The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 103

88. Lord of the River, Lord of the Sea (1)

“We’re entering a reef area. Everyone, hold on tight!”

“Sea fog is starting. Can we avoid it?”

Kahlil watched the thickening sea fog and spoke to Kal Mack.

Wiping his nose with the back of his hand in the humid air, Kal replied,

“The fog doesn’t matter anyway. Actually, this is my first time out this far at sea… I just hope the map is accurate.”

He said it playfully, but it was already a remarkable feat that he had memorized the locations of the reefs marked on the map.

‘The more I see, the more amazing it is.’

During the few days of sailing, Kahlil occasionally noticed unique aspects of Kal Mack’s sailing skills.

‘To think you could sail a ship like this. Well, I’ve been on Suan Hazzard’s ship, one of Olivon’s special forces, but I’ve never been on a Mack Meister’s ship before.’

In the history of his past life, the most famous ships were undoubtedly the Gedo Mercenary Corps’ airships and Suan Hazzard’s magic sailboat.

However, aside from flying ships, the one ship made by humanity that was active even during the Divine Trust War [a major conflict in their world’s history] was none other than the Golden Meister’s Golden Surge.

Creak— Creak—!!

Swish—!!

Kal Mack turned the ship’s wheel left and right with all his might, without any hesitation in the fog.

He wasn’t looking at the sea to steer the ship, but rather steering one beat ahead, as if following a map he had already memorized before setting sail.

Crunch……!!

The ship lurched violently as he turned the wheel for the last time, and the sound of the bottom scraping could be heard.

“Reef?!”

Joy Johansel shouted, grabbing the ship’s railing. He had memorized all the information on the map, but the sea was always changing.

“No.”

But Kal Mack shook his head.

“It wasn’t the sound of scraping against rocks. More like something with teeth tearing at the bottom of the hull.”

“Could it be….”

That’s when it happened.

Bubble…… Bubble…….

The thick sea fog slowly began to dissipate, and bubbles began to form as if the seawater were boiling.

Clack-! Clack-!

Clatter-!

Hard impact sounds, like teeth clashing against each other, were heard, and the waves in the boiling sea began to surge violently.

“Horn Piranha……!!”

Urine Hughart shouted, looking at the swarm of dozens of giant fish rising from under the ship.

They were completely different from the piranhas that usually live in rivers. They were about the size of a fully grown shark, with sharp horns growing on their heads.

The ship swayed and shook every time their horns and teeth collided.

“It’s proof that we’ve arrived.”

Even surrounded by monsters, Kahlil said in a calm voice.

“The Archipelago of the Great Demons.”

Swish-

Kahlil drew his sword and pointed to one spot.

“Kal Mack, steer the ship over there. There’s a small hole inside the fifth rock. Put the bow of the ship inside it.”

“Huh? There was something like that?”

“You wouldn’t know. It’s not on the map.”

Kahlil said to Kal Mack, who was looking at him with wide eyes.

“Maps are a great guide, but you shouldn’t blindly trust them. Don’t worry. In a few years, your map navigation skills will improve dramatically. Don’t think about anything and push the ship in.”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

Kal Mack nodded at Kahlil’s words, who saw through his knack for predictive navigation using maps, took a deep breath, and steered the ship.

Splash……!!

“Is this… going to be okay?”

Joy Johansel asked anxiously, looking at the swarm of Horn Piranhas that were jumping up onto the deck of the speeding Howard [the name of their ship] and pounding on the ship.

“The Howard was originally built to cross the Four Nines [a dangerous sea route]. Besides, if it breaks now, we’ll become water ghosts before we even get to the Principality, so it has to hold on.”

“Y, you’re right.”

Joy Johansel unconsciously stroked his neck at Kahlil’s nonchalant demeanor.

“And our real target isn’t these guys anyway. Hold on tight!!”

“Real target……?”

The moment the fifth rock that Kahlil pointed to came into view, Kal Mack turned the wheel with all his might.

The Howard lurched greatly, and white waves splashed against the rock as the bow turned.

“Hmm…….”

Urine gripped a mace the size of his head with both hands and took a fighting stance.

“Urine, everything’s fine, but don’t break the deck.”

Joy, who had never seen his master fight, looked at Kahlil as if he didn’t understand the meaning of his words.

“I’ll try.”

But unlike his words, Urine seemed to be looking forward to it.

“Haaah!!!”

No sooner had he spoken than Urine bent down and swung his mace with all his might at the Horn Piranha jumping onto the ship.

Thwack-!!

With a dull sound, the piranha’s head shattered and exploded.

“…….”

Wiping the monster’s flesh that had splattered on his face, Joy was stunned, speechless, as he watched Urine running towards the next monster.

