“You can’t escape anyway.”
“One question first.”
Then another voice pierced Darius’s ear.
“Does your target list include us too?”
Blind Darius saw without eyes—farther, more diversely than ordinary folk.
He marveled lowly at the unfolding scene.
Space tore open. Targets fleeing at tremendous speed.
“Mage’s doing?”
“We were auction customers. No ties to this guy, so if you let us go, we’ll gladly leave.”
“And if not?”
“Depends on your answer—might have to join the fight.”
Siegfried glanced at Jamie as he spoke.
Jamie nodded.
Couldn’t let Frontier members die like this.
He’d meet Bayrill again someday—what face to show then? Helping here could incur a huge debt to Frontier.
‘At least to Han.’
Lifesaving debt would be substantial.
Han looked stunned by the sudden support.
“H-helping?”
“Depends on his answer.”
“That’s a bit much?”
“Sorry, but we don’t pick fights lightly without knowing the opponent.”
“...You know this guy?”
“Wasn’t sure at first.”
Siegfried smirked, watching Darius close the distance at insane speed.
“The champion who’s dominated the Dark Arena for over a decade, ‘Blind Iron Fist’ Darius.”
“The monster rumored to beat two Sword Masters?”
“Young master knows too?”
Siegfried eyed Jamie surprisedly.
Han grimaced.
“That kind of monster?”
Rumor true or not, even hype proved insane strength.
“Plus, seems he’s targeting us now too.”
Darius’s aura shifted.
Just say go, and they’d have left.
Jamie glared irritably at Han.
“...We only joined the auction.”
“K-kid. Glare all you want—reality won’t change.”
“Reality doesn’t always bend to will, but you’re annoying us.”
Siegfried dropped his smile, hand to the ground.
“Can’t even flee, it seems.”
A magic circle opened, jade-glowing staff rising.
A staff radiating immense mana.
“Never thought I’d verify Darius’s rumors myself.”
Two Masters here conveniently.
Jamie not quite Master, but close enough.
Darius’s power already confirmed via Han.
“Ideally keep young master out, but need every hand.”
“Too bad.”
“...Don’t say it so sincerely.”
Jamie burst laughing at Siegfried’s reaction.
Often thought his personality hopeless, but lightening dire moods was a boon.
‘Blood’s boiling.’
When last faced such a powerhouse?
Since clashing with Savlo—now Creon, Zenith’s Sword.
Bayrill’s backup then, same now.
‘But different this time.’
Darius strong.
Maybe Creon-level, but definitely not beyond.
That sufficed.
“I’ll follow your breathing.”
“You sure?”
“Sure?”
Both Masters voiced concern simultaneously.
Jamie smirked at the rookies’ needless worry.
“Trust me.”
The battlefield changed.