章節 127: CHAPTER 286
The dense lightning energy in the Light Heart made it seem as if a small sun was radiating its light from the center of Jin's chest. The strong white light shone through his shirt and began to cast a glow around him.
And it went beyond that.
As more lightning energy gathered in his Light Heart, it immediately illuminated the dark ethereal plane.
The guardian didn't seem to comprehend what was happening but sensed that a great change had occurred within Jin.
It must be the lightning energy. Without a doubt, it's an intriguing power, just as Temar described it.
His attacks continued.
The guardian's giant sword now sent enormous waves that could split entire warships in half. Jin was completely engulfed in those blade waves and barely clung to life.
It didn't seem like he would last much longer.
Jin's movements had noticeably slowed down after the lightning energy began surging into his Light Heart.
Jin was gathering lightning energy for the Battle God's Combat Technique, which naturally affected his level of concentration.
"Did you think you could afford to make such mistakes in front of me?"
The guardian's giant sword swung in a vertical slash, creating an ugly tear in the air. Even the most common vertical strike of a ten-star knight was as powerful as a master's move, and Jin certainly couldn't avoid it with his sluggish movements.
The best he could do was dodge it.
Jin gritted his teeth and moved aside.
He maintained his posture, and Silderay's giant sword struck the ground.
Dodging the strike of a ten-star knight was entirely different from dodging any other attack.
Simply getting out of the sword's path was not enough because the shockwaves created in the sword's movement through the air alone were as powerful as eight-star attacks.
Shluk, shiik! The shockwave cut Jin near his Adam's apple. If the cut had been deeper, the damage would have been critical. Another shockwave grazed his chest and shoulder.
His blood sprayed in an arc.
His coat and shirt tore and burned from the heat of the aura, revealing a luminous heart charged with lightning energy.
It was radiant. Silderay momentarily squinted his eyes when he suddenly faced the light of the Light Heart.
That brief instant was the first opportunity Jin had since the battle began.
Jin chose to create distance rather than attack. But he only managed to step back once, as Silderay still controlled the distance.
That single step felt precious to Jin.
It didn't take him out of Silderay's attack range, but that one step allowed him to breathe away from the intense aura exuding from his opponent.
It felt as if Jin had gained distance from the active volcano that was Silderay.
He felt as if his entire body was being pressed by his aura just by staying close to him.
It was the blessed body of the Runcandels that kept him moving.
Now that he had earned a breather for himself, it was time to complete the Battle God's Combat Technique. Countless lightning energy flooded his Light Heart, which seemed on the verge of blazing.
That was the full capacity of Jin's lightning energy.
"It seems you have completed what you have been preparing all this time, Jin Runcandel."
The guardian smiled weakly, as if he had been waiting for this moment. In reality, he had been controlling his attacks so that Jin could complete the Battle God's Combat Technique.
Therefore, his smile held several meanings. On one hand, curiosity and anticipation regarding Jin's power.
And on the other hand, his reprimand for the fact that Jin wouldn't have evaded death if this had been a real battle, not Solderet's trial.
"I'm almost offended."
Zas, pum!
Jin read him through his smile and replied while dispersing the sword waves. Silderay's sword waves shattered with deafening noises.
"Because I waited for you?"
"If this had been a real battle, I wouldn't have faced you like this, Lord Silderay."
The guardian smiled.
What Jin had just shown reminded him of the man he respected and obeyed all his life and in his youth. Temar Runcandel. That's how he was.
No matter who he faced. He always faced a challenge without being arrogant and was calculating despite appearing reckless. That's why everyone around Temar saw him as a mystery.
"You resemble him a lot."
"It's not an expression I appreciate."
Kzzt!
Something sounded as if it was being crushed inside the Light Heart.
The dense lightning energy exposed on the surface of the Light Heart knotted around the heart like thick ropes, making it seem as if the heart had cracked.
Jin planned to perform the Tenth Battle God's Combat Technique.
It was the Final Movement of the Battle God and the greatest profound mystery, encompassing all his techniques.
