Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 120

Another Descendant of Rakan

1

While Luke was briefly in Nemesis to rescue Count Ferrero, an incident occurred that turned the Symphonia Kingdom’s capital, Brenden, upside down. A self-proclaimed true descendant of Rakan had appeared.

“What? Not only does he dare to impersonate a descendant of the hero, but he’s also attempting to break into the royal palace?”

“Yes, Prime Minister Hans has ordered you to return immediately.”

Rogers, who had been on patrol with a unit near Brenden, received a sudden emergency call. What he saw upon his hasty return was a scene of hundreds of knights and soldiers surrounding a single man in the plaza in front of the royal palace. They weren’t just surrounding him; dozens of Royal Knights, including Hwangbo-sung, were attacking the impudent imposter. However, instead of subduing the imposter, they were barely managing to dodge the sword he was wielding. Rogers’ face flushed red at their flustered appearance.

“What is this disgraceful display!” Rogers roared and quickly pushed his way through the encirclement. The imposter, who was about to swing his bastard sword at Hwangbo-sung, stopped his movement. Rogers, having retreated hastily, unleashed a fiery scolding at Hwangbo-sung.

“What in the world are you doing! How can the commander of the Royal Knights not be able to handle such a pathetic imposter!” Hwangbo-sung, looking flustered at Rogers’ fierce rebuke, replied, “Marquis, that man is definitely not a pathetic imposter.”

“What are you talking about…” “He knows the Gold Sword. Isn’t that something only the Rakan Knights know?”

“Wh-what?” Rogers, flustered, carefully examined the imposter. A man with platinum blonde hair, piercing eyes, and a strong impression. He looked exactly like the hero Rakan, as depicted in portraits. ‘Wait, come to think of it, there was a rumor about a mercenary using Gold Aura during the Magic Tower War.’ Rakan’s vassals had even investigated his whereabouts, suspecting he might be another descendant of the hero. However, the pursuit failed, and with the end of the Magic Tower War, the matter was forgotten. ‘Is he really another descendant of Lord Rakan?’ To resolve the question in his mind, Rogers decided to step forward and approached the man.

“Who are you?” Rogers slightly frowned at the man’s arrogant question and replied, “I am Marquis Rogers, the commander-in-chief of the Symphonia army. Who are you to commit such an audacious act?” The man glanced at the knights and soldiers around him before slowly opening his mouth.

“I am Hiros de Rakan, the 17th descendant of the hero Rakan. I have come here to expel the shame of my family, who have dabbled in the evil forces of darkness, and to continue the true glory of my family.” At Hiros’s words, the knights and soldiers began to murmur.

“Is he really another descendant of the hero, not an imposter?” “Perhaps he’s a distant relative who branched off from the family long ago.” “But did His Majesty dabble in the forces of darkness?” “There was such a rumor before, but is it true?” A few months ago, there was a rumor that Luke had learned black magic in the royal demesne [royal domain]. However, there was no concrete evidence, and because of Luke’s achievements, it was dismissed as a false rumor and quickly subsided. But now that it was being brought up again, everyone tilted their heads and chattered. Rogers, thinking that he had to silence Hiros to protect the king’s honor, sternly shouted,

“You must be tired of living! How dare you spread false rumors without any basis! I will arrest and punish you immediately for impersonating a noble and insulting the king!” “Hmph, try it if you can.” Hiros smiled mockingly and provoked Rogers. Rogers dismissed Hwangbo-sung and the Royal Knights. He drew his sword and charged at the man, unleashing a strike. However, Hiros easily blocked his attack by swinging his bastard sword with one hand.

Clang! What followed was a one-sided attack from Hiros. Even though his attacks were erratic, Rogers found it difficult to block them. Sweat was already dripping from his forehead. ‘Hwangbo-sung was right. This man is definitely not an amateur!’ Hiros’s swordsmanship was different from what it seemed. His swordsmanship itself looked clumsy, like a clumsy dance, but the blade was accurately aimed at the neck or heart. ‘He’s definitely a Sword Master, or perhaps even more than that.’ With that thought, Rogers decided not to be careless anymore and decided to unleash Impact Aura and the Gold Sword. He pretended to retreat slightly, then stepped forward strongly and thrust his sword sharply at Hiros.

