The Failed Swordmaster - Chapter 108

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 108 42. You’re Not Human (1)

Two people stood in a clean location with no Twilight Zone or ground cracks.

Their gazes burned intensely at each other. Philip III was the first to speak.

“Come to think of it, it hasn’t been long since you fought Sir Sinseeo. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. We had a long conversation, didn’t we? I’ve already recovered. It wasn’t that long of a fight either.”

“That’s fortunate then. I can unleash my power without holding back.”

Whooooom!

Whoom!

The Knight King repeatedly infused his sword with aura and withdrew it as he spoke. Lumian’s eyebrows twitched.

A tone that suggested he was completely superior.

Even if he was his former lord, it was irritating.

But at the same time, tension began to creep up.

‘I haven’t seen His Majesty’s sword, but His Majesty has seen mine. Even if only briefly.’

And yet he shows such composure.

Lumian let out a slight laugh.

It was a different smile from his usual one—fierce beyond measure.

‘I’m not someone to be taken so lightly though…’

He was looking forward to this.

Ten years ago, he and his lord were perfectly matched. They maintained perfect balance where neither could be said to be better.

But what about now?

Now that both he and the Knight King had grown…

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Philip III’s voice cut through his thoughts. Lumian wiped away his smile and concentrated.

Right, there was no need for thinking.

He would just clash and see what happens.

He drew his sword and infused it with aura.

Ziiiiing-!

The sword that had grown tall toward the sky quickly shrank again. Accordingly, a rain of petals scattered once more.

The Knight King, who had been taking a battle stance just like Lumian, burst into incredulous laughter.

“I was curious about this earlier too—what is that? Sir Lumian.”

“…It’s the effect of a magic sword I obtained by chance. Different illusions manifest depending on the nature of the aura infused into it.”

“I see. A very interesting sword. Though sparring with you will be even more interesting, of course.”

“I’m looking forward to it as well, Your Majesty.”

“Then, shall we begin?”

“Of course.”

Both men closed their mouths firmly and nodded simultaneously. Only the sound of wind spread across the quiet plain.

And shortly after.

Whoosh!

Claaaang!

The two appeared as if they had leaped through space and clashed at the midpoint.

Paaaaat-!

Zzzzzzzzzt!

At first glance, it seemed similar to the clash between Sinseeo and Lumian.

But it was different. Much larger shockwaves than before spread out in concentric circles.

It was only natural. Unlike her, who was skilled in light and irregular movements, both of these were people best suited for power versus power confrontations!

They clashed their full strength against each other without any consideration for holding back.

Neither seemed to have any intention of retreating.

Both Philip III and Lumian Calard clenched their molars and swung their swords in full swings. It looked as if they intended to shatter each other’s swords.

“…!”

And after exactly three exchanges, Lumian retreated backward.

His initial resolve was nowhere to be found.

Though it might seem cowardly in some ways, he wasn’t even in a state to think such thoughts.

‘I’m being pushed back in a direct power struggle?’

He couldn’t believe it.

This was Lumian who had blocked Sinseeo’s sword even within the Twilight Zone.

Yet after just three exchanges, his will for direct confrontation was broken. The Knight King’s sword was that heavy.

Lumian frowned as he quickly retreated.

‘Something has changed. This isn’t the lord I knew before!’

It wasn’t a major change.

He was still solid and heavy. At first glance, it felt like facing a massive boulder.

But it was subtly different.

As Lumian racked his brain to figure this out, the Knight King’s pursuit continued.

Crash!

His straight charge was truly terrifying. It was like a meteor flying toward him.

Lumian didn’t dare think of blocking it and changed direction. The Knight King, having smashed the spot where he had been standing, moved his feet again.

“Where are you going?”

“Let me organize my thoughts for a moment. Let’s postpone the swords and compete with our feet instead, Your Majesty.”

A chase continued with pursuer and pursued.

Lumian was fluid, and the Knight King was fierce. His pride was hurt, but there was no choice. In a clash of strength versus strength, he saw absolutely no chance of victory.

He made maximum use of his water and light aura, displaying movements that were light, fast, and flowed smoothly. It was a technique the Knight King could never imitate.

The problem was that even so, he couldn’t shake off the pursuit.

‘His movements are smoother than before.’

The Knight King was someone who had mastered Jenas’s rock training method to its limits. Therefore, he was more solid and heavy than anyone. The power of each sword strike was tremendous enough to destroy castle gates.

