Chapter 266
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Chapter 266: The Weapon Master (1)
***
“Ugh… Ugh…”
A violent tremor filled the Weapon Master’s body as he struggled to get up.
It was no wonder. Just moments ago, his chest had caved in, and his heart had burst from an attack.
Thanks to the immense vitality of the Master Class warrior, he was barely holding on, but it was only a matter of time before death claimed him.
“I… I can’t believe this… This is… impossible…”
The Weapon Master had broken through countless walls of the Master Class. He was likely on the verge of becoming Grandmaster.
He possessed a body of incredible strength and vast dark mana.
Yet, such a formidable figure had his heart burst from a single kick.
This was proof that Damien’s physical abilities overwhelmed the Weapon Master.
“Ugh… Ah…”
The Weapon Master managed to pull out something from his waist. Dark magic emanated from the blade.
The concave chest returned to its original shape, and the Weapon Master’s complexion also returned to normal.
The Immortal Blade, D’Artagnan.
Damien immediately recognized the Demonic sword. It was one of the swords that symbolized the Weapon Master.
A Demonic sword that used absorbed souls as fuel to heal its master’s wounds.
According to rumors, it could regenerate a body in an instant even if only the head remained.
“Phew…”
The Weapon Master slowly stood up, his face covered in cold sweat.
– Hehe, you look like you’re struggling. How about using us instead? We’ll kill that brat for you right away!
Demonic swords floating in the air spoke to the Weapon Master, who ground his teeth.
“Shut up, all of you. I’ll cut him to pieces myself.”
– Hahaha, he’s mad! So mad!
– Alright, we’ll cheer for you from behind!
Demonic swords flew high into the sky. Their unsettling laughter continued for a while and then abruptly stopped.
“Damien… You fucking brat… How dare you humiliate me like this…”
The veins on the Weapon Master’s forehead bulged as his body responded to his intense anger.
“Come forth, Barbaria!”
Gray armor emerged from the air and enveloped the Weapon Master’s entire body.
The Accursed Armor, Barbaria.
A Demonic armor augmented the wearer’s movements, granting explosive bursts of speed.
Like the Immortal Blade, D’Artagnan, it was one of the pieces of equipment that represented the Weapon Master.
As soon as he donned the armor, the Weapon Master’s aura grew even more intense.
– Isn’t it a bit much for someone of your caliber, the Weapon Master, to take him so seriously?
“Shut up!”
The Weapon Master charged forward. By the time his foot hit the ground, he was already in front of Damien.
Damien’s eyes widened slightly. Thanks to his recent metamorphism, his senses were much sharper than before.
Yet, he couldn’t track the Weapon Master’s movements. The Demonic armor was aiding the Weapon Master’s speed.
“Bastard! I’ll kill you right now!”
The Weapon Master swung his greatsword with both hands. Damien blocked it with Dawn.
‘It’s heavy.’
He realized the moment their weapons clashed. This wasn’t an attack to be blocked head-on.
Instantly, Damien deflected the greatsword’s strike. The greatsword missed Damien and struck the ground with a loud crash.
In that moment, the entire city split in half.
“You must have learned well from that coward, the Sword Saint!”
The Weapon Master immediately drew another weapon. This time, he wielded two weapons, one in each hand.
‘This is going to be tough. With that Demonic armor, I can’t just counterattack.’
Damien murmured softly, having made his decision.
“Second Ring.”
A resonant sound erupted from Damien’s body. At the same time, the Weapon Master began his assault.
The Weapon Master not only wielded dozens of weapons but also moved his arms freely, mastering various combat techniques.
It was a strategy that no one could easily replicate. Truly deserving of the title, Weapon Master.
Moreover, the Weapon Master was currently supported by the Demonic armor. With each swing of his weapons, the air tore, and the ground shattered.
‘Impressive, but…’
It was unpredictable but lacked depth. Besides, Damien was now using the Combined Infinity Cycle technique.
Damien quickly grasped the essence of each technique. He used Dawn to block all of the Weapon Master’s attacks.
Seeing this, the Weapon Master’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.
“I will kill you!”
The Weapon Master shouted, pressing Damien even harder. His strikes came like a raging storm.
However, despite the overwhelming display, none of the Weapon Master’s attacks landed on Damien.
Damien blocked or deflected every single one.
“…”
Kilo watched the scene and he was utterly stunned.
He had only ever handled axes and pickaxes, yet even he could see how incredible Damien was.
He effortlessly countered overwhelming attacks that could shatter the heavens.
It was like a small, sharp stone standing firm against a raging current.
“…Weapon Master!”
Then, Achilles’s voice rang out.
“What are you doing! You are the Weapon Master and you can even kill that brat!”
Achilles’s face was full of a mix of frustration and anger.
“Have you forgotten what we’re creating right now? At this crucial moment, you taking too much time to deal with him! Kill him immediately!”
