The Book Eating Magician - Chapter 158

Chapter 158

Chapter 158 – One Year Later (4)

As he spoke, the aura around Baek Jongmyung burned even further . However, Theodore didn’t move .

Unlike his opponent who was only accepting it now, Theodore had anticipated this situation from the beginning . Catching Baek Jongmyung’s feet with Magic Bullet… and launching a surprise attack using Memorize… Theodore had done these things, but he had never thought they would work .

‘Surprise attacks don’t mean much to a sword master . ’

It was true that he had sparred many times with Randolph, but a sword master was literally a grim reaper .

Their response speed was different that of from normal aura users . Just like how one’s body would shrink back when it touched something hot or cold, a sword master’s aura had already reached the area of spinal reflexes . They could prevent ambushes even while in a deep sleep, and a lightning strike would be prevented with minimal damage .

A sword master’s aura was for offense and defense .

Setting aside their Aura Ability, their combat power with pure aura was extremely threatening . High attack power and defense, excellent mobility, and overwhelming endurance… there were no weaknesses .

Kakiing…

At that moment, Baek Jongmyung’s blade moved like a wave .  Seeing it, Theodore muttered unconsciously, “…Soft sword?”

“Oh, so you know it . I heard that it isn’t often used in the west, so you have great knowledge,” Baek Jongmyung replied with an admiring expression .

However, Theodore would’ve thought it was just a strange swordsmanship if it wasn’t for Lee Yoonsung’s memories .  With a strong and resilient metal, the sword was capable of creating trajectories with a unique flexibility . A master could use it to deal fatal blows from any angle .

Regrettably, Lee Yoonsung had no experience fighting against it .

“Then let’s get started,” Baek Jongmyung spoke as he rushed forward first .

The sword in his right hand moved like a whip several times, with the sword’s acceleration creating afterimages .  Theodore had only experienced Randolph’s straightforward sophistication, but this was fundamentally different .

Pit! Blood splattered out .

Even with the help of his sensory perception, Theodore got injured . Baek Jongmyung had swung from a distance which the sword couldn’t reach Theodore, but a line of blood was still drawn on Theodore’s cheek .

Once a whip struck, it would become as hard as a mace . Similarly, the power of the curved sword was launched at Theodore’s face!

‘Indeed, this technique…!’ Theodore stopped breathing while inwardly admiring it .

At a close distance, it was faster and more powerful than Magic Bullet . The snake-like orbit was difficult to read, and it wasn’t a technique he could cope with, even with his senses .  Above all, it wasn’t a technique which ended with one or two hits . Instead, the attacks poured out like rain .

No, it was like a snake with hundreds of heads .

Ping!

The protective magic he used as a shield was pierced like it was a piece of cloth .  Defense magic which shielded his whole body wasn’t good against a single-point attack . However, if he reduced the defense area, a mistake of a few millimeters would lead to a fatal injury .

‘I can’t block it . I should avoid it . ’ Theodore was out of breath as he activated, ‘Battle Song . Sonata of Speed . Vivace . ’

Battle Song strengthened his overall physical abilities while the others enhanced his mobility . His speed had temporarily increased by 50%, so he was determined to find a breakthrough .  Unsurprisingly, the light in Theodore’s eyes soon started to see some of the orbit .

‘…This much is enough!’ Simultaneously, Theodore took a step forward .

“Hmm?” The advance was surprising, and Baek Jongmyung looked at Theodore with a confused expression .

The magician’s robes were filled with holes, and blood flowed from his wounds . So, why was he advancing? It was an action beyond bold recklessness .  However, unlike his thoughts, Baek Jongmyung didn’t slow down his momentum . He had already paid a price once for carelessness . He wouldn’t be taken by the same thing twice .

The storm of swords swallowed Theodore .

Kwakakakak!

The gravel was scraped away, and a few weeds scattered like dust .

Even a knight with full plate armor would be torn to rags by the whirlwind, let alone Theodore who was wearing robes . It was a terrible sight which caused the spectators to not want to see the results .

“T-This…!”

“Sir Ted…!?”

However, the two sword masters didn’t panic .  Randolph was familiar with Theodore’s skills .  Meanwhile, Baek Jongmyung cried out unknowingly, “Good!”

It was an evasion that even the attacker admired! Theodore and the swords had danced gloriously at a speed which couldn’t be followed by ordinary human eyesight .  He had avoided the attack, but it wasn’t simply because he was fast . It was because he had used Lee Yoonsung’s foot movements . Theodore danced between the vortex of blades .

Shortly after that, Theodore’s turn finally came .

‘An eye exists in any storm . ’

Unlike the violent outskirts, the center of the turbulent force was calm .

Of course, swordsmanship and a natural phenomenon couldn’t be seen in the same context, but there were similar aspects . It was necessary to maintain the torque at certain intervals in order to generate the acceleration .  This meant the power of the torque wouldn’t be exerted if Theodore approached close to Baek Jongmyung .

It was certainly true in theory, but who would want to try it against a sword master?

“-Spell Fusion . ”

A person insane enough to do so was right here .

‘Memorize . All Slots Open . Triple Blaze Burst . Triple Fire Strike . Spell Fusion: Strike Flare . ’

At that moment, Theodore’s fist became hot enough to melt iron .

Kwaaaaang!

There was a massive explosion .  The fire spread quickly as Theodore flashed over to the other side .  Baek Jongmyung’s clothing was almost destroyed, and despite defending with aura, there were shallow burns on his skin .

