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Chapter 83: With Full Force

Quite ironically, it was Karyl who had changed Randol.

Almost a year had passed since that day, but the memory of his return from the goblin subjugation mission remained vivid in his mind. He could still feel the reins firm in his hands and hear the crowd\'s cheers, but it wasn\'t his own accomplishments that were celebrated. Instead, it was a boy of even lower status than himself who had the center of attention.

Though Karyl’s origins were undisclosed, this immigrant child had undeniably stood out even among his unreachable brothers.

I can also do it.

Though the spy had died, Randol was still responsible for thwarting the Lurein Principality’s scheme, which earned him an opportunity to meet the Emperor alongside Tiren.

Randol couldn’t help but wonder if it was a twist of fate. Despite not being born into the MacGovern lineage, Randol possessed a strength that rivaled the power of the MacGovern family itself.

His magical power burned like a fierce fire, surpassing even Martte, the eldest son. It was as if he had inherited Kuwell\'s blood. This exceptional talent earned him favor with the emperor. So, when he received the Liberated Flame, he felt the same excitement again.

Now, I am no longer a commoner. I, too, can aim higher.

He gripped his sword, a special weapon forged from a mineral called Clear Distilled Water, which had been stored in the imperial palace\'s warehouse for many years.

This sword had its own will, so it chose its own master, burning anyone who couldn’t earn its favor with the flames it harbored.

The sword chose me.

The emperor’s decision to bestow the Liberated Flame on Randol, despite him being a mere fourth son, raised many eyebrows. However, since the sword had never chosen anyone before, no objections were raised.

Was it a case of shared misfortune? Randol, a commoner, and Olivurn, a prince born of a concubine. Perhaps the prince understood his struggles.

After learning from the captain that the second prince’s power lay in such treatment, Randol intuitively understood it. Becoming a knight and supporting him is the only way for a commoner like me to rise higher.

Thanks to his exceptional abilities, Randol was able to join the prestigious Ryeo Knights Order.

From the very start, his skills surpassed those of his fellow knights, naturally causing some discontent among the captains of the Gold and Black Knight Orders, who were loyal to the first prince. They raised objections, but Kuwell MacGovern’s judgment was proven correct. In terms of swordsmanship alone, Randol could be considered the best, second only to Karyl.

It was simply a matter of never having been given the opportunity before.

Since joining the Ryeo Knights Order, Randol had grown explosively. Following the rigorous training regimen of the knights, in no time, he stood shoulder to shoulder with the other senior knights. Besides, the Liberated Flame perfectly compensated for the slightest of deficiencies he had.

"From this day forward, Randol MacGovern shall be recognized as a formal knight," declared Grand Master of the Knights, Vellin Valentian, who, until now, had remained neutral and unbiased, refusing to side with any prince.

This was a chance for Randol to prove his strength, his first mission as a formal knight. He carried the weight of his responsibility on his shoulders, knowing he had to succeed at all costs. And he was confident that he would.

This might have been his first time killing someone, but even among the knights, he was unmatched in swordsmanship. Well, at least that was true until a few moments ago.

BAAANG—!!

The deafening explosion reverberated through the air, causing Randol to stagger.

"Ugh!!"

The two knights by Randol\'s side hurriedly drew their swords, but before they could even react, a white blade sliced through the darkness with incredible speed. A thin streak of light flashed through the darkness.

Without hesitation, Karyl leaped between the knights, driving his sword into the ground and disrupting their formation.

BOOOM!

He spun his legs in a swift motion, striking a knight in the face with a powerful blow. The knight’s thick helmet shattered into pieces, while Karyl’s palm, grazing the ground, grabbed onto his face and unleashed a torrent of intense flames from his hand, enveloping the disoriented knight.

"AAARRRGGHH... My skin!! It’s melting...!!" the knight screamed in agony, unable to even touch his face due to the searing heat. He quickly removed his heated helmet, desperately trying to soothe his burning flesh.