Achilles’s shout made the Weapon Master grind his teeth.
“That little dwarf…!”
The Weapon Master’s focus wavered for a tiny bit.
Damien didn’t miss the opportunity. Taking a deep breath, he said,
“Third Ring.”
The resonant sound amplified. At the same time, Damien’s movements became even faster.
His sword strikes gained momentum. The two weapons the Weapon Master was holding were instantly cut in half.
From the destroyed Demonic swords, demonic energy erupted. Amidst the energy, the Weapon Master’s startled face was visible.
“How can you move like this…?”
Without hesitation, Damien thrust Dawn forward.
A flash resembling starlight burst forth. Dawn pierced the Weapon Master’s shoulder. It penetrated even the Demonic armor with ease.
“Aaargh!”
The Weapon Master screamed in pain. He pulled the sword out of his shoulder as he retreated.
“Don’t get cocky!”
The Weapon Master tried to press Damien again, but the momentum had already shifted to Damien’s side.
Damien swung Dawn. His sword strikes came at strange angles.
“Ugh! Damn it!”
The Weapon Master couldn’t respond properly. The strikes he couldn’t block started wounding him all over.
As the wounds increased, horror began to fill the Weapon Master’s face.
“This can’t be… This can’t be happening…! This is impossible…!”
How many knights had fallen under the name of the Weapon Master?
Among them were knights representing the Empire. There were also heirs groomed by the Empire’s great nobles.
All of them had boldly challenged him but lost their lives without leaving a scratch on the Weapon Master.
Yet here he was, this Weapon Master, being overwhelmed by a mere fledgling.
And purely through skill, at that.
“What are you so shocked about?”
Damien said with a mocking smile.
“I told you, you’re mediocre at best.”
Those words made the veins on the Weapon Master’s forehead bulge. It was from extreme anger.
“What are you waiting for? Help me now!”
The Weapon Master shouted. In that moment, ten lights flashed in the sky.
Ten swords descended vertically, aiming to pierce Damien.
Damien stopped attacking the Weapon Master and retreated. As soon as Damien moved back, the swords embedded themselves in the ground.
– Hehe, you ended up calling us after all.
– So, what did I say? I told you to borrow our power.
– Don’t say too much, kid. If you make him angry, what will you do?
The swords spoke.
These were the best of the Weapon Master’s arsenal, each imbued with sentience and the ability to fly freely.
The real ones had appeared.
“Shut up, you assholes.”
The Weapon Master said with annoyance. The swords chattered excitedly.
– We just have to kill that guy, right?
– Me! Leave it to me!
– We have to work together.
The swords kept chattering endlessly. The Weapon Master picked up one of them.
It was a strange sword with the blade curved inwards. It was a weapon that seemed to combine a scythe and a long sword.
-He’s a tough one. Let’s kill him together.
– Wow, I heard that. Together.
– He seems to be really scared.
– Well, he’s not an ordinary swordsman.
The Weapon Master infused the sword with dark mans. In the next instant, his body disappeared into the darkness.
In the next moment, he felt a murderous intent from behind. Damien immediately turned around.
The Weapon Master was swinging his sword at Damien. Damien blocked the attack with his Dawn.
“You have good instincts. To notice that.”
The Weapon Master said with a sneer.
In fact, Damien already knew the identity of that weapon.
The Demonic sword ‘Palchetia’
It was a weapon that could move into the enemy’s blind spot in an extremely short moment.
The activation time was short, and there was no cooldown. It could also be used consecutively.
“I’ll praise you for blocking my attack… but your back is open!”
As soon as the Weapon Master finished speaking, swords came flying at him from behind.
– Kehehet! It’s empty! Your back is empty!
– The heart is mine! The heart is mine!
Just before the swords arrived, the Weapon Master’s body disappeared again.
Damien immediately twisted his waist. He blocked all the flying swords.
– Well, that’s something! You blocked all of our teamwork!
– Strong! The stronger you are, the more exhilarating it will be to kill you!
– Heart! Give me your heart!
The swords moved mindlessly and attacked Damien. Damien calmly blocked the attacks.
Then, he felt a murderous intent from the side. Damien turned his head.
The Weapon Master, who had emerged from the darkness, swung his weapon. Damien reflexively blocked his attack.
But the weapon the Weapon Master was holding was a little different.
Instead of a Demonic sword, he was holding an old wooden sword.
“Surely not…”
“Do you know this? Then you must also know that it’s too late!”
Out of nowhere, a wooden vine that had sprung out of the ground wrapped around Damien’s two legs.
It was so strong that it felt like it was made of iron instead of wood.
The Binding Sword Kitan.
It was a Demonic sword that had the power to bind everything it touched.
“Kill him!”
The Weapon Master immediately gave the order to the swords. The swords immediately flew towards Damien.
It was impossible to block the swords flying from all directions with both legs tied.
The Weapon Master was sure of victory.