It was the Reign of the King of Legends: The Initiation.
When Vahn taught Jin the tenth Battle God's Combat Technique, he told him that this movement was not a mere killing technique created to destroy enemies.
The Reign of the King of Legends was the roaring declaration of a man who had reached the pinnacle among the kings of light.
The ground they stood on began to crack.
It twisted violently, and cracks spewed out lightning energy like lava. The entire area was immediately covered with the devastating forces of lightning energy, making it impossible to breathe.
It wasn't just a figure of speech. Anyone who couldn't shield themselves from this torrent of energy would turn into ashes within seconds.
Those who could only gather to cast shield barriers would suffocate over time. And it had nothing to do with Jin's intentions. Fire never discriminates whom it burns.
Only those who were worthy could survive the lightning of the Reign of the King of Legends. It was a privilege granted only to those who could at least match the strength of the most powerful race ever known in the world.
"That's why my brothers no longer call me Temar-like, Sir Silderay."
Jin's voice was different. For some mysterious reason, it sounded as if dozens of people were speaking in unison. Needless to say, there was a deep majestic tone in his voice.
His eyes and hair were now filled with lightning energy, emitting a bright blue color. If there were a lightning god revered by the masses, it would probably look like this.
The guardian thought the same.
However, his superior perception was not deceived by his thoughts.
"Appearing transcendent doesn't mean you truly are. But I am intrigued nonetheless."
Ten stars. A height where one truly understands that they are very close to being the most powerful.
The guardian knew what it meant to be transcendent precisely because he was within reach of such heights. And transcendent was a term only granted to those who had reached the Divine Star.
Although Jin had activated the Reign of the King of Legends, the guardian could see that it was nothing more than a burst of Jin's potential.
But, of course, that still shocked him considerably.
"I see there is less room to attack now. Let's start again."
Wroom!
Waves burst forth from the guardian's gigantic sword. They cut through Jin's lightning bolts as if piercing through water, but their impact was greatly reduced when they reached Jin.
The lightning energy dampened their power. Similarly, Silderay's movements were slightly restricted.
On the other hand, lightning felt natural to Jin after activating the Reign of the King of Legends. Unlike the guardian, who couldn't fully unleash his power while resisting the lightning, Jin's sword movements were deadlier than ever.
The Reign of the King of Legends wasn't a simple movement. It was an ability that elevated other abilities. One that could turn an ordinary vertical strike into a master's move.
Now, this wasn't only true for the guardian. It applied to Jin as well.
This was what Vahn told him before leaving Lafrarosa, right after mastering the Reign of the King of Legends.
"I might have mentioned it to you last time, brother Jin. You are a brother of the Legends, our descendant, and my heir. Therefore, you must never be afraid, no matter whom you have to face."
The lightning covering the battlefield moved along with the Sigmund.
Jin swung his sword upward as the guardian struck downward. Their swings were so fast that they both went after each other's afterimages. The clash of swords revealed a new dynamic in their battle.
A stalemate.
Who would have imagined it was a battle between a ten-star knight and an eight-star swordsman?
The two swords struggled to push each other away, and it was difficult to tell which was superior.
Amazing!
The guardian didn't offer clichés like compliments or show any signs of satisfaction.
Such things were only appropriate when facing an opponent who was clearly inferior in terms of skill.
The guardian no longer needed to evaluate the young descendant of the clan before him. Now, he only had to accept Jin as a worthy enemy to commemorate his final battle as a guardian.
This meant he could no longer afford to be lenient with him. Just as Jin was giving his all, he had to give his all as well.
Pum, pum! Clang!
The ethereal plane gradually descended from the shockwave, creating swirling Shadow Energy that scattered like sand.
The chaotic scene of lightning energy, sword waves, and Shadow Energy was certainly worthy of being called the battlefield of great warriors.
Just as Silderay remained humble, Jin also didn't let the current rhythm get to his head.
I can't last long in this state. I must finish it as soon as possible.
