The world that had surrounded him until now changed completely. It wasn’t just an illusion that made him feel like he was walking a different time axis alone.
The royal guards appeared almost frozen. The royal knights seemed to crawl like turtles, and the Royal Guard members moved only a bit faster.
Maya stayed still, waiting for an opportunity to act; Pashantu, although slow, was the quickest to act; and Leo, who had intended to assist Aries with a shield, moved sluggishly, his astonished eyes fixed on Khan.
‘Ah.’
Khan realized.
The Scales of Courage provided just enough balance to make a fight possible. The increased agility stat wasn’t at the level of the golden dragon Areolus, but it was enough to contend with its speed. The laws of the world had been interfered with to their limit, leveling the playing field to some degree.
『Agility: 50』
Thus, he reached a realm unknown to him until now—a place he might reach in the distant future, or perhaps not so distant at all.
‘I can see it.’
He could see the true nature of the vortex of death the golden dragon was unleashing.
It was controlling natural mana, sharpening it like blades and spinning it in a vortex. This was a method entirely beyond the confines of normal magic, an extralegal technique that interferes with the world’s rules to create phenomena.
This power was not permitted to mere mortals but was reserved for those who had reached the realm of transcendence. The golden dragon wielding such power signified something profound.
『You.』
A psychic wave, incredibly clear, reached him. It was the golden dragon.
As soon as Khan recognized this, his eyes met those of the dragon.
『What are you?』
It was no longer the creature that had lost its intellect. For some reason, it now had a clear sense of self and had partially released the power it possessed as a transcendent being.
As he realized this, an overwhelming will began to bear down on Khan. The will of a transcendent being can create physical phenomena. In this highly accelerated realm, the dragon intended to crush Khan’s mind and kill him. This was a one-sided violence, an inevitable death for a mortal, as it began to consume Khan’s soul.
But Khan was immune to such tactics.
“What am I? A barbarian, you bastard─!”
Khan, accelerating once more even in this extreme realm, forced his way into the vortex of deadly blades created by the golden dragon Areolus.
『How?』
The dragon’s confusion was clear through its psychic wave.
To withstand the will of a transcendent being unflinchingly and even attempt a counterattack?
This was something only those who had taken a step beyond the realm of superhumans, those about to touch the gateway to transcendence, could achieve—yet this lowly mortal had done it.
Areolus’s dragon eyes sparkled as it tried to pierce through Khan’s soul. Even though it had been resurrected in an incomplete state, the power to see through the essence of existence was a dragon’s ability before it was a transcendental power. Areolus aimed to analyze and break down the entity known as Khan.
But nothing could be seen.
Even other transcendents couldn’t completely hide from the dragon’s eyes. Yet, from this mortal, nothing was visible. This meant that a highly transcendent entity was protecting him.
No, it was more than that!
This was the work of a being of an even higher dimension…!
Areolus could no longer continue its thoughts. It was as if someone had forcibly severed the thread of its thoughts. Why?
“Die───!”
The vortex of blades was penetrated. First, this arrogant mortal must be dealt with! Realizing this, Areolus once again interfered with the natural mana to create a phenomenon. Dozens of invisible, intangible swords materialized and rushed forward.
Kagagagagak!
Slash, cut, stab. Khan countered the intangible swords with just three movements: slashing, cutting, and stabbing. His actions seemed exceedingly reckless.
A sword held in human hands is inherently limited in its trajectory and path. Areolus, who had slaughtered countless swordmasters in the past, realized this early on and developed intangible swords to kill those who wielded blades.
Intangible swords have no directional restrictions. They can change their spacing, speed, and trajectory freely according to Areolus’s will, making them more threatening than any conventional swordsmanship. The pure, concentrated mana in its rawest form makes it nearly impossible for a human body to bear their weight.
Areolus, who had massacred hundreds, thousands, perhaps even more swordmasters who had delved into the ultimate principles of the sword, was confident.
Of course, his current power was less than a quarter of his peak. However, the pitiful creature before him was far below the level of those he had faced in his prime!
Slash! Clang! Crack!