Clang! The two swords collided, and a thunderous sound echoed. “Kuh!” Rogers’ body, which had charged forward, was pushed back. His sword-wielding hand trembled, and he almost dropped his sword. ‘Th-this can’t be!’ Hiros had deflected his desperate attack, which was imbued with Impact Aura, with just a slight flick of his sword. But what shocked Rogers even more was that the swordsmanship Hiros had just displayed was the Gold Sword. The movements were so fast and concise that only someone who had trained as long as Rogers could recognize it.

“Do you still doubt me?” Instead of answering Hiros’s question, Rogers frowned. “It seems you don’t believe me. Then I’ll prove it further.” Hiros’s bastard sword, which had been raised towards the sky, fell in a graceful arc. Rogers’ eyes widened as he saw the intense golden aura gathered at the tip of the sword. ‘M-my goodness! That’s the latter part of…!’ It was similar to what Luke had shown during the Avenger’s combat maneuver test last time. At that time, Luke had planted his greatsword into the ground, causing an earthquake-like effect, but Hiros swung it directly at Rogers.

Crack! The bastard sword, which had flown through the air with a thunderous roar, collided with Rogers’ sword. At the same time, the enormous shockwave that occurred swept over Hwangbo-sung and the Royal Knights who were watching from behind. “Aaaah!” “Aack! My leg!” The Royal Knights who were hit by the shockwave of the Gold Sword screamed. Hwangbo-sung was the only one who managed to withstand the shockwave without falling. However, his eyes were wide with shock. ‘It’s definitely the latter part. Currently, the only ones who have mastered the latter part of the Gold Sword are His Majesty, Count Philip, and Grand Duke Gregory of the Holy Empire, so how does that man know it?’ Rogers had the same question. Just as Rogers’ sword broke with a snap, Hiros opened his mouth in a blunt voice.

“The attack just now was intentionally weakened, considering your pathetic skills. You should be grateful that you are a vassal of Rakan.” “Kuh!” Rogers clenched the hilt of his broken sword as if he would crush it. To say that he had intentionally weakened his attack meant that he had held back. But to say that openly and to call his skills pathetic was not respectful to his opponent. Rogers, wounded in his pride, gritted his teeth and said, “You may be a descendant of the hero. And you may be a superhuman of the Sword Sage level. But…” He paused mid-sentence and shouted, emitting a long stream of Impact Aura from his broken sword. “But you are a man who lacks the basics as a knight!” “Maybe so.” Hiros, who had calmly responded to Rogers’ outburst, readjusted his bastard sword. Just as Rogers was about to charge at him, a desperate shout echoed through the area.

“Stop!” The owner of the voice was Prime Minister Hans. He and High Priest Maron were approaching at a brisk pace. “Prime Minister?” “Marquis Rogers, please put away your sword for now. There are a few things I need to confirm.” At those words, Rogers, with a resentful expression, threw his broken sword to the ground and stepped back. Hans, sighing as he looked at Rogers, spoke politely to Hiros. “There are many eyes watching here. So, wouldn’t it be better to go inside and talk?” “Do I have to consider your positions?” High Priest Maron, with a slightly hardened expression, replied to Hiros’s retort. “Please consider your own position rather than ours. If you are truly a descendant of Rakan, then this kind of behavior today is an act that disgraces your family.” Hiros paused for a moment, lost in thought, before nodding. “Alright. I will comply with your request.” “That’s a wise decision.” Thus, Hiros was guided by Hans and Maron to the Third Annex, which was used to entertain foreign envoys and important guests. Meanwhile, rumors that another descendant of Rakan had appeared spread like wildfire throughout the capital city.

2

While moving to the annex, Maron approached Hans and asked quietly, “Prime Minister, do you believe that man is a descendant of the founder, Lord Rakan?” “Well, he does look quite similar.” “Yes, I think so too, but…” Since Luke implemented the ‘De-Founder Policy,’ it has become difficult to find portraits or statues of the hero Rakan. However, Hans and the old vassals, who had seen them since childhood, clearly remembered the founder’s appearance. “By that logic, even His Majesty’s secretary, Sebastian, could be said to resemble the founder. But we know that he is not, right?” “Of course not. But didn’t you see it yourself earlier? The Gold Sword is something only the successive heads of the family and the commander of the knights have mastered.” Even that was lost 400 years ago when the latter part was lost, and since then, even the heads of the family and the commander of the knights did not know it. Recently, Luke had discovered the latter part and demonstrated it himself, and Philip had also stolen and learned it, but the probability of an outsider knowing it was zero.

