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Chapter 145: Behind the Scenes (2)

“Ugh—?!”

WHAM!

Karyl, with his arms crossed to block the incoming attack, flew through the office wall and crashed into the wall on the other side of the hallway.

“Tsk—!”

Having blocked Gordon’s strike, his arms were trembling as if they had been electrocuted.

Gordon’s power was immense, which was why he was astounded to see Karyl still standing after taking his punch.

"Heh... I thought you were a funny guy from the first time I saw you. I didn\'t think you’d be able to block that.”

Gordon rotated his arm lightly.

“Even a Sword Expert would have had their arms shattered by that one punch.”

His massive biceps bulged, and as he clenched his fist, the sleeve of his Guidance Mercenary Gang uniform burst open with a loud opo.

“Come out.”

His monstrous torso twitched with each breath.

“Let’s continue your little chat outside. If we do this here, the airship will get destroyed.”

The numerous scars visible through his torn clothes were like medals, but they were almost overshadowed by his perfect muscles, twitching like living creatures.

“Whoa...” Karyl couldn’t help being impressed.

So this was Gordon Fabian in his prime.

Karyl found it utterly ridiculous, especially considering that his punch hadn’t had any mana infused in it. Just with raw physical strength, Gordon was a monster.

I shouldn’t do this... He couldn’t help but smile.

Karyl had surpassed his father, Kuwell MacGovern, in pure swordsmanship at the age of eighteen. It had taken him six years, and that alone was an astounding achievement.

But now he was no longer at that level, not even close. Two years had passed since his return. He had altered the course of history, changing the empire from how he remembered it. However, Karyl was curious about his own transformation more than any other change.

He had fought countless battles, but even in his previous life, he had rarely come across individuals of absolute, unmatched strength.

He was filled with pure curiosity.

“What are you doing?” Gordon called out to him.

Although for a brief moment, Karyl wanted to just forget why he had come here. Sometimes, fists were more efficient than words for communicating.

“How can you just throw a punch like that, out of nowhere?”

Thunk—

Stepping outside the airship, Karyl planted Freezing Talon in the ground and gripped Agnel.

“Now, could I throw one back at you?”

“You wield a sword, and yet you’re asking if you can punch me. How interesting.”

Karyl chuckled at Gordon’s remark.

At the sudden commotion, the mercenaries rushed out of the ship.

“Everyone, get back inside,” Gordon quietly urged his subordinates, glancing at them briefly.

“Huh? But...”

“Captain!”

“You’re in the way. You didn’t even notice there was an intruder. I won\'t repeat myself.”

Though confident in their abilities, the mercenaries merely nodded at Gordon’s command, not daring to argue.

“Idiots...” Gordon clicked his tongue.

"Isn\'t it that it\'s dangerous, rather than just being an interference?" Karyl asked, twirling Agnel lightly.

Thump! Thump!

Instead of answering, Gordon merely strode toward Karyl, the ground sinking under his foot with each step he took. While even an Expert could leave deep footprints, Gordon was on an entirely different level.

“No. They’re in my way.”

The ground rumbled as though there were an earthquake, yet his heavy steps didn’t kick up any dust.

“...”

It had been a while since Karyl last felt a drop of sweat trickle down his forehead.

No way...

Despite attaining mana and mastering the Arcane one, Karyl had only been properly utilizing his mana for less than a year due to his previously blocked meridians. At just fourteen years old, his body was still laughable compared to Gordon’s fully developed, muscular build.

Voosh!

But Karyl didn’t hesitate to charge at him.

In fact, it was precisely this stark difference between their physiques that would allow him to truly put his swordsmanship and mana mastery to the test.

Zzzzzz...!!

The moment he grabbed the dagger spinning in his palm, a powerful mana erupted from its blade, making it seem longer. After slipping into Gordon’s range, Karyl slashed at his waist.

Boom!!

Just before the Aura Blade from Agnel reached him, Gordon brought his fist down from above.

Crack!!

Dust and debris flew in all directions; the impact pushed Karyl’s blade down, while he himself was propelled upward.

Thanks to the dragon mana granting him an endless supply of mana, Karyl certainly surpassed Gordon in terms of speed. However, when it came to sheer physical strength, Gordon, with his much larger build, was leagues above him.

Bang! BANG!

Karyl took a step mid-air. He then zigzagged as if jumping on invisible walls, slashing diagonally at Gordon’s neck.

Woosh!

Ziiing...!!

The Aura Blade of Agnel vibrated.

Colorless Air Sword - Second Form.

Clang!

Gordon grabbed the blade of Agnel with a loud metallic clang, and just like when he had struck Karyl earlier, debris flew around them. His hand was surrounded by a thick earthen shield, unique to his Earth element.

“That’s an interesting sword technique you have.”

Creak...!!

