Knight Jamal moved his Will, making the sword in his right hand sing.
Wooomm!
Once again, the sword vibrated.
Encrid saw the trembling blade leaving afterimages.
The sword hummed as if the blade multiplied into dozens, hundreds. It was similar to the sight of a bee’s wings in motion.
Unless that sword was more talkative than Aker, it had to be part of Knight Jamal’s swordsmanship.
“Take this again.”
Jamal spoke as he swung his sword. There was no sound of his foot hitting the ground, nor the sound of the blade cutting through the air.
When a Knight who has reached a certain level swings a sword with intent, it moves outside the perception of ordinary people.
The speed beyond the limits silenced the sound as it flew through the air.
They called this state ‘The Moment When Sound Dies’.
A name given by a bard who had heard the explanation.
In reality, it was simply swinging the sword faster than sound. To an ordinary person, it looked as if the sound and motion were misaligned.
But to those who lived in the so-called space where sound dies, it all appeared the same.
Encrid used his foresight to read Jamal’s attack a step ahead, and at the same time, judged that it would be difficult to dodge.
The trajectory was tricky to avoid. No, it was a sword swung with the intention to block, not dodge.
It seemed like an attack intended to end the fight with just one blow.
Dodging would mean giving the enemy the offensive.
Encrid poured his full strength into raising his sword toward Jamal’s trajectory.
‘Deflect it.’
The moment his Will was imbued, it became a solid mass, adding strength to his legs, lower abdomen, and right arm. The Heart of Great Strength activated naturally.
Bang!
The two weapons collided, producing a thunderous explosion. This time, their positions did not cross.
They merely struck swords and stepped back two paces each.
“Brutish.”
Jamal spoke.
Encrid simply nodded his chin, implying that Jamal was even more brutish.
Wooom.
Jamal’s sword still hummed. The sword’s vibrations formed a consistent wave, which soon added force to his strikes.
Knights were those who used their Will to unleash strength beyond their limits.
With those waves added to a Knight’s sword, it could even cleanly slice through forged steel.
The power imbued in Jamal’s sword was built upon that foundation.
In contrast, Encrid had blocked it with pure strength.
The Isolation Technique had tempered his body beyond normal limits, and the Heart of Great Strength doubled the power within that body.
Thus, the force behind their deflected strikes was equal.
That was why Jamal called it brutish. From his perspective, he had mixed in technique, while his opponent seemed to have just blocked with brute force, wasting his Will.
Was it an inefficient way to fight? Or was it natural talent?
‘He deflected my wave with pure strength?’
As Jamal watched, Encrid switched his sword to his other hand and shook his right arm. It seemed like he was shaking off the impact.
Seeing that, Jamal immediately thrust his sword forward.
Despite his casual tone, the thrust, like a beam of light, aimed for Encrid’s heart.
Even if he could block a slashing attack with brute force, how would he handle a thrust?
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Encrid deflected the thrusts with his left-handed sword, not just parrying but flowing with them. But it didn’t stop at just flowing.
Even after deflecting, his sword curved like a noose toward Jamal’s neck.
Jamal tightened his core, pulling his sword back as he leaned backward.
The blade brushed past his chin with a soft flick.
There was no time for blood to spurt. The blade that had grazed his chin dropped straight down, aiming for his belly, and Jamal, still in his reclining position, pulled his sword harder.
Jamal’s weapon was longer. So instead of dodging, slashing back would give him the advantage.
It was a split-second decision, but a sound one. Encrid had to throw himself to the side.
He couldn't give his neck in exchange for stabbing Jamal’s belly.
Jamal’s sword cut through the air as if pulling the void. Encrid had already shifted a step and a half to the side.
Jamal, quickly regaining his stance, spoke with a grin.
“So, you’re not just brute strength, huh?”
His opponent was also highly skilled.
For a moment, Jamal almost felt envious of Encrid’s talent.
Look at this.
How many years had it been since Jamal became a Knight?
The man before him had only reached Knight-level combat after surviving their last encounter, and that was just over a year ago.
Yet, his strength and technique were not far behind Jamal’s.
Would Corwin feel despair if he saw this?
That guy had been intoxicated with his own talent since childhood.
That arrogance, that enjoyment of his talent, was another of Corwin’s gifts. But the man in front of him seemed no less talented.
