The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 327

215. The Imperial War (3)

“How insolent…!!”

Berch Blano reached out, and a long staff materialized in his hand.

The jade staff, wielded only by the master of the Ivory Tower, featured a dragon holding a jewel in its mouth at its apex.

He deflected Serica’s spear with the staff and thrust it forward.

Whoooong…!

The jewel in the dragon’s mouth blazed with light, and intense magical power surged forth.

Kwaaaang―!!

His staff, rumored to have been personally bestowed by the Green Dragon Cruaach when the Ivory Tower was built, rivaled the Infinite Breath, one of Blader’s five great magical artifacts and the continent’s strongest magical weapon.

Perhaps it was even more potent.

“That’s nice. I want it,” Serica muttered, feeling her deflected spear tremble slightly.

“Dragon Lightning (龍雷),” Berch intoned, unfurling a spell with his free hand over the one holding the staff. [Dragon Lightning is a powerful lightning-based spell.]

“Be careful!!” Mikhail shouted to Serica, recognizing the magic.

Berch Blano was a lightning (雷) mage, a rarity akin to wind (風) mages. [Lightning and Wind are rare magic attributes.]

However, the reasons for their rarity differed.

Wind mages were scarce due to the infrequency of individuals born with the affinity, making high-level wind mages difficult to find. Lightning mages, on the other hand, were more numerous overall.

The lightning attribute offered the advantage of superior effects compared to other magic, even at lower levels. However, its erratic nature made advancement to higher classes challenging.

Consequently, most lightning mages remained at the 4th class.

Nevertheless, its potent killing power, even with low mana, made it a sought-after attribute in the military, alongside fire, for mass killings in major wars.

Berch Blano was a 7th class Archmage wielding the difficult lightning attribute.

Moreover, his mana reserves approached those of an 8th class mage, solidifying his reputation as the best among the four Archmages.

Whoooong―――!!

As if a lightning dragon sought to devour Serica, three sharp streams of mana hurtled toward her from the staff.

Adding to the danger was an astonishing fact.

“Lightning Scales (雷鱗).” [Lightning Scales is Berch’s unique magic.]

It was Berch’s unique magic.

Despite wielding a rare lightning attribute, he had forged his own system, pioneering his own magic theory.

“Chain Lightning? No, something’s different…?!” Serica exclaimed, startled by Berch’s surging lightning magic, which she had never witnessed before.

“Be careful!!” Unlike her, Mikhail, having spent time in the Ivory Tower, understood Berch’s power better than anyone.

Each of Berch Blano’s spells possessed tremendous force.

Paat!!

Maximizing his wind attribute, Mikhail grabbed Serica’s waist, dodging as if stepping on air.

Bang!! Kwaaaang!!!

Lightning rained down on their previous location, blackening and piercing the floor.

Even the conference room’s magic shield succumbed to Berch’s magic.

Gulp―

Serica swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on the Archmage.

“To reach the 6th class at such a young age… Your talent rivals Serga’s. To witness such promising talents in a single era is truly fortunate. However… it is unfortunate that you are not an ally, but an enemy.”

She frowned at Berch’s words.

“That Serga, Serga… Who the hell is Serga that you’re always mentioning? His name sounds too similar to mine, and it’s annoying. Mikhail, didn’t you say you’d cut off that guy’s head?”

“Huh? No, I didn’t say I’d kill him….”

“Too soft. I don’t like it. Every time magic is discussed, his name comes up first, not ours.”

Serica clicked her tongue.

Though she appeared arrogant, Mikhail found even that endearing, wondering if his time in the tower had addled his mind.

“From now on, the most famous names in magic on the continent should be you and me, not that guy.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

It felt strange to use honorifics with someone so much younger, but Mikhail somehow found it natural.

He always felt fortunate to have grown this much, despite being a mere B-class mercenary.

Perhaps, without meeting Karil, he would have remained an insignificant nobody.

However, Mikhail felt affection for her, always confident despite their similar circumstances.

Her excessive confidence sometimes made her seem arrogant and drew glares, but Mikhail knew it was a shield to protect herself from collapsing.

And she consistently delivered results, proving her confidence.

Like now.

Crack…!! Crackle……!!

“You aimed for an opening even in that brief moment. A good idea, but the compatibility is poor. It’s difficult to harm a lightning attribute mage like me with water.”

She, who had been in Mikhail’s arms moments ago, was already targeting Berch’s back, launching a spear.

However, even with concentrated mana, the spear failed to penetrate Berch’s formidable shield.

“I know. I’ve studied magic a bit too. The lightning attribute is unique. Lightning possesses light and heat, moves freely in water, contains wind, and even holds the darkness of dark clouds.”

Berch Blano twisted Serica’s spear and smiled faintly.

It was absurd for her to lecture him, a 7th class Archmage, about magic.

“That’s an old story. And that’s a preface written in spirit magic, not regular magic. That’s why the lightning spirit king, Kungen, is treated as separate from the four major spirit kings of other elements and the two wildernesses of light and darkness, the six major spirit kings.”

He scoffed.

“Similarly, lightning magic is special. If you had to choose a compatibility, it would be the earth attribute… Unfortunately, you are wind and water.”

“Well.”

However, contrary to Berch’s words, she spoke quietly, her expression unchanged.

“Mikhail. You read that book in the Anti-Hum Grand Library, right?”

Mikhail nodded in response to her question.

“I disagree slightly. Having the power of all attributes means, conversely, having weaknesses in everything. You’re just more vulnerable to the earth attribute. It doesn’t mean lightning is inherently stronger than the other attributes.”

Crack… Crackle!!

Unlike before, Serica’s spear began to erode Berch’s barrier, little by little.

“What are you doing!!” She shouted, pushing the spear forward with renewed effort.

“You said you’d prove yourself, right? Serga isn’t here now. Are you going back empty-handed? Help me!”

[You have no hope, but you’re right.]

It was then.

“……!!”

Berch Blano hastily waved his staff, deflecting the black smoke that attempted to engulf him.

[Mikhail. You need to learn some of that girl’s arrogance. From now on, the enemy in front of you is a human, not a monster.]

“You….”

The black smoke gradually coalesced into the form of a handsome man.

“Nine Darhon.”

Berch spoke his name quietly, observing his appearance. He couldn’t conceal his envy, knowing that Nine, who retained his youth unlike Berch’s aging form, wasn’t simply using magic to alter his appearance.

“Are you complacently relying on the gift of blood? You possess the blessing of the longest lifespan among the four Archmages, yet you remain obsessed with strange techniques?”

[Strange techniques. The reason the Ivory Tower is collapsing is because of that strange technique.]

Berch’s face hardened at his words.

Ugh… Ugh!!

Aaaaaagh…!!

No way!

M, magic doesn’t work?!?

He had been aware of the screams of the Dawn Society’s mages from below for some time.

[The sound is quite pleasing. Understandable, as what I’ve created aren’t undead. They are slaves imbued with the power of emptiness… no, corruption.]

Nine Darhon laughed gleefully, surveying the hellish scene.

[Who’s lecturing whom about magic? I’ve studied magic more than any of you while you were engaged in petty politics.]

Berch Blano knew that the Nine Darhon before him wasn’t a real entity.

‘Not only did he summon that many undead, but he can also wield this much magic with an illusion… What changes has he undergone?’

[The great master of magic has personally imparted teachings to me. It cannot be compared to your miscellaneous lightning techniques.]

Nine Darhon said, as if reading his thoughts.

“Master…?”