Chapter – 74
The moment the Silver Fortress appeared before my eyes.
Kwah-kwah-kwah-kwang!
The Ultimate Barrier barely held against the colossal collision of power.
The roar didn’t subside—it continued relentlessly. Outside the barrier, a storm of attacks raged. My holy power, and an aura of equal magnitude.
Two forces of the 8th tier clashed, causing my vision to flicker violently.
Tessilide spoke, disbelief in her voice:
“8th-tier aura… Could it be…?”
The blinding light that seemed ready to burn my retinas and the deafening noise finally subsided.
I withdrew the barrier. When the dust cleared, the surrounding landscape was horrific.
The grassy hills had turned into a wasteland. It seemed all living beings except Tessilide and me had been obliterated.
No, there was one more living being—the source of the attack itself.
An alien voice echoed from about ten paces away.
<So you managed to withstand this.>
The host of the Dark Sword had grown, flaunting his transformed appearance.
His black hair, tangled like seaweed, floated wildly in the air, and his bare upper body was a writhing mass of muscle and sinew. It was as if the power within his body was desperate to escape.
But more striking than his physical transformation was something else.
Behind him floated five swords. Aura Blades fanned out like a hand, their presence astounding me.
“Wow… A Master, huh?”
Until recently, he had barely kept up with the highest level of Aura Expert.
Now he had surpassed the ranks in one leap, wielding the Igeon Sword, my dream weapon.
“A deal with the Demon King seems fitting.”
<Aylet Cadet.>
“Aylet.”
My half-joke drew stern rebukes from both sides.
And it wasn’t just them.
[‘The Wordsmith Who Builds Worlds’ detects signs of your corruption and rushes toward you in a panic.]
[‘The Wordsmith Who Builds Worlds’ declares that you must not follow such a path of heresy!]
‘Yes, my apologies. That was a slip of the tongue. My only allegiance is to the Wordsmith. Amen.’
[‘The Wordsmith Who Builds Worlds’ smiles approvingly.]
[‘The Scales That Judge Souls’ suggests considering a horizontal shift toward the Scales’ faith.]
[‘The Administrator of Creation Economy’ asks if even a disciple can run for office.]
[‘The Wordsmith Who Builds Worlds’ scolds the lack of morality in trying to take disciples away.]
The three high-ranking deities showed no concern, yet the situation was truly on the brink of disaster.
I surveyed the battlefield with cautious eyes. The Dark Sword’s host looked troubled.
<What’s going on? Normally, my aura alone would have reduced you to dust.>
There’s a huge gap between an Aura Expert and an Aura Master.
From his perspective, it would be inconceivable that Tessilide and I were still alive.
‘If it hadn’t been the Ultimate Barrier, I would have died for sure.’
Yet, the brain relying on the Dark Sword struggled to compute the answer.
<My guess… it seems it was blocked by holy power rather than aura. If that’s the case…>
“……”
<So it was the green-eyed rookie who stopped it. The one who cleverly awakened holy power through unorthodox means.>
Tessilide’s disapproving gaze fell on me.
“You’re seriously mistaken.”
“Let it be.”
Srrring.
I drew Serpense, my sidearm sword.
“Terry, stand back.”
“You’ve surpassed me in rank. Are you sure?”
“Let’s just see.”
I activated my self-buff skill, Hymn of Holiness, and stepped forward.
The host tried to provoke Tessilide, not me.
<Still hiding behind a woman? Cowardly.>
“Entrusting the strong isn’t cowardice. Stop whining and just attack. I’ll even take care of your left arm.”
The host’s face twisted, recalling the pain of losing his right arm.
But the initiative didn’t last long.
<Strong? Can you even talk about strength in front of me?>
“……”
<My body has reached the human limit, the ultimate state.>
Proudly, the five Aura Blades rose high into the sky.
<Behold…>
The sharp tips of the blades pointed at me from above.
<The power of Aura Master, Eleon Odrek, reborn!>
The Aura Blades spiraled down toward me. I immediately leapt forward.
Explosions echoed shortly after, forming massive craters where the attacks landed.
<You dodge well.>
The pursuing Aura Blades split, becoming thin yet countless.
Then came a merciless rain of aura from the sky.
“……!”
I crouched and raised Serpense backward. The aura infused in the sword formed a shield over my head.
Kwah-kwah-kwah-kwang!
It was a small area, but enough to cover my body. I could block the direct attacks.
“Ugh.”
Yet, pebbles and soil from the bombarded ground flew up and scratched my body. The pain spread across me in an instant.