“Kal, you stay inside. I’ll tell you when it’s over. You have to be ready to steer the ship right away.”

“You knew my plan?”

Instead of answering, Kahlil chuckled softly and swung his sword at the approaching piranha.

“May Yula’s blessing be with you.”

Joy Johansel untied the rosary he was wearing around his neck, made the sign of the cross, and put his hands together as if in prayer, and a faint milky light emanated from around him.

“Agnus.”

The light that flowed out enveloped Kahlil and Urine’s bodies.

Kahlil could feel his body becoming lighter as the light permeated his body. It was a different feeling from the magic buffs he was currently wearing.

‘I thought he would be inferior to Urine’s disciple, but even if his combat power is lacking, his divine power is close to being on par with him.’

Agnus was a priest’s buff that enhanced all physical abilities for a certain period of time.

The effect was excellent, but it consumed a lot of divine power, which could be said to be the priests’ magic power, so it was difficult even for high-level healers to cast it on a large number of people.

“Joy, did you pray for me too? I don’t need it.”

“I’ll take care of the support. Master, please focus on the prayer of war.”

Unlike the two, he lacked combat skills, but he seemed to know exactly what he had to do through his various explorations of ruins.

“That’s not bad either.”

Crunch-!!

Was he happy with his disciple’s growth?

Urine crushed another Horn Piranha’s head as he spoke.

“May Yula’s joy be with you.”

As his prayer was cast, a blood-red glow, even redder than the piranha’s blood, bloomed from the mace.

The nickname “Madman” naturally came to mind because the red light suited him so well.

If this were a battlefield, the enemies who saw him would have been terrified.

But monsters do not feel fear or terror.

They simply rushed towards the enemy who had invaded their territory like moths to a flame.

“Kuaaaa!!!”

Urine rushed towards the piranhas pouring onto the deck.

Thud-! Bang! Bang!!

Thud-!!!

The monsters bared their sharp teeth, aiming for his arms and legs, but they were blocked by Joy’s shield and bounced off before they could even touch Urine’s body.

‘Hmm.’

Kahlil quickly climbed onto the roof of the control room.

Since the beginning of the journey, he had always entrusted the vanguard to Urine.

It was also because his abilities as a combat priest were outstanding, but also because Kahlil had not had anyone he could comfortably entrust the front to since Suan’s absence.

‘Thanks to him, I can use it comfortably.’

Secret Art.

Electricity flickered from Kahlil’s hands. It was a purple spark, different from ordinary lightning-attribute magic.

‘It would be dangerous if it hit the ship.’

Watching Urine, who was swinging his mace in the center of the monster swarm to his heart’s content, Kahlil turned his gaze to the sea where the Horn Piranhas were jumping onto the deck.

‘To complete the Arcane Blade, I need to be able to control the arcane power.’

Kahlil thought that, just like when he was learning the sword, the most efficient thing for growth was actual combat.

On countless battlefields.

He was able to reach the realm because he wielded his sword to survive in the midst of bloodshed, roars, and screams.

‘Magic is the same.’

Pzzzzz……!!

Unlike using the power of magic itself until now, Secret Art required delicate control.

‘Make the magic power a little longer… and increase the number of strands.’

Strands of magic power, like threads, began to flow out from Kahlil’s ten fingers like a skein of yarn.

It was a method of training Secret Art from Aln Zabiuss’s memories.

“Kugh!!”

However, every time the strands of magic power touched each other, Kahlil’s fingers were bent as if they were being repelled, along with a dizzying pain, regardless of his will.

[Karrrrr—!!]

A Horn Piranha raised its horn and rushed towards Kahlil.

“Careful!!”

At the same time as Joy’s shout, Urine Hughart jumped up with all his might and swung his mace.

Crack……!!

The piranha’s shell scattered in all directions, and pieces of flesh splattered on Kahlil. But the monster that jumped in was not just one.

“You bastards!!”

A curse word burst out of the priest’s mouth, but no one could say anything.

Sharp teeth were embedded in Urine’s arm.

Tearing off the piranha that was flapping while biting his arm and throwing it to the ground, Urine shouted.

“Is it not ready yet!!”

At that moment.

Purple lines like a comb pattern appeared and disappeared in Kahlil’s pupils for a moment.

Crackling—!!

The magic power erupting from his hands instantly grew larger and intertwined, spreading like a net.

Sizzle……!!

The moment the arcane chain touched the seawater, white steam soared up with a loud noise, as if pouring water on oil.

Like.

It felt like the sea fog from earlier had reappeared.

[Kireuk!! Krreuk!!]

[Kararak……!!]

The screams of the Horn Piranha in pain echoed in all directions, and the bow of the ship where the group was standing lurched greatly from the arcane chain.

