Ch.170EP.40 – Spring of the Knights (5)

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

“…..”

RUMBLE-!

“…It’s noisy outside.”

CRASH!

“Hmm, is it taking longer than expected? How unusual.”

He normally has no interest in outside affairs.

He only reads books and conducts research in a space isolated from the outside world.

But today, the noise was particularly bothersome.

The disturbing sounds kept ringing out.

CRAAASH!

The noise shows no sign of diminishing; instead, it grows increasingly louder.

If noise pollution gets this severe, it could drive someone to murder.

“Tsk.”

Tap.

He finally stood up.

Originally, he had no intention of going outside.

“Perhaps something has arrived that my kin find difficult to handle.”

It seems some dangerous creature has appeared.

He stretched out his legs.

To put an end to this noise pollution.

*

*

*

CRASH BOOM BOOM!

The Empire’s finest institution.

An impregnable fortress that no one has ever breached.

The ivory tower of magicians.

A celestial castle that ordinary mortals dare not ascend.

The sanctuary of magicians, known by countless names, was being pulverized.

By a calamity falling from the sky…

In its thousand-year history, this was unprecedented, and any lesser institution would clearly have collapsed without even regaining its senses under such an attack.

But.

“[North wind, blow]!”

“[Stronger, more vigorously]!”

“[Earth, aid me], [Become firm, even firmer].”

This was the Magic Tower.

Magicians were abundant, overflowing even.

Rather than trembling in fear at whoever dared attack their sanctuary, the magicians trembled with rage as they unleashed their magic.

Some repaired the crumbling tower, others cast defensive spells, and some worked on fixing the tower’s barrier.

And the rest…

“There he is! That one dared to attack the Magic Tower!”

“You bastard…!!”

The magicians immediately unleashed a barrage of spells.

Some might imagine magicians fighting with elegance and grace, but looking at them now, they were far from elegant—downright barbaric.

Well, it wouldn’t be strange to be angry when your home is being destroyed, but for magicians who should maintain composure, this behavior seemed rather low-class.

Therefore…

‘What are these things?’

The intruder, the primary culprit behind the Magic Tower’s collapse, frowned.

Though he was one-sidedly toying with the magicians, something felt oddly unsettling.

Ihan, despite himself, knew a lot about the creatures called magicians.

Due to his hatred, he had come to know them better than anyone else…

Literally, he could be called an expert after diligently hunting magicians in the current era.

…That’s why it felt strange.

‘Why are they so shabby?’

Various incantations could be heard.

Spells threatening him.

“[A strike to those who block my path]! [Burn, burn even hotter]!”

“[Leaves, whisper to me], [Earth, please deliver a mace].”

A bow of flames, daggers made of leaves, and a hammer formed of earth threatened him.

Yet despite all that…

WHOOSH!

‘This is too easy to handle…’

The wind pressure from Ihan’s extended fist cleanly erased the magic bearing down on him.

Not only did it erase the magic, but the physically weak magicians, unable to respond to the unexpected blow, were blown away.

Overwhelming.

Ihan was overwhelming the magicians.

“……”

Yet he didn’t seem pleased.

‘They’re not weak…’

It’s not that they were weak.

Rather, their level was high, and their magic was fierce.

Comparing them to students learning magic at the Academy would be unfair.

…But that was all.

‘These guys are amateurs.’

And Ihan was certain why his opponents were so weak.

Lack of practical experience.

Ihan realized that the Magic Tower, a sanctuary, had become a ‘poison’ to these spellcasters.

‘Being in such a safe place, they don’t know how to hunt. They may dominate the infinitely weak, but they rarely experience actual combat.’

The more he fought, the more evident it became.

These spellcasters were like tigers in a zoo.

Not that their wildness had been removed, but they simply couldn’t hunt.

They were creatures that only consumed the food laid out for them.

Ridiculous.

This is why they fall victim to surprise attacks.

So disappointing because they’re too weak!

Therefore…

─This can’t be all there is, right?

Ihan heightened his vigilance.

To reiterate, Ihan knew spellcasters well, albeit unintentionally.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him an expert, and while he despised spellcasters, he neither underestimated nor looked down on them.

Rather, he regarded spell-using kinds as dangerous more than anyone else.

