Chapter 131: The Death Of Zik
On one side of the battlefield in Gehel, the sword masters duel was raging.
Yet, the disparity in experience and skill proved difficult to bridge.
One couldnt simply grow instantaneously as if by evolution.
Even now, Ziks physical state was so ravaged it defied description.
In contrast, his adversary bore only minor scratches, hardly worthy of being called wounds, save for the lingering afterimages.
Euclid maintained a steady gaze on Zik.
He dared not let his attention waver, nor could he afford to step in.
The elder before him possessed that much strength.
From a distance, Euclid called out.
Zik! Can you still hold on?
Kaang-!
Kugh!
Instead of a reply, only a grunt echoed back.
The predicament was clearly dire.
Euclid, wielding ice magic to restrain the old man, sought a moment to aid Zik.
But the diminutive elder proved unyielding to her will.
Slicing through the ice in a blink and charging at her, Euclid had no choice but to face him once more.
This!
Hohohoho. Did you really think I would let you escape?
Then I shall defeat you first!
Anxiety led to errors.
Euclid was aware of this, yet couldnt suppress her worry.
Amidst her concern, Zik continued to suffer at his adversarys hands.
She cast spells, channeling mana with precise angles and timing.
Even the old sword master had to tread carefully against such exacting magic.
A single misstep could spell his demise.
Fending off one magical assault only to confront another was equally vexing for the sword master.
The stature of a 6th circle grand magician was formidable enough to contend with a sword master.
But just then, a brief cry pierced the air.
Kraak!
Zik!
Ziks midsection had been impaled by his foe.
Unsatisfied, the middle-aged man withdrew his sword, advancing towards Zik.
You fought beautifully. Your swordsmanship was very beautiful. You are a man I acknowledge, so Ill grant you my recognition.
With these words, he raised his sword and slashed at Ziks body in various places.
Unable to resist, his abdomen pierced and his tendons severed, Zik couldnt fight back.
Ugh! Kugh!
Despite the agony of his flesh being torn apart, he bit down and swallowed his screams.
Euclid frowned.
How vicious!
Had it not been for the old man before her, she would have rushed forward immediately, but the prospect of facing a sword master, an anathema to a magician, was overwhelming.
The middle-aged man murmured with an ecstatic expression.
A fine work now to finish it off.
His sword neared Ziks face.
The look on Ziks face, as he glared at the middle-aged man, was devoid of fear.
It held a strong spirit, unbending even in the face of potential breaking.
With that look, the middle-aged man, smiling ecstatically, gouged out Ziks eyes.
Ziks mouth gaped to scream from the terrible pain in his eyes, but he managed to suppress his screams until the end.
Gradually losing consciousness, Zik could not resist.
The intense pain from his eyes, abdomen, and various parts of his skin began to fade.
He occasionally thought he heard Euclids voice in his ears, but it hardly seemed important now.
My lord Im sorry. It seems I wont be able to fulfill your first command.
Bleeding from his eyes and abdomen, Zik lay on the ground.
The middle-aged man admired Ziks wounds as if trying to imprint the sight into his memory.
Thus, the tide of the battlefield turned due to one mans defeat.
Having neatly dealt with the afterimages, Iriel immediately set out for Gehel.
En route, Ray, having been briefed on the situation in Gehel by Iriel, wore a grave expression.
This is not good
Yes, its quite bad
Im not sure how long Zik and Euclid can hold out. They are outnumbered, and there are at least two sword masters of intermediate level or higher.
Ray was aware of their strength, but their adversaries were sword masters, often regarded as superhumans.
He himself understood the peril posed by an intermediate-level sword master.
I guess I need to hurry.
He looked at Iriel and inquired.
Can you keep up if I increase the speed?
Lets try.
No sooner had she spoken than Rays body dispersed into space and shot forward.
Now able to activate mana within himself, his mana-wrapped speed was nothing short of remarkable.
So fast!
Iriel began to run as well, summoning her divine power.
Yet even so, the gap between them did not narrow.
In fact, it widened.
Iriel called out to Ray, who was far ahead.
Go on to Gehel! The Saint there probably needs your help desperately!
Upon hearing her call, Ray, who had intended to wait, bolted ahead.
After all, arriving together would be pointless if the battle was already over.
Ray raced through the same forest Iriel had traversed.
His deftness in dodging trees, rocks, and hills rivaled that of an elf.
Some ten minutes into his sprint, the sound of clashing weapons filled his ears.
Chang-!
Kaang!
With each stride, the sounds grew louder, and the heavy odor of blood reached him.
The unmistakable scent of blood painted a vivid picture of the situation.
Monsters.
His suspicion was confirmed when hordes of monsters charged at him upon clearing the forest.
Perhaps attracted by his rich mana, an overwhelming swarm of monsters bore down on Ray.
