The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 86

72. Esoteric Arts

“Hoo.”

Caryl exhaled deeply and submerged the Sentinel’s core into the Fountain of Arcana.

Fzzzz……!!

As the core sank, white steam hissed, and the water around it began to bubble.

[Handle with care. Arcane magic is condensed within the Sentinel’s core. It may not be as potent as Dragon Force, but it’s likely the most powerful among human magic.]

Even among the Seven Sages, the greatest mages in human history, Alrune Zaviuz’s arcane magic was unique.

He built his own magical system with an independent framework based on magic rooted in Dragon Force.

Crackle…… Crackle…….

Sparks flickered within the core, like contained lightning.

[You must time it well. The fundamental attribute of arcane magic is lightning. If you lose control of the rampaging magic, it will instantly dissipate.]

As he reached into the Fountain of Arcana, the water swirled rapidly around Caryl, as if trying to seize the Sentinel’s core.

“…….”

Hasil watched him with a tense expression.

The surging water from the Fountain of Arcana looked dangerous, as if it would devour him at any moment.

‘How fascinating. Even with this much spray, there isn’t a single sound.’

A normal person might have hesitated at the sight of the vortex’s grandeur, but Caryl was different.

[Indeed, his eye for detail is remarkable.]

Caryl’s gaze, fixed on the spray as if his hearing and sight were operating independently, sharpened for a moment.

[Do not be intimidated by what you see. The realm of magic can only be reached when you transcend your five senses.]

Alrune said, scanning the Fountain of Arcana once.

[The magic you will wield from now on is the most profound in history.]

Flash–!!

The Sentinel’s core, held in both hands, went limp and began to melt instantly.

In that moment, Caryl instinctively snatched a small cluster of light within.

[Focus. That is the Arcane Core.]

A tiny droplet of light, as small as a fingernail, darted in all directions, trying to escape Caryl’s grasp.

Caryl mustered all the magic he could into both hands.

He could only be grateful once again for the two open meridians [energy pathways] in his arms.

Otherwise, his arms might have been blown away.

“Hiss……!!”

Exhaling, Caryl squeezed and compressed the rampaging Arcane Core with force in his hands.

[General magic arts involve accumulating magic within the body. But you don’t need to do that. Rather, you must explode the powerful magic of the magic meridians to open the blocked ones.]

Vrrrrr…….

Caryl’s arms shook violently, as if someone were pulling them.

[To trigger a magic explosion, an extremely powerful force must be injected. As far as I know, this is the only force that can impact your magic meridians.]

Crackle……!!!

Boom……!!

A thunderous sound erupted from between his clasped hands, and an intense burst of light flared.

It was then.

A dizzying sensation, like a surging tide, washed over him from his hands before he could even react, engulfing his entire body.

“……!!!”

Caryl’s eyes flashed.

As if something new were enveloping his retina, they became transparent and moist.

In an instant, the opposite end of the rock was magnified as if it were being pulled closer, then receded dozens of times further away.

“Cough…… Hack!!”

Caryl, who had never knelt before, sank down, gasping for breath.

The magical fluctuations that suddenly arose around him began to rampage as if they were alive.

“Ugh, Aaaaaaaah!!!”

With a lightning-like pain, all of Caryl’s blood vessels swelled and turned red and blue.

An unbearable pain surged from the top of his head to his toes, as if lightning had struck Caryl’s body.

“Wh-What is it?”

At Caryl’s scream of pain, Hasil reached out to Caryl with a bewildered expression, unsure of what to do.

[If you don’t want to die, you’d better not touch that guy’s body.]

“……!!”

At that moment, Hasil was startled and stepped back at the sudden voice.

“Who is it!!”

[Haa……. It’s been a while since I’ve felt the sensation of the wind. Not too bad.]

Hasil realized that a blurry afterimage was flickering before his eyes.

[Don’t worry. That guy won’t die.]

“Wh-Who are you?”

[Well, you don’t need to know that. If you want to keep watching, you’d better step back a bit more.]

At Alrune’s words, Hasil hurriedly retreated towards the entrance.

[It’s still not enough, but the fact that my spirit form is visible to other mortals means that I’ve become able to exert some influence on reality.]

He looked at Caryl and smiled quietly.

[Heh heh heh……. That alone means you’ve succeeded.]

Kwwaaaaaang—!!!

A pillar of light that seemed visible throughout the entire southern region pierced through the darkness and soared upwards.

“Vice-Captain?! What is that……!!”

“That place is…….”

“It’s Narak Rock. Could those guys be plotting something again?”

“Hmph.”

Ironically, Caryl’s pillar of light even stopped Naril’s advance, who was reorganizing the Knights at the entrance of Narak Rock, which was something even Caryl, who had anticipated his movements, had not foreseen.

“Would it be wise to temporarily retreat the front lines and reorganize? In a situation where it is not confirmed what is happening, facing the Golems and Serpents again…….”

The young knight, who had become the temporary adjutant after the death of the previous adjutant, Banhon, spoke with a tense expression.

He gritted his teeth as he recalled the situation a moment ago.

“Besides, the remaining barbarians will finish their reorganization over time. The remaining Four Great Families will surely come here as well.”

If they were to return, there might be the Captain’s military faction.

Knowing his personality, which considered retreat the worst disgrace, the knight mustered his courage, judging that there was no one else to speak up.