Hence the unease.

Are the spellcasters he considered dangerous really this limited?

……That can’t be.

Ihan never underestimated them.

These parasites have lived in the Empire for a thousand years.

This couldn’t possibly be all they had.

As much as he hated them, he trusted in their capabilities.

Sure enough.

[Uoooo-!]

As if responding to Ihan’s trust, they finally began to show their true potential.

“Yes, now something worthwhile is coming out.”

Spellcasters, or those called magicians, are also known as ‘the prepared ones.’

This has multiple meanings, but in Ihan’s interpretation, it means they’re cunning beings who always prepare for crises.

And those cunning creatures finally…

“Bronze, the [Bronze Giant] is moving!”

“That intruder is finished now.”

“Hehe, I never thought I’d see it move in my lifetime.”

“Tsk, it’s too late, too late.”

BOOM!

BOOM BOOM!

THUD…!

From within the half-destroyed Magic Tower.

From there, it appeared, taking massive steps.

A giant made of bronze, standing 10 meters tall, rightfully deserving the name ‘giant.’

And not just one, but…

“…Twelve of them.”

Ha.

‘They were really hiding something interesting, these creatures.’

Ihan looked with excitement at the twelve giants approaching him.

Indeed, the lair of spellcasters is,

‘This is more like it.’

CRACK!

Ihan clenched his fist roughly.

* * *

Although the magicians of the Magic Tower were momentarily slow to respond due to the shock of seeing their never-before-breached magical barrier destroyed, their sense of crisis was minimal.

This was because the tower was filled with means to ‘eliminate’ such intruders.

Just the Bronze Giants alone were products of magical engineering, representing the collective wisdom of the Magic Tower.

Even a single unit could manipulate and destroy an entire domain, yet there were twelve Bronze Giants in this situation.

The intruder’s death was certain-.

CRACK!

“…??”

……The magicians doubted their eyes.

“The, the giant’s arm…?”

“…was torn off?”

The Bronze Giant’s arm had been torn off with surprising ease.

It wasn’t done using magic. Simply.

CRACK!

That intruder, the knight, had torn off the Bronze Giant’s arm with his strength,

with overwhelming power.

However, if the knight had read such thoughts, he would have laughed.

He hadn’t torn it off with strength, but had used a technique.

A technique called [Internal Weight Method].

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

With earth-shaking steps, the giants descended upon the knight.

But the knight, showing no fear, took a step forward.

WHOOSH!

The knight’s movements were like the wind as he effortlessly slipped between the gaps of the Bronze Giants, toying with them.

It seemed impossible for someone with such a large build to move so flexibly and swiftly.

While the Bronze Giants were also quick despite their massive size, the knight dodged them so easily that the magicians were dumbfounded.

Additionally.

THUD!

The knight, displaying movements that could only be described as extraordinary, simultaneously drove his fist into a Bronze Giant.

As if demonstrating that a large body offers many targets for attack.

And the giant struck by his fist.

CRUNCH!

…Amazingly, its internal components were being destroyed, and its leg section was breaking apart.

CRACK!

The knight seemed to be toying with the Bronze Giants, making one wonder if they had always been so weak.

BOOM!!!

But when a Bronze Giant’s fist hit the ground, causing a massive tremor, it was clear they were far from weak.

Yes, the Bronze Giants were strong.

They were slaughterers of the battlefield, gods of destruction—the Bronze Giants couldn’t possibly be weak.

But this also meant.

“-What the hell is that guy?”

That the knight possessed the skill to toy with the Bronze Giants.

The magicians couldn’t hide their shock, but they soon regained their composure and prepared their magic.

Rather than just watching, they needed to step in and…

SLASH!

“!?!”

“Lo-Lord Debrick!!”

“Fellow mage!!”

The neck of a magician preparing to cast a spell was severed.

While everyone’s attention was focused on the battle between the Bronze Giants and the knight, a ferocious wolf had already arrived on the battlefield.

And the wolf didn’t miss the opportunity to end the life of a distracted prey.

Just like now.

“Fools. If you were going to intervene, you should have done so earlier. How dare you try to interfere in a knight’s battle? You should be ashamed, creatures without honor.”

Lac.

