Ch.114Tower of Magic – 3

Serena cut down the defensive spells as they emerged, and the remaining three were quickly depleted.

Though these defensive spells set by Charlotte possessed durability on a completely different level from ordinary thorns, before Serena they were no different from common tree branches.

After neutralizing all five defensive spells, Serena calmly put World Eater back in its sheath. In sync with this action, the magic circle faintly drawn on the main gate disappeared.

When I pulled the door handle toward me with force, the door slowly opened with a scraping sound. The door was nearly three or four finger joints thick.

Seeing this, Serena’s eyebrows slightly furrowed toward the center.

“Is it adamantium, my lord?”

“Half of it.”

“So it’s an alloy.”

“That’s right. Mixed with mythril.”

There were three metals that people described as “bestowed by the gods.”

Adamantium, mythril, and orichalcum.

Among these three, adamantium had the highest hardness. Known as the indestructible metal, its smelting methods were extremely rare, making it practically impossible to process.

Rumors spread that one would need to set up a workshop in a volcano and devote years solely to smelting just to create a single small dagger.

Of course, that’s just a metaphor. I’ve personally swum in lava, and it wasn’t as hot as people think.

Being so sturdy, its density was also incredibly high, making it extraordinarily heavy. The same size would weigh nearly ten times that of steel.

On the downside, its mana responsiveness was terrible. Among mages, bringing adamantium into a workshop was considered the ultimate taboo.

Mithril was the opposite of adamantium. Its mana absorption rate and responsiveness were far higher than most magical catalysts, but its hardness was relatively lower.

Of course, being called a metal bestowed by the gods, it was still incomparably stronger than ordinary metals. This comparison was only relative to adamantium or orichalcum.

And it was incredibly light. They say it’s lighter than silk of the same size, so you can imagine its weight.

Orichalcum was exactly in between adamantium and mythril.

It had hardness lower than adamantium but higher than mythril, mana responsiveness lower than mythril but higher than adamantium, plus a moderate weight.

“I used mythril to cover the outer part, and the rest is solid adamantium. Can’t have zero mana responsiveness. How did you know just by looking at it?”

“I memorized it.”

“Memorized? What?”

“The sensation transmitted when cutting something.”

That means she’s cut adamantium before.

Well, for Serena, cutting adamantium probably wouldn’t be that difficult. If she can cut steel with a single strand of hair, surely she can cut adamantium with a real sword.

Just excluding the fact that the vast majority of adventurers can’t even properly cut through ordinary steel, let alone adamantium.

Applying more force to the hand gripping the door handle, the absurdly thick door swung completely open. The interior was extremely dark.

Yes, the “interior” was extremely dark.

Serena took a step back and alternated her gaze between the opened doorway and the lush garden that stretched beyond the pointed iron fence.

Clearly, from the outside, the area beyond the door should be a well-maintained garden, but what appeared after opening the door was simply an indoor space, which must be confusing.

“Is it an illusion spell, my lord?”

“No. It’s problematic to compare it to an illusion spell. It’s a much more complex magic.”

Serena pondered for a moment before speaking.

“…It’s a spatial barrier magic, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. That’s it.”

Simply put, it means two spaces are overlapping as one inside here. The key action to observe that space is opening this door.

From the outside, it shows the garden in the outer layer of the overlap, but when the door is opened, it reveals the interior of the magic tower in the inner layer.

I don’t know how the spaces were overlapped. I just assume Charlotte would have handled it properly.

“Let’s go in. It’s a bit awkward just standing here.”

“Yes, my lord. I will follow after you enter first.”

“Shouldn’t you go in first to check for danger?”

“This is the magic tower owned by my lord. Since it belongs to you, I thought it proper for you to enter first.”

While this place is indeed mine, the things inside would try to kill me by any means. With thoughts that would horrify Serena if she knew, I stepped inside without hesitation.

And as soon as I took that step, I faced World Eater extending toward me.

With a sharp clang of metal against metal, World Eater trembled. Serena was suddenly standing in front of me rather than behind.

Her right arm, stretched out, blocked my face. The cold surface characteristic of World Eater completely covered my vision.

“What are you?”