The lightning energy fiercely gathered towards the Sigmund.
And for the first time in the battle, the guardian took a step back. Jin seized the opportunity to perform the third movement of the Battle God's Combat Technique, Retribution, to push him further back.
Retribution was obviously much stronger now with the Reign of the King of Legends activated.
Three spikes of retribution formed simultaneously and flew toward the guardian.
Supposedly, the Reign of the King of Legends required three stages to complete: initiation, progression, and conclusion. But at Jin's current level, activating initiation already demanded a lot from him.
Therefore, overlaying another Battle God's Combat Technique was undoubtedly an overwhelming task.
However, Jin had a clear reason for using retribution. He assumed that the guardian didn't possess the blessed body of the Runcandels.
Sir Silderay will have to use large amounts of aura if he wants to block the retribution performed with the Reign of the King of Legends. If both of us suffer the impact of the outburst, I'm likely to end up on the better side.
Jin's assessment was accurate.
The guardian, Silderay Runcandel, had blocked all attacks so far without significant changes in his expression, but now, he seemed serious, as if this attack was quite difficult for him to handle.
But obviously, it wasn't out of fear. It was out of a particular resolve.
"I will show you the legacy of your Runcandel ancestors, dear descendant."
The spikes of retribution struck Silderay's shield barrier. Cracks immediately formed in the shield, and it would only take a blink of an eye for the shield to shatter completely.
But that split second was more than enough.
It was all Jin needed to reveal one of the supreme moves of the Runcandel Sword Technique created by Temar and the ten knights a thousand years ago.
The secret move of the Runcandel Clan.
Giant Sword King
Jin stopped exerting more force on the spikes and inwardly gasped for breath.
The guardian's giant sword was already enormous on its own. But now, it was becoming terrifyingly colossal.
He had seen people extend their swords with aura countless times in training.
But he had never imagined a sword so ridiculously massive.
The giant Shadow Energy soared immediately toward the sky as if it wanted to pierce through and rise above the lightning.
章節 128: CHAPTER 287
It was outrageously enormous.
Jin couldn't think of any other way to describe it.
The aura transformed the gigantic sword into a tower so massive that he could barely look up to see where it ended.
The blade was easily dozens of times larger than its wielder, and yet the guardian held it in his hands as if it weighed nothing.
What is this? I mean, can it even be called a sword?
Jin didn't believe he would blink, no matter what was thrown at him.
But this was something that even Jin felt completely amazed by. The guardian's giant sword was not only immensely long. Even its width was so vast that it seemed atrocious.
This indescribably excessive expansion had been caused by the aura.
The three spikes had already pierced through the shield barrier, but the repulsive forces of the giant sword prevented them from piercing the guardian, who now smiled confidently.
His descendant was showing him a satisfied face after facing the master move he had spent his entire life creating.
"This is the secret move called 'Giant Sword King.' No matter how amazing my enemies were, they all had a stunned look like yours when they faced it for the first time."
Jin couldn't respond. He could only look at the guardian and his giant sword.
The battle seemed to have entered a state of calm. But despite how it seemed, their energies were still desperately fighting to push each other away.
Perhaps they had reached some kind of equilibrium. In the fragile balance of these two forces, the first one to lose concentration would suffer quite unpleasant consequences.
Jin breathed carefully. He calmed his Light Heart, which had become unstable after executing retribution. Blood started to flow from every opening on his face.
Giant Sword King?
Undoubtedly, the denomination was accurate. No one could argue against it. There would definitely be no larger giant sword than this.
As far as Jin knew, the Runcandel clan had ten ultimate moves, seven secret moves, and three profound mysteries.
None of them were even remotely similar to this.
After the Zipple erased all records related to Silderay Runcandel, his renowned move, Giant Sword King, was also lost along with his name.
"I spent many days trying to come up with its name with Temar. Don't you appreciate the beauty of its name?"
"I'm not so sure about that."
"What a shame."
Grooooooar!
Aura surged around the guardian once again. It rose in the air, transforming into several dozen cord-like forms and started to wrap around the giant sword.
