The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 313

208. The Great Magic (2)

[Great magic, huh…]

Lamine spoke softly, almost sighing.

[Certainly, with his power, it’s something that can’t be ignored.]

[But can a human truly grasp that power?]

Even the Spirit Kings, who knew Karil well, seemed skeptical about this “great magic,” for some reason.

“Why? Do you doubt my ability?”

[…….]

Karil chuckled, seeing their silence.

“Your hesitation only fuels my determination.”

Karil wondered just how much power the Blader of the Mythical Age, whom he’d glimpsed within the ice pillar, possessed. Why else would the Spirit Kings be so hesitant to compare Karil to him?

[To be honest, I’m not even sure how much I can help you. ‘Great magic’… the name fits. I was confident in my understanding of magic, but this transcends mere magical principles.]

[Spiritism is the same. All we can do is amplify your spirit force. It’s up to you to interpret and integrate it.]

“I understand that much. I never expected it to be easy. Creating a single sword technique takes immense effort. Magic is the same, and forging a contract with a high-level spirit is never simple.”

[But you’re attempting all three simultaneously.]

[If even one aspect becomes unbalanced, the consequences will be severe.]

The power of the sword, magic, and spirit.

Fusing these three was easier said than done; it meant uniting three fundamentally different forces.

“Lamine, I told you before that I intend to combine the power of spirits into one.”

[That’s right. It sounded absurd at first, but you’re already channeling our power through arcane force.]

“But I think I’ve been misunderstanding something until now.”

[What?]

Karil drew Ragna.

He adopted the first crown stance, raising the sword with both hands, his feet planted firmly. He then transitioned to the second unicorn stance, magic gathering on Ragna’s blade.

Clang—!!

The Arcane Blade erupted from the focused attack, and Karil lowered his stance, assuming the third long wail stance as if deflecting an attack.

The swinging blade was fierce, like a savage tyrant commanding a war depicted in an ancient mural.

Clang! Clang clang…!!

As the sword danced, Karil’s swordsmanship grew sharper, as if he had fallen into a trance.

In the fourth eddy stance, he pushed off the ground and leaped, executing the sword form of the Colorless Sword Demon.

The Ein Trigger on the back of his hand, imbued with Lamine’s power, glowed, and intense heat radiated from the blade.

But the fierce swordplay didn’t cease. When the power of Etheral and Duat surged into Ragna’s blade, the purple Arcane Blade transformed into an indescribable, bizarre color.

Zzzt… Zzzzzzt…!

Electricity crackled from the sword, and the precarious Arcane Blade was no longer purple but a dark, ominous hue.

“Hoo…”

The moment Karil attempted the final fifth coiled snake stance, Ragna’s blade flickered violently.

“Keuk?!”

Kwaaaaaang…!!

The blade exploded, unleashing a deafening roar and searing heat from Karil’s hand.

[Be careful!]

Arun, who had been observing, shouted in alarm.

“…….”

[The magic and spirit force are intertwined; the cave could have collapsed if you’d made a mistake.]

But Karil seemed deaf to Arun’s scolding, lost in thought as he stared at his blackened palm and the fallen Ragna.

‘Maintain the sword stance but don’t abandon the aggressive magic.’

Then he turned his gaze back to the mural.

‘Yet he retains the power of the spirit.’

Even though the Blader in the mural wasn’t a living being, Karil could sense the spirit emanating from it.

“Is this truly something a person can achieve?”

[See?]

[You think so too…]

The Spirit Kings spoke, as if understanding Karil’s doubts.

But like Arun, Karil ignored their words, continuing to stroke the mural, lost in contemplation as if trying to decipher every nuance of the Sword Demon’s actions.

“This is a swordsmanship that can never be learned while alive.”

Sizzle— Sizzle—

The blue snake that emerged from his arm coiled around his body and vanished.

[Amazing. To deduce that much.]