“That’s true, but… isn’t it possible that he learned it in the Southern Continent? His Majesty also discovered it in the Southern Continent.” Luke had explained to his vassals that he had discovered the secret manual containing the latter part of the Gold Sword in some ruins in the Southern Continent. “But I heard that was because of the help of the priestess Nanda. Anyway, it seems we need to approach this matter carefully.” If Hiros was truly a descendant of Rakan, it could cause discord in the Symphonia royal family. And if Luke had truly learned black magic, as he claimed, it would bring about an even greater catastrophe. Shortly after, they arrived at the reception room of the annex. After everyone had taken their seats, Hans asked for confirmation.

“Are you truly a descendant of the hero’s collateral line?” “Yes. My ancestor branched off from the Rakan Baron family during the time of the 6th head of the family.” Then, Hiros recited the names of the heads of the Rakan Baron family from the first to the sixth generation, as well as their families and vassals. Among them were the names of Hans and Maron’s ancestors, and the two listened intently to Hiros’s words with sparkling eyes. “You must know that 400 years ago, the 6th head of the family, Saul de Rakan, was assassinated while participating in the war against the Castia Kingdom, right?” “Yes, that’s when the latter part of the Gold Sword was lost.” “It is publicly known that it was the work of an assassin sent by the Castia military, but in reality, it was done by the Baroque Imperial Family.”

“The Imperial Family, you say?” “Yes. They tried to prevent Saul from defecting to the Castia Kingdom.” According to Hiros, the 6th head of the family, Saul, had fallen in love with a woman in enemy territory. The problem was that the woman was the illegitimate child of a high-ranking noble of the Castia Kingdom and was working as a spy for Castia. “That woman, Luthier, is my great-grandmother. Saul, who had not forgotten the grudges of his ancestors, secretly tried to defect while giving information about the Imperial Army to my great-grandmother.” However, Saul’s actions were discovered by the Imperial Army’s intelligence department. According to the rules, he should have been arrested immediately and punished for treason, but the problem was that Saul was the famous descendant of Rakan. Rakan, who had defeated the Demon King Seymon, was a figure who had maintained his loyalty to the Livia Kingdom while opposing the usurper Duke Baroque.

“Therefore, even if Saul betrayed them, the usurper Baroque Imperial Family would be blamed rather than him. So, they made it look like an assassination by Castia.” Of course, the Castia military denied it, but no one believed them. In a situation where the war was unfavorable, assassinating an enemy commander was a common occurrence. “Anyway, in the meantime, my great-grandmother escaped safely. And a few months later, she gave birth to a posthumous child.” “Then, perhaps the latter part of the Gold Sword…” “That’s right. Saul gave it to my great-grandmother just before he was assassinated. Thanks to that, I was able to master the latter part.” Hans and Maron nodded at Hiros’s plausible story. However, there were still parts that did not make sense.

“Why didn’t Hiros’s ancestors return to the family during the past years?” “Because my great-grandmother Luthier kept it a secret, fearing the Empire’s pursuit. The records she left behind and the latter part of the Gold Sword were sealed and only recently came to light again, so my ancestors, including my father, lived without knowing they were descendants of Rakan.” “Hmm, I see.” “I also wandered around as a mercenary for a long time, and about ten years ago, I returned to my family home and found what Luthier had left behind while cleaning the attic. Since then, I have been focusing on training the latter part.” “It must have been very difficult. I know that it is almost impossible to train the latter part without knowing the first part?” Hiros nodded at Hans’s point.

“It was. So, I thought about going to the main family several times, but I was able to compensate by gaining experience on the battlefield.” ‘I see. That’s why he was a mercenary for so long.’ Maron recalled the situation that had infuriated Rogers earlier. He was also inwardly angry at the rude and impudent behavior that made it impossible to think of him as a descendant of Rakan. But now he could understand to some extent. Because dignity and refinement are not innate but are acquired through education. Hiros, who had been a mercenary, would naturally lack them. “Actually, I was planning to return to the main family as soon as I had the skills to be proud of as a descendant of the hero. But when I heard that the main family had prospered, I decided to postpone my plans. If I showed up when things were going well, I would be treated like a shameless person.”

“Then why did you come back now?” “Didn’t I already say? It’s to expel the shame of my family who have dabbled in the evil forces of darkness.” With those words, Hiros slammed his bastard sword into the floor. At the same time, the oppressive aura that emanated made the people in the reception room feel like their hearts were shrinking. However, Hans, who was the prime minister of a nation, overcame it and carefully opened his mouth to clear up the misunderstanding. “That’s a false rumor circulating in the world. It is true that His Majesty has learned magic, but he has not dabbled in black magic.” “Hmph, do you really think so?” “Of course. Otherwise, how could he have mastered the Gold Sword?” The root of the Gold Sword is the Holy Sword that the Holy Knights of the Holy Arthea Empire master. It was unthinkable that someone with evil magic could have mastered a swordsmanship with the nature of dispelling evil.