But the ambush in the darkness was far from over. Although two knights had drawn their swords just moments ago, one of them remained motionless, frozen in place.

"...!!!"

Randol stared wide-eyed at the motionless knight before him. Suddenly, with a sickening sound, his body split in half. A single flash of light had sliced through him moments before, ending his life in an instant.

"Now!"

Following Karyl’s shout, screams erupted from every direction. Amidst the swirling dust and the chaos of the ambush, the knights found themselves momentarily disoriented.

"Stop!!" Banhon\'s sharp command echoed like thunder as he slammed his hammer into the ground. "Do not disgrace yourselves! You are knights! Regroup and assess the situation! There’s only a few of them!"

At his command, the two knights behind him swung their swords with all their might, dispersing the surrounding dirt and dust with a blast of wind pressure.

"Is this the extent of their ambush?!" a voice tinged with disappointment rang out.

As the dust settled, a young boy who had just slit another knight\'s throat came into view. Another lifeless body lay at his feet.

"..."

Astonishment clouded Randol\'s eyes. The boy before him had slain four knights in the blink of an eye.

"He seems younger than even me... How could these knights fall to such a child?"

[It seems they don\'t recognize you. Well, it has been nearly a year, and everything about you has changed, from the color of your hair to your eyes.] Allen Javius murmured with a hint of regret, perhaps anticipating the impending confrontation between the brothers.

[Well, you might as well enjoy your newfound freedom to wreak havoc.]

Caught in the clutches of the millennia-old sorcerer, Karyl intercepted Randol\'s sword just in the nick of time.

Meanwhile, behind the clashing pair, the vice-captain, his eyes fixed on Kayla Spear, spoke to Banhon.

"That bitch there... She\'s the barbarian\'s daughter we missed last time."

“Missed? I made it clear that no one besides the prisoners should be left alive!”

"...I apologize. It seems our knowledge of the local terrain was lacking. We sent pursuers, but she managed to cunningly evade them... I was preparing reinforcements just in case, but I never expected such audacious actions."

"Are you making excuses now?"

"My apologies.” The vice-captain quickly bowed.

Banhon, visibly displeased, clicked his tongue. Nevertheless, he refocused his attention on the enemies before him. "Hah! Well, it\'s just a measly few barbarians. They pose no threat. But what about that boy?"

His gaze lingered on Karyl, observing him closely.

"A Mana Blade...? Could he be from the Empire? But then, why is he here? And to wield a Mana Blade at such a young age?"

Despite the sudden attack, Banhon quietly regarded Karyl\'s sword, which was wrapped in a milky-white energy, with a mix of curiosity and wariness,

"Don’t underestimate him. He\'s no ordinary boy. Do you know anything about him? With such skills, he should be well-known."

"That\'s just... um, I-I..." Nareel hesitated before speaking up.

The vice captain\'s lack of confidence made Banhon click his tongue once more.

“...I’ve never seen such a Mana Blade."

Nareel, though not the most seasoned warrior, held the position of vice-captain of the Ryeo Knights Order, tasked with defending the front lines.

As a result, he had encountered Mana Blades of all five elements and had even clashed swords with Swordmasters other than Kuwell MacGovern.

Instead of flickering, the mana is well-contained. He must at least be at the Expert level, if not higher.

As one progressed to higher levels, their ability to temper mana also changed, along with the form of the mana itself. The thinner the Mana Blade was and the more precisely it wrapped around the blade of the sword, the higher its rank was.

"Even so, there should still be some inherent elemental properties present in the mana. Yet, this seems to have no elemental traces at all."

Seeing Karyl\'s Freezing Talon, Nareel wondered aloud, "Is it because of that sword?"

Similar to the Liberated Flame, which amplified the power of the fire element, other special artifacts possessed unique properties.

Upon witnessing such a rare high-level artifact for the first time, Nareel stated coldly, "We must capture that child alive. There are many questions we need to ask him. The rest can be dealt with accordingly."

