The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth

Chapter 60: The Magic Sword, Freezing Talon

Chapter 60: The Magic Sword, Freezing Talon

Rustle—

In a dimly lit room, the sound of pages being flipped filled the air.

"Fascinating. These magical formulas were once incomprehensible to me, but now they make perfect sense."

The shelves were densely packed with books, each one an artifact from ancient times. If the sorcerers of the Magic Council were to see this, they would have been overcome with envy.

[Indeed, you now possess my knowledge. But the amount of magic you can wield is still limited,] Allen Javius stated, comfortably seated on a sofa he had used in his lifetime.

"Isn't there a way to overcome that? You were a grand sorcerer of the Magical Era, after all."

[I have never encountered a body like yours before. Even in my time, consuming a dragon's heart was unheard of. The heart itself is a condensed mass of magic. Mishandle it, and your body could explode.]

"Hmm..." Unfortunately, even a sorcerer from the magic era didn't know how to open meridians.

So, the only way forward is to meet a dragon? Well, it was only inevitable. Allen's words about Narh Di Maug kept coming back to Karyl.

All his answers lay with him. It wasn't that this was a roadblock for Karyl, rather they were bound to meet eventually. Until then, Karyl decided to strengthen himself by any means necessary.

[But what about that guy, Kaye Aesir? Was he truly human?]

"What do you mean? Are you suggesting he may have been a dragon?"

[I can't say for certain, but if he really was human, then taking down a dragon with magic alone wouldn't have been an easy feat, even for me.]

"Well, there were also rumors that the members of the Assembly of Seven Elders weren't human either."

[Yes, but rumors and truth often differ. You saw his battle.]

With a shrug, Karyl responded, "Well, I've only witnessed one fight."

[And? Was there nothing else? No use of magical artifacts or elemental magic? Perhaps the assistance of an unknown third party?]

Allen Javius was deeply curious about the dragon hunter, Kaye Aesir. Dragons were revered as the very pinnacle of all magical beings. So the notion that a human, wielding magic no less, hunted creatures was undeniably stimulating for him.

"So, you're suggesting he might have taken some unknown shortcut? You seem quite reluctant to accept his ability."

[Hmph... Did he leave any message or anything behind?]

Allen's question sparked a sudden recollection in Karyl’s mind—a message left by Kaye Aesir in Einheri before Karyl left the mansion. "Now that you mention it, there was something."

[What was it?]

Karyl showed the bracelet fastened around his wrist. "This was left along with the dragon's heart. He knew that consuming the heart could overwhelm the body, so he left this as a precaution."

[This... I've never seen this before... It doesn't belong to the Magic Era, but it could be from his time, 250 years ago.]

As Allen examined the intricately set gemstone on the bracelet, he couldn’t help but marvel. [The craftsmanship is truly remarkable. It might be the work of dwarves or gnomes. Achieving such mastery is no easy feat.]

“Now that I think about it, he mentioned something when he left this. He said that there were two more cursed things like him.” Karyl recalled the existence of beings stranger than Kaye Aesir, entities absent from history. “Maybe they're not even human.”

[Hmm?]

“I am just speculating. Referring to them as “things” might not have been to belittle them, but rather to indicate that they're not human. Like this bracelet here might be one of those ‘things’ he mentioned.”

It felt like Karyl had been hit on the back of his head. He had just always assumed that since he and Kaye Aesir were human, their counterparts would be too.

[Of course, it's only one possibility out of many... It's understandable why you came to that conclusion. Seems like there are hardly any demi-humans left in this era.]

"Was the Magic Era that different?"

[The Golden Dragons were simply insufferably proud. They believed themselves to be blessed by Toska. Rumors even suggest that the Diggon’s ancestor was born from Toska and a human woman. But that's a tale from centuries past, dating back to the Magical Era.]

"That long ago? If that story is true then the dragon's blood truly runs deep. To endure even after all those years."

[I wouldn't have used the Freezing Talon in such a manner.]

"And how would you have used it?"

[I would’ve created the Dragonfang Warriors. Though they lose their sense of self, their adaptability to dragon magic would be far superior.]

Karyl fell silent at Allen’s casual mention of creating warriors infused with dragon blood, a cursed art forbidden within the empire.

[What good is the empire if the world is on the brink of destruction?]

"Well, it's a lost art."

[But, before you stands someone from an era before its disappearance, right?]

“...”

Allen Javius chuckled, finding amusement in teasing Karyl.

"I’ll never use sacrifice humans."

[That so-called pride has led to more deaths. If they're going to die anyway, wouldn't it be better to make them useful?]

"What do you think humans are? You must have been human once," Karyl spoke firmly. "To determine right from wrong solely based on outcomes is foolish. Even after knowing the future, I will never resort to such sorcery."

[Well, the choice is yours. But should you ever need it, do not hesitate to let me know. Even the Immortals who use cursed magic adhere to our magical system,] Allen said, shrugging lightly at Karyl’s rigid stance.

"..."

[The past is just the past. I'm not taking you to a place of memories to indulge in sentimentality.]

"I understand. After the war, that land is considered sacred by the spirits. But I didn't know that the Assembly of Seven Elders dabbled in spirit magic as well." Karyl sighed softly.

[It's not solely because of the spirit magic.]

"Then why?"

[We studied about spirits in pursuit of magic. And what I'm about to teach you isn't about swordsmanship,] Allen shifted the topic, seemingly reluctant to provoke Karyl further. [Don't think that wielding a sword for eons means you've mastered every aspect of it. Not even the wisest can become a god.]

"Are you implying that there are limits to my swordsmanship?"

His words intrigued Karyl. As someone who had reached the pinnacle with his sword alone, denying his swordsmanship was a provocation.

With a gentle tap on Karyl's shoulder, Allen said with an ambiguous look, [You've swung your sword “without” magic for eons.]

"..."

[Infusing magic into your sword is not the end.]

Karyl furrowed his brows at Allen Javius's mocking tone. "Is that so? Then when will you begin teaching?"

[See? Even after acquiring magic, you're not using it properly.]

"What?"

Almost instantly, Karyl scanned his surroundings. The room had faded into darkness without him realizing.

[Training has already begun.]