Khan’s cursed sword seemed to split and multiply to counter the omnipresent, multi-directional intangible swords coming at him from all directions with different speeds and paths. Each slash from Khan’s sword produced three successive strikes, and each thrust pierced through multiple intangible swords simultaneously.
Yet, it wasn’t enough. The frequency of the intangible swords cutting into Khan’s body steadily increased. Areolus smirked and conjured even more intangible swords.
‘…Cut the one from behind, deflect the upper-right, let the front one hit the shoulder to offset the one from the left.’
In this slowed-down world, even his thought process seemed accelerated. All distractions faded away, leaving only the approaching waves of sword strikes. Gradually, the number of hits Khan took from the intangible swords began to decrease.
『Antares Arcane Swordsmanship (B) – 89.8%』
『Antares Arcane Swordsmanship (B) – 90.3%』
『Antares Arcane Swordsmanship (B) – 91.4%』
.
.
.
『Antares Arcane Swordsmanship (B) – 98.7%』
Against the intangible swords that had slain countless swordmasters of ancient times, Khan surpassed his limits. His movements became more refined, the gaps between his strikes narrowed, and the flow of his continuous attacks became as smooth as water.
Clang──!
And finally.
『Gordi Khan Style, Supreme Heavy Sword (A) – 01%』
Khan broke into a new realm.
Two swords were severed in one strike, four in the next, then eight in the third. Each successive attack doubled in power, increasing the burden on his body, but he didn’t mind. As long as he had the strength to hold and swing his weapon, he could continue without faltering.
Thus, all the intangible swords were shattered.
A technique that had never failed against swordmasters was broken. Despite this, Areolus remained calm. While the mortal before him seemed to have mastered an impressive trick, what of it?
Areolus attributed the failure to himself. The intangible swords had been blocked because he was in a state that was less than a tenth of his prime. This realization only intensified his longing for power. Somehow, he would reclaim his full strength once more!
The transcendent being that was also a dragon once again exerted its will to create a phenomenon.
Though his heart began to strain from wielding power beyond his current vessel, it didn’t matter. Once he killed the mortal before him and absorbed the transcendent gene, everything would be resolved. Thus, Areolus didn’t hold back.
He seized control of all the mana in the vicinity. Power to the extent of warping space was concentrated at a single point. It was pure physical force compressed to the utmost limit and forged into a sphere. Unless one had a countermeasure for spatial magic, it was an impossible technique to defend against—a guaranteed kill.
Perhaps the ancient grand mages could have managed, but for a mere barbarian, evading it wasn’t even an option. The technique warped a vast area of space upon detonation, and only Areolus was immune to its aftereffects.
『Die, mortal.』
A catastrophe encompassing the entire capital began to unravel in the air.
Areolus’s power, perfectly gauging his opponent’s limits and causing corresponding phenomena, was truly transcendent. Khan, with the strength he possessed, had no way to counter it.
Therefore, he turned to external powers. Khan opened a subspace and grasped a small jewel.
The Mortalia’s Orb of Null Space, a legendary item capable of refracting space itself. By shattering the magic stone prepared in advance by Witch of Loren, Ludmilla, the orb’s defensive mechanisms were unleashed.
The power from the Orb of Null Space swallowed up the sphere created by Areolus. Simultaneously, Khan rushed towards Areolus.
『Arrogant mortal!』
Areolus’s technique, relying on his dominion over the environment, was thwarted. Yet, even as he ended up granting an opening, he felt no fear.
Why are dragons considered nearly perfect beings? Their bodies and souls exist in a state closest to perfection!
Areolus unleashed the most powerful weapon at his disposal: his own body.
The attack that had once driven Khan to the brink of death in a single blow was now coming at him again. Compared to Areolus’s massive claw, which could easily engulf Khan’s entire body, Khan’s draupnir seemed infinitely insignificant. The difference in size alone was incomparable.
But this time, the conditions were different. Now, Khan could see Areolus’s claw clearly and had the means to respond.
Boom!
It sounded like thunder. Unleashing the accumulated power of the chained strikes from his Supreme Heavy Sword, Khan shattered Areolus’s foreclaw with a thunderous roar.
