Chapter 170: Ancient Hero (4)
uV3“Father. It has been a long time since I last saw you. There are many things I want to tell you.”WOTRze
kcYSeeing Siern greeting him with elegance as she lightly lifted her skirt with both hands, Melverot was breaking into a cold sweat, something quite unlike him.qPsi
nRQJust moments earlier, he had seen her covered in blood from head to toe, so it was inevitable that the image of that former savage Siern overlapped in his mind.As6
qPfOHe was not the only one—the servants were tense as well.gJPGS0
PWhHowever, the Siern who had neatly arranged her posture was the very image of a refined lady.g5Bzcjt
RYkOKeTNot even a year had passed since she had departed for the barony of Ravenclaw.COKCnfG
2Inzeq‘I thought that man was competent, but what in the world did he do to her?’SaD33
NWeQHLEMelverot rested his chin on his hand, wearing an uncomfortable expression.nDz4sB
Be4NFor the cold lord of the north to react like this was not something common.R7u2
nVJRtUW***fDSEOK
234Ha9Magic is the very foundation of nobility and a symbol of privilege.EbO
zxFM3CFor that reason, no noble ever neglects the spaces dedicated to magical training within their mansion.UkNq
sYsRTgFor the servants, the maintenance of magical facilities is always one of the highest priorities.1ro
MgNDThe Rochester mansion, nestled in the midst of the frozen desert of the north, was no exception.4Qhm
wCQ4Although the entire estate was fortified for defense, the magical dueling field was considered a key facility and was so well maintained that there was nothing to criticize.ApX0baG
nK8Hu2eAt the far end of the enormous space, comparable in size to the grand entrance hall, a gaunt man leaned on an oak staff as tall as he himself was.Nw76
4I6lQdYJudging by his appearance alone, he looked like someone who might collapse and vanish into the snow at any moment.oFCXuMb
R5MAEven so, Dereck clenched his fingers tightly inside his gloves, holding back the tension.nNE8NN
jfcD“I apologize for having caused such a pitiful spectacle. But what must be done, must be done.”E7ZG9RD
hOK9CPmHis appearance matched exactly what Dereck had seen in hero biographies—light brown hair, long and unkempt, speckled with gray.iWA
MKr7aBetween his dim eyes, his pupils seemed barely able to hold on, as if he had lost all vitality.cwJpIf
p0kmZGiHe knew it beforehand, and yet he could not help doubting it every time he saw him like this.RrCkm
Hrn7Was that man really the great archmage who had once dominated the world?Pzzq3YI
fuuCould he truly receive Dereck’s magic with a body that looked like it might break from the slightest impact?iZ6AeNs
KnhVsiQBut Kalimford spoke.MP8e
EnL9a“My body is no longer what it once was, and I cannot use my magic to its fullest either. The aftereffects of the necromantic magic clinging to this body affect me— even my eyesight is no longer the same.”GHX0B
cs6His words sounded miserable, but what followed was the complete opposite.LHhK2HU
TYm“Even so, come at me with the intent to kill.”1gtbMx
ZbZ“…”rtbm
xM1JN“You seem far too worried. Are you going to hold back against a specter that already died once?”3VL
JqEAppearance and presence do not always go hand in hand.UHT
p0RDespite his fragility, there was a strange, intimidating pressure in his gaze.pXMxP
YRj6gTHe was right. There was no one who could afford to hold back in front of a six-star mage.S1gXe78
xDVtf8TCalmly holding his massive oak staff, Kalimford simply waited for Dereck’s attack.9pg
g7G‘…Does he want to gauge my level first?’77gx
IPJkw9GDereck inhaled deeply and hardened his gaze.Rt48Dbr
jlK1qIn an instant, magic surged around him, turning into a great flow that gathered at the tips of his fingers.ViQKu
C33More than a dozen fire arrows materialized in the air and shot toward Kalimford.MF2Wp
ap61Whoosh!i1d
8odBut Kalimford did not even defend himself.1b7
H7laMore than that, it seemed as though he did not even react.d9BolW
UfgXXHe remained there, gripping his staff, staring ahead with exhausted eyes.K9sAwM
qoCGWThe moment the fire arrows drew near, they broke apart into magic and dissipated without a trace.EdKk
lpIR“…”Zvwh12g
