Ch.128Mana Amplification

‘I need to get good results. To gain access to the armory.’

She wanted to leave a good impression on the judges of the competition. Seo-rin didn’t hide her abilities. She didn’t even worry about conserving her energy.

“It’s Seo-rin!”

“Win! You have to win! I bet my entire fortune on you!”

“Even so, this time…”

This was already her third match. Seo-rin entered the colosseum while assessing her opponent’s abilities. The clamorous noise from the audience gradually subsided.

Her opponent was a female knight who looked quite young. She wore armor in an overall dark, dusky color. The black cape flowing down her back looked as if a piece of the night had been torn off and attached to her.

Shadow Knight

Lowell Orpheus

Her stance was unusual. Her body was lowered so much that it almost touched the ground, and the curved blades in both hands were short enough to be called daggers.

Voices came from the audience. They said she was considered one of the knights closest to the advanced level. Although Seo-rin had been showing overwhelming performances, not many people predicted her victory.

There was no signal to announce the start of the fight. Once the colosseum doors opened, you could immediately charge at your opponent upon entering. That was the basic rule of the competition.

Swoosh—

Just as Seo-rin aimed the tip of her Ice Dragon Sword at Orpheus, the figure of Orpheus, who had been maintaining a low stance, disappeared as if melting into the shadows.

Even in that moment, Seo-rin’s gaze moved quickly. Her mana-enhanced dynamic vision easily kept up with Orpheus, who moved without making a sound.

With a faint breeze, Orpheus’s figure surged up near Seo-rin. She had moved as if traveling along the shadows scattered throughout the colosseum. It was a peculiar way of moving, but that was all.

She didn’t even feel a sense of danger.

There’s no more meaningless attack method than an ambush when the moment of attack is known. As the small girl’s figure spun halfway, a dark slash that occurred in midair was deflected.

Clang—!

A strange vibration spread as the two swords collided. White sparks burst forth, and the minimal amount of mana scattered around them emitted light as if flickering.

Orpheus wasn’t surprised. She had anticipated that her attack might be blocked. The female knight, who had unleashed a slash with a blurry movement, swung her sword again in succession.

The second sharply honed blade grazed the air. Again, there was no sound. The faintly rippling appearance was as if it were an illusion.

‘An illusion?’

Clearly, she could see her opponent with her own eyes. The faint presence felt at close range also indicated that the opponent existed with a physical form. However, the truth was elsewhere.

Ashen

The detection field widely spread around Seo-rin sensed the real entity. Simultaneously, Seo-rin swung her sword. Not toward the attack coming at her, but toward her back.

Right after that.

A dark slash that sprang from thin air collided with Seo-rin’s Ice Dragon Sword.

Clang—!

It was heavier than the first attack. That meant her opponent had put that much more force into it. Beyond the waves spreading with a buzzing sound, Orpheus’s figure gradually appeared.

The female knight’s expression, as their swords met, was visibly distorted. Was it her trump card? Seo-rin lightly pushed away the hand holding the sword. As the momentary balance of power struggle was disrupted, a rough clash of energy erupted.

Kwang—!

The figure of the female knight who had sprung from the shadows flailed in midair. Seo-rin could sense her trying to recover her breath and regain her posture. Should she pursue?

Seo-rin briefly contemplated. Her opponent used illusions that momentarily deceived her senses. This too might be a trap to induce carelessness.

‘In that case…’

She didn’t need to pursue directly. Seo-rin’s leg stretched forward to step on the ground. Right after, her left hand extended backward and drew a sword from its scabbard, throwing it.

Swish—!

Just before the rapidly flying sword was about to touch Orpheus’s body, Seo-rin moved even faster. Thrusting her Ice Dragon Sword into the ground with her right hand, she moved as if rotating her body.

As that movement accelerated, the faint wind grew stronger. Two swords, three swords, four swords. By the time the number of swords flying toward Orpheus exceeded five, the wind emanating from Seo-rin’s body had become a storm.