It helped the guardian hold and swing the massive sword, or rather, that enormous mass of aura.
Kaaaaargh!
The guardian shouted.
Just as Jin was covered in lightning energy after activating the Reign of the King of Legends, the guardian's body was also becoming brilliantly white due to the aura.
But the difference was that he was becoming one with the giant sword.
Countless martial artists in the world claimed that becoming one with the weapon was the ultimate mastery one could achieve as a martial artist.
But obviously, it was a figurative expression. It had nothing to do with this abnormal sword technique that the guardian was executing.
However, Jin swallowed saliva and felt chills.
It wasn't his martial artist senses or his intuition, honed through countless trials, that told him it was dangerous.
It was simple.
It was the visual impact.
The visual terror of the ridiculous scale of things that humans certainly should not be allowed to accomplish at all.
This is quite shocking.
Jin was convinced.
Even if historians hadn't written a single line about the Giant Sword King, it would undoubtedly have survived for a thousand years through word of mouth alone.
On the other hand, he was also amazed that the Zipple could completely erase such impactful sword techniques from history.
"Try this!"
Whooom!
The Giant Sword King began to descend toward the ground.
It was as slow as the midday sun sinking on the horizon.
It was even slower than Cyron's strike that Jin resisted on the day he returned to the Garden of Swords after completing his training as a provisional flagbearer.
Despite its tremendous size, the slowness made it seem like even untrained people could move away from the giant sword.
But it was impossible to escape the technique, despite its slow descent.
It wasn't because the movement was beyond the principles of nature, like Cyron's sword skill.
It was the repulsive force that had kept the spikes of retribution at bay.
That same repulsive force now pressed downward, crushing Jin like Tess's pressure. It was as if thousands of invisible hands were pulling his body downward.
It's heavy, even after activating the Reign of the King of Legends!
But indeed, the Reign of the King of Legends was the only thing allowing him to breathe and move.
Jin's aura alone wasn't enough to bear the weight exuded by the Giant Sword King.
It was the same principle as the lightning of the Reign of the King of Legends, which demanded that one be at least on par with the Legends to survive it.
Jin tried to move away and noticed that his feet weighed incredibly heavy.
It wouldn't be easy to escape the range of the giant sword even if he focused all his effort on it. In fact, it was impossible to escape its range.
He had to strike back with his sword.
It falls very slowly, but I have no choice but to strike back. What a terrifying secret move. How long will it take for the giant sword to touch the ground? Thirty seconds? Twenty seconds?
Jin took a breath again.
He could feel the rattling of every joint in his body as the Giant Sword King approached. Moreover, Jin was starting to pay the price for executing an incomplete Reign of the King of Legends.
My body is nearing its limit.
The blue-tinged lightning energy in Jin's eyes and hair noticeably faded. The Reign of the King of Legends was nearing its end, while the guardian's aura grew increasingly brighter.
In Silderay's days, that's what martial artists called him: a monstrous strength. Silderay of monstrous strength. Literally, a knight with a monstrous amount of brute force.
Indeed, he wasn't even a pure-blooded Runcandel.
As Jin suspected, he didn't possess the blessed body of the Runcandels.
Yet, he was capable of performing indescribable feats.
Jin looked at the sword and adjusted his stance.
There are people who have reached extreme heights with just one chance in life. Yes, the fact that I was fortunate enough to go to Lafrarosa never meant that I was strong enough to challenge them. I almost rushed ahead there.
First of all, there was his father, Cyron Runcandel.
Then his older sister Luna, Vanessa, Temar, and others. These transcendental swordsmen had always seemed like a mystery to Jin.
They were immense mountains. Sometimes, they also served as markers or milestones in his life journey.
And now, Jin achieved another milestone called Silderay Runcandel. Jin was lucky to have a second chance in life and to meet incredible people who helped him. Finally, Jin had to rise above all of that and surpass them all.
"With pleasure."
Shwoom!
The lightning energy of the Reign of the King of Legends faded away.
