The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth

Chapter 162: Undead (1)

“HAAHH!!”

Gordon Fabian put all his strength into his Martyr, sweeping away the undead. His power was extraordinary, smashing his attackers through their mana shields and turning them to dust.

However, he had been at it for so long that his breathing was becoming ragged.

Bang! Bang! Clang!

Dozens of undead stabbed at Gordon, but their swords and spears bounced off the Automata armor protecting him. Even so, they did not relent, and for the first time, the unshakable Gordon was being pushed back.

[The struggle of the living is truly amusing. No matter how strong, you all are mortals in the end.]

Zarka Hochi, behind his mana shield, watched Gordon’s struggle as if enjoying a play, humming softly.

“I’ve raided countless dungeons in my life, but I've never encountered a monster as annoying as you!” Gordon growled, but Zarka Hochi was unfazed.

“Phew...”

Even though the pain had lessened, Gordon had yet to recover from Oxidized Blood Syndrome fully. Thus, while he could unleash bursts of power, he was in no shape for such a prolonged fight.

“Zarka...” he murmured, frustrated by his waning strength. He was more so irritated than disheartened.

“...You’re right, elf. What glory am I chasing by struggling to survive in this place... My memory must be fading with age.”

But then, an indescribable surge of mana erupted from his body. Every vein bulged as if about to burst.

“It was never about exhausting your mana. It was always about dropping you dead! To hell with the medicine! Just die!”

“Kaaaaahhh!!”

“Kaaraaak!!”

The necromantic corpses lunged at Gordon as he approached Zarka.

“Nice try. What should I even call these things, anyway?”

Annoyed, he swung his Martyr.

Wham—!

But the undead dodged Gordon's attack in a peculiar manner.

“What the...?”

Although he managed to shatter them with a subsequent strike, the undead had clearly evaded his first attack.

That technique... Karyl’s eyes flashed with realization. That was precisely what had seemed odd to him earlier. It’s not human...

He delved into his memories. The strangely familiar movements of the undead had left an impression on him. The subtle manner in which they had evaded Gordon’s attacks triggered a specific recollection.

They didn’t do it consciously, but rather instinctively.

In other words, the undead’s movements were driven by the memories and experiences they had in life.

“...”

Regardless of Karyl’s thoughts, Gordon couldn’t hide his growing irritation, aggressively kicking the broken bones again.

“They’ll just reassemble anyway... Before that happens, I’ll crush you!”

Fool. Zarka Hochi looked at the approaching Gordon with disdain. Still leaning back in his throne, Zarka finally grasped that staff that had been standing beside him.

Fwoosh—

A gust of wind seemed to condense at the end of the Martyr. Then, as Gordon brought the hammer down with all his might, a shockwave burst from its head, shattering the air.

CRASH!

Does he still have that much strength left?

Karyl, even from a distance, felt goosebumps as he watched Gordon. He was reminded once again of just how formidable Gordon Fabian, one of the five Sword Masters of the continent, truly was.

[χ-?φω ?φχ γω...] Zarka Hochi lips began to move, chanting in Elvish. Despite the overwhelming force that was about to crush him, he faced Gordon and brought his glowing staff down.

Thud!

A majestic resonance, different from Gordon’s attack, surged from underneath. The floor shook as if an earthquake had struck, but Gordon turned sharply and started swinging his hammer again. Each strike distorted the air with its shockwave.

Bang! Bang! Boom!

Despite the overwhelming attack, Zarka Hochi’s mana wall merely wavered.

“Monster...” Aidan muttered, dumbfounded by the sight.

“RHOAAA!!” Gordon's roar echoed through the castle. His onslaught was ferocious, but what made his strength incredible was that each attack was purely instinctive without any formal technique.

Crack—!

The ground beneath Gordon's feet split open, and thick tree trunks sprung up to entangle him.

“Hmph!”

Undeterred by Zarka Hochi’s magic, Gordon shattered the massive wooden wall blocking his path. The attack was pure devastation.

It seems he didn’t go all out against me, Karyl thought with a bitter smile. He had acknowledged Gordon’s strength before, but witnessing the full extent of his power was unbelievable.

Every sword technique used by humans had its limitations. To overcome this, Karyl had spent eons mastering his five sword stances. These stances condensed and perfected all human swordsmanship into five forms.

Regardless, Karyl couldn’t deny that those forms had some constraints that bound him.

Crack... Crack...

“What’s this?”

The undead, who had been attacking Gordon moments ago, were reverting back to their skeletal forms.

Aidan took a step back, puzzled by the collapsing creatures.

“So that’s how it is.” Karyl nodded, watching the skeletons fall as Zarka Hochi withdrew the magic sustaining his necromancy due to Gordon’s fierce assault.

