Return of The Martial King

Chapter 232

The indomitable body that had withstood spears, swords, and every imaginable assault.

Now, it was torn and twisted like a tattered rag, drifting aimlessly in the air. The once unyielding muscles were grotesquely contorted, and the skin that had deflected blades was gruesomely ripped, blood streaming freely.

Bloodied and broken, Repenhardt was buried deep into the walls of Zeppelin. So severely battered was he that he couldn't muster the strength to move even a finger. Watching the groaning Repenhardt, Teslon clicked his tongue.

"To think you'd pull something like that…"

The destructive power of Calamity Horn differs drastically between its fourth and fifth stacks. Calamity Horn is a technique that amplifies exponentially with each additional stack. Even discounting the force that had been offset, Repenhardt had effectively taken the fifth stack of Calamity Horn directly, with no Aura defense—merely his bare body.

Under such circumstances, even the heavily trained body of Gym Unbreakable should have been utterly shattered…

"To think you'd shield yourself with magic there…"

Even in that critical moment, the fearsome Demon King had deployed various magical barriers, including the Prismatic Barrier, to mitigate the force of Calamity Horn. Well, Teslon could guess roughly how it had been achieved.

"Of course, if you could somaticize every other movement, it’s not impossible to do the same for Calamity Horn."

The moment Teslon's fist revealed five aura rings, Repenhardt abandoned his attack. He knew with certainty that engaging would lead to a 100% defeat. Instead, he poured all his effort into reducing the impact.

Using every spell available to defend his body while offsetting the impact of the fifth stack of Calamity Horn. Even with such measures, he was left in a near-death state, which spoke volumes about the sheer destructive power of the technique.

Even Teslon had not emerged unscathed.

"I barely made it through myself."

Looking down at his Adamandril Suit, Teslon shook his head. The once-sturdy Adamandril Suit was riddled with cracks resembling a spiderweb, its fragments falling with each movement. It appeared on the verge of collapsing entirely.

His body wasn’t spared either. Fractured bones and swollen muscles meant he would require a period of recovery. The collision of the Calamity Horns had exceeded the shock tolerance of the Adamandril Suit, inflicting severe internal damage on Teslon.

However, compared to Repenhardt, his condition was far better. The current Demon King was nothing more than prey waiting to be finished off.

As Teslon approached Repenhardt, a murderous aura emanated from him.

"You may have escaped instant death, but… all you've done is delay the inevitable."

Repenhardt didn’t respond.

He simply stared blankly into the void with unfocused eyes.

Was it because the injuries were too severe? He felt no pain—nothing at all. His mind was hollow, swept up in a peculiar sensation that surged through him.

‘Ah…’

The only thing that surfaced in his thoughts was Teslon’s Calamity Horn, the overwhelming force of the five-stacked aura it carried. At the moment he faced that power, every sense in his body had been heightened to its absolute peak. He could discern even the minutest details with terrifying precision. Thanks to that sharpened perception, he had managed to activate magic and avoid the worst outcome.

What was this sensation?

It felt as if he were observing the entire world from a great distance… and at the same time, scrutinizing the smallest detail right before his eyes.

A sudden exclamation escaped his lips.

“Ah!”

A bolt of lightning seemed to pierce through his entire body. Something exploded in his mind.

Yes, an explosion—an explosion of inspiration.

“Ahhh!”

Fragments of a scene from his memories began to replay vividly in his mind. They were the shards of a shattered gravestone, inscribed with incomprehensible markings.

Those fragments started piecing themselves together in his imagination.

With the mind of a mage, he memorized and rearranged the puzzle pieces.

With the intuition of a warrior, he read and absorbed the meaning behind the inscriptions.

‘This is…’

In that instant, Repenhardt understood. His body trembled with exhilaration.

‘This is…!’

It was the gift his master had left behind—the true inheritance meant for a disciple.

‘Calamity Horn, Five Stacks!’

As memory and sensation fused, the final dam broke. A flood of realization surged through his mind, coursed through his meridians, and saturated his desiccated body with vitality.

“Haha…”

Repenhardt, still collapsed on the ground, let out a burst of triumphant laughter.

“Hahaha!”

*         *         *

“What… What is that?”

Teslon’s eyes widened as he watched Repenhardt suddenly burst into laughter.

But that wasn’t all. The man, who had seemed incapacitated just moments ago, began to rise.