Without paying any attention to the pain from his wounds, Baek Jongmyung spoke, “…Truly amazing skills, Sir Ted . ”

In this limited battlefield of a vacant lot, a magician could go against a sword master…? It was a situation where his Aura Ability was sealed, but that wasn’t an excuse .  If they competed with equal abilities, he might’ve become a chunk of charcoal sooner . Additionally, the opponent who had driven him to this state was in the early-20s, mid-20s at most .

Baek Jongmyung spoke to Theodore who emerged from the fire, “More than anything else, that footwork is from a famous martial arts family . If you don’t mind, can you tell me where you learned it?”

Theodore thought for a moment before answering, “I happened to run into a kinsmen of the Lee Family and was taught, but he is deceased now . ”

“Lee Family… that isn’t a family from Western Xia . ”

Baek Jongmyung wanted to converse this more on this subject, but Theodore refused to open his mouth .  Although Baek Jongmyung was sad for a moment, he quickly found what Theodore was lacking .

“Sir Ted is comfortable with the martial arts taught to you, but you haven’t yet mastered it . ”

“Yes, it is still immature . ”

“Huh, that isn’t the right word . There are many juniors in my hometown, but I’ve never seen someone like Ted . I once again realized that the world is really wide . ”

Baek Jongmyung squeezed the sword in his hand and released his stance like he thought it was over .

However, Theodore wasn’t satisfied yet . He was in front of a strong man who could refine his nerves to the limit, giving Theodore a stimulus which wasn’t possible while sparring with Randolph . This experience with a master was worth more than 1,000 gold .

So, Theodore made a reasonable compromise . “As Master Baek said, I haven’t mastered this technique yet . But I do have one skill I haven’t tried before . ”

“…Uhh, that is regrettable . ” As expected from a warrior, Baek Jongmyung knew the meaning of Theodore’s words and placed strength into the hand holding his sword again .  It was a request to renew the fight . Baek Jongmyung wouldn’t decline . No, in fact, he wanted to see more of Theodore’s skills .

As expected, Baek Jongmyung nodded readily .

“Then shall we end this by competing with one last skill?”

“It is a good idea . ”

The two men exchanged a promise and retreated at a reasonable interval .

‘Good, this is enough . ’

It was still unusable in practice, but it was possible in a situation like this . As it was mentioned several times, a magician was strongest when they had secured a safe distance and time . If this were a normal battle against a warrior, for a magician, the probability of winning would be less than half .

However, what if the magician was Theodore Miller? The odds of the opponent winning would fall to half, or less than half .

Theodore did one last check and closed his eyes silently . It was a technique that couldn’t be used without concentrating .

‘Answer, door to Muspelheim . ’

There was no need to open his mouth as the red tattoo on his left hand started to move under his glove .  A dimension of fire where the density of mana was different from the normal world opened up, and the flames of Muspelheim filled his entire left arm .

Then he moved his consciousness from his left hand to another place .

‘…This is still a little tough . ’

The Blood Mark of Aquilo, the dragon who used to rule the Pirate Archipelago, wriggled in response .

It was a beautifully moist and cool aura . The dense energy which came from the dragon was so enormous it was like something sticky was stuck to Theodore’s skin . His concentration was shaken by this feeling, and Theodore grumbled before continuing to focus .

His left hand contained Muspelheim’s flames, while his right hand contained Aquilo’s cold mana from the dragon blood .  The yin energy and yang energies, two contrasting energies, formed in his hands .

Aquilo’s cool mana and Muspelheim’s flames struggled against each other . Even Theodore, who constantly trained his mind, couldn’t hold it for long .  In this state, even opening his mouth was grueling .

“-I’m going!”

“Yes!”

As Theodore barely managed to speak, Baek Jongmyung raised his aura .

Baek Jongmyung sensed that this power was unusual . The hairs on his body rose whenever he felt a threat to this life . He was being warned by his decades of training that this skill couldn’t be stopped entirely with aura defense .

“Huhaha! My blood is boiling for the first time in a long time!”

The jubilation of a warrior… The power coming from Theo was enough to threaten Baek Jongmyung .  As Baek Jongmyung’s mouth formed a smile, both of Theodore’s hands moved forward .

‘Focus, focus, focus, focus, focusssss-…’

Blood flowed from Theodore’s nose while his hands moved in a semicircle .  A year had passed after defeating Superbia, and during that time, he had developed this method of protecting his life .  This time, instead of draining away, the power was pulled inward .

The red and blue mana tangled together, creating an attack which could never have been seen before .

――――――――――!

A flash burst out .

*     *     *

Kurururung!

There was an earthquake, and the spectators standing in the distance stumbled .  The two children, whom Baek Jongmyung had brought, were able to straighten their bodies, but Elsid and Marquis Piris could only regain their balance after holding onto a nearby tree .

“W-What the hell is this…!”

With confused eyes, Elsid looked at the vacant lot covered in dust . Despite having retreated to a considerable distance as so not to get caught by the collision, the shock wave had spread out a few hundred meters and made them dizzy .  He was inexperienced with masters and had never seen their skills directly .

Their bodies shivered from the struggle .  Five pairs of eyes filled with contradictory feelings of surprise, fear, admiration, and interest as they looked at where the duo had collided .  Was it perhaps in response to their gazes…? The dust was washed away by the wind, revealing the scene inside .

“Um . ”

“Oh, the winner…”

“Indeed…”

As the five people watched, the two opponents faced each other with conflicting expressions .  Theodore’s exhausted body was barely standing, while Baek Jongmyung’s sword was at Theodore’s neck .

It was a scene where the winner and loser were clearly revealed .  

The swordsman Baek Jongmyung, who had beat Theodore in the last attack, gave a long sigh and lowered his sword .

Then he declared, “This game, I have lost it . ”