"Understood."

Neither Nareel nor any of the other knights were aware of the existence of Dragon Mana.

Assuming that Karyl\'s Aura Blade was merely a manifestation of the artifact’s power, Nareel issued his command to the knights.

"Attack!"

Observing the approaching knights, Karyl thought to himself, Allen, I waited until nightfall, just like you instructed. Now what?

Having arrived at the Fountain of Vision and awaiting Mikhail\'s group, Karyl knew that their arrival in the middle of the night would be the perfect opportunity for an ambush. It was the textbook strategy for a small group to face a larger enemy. However, Allen\'s strategy diverged from Karyl\'s expectations.

[Focus only on making the most dramatic entrance possible. You don’t have to think about anything else.] That was the only instruction he had given. [Leave the rest to me.]

As Karyl finally stood before the Fountain of Vision, Allen Javius commanded:

[Plunge the Freezing Talon into the Fountain of Vision!]

BOOOOOOMMMMM—

Karyl plunged the Freezing Talon into the center of the now-dry Fountain of Vision with all his might.

[Why do you think that out of all the seven elders I was the one entrusted with the Fountain of Vision? It’s because, unlike other sorcerers, I could wield the most Dragon Mana.]

Cracks began to form in the ground around the blade, and a radiant white, blinding light poured out from those fissures.

[Honestly, I never thought I would see somebody else handle Dragon Mana at my level, no matter how much time would pass. That\'s why I made certain arrangements.]

As the ground trembled beneath them, it was almost as if an earthquake had struck, the tremors growing even more intense with each passing moment.

"What in the...?!"

The knights, taken aback by the sudden change of the fountain, stood in awe. There was no trace of the confidence from just a few moments, only astonishment remaining on their faces.

The statues surrounding the Fountain of Vision seemed to come alive, as they trembled and then merged into one entity. A burst of purple radiance enveloped the amalgamation, and slowly, a colossal golem took shape.

"Uuuuugh...!" The golem let out a low groan as it raised its head, its glowing eyes flickering to life.

"A... golem?!" Nareel exclaimed in disbelief as he gazed at the gigantic statue in front of him. The knights drew their swords but were visibly hesitant.

Even for the most fortified of dungeons, a colossal golem appearing outside like this was an unprecedented event.

[Even if they’d followed the instructions in the Vision Scripts to the letter, the sentinels would’ve awakened and blocked them. But wouldn’t that be boring?]

Wait, what...?

[You see, if someone without Dragon Mana activates the Fountain of Vision, the sentinels I created would awaken. But think about it, what if the one who activates it possesses Dragon Mana? Heh.]

No way...

[Simple! You gain control over the sentinels!] Watching the purple light emanating from the giant golem, Allen declared cheerfully, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Karyl involuntarily let out a chuckle.

[Phahaha!] Allen could hardly contain his laughter. [Haha, even someone with my level of Dragon Mana would struggle to control them. But you, you\'re different, aren\'t you?]

Karyl was more than satisfied with the unexpected turn of events. "You truly are cruel, Allen. Keeping such fun tricks up your sleeve until the end. I thought we were friends, sniff..."

Karyl surveyed the golem before him.

"Well, if we\'re going to be flashy anyway, what’s the point in hiding him any longer? Let’s make a proper scene!"

"GRRRRRRR...!!" From up above, a giant Sand Serpent swooped down, landing with a resounding thud. Dust swirled in its wake as the serpent\'s menacing fangs were bared and its roar echoed through the darkness.

"Th-That...! How’s that...!"

Everything had happened in an instant.

Indeed, when it rained, it poured.

On one side stood the sentinel, and on the other serpent looked down on the knights.

"It seems we\'ve finally matched their force," Karyl remarked, patting the serpent\'s forehead as it bowed obediently. "Shall we give them a proper challenge?"