Raided The God’S Warehouse [EN]: Chapter 163

167

Swish!

He hadn’t expected to end it so quickly, but the Castle Lord escaped the crisis more easily than Se-un had anticipated.

With a rapid twist of his waist, the Castle Lord rotated his body and swung his sword like a spinning top, neatly slicing off the sharp tip of the ice awl.

It was an awl imbued with the unique hardness of ice magic and the mysteries of the Yellow Tower [a powerful magic academy], yet the Castle Lord cleaved it apart with such ease.

The Castle Lord climbed onto the cut surface of the awl, squatted down, and looked at Se-un with a look of disdain.

“At least 5th Circle with that level of skill. No, judging by the level alone, it looks like 6th Circle. Did a dragon come out to play or something?”

Clang!

Se-un swung his sword, leaving a long, arcing line as the ice awl shattered into fragments.

The Castle Lord executed a mid-air rotation and landed gracefully.

Despite the Castle Lord’s display, Se-un calmly raised his sword, maintaining his composure. He knew that as time passed, the advantage would inevitably shift in his favor.

– The Eye of Envy is jealous of ‘Francis Hamel’s’ power.

– Steals Francis Hamel’s swordsmanship.

– Steals Francis Hamel’s power.

…….

Finally, the Authority of Envy began to fully manifest its power.

Simultaneously, the Castle Lord’s playful expression contorted into a strange grimace.

“What is this now? Seriously, I don’t even know what I’m up against.”

The message about the Authority of Envy was only visible to Se-un.

He had employed the Authority of Envy against numerous enemies thus far, but almost none had recognized it so directly.

This meant the Castle Lord possessed an exceptional understanding of his own power.

“I wanted to savor this a bit longer, but I suppose I can’t. I also don’t want this to end in a boring way.”

The Castle Lord straightened his posture.

Middle Stance. The most fundamental stance in Hamel’s Longsword Style, holding the sword straight forward with the tip aimed between the enemy’s neck and forehead.

The most basic of basics, used to probe the opponent’s attack and initiate one’s own.

It was merely a simple preparatory motion, yet the pressure emanating from him was anything but basic.

Thud!

With each step the Castle Lord took, Se-un felt an increasing weight on his shoulders.

It felt as if an immense force was pressing down on him.

Se-un also straightened his posture and aimed his sword at him, and only then could he truly understand the nature of the pressure.

‘The symbol of the Hamel family.’

Behind the Castle Lord, a translucent blue lion loomed, its gaze fixed on Se-un.

Just as Se-un used the Blood Wolf Sword Style to create the form of a wolf with internal energy [a concept similar to ‘chi’ or life force], the Hamel Longsword Style also manifested the form of a lion when one achieved mastery of the sword.

A realm that Se-un could not reach even after learning the Hamel Longsword Style using Mamon’s treasures.

Indeed, it was the remnant of the one called the Sword Emperor.

If he had reached that level when climbing the 19th floor, how powerful would the current Francis Hamel be?

It was difficult to even imagine, but that was only the current Francis Hamel, not some remnant in front of him.

– The Holy Mark reacts to the Legend of the Blood Wolf.

– The second ability of the Holy Mark, ‘Rage,’ awakens.

Se-un’s Holy Mark awakened.

As divinity surged through his veins from the back of his right hand, the oppressive pressure vanished as if it had never existed.

Simultaneously, an intangible energy rippled behind Se-un, coalescing into the form of a wolf, baring its fangs.

The form of a wolf created not with martial arts, but with divinity.

The lion and the wolf glared at each other, radiating palpable killing intent.

Crack, crack!

The surrounding ice, unable to withstand their energy, began to fracture.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly across the floor, walls, and ceiling.

Regardless, Se-un and the Castle Lord remained focused solely on their swords and each other, as if nothing else existed in the world.

‘This is different from before.’

He could tell from the preparatory stance alone.

The attack the Castle Lord was preparing was truly the essence of the Hamel Longsword Style.

Perhaps it was not just the power that remained as a remnant, but the power that the remnant had cultivated and realized on its own after being left in this Ice Castle of Trials.

He had already transcended the power of a mere remnant.

Therefore, Se-un also poured all his power into this single strike.

Roar-!!

Owooo-!!

The blue lion and the red wolf roared in unison.

The cracks all around deepened, and the Ice Castle trembled, unable to withstand the immense power.

Even on the shaking floor, as if an earthquake had struck, the two calmly maintained their stances.

Then, the moment the chandelier’s rope, unable to withstand the shaking, snapped and sent the fixture plummeting…

Tap!

Se-un and the Castle Lord stepped forward simultaneously.

Se-un’s sword soared upwards as if to cleave the sky, and the Castle Lord’s sword descended as if to shatter the earth.

In that fleeting moment, as Se-un met the Castle Lord’s eyes, he perceived a profound sense of acceptance.

A composure as if acknowledging his impending end, and the joy of unleashing everything he had built up as a remnant.

Swish-

The swords did not collide.

Unlike the initial momentum, their clash was eerily silent.

The reason was simple.

The Castle Lord’s sword failed to strike Se-un, while Se-un’s sword left a diagonal bloodline across the Castle Lord’s chest.

– You have opened the Treasure Vault of Greed.

[ Sword Art of Destruction ]

– A swordsmanship created by an unknown wanderer who traveled the Murim [a world of martial arts and chivalry], facing hundreds, thousands of enemies. It identifies and counters the enemy’s attacks.

Although he had not yet reached that level, Se-un had been diligently learning the Hamel Longsword Style.

Not just some mediocre level, but mastering the fundamentals more thoroughly than any other swordsmanship.

Therefore, he could foresee, even if only slightly, the mysteries contained in the Castle Lord’s final strike.