Refined like a well-tempered blade, the man before him seemed as if he had been pounded, hammered, and crafted like a sword forged countless times.
‘Not content with mere talent, but someone who lights their way through hard work.’
It was a common misconception. It wasn’t Jamal’s fault for thinking so.
It wasn’t hard work alone that broke through, it was something Jamal couldn’t understand.
Since Encrid had reached the level of a Knight, who could call his talent mediocre now?
Misconception or not, nothing would change. Jamal raised his blade while watching his opponent.
‘My wave won’t work.’
What should he try next?
Jamal moved on to the next step. The wave was a well-used technique, but it wasn’t his specialty.
Jamal never gave his all in one go, regardless of the opponent. He enjoyed unraveling his techniques one by one. Varna didn’t like this side of Jamal, but it perfectly aligned with his unique style.
So this was Jamal’s best approach. The next step was the Correct Sword Technique.
With Corwin in the Knight order, a prodigy capable of seeing the future, Jamal had to constantly train his Correct Sword Technique.
To counter someone who could read all moves, you had to twist and hide your intentions repeatedly.
Jamal tried the same approach again.
Thud, thunk, clank!
When Jamal attempted a large, overhead swing aimed at Encrid’s crown, Encrid countered by swinging back.
It was a Valyrian steel sword reflecting a blue light.
Typically, one would deflect or block the overhead strike, then immediately step forward and twist the blade downward, making the trajectory unpredictable. But that had been blocked right from the start.
No, that wasn’t the end.
When Jamal followed with a diagonal thrust and locked in a ricasso to initiate a half-swording maneuver, Encrid skillfully parried it, then immediately leaned in for a headbutt.
Jamal’s Correct Sword Technique was about confusing the opponent with erratic movements. The core was to unsettle them with unconventional techniques.
Jamal, mid-strike, pretended to continue a sword swing but instead aimed a kick at Encrid’s calf.
It was a common mercenary sword technique.
When a Knight performed such a move, it naturally became deadly.
And it was.
However, Encrid disrupted every initial step of Jamal’s erratic moves.
‘Is he reading all of this?’
Or was he just responding with instinct?
Jamal didn’t know, but Encrid had trained Correct Sword Technique and Aker’s Spider Web Sword to the point of mastery, thanks to the thoughts embedded in the sword.
To be honest, Jamal’s tactics seemed almost clumsy by comparison.
Aker had once fought madly against Knights, a master of the battle of wits.
If sword duels learned from the Demon Sword Tutor were like a child’s wooden sword, Aker’s methods were like the blade of a master, able to cut with just a graze.
Jamal, who had tried to outsmart Encrid with his swordsmanship, now felt the pressure. If Jamal’s intention was to confuse Encrid with his movements, Encrid countered by adding layers of Will to his own attacks.
Jamal saw Encrid’s sword aim for his head, chest, legs, hands, neck, and then his shoulders, all in quick succession.
This was Jamal’s insight into the immediate future. Yet it also felt impossible.
How could a sword aim for his entire body at once?
It was a trick of Encrid’s will.
What he had learned from Aker was now shining.
“You’re doing something quite curious.”
If Jamal had just held out, it wouldn’t have just scratched his chin. A hole could have easily opened up somewhere on his body, so he quickly leaped backward.
This retreat showed Jamal’s experience.
In such a situation, backing away was not an easy decision.
Once you see the future where the sword hits you, most would be too focused on blocking the incoming attack.
But by leaping back, Encrid’s formless attack imbued with Will became meaningless.
Could Encrid extend his Will further to make the attack reach? If they weren’t playing a game of tag, trying further would be pointless.
Jamal, after backing off, finally grasped the trick Encrid had used.
‘With Will?’
Jamal had reached this level through abundant talent, and so he also had the knack for quickly understanding his opponent’s methods.
While he couldn’t replicate Encrid’s technique, he roughly understood the principle.
That didn’t mean he could avoid it completely.
‘This is troublesome.’
So, what should he do?
It was a situation that would have left cold sweat running down one’s back.
And yet, in this very situation, Jamal felt exhilarated.
How long had it been since he’d faced something like this?
From the moment he first grasped a sword, few had ever matched Jamal.
The first time he had felt a real threat to his life was when he faced the monster known as Varna Hurrier.