Mael, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

“You knew it all along, didn’t you, you cunning bastard?”

[His swordsmanship cannot be taught. If you don’t instinctively grasp it, you never will. You’ll just end up like that fisherman.]

“Isn’t it because if I fail to learn it, your chances of taking over me increase?”

[That would be a bonus. If you have a body you can’t properly utilize, I’d gladly take it. I’ll kill the god for you.]

“Crazy bastard.”

Mael said playfully.

[What does that mean? Swordsmanship that can’t be learned while alive.]

Karil replied coldly to Arun’s question.

“It means exactly that. The Sword Demon’s swordsmanship is the sword of the dead.”

[The swordsmanship of the dead?]

“The body that forms the swordsmanship, the magic that manifests power, and even the soul to command spirits. The ultimate meaning can only be achieved when the trinity becomes one.”

Pazzzzzik—!

Woo-oong… Hwareureuk…!

An Arcane Blade materialized on Karil’s blade, and Lamine’s flame ignited in his other hand.

“But these three elements each possess different ultimate meanings, and their paths diverge, making it virtually impossible to fuse them into one.”

[Hmm.]

“To elevate the soul to the highest level, you must eventually abandon the body. But if you abandon the body, swordsmanship becomes impossible. Conversely, if you focus on swordsmanship, magic weakens.”

[If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean the trinity is impossible from the start?]

“Yes. If you only have one life.”

[What does that mean?]

“It means we need to consider the existence of the Blader who lived in the Mythical Age.”

[…What?]

“Even if the sword, magic, and spirit have different statuses, they can coexist because they share the essence of the ultimate meaning, but the body that manifests them can only be an obstacle. It’s the same in the war with God. He abandoned his body and completed this as a spiritual being.”

[A sense that can only be learned after death… How can the living know the realm of the dead?]

“Yes. I don’t know. That’s why the Sword Demon’s swordsmanship that Nar Di Maug gave to Altemann is only half-baked.”

Karil smiled faintly.

“Death.”

His eyes shone.

“Distorting and defying time is akin to dying. In that sense, I have experienced death more profoundly than anyone among the living.”

[Could it be…]

“It would be impossible for ordinary people.”

Karil answered Arun’s unspoken question.

“But for me, it’s just a matter of recalling old senses.”

New Sense.

It is when you push the senses of a human to the limit that you can break down the walls you have.

But to overcome that limit, you must reach a realm that transcends the body.

But Karil was Karil, who had already experienced it in the process of transcending time.

“But I can do it.”

He grabbed Ragna again.

* * *

“How long has it been since our lord entered the Millennium Ice Cave?”

“It’s been three days now.”

“Will he be alright?”

The leaders of the foreign tribes looked at the hill with concern, unable to see Karil after the Sword Festival.

“Could there be a problem with the elders?”

“That’s unlikely. The three brothers of the Thunder Clan confirmed that he left with Altemann. Not only them, but other leaders who participated in the Sword Festival have also decided to follow our lord, so the elders won’t be able to do anything foolish.”

Hasil, the leader of the Fox-Wolf tribe, couldn’t go to the elders’ residence, but he was monitoring from afar with his exceptional vision, preparing for any potential trouble.

“Hmm… But the only thing that bothers me is that only the master returned from the Millennium Ice Cave.”

“He said it was a test that the Great Warrior had to take. He wouldn’t lie, so we have to trust him.”

“How long will it take?”

“Well…”

Hasil couldn’t answer Liliana’s question.

“All we know is that it’s a trial beyond imagination. The master also said that he couldn’t even guess when it would end.”

“Hoo… It’s a long wait.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Kuntai and Patun also sighed softly as they listened to the conversation.

“What about Hwa-rin?”

“She’s expelled all the poison from her body. She’s still recovering, but the leader will move directly soon.”

“It’s amazing that she’s alive with such a deadly poison, and her recovery is remarkable. It’s no exaggeration that the poison of the Zannabi is created by the sacrifice of the leader.”