Repenhardt’s eyes remained unfocused, staring into the void. At first glance, he appeared deranged, but Teslon’s honed perception told a different story. He could feel it clearly: Repenhardt’s aura had abruptly amplified, surging through his limbs and accelerating his recovery at an incredible rate.

Whirrr!

Golden aura began flowing through Repenhardt’s body as he stood, rapidly mending his wounds. Even for Gym Unbreakable, whose aura specialized in self-healing, such regenerative power was nothing short of extraordinary.

Teslon recognized the phenomenon well; he had experienced it several times in his prime.

“You’ve gained a new enlightenment at this stage?”

It was the collapse of a long-standing barrier, unleashing a massive wellspring of life force contained within. This was what aura users referred to as awakening or enlightenment.

“Hah…”

Repenhardt, now fully upright, steadied his breathing. His body was still covered in wounds, yet compared to moments ago, his physical condition had improved remarkably. He was no longer prey waiting to be finished off.

At that moment, Teslon realized his own vulnerability. No matter how familiar the sensation was to him, the Adamandril Suit was ultimately external equipment—not his body. Unlike Repenhardt, the Adamandril Suit couldn’t heal itself with aura.

“Damn it!”

Teslon cursed as he adjusted his stance once more.

It wasn’t over yet. Not yet.

Even if Repenhardt had gained enlightenment, it would only elevate him to the same level—five stacks of Calamity Horn. Even if his recovery was extraordinary, he would still be in a weakened state compared to his usual self.

That was enough. Victory was still within reach.

“A Demon King should stick to magic! What’s with this sudden enlightenment?”

Grumbling, Teslon pulled his fist back to his side. His body was battered, but he still had the strength to unleash another Calamity Horn.

Vroom… Vroom… Vroom…

Five waves of aura coursed through Teslon’s gauntlet, surging violently as if on the verge of explosion. Aiming his fist at Repenhardt, Teslon bellowed:

“You’re tenacious, Demon King! But there won’t be a second miracle!”

Repenhardt mirrored his stance, clenching his fist tightly as he drew upon his aura. Aura waves began forming one after another.

One… two… three… four…

Five!

An inexplicable exhilaration swelled in his chest. Repenhardt, too, aimed his fist at Teslon.

‘This is Calamity Horn, Five Stacks…’

Teslon sneered coldly.

As expected, he had reached the realm of five stacks, but…

‘Even if it’s the same five stacks, the depth of understanding within it can’t compare to mine.’

Even when casting the same tier of magic, the gulf between Teslon and Repenhardt was vast. Repenhardt’s soul, tempered and refined, belonged to a true 10-circle archmage, even if his current condition was diminished.

Simply put, even if Repenhardt unleashed the same five-stacked Calamity Horn, he could not match Teslon. Though his body might lag behind, Teslon’s soul retained the mastery of Calamity Horn up to the realm of seven stacks!

Confident, Teslon launched himself off the ground with force, soaring into the air.

“I’ll crush you with raw power!”

Then it happened.

Repenhardt, who had been preparing his five-stacked technique, murmured softly.

“Fist and Mana Become One.”

In that instant, Teslon’s eyes widened in disbelief. The five aura rings encircling Repenhardt’s arm suddenly merged with concentrated magical energy, forming a sixth radiant ring. Unlike the previous ones, this was not pure aura but an advanced wave of condensed mana.

“Six… six stacks?”

Repenhardt grinned slyly.

“Ah, so I can do this now.”

A flicker of doubt flashed through Teslon’s gaze.

Impossible. Such a feat should never be achievable!

‘What trickery is this?’

Clenching his teeth, Teslon threw his full power into a punch.

“Calamity Horn!”

Repenhardt countered, thrusting his fist upward toward the airborne Teslon. A titanic strike surged forth, cleaving through the air.

“Six-stacked Calamity Horn!”

The radiance tore through the world.

*         *         *

At the summit of a high stone tower in the royal palace of Chatan.

A petite silver-haired girl, Serelein, gazed out the window, letting out a faint groan.

“Ah…”

The night sky over Zeppelin, on the verge of dawn, glowed brilliantly in one section.

A massive golden pillar of light pierced the heavens as though it had summoned dawn prematurely. It shot up from the earth, reaching the distant skies, dyeing the clouds gold and shaking the atmosphere with its might.

