Chapter 51 – Growing Mountain(1)
“Lord Margrave. May I borrow your wife for a moment?”
A shocking statement that sounds like something a blonde delinquent would say.
But I was more serious than anyone when I spoke it.
“What do you mean?”
Lord Margrave’s gentle expression changed instantly at the mention of his wife.
His cold, stern gaze pours over me. Under that pressure, I unconsciously swallowed hard. Cold sweat streams down.
I tried my best to maintain composure and continued speaking.
“Exactly as I said. I have business with Margravine’s corpse for a moment.”
“What are you trying to do?”
“If my guess is correct… the Eldritch’s Life Force Vessel should be there.”
“…”
Lord Margrave stared at me with piercing pressure.
Damn it. I’m about to wet myself. His gaze really makes my bladder weak. I wondered if this is how it feels to face an escaped predator at the zoo.
“Sigh.”
However, the pressure didn’t last long.
Lord Margrave shook his head with a sigh.
“Sir Jeong-Yong. You’ve been quite mysterious from the start.”
“… Is that so?”
“Deceiving the suspicious Leila, boldly coming to me asking for work. Even for a hero from another world, that incredible growth rate. And declaring you’ll kill the Eldritch that we couldn’t handle despite numerous sacrifices.”
Hearing Lord Margrave’s words now, I can see why I might seem quite puzzling even to myself.
As I was smiling absent-mindedly, I suddenly flinched.
“Yes. Though it hasn’t been long… you remain an enigmatic figure.”
Lord Margrave said that and rose from his seat. Next to him, the Margravine lets out terrified groans of “ah, ah.”
She had sensed the suffocating killing intent emanating from Lord Margrave.
‘This is no joke…!’
And I too, receiving that killing intent with my whole body, felt like I could stop breathing at any moment.
Clank. Lord Margrave slowly moved his feet.
“When you said you had a way to kill the Eldritch, I followed without questioning. Same goes for yesterday’s absurd order to withdraw troops. Why do you think that is?”
“… Well. How could a small-minded person like me understand Your Lordship’s profound intentions?”
“It was to grasp onto hope to bear this cursed land a little longer. For my sake. And for my unjustly killed partner Isabel.”
“…”
Lord Margrave picked up the sword he had leaned against the chair.
Swoosh. Lord Margrave’s longsword emitted a cold white light in the moonlight. He pointed it straight at me.
“It seems you have no intention of explaining your reasons this time either. Am I wrong?”
“No. You see right through me.”
“Then I cannot step aside. I cannot let you harm her based on uncertain intuition.”
“Lord Margrave. Harm? That’s just a rotting undead.”
Lord Margrave’s eyes widened at my words.
The killing intent erupting from him pressed down on me with clear pressure. Even the Demon King standing beside trembled at the thrilling energy.
But I paid no mind and provoked Lord Margrave with a sneering smile.
“Didn’t you say it yourself at first? What beauty for a rotting undead, you said.”
“… You need to learn to watch your mouth.”
“Why are you complaining so much about messing with a rotten corpse? I’ll glue it back together neatly by tomorrow, so just lend it to me for a bit.”
Right after, Lord Margrave vanished from sight.
I instinctively drew my sword and swung with all my might.
“Hup!”
Clash! A chilling metallic sound burst nearby.
My sword-holding hand stings like it’s being torn apart. At the same time, my body helplessly bounced and rolled on the floor.
“Urghk!”
I immediately used break-fall technique and jumped up. I organized my stance and watched ahead.
Lord Margrave had appeared where I was standing, approaching me with an ominous aura.
‘Yes. That’s how you should come out!!’
I took out the prepared ether bottles and drank each type of ether one by one.
My body glows in five colors as my senses expand. With expanded senses, I felt it even more painfully.
It’s tremendous.
An insurmountable wall. No… a great mountain.
The difference between Lord Margrave and me was not something I could overcome with tricks and wit.
“Come to think of it, I never had time to spar with you. I had many matches with Gwyn though.”
“…”
“I didn’t expect our first serious match would be in this form, Sir Jeong-Yong.”