『──────!』
However, Areolus’s cunning, which had once toyed with the entire continent alone, far exceeded Khan’s imagination.
The shattered parts of Areolus’s body turned into mana.
The mana that formed right in front of Khan’s nose became hundreds of explosive orbs, and as Khan activated the Mark of the Abyss, they detonated.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The pure white shield barely held up against the series of explosions, its glow fading rapidly. It looked like it couldn’t hold on much longer.
Determined to finish off the tenacious mortal like an insect, Areolus prepared for another strike. But his attempt was thwarted by a presence that intervened in their realm.
『Descent』
With the power of the gods, Aries entered the same realm as Areolus and Khan. Though the time she could maintain Descent had significantly shortened due to her closer connection with the Goddess of Justice, she believed that even a brief moment would be enough.
She channeled the divine power that filled her body into two streams. One stream reinforced Khan’s Shield from the Mark of the Abyss, while the other revitalized Khan’s body, which had started to reach its limits!
『You filthy traitor─!』
Sensing the familiar presence, Areolus’s heart raged. However, the now-protected Khan reached him even faster. The dragon-slaying sword dragged a long, deep cut across Areolus’s face.
Already, the lingering, dense curse from the long-standing resentment had begun to encroach upon Areolus’s heart. It was this curse that had caused him to regain his self-awareness.
Areolus felt an emotion he believed he would never experience again. It was the fear of death.
──────!!
A roar imbued with the will of a transcendent being swept through the surroundings. It was an expression of pure physical force meant to push Khan back momentarily. Yet, Khan planted his feet firmly into the ground and stood his ground.
‘The reverse scale and the heart. I have to destroy both at once.’
The reverse scale was both a weakness and the toughest shield. However, piercing through it would open the path directly to the heart. Of course, the dragon’s heart itself was extraordinarily resilient, so a normal strike wouldn’t suffice to end Areolus.
『Surging Strength』
Two activations of an A-rank skill in one battle. But Aries’s god-granted healing spell barely held Khan’s body together. However—
‘It’s not enough.’
Khan knew even that wasn’t sufficient.
At this rate, his strength would be depleted by the time he pierced the reverse scale. The strength was insufficient. Therefore, he needed to draw upon even more power.
『Surging Strength』
The stacking of an A-rank skill. A technique that had previously been impossible due to his absolute lack of stamina.
But now it was possible. With a stamina stat nearing 50 and the Goddess of Justice’s power preventing his body from breaking down!
Crack. Crack!
The power was beyond what his body could handle. The excessive force, surpassing the vessel’s limits, began to shatter it. Simultaneously, divine power rapidly mended his body.
There was no hesitation. Following the path drawn by the Supreme Heavy Sword, Khan unleashed the overflowing power all at once.
The reverse scale, which met the red cursed sword, disintegrated without leaving a trace. The force didn’t stop there and crushed the dragon’s heart. Both core elements, the reverse scale and the heart that maintained existence, were destroyed.
Despite this, Areolus’s will remained, still burning with a tenacious grip on life. However, the curse, harboring deep resentment and capable of consuming dragons, completely enveloped Areolus.
The level-up message that immediately followed indicated Areolus’s complete annihilation. And then—
───────────
Everything aligned with the horizontal line drawn by the red slash vanished without a trace.
“…….”
“…….”
Khan’s expression became peculiar. In an instant, he had destroyed half of the royal castle and the previously indomitable dragon-scale fortress walls, creating a catastrophe greater than Areolus himself.
***
『Act 2, where the Dragon’s Trace Lies』 – Cleared!
─ Clear Reward: Supreme Heavy Sword(A), royal Treasures x3, title of Guardian Knight of the Argon Kingdom.
─ The influence of the Void has slightly diminished.
『Level Up!』
『Level 29 -> 31』
『Strength: 68 -> 72』 +1
『Agility: 37 -> 39』 +3
『Stamina: 39 -> 41』 +9
『Intelligence: 2』 -1
『Act 3, Proof of Valor』
─ Failure will result in the permanent loss of the exclusive Barbarian reward.
TL’s Corner:
The dragon has been slain!!!