Sword Saint's Reincarnation

Book 3 Chapter 46: The Lantern Warden (3)

Rylan’s twin energies turned into flowers of fire that continuously bloomed around him, lighting up the previously dark room. The orange flames quickly spread throughout the Boss room, crawling over themselves to dominate the space. They crashed against the Warden’s green fire and started pushing it back, but both Rylan and the Warden itself only looked at each other, each bathed in their own fire.

However, Rylan could tell it wasn’t a stalemate.

Even though he hadn’t yet used a Sword Art and had only circulated his energies in accordance with the Setting Sun Sword Style, his flames were pushing back the Warden’s. The area dominated by the green fire continuously shrank, but it was as if the monster didn’t even notice it. Rylan came to a conclusion in a flash.

This isn’t all it can do.

As if on cue, the Warden’s dark armor started resonating with the darkness around it. The darkness twisted and turned, then gathered around it and its broadsword like a physical force and not mere absence of light. It flowed like water, raging like a waterfall as it gathered around the Warden. In contrast, the green flames that spewed out of the lantern only became brighter.

A creature of contrasts.

The Warden moved, lowering its center of gravity.

It’s coming.

Rylan held Silver Twilight’s Hilt with both hands, his mind racing. In all likelihood, he could end it all with the Setting Sun Sword Style’s Second Movement, which was still the strongest one he could bear, though he was getting close to being able to use the Third Movement. However, there was something he wanted to try.

This is the first battle since the one against the imperials where I can fight seriously.

He was stronger than he had been back then, but as Philip had said, Lantern Wardens were enemies that belonged in a Sixth Circle Dungeon. As the one in front of him was showing, they could wield both ghostly flames and darkness itself.

There’s something I'd like to try, and this is the perfect opportunity.

It was simple, in concept, and something he had thought about some time ago. It all boiled down to a single question – since he was able to use both his Aura circulation and Mana Cultivation to strengthen his body at the same time, shouldn’t it be possible to use Aura Casting and ordinary mana casting simultaneously to cast spells?

The answer is probably ‘yes.’

There was no reason for it to be impossible. To begin with, Aether, the culmination of mana and Aura, could be used for both purposes interchangeably, with perfect efficiency. Since he could already strengthen his body with both energies, it was likely that using both for casting was also possible. It represented his next advancement. Of course, it wasn’t easy. He was far more proficient with Aura than with mana. After all, the only reason he had made such progress with Mana Cultivation was that he had been trying to mimic Aura in the first place.

But it’s worth a shot.

If he succeeded, his spells would become much stronger, as they would also be empowered by Aura. That alone made trying it worth it.

Rylan and the Warden moved at the same time. The monster swung its sword as Rylan’s twin energies coursed through him, strengthening all that he was. Darkness and ghostly flames shot out of the enemy’s weapon in the shape of a crescent that sliced through the air toward Rylan. At the same time, he swung Silver Twilight vertically.

Focus.

As the sword sliced downward, he tried casting Fireball and Wind Blades using both Aura Casting and mana casting. At first, it looked like he was going to succeed – the spells started taking shape. However, after a second, the balance collapsed. Aura Casting prevailed over ordinary casting, making his Aura move to create the spells instead of keeping a balance or using both types. The Wind Blades appeared within the Fireballs that took shape, then shot forward as they ignited, creating flaming crescents. Simultaneously, the Setting Sun Sword Style’s orange flames followed their movement to meet the Warden’s attack in mid-air. The darkness and green flames crashed with Rylan’s fire, one pushing against the other in a desperate struggle.

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A moment later, the Warden’s attack was devoured by Rylan’s flames, which kept going forward. In response, the creature swung its sword upward, creating a curtain of darkness all around it that guarded it in a dome. The sunset-colored flames crashed against it in a fierce wave, as if attempting to make it turn to nothingness.

Meanwhile, Rylan pointed Silver Twilight at the dome of darkness. One failure was not nearly enough to discourage him. Aura Casting had prevailed because his mastery over Aura was so much greater, even though he had less Aura than mana, but for a second, he had realized it.

It’s possible.