“That…”

It was a colossal and overwhelming spectacle visible from anywhere in Zeppelin. So resplendent it almost inspired reverence.

Sensing the power and majesty contained within the radiant, divine light, Serelein unknowingly wrapped her arms around herself.

Her body trembled uncontrollably.

“What is this…”

Unconsciously, she bit her thumbnail—a childhood habit triggered by unease. It was something she hadn’t done since becoming the Guardian of Silver and gaining ageless immortality decades ago.

She continued to nibble at her thumbnail, but the anxiety wouldn’t subside. Her normally serene, elegant brow furrowed deeply.

A trembling voice escaped her soft lips.

“This light… it feels so ominous… so dreadfully ominous…”

*         *         *

Atop the thick walls stretching across the western part of Zeppelin, two women were locked in an intense battle. One was Iniya, an elf swordswoman with violet hair, and the other was Philena, a mage clad in a crimson robe.

“Wind, descend upon my hands and follow my command! Wind Cutter!”

As Philena chanted the spell, she retreated swiftly using the Wind Walk spell. Five blades of wind sliced through the night sky, speeding toward their target.

“Hup!”

With a short battle cry, Iniya thrusted her sword in rapid succession. Each thrust, imbued with silvery aura, shattered the incoming wind blades one by one in midair.

Philena seamlessly followed up with another spell.

“Wind Bomber!”

The Wind Bomber, which creates powerful gusts of wind, was not inherently a lethal spell. However, Philena skillfully timed it to use the remnants of the shattered Wind Cutter as a catalyst. The fragments were carried within the rushing wind, turning the attack into a barrage of sharp debris aimed at Iniya’s entire body.

“Tsk! Impressive…”

Iniya clicked her tongue as she moved to close the gap. A simple Wind Bomber could be ignored by charging straight through it, but with the debris mixed in, she had to rethink her approach.

Halting her advance, she executed a dazzling series of sword movements. A radiant Sword Flower (검화) bloomed from her blade, weaving a shield of silvery aura in midair to intercept the debris.

After successfully deflecting the attack, Iniya leapt forward again, launching herself off the wall. Philena quickly responded with another spell.

“Mass Fire Arrow!”

Dozens of fiery arrows streaked through the air, homing in on Iniya. Iniya extended her hand, deploying an aura shield to block the projectiles. Being a relatively low-tier fire spell, Fire Arrow was easily deflected with this straightforward defense.

Brushing off the spell, Iniya rapidly closed in on Philena. However, Philena’s intent wasn’t simply to strike with the Fire Arrows.

“Oh, Eye of Flame! Flame Bolt!”

Philena grasped the air and uttered her incantation. The deflected Fire Arrows detonated in midair, serving as a catalyst for her next spell. From the fiery explosion, a blazing beam of flame streaked toward Iniya’s back.

Of course, as an Aura User, Iniya didn’t need to see it to know it was coming. Her aura senses alerted her to the follow-up attack. A silvery barrier enveloped her just in time, deflecting the Flame Bolt. The redirected beam struck the nearby wall, resulting in a deafening explosion.

BOOM!

The explosion was far too powerful to be the result of a simple Flame Bolt. The redirected flame beams, deflected by Iniya's aura defense, had converged on a single point, amplifying the blast. This demonstrated that Philena had precisely adjusted the reflection angles of her magic to achieve this effect.

Philena’s voice echoed once more.

“Terra Break! Air Bomb!”

A thunderous roar erupted as the ground beneath Iniya’s feet gave way entirely. Terra Break was originally a third-circle spell, capable of little more than punching small holes through thin walls. However, due to the wall being weakened by the earlier explosion and the spell striking a load-bearing section, its impact was magnified to the level of high-tier magic.

Following this, Philena unleashed Air Bomb, a wind-element spell causing localized air bursts.

For an Aura User like Iniya, Air Bomb, a mere first-circle spell, would normally feel like nothing more than a light breeze. However, Philena hadn’t cast it directly at Iniya.

The designated coordinates for Air Bomb were the airspace along the outer edge of the collapsing wall. The spell’s bursts altered the trajectory of the falling debris, redirecting it toward Iniya’s position with pinpoint precision.

Calling them “debris” hardly did justice to their size—these were chunks of the shattered wall, effectively massive boulders, raining down with lethal intent.