That being was a literal monster.
Other than that, few had given him this kind of tension.
Especially in recent times, such experiences were rare.
Knights weren’t the kind to wander about freely, and real fights with enemies were few and far between.
Let alone a Knight capable of making him feel tense.
Though Jamal outwardly expressed his joy, the opponent who had caused this tension, Encrid, remained calm and composed.
“Now, I’ll be serious.”
Jamal spoke, swinging his sword again. It was a straightforward attack, free of the trickery of the Correct Sword Technique.
There was no room to think, the speed was that overwhelming.
It was a fast and even faster sword.
By the time Encrid sensed Jamal’s sword moving, he had to react immediately.
The sword, which had fluttered like the wings of a hummingbird, abandoned its vibrations and focused entirely on speed, becoming a literal beam of light.
Encrid responded to Jamal’s sword. There was no other option, as not reacting meant death.
As Jamal’s sword shot up vertically and then slashed down, Encrid responded by twisting and thrusting his blade. Jamal dodged and swung his sword horizontally.
Thud, ting, tatang.
Sparks flew continuously between the two.
If anyone could properly watch the fight, they wouldn’t be able to easily determine who held the advantage in this fierce clash.
Jamal seemed to be at a disadvantage, but in the end, he always managed to thrust and slash back.
The difficult-to-dodge trajectory and speed alone made Jamal’s sword far more threatening than the ghouls they had encountered in the Gray Forest.
A sword that could not be avoided unless one had reached the level of a Knight.
Such blows rained down endlessly. And Encrid deflected every single one of them.
Just as Encrid started to adapt to the speed and mix in his own attacks, Jamal opened his mouth.
“I’ll tell you about my specialty.”
Jamal caught his breath before continuing.
“Rather than looking at me with resentful eyes without understanding, it’s better to die knowing.”
Clang!
Their swords clashed again, sending large sparks flying.
Blue and red flames flickered between the two as the heat from their clashing Wills pushed back the falling sunlight.
The surging Will turned into an invisible pressure, pushing the surroundings away.
The soldiers watching the fight were wide-eyed and awestruck.
One soldier even cried out in pain after being struck on the head by a stone dislodged by the intense battle.
From the outside, it seemed like a storm was raging.
To those watching, it was impossible to see how the swords moved or what techniques were being used.
Amidst the chaos, a voice rang out.
“The name of my sword is ‘Plunder’.”
Jamal’s engraved weapon wasn’t as strong as Oara’s sword, nor as light as someone else’s blade. It was close to an ordinary longsword.
However, the Will imbued in his sword absorbed and scattered his opponent’s Will.
In other words...
“Because of ‘Plunder’, I don’t get tired.”
When one realizes their Will and ascends to the level of a Knight, the first thing they learn is their limit.
As Jamal learned and understood that limit, he thought of something.
‘What if I could take it?’
Why did this ability manifest?
Perhaps it was because he had lived a life of taking from others since childhood.
Jamal had taken his brother’s position and his father’s family. He was originally a bastard, but now he was the head of his family.
Had he taken the wrong steps, he might have just become a skilled bandit.
Jamal was a Knight accustomed to a life of taking.
If we delve deeper, ‘Plunder’ was actually a weapon that scattered Will, not necessarily taking it for himself. Even if he drained all the Will from an opponent, it didn’t become Jamal’s.
Will wasn’t something that moved in such a form.
However, he could make it seem that way to his opponent.
His Wave Sword, his Correct Sword Technique, and his fast sword were all just setups for this.
When they clashed, the opponent lost strength. Normally, if one sword had a Will of one unit, the opponent had to use three units of Will to match him.
‘How long can you endure?’
Jamal grinned confidently, but Encrid hadn’t been listening to him for a while.
In the consciousness realm with Aker, he had turned what he learned into reality through training, and he was now drawing it all out in this real battle, showing it repeatedly.
Why was he doing this?
‘This is insane.’
Because it was so much fun.
Perhaps it was a kind of excitement Encrid was feeling for the first time.
Such enjoyment was fueling Encrid.
Thanks for the Chapter Bro!!! :DD
Thanks for the Chapter.
Is it updated regularly? Also what is release schedule
Creo que he leído el manhwa, talvez lo esté confundiendo.. 🤔