“Ugh……!!”

Joy Johansel screamed, covering his ears without realizing it.

“…….”

Urine covered his nose with the collar of his robe, disgusted by the foul smell of the piranha’s flesh burning, and thought.

‘To use magic like that at that age…? It’s amazing just to have reached the ranks of a mage, but the magic operation I’ve seen so far is completely different. Who is his master?’

1,000 years ago.

He had no way of knowing that the real great mage who surpassed Kaie Essir, who was praised as the great archmage, was his master.

‘It’s difficult.’

Kahlil stretched out his numb hands.

His palms were burned as much as the power of the magic, so they couldn’t be intact.

“Hoo…….”

In the first place, the ability of Secret Art itself was established long after surpassing the ranks of a mage, so even if it was an initial training method, this was the best for Kahlil’s condition.

Thud-!!

The moment the white smoke was about to clear.

“……!!”

A dagger was embedded in the bow of the ship, passing by Urine’s face by a hair’s breadth.

Flap, flap-

Sizzle……!!

The piranha embedded in the dagger trembled and died, spewing black smoke as if it were burning from the magic power flowing from the blade.

‘As expected, this is easier.’

Kahlil chuckled and lightly came down from the roof and pulled out Agnel [the name of the dagger], which was embedded.

“…….”

Urine’s face felt numb from the sword wind he had vividly felt.

“You can use a sword too?”

He asked, looking at Kahlil pulling out the dagger.

Urine glanced at him, slightly narrowing his eyes at Kahlil’s unusual appearance, whom he had simply thought was a mage.

‘I haven’t seen him use a sword properly… Did he just learn dagger techniques? Or…….’

Stroking the bridge of his nose, he did not take his eyes off Kahlil.

“Wow…….”

The corpses of the Horn Piranhas floated on the sea.

The sea was instantly dyed red.

Kal Mack, who had been watching the three’s battle from the control room, couldn’t close his mouth as if he had lost his soul.

‘I thought so, but this is more amazing than I expected.’

Kal Mack now seemed to know why Kahlil had been so confident when he first talked about the route.

‘He was trusting his skills, not luck.’

It was an extreme measure chosen to break through the Water King’s territory, but at this rate, he thought he could really succeed in his plan.

“Everyone, get ready.”

Kahlil said, sitting on the bow of the ship, facing Joy and Urine.

“……What?”

“Since we have to go to the Principality, why would we come to a strict archipelago? Isn’t that right? Kal.”

At his words, Kal Mack slowly nodded and curled his fingers into a circle and said.

“Yes. The Horn Piranha is bait to call that guy.”

“Bait?”

Joy Johansel asked back as if he couldn’t fathom the two’s plan.

Coo…… Coorrrrr…….

At that moment.

The calm waves began to surge again. It sounded like an earthquake, and the sound of the ground shaking, which could not be heard from the sea, was heard.

The Archipelago of the Great Demons.

It was named after the old Eastern language because the first person to discover this archipelago was an adventurer from the Eastern country.

[Kuaaaaaa—!!!!!]

With a huge roar, the waves soared, and the ship soared high as if flying for a moment before falling.

“……!!!”

Everyone’s eyes were focused on one place.

The Great Demon (巨妖) is…….

Joy Johansel shouted the meaning of the old Eastern language, looking at the darkness that had suddenly fallen.

“K, Kraken……?!!!”

Kahlil gestured to Kal Mack as if he had been waiting.

The owner of the archipelago had revealed himself after smelling the blood of the piranha scattered in the sea.

“Our real goal is that guy. Bait to catch the Water King. We have to take him to where the Water King is.”

“……Huh?”

Joy shouted at Kahlil with even more surprised eyes than when he saw the Kraken.

“Kal.”

At that moment.

Kal, who had already confirmed each other’s intentions before embarking on the piranha hunt, quickly entered the control room as soon as Kahlil’s words were finished and shouted.

“It’s going to be rougher than now. Hold on tight!!!”

Creak……!!!

Kal Mack turned the wheel with all his might.

[Kuaaaaaa—!!]

The Kraken’s roar was heard again.

Sweat was beading on his hands holding the wheel.

It was sweat from the elation he felt after seeing the battle a little while ago, rather than the tension caused by the monster that was approaching so close that it could touch the stern.

“Ha, haha…….”

His whole body felt tingly.

Even though it was a moment where his life was on the line, the corners of his mouth were twitching up without him realizing it.

An experience that even he in his past life would not have had.

Perhaps he was now grateful for following Kahlil in this situation.

“That guy is crazy too…….”

Urine Hughart crushed the piranha that had been embedded in the bow of the ship with his foot and muttered, looking at Kal Mack.