Serena asked, grinding her teeth. Though she asked, it was probably just a formality.

Having attacked me, she likely had no intention of letting the opponent go unscathed.

A sinister metallic sound, kreek, was heard. Soon after came slow footsteps approaching us.

I felt along the wall for a protruding mana stone. When my fingertips sensed the characteristic coldness of a mana stone, I pressed it firmly.

The lighting spell activated, brightening the interior of the magic tower.

Simultaneously, the open iron door closed by itself. That was the reason for using mana stone-based lighting spells rather than conventional bulbs.

“You are…”

“Ah, so it was you. Yes, of course you’d be the first to appear.”

Serena withdrew World Eater and pointed its tip forward, while I nodded, saying I knew it would be like this, upon seeing the familiar figure.

What was walking toward Serena and me was a kind of armor.

The right side of the helm was deeply dented, and the visor dangled as if it might rust off at any moment.

In its right hand was a moderately long sword, heavily rusted with all its teeth gone.

The rust completely covering the sword wasn’t satisfied with just the crossguard and handle; it had invaded even the gauntlet holding the handle.

Even the armor beneath the helm was in no better condition. The shoulders were dented, the characteristic color of rusted iron was visible in places, and a clattering sound was heard with each step.

Its entire body was covered with marks of sword cuts and dents. There was also something that could have been rust or soot from fire.

“How did you know I was here to find me so ghostly quick? No, I guess you are a ghost, so it’s natural?”

Hearing my voice, the armor took a stance with the characteristic creaking sound of rusted metal. Serena also lowered her body, surrounding herself with mana, ready to spring forward at any moment.

“Shall I cut it down, my lord?”

Serena was poised to chop it to pieces the moment my words fell.

“Ah, wait. Let me check something first.”

I grabbed World Eater from Serena’s hand and turned it to examine the part that had blocked the attack earlier.

It was intact. There wasn’t even a hint of rust, let alone actual corrosion.

“What? It’s fine? Is it because it’s a magic sword?”

“It’s only blocked one attack, so of course this sword wouldn’t be damaged, my lord.”

“Huh? No, that’s not what I meant. This is its ability. It makes any metal that touches that sword rust completely.”

It was known as the Grudge of Rusted Iron. The armored figure holding the sword was merely a medium for wielding it; the true entity was the sword itself.

Its ability was to completely rust any metal it touched. Even a brief contact would spread rust to other parts, making it essentially an instant death ability limited to metals.

There were no exceptions for any mineral categorically classified as metal, so even adamantium, orichalcum, or mythril, which normally never rust under ordinary circumstances, would mercilessly turn to scrap.

I know because I’ve experienced it.

“It should affect any substance classified as metal without exception… but World Eater is fine. Why?”

“I don’t know either. I’m sorry, my lord.”

“Why are you apologizing? Just accept it as it is. Uncovering the reason isn’t our job.”

I released World Eater after finishing my observation. Serena took her stance again. The rusted armor kept creaking as it charged toward Serena.

“Don’t destroy it, just subdue it properly. Understood?”

“As you command.”

Blue mana enveloped Serena’s body, and she took out World Eater’s scabbard from her waist.

Then she put World Eater back into its scabbard and held it in reverse. Gripping the blade with her hand and pointing the crossguard and handle toward the opponent.

The next moment, Serena’s body left a faint afterimage before returning to normal.

Her posture had already changed. World Eater and its scabbard were back at her waist as they were before she drew them.

A beat later, the rusted armor’s helmet completely caved in with a thunderous sound, sinking downward.

The impact was so powerful that the armor at the crown sank vertically down to the waist.

The breastplate, having an unscheduled meeting with the helm, trembled and scattered rusted metal fragments in all directions. Both arms flailed awkwardly in the air.

Shortly after, the armor fell backward with a thud. I stared at Serena in astonishment. Serena bowed her head slightly.

“I’ve dealt with it, my lord.”

“…How did you do that?”

Everything else was intact, but it had sunk precisely the width of World Eater’s scabbard down to the waist. The sunken cross-section was perfectly vertical.

“As you ordered, my lord, I hit it.”

“…”