Duke’s Son: Re

Chapter 57

‘What is this?’

Jaehyuk’s weapon was ordinary. It was just one of the many swords displayed in the mansion’s armory.

A sheath of dark green and a blade of black.

Golden bands and red tassels.

Although it was imbued with symbolic value due to its association with the Kang family, technically speaking, it wasn’t a precious artifact.

Jaehyuk had no idea that the shattered blade could scatter crimson, transparent light like blood, and that it had the ability to regenerate into the pristine state of the blade.

However, there was one thing he was sure of.

Iyarugt.

The name was associated with the progenitor of the Kang family.

It was said that the progenitor had favored the sword hundreds of years ago.

“Oh….”

Jaehyuk’s dark eyes quivered violently.

A ravishing and beautiful longsword, as if crafted from red glass.

The beloved sword of the progenitor, which he had only seen in records, now appeared vividly before his eyes.

The only proof that this sword was once Jaehyuk’s sword lay in the tassels tied to its hilt.

『A demon sword indeed. Although it’s empty now, it’s not hard to imagine that the thoughts contained within it were quite powerful.』

Theodor spoke with a flicker in his violet eyes.

Startled by the chilling voice, Jaehyuk quickly grasped Iyarugt.

He felt a shiver.

The hilt meshed perfectly with his grip.

The intricate design, hidden beneath a splendid exterior, provided a sensation almost like it was part of his own body.

Weight, balance, strength, sharpness.

Everything was near perfect.

It was no exaggeration to call it an ideal sword.

However…

‘Not just anyone can wield this.’

The sword’s nature was too noble.

It demanded an ideal master as befitting a perfect sword. A slight slip in handling it might cause its sharpness to turn against its wielder.

It wasn’t a flaw but a law of nature.

Even an ordinary kitchen knife requires an artisan’s touch the sharper it is.

In other words.

‘No problem.’

The existing sheath and Iyarugt were not compatible.

It was hard use sword draw technique.

Thus, Jaehyuk grasped the hilt with both hands.

‘A double-edged sword.’

It’s commonly said that swords are suited for thrusting, while single-edged swords are good for slicing.

A simplistic prejudice.

A single-edged sword’s thrust is strong enough to easily sever the enemy’s breath.

A doube-edged sword on both sides could cut through an enemy more effectively than a single-edged sword.

Ultimately, everything depended on the wielder’s capability.

『I thought you’d be eaten by the Troll Lord. Although recently born, it was a lord. Clearly stronger than you.』

Theodor showed interest in Jaehyuk, who appeared as a different person when wielding the sword, holding it diagonally above his right shoulder.

『I’m curious whether the Jaehyuk, holding a sword instead of a single-edged sword, possesses the capacity to overcome a relatively stronger foe.』

Theodor’s sword, in stark contrast to the-nimble Iyarugt, began emitting a blazing aura.

An immense aura.

Just standing opposite it made Jaehyuk’s skin feel as if it were peeling away.

If it were the Jaehyuk before acquiring Iyarugt, he wouldn’t have dared to confront it.

The moment the single-edged sword collided with Theodor’s sword, it would have been cleaved like paper.

『Endure one exchange with me and I’ll let you live.』

But the situation was different now.

He had captured the Troll Lord, and his level had increased by three.

He achieved miraculous feats and all of his stats had increased by 5.

Above all else, he had acquired a new weapon.

“One exchange… Why are you showing me such favor?”

『You’re not the one I am searching for, so I have no particular business with you.』

In response to Jaehyuk’s cautious inquiry, Theodor answered plainly.

『Still, you resemble who I seek, sparking my interest. Especially as your emotionless black eyes and radical actions give the impression of a madman.』

Indeed.

Theodor already knew.

『You are of Yaksha’s bloodline.』

“……”

Jaehyuk did not answer hastily.

He was cautious, knowing that this entity, appearing abruptly after a proposed 120-day reprieve, was unpredictable.

He understood he should not provoke Theodor in any way.

As Jaehyuk stood silently, Theodor smirked at him.

『I’m not doing you a favor.』

The edges of the skull’s mouth curled upwards.

Even witnessing it, it was both unbelievable and uncanny.

『I intend to kill you. There’s no value to one who cannot endure even a single exchange against my current self.』

Theodor lifted the straightened blade over his head.

The stance was reminiscent of an executioner about to decapitate.

His determination for dualistic severance was evident.

Meeting the eerie monster resembling a guillotine, Jaehyuk felt shivers run down his spine.

The threat from something overwhelmingly stronger was dreadful enough to crush a noble’s dignity.

However.

“…….”

Jaehyuk did not even raise an eyebrow.

Fear was a luxury he could not afford.

The enemies of the family were already at the peak.

Even this monstrous presence before him would have to gaze down from nobility.

Would he falter in such a place when he had sharpened his blade of vengeance for them?

Unthinkable.

If that were the case, he would never have taken up a sword to begin with.

‘I would have rather ended it with my own hands.’

Theodor’s appearance changed as reflected in Jaehyuk’s dark eyes.

The faces of those who had stabbed his father’s back and trampled the Kang family superimposed atop the Death Knight’s skull.