But he was correspondingly rough. As the price for handling such tremendous power, he had to give up some aspects of delicacy and precision.

But now it wasn’t like that.

He pursued Lumian with much smoother movements than ten years ago. Though he was showing some difficulty with the current situation, he was somehow keeping up with his movements.

Crash! Crash!

Craaaash!

Of course, since the power he wielded was so heavy and crude, he couldn’t show flawless form like Lumian. Forcing himself to change direction by putting strength in his feet created ugly craters here and there.

But it was much better than ten years ago.

Just because someone couldn’t perfectly handle a thousand-ton round boulder, did that mean their ability was lacking?

No.

Rather the opposite. Just being able to move it was remarkable, and if they could lead it in the desired direction even clumsily, they deserved praise.

The Knight King of the past was the latter.

And the current him had far transcended that.

Beads of sweat began to form on Lumian’s forehead.

‘At this rate, I’ll just end up running around. The moment I make one mistake, it’s over!’

Looking at the Knight King who had pursued him right up close, Lumian ground his teeth.

He didn’t want to lose.

The relationship between vassal and lord?

It meant nothing. At least right now, the two were facing each other as knight versus knight.

He had to show something. No, he had to win!

Sparks flew from Lumian’s eyes.

His ignited will awakened every cell in his body. The aura swirling within him gradually grew hotter and soon transformed into a completely different nature.

The blue mountain that had risen in his mind’s image was dyed red.

Whoooosh!

His body became hot like an active volcano.

Hormones poured from his sympathetic nervous system, stimulating his entire body. Lumian, consumed by anger and fighting spirit, put strength into his lower body.

His thighs swelled up like those of a feline predator.

Whoooooosh!

The accumulated power burst forth all at once.

Tremendous speed. Seeing Lumian shooting toward him like a meteor, Philip III showed a flustered expression.

‘Oh no!’

Coincidentally, he was just about to change direction. Because of this, his stance was unstable.

It was a perfect timing. Lumian’s experience and instincts had caught the only possibility that was open.

A smile appeared on the Knight King’s lips.

‘As expected, you always surprise me.’

Until before the fight, he had expected an easy victory.

It wasn’t that he was ignoring Lumian. It was because he trusted the past 10 years that Lumian lacked and he possessed. Today, he was armed with steel-like confidence.

Of course, he wasn’t upset that his expectations were shattered. Rather, he was pleased.

Fighting against a strong opponent was a great blessing!

“Haaaaaaah!”

A cry that would shake the world burst from his mouth. Following that, his dark-colored aura sword was swung upward to the upper left.

This time, Lumian didn’t dodge either. It was natural. Even if they fought several more times, it would be difficult to get an opportunity like this again.

His sword slashed diagonally.

From upper right to lower left. It was the most powerful sword path a swordsman could unleash.

The gazes of the two, mixed with ecstasy, excitement, and anticipation, collided in mid-air.

Kwaaaaaaang!

Following that, their two swords created a tremendous roar.

It seemed as if thousands and hundreds of thunder and lightning struck at once. An enormous energy wave spread out from the collision area.

Whiriririk!

Sinsieo Ainsworth, who quickly drew her sword, created a barrier of aura. Stones, wind, and shockwaves were blocked by it and disappeared.

Buckal also received her help. Since it was power too difficult for his skill level to block, it was unavoidable. Therefore, he should have expressed gratitude.

However, he couldn’t do so.

An amazing sight he had never seen in his life was captivating his gaze.

“…Both of them are monsters.”

Sinsieo didn’t blame Buckal.

She didn’t even pay attention to it. She thought with a bitter expression.

‘Sir Lumian is half a level above me, and His Majesty the Knight King is half a level above him.’

She had been confident that she wouldn’t lose to anyone on the continent, but it was arrogance.

Sinsieo decided to remember today’s events forever.

Nothing seemed better than this for whipping her lazy self.

Thud, thud thud.

Crackle…

A brief moment passed. Then the chaos that seemed like the world would collapse soon quieted down.

Stone fragments that had shot high into the sky fell down, and flames burned here and there on the scorched ground, but it was much more stable compared to right after the collision.

Fortunately, the two who had been at the center also appeared to have no particular damage.

Lumian Calard and Philip III, standing apart and facing each other with stern expressions.

The silence didn’t last long. Lumian bowed his head and spoke.

“I have lost, Your Majesty.”

“Hahaha. It was a good match.”

It was strange.