As Gordon slowly pushed the blade downward, Agnel’s edge, made of Clear Distilled Water, sparkled and screeched as though wailing.

Karyl held onto Agnel with both hands, but he couldn’t withstand Gordon’s overwhelming strength.

It wasn’t a specific sword or martial technique.

There were five Sword Masters in the world, but that rank was merely a testament to their immense strength, as not all of them wielded swords. Valvont, the King of Martial Arts, had reached that level solely with martial arts, while Ganeth, the Knight of the Brand, used a halberd.

Each had their own unique style and form.

But Gordon was different.

Boom!!

He had reached the level of a Sword Master purely through his natural physical strength and power. If he were a barbarian without any mana like Karyl, he might have been called a Martial Saint before Karyl.

He’s even more of a monster with mana.

Karyl released Agnel from Gordon’s grip, pivoted on his right foot, and kicked upward with all his might.

Bang! Bang! Boom...!!

Like a spinning wheel, Karyl struck his stomach, then his chest, and finally his chin. The shock forced Gordon to drop the dagger, and Karyl quickly rolled on the ground to retrieve it.

This is insane...

Karyl looked up.

Crack—!

Gordon, twisting his neck side to side, stared back at him.

Karyl’s mana-infused kicks were more powerful than most sword strikes. But Gordon, who had instantly hardened his face akin to a stone statue, merely staggered back and didn’t even seem badly hurt.

“Rozes!!” Gordon, looking at the ship, called out in a booming voice. “Bring out the Martyr.”

Quickly responding to his order, three men struggled to carry a massive battle hammer and eventually managed to drop it from the upper floor of the airship.

THUD!

The hammer landed vertically, rumbling the ground akin to an earthquake. It was caked with dried blood, its origin unknown.

Gordon casually grabbed the handle and swung the hammer over his shoulder.

Crack... Crack...

Gordon’s entire body turned brown as if clad in armor. The thick layers of earth enveloping him made his already huge build look twice as big.

Is that it?

Gordon used mana differently from the other Sword Master. If the others used it for offense, his monstrous strength allowed him to focus his mana entirely on defense. He hadn’t used any sword or spear techniques throughout his life—instead, he had created and honed a unique defensive magic.

Automata.

This was an absolute defensive technique of the Earth element. However, after Gordon succumbed to his illness in his previous life, the technique had been lost with him, and so Karyl hadn’t had the chance to see it in action.

Gordon smirked at Karyl as if to invite him to attack. He almost looked like a child who had finally found a fun toy after being bored for the longest time.

“That’s a monster, alright,” Karyl uttered his honest thoughts at the sight of his opponent. "Then I guess this is the end."

Shing...

He retrieved his sword, which he had planted in the ground moments earlier.

"Oh, you’re finally using that thing?"

Gordon gazed at Karyl’s sword, intrigued. The chilling aura it emitted was anything but ordinary.

"My hammer\'s pretty decent too. Wonder if it\'ll shatter your sword.

THOOM!

Gordon\'s effortless swing made the massive hammer seem light, but the thunderous roar it emitted as it cut through the air told a different story.

"Phew..."

Karyl infused Agnel with the power of the Blazing King.

Whoosh—!!

A fierce flame surged from his hand to the sword’s hilt, seemingly ready to consume everything.

In contrast, the blade of the Freezing Talon took on a stark white color as it absorbed the chill of the Aura Blade.

Gordon watched him with growing interest.

"..."

There was a moment of silence.

Karyl turned his head. Twilight was slowly creeping in.

"We don\'t have much time."

His concern wasn\'t for Kromen but for Tiren.

"You leave with me with no choice, then."

Karyl had to wrap this up before they arrived.

Click.

At that moment, Karyl unlatched the Bracelet of Greed on his wrist.

...

KABOOM—!!!

"...!!"

Not even Gordon Fabian himself managed to react to the explosive burst of mana; he merely stared at Karyl wide-eyed. The two of them had certainly been at least a couple dozen of meters apart from each other.

"You..."

But now, Karyl stood right in front of him. Even so, Gordon’s astonishment had quickly vanished, now looking at his adversary rather indifferently.

"Why are you here again?"

"Haha..."

Karyl couldn\'t help laughing, unable to tell if Gordon was truly indifferent or simply fearless beyond human standards.

I’m trying to save you.

Gordon glanced at Karyl\'s Agnel embedded in his shoulder and then turned his head back. The sheer power had pierced right through his earthen armor.

Crack... Crack...

That wasn\'t the end of it. The hand with which he was holding the Martyr trembled slightly. Had he not blocked the Freezing Talon with the hammer, it would have been lodged between his ribs.

"Ah..."

Gordon examined Karyl\'s attack. Each of his strikes had been aimed at a vital point.

"So that’s how it is, huh?

As he looked at Karyl, his lips curled into a defiant smile.