“Moreover, the one who officiated His Majesty’s coronation was His Holiness the Pope of the Holy Empire. If His Majesty had learned black magic, he, the representative of God, would have noticed it immediately.”

At Hans’s words, Hiros sneered and said,

“There’s a rumor that even the Pope of the Holy Empire isn’t actually a representative of God. Isn’t she a princess from the destroyed Volga Kingdom? And wasn’t she clearly involved with King Luke?”

At his remark, Hans and Maron couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

It wasn’t just an involvement; they had secretly held a wedding.

However, Hans feigned ignorance and refuted him point by point.

“I’ve never heard of such a story. If that were the case, the old retainers of Volga in Symphonia would have rushed to the Holy Empire. And there’s talk that the rumors you mentioned were spread by forces trying to defame His Holiness the Pope.”

Hiros was momentarily speechless at Hans’s rebuttal, then opened his mouth again.

“Well, we’ll know for sure when we meet the person in question. Guide me to the King immediately.”

“His Majesty is currently out of the palace.”

At Hans’s words, Hiros looked puzzled. He had heard on his way that the King was in the palace.

“Where did he go?”

“He secretly went on patrol in the provinces. It will take a few days for him to return.”

“Tsk, then I’ll wait.”

“Please do. His Majesty will be pleased to know he has a relative.”

Would Luke really be pleased with this rude relative?

Hans and Maron had their doubts, but they couldn’t just chase Hiros away.

If another commotion like the one just now were to occur, the rumors would spread even further.

‘Huu! Please return quickly, Your Majesty!’

They could only hope that Luke would return to the palace soon.

3

The day dawned, and the commotion that had occurred in Nemesis subsided.

However, Rudolf was still restless.

The damage to the Central Army from last night’s disturbance was a problem, but an even bigger problem was the intruders who had come to rescue Count Ferrero.

Those who should have been annihilated in the underground had survived and even entered the ancient ruins.

‘Moreover, they activated the ruins. The earthquake that occurred last night must be proof of that.’

Duke Kepler also stated that the earthquake in the Imperial Palace was not a natural phenomenon.

From Rudolf’s perspective, it was infuriating.

The ruins had been managed and studied by the Imperial Family for generations, and Rudolf himself had a great interest in them.

As a result, he had discovered that they were created by ancient elven mages to turn back time.

Rudolf had also been curious and had tried to activate the ruins several times.

Nevertheless, he had never been able to activate them even once.

But now, some random people had come in and moved them!

‘Could it be that they really went to the past?’

If that were the case, a situation could arise where Reykart, not himself, would become the Emperor.

Just like in the novels that commoners read, by changing the past, the current situation would be completely erased, and a completely different ‘present’ would appear.

Fortunately, there were no signs of that yet, but Rudolf couldn’t relax because something else could still happen.

“Your Majesty, this is Voltaire.”

“Come in!”

At Rudolf’s words, Count Voltaire entered the Emperor’s office and reported on the current situation.

“Last night’s disturbance was clearly the work of the Lybian Special Forces. Flyers that they scattered were found in large quantities all over the streets.”

“Flyers?”

“Yes, they were filled with unspeakable slanders.”

The flyers were filled with content claiming that Rudolf had assassinated the previous Emperor, that Prince Reykart was the true descendant of the Divine Dragon, and that they should overthrow the tyrant who committed murder as if it were a meal.

‘Tch, that Reykart bastard!’

In fact, the flyers were scattered by Henri’s Third Squad under Luke’s orders.

The intention was to cause the mutual destruction of the vile Rudolf and the equally insidious Reykart.

And Rudolf had fallen for it perfectly.

“Also, enemies disguised as Imperial Knights took Count Ferrero’s family out of their residence. Furthermore, Iron Guard knights who were on patrol outside the capital due to their disciplinary action reported seeing the escaped Count Ferrero.”

“What? You saw Ferrero?”

Rudolf, who had been burning with anger, widened his eyes at the last report.

“Yes, they say he appeared through a passage that suddenly appeared in the air and was accompanied by a group of unidentified people.”

‘That’s it. Just like Princess Sophia in the old days, they escaped using the power of the ruins.’