“It would be nice if we could create the poison he used… But even the leader who experienced it himself said that it seems impossible with any existing material.”

Hasil nodded at Liliana’s words.

“Certainly, that power was unique.”

“It couldn’t be dismissed as mere magic. They call it the power of God, right? Certainly… With that level of poison, it seems appropriate to give it that name.”

“That’s not enough.”

It was then.

The leaders, who were intently watching the entrance of the Millennium Ice Cave, turned around.

“Even though he showed mercy, if he’s going to kill God, he should die just by touching it.”

“That’s harsh.”

Liliana glared sharply at Aidan, who spoke so casually about the potential death of her leader.

“Don’t misunderstand. I mean it’s still not enough. Even though it’s unbelievable to us, if he can defeat your leader who has transformed, it wouldn’t be strange if our lord truly attained the power to kill even God.”

“…….”

The other leaders responded with a thoughtful silence to Aidan’s words.

“That’s why our lord went to the Millennium Ice Cave. He’ll return with something extraordinary, beyond anything he’s shown us before.”

“You’ve known him longer than us, but you don’t seem worried at all.”

“Do I just know him? Because I’ve served him longer than you, the first thing I learned was that you shouldn’t judge our lord by our standards.”

“Hmm…”

“Don’t worry. It would be ridiculous for us to worry. I understand your concern. There was a similar incident before.”

Aidan sat down near the bonfire he had lit. Then he raised the bottle he was holding and poured the liquor into his mouth.

“Keu…”

The unique, potent liquor of the foreign tribes burned its way down his throat. After the Sword Festival, the foreign tribes had continued the festive atmosphere for several days.

But after three days,

The foreign tribes waited for Karil to emerge in a solemn atmosphere, as if nothing had happened.

Unlike the solemn ones, Aidan remained relaxed, as if continuing the festival alone, and the leaders didn’t appreciate his attitude.

“A similar incident?”

Liliana asked him, her face stiff.

“It was right after he returned from Gray Academy. The last ruins left by the Council of Seven Elders, which all the magicians of Azor, called the Magic City, couldn’t conquer. Everyone thought our lord would die there.”

“And?”

“Our lord, returning as if to show off, came back with unbelievable power.”

Aidan said, recalling the events of that time, as if experiencing them anew.

After Karil returned from Gray Academy,

While training Colorless Sword Demon in the space of unconsciousness with Arun, Aidan was instinctively suppressed just by looking at Karil sitting there, and he left the place as if running away.

Compared to now, that might not be surprising. But in his mind, it was only a fleeting moment, but it was the first experience of feeling Karil’s power, so it remained the deepest.

“Then and now, our lord will overcome this challenge without any problems. And he’ll reveal the power he’s gained.”

But despite his words, the leaders couldn’t easily shake off their serious expressions.

“Are you drunk or something? Don’t you understand what’s happening right now?”

Cheok—

At that moment, Aidan threw the bottle back and slowly pointed forward.

“That’s not true. I’ll have to drink more from now on. Because it’s time to celebrate.”

Unlike him, who was looking at Aidan as if he was talking nonsense at this point when he received the report of the enemy’s attack, Hasil’s expression slightly hardened.

“You can see it with your own eyes, right?”

Aidan pointed to the entrance of the Millennium Ice Cave.

Although it was through magic transformation, Aidan’s five senses, having risen to the ranks of Sword Master, were already exceptionally developed.

In particular, as a member of the Dark Shadow, his foundation was as an assassin, so even without using the Manhwan [Sword Master’s Aura] that only Sword Masters could use, his vision was close to that of a Sword Master.

“…Liliana, Kuntai, Patun. Let’s prepare to descend the mountain.”

Hasil said, a grim smile playing on his lips.

A black figure was emerging from the Millennium Ice Cave.

“It’s time for annihilation.”