Lord Margrave speaks in a regretful tone. At the same time, his form vanished once again.
It was truly ghost-like movement. I swung my sword almost purely on instinct and sensation.
“Argh!”
But due to the overwhelming difference in power and speed, cuts kept appearing on my body.
My side gets slashed.
My waist gets slashed.
And my thigh and shoulder get slashed simultaneously.
“Damn it!”
Lord Margrave’s figure appears and disappears from all directions. And by the time I notice, another wound appears on my body.
During that time, I only caught Lord Margrave’s figure three times.
Even then, I couldn’t block properly and my stance crumbled, my wrist feeling like it would snap from the force.
“Seven Sword Pierce!!”
I shouted the skill in desperation.
Seven swords are created and slash at Lord Margrave’s afterimages. But they all miss. Not a single sword could touch him.
As I bit my lip, Border Duke suddenly appeared in the distance, raising his sword high into the sky.
‘Oh no…!’
Crack! Tremendous magical power began gathering around his sword. I realized what he was trying to do and felt dizzy.
This is dangerous. The real version of the skill I copied is coming!
“Hundred Sword…”
“Tremble!!”
I quickly thrust my sword into the ground before Border Duke could finish his incantation.
Boom! With a thunderous roar, the foundation of the audience hall splits apart. Border Duke lost his balance, and the magical power gathering around him scattered.
Just as I felt relieved for a moment’s respite.
When I came to my senses, Border Duke had already disappeared.
“Excellent. Yes. That’s how you should adapt what you have according to the situation.”
The voice came from behind.
I tried to quickly swing my sword while turning around, but it was already too late.
Border Duke’s sword struck the ground. Dangerous magical power that could explode at any moment was lurking in that sword.
“Great Explosive Quake.”
Boom!
A vibration of a completely different dimension from the Tremble I had used poured out from all directions.
The shockwave swept through the surroundings. The undead scattered on the floor exploded without a trace.
“Argh!”
Bang! I was thrown by the shockwave and slammed into the audience hall wall.
Pain shot through my broken ribs. I choked for a moment, unable to breathe.
“… If it comes to this…!”
I desperately brought the ether bottle to my lips.
While drinking one water ether, I consumed all the remaining fire, wind, and earth ethers at once.
6 ethers rushed through all the blood vessels in my body at once.
“Urrrrgh!!”
Whoosh!
Multi-colored steam erupted from my body. My senses expanded to the point of bursting.
The cold wind blowing through the broken window. Border Duke’s overwhelming magical power and pressure. And even the Demon King blankly observing the situation from the corner of my vision,
Everything was processed in my mind in an instant.
“… What did you do? Your aura has changed unrecognizably.”
Border Duke tilted his head as he looked at me.
He must be surprised. The fully doped version of me must be on a completely different level from before.
‘The time limit is only 5 minutes. This needs to end quickly!’
There’s no time. I rushed at the stationary Border Duke in an instant.
“Hmm!”
Clang! Border Duke barely managed to raise his sword to block my attack.
Border Duke’s reactions were still fast. But at this level, it’s worth a try!!
“Uaaaah!”
I pressed Border Duke relentlessly.
Border Duke switched to pure defense and efficiently blocked my attacks. Though he was being pushed back, he never showed any major openings.
‘Not yet. Not yet…!’
It was clearly Border Duke who was accumulating scratches.
However, unlike the composed Border Duke, I was the one getting impatient.
I need to land a critical hit. Within 5 minutes! I gritted my teeth and swung my sword like a raging torrent.
Then at some point.
“Your speed has changed unrecognizably. But you’ve become unrecognizably monotonous. This isn’t like you, who fights wisely.”
“…Huh?”
Clang!
Border Duke, who had been purely defensive, suddenly counterattacked.
I tried to parry in surprise. However, Border Duke, who had slipped in like a snake, was one step ahead and struck my wrist.
I ended up dropping my sword.
‘This can’t be.’
Instead, I was the one who showed an opening.
Behind me with my lost weapon, Border Duke raised his sword with cold eyes.
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