5UitdIt was only a one-star spell, cast as a test, but seeing it nullified in such an unexpected way made Dereck flinch.nct8n9m
YrEv‘He didn’t block them… nor intercept them.’bptW
SOHGJIt was as if the arrows had simply vanished on their own.5yfsO19
NeFVpbfDereck felt a strange dissonance in the way Kalimford handled magic.Iaj
cyFReaching the pinnacle of combat magic did not merely mean having a high level.IWCsKLz
BuSPmgyIt meant commanding domains that ordinary combat mages could not even touch.JMh
NzICuOSensing that he had glimpsed a fraction of that, Dereck was wrapped in a peculiar excitement.FED74T
LAma7nMWhoosh!OGs
nk6Do“Come at me with the intent to kill.”RSXU
xWMThose had been Kalimford’s words.IvH2Wu
0HJlPFMDereck kicked off the ground and drew his sword.t8uiVgH
3VGR40DHe had confidence, but not arrogance.exI
XgMqIf his opponent truly was Kalimford, a legendary six-star combat mage, exchanging combat spells alone would never be enough to defeat him.c5Lsm
R41Even in his weakened state, that fact did not change.NYU3
96129rgWham!8zGXWez
e77JvSlash!Yje
Pgg9CkDereck feinted a frontal charge, then abruptly veered to the side and hurled two throwing daggers strapped to his thigh.L8S
k7OAt the same time, he activated the four-star transformation spell Distortion to accelerate the daggers’ speed, and added a one-star shockwave from behind to inject them with brutal physical force.TGSQAoK
fvZsThe speed of the daggers skyrocketed explosively, surpassing the threshold of visibility and reaching a domain where reacting was impossible.bl4pow
QndWhoosh!73o3PX
qW3pVuLThe only sign they had been thrown was the brief sound of air being sliced.3J2a5
Zd43oMagic and martial arts—an application that transcended the limits of each discipline.I7lKZC
oZgPZTeDereck’s combat style was neither that of a pure mage nor that of a mercenary.Rsfs
DAtT5Realizing this, Kalimford narrowed his eyes even further.R6Bb
JqQXmS2‘No wonder Fina desires him so much.’G0W
tBBuqqkWhoosh!YHj
2fkOnce again, Kalimford neither blocked nor intercepted the attack.O8FBd
9U9UpThe daggers came to an abrupt halt around him and fell to the ground without strength.OTy8YXJ
WnyIt was as if the magic of the environment itself had been devoured.GWMZ
ekltUs2Normally, a mage would lose the will to fight upon realizing their magic was ineffective.ZPkayY
kY7PBG5Wham!cLv
JxVdH1But in Dereck’s eyes, as he closed the distance without hesitation, there was only killing intent.ttxO
ovmJ‘Did he throw the daggers to test whether even physical attacks fall under my magical domain?’BIDkBn
U7eSAnd the moment he confirmed that they did not work either, he chose close-quarters combat as his last resort.9zZ7
VAJc6zHis chain of decisions was fluid and took only a few seconds.QqHVKRh
5F6A reaction speed unbefitting someone facing Kalimford for the first time.UPG1
y2jAlthough he had mastered magic at a high level, he had not limited himself to training magic alone.uhl5V
chUrIOYThe more Kalimford observed him, the harder Dereck was to measure.hneCuBy
0RzCtHWhoosh!osAv
wpxBut Kalimford was also someone seasoned by countless battles.tEYMA
gJKDkzWithout showing surprise, he forcefully swung his staff once, and his figure vanished from the spot.nKzPqT
YFn2In its place remained a dense mist laden with magic.ra4
k8Q9‘Illusion magic!’2Qh
kZLDereck frowned, halted his advance, and swept his gaze around while simultaneously activating his detection magic.dZWFy
W2zbWell-trained detection is the natural enemy of illusion magic.ireqQUL
qvAYZEven so, he could not immediately locate Kalimford.CUz1OHj
BFREThat could only mean one thing—his illusion magic was, at the very least, four-star level.MrcbtOZ
rJzQnAlthough he was famous as a combat mage, he had also reached an extraordinary level in other fields.u208Wth
KjwszWhoosh!rIidz
MvEvhBang!8b10zN
XPZaFour giant earth constructs emerged from the ground and stretched their hands toward Dereck, but before they could even reach him, they were frozen and neutralized by his ice magic.Ewf
yGaE9QMThe instant freezing Dereck employed was the result of adding his own interpretation to the magic Siern often used.Z0s8RCB
FKWk4Its speed would be enough to bewilder even veteran mages.7CRB
G8aCrack!DEk
gbB6CKTCrunch!S7rHC0
