novelraw Chapter 211 : Chapter 211
Chapter 211 : Chapter 211
Chapter 211: Subjugation Battle (11)
People were not made up of just one emotion.
No matter how cold-hearted a person might be, they knew how to show a warm smile in front of their parents, and no matter how fiery and passionate someone was, they could wear an ice-cold expression in front of someone else.
If that was the case, then why did Sword Masters specialize in just one emotion to manifest the Color Sword?
Was it truly impossible to melt all the numerous emotions in a human's heart into swordsmanship, draw out auras of various colors, and utilize them according to the situation?
'At least until now... I thought it was impossible.'
Duke Muel thought.
Yes. Such a hypothesis existed only in fantasies, and he had been convinced that it could never be realized in reality.
There was something called the 'total amount of talent' in a person.
Just as one couldn't pour effort into every field in a single lifetime, talent was also likely to run dry if recklessly spread across multiple areas.
'If effort is poured into a mismatched field, talent would deplete even faster.'
If someone whose calling was swordsmanship trained in spear arts, their talent would hit rock bottom much quicker than when mastering swordsmanship.
Conversely, if someone meant to walk the path of the spear wielder pursued the way of the sword, or tried to handle both simultaneously, the chances were ninety-nine out of a hundred that they'd end up mediocre in both.
This wasn't just about ordinary people.
Geniuses possessed a far greater total amount of talent than average folks... but even so, the realm of Sword Master, the realm of Color Sword, was no easy feat. It meant it wasn't a level one could ascend leisurely while dabbling in other fields.
'That's why Masters fully immerse themselves in one emotion, identity, belief, or value that represents them. Manifesting two Color Swords isn't possible, and even if it were, it'd be utterly inefficient. That would... be nothing more than wasting overflowing talent on the ground.'
A supremely rational thought, possible only because he himself had reached the Master's realm.
However, such common sense of Duke Muel crumbled at this very moment.
It was because of Harang.
This young man in his early twenties, who had popped out from who knows where, alternated between using the Red Sword and Blue Sword.
And that wasn't even the end.
'He integrated the two colors into one to create the Purple Sword?'
Was such a thing possible with human talent?
Really?
"Hmm...."
"...."
"...."
It wasn't just Duke Muel who was shocked.
Rough Schroeder, who wore a distressed expression due to his injuries, along with the other subjugation team members, and even the opponent, the Red Magician, looked at Harang with eyes full of utter bewilderment.
'That one is truly... astonishing, very much so.'
The Red Magician showed a hint of respect.
Two colors, no less.
And even integrating them into one!
Not only had he challenged a path everyone thought impossible, but he had actually succeeded, evoking an involuntary sense of awe toward the opponent.
Since he himself was pursuing a dream close to impossible, it resonated even more. Seeing a spectacle that couldn't be dismissed as mere talent unfold before his eyes, he even felt like pausing the fight for a moment to chat with the opponent.
Of course, such a thing couldn't happen.
Shortly after, an incident shattered the shocked silence in the atmosphere.
The strongest of Acanthus, Heitz, who had been aiming for the Red Magician's opening, suddenly launched a blue aura projectile in a surprise attack.
"Hmph!"
Shwoosh-
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-boom-!
The Red Magician, who hastily used Blink to move behind Heitz, swung his arm. A ferocious momentum that could tear through steel targeted Heitz's back, but he had already created distance.
Instead, other Masters filled that spot. Seeing Duke Muel and Gael charging in, the Red Magician clicked his tongue and stepped back, chanting a spell at the same time.
A bizarre voice that seemed impossible to replicate with human language systems.
After it ended, hundreds, thousands of sharp bone spears erupted from the ground, targeting the Masters. Some exploded on contact, spewing poisonous mist, making it quite tricky even with the support of high-ranking priests on their backs.
However, even while unleashing such wide-ranging attacks, the Red Magician's magic never targeted Harang.
The same went for the subjugation team members' attacks. They swung their swords with the mindset of targeting only the Red Magician. They treated the Village’s General Manager as if he weren't even in the same space.
This meant only one thing.
'Let's leave Harang's opponent to the Village Manager.'
'Leave the one-armed old man to Harang! We need to finish off the Red Magician quickly while he holds out!'
It was the implicit agreement for a one-on-one duel between Harang and the Village’s General Manager!
Sensing that atmosphere, Harang nodded and walked forward.
"...."
The Village’s General Manager.
The old man, presumed to be Calamity's second-in-command, still maintained silence while watching Harang.
The only difference from before was that the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned.
Harang hardened his expression.
The opponent's attitude, as if delighted by his growth, was utterly displeasing.
'What exactly is Calamity planning to do to control the strengthened me?'
He already knew from Gael that they intended for him to inherit the advancement of the 'Ancient Assassin.' That's why they had been matching him with suitable opponents in real battles, like throwing bait, to awaken him. Their goal was to make him into an even stronger being.
But what he couldn't understand was how they planned to control him once he had grown sufficiently strong.
Had they fed him poison without his knowledge?
No, that wasn't it. Even if they had, it wouldn't work on him now. His already strong poison resistance had reached its peak due to his elevated realm, so it wasn't an exaggeration to say there was no poison in the world that could harm Harang anymore.
'Then what is it? Is the Lord of Calamity strong enough to handle even the fully strengthened me?'
That didn't make sense either.
If such a being was that powerful to begin with, wouldn't it be fine for the Lord of Calamity himself to inherit the 'Ancient Assassin' without needing to cultivate him?
'I don't know... Perhaps, to inherit the advancement of the Ancient Assassin, something other than martial prowess is required?'
