LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 150
Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Doodle, Eyes
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Chapter 150: The Sorceress Empress (5)
The moment Kant saw Theo, his hands trembled.
Was it out of fear?
No.
– It was out of exhilaration.
He could instinctively sense it.
‘He’s not below me in any way!’
Theo’s reputation was already well known to him.
A prodigy who graduated from the Blossoming Ceremony with the highest score in history.
Selected as a Practical Swordsman in the shortest time.
And even the conquest of the Floating Archipelago Autonomous Territory.
Each one of these accomplishments was remarkable enough that even Kant would have struggled to achieve them.
Thus, when Kant thought of crossing swords with Theo, he considered it an opportunity to understand the level of Ragnar’s famed genius and to predict how the Wandering Knights’ Alliance could navigate future conflicts.
As the war between Ragnar and Troyban in the north dragged on, smaller organizations like theirs would have to find ways to survive.
But after actually meeting Theo like this, all such thoughts vanished from his mind.
Only a profound fighting spirit remained in his chest.
His instincts as a swordsman were screaming.
– Kant had already forgotten about retrieving Cassandra.
Clang!
And the moment their swords clashed for the first time, that instinct was confirmed.
“You’re quite skilled! Your fundamentals are solid, which is rare for someone of your age and rapid growth. Did you perhaps learn from Evelyn Nerevil?”
“You know Senior Evelyn?”
“How could I not?”
A smile spread across Kant’s lips.
“It was I who corrected Evelyn’s wandering sword in her youth.”
“…!”
“Haha. In a way, one could say that you and I share a distant master-disciple relationship.”
Theo’s eyes darkened deeply.
On the other hand, Kant looked delighted.
“A wanderer’s sword, adrift without a master or destination, has now reached Ragnar’s heir! What an honor!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, Theo and Kant exchanged multiple strikes.
Their swordsmanship was distinctly different yet somehow bore a subtle similarity.
From the way they held their swords, to the direction their feet moved, and even the length of their strides.
Theo could clearly see traces of Evelyn in Kant’s movements.
‘I never expected the King Slayer to be Evelyn’s sword master.’
The Wandering Knights’ Alliance was one of the forces that had rebelled alongside Troyban in Theo’s previous life.
They inflicted significant damage on Ragnar, and even during the suppression, countless swordsmen had to sacrifice their lives.
Kant, in particular, left a lasting impression with his demonic presence as he swung his blood-soaked sword, a sight etched into the memories of many.
‘However.’
Theo gripped Drake’s blade tightly.
‘I will win.’
It wasn’t arrogance.
It was conviction.
Zzzeoong!
As his Inner Aura intensified, dragon scales erupted along the blade, radiating a vivid yellow light.
Crackle!
At the same time, arcs of lightning sparked and scattered.
Theo’s strike sent Kant reeling backward.
Kant’s eyes widened in shock.
“Cassandra!”
At Theo’s shout, Cassandra’s faint laughter could be heard, emanating from the central mausoleum where she had been hiding among the specters.
「I was waiting for you to call for me.」
The mana flowing through the cave abruptly grew heavier.
Shrrrk!
Magical chains burst from the ground and bound Kant’s limbs.
Though Kant quickly unleashed his aura to break free,
The knights of the Wandering Knights’ Alliance searching for Cassandra, the swordsmen of the First Sword Assembly still suffering from hallucinations, and the assassins of the Black Shadow Sword Unit lying in wait weren’t so fortunate.
“This, this can’t be!”
“Why is magic suddenly appearing here?!”
“Damn it! My magic power is being drained!”
The horrifying aspect of the chains was their rapid siphoning of the victims’ magic power.
Such magic was impossible unless performed by a mage of at least the 6th tier or higher.
“Could it be that there’s a mage among your group? When did this happen…?”
Kant’s expression hardened. He hadn’t been warned about such a possibility.