The first sword grazed Orpheus’s shoulder as it passed. The second sword that followed was deflected by a swung slash. When the third and fourth seemed to pierce through Orpheus’s body.

The female knight’s figure disappeared as if melting into a dark shadow.

She had a physical form until the second sword flew in. However, by the time the third and fourth came, the opponent had already left her position. Seo-rin immediately kicked off the ground.

As a violent storm pushed away the small girl’s figure, the Ice Dragon Sword that had been thrust into the ground was pulled out and followed her on its own.

A little distance from the battlefield.

Orpheus appeared from beneath the shadow of a straight pillar. It was evident that she was activating mana throughout her body to recover her breath while taking deep breaths.

The mana swirling from beneath her feet met with the shadow and rippled distinctly.

Was she trying to use another illusion?

Seo-rin advanced as if sliding through the air and reached behind her back. The Ice Dragon Sword that had been flying on its own was drawn into her hand.

Following that, the five swords that had been flying through the air followed behind Seo-rin. Thus, like a dragon trailing its tail, the silver blades formed a line.

The speed gradually increased. Everything in a straight line was swept away by the storm, making it look just like a dragon.

Dragon Flash

The moment a dragon appeared in Seo-rin’s mind, a straight thrust crossed space, surpassing sound.

In that fleeting moment, Orpheus was able to meet Seo-rin’s gaze as she flew toward her. The calm, cold look in her eyes touched the female knight’s pride.

‘Even if I have to push myself a bit…’

She intended to showcase a technique she had prepared for the promotion test. Once she made up her mind, she moved immediately. Orpheus’s figure retreated while raising the tip of her sword to meet the straight thrust head-on.

It was the moment when the two sword blades collided and crossed as if sliding.

Crack—!

With the sound of something giving way, Orpheus’s figure was pushed back significantly.

‘Oh no…!’

She felt it the moment their swords met. That she could never win in a contest of strength. She could barely hold on for half a breath. But that was enough.

The activated mana pulled up the shadows, enveloping her entire body. The shadows thus created produced puppets identical to Orpheus in succession. However, they didn’t collide with each other. Dozens of shadows created in an overlapping manner poured out dozens of sword techniques in an instant.

Since they didn’t collide with each other, the impact was fully directed toward Seo-rin’s sword.

Kwaggang—! Like multiple bombs exploding at once, large and small impacts resounded in succession. The dust that rose afterward covered the interior of the colosseum.

Orpheus maintained her sword-wielding posture. Catching her rough breath, she looked beyond the hazily rippling dust.

Had her attack worked?

No. She might have pushed her back momentarily, but her opponent’s breathing was still stable. As she belatedly realized this fact, Orpheus’s expression distorted.

Right after that, a sudden wind began to blow away the dust covering the interior of the colosseum arena. As the hazily rippling view of the arena gradually revealed itself, everyone could see Seo-rin.

The small girl…

Was standing upside down in midair, defying gravity.

“Hmm…”

Seo-rin calmly received the sighs coming from all directions. Having recently acquired the Shadow of the Desert and absorbed its memories, she was free from constraints on her movement.

There was nowhere she couldn’t go if it was within her line of sight. Even if it was thin air with no place to step on. As long as her mana didn’t run out, Seo-rin was infinitely free.

Her short legs moved slowly. She walked along the sky as if walking on the ground. As her figure slowly rotated and eventually had the ground beneath her feet.

Ten drawn swords were aimed at Orpheus. A brief silence followed in that state. Seo-rin didn’t urge her opponent to surrender. She was only contemplating how to show a more impressive appearance.

However, Orpheus interpreted it differently. The female knight, who had been gritting her teeth and swallowing her anger, thrust the sword in her hand into the ground. The shadows flickering throughout her body also subsided.

“I lost…”

A declaration of surrender flowed from her lips.

“Waaah!”

“Lost it all!”

“Where’s the emblem on the top of that cape?”

“I won! Got 20 times my bet!”

Thunderous cheers poured toward the two knights who had shown an impressive match. Those who had placed bets showed mixed reactions of joy and sorrow.