He smiled. At the very start, before the spells truly took shape, he had felt it. Both his Aura and mana had resonated in a positive feedback loop, just like when he strengthened his body. The balance had collapsed, but it was possible to do it. That alone made everything worth it. No matter how many times it would take or how many times he would fail, he would try it until he succeeded. With each attempt, he knew he could get better.

As such, Rylan moved his twin energies again, this time attempting to cast Gust to fuel the sunset flames. Just like before, his Aura and mana started empowering each other. This time, however, he tried to maintain the same degree of control over both of them, his mind sharpened to its limits. He wasn’t a novice when it came to mana, since he was in the Fourth Circle. Even though his mastery over Aura was far greater, that didn’t mean he was bad at controlling his mana. Nevertheless, once again, the balance just barely collapsed, and his spell was cast through Aura Casting. The Gust rushed forward, melting into the Setting Sun Sword Style’s flames and making them even fiercer. They melted through the darkness barrier at blinding speed.

Again.

Rylan knew he was making progress. Without missing a beat, he started casting Fireball again and swung his sword. At the same time, the darkness dome finally collapsed. Behind it, the Warden swung its broadsword again, the lantern held by its left hand shining brighter than ever. The ghostly, green flames erupted out of the lantern, pushing back the sunset flames, even if only for a bit. The darkness streamed out of its blade as it tried to create a safe zone around it. The remaining darkness within the room also moved, taking the shape of spikes that pierced at Rylan’s vitals.

Not enough.

As Rylan swung his sword, a raging wave of power and fire followed his movement. The Fireball coalesced above him, then melted into the sunset flames to empower them. The spikes of darkness that had been piercing toward him were devoured by the flames as they erupted all around him, the fire’s light destroying all that they were. They disappeared without ever reaching him.

The wave of power and fire continued to push forward and crashed against the Warden’s barrier of green flames. However, instead of disappearing, the ghostly fire grew bigger as the Warden unceasingly fed mana into it. Rylan watched his opponent’s desperate struggle with calm eyes.

Another failure.

The Fireball had been cast through ordinary casting alone, this time. He’d tried too hard to compensate for his mana and ended up having it take over, pushing out his Aura.

Maybe I’ll find it easier if I actually fight.

So far, he’d been overwhelming the Warden with the Setting Sun Sword Style’s orange flames, without even needing to get close to the enemy. Even without using a Sword Art, it was obviously enough to end the battle. As long as he fed more Aura and mana into it, the fire would overwhelm the Warden and burn it to ashes.

But most of my advancements happened as I fought.

It was the same for both lives. Nodding to himself, Rylan willingly weakened the sunset flames and shot forward with Snowstorm. As if it had found its saving grace, the Warden swung its sword repeatedly, sending out waves of darkness and ghostly flames all around it, pushing the weakened orange flames back. For the first time since the battle’s start, it could run forward, as if to meet Rylan’s advancement. Rylan smiled.

A heartbeat later, their weapons collided. Rylan and the Warden pushed against each other, blade against blade. The difference in size was almost comical, but despite it, the Warden started being pushed back, even though its broadsword was bigger than Rylan’s entire body.

“Alright,” Rylan said to it with a smile on his face. “Let’s see what you can really do.”

There was no sign that the Warden had enough emotion to respond. However, the darkness around them thickened, and the green flames rushed to surround Rylan. In response, Rylan only took a step back and swung his sword horizontally. The sunset flames spread around him, containing the Warden’s attack, even when weakened.

Now, let’s try again.

Rylan swung his sword once more as he tried casting more spells. The Warden matched it with a fitting attack, making their blades collide again. The impact’s loud sound echoed throughout the Boss room, the wind ruffling Rylan’s hair.

Focus. You can do this. You’re already familiar with both types of energy. You just need to organize them properly.

The weapons met again as Rylan tried to cast Magic Missile.

Stick to the simplest spell, at first. What’s important is succeeding.

Magic Missile was the first spell he ever learned, and the only one he knew before remembering his past life and starting to train again. It was the one spell he was most familiar with.

The arrow of mana gradually started to take shape in front of Rylan, between him and the Warden. The process was slower than usual, but his full attention was on it. Meanwhile, the Warden swung its sword again, making Rylan match its movements.

With a loud bang, the weapons collided once more.