<Become a beehive.>
The aura downpour intensified. The kicked-up pebbles and soil shrouded the surrounding area.
Now!
Through the obscured vision, I pushed every bit of my strength to leap toward the host.
Breaking through the soil mist, I swung Serpense with full force at his figure.
<An Expert, and yet so arrogant to swing a sword at me?>
“Hmph!”
The host blocked my attack with the Dark Sword. The tremendous force sent me flying backward.
“Serpense!”
The sword stretched like a whip, striking the host while I flew backward.
Yet the five returned Aura Blades blocked every trajectory of my sidearm.
The protective Aura Blades made it feel like I was fighting six against one.
<So this is an Aura Master…>
Even Agnes spoke, unable to hold back.
<Regrettably, under these conditions, your chances are slim, Aylet.>
Gritting my teeth, I rolled and landed.
A chilling voice pierced my ears.
<Now I will finish you.>
“……!”
There was no time to stabilize. The Aura Blades crossed the sky, enclosing me faster than a raptor.
Spears shot toward me from five directions.
There was no time to cast a holy spell. I couldn’t block or dodge completely.
“Aylet!”
Kwah-aaaang!
Tessilide’s shout overpowered the roar, shaking the air.
“Ugh…!”
For a moment, aura surged. I raised it to the limit, barely protecting my body from the host’s Aura Blades.
Pain rippled inside me.
“Still alive…?”
“……”
Tessilide’s Guardian of the Ear absorbed the wounds.
Seeing her smile with blood-stained lips, something welled up inside me.
Even if Tessilide took care of the injuries, the pain was still half mine. I endured the searing ache and faced forward.
Agnes spoke sternly.
<Match the opponent’s level, Aylet.>
“…Yes.”
Frustrating as it was, my aura alone wouldn’t suffice.
Then the host’s eyes, even the whites, turned red, gleaming grotesquely.
<Interesting. I attacked a woman, yet the green-eyed rookie bleeds…>
His thought process was simple and childish.
<Oh-ho. You two aren’t ordinary, are you?>
“……”
<Good. I’ll shred the woman before the rookie’s eyes!>
Mad excitement gleamed in his red eyes as the five Aura Blades flared, aiming a full-powered strike.
The blades spiraled toward me.
With no time to hesitate, I searched for a way to turn the tide.
There was only one answer.
“Tessilide!”
I shouted at the top of my lungs, and a solid back appeared in my vision.
Kah-gah-gah-kang!
Tessilide’s sword deflected the Aura Blades and penetrated the host’s defense.
Her sword aura was pure white, the brightest and cleanest light in the world, fused with holy power—a unique aura of a protagonist.
<You…!>
Despite severe injuries, she stood firm against the host.
“Sir Eleon, I will handle it from here.”
<Step aside!>
“This is strategic intervention. Sorry, but our attack strategy has changed.”
<Laughable! What can a rookie like you accomplish? And in that battered body… wait?!>
Suddenly, Tessilide was enveloped in a sacred white glow, a 5x amplified Level 67 Healing Light.
“My body is fine.”
<How…>
Finally, the host’s gaze shifted to me, behind Tessilide.
<A healer?!>
“I’m not just a healer.”
I immediately cast my Ultimate Holy Power skill.
“Divine Punishment!”
Bolts of lightning struck relentlessly from the dry sky, judging the ground without pause.
Of course, the host wasn’t hit. I didn’t expect him to be.
My only goal was to shield Tessilide from the troublesome Aura Blades.
I had another precise skill. My fingers traced the air, targeting Eleon Odrek’s existence.
“Sever Evil!”
Distance and obstacles didn’t matter. This skill pierced the very being itself.
<Krgh!>
The host, at Master level, resisted strongly.
Still, it was the most effective skill right now. Especially since the tank was engaged in close combat.
I unleashed Sever Evil repeatedly, my fingers raking across the host.
“Sever Evil! Sever Evil! Sever Evil!”
<Krk! Krgh!>
Scratches appeared across the host’s body, tearing open cracks.
The host wailed in agony, veins writhing like worms from neck to eyes.
He hurled malice at me.
<I’ll kill you! Starting with you…!>
Kaa-ang! The host’s roar was cut off by Tessilide’s sword blocking him.
<Do not interfere, rookie!>
Tessilide didn’t budge.
“From here on.”
<Step aside!>
“One step more, and you cannot pass.”
<Time to spare for you? None!>
The anguished roar shook the wasteland.