Their sudden onslaught gave the impression that the battlefield had been ruptured.
As tension on the battlefield momentarily eased, all eyes shifted to the monsters.
Flying types, venomous types, giant types.
The monsters attacked with ferocity, but Ray remained undaunted.
He reached for the sword at his waist.
It was the same sword technique he had demonstrated at the Academy.
With a single stroke, he had sliced through hundreds of monsters, using a technique familiar to him.
The only difference now was that Ray could activate the mana in his body, which was now overflowing with abundance.
Consequently, the power of Rays attack had changed.
Rays inexpensive sword, purchased from the market and secured at his waist, was drawn with exceptional speed.
An aura that sent shivers down the spine split the air as the blade moved.
Seogeok
Without any other sound, the cleanly executed sword strike bisected the monsters bodies.
Kieek!
Kraaak!
Kwaang! Kwaang!
The heavy bodies of the monsters thudded to the ground as blood sprayed into the air, all in an instant.
In the span it took to blink a few times, over a thousand monsters had been eradicated.
After that single sword strike, few monsters remained.
In the wake of his overwhelming might, the battlefield fell into a momentary silence.
Th-that was just now
That could only be done by someone like
The army of Proxia might not be aware, but everyone in the Holy Kingdom knew.
There was one hero in the Holy Kingdom, a saint in slumber.
And now, that hero had awakened.
Through the carnage of fallen monsters, a man with white hair and a billowing robe was glimpsed.
As he slew monsters, he noticed something sprawled on the ground.
Ray walked slowly across the now quiet battlefield.
Even as he moved among the enemy soldiers, none dared to attack him.
The dense mana surrounding him threatened to instantly annihilate anyone who dared to strike their master.
Not even the commanders dared to issue an order.
Upon recognizing the figure lying so unceremoniously on the ground, Rays mind froze.
He made his way to Zik, who lay there wounded.
Ziks abdomen was pierced, and his skin was slashed as though it had been used as a canvas.
Looking at his face, Ray saw that one of the eye sockets was empty.
His body had gone cold. He must have been dead for at least twenty minutes.
Ray spoke quietly.
Euclid, who did this to Zik?
At his words, charged with killing intent, Euclid stopped fighting the old man and knelt on one knee before Ray.
Seizing the opportunity, the short-statured old man rushed toward her.
As the sword aimed for her neck, it seemed Euclid was about to be killed.
But, that did not happen.
Seogeok-
With a single stroke, Rays sword cleanly severed the old mans hand.
Kraaaak!
Blood spurted like a fountain, and the old mans screams echoed across the battlefield.
Is it him?
No, he was my opponent. Ziks opponent is that middle-aged man over there.
No sooner had Euclid finished speaking than Ray turned and looked at the middle-aged man.
His cold, emotionless gaze pierced right through the middle-aged mans heart.
With just a glance, Rays mana was already drawn.
Despite the distance, the middle-aged mans eyes burst on the spot.
Perseok-
Aaagh! Kraaak!
How do you find the experience of having your eyeballs burst?
As he spoke, Ray slowly walked toward the middle-aged man.
Even in his decayed state, the mental fortitude of a sword master, someone who had transcended humanity, helped him regain his composure.
The middle-aged mans sword began to form an Aura Blade.
Not all Aura Blades are the same.
Ray lifted his sword and, without hesitation, cut through the middle-aged mans aura along with his sword.
The middle-aged man couldnt even counterattack in the face of the incredibly fast sword strike, invisible to the eye.
Seogeok-
The shock of having his controlled aura sliced off entirely made the middle-aged man spit out a mouthful of blood.
Kuluk! Khaaak!
Mana began to surge uncontrollably, deviating from the mana road.
The pain was as excruciating as having ones veins torn apart.
Rays sword started to ruthlessly run over his skin.
Patterns identical to the scars drawn on Zik materialized all over his body.
No one dared to move as Ray toyed with the intermediate-level sword master like a child.
Finally, Ray thrust his sword into the mans abdomen with a sickening sound.
Pook-
Aaaak!
Ray then drove the sword deep into the ground, turning his back on Zik.
Though he wanted to inflict more pain, he had something more important to attend to.
Euclid, can you take command of the battlefield on your own?
I will handle it to your satisfaction, no matter what.
I trust you.
With those words, Ray lifted Zik and soared into the forest.
Euclid felt a surge of empowerment from his words of trust.
A battlefield devoid of a sword master posed no challenge to her.
She issued orders to the nearby commanders in a hushed tone.
This is the first command given to me by the Saint. I will not tolerate any further disgrace. The 7th Holy Knight Division will take the right flank, the Cornelia Knight Division the rear. The rest will advance with me to the front.
Understood!
We will follow the command!
Follow current novℯls on f(r)eewebnov𝒆l