It was a natural reaction since he couldn’t fathom that Cassandra had brought back the consciousness of a legendary mage—the Sorceress Empress—from the distant future.
Theo, having no reason to explain, poured all his strength into recalling the swordsmanship he had learned before.
‘Black Flame Jade Sun.’
Originally, this had been an ancient secret art of Ragnar, later claimed as a secret technique by the lord of Troyban.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Dragon’s Heart pounded violently, resonating with his core.
[All Buff has been activated.]
[Time limit: 6 minutes.]
The ancient relics of the Primordial Dragon that Theo wore reacted simultaneously, channeling immense power into Drake’s blade.
Theo’s magic surged at once.
The lightning that surrounded the blade roared, coalescing into a sphere in midair.
The resulting Thunder Orb rapidly expanded, its form swelling until it nearly consumed the ceiling of the cave.
– Th-that…!
– The sun…! The sun has risen!
– Did he replace the black flame the commander used with lightning?
– Ah…!
– The commander’s secret art lives on. I can die with no regrets now…!
The specters, watching as the thunder orb illuminated the cave, burst into awe and tears of profound emotion.
Memories of a past that no longer came to him easily resurfaced vividly.
Whenever that sun rose, they would always feel at ease.
After all, it was practically a banner that heralded the family’s victory!
‘This is really getting out of hand.’
Meanwhile, Theo gritted his teeth as he felt his magic draining far faster than expected.
As the Thunder Orb began to spin, it absorbed mana at an accelerating pace. The faster it spun, the more mana it devoured, and the faster it spun again.
He had tried substituting lightning for flame, given his attribute, but it seemed the electromagnetic forces involved made the effect even more powerful than anticipated.
‘If I let this go, it’ll explode. Before that happens—’
Theo held on to his concentration until the very end and lifted Drake’s blade with great effort.
‘- I’ll cut it.’
“This—!”
Kant, realizing Theo’s intent, pushed off the ground once again.
He could sense the power contained within the Thunder Orb.
The air inside the cave was so searingly hot from its radiating heat that it felt like it would cause burns.
Sparks erupted haphazardly, creating waves of energy that swirled chaotically with every discharge.
But before the orb could unleash its fury, a brilliant flash of light shot diagonally across, splitting the Thunder Orb in two.
Ssshhk—
The orb, sliced cleanly in half, slid apart to the sides.
In an instant, the cave was plunged into darkness, as though it had never been illuminated at all.
The severed orb exploded, scattering fragments in every direction.
Each fragment transformed into a lightning bolt, crashing violently into the ground.
“Ah…!”
“No, no…!”
KRA-KA-BOOM!
The screams of the swordsmen who had been momentarily bound by the Binding spell were drowned out entirely by the thunder.
Their bodies fared no better.
As the bolts struck, their forms were scorched black, leaving nothing recognizable behind.
Where the Solar Eclipse ended,
The stiflingly hot cave was filled only with drifting black ash.
“What… what is this…?”
Kant, the only survivor, stood frozen in shock.
But even he wasn’t in good shape.
His right arm was nowhere to be seen, torn off entirely. His sword lay embedded in the ground, charred black.
With that single strike, every subordinate he had vowed to live alongside for the rest of his life had been obliterated.
Even the arm that was as dear to him as his life.
“This… sword… what in the world… is this… thing?”
Despite it all, Kant forced himself to speak with a trembling voice, gathering his composure.
In that moment, he foresaw his own death.
But even if he were to die, he had to know the name of the sword that had killed him.
“Dragon Pearl Sun.”
“Yeou… ju? Yeouiju, you say.”
Kant repeated the name slowly, savoring its sound.
“I’ve heard that it refers to the pearl held in the mouths of dragons said to reside in the East. They say it contains the power to summon lightning and thunder, tempests and torrential rain. The people of the East revere dragons as gods for that reason, don’t they?”
Kant gave a faint smile.
“Indeed… it’s… the… perfect name… for it…!”