Fortunately, it seemed they hadn’t gone to the past.

The Emperor, who had been relieved, suddenly frowned at a thought that came to mind.

“Wait! If it’s the Iron Guard under disciplinary action, then Shirley de Kyle must be in command. Could it be…?”

Rudolf looked uneasy.

He knew that Shirley and Ferrero’s friendship was as close as a father and daughter.

And his unease was spot on.

“Yes, Commander Shirley has betrayed the Empire and fled with Count Ferrero.”

“Tch! Those damned things!”

Bang!

The marble desk was shattered by Rudolf’s fist, filled with rage.

Still not relieved, the Emperor savagely punched the air and shouted.

“Catch them immediately! Block the borders and thoroughly inspect the roads leading to the Lybian Kingdom!”

He wanted to go down to the Lybian Kingdom right away and turn it all into a sea of fire.

However, Rudolf, who knew well that he couldn’t do that because of the Bers [a magical curse] he had spread, could only swallow his anger.

In the fields outside the capital.

A group of mages arrived here, escorted by armed knights.

“Is this where Ferrero appeared?”

“Y-yes, Vice Meister.”

The Iron Guard knight, who had been defeated by Shirley last night, stammered and pointed to the spot where the tunnel of light had appeared.

He was already worried about what kind of punishment he would receive for letting the escaped criminals go while he was under disciplinary action.

In the midst of that, Count Lorex, the Vice Meister of the Baroque Imperial Magic Tower, came and demanded to be guided to the place where he had encountered Ferrero.

‘Why are they going there? They should be chasing the criminals quickly.’

He thought so inwardly, but he was not in a position to ask. Not only was he guilty, but there was a huge difference in status between a count and a regular knight.

So, he faithfully guided them to the scene as ordered.

Count Lorex gave a signal to the mages who had come with him.

Then, the mages, who had pulled out various magical devices from the trailer they had brought, began to examine the place where the tunnel of light had appeared.

“How is it? Is there anything you can detect?”

A mage holding a crystal that seemed to ripple with light quickly answered Lorex’s question.

“Yes, the same wave that was detected in the underground ruins of the Imperial Palace in the past has been detected. It seems that this point is a major coordinate that can be connected through the ruins.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

As Count Lorex nodded, the Iron Guard knight, unable to contain his curiosity, cautiously spoke.

“Um… what exactly are you looking into?”

“Why? Do you want to know? Even if knowing might cost you your head?”

“Ah, no. I’ll just pretend I don’t know.”

The Iron Guard knight quickly backed away at Lorex’s cold reply.

Lorex snorted at him and continued to watch the mages who were still investigating.

‘Anyway, to think that the underground ruins would actually activate. What on earth did they do?’

Thanks to Rudolf, who had been interested in the underground ruins of the Imperial Palace since before, he also knew of the existence of the ruins.

He had tried to activate the ruins several times under the Emperor’s orders, but he had not been able to find out how the ruins worked, let alone succeed.

But now, someone had activated the ruins, which was surprising.

It seemed that Rudolf had immediately ordered the Imperial Magic Tower to investigate, so he must have been quite anxious.

‘I know why His Majesty is being so insistent. Considering the unfortunate things he has experienced recently.’

If he lost his family and was betrayed by his vassals, he would be just as demanding.

Lorex could understand the Emperor, but he couldn’t help but feel worried and burdened about the future research.

This was because, apart from the fact that the ruins were powered by aether [a magical energy] and were created to manipulate time and space, nothing else had been discovered.

What if the Emperor pressured them to activate the ruins in such a situation?

‘Ah, I really don’t want to imagine it.’

The thought of what would happen if he failed to satisfy the Emperor’s rampaging desires made him sweat profusely.

‘In a way, I’m envious of the escaped Ferrero… huh?’

Suddenly, the mana around him began to fluctuate unusually.

The mages who were investigating also sensed this and stopped what they were doing, focusing their attention on the epicenter of the fluctuating mana.

It was the very spot where the tunnel of light had opened.

4

Kukukung- Kururururung!

“What? What’s going on?”

“I-it’s an earthquake! Get out of the way!”

The fluctuation of mana seemed to grow more intense, and then the ground cracked and either sank or rose up.

Count Lorex and the mages were startled and retreated from the epicenter.

The Imperial Guard knights who had followed to escort them also hurriedly backed away.

‘T-this is definitely like that time…’

The Iron Guard knight who had been in charge of the guide recalled the signs that had been present when the tunnel of light where Ferrero had appeared.