“The main point of this attack was surprise. Even for us, it is difficult to face thousands of barbarians at once. At the very least, request support from Marquis Vestal at the southernmost front…….”

Snap-

The young knight flinched without realizing it at the sight of Naril gritting his teeth.

He had never seen this side of him before.

‘To be defeated by barbarians, of all people……. This is the most regrettable battle of my life.’

Naril raised his head and looked at the edge of the cliff.

What he could not tolerate.

It was the fact that he had unknowingly felt fear in his confrontation with Caryl.

“What is your name?”

“It’s Harold.”

“From now on, you will gather the wounded and prepare for retreat.”

“Yes, sir!!”

The knights of the Lioness Order answered as if they had been waiting for Naril’s words.

But their eyes were full of animosity.

* * *

Clap- Clap- Clap-

The sound of applause echoed from the empty summit.

Alrune Zaviuz approached Caryl with a light step, as if enjoying the sensation of the ground he was treading on after a long time.

[Congratulations.]

His appearance, panting heavily while supporting himself on the ground, did not seem like a situation worthy of congratulations.

Fzzzz…….

A tingling shiver ran down his spine.

As Alrune’s touch reached him, Caryl slowly raised his head.

[You’ve broken through the wall.]

“Did I…… succeed?”

Even as he saw Alrune’s materialized form before his eyes, Caryl, still disoriented, blurted out a question rather than expressing surprise.

[The reason your magic could only remain at the 2nd Class was that your meridians were blocked, preventing the powerful magic flowing from your magic meridians from circulating within your body.]

Twitch-

Caryl’s shoulder twitched.

[This is your magic. Thanks to the opened meridians, you can now borrow it a little. How is it? Can you feel the magic circulating within your body?]

The magic, tingling like a wave, swept through his entire body, along his shoulders, arms, and legs.

“Ugh, Ugh…….”

Caryl grimaced as if in pain as the magic circulated.

“Damn it……. If it hurts this much, I’ll lose consciousness before I can even use magic.”

[Heh heh, it will hurt. The Arcane Core you absorbed is not ordinary magic. But your Dragon Force is even more extraordinary, so you can accept it. You’ll adapt soon.]

Crackling……!!

“Huh?”

As the magic that had flowed from Alrune’s fingertips a moment ago gathered in his hands, Caryl looked at his palms, unable to control his power, as if turning them over.

[Don’t just stand there, grab the Ice Claws. Otherwise, your arms will be blown away because of the magic I just planted.]

“What?”

At Alrune’s gesture to hurry, Caryl frowned and leaped away.

“Damn it!!”

Kwwaaaaaang—!!

The moment he grabbed the handle of the Ice Claws, an explosion erupted from the blade stuck in the ground, and Caryl’s body was thrown back.

“Huff……!!”

Exhaling, Caryl glared at Alrune with a blackened face.

“Hey!!”

Caryl shouted without any honorifics.

[Heh heh heh.]

But Alrune spoke in a low voice, as if he found him amusing.

[Move the magic slowly. Doesn’t it hurt less now? Due to the nature of Arcane Power, you need to move your body vigorously and discharge it again to adapt the magic to your body.]

It was as he said.

Certainly, the pain that had been felt whenever he manipulated the magic, as if there were thorns in his body, had disappeared a little.

[Now you have reached the realm where you can open two meridians and reach the 4th Class. If your swordsmanship is perfected and your magic supports it, you will be able to reach the realm of Sword Master that the people of the continent speak of.]

‘Sword Master……?! That little kid is at the realm that only five people on the continent have reached…….’

Hasil, who had no magic, could not know what the two were doing, but at least he could clearly hear the words Sword Master that came from Alrune’s mouth.

He knew well how great and how strong that realm was.

Also.

Hadn’t he experienced it?

The current situation, where the northern immigrants were being brutally killed by the Blue Knights led by Quell Mcguvern, was proof of that.

[But you won’t be satisfied with this, will you? Just as what you desire is not a simple Sword Master, not everyone who is full of magic rises to the ranks of a mage.]

“Then……?”

[Just as you have to train swordsmanship, you have to train magic as well. Just because you have become a vessel does not mean you will immediately rise to the ranks of a mage.]

Alrune said, raising his finger.

[However.]

Caryl’s heart pounded.

[Now that you have absorbed the Arcane Core, you have finally reached the minimum conditions to receive my teachings.]

Alrune had only taught Caryl Magiche Swordsmanship in the illusionary space and had never taught him any significant magic.

Magiche Swordsmanship was also not his own but was created by Kalnere, one of the Seven Sages.

[The minimum conditions, in other words, mean that you have finally reached the starting point.]

Flash-

Crackling……! Crackling……!!

Purple magic emanated electricity from Alrune’s palm and was created.

[It starts now.]

Zzzzzzz……!!

[The moment you truly become strong.]

The purple color turned crimson once again.

[From now on, I will pass on to you my life’s masterpiece.]

Caryl felt his hair stand on end at the beastly, fierce magic. Nevertheless, he wiped the cold sweat flowing from his forehead and said boldly.

“If it’s something as trivial as Magiche Swordsmanship, I’ll redefine your magic again too.”

[Heh heh heh……. I look forward to it.]

Pagaagaak—!!!

At that moment.

As if representing Alrune Zaviuz’s pleasure, the purple magic exploded and turned blood-red.

[This is my true magic.]

His voice was etched into his mind as if driving in a wedge.

[Esoteric Arts.]