Although both had poured out unprecedented strikes, it wasn’t that they had no strength left. Both Lumian and the Knight King could have fought much more. They hadn’t even suffered any major damage.

Nevertheless, Lumian acknowledged defeat, and the Knight King accepted it.

Because they all knew.

If they continued the sparring match further, it would definitely be the Knight King who would win.

‘All sorts of favorable situations had overlapped for me.’

He had taken advantage of surprise to exploit his opponent’s weakness.

Not only that. While his own sword was swung from top to bottom, his lord’s sword was swung upward from bottom to top. Not only was his stance broken, but he had also gone against gravity.

Yet he couldn’t win. All he achieved was a draw.

Lumian shook his head from side to side.

“What on earth happened in those 10 years? To be able to maintain your center even in such a situation… I have truly opened my eyes today.”

“I feel the same way. Even before entering the sparring match, I thought it would be much easier… I almost suffered great embarrassment if I had been careless.”

The Knight King also praised Lumian’s swordsmanship.

It wasn’t empty words. He had actually felt chills just moments ago. He continued speaking.

“Clearly you had a similar disposition to me before, but how did you become able to handle such diverse aura in such a short time? I was especially surprised at the end. I’ve never experienced such a destructive charge before.”

“You flatter me. Thanks to being reborn with a young body, I simply got the opportunity to challenge paths I hadn’t taken before.”

“Hehe… As I said before, your modesty is excessive.”

“Compared to Your Majesty’s achievements, I am still far lacking.”

“Hahahaha! Let’s stop, let’s stop.”

The Knight King burst into laughter.

He was in a good mood.

He had continued training alone without competitors for a long time. The more he did so, the greater his longing for Ryan Fromhart, who had left the world first, had grown.

That’s why today’s reunion felt even more meaningful.

He sheathed his sword and spoke.

“If it were up to my heart, I’d want to ask about your free-spirited aura utilization methods first, but…”

Chuckle, the Knight King let out a laugh.

Seeing Lumian’s eyes, he absolutely couldn’t do that.

His eagerness seemed twice as great as his own curiosity. He looked like his eyes were about to pop out.

‘Is it because his body became younger? He’s become a bit more lighthearted.’

He didn’t mean it in a bad way. Rather, he felt more vitality and looked much better.

He continued speaking again.

“Since Sir Lumian seems much more urgent than I am, shall we talk about my achievements first?”

“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!”

Lumian, who bowed deeply, sent sparkling eyes.

Buckal and Sinsieo were the same. They concentrated all their attention on the Knight King’s words without even being able to swallow their saliva.

This was advice from the continent’s strongest knight in name and reality.

Every single word would have value beyond gold.

If they could understand even a little of his words, it would have the same effect as obtaining a great opportunity.

‘I hope that’s the case.’

The Knight King thought to himself.

He didn’t feel regretful at all.

All three gathered here were knights with excellent character. Enough to even risk their lives against the demon invasion that would begin someday.

Why would he hesitate to share enlightenment with such people?

He smiled even more deeply and gave his gaze to Buckal, Sinsieo, and Lumian in turn.

Soon, stories about the Knight King’s enlightenment over the past 10 years began to flow from his mouth.

“Sir Lumian probably knows this too. The fact that I have been striving to contain an even larger rock in my heart all this time.”

“That’s correct, Your Majesty.”

It was a natural story.

All knights of Jenas were like that.

To unleash more powerful strength, more aura was needed, and for this, containing a larger rock was the standard method.

Lumian was the same. Although it had changed from a rock to a mountain, he was making efforts every day to create an even larger mountain inside his body.

However, completely different words flowed from the Knight King’s mouth.

“I realized about 5 years ago that this was wrong thinking.”

“…”

“There was no need to be obsessed with size. More precisely… there was no royal road, no predetermined path, and I belatedly realized that there were only paths suitable for oneself… Sir Lumian?”

The Knight King, who had been continuing his explanation, made a surprised sound.

Immediately after, Sinsieo and Buckal also turned their heads toward Lumian. And their eyes widened.

They realized that Lumian’s condition was not normal.

‘I only threw out a topic for discussion….’

‘Has he already gained something from it?’

It wasn’t simply a look of understanding it with his head alone.

As if he had already absorbed it deep into his body, aura could be felt writhing around him. The surrounding earth trembled from the energy that swirled like a typhoon.

Seeing this, Philip III let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha, hahaha….”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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