The Knight of the Spear who had arrived on the battlefield rebuked the magicians who knew nothing of honor as he raised his spear.

He had thought the rogue would take all the prey, but fortunately, there seemed to be many opponents left to face.

‘Hmm, but has the rogue claimed the most delicious prey?’

The Bronze Giants.

CRUNCH!

Those giants fighting the rogue seemed to have self-repair capabilities, as their destroyed arms and legs were regenerating.

Moreover.

Click! Clack.

They seemed to have judged that defeating the rogue in human form would be difficult, so they were transforming into beast forms.

Lions, bears, tigers, wolves, lynxes, monkeys, and more.

‘The world is indeed vast.’

As expected of the Magic Tower. Full of peculiar things.

It was a shame.

He would have liked to face those himself.

‘It seems only disappointing scraps remain.’

Just as Lac was about to furrow his brow…

[-Lightning].

CRACKLE!!

Lac’s mind snapped to attention at the powerful strike aimed at him.

SLASH!

Though he quickly deflected the lightning bolt targeting him, his arm felt slightly numb.

He hadn’t completely negated the impact.

“The Elders!”

“The Masters have arrived…!”

“It’s over now.”

WHOOSH.

As five elderly men appeared flying in the sky, the magicians smiled as if they had never been afraid.

If the Bronze Giants were the guardians of the Magic Tower and destructive weapons for eliminating enemies, these individuals possessed power incomparable to ordinary magicians.

First-class magicians of the Magic Tower, also known as Archmages.

Five of the only seven Archmages in the Empire had now appeared.

[You deflected that?].

[An extraordinary warrior].

[Still an inferior being nonetheless].

[That’s true].

[Oh, he would make a perfect experimental subject-].

CRACK──!

Every time the Archmages opened their mouths, it became an incantation.

Each utterance brought intense pressure that weighed down the atmosphere and shattered buildings.

They were like living masses of magical power, monsters unlike any other.

In ancient times, it was not uncommon for Archmages to be worshipped as gods, and it wasn’t hard to see why they were venerated.

…And the man facing five Archmages, who were once worshipped as gods in ancient times.

“…Yes, now I’m a bit less disappointed.”

Was feeling nothing but satisfaction.

Yes, this is more like it…

“Now it feels worth the trouble of coming all the way to the Empire to kill.”

WHOOSH!

An immense, dense killing intent emanated from Lac’s body.

So dense that it spread like fog!

Born with the killing intent of thousands, the ferocious wolf needed occasions to release it fully.

Usually, his lord, Duke Blake, often helped with this, but fortunately, today it seemed unnecessary.

Because.

‘I can kill to my heart’s content.’

The justification was sufficient.

These insolent creatures who dared target his lord, the Magic Sword of Galahad…!

There was only one punishment for them.

‘Execution!’

The ferocious wolf charged toward the magicians.

“…He’s really enjoying himself, that guy.”

Ihan was dumbfounded.

He was quick to call Ihan crazy, but now he’s the one more excited.

Like an uncle who claims he doesn’t want to go to an amusement park but ends up having more fun than his nephews.

“Sigh, I wanted to face those myself…”

But he also felt regret.

He had particularly wanted to face those Archmages emitting vast magical power.

WHOOSH!

…Instead of fighting these strange robots, or rather golems, he hadn’t come all the way to the Empire for this.

The Bronze Giants spewed flames reminiscent of ‘Greek fire’ from their mouths, and Ihan unhesitatingly drew his sword and slashed horizontally.

A single strike wouldn’t be enough against creatures that would just regenerate.

So!

WOONG!

Ihan infused his sword with ‘Star Cluster.’

SLASH!

[Uoooo!]

“…Do you feel sadness too?”

Ihan’s strike not only split the Bronze Giant in half but completely annihilated it.

The intense concentrated power emanating from his sword completely erased the self-regenerating Bronze Giant beyond repair.

However.

“…So this is its power.”

This wasn’t exactly what Ihan had intended.

He simply didn’t know the power would be this great since it was his first time using it in actual combat.

– Sword Energy Star Force.

Looking at the upgraded version of sword energy, also called ‘Sword Force,’ Ihan learned one lesson.

‘Don’t use this on people, not on people…’

Not if he didn’t want to become a murderer.