Fsshh—
With those final words, Kant disintegrated into fine dust and vanished.
Having faced the Solar Eclipse head-on, it was remarkable that he had endured even this long.
– Dragon Pearl Sun, huh.
– The secret art won’t see practical use again.
– But there’s still much to refine. Isn’t the energy loss rate too high?
– Right. That part needs work.
– How should we approach it?
The awe was fleeting.
The specters quickly began brainstorming ways to improve Theo’s Dragon Pearl Sun.
One thought came to all of them simultaneously.
– Let’s perfect this technique for Theo and make it Ragnar’s ultimate masterpiece!
Just seeing the potential path forward filled them with enthusiasm rivaling that of the living.
Theo glanced at the specters and smiled faintly before turning his focus back to the front.
Someone was approaching.
The battle was not yet over.
“It’s hot.”
The Blue Crane Corps Captain entered the mausoleum’s entrance with his subordinates in tow.
The heat and the stench of burning filled their noses.
They had entered, expecting a fierce clash after hearing the tremendous thunder that had shaken the cave as if it might collapse…
“It seems there’s been a serious battle here. I thought there would be no more than a few Practical Swordsmen, but could it be that the Chosen One has already claimed the Sword Legacy?”
Tsk!
The captain clicked his tongue, annoyed.
They had gone to great lengths to find a royal descendant with foresight abilities to track the Sword Legacy and even lured an agent known as ‘Alpha’ into the mausoleum.
And now, it seemed they had handed over the hard-earned prize to the wrong person entirely.
He could already foresee Arkt’s explosive anger upon learning of this.
“Before His Excellency arrives, we need to retrieve the item.”
“Understood!”
“Understood!”
“And… Bishop Kali must assist us as well.”
“Hoho, I was waiting for you to say that. Truthfully, it’s been difficult to watch the sanctity of this place be destroyed any further.”
Kali appeared with a faint smile, chuckling softly.
“Then, see you later.”
Swoosh!
The leader of the Blue Crane Corps clicked his tongue as he watched the bishop vanish like a phantom.
He wasn’t pleased with the idea of sharing the Sword Legacy with those others.
‘So now, all that’s left is to catch them off guard while they’re momentarily relieved, thinking they’ve overcome the encirclement?’
The Blue Crane leader could only hope that the dagger he had planted deep within their ranks remained sharp enough.
* * *
“Theo! Are you okay?”
Ray hurriedly approached Theo, her voice filled with concern.
Theo’s body was still emitting clouds of steam. His skin was flushed red with heat.
If left alone, it was clear his body would soon suffer serious strain, so she planned to use her frost attribute to cool him down.
However—
“Ray, wait a moment.”
“Huh…?”
Ray halted in her tracks, blinking in confusion.
She couldn’t understand why Theo was glaring at Ode.
Wasn’t she the one who had saved them from Troyban’s encirclement?
True, she hadn’t played much of a role during the actual battle. When Kant and Barosa appeared, she’d been nowhere to be seen, seemingly vanishing without a trace.
But still, Ode had long managed the mausoleum and was a loyal servant of the Ragnar family, even close to the Upsurging Dragon…
“When was it that your heart turned cold toward Ragnar?”
Ray wasn’t the only one stunned. Selperd, who had been checking on Arin’s condition, also turned his gaze sharply toward Ode.
A bitter smile formed on Ode’s lips.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about…”
“Enough with the feigned ignorance. This mausoleum is a location that could never have been discovered without someone leaking the information. You said so yourself, Ode. And also—”
Theo paused briefly, turning to glance at the ghosts.
They were nodding solemnly, as if confirming his suspicion.
That reassurance further solidified Theo’s confidence.
“More than anything, the swordsmanship you briefly displayed… it’s remarkably similar to the Sword Legacy of the Resolution Squad leader who isn’t here, is he?”
“…”
At that moment, Ode’s expression froze, her face hardening like stone.