That was why he employed the Sword Art of Destruction.

A sword art that meticulously analyzes and identifies the enemy’s swordsmanship, launching a perfect counterattack to thwart it.

The Castle Lord, who had stubbornly adhered only to the Hamel Longsword Style like a tree rooted to the spot, could not react properly even after recognizing Se-un’s sword path at the last moment.

He simply guided his sword faster and more powerfully.

If it were another player, they would not have been able to thwart his sword even using the Sword Art of Destruction, but Se-un was different.

Now, empowered by the Authority of Rage, his power and speed surpassed everything the Castle Lord possessed.

Thud.

The Castle Lord knelt on one knee.

He supported himself on the floor with his sword to avoid falling completely, but the battle was already decided.

He didn’t seem to want to deny the outcome.

“Are all the players these days like you?”

“Of course not.”

“Well, if there were too many guys like you, the Tower would already be conquered.”

– You have successfully completed the 19th floor trial, ‘Ice Castle of Trials.’

– Total accumulated contribution points: 400,000 points

– Congratulations! You have cleared the 19th floor trial in 1st place.

– Acquired 100,000 points as a reward.

If Se-un’s guess was correct, the trial on the 19th floor was not about defeating the Castle Lord, but about gaining his recognition.

If one were to defeat the Castle Lord, that player would become the remnant and take the Castle Lord’s place.

So, the trial naturally ended in first place, and the remnant of ‘Francis Hamel,’ who had fulfilled his role as the Castle Lord, slowly dissipated.

Along with him, all the equipment Se-un had lost upon entering the Ice Castle returned.

Instead of the cold ice sword, he felt the familiar touch of Durendal at his fingertips, and when he drew the sword, savoring the pleasant sensation after so long, he noticed something different.

“Oh, the seal is completely released.”

Mamon provided the explanation.

The seal was released.

Se-un’s eyes sparkled as he checked Durendal’s information.

[ Sword That Splits Boulders, Durendal ]

Classification: Longsword

Grade: SS

Description: A legendary sword used by Roland, the leader of Charlemagne’s Twelve Paladins [a group of legendary knights in French epic literature].

Abilities: 1. Hero’s Sword – Cutting rate increased by 100%.

2. Hero’s Qualification – Attack power against monsters increased by 50%.

3. Sword That Splits Boulders – The blade never dulls or chips in any situation.

4. Unbreakable Sword – Durability is not consumed by any attack.

5. Angel’s Blessing – All stats increased by 10%. (The more the sword recognizes the wielder, the higher the increase)

It was true.

The sword’s seal was completely released, most of its abilities were greatly enhanced, and even the last blocked ability was unlocked.

Angel’s Blessing.

It seemed to be an ability that inherited the legend that Durendal was a sword given to Charlemagne by an angel.

It was a somewhat unsettling ability since Se-un was being protected by three Demon Gods, but he couldn’t help but be satisfied with its effects.

A 10% increase in all stats.

Since Se-un’s total stats were approaching 1,000, its efficiency was far higher than that of other players.

The stats would increase the more the sword recognized him, though he didn’t know how…….

“Oh, is this its true form? I’ll have to reflect that in my collection.”

Mamon smiled and stroked the blade of Durendal with his small hand.

He had replicated Se-un’s Durendal during the tutorial, so he was probably trying to modify the replica to its perfected form.

Fortunately, it seemed he didn’t need to borrow the sword this time, as there was no separate mention of it.

‘But why…….’

There was no system message related to this, so it couldn’t be a system reward.

After pondering for a moment, only one answer came to mind.

Se-un turned his gaze and looked down at the Castle Lord, Francis Hamel’s remnant, which was slowly dissipating.

“Hehe, did you see that? This is my consideration.”

The sword he was holding was shattering into pieces.

It was different from Francis’s appearance, which was naturally dissipating as the trial concluded.

He was in a state of losing power, separate from the trial.

He didn’t know how he did it, but it seemed he had used the power imbued in his sword to release Durendal’s seal.

Although he was only a remnant, the Sword Emperor’s sword was said to be superior to any other treasured sword in the world… it would have been enough to release Durendal’s seal.

“Why would you do that?”

“It’s power that will disappear anyway, so it’s better to use it for something good. And thanks to you, I can escape this stuffy prison, right?”

A stuffy prison. Yes, this place must have been a prison for him.

After he was assigned as the Castle Lord, the Ice Castle closed, and no players appeared to pass on the Castle Lord’s position or to relieve his boredom.

He had simply been wielding his sword here in solitude for a long time, waiting for someone like Se-un to appear someday.

“Don’t worry. From what I can see, your remnant won’t have to endure the same fate as me.”

Perhaps because of the battle between Se-un and the Castle Lord, or because he had forcibly cleared the Ice Castle that had been closed in the first place, the Ice Castle was slowly collapsing, starting from the ceiling, right after the duel ended.

Perhaps Se-un would be the last player to clear the ‘Ice Castle of Trials’ with this.

“I won’t say anything cheesy. Ah, but I really want to give my damn main body a good punch, so should I tell you my main body’s weakness?”

“Weakness?”

Se-un perked up his ears.

For a ranker called the Sword Emperor to have a weakness.

Se-un’s first goal was to reach the top floor of the Tower, so he might encounter the Sword Emperor along the way.

He couldn’t dare to face him right now, but he might have to face him someday, so he wanted to keep his weakness in mind if possible.

The Castle Lord gestured with his fading hand, and Se-un approached him and lent him his ear.

“Me, Francis Hamel, I…….”

The Castle Lord uttered the last word with his disappearing mouth.

“Hates carrot pie so~ much.”

With those words, the Castle Lord completely disappeared.