“Aidan, you were right.”

“What?”

“Gordon Fabian really is a monster.”

After their duel in the south, when he had shattered his signature mana armor, Karyl had thought he had surpassed Gordon.

Well, that hasn’t changed.

Even so, Karyl realized that without his illness and at full strength, Gordon would be an incredible adversary, not to be underestimated.

I’m so glad I’ve saved you. That monstrous strength I never saw in my past life will be crucial.

Karyl lifted a skull from the ground, examining it. It looked human, but there was something unmistakably off about it. Satisfied, he tossed it aside and muttered, “Zarka Hochi, it seems that you’ve kept up with this farce since the moment we set foot in the castle.”

“What do you mean?” Miliana, who had just taken care of an undead attacker, sheathed her sword and approached him.

“Wow... truly a monster.” She laughed in disbelief, witnessing the battle between Zarka and Gordon.

Crack...

Realizing the difference between them, Miliana gripped her sword tightly. She had reached the realm of Sword Masters, thinking she had become stronger, but ironically, the gap between her and Gordon had never been clearer.

“You’re telling me there are five people like him on the continent?”

She had always been confident in her strength, but stepping into the world of true elites made her realize it was just the beginning.

“You thought you’d be satisfied just from the first bite? He’s been a Sword Master for years. Besides, you have dragon mana, something the other Sword Masters don’t have.”

Karyl lightly tapped her shoulder and walked forward.

“Do you realize how much of a cheat dragon mana is?”

“What?”

At that moment, Karyl finally moved after silently observing the battle all this time.

[γ?φω...!!] Zarka Hochi’s chanting echoed once more. The giant trees that had risen from the ground earlier began to quake and split apart.

Creak... Crack—!

With a dull sound, the split ends of the trees gaped open like a giant maw, lunging at Gordon. It resembled an Earth Dragon.

“Haahh!!”

Crack—!

With all his strength, Gordon swung his Martyr at the trees rushing at him. The ground cracked under his weight as he pivoted on his leg.

Amid the fierce battle, Karyl slipped through as if nothing were happening.

“You brat!” Gordon shouted after finally noticing him.

“Hold on a little longer.”

“...What?” Gordon clicked his tongue, watching Karyl push through the fallen trees. “So he had another plan all along...”

Gordon tightened his grip on his hammer.

Crack—!!

“Whatever you’re doing, hurry up, you brat!” he shouted as he pushed back the trees that kept lunging at him like an Earth Dragon ready to devour him.

Karyl passed Gordon and stood on the throne.

“Zarka Hochi, Elven mana may be powerful, but you are not skilled in combat,” he said in a whisper.

He knew why the undead had been behaving strangely. Each one moved like a Sword Expert, and with dozens of them, even a monster like Gordon Fabian was bound to tire.

“That rapid regeneration even had me fooled. Unlike black magic, necromancy doesn’t just reanimate the dead, but also restores the strength from when they were alive.”

[You...]

Zarka Hochi’s eyes flickered slightly at Karyl’s words.

“I thought they were the abilities of the adventurers who had ventured into the Ghost Castle, but on a closer inspection, I noticed that only a few of these undead are proficient in combat.”

Aside from the swordsman who fought Miliana at the beginning of the battle and a few others, most had fallen with a single strike.

Gordon was an outstanding fighter, but even so, they fell too easily.

“Among them, there was only one instance where an undead dodged Gordon’s attack.”

Boom...! Crack!!

Karyl cut off the head of an undead, blocking his path toward Zarka Hochi. Catching the skull as it spun through the air, he continued, “These creatures aren’t strong because they were formidable in life, but because they move in the unique manner of elves.”

With those words, he crushed the skull and took a step closer to Zarka.

“You brat!! How does that help us defeat him? Whether the corpses are elves or humans, what difference does it make?" Gordon shouted at Karyl.

“It’s not about defeating him. I’ve been trying to figure out how to acquire his power.”

“...What?”

Karyl was rather nonchalant, his composure unshaken by the fierce fighting around them. He placed his hand on Zarka Hochi’s mana wall.

Booom...

The barrier quivered.

“A thousand years of mana, huh...”

The power flowing from Karyl’s hand slowly enveloped Zarka’s barrier.

“If you want a mana duel, I’ll give you one.”

Boom...! Boom...!

Suddenly, searing flames flickered over Zarka Hochi’s barrier, as if to melt it away.

[Th-This is—?!]

All this time, Zarka had been looking down on Karyl’s group with disdain, but now he seemed flustered.

At that moment, a low voice echoed in Karyl’s mind.

[You think using dragon mana is cheating? Then what are you, possessing both dragon mana and my power?]

Karyl chuckled at the Blazing King’s words.