The situation was similar, but it was much more intense than before.

The surrounding trees had all fallen, and the ground was undulating as if it were dancing.

Woo-woo-woo-woong!

After a while, the vibration that seemed to destroy everything around it subsided, and then the space at the center of the epicenter distorted, and a tunnel of light appeared.

“T-that’s it! Count Ferrero also came out of there.”

“What?”

At the Iron Guard knight’s words, Count Lorex looked incredulous.

According to the magic stereoscopic map of the Imperial Palace that the Emperor had examined, all those who had been in the underground ruins had disappeared.

Moreover, since the exit was currently collapsed and blocked, it was difficult to believe that someone had re-entered the underground.

‘Then, where on earth is that connected to?’

As Count Lorex was wondering, someone slowly walked out of the tunnel of light.

It was a man from the Southern Continent with half-white hair and a long beard.

‘A Southern Continent man?’

Count Lorex’s eyes widened.

He had thought that the Lybian Kingdom’s special forces who had infiltrated the ruins would appear, but an unexpected person had appeared.

His face, with its many scars, and his steel prosthetic right arm were impressive, and in his arms, a small silver-haired girl was sleeping.

“Who are you?”

“Where did you come from! Answer!”

The Imperial Guard knights, who had regained their senses, drew their swords and rushed to surround the Southern Continent man.

He looked around curiously, and then, seeing the Imperial Guard knights, especially the emblems engraved on their armor, he smiled with joy.

“Kuhuhu, kuhuhuhuhu!”

“What is it, old man? Laughing creepily.”

“Is he perhaps mute?”

Looking at the wound on his neck, it seemed that his vocal cords were damaged.

Count Lorex turned his head and hurriedly gave instructions to the Imperial Guard knights.

“Capture him alive! You must not kill him!”

They had to find out where he came from and how he had opened the space and appeared.

At Lorex’s instructions, the Imperial Guard knights cautiously approached the old man.

They believed in their skills, but they had heard stories that there were many warriors in the Southern Continent who had mastered strange combat techniques.

“Don’t resist. If you follow our orders obediently…”

Thwack—!

The moment the old man extended his steel prosthetic arm, the Imperial Guard knight who had been giving the warning disappeared.

He had been struck by a powerful blow and had flown far away.

Looking at his body, which had fallen to the ground covered in blood, it was clear that he had died instantly.

“Damn it, this old man dares!”

“Attack! Just keep him alive!”

The enraged Imperial Guard knights unleashed their auras all at once.

However, the old man’s movements were much faster than they could swing their swords.

Every time he moved like lightning up, down, left, and right, and extended his steel prosthetic arm, the bodies of the Imperial Guard knights flew away or fell to the ground with one of their limbs broken.

‘A Fist Master!’

A master of martial arts comparable to a Sword Master.

Count Lorex, recognizing the old man’s skills, hurriedly deployed magic.

He believed that if he used a Press magic that was several times stronger than a normal hold magic, he could subdue even the most skilled Fist Master.

However, the old man’s movements were beyond what Lorex had expected.

Quickly switching the girl in his arms to his steel prosthetic arm, he punched three times in a row towards Lorex and the mages.

Lorex was startled to see the sparks that flashed fiercely from the fist he was extending.

‘What, he manifested lightning with aura?’

Kwarururung!

A shockwave with powerful electricity was unleashed along with a thunderclap.

Startled, Count Lorex hurriedly canceled the Press magic and switched to a shield magic.

Kwaaaang!

“Kuaaaak!”

The mages who were slow to react or were outside the range of Lorex’s shield magic were instantly reduced to black ashes and scattered.

“Kuh… This…!”

Lorex felt nauseous and almost vomited blood.

He had thought that with his magic power, which was one step away from the 8th circle, he could easily block the attacks of most masters.

But the fact that he had been pushed back like this meant that the old man was stronger than he had expected.

‘A Fist Master? No, this is a Fist Sage level!’

Lorex screamed inwardly and hurriedly prepared for the next attack.

He knew that he might have to be buried here if he was not careful, so he gave it his all.

But for some reason, the next attack did not come.

When he hurriedly looked around, the unidentified old man was nowhere to be seen. There was no trace of where he had gone.

‘What is it?’

Lorex, who was wearing a bewildered expression as if he had dreamed a midsummer night’s dream, quickly took out his magic communication device to report to the Emperor.

The appearance of a new powerful figure, especially one who was hostile to the Baroque Empire, was a top priority report.