Harang's mind grew complicated. Though he possessed far more information than when he first escaped the village, now it felt like even more questions had arisen, leaving him with an uneasy heart.
However, he couldn't continue those thoughts any longer.
The Village’s General Manager, who had been silently observing until now, finally opened his mouth toward Harang.
"You've grown a lot."
"...."
Harang didn't respond.
On the surface, it sounded like something a master would say to a matured disciple, but knowing the truth, Harang couldn't feel that way at all. It felt more like saying, 'The pig has fattened up nicely for slaughter,' which made his mood even fouler.
"Is there really a need to exchange more words?"
"...Yes, probably not."
"I'll come right at you."
"Come on. Let's see what the village's greatest genius has learned in the outside world...."
Thud-!
It was before the Village’s General Manager's words even finished.
Harang, who had stomped the ground hard and reached right in front of the opponent in one step, swung his sword roughly.
The opponent, eyes wide as if caught off guard, quickly brought his sword up to meet it, and the clash signaling the start of the battle echoed through the cavern.
Kwaaaaaang-!
A roar unbelievable to have come from swords clashing.
That wasn't the end.
The Village’s General Manager and Harang, as if rooted to the ground, swung their swords at each other without moving an inch. Kwaang, kwaaaang, boom! Sounds as large as exploding magic rang out continuously, and the ground, unable to withstand the recoil, cracked with creaking sounds.
Shweeeeeek-!
After clashing a total of ten times, a thrust extended straight out with one hand.
It was astonishingly ferocious and, at the same time, precise. The sword strike that simultaneously embodied the explosiveness of the Red Sword and the composure of the Blue Sword was truly close to the ideal form that swordsmen dreamed of.
However, the Village’s General Manager was no pushover either. Though he could only wield the Blue Sword, his understanding of swordsmanship and experience were deeper than Harang's.
Lowering his stance like a wild cat, instead of blocking the falling sword from below, he charged in as if embracing the opponent, aiming for close-quarters combat. Harang, who didn't want a melee brawl, quickly backstepped to escape the opponent's intent, and the duel resumed.
Kwaang!
Kwaaaang!
Boom! Kwaang! Kwa-kwa-boom!
The continuous roars went on.
An unending battle of power and technique, speed and precision!
Originally, their skills were evenly matched. Unless one made a fatal mistake, the stalemate would continue for a full day and night without a winner.
However, there was a variable: the Village’s General Manager's severed arm.
Forced to handle all attacks and defenses with one hand instead of two, he was fighting with a significant penalty compared to Harang. As the disadvantages accumulated, the time he spent on the defensive gradually lengthened. He occasionally landed sharp counterattacks that chilled Harang to the bone, but that was all.
'At this rate, I'll lose!'
The Village’s General Manager swung his sword with a grave expression.
He didn't care about losing his own life. From birth, his body was meant to be sacrificed for Calamity.
However, if he died, it needed to benefit the organization—that went without saying. If he was just overwhelmed one-sidedly by Harang without imparting any enlightenment, there would have been no need to step forward in the first place.
Having thought this far, the Village’s General Manager focused his mind.
He spread his feet shoulder-width apart and assumed a middle stance with one hand. Confirming the change in the opponent's aura, Harang appropriately widened the distance and hardened his expression.
'He's trying to end it with this one move.'
There was no need to oblige. Instead of fighting head-on, if he dragged out the time and whittled down the opponent slowly, victory would be his.
However, he didn't want to.
There was no reason to.
To seize freedom, to protect precious connections, he ultimately needed to become stronger. Beyond defeating the Village’s General Manager and killing the Red Magician, he needed even greater power to overcome the still-unrevealed Lord of Calamity.
'For that, I need moments that decide life and death. I must gain enlightenment at the boundary between life and death, becoming stronger far faster than the opponent expects!'
Having finished his thoughts, Harang nodded. Then he drew up his aura to the fullest.
Wooooooong-!
The purple sword blade surged even more intensely, vibrating as if ready to sever the old man's neck at any moment.
Looking at him, the Village’s General Manager said.
"Thank you."
"...."
"I hope that through this sword, you can advance one step higher in your realm."
That was the end.
As soon as the words finished, whoosh, with an utterly ordinary sound, the Village’s General Manager's sword slashed down vertically.
Harang, who captured it fully with wide eyes, countered the opponent's attack with his full-powered strike.
Shortly after.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-booooom────────!
A roar incomparable to anything before filled the cavern.
"Hmm!"
"What!"
"This...!"
The Red Magician, Heitz, and everyone else stopped fighting and turned their heads toward the fierce battleground. Though dust and stone powder scattered, obscuring visibility, it couldn't block the sight of the powerhouses. Thus, everyone soon realized the outcome between Harang and the one-armed old man, and smiles spread across the lips of the subjugation team members.
He won.
It wasn't an ambiguous victory, but a clear one. While the one-armed old man had his sword broken and was spitting blood from his mouth, Harang still maintained his majestic form with the purple sword blade.
"Heh heh... What a shame. Cough, cough!"
The Village’s General Manager, kneeling on one knee on the ground, muttered with a deeply regretful expression.
It truly was. He had hoped his best would offer even a bit of inspiration to the opponent, but that hadn't happened. It was inevitably disappointing.
Of course, Harang was disappointed too.
However, the emotion that surged even stronger than that was anger, because the opponent's tone, trying to manipulate his life even in this state, was utterly revolting.
"Let's end this."
Wooong
Wooooong-!
Harang said while swinging his sword blade a couple of times.
Step step, his shadow grew denser as he approached, covering the Village’s General Manager's body like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
But.
That was when.
Swoosh
"...?"
Seeing an utterly unexpected presence blocking his path.
Harang muttered with an expression of incomprehension.