The Light Heart seemed empty after losing its light. Jin vomited blood after losing his activated energy.
Aura backlash, multiple fractures, and internal injuries.
That should have been the fair result that Jin received when facing the guardian without what he had gained through fortunate encounters.
It was impossible for the twelfth flagbearer of the Runcandels, who had not yet turned twenty, to confront one of the ten knights of Temar Runcandel, said to be the most powerful in history.
However, Jin's strength was not based solely on his return to life and his fortunate encounters.
They only served an auxiliary purpose because Jin always had something much brighter and more precious than anything else.
His willpower.
That immeasurable strength allowed him to hold onto the sword against any adversity.
If the guardian's secret move, which made his light shine over the entire ethereal plane, was the legacy of the Runcandel ancestors, Jin's willpower was the very light carried by the clan's lineage.
Soon, the Giant Sword King fell to the ground.
And the guardian had to praise the brilliant light of Jin's willpower.
The swords made contact.
The two willpowers that symbolized the first and the last of the Runcandels met across time and space.
The time had come for a mystery to be revealed.
"The transmission is complete," the guardian said softly after completing his move.
The aura spread like a tsunami before the guardian. The Giant Sword King fiercely rushed forward in an effort to tear apart the entire ethereal plane, while Jin remained at the center of it all.
Jin stood like a statue after wielding his sword.
He had failed. His willpower was vast, but Jin's strength was still not powerful enough to pierce through the Giant Sword King.
But this wasn't a battle for life, nor a slaughter to establish the obvious power difference between them.
It was merely a ritual held to transmit the will.
The aura ravaging the ethereal plane began to turn into dark particles. The power that could have torn Jin apart thousands of times now scattered like dandelion seeds in the wind.
Jin extended his arm and felt the dark particles, the Shadow Energy, gently escaping through his fingers.
The guardian who had been standing far away also turned into a faint shadow and disappeared.
"Sir Silderay?" Jin shouted his name in despair.
There were so many things Jin wanted to ask him after the battle. About how the Runcandels of the past were, or why he had been erased from history. But to think that he would disappear so abruptly...
The particles of Shadow Energy roamed like petals in the wind, offering no answers.
Instead, they gathered around Jin and swirled around him as if they wanted to do something.
Jin could hear faint murmurs coming from far away.
The sound came from the whirlpool of Shadow Energy, and it was something Jin had never heard before while exerting his power.
Jin focused and realized that it was actually human speech.
Is it Sir Silderay's voice?
The extremely faint voice murmured these words.
Jin, I'm sorry.
-I don't think I can leave many records.
Jin widened his eyes.
Solderet?
It was Jin's god's voice, which hadn't spoken to him since the moments before his return to life.
It was Solderet's voice. ViiSiit n𝒐velb𝒊/n(.)c/(𝒐)m for l𝒂test 𝒏𝒐vels
Jin began to shout Solderet's name as soon as he recognized the voice. He shouted with all his might, running around through the dark particles, but received no response.
-Jin, I'm sorry. I don't think I can leave many records.
The same voice repeated.
Very soon, Jin realized that the voice came from a very distant past.
It was because another voice had joined Solderet's in the Shadow Energy.
-Who are you talking to, Solderet? Jin? Isn't Jin the contractor you mentioned before, after a thousand years?
-Hello, Temar.
-Murakan and Misha have been complaining that you manifest too often and that lately you've been making them too nervous. The battle against the Zipples will begin soon. I'll be in trouble if either of those two falls ill, you know? Give me a break.
-Don't talk to them about Jin.
-Come on. I've already told you I won't. Can't you see? You barely trust me.
The conversation was clearly that of Solderet and Temar, from a thousand years ago.
-But you've already chosen the contractor who will come in a thousand years.
-Does that mean you think we'll win for sure in the battle against the Zipple? I mean, since you're already planning contractors for a thousand years from now and all that.
-There would barely be any Runcandels left in the world to enter into contracts with you if we ever lost, right?
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