Jaehyuk’s breath caught in his throat.

The creature akin to a guillotine turned into a towering mountain in his perception.

It felt as though he’d run into an insurmountable wall even a lifetime of struggling could not overcome.

Crippling despair and frustration materialized into shackles and chains, wrapping tightly around the young man’s body.

It was a familiar feeling.

A sensation he experienced every time he swung a sword alone.

『Entering a state of Transcendental Focus.』

The deadly crisis surprisingly worked to Jaehyuk’s advantage.

His life was always in crisis, so there was no difference from the usual.

『Incredible. Truly the spawn of that reputation.』

Reading Jaehyuk’s state as he stepped into the Transcendental Focus while on the brink of death, Theodor’s smile deepened.

His sword descended vertically.

The world grew heavier.

The energy imbued within the sword seemed to draw down the sky entirely.

Jaehyuk’s knees and shoulders were physically oppressed.

Boom!!

As Iyarugt and Theodor’s sword struck each other, the colossal impact generated an ear-splitting roar.

Jaehyuk’s knees almost gave way.

Theodor’s sword, pressing upon Iyarugt, tried to pierce his shoulder.

It felt like the ancestral sword he had just acquired might be bisected along with him.

Just then.

Thump!

Jaehyuk placed his right thumb against the blade and unexpectedly advanced.

Crack!!

His wrist fractured under the massive pressure gripping the hilt, twisting painfully. Meanwhile, Iyarugt, spinning in a circular motion, slid towards Theodor’s neck.

Inevitably, it couldn’t cut through.

Iyarugt merely skimmed along Theodor’s sword because its master had sacrificed both hands.

Tap.

Even as Jaehyuk strained his trembling hands, Iyarugt barely rested atop Theodor’s spine.

An overwhelming disparity in strength.

Although Jaehyuk, having beaten the Troll Lord, achieved level 29, comparing his strength to Theodor’s was ludicrously inadequate.

Just deflecting Theodor’s powerful strike had shattered both his wrists.

Even controlling the strike using his thumb against the blade wouldn’t have been possible without adding extra strength.

『… Heh.』

Noticing Jaehyuk’s severely bent thumb, Theodor chuckled softly.

『Enduring physical pain isn’t so easily done, huh?』

Theodor, too, had once been human long ago.

Although vague, he remembered the notion of pain.

Jaehyuk, now regaining his senses, retorted.

“It’s better for the body to hurt than for the heart to ail.”

The potency of Iyarugt had far exceeded expectations.

It was much more solid and sharper than the epic-level High Judge Alrus’ dagger.

Thus, it could withstand Theodor’s strike.

Indeed, Jaehyuk had survived the single exchange with Theodor.

There was no necessity to counterattack, becoming tattered.

Nonetheless, Jaehyuk’s intention was not merely to survive.

If he surrendered in relief, simply having survived, he knew the knot within his heart would only swell uncontrollably.

It was a destiny borne by one who carried a noble’s dignity.

Such dignity was akin to a knight’s pride.

『Establishing the third chivalry.』

〈Noble Chivalry of Hardship, Unyielding Pride〉

By believing in himself, he did not succumb to death.

*Skill 〈The Unbreakable〉 unlocked.

〈The Unbreakable〉 Lv.1

Type: Passive

When battling enemies with a higher level than himself, all stats increase by 10 percent.

Jaehyuk captured the Troll Lord, acquired Iyarugt, and unfolded a new chivalry.

He gained an immense amount.

However, he could not purely celebrate.

Jaehyuk did not trust Theodor.

Understandably so.

Being a named figure was just being a monster nonetheless.

He was a renegade who didn’t even adhere to his own words.

Despite surviving one exchange, there was no assurance Theodor would let him live as promised.

He needed to prepare for battle once again.

『Hmm…?』

Theodor, who had been observing Jaehyuk struggle to properly straighten the drooping sword, then turned his gaze towards the communal entrance.

Jaehyuk then noticed multiple approaching presences.

“Jaehyuk! Where are you, Jaehyuk!!”

“Jaehyuk!”

“Jaehyuk!”

Dahui, Yujin, and A-class instructor Park Jubong’s voices echoed.

Several footsteps followed in their wake.

It appeared as though Park Jubong, having safely reunited with the students, had brought the military forces.

This was the result Jaehyuk had orchestrated.

Saving Park Jubong had inadvertently created this unexpected avenue.

Yet, Theodor was still right in front of him.

As Jaehyuk couldn’t let his guard down, Theodor spoke.

『I believe we have about 109 days left now? I’m eagerly looking forward to the day of promise. By then, as I regain some strength and as you grow considerably, our reunion shall bring far greater delight than today.』

Boom!

Propelled from the ground, Theodor leaped.

Jaehyuk, who had previously struggled to ascend even halfway up the cliff, watched as Theodor scaled it in mere strides, vanishing beyond the crater.

“Damn it! Pursue him!”

The military forces, enraged upon discovering the Troll Lord’s body, chased after Theodor, while Dahui, Yujin, and Park Jubong, upon seeing the bloodied Jaehyuk, rushed towards him in shock.