“Confuse me with the Demonic swords and bind my legs with the Binding Sword… What a pathetic tactic.”
Damien said with clicking his tongue. Only then did the Weapon Master realize that Damien’s face was too expressionless for someone in danger.
“It’s so-so. It’s too so-so.”
Damien lowered his index finger. Then something fell from the sky.
Swords made of the aurablades blocked the Demonic swords. The Demonic swords panicked and shouted.
– W-what is this!
– Get out of the way! We have to kill him!
The Weapon Master was as shocked as the swords.
“Azure Sky’s Flight…?”
The Weapon Master muttered in disbelief.
“How…? You didn’t say you had mastered the Sword Saint realm?”
Master Class could only master one realm.
It was only natural. After all, the realm was the culmination of the skills that a knight had honed throughout his life.
Damien was using two realms that defied logic.
“You… you…”
Damien did not answer the Weapon Master’s question. Instead, he put Dawn back in its scabbard.
– Dawn has become incomparably stronger than before! –
Malta’s words came to mind.
– Of course, it’s strong! There is no weapon in this world that can match Dawn! Anything that dares to stand against it will be cut down like a twig! –
Before leaving the Church, Malta had talked at length about how Dawn had changed.
– The most impressive feature is its new power! Dawn can store an almost infinite amount of any force! And the duration for which it can store this power is nearly infinite too! –
At first glance, it seemed like a trivial ability. But Malta spoke with a very confident face.
– And it can release all of it! It releases all the mana it has accumulated to infinity! Can you imagine how powerful that is? –
While preparing to fight the Weapon Master, Damien had been secretly charging Dawn with his mana. In this way, about three days’ worth of mana had accumulated.
Now, Dawn was sheathed. Damian grasped the hilt and scabbard simultaneously.
He released the stored mana in Dawn. The energy trapped within the scabbard surged out.
The force pushed Dawn out of its scabbard. As Dawn emerged, a blinding light bust forth.
Now Dawn was in its scabbard. He grabbed the hilt of Dawn and the scabbard at the same time.
The immense power overloaded Dawn.
The Weapon Master’s eyes widened at the sudden surge of immense power.
“Oh no…”
The moment Dawn fully emerged a blinding light exploded and engulfed the Weapon Master completely.
***
As the blinding light struck him, the Weapon Master instinctively realized that he would die if he didn’t block it.
He had to exert all his strength to survive.
First, he took out the shield he had been carrying on his back. He concentrated all his dark mana into the shield.
The thick aurablade covered the shield. The Weapon Master prepared to receive the attack.
The light and the shield collided. The Weapon Master gritted his teeth and held on.
But despite the Weapon Master’s efforts, the shield shattered in an instant.
With no time to escape, the light engulfed the Weapon Master.
The armor he was wearing was being shredded in real time. When the armor disappeared, it was the Weapon Master’s turn next.
The light burned the Weapon Master’s entire body. The Weapon Master was swept away by the light and flew far away.
“Ugh… ouch… ugh…”
The Weapon Master groaned as he fell to the ground.
“What… how did this happen…”
The Weapon Master struggled to open his eyes. Only then did he notice the state of his body.
The skin on his entire body was completely burned, and his arms and legs were completely gone.
“Ugh, ugh! Aaaaaaaaaa!”
The Weapon Master let out a scream. But there was nothing that could be done.
“Immortal Sword! I need the Immortal Sword! Can’t anyone hear me! Put the Immortal Sword in me right now! Right now!”
The Immortal Sword was not a sentient sword. So, in order to use it, you had to hold it yourself and give it orders.
But now the Weapon Master had no arms or legs.
“Immortal Sword! Bring me the Immortal Sword!”
So he could only thrash around, unable to grasp the Immortal Sword. Even though it was right there in his belt.
“…Weapon Master.”
Then, a familiar voice rang out. He turned his head and saw Achilles’ face.
It seemed that he had been swept away by the light and flown to where Achilles was.
“What is this? Did you think I cooperated with you to see you in this state?”
Achilles sighed deeply and mocked the Weapon Master.
“A… Achilles… help me… there are still swords left… a chance for a counterattack…”
“Yes, I will help you. There is no one else who can defeat that monster.”
Achilles picked up the Weapon Master’s body. It was incredibly light, as his arms and legs were all gone.
“Yes… hurry… put the Immortal Sword… in my heart…”
But Achilles did not do as the Weapon Master said. Instead, he approached the hearth.
“You… what are you doing now…”
“Weapon Master. Do you remember when I said I needed the last ingredient?”
Only then did the Weapon Master realize it. The cruel aura that appeared in Achilles’ two eyes.
“There was no way to save you, so I didn’t tell you… but the truth is, the ingredient was you.”
“You… what are you going to do…”
“Don’t worry. You will now become a sword itself.”
Achilles threw the Weapon Master into the hearth.
***