RcuBDereck deployed a three-star ice spell that froze the entire area.Hbpd8qh
a83TyIt was not only to suppress the earth giants, but to locate Kalimford.OVLZs
eNxcHis magic comfortably covered the entire dueling field.vPyu
Ek7YYIf Kalimford remained hidden, he would have to react to avoid being frozen.toLv
qzYC1And indeed, within the mist saturated with magic, there was a single point of terrain that had not frozen.61TV
sehutThere stood Kalimford.tLaA
etMjZtVClang!g3J
PUJCFMyWhoosh!1qD
MucHWithout losing a moment, a two-star fireball from Dereck slammed into that spot.TFPoP
Htx87lIt was the spell he could cast the fastest.RhaZ8v
nGh60oDue to its speed, it did not seem as though it had flown there, but rather as if it had exploded directly on the spot.ZubrHZ
j0VO9dSizzle!AoLkmN
TD8yBut when the mist dispersed, there was nothing there.Dk0Vtda
5hdUKKalimford had deliberately materialized a barrier at that spot through transformation magic, thereby inducing Dereck’s confusion.Q3M71y
CqyYq5Wham!pAdbzf
k0hf1esWhoosh!hkCZRt
rJHTo create an opening was, without a doubt, to seek out a lapse.cI507
IpjWhen Dereck sharpened his senses, it was already too late—more than a dozen fire arrows were raining down on him.fUWkBSE
XAcohThere was no time to dodge.WjHsoj9
onk9Dereck leapt forward, wrapped one of his arms in mana, and rolled across the ground.rRPA
b2hbBang!j4ka
Ig3L02vWham!ay1Fqkj
PSGO64COne of the sleeves of the wool jacket he was wearing was charred and vanished, though his skin was protected thanks to the mana.FRpz
hzTD6Even so, he could not prevent a slight burning sensation from lingering at the tips of his fingers.EteLfxq
oDGaCOOWham!pcgc
PAYu9rWhoosh!FLBXm
AyjTAShaking his hand, Dereck got back on his feet.3Nf481
26W2eFrom the smoke on the opposite side, Kalimford appeared, walking with absolute calm.AuV
QbzHe dragged his staff along the ground, advancing slowly, as if he had simply gone out for a stroll.ZPl
U5RHK‘Those fire arrows were the ones I conjured.’24x3
QUhgO6nThe arrows he had launched as a probe returned now with a temporal delay.O1UX
pOWJOReusing an opponent’s magic was a common technique among experienced mages, but seeing them return after so much time was something Dereck had never witnessed.kzfZ
SBvgKCuriosity and an almost euphoric excitement welled up in his eyes.gHl
B3sOVo‘Kalimford.’WCSLTmo
fV4The name of the legendary great mage who had once dominated the continent.P98gGF
46xP‘Illusion and summoning at least four stars. Detection and transformation bordering on five. And combat…’UKH
q4b‘Six stars.’l9j5jaI
EsS7cIn the field of combat magic, his level was simply unreachable.Alz6
v2RMrOEven far from his prime, he was not an opponent one could measure strength against.r8DS
lTJdNormally, in front of someone like that, one would feel fear or reverence.6s5
hD2However, Dereck was not an ordinary human either.79jfNg
xaVvHe felt a jolt run down his spine.svvx
mwABehind that mage walking while dragging his staff along the edge of the dueling field, the image of a colossal mountain seemed to rise.GAbtu1S
QPZKaHis eyes were fixed, unwavering, on Dereck.kOIr
IpmIWh‘His ability to adapt to unfamiliar magic far surpasses that of an ordinary mercenary.’QE4KAxz
zZ1EL‘The talent the heavens granted him is not limited to magic alone.’DKVzH
3wn9tVyKalimford, too, was revising his evaluation of Dereck again and again.ZfmUEh1
cThV8ezThe world paid attention only to Dereck’s magical talent, but his true value went far beyond that.Wajmh5P
UcqdLZMercenaries were famous for their improvisational skills and response to ambushes, but Dereck already stood out even among them.owie
lsfRIt was the first time someone had responded like this, from the very first moment, to his control of mana.RuC0XMB
Gftf9Even Melverot had fallen victim to that technique at least once.jZTF1S4
d29nm3XStep. Step.bFiFeVL
zMx9PzAccording to Kalimford’s original plan, Dereck should have been struck by the fire arrows, and the duel should have ended there.moc
CgznThen, while he recovered, he had intended to teach him a use of mana on a completely different level.G7ku
IhbHUU5To learn his magic, it was necessary to abandon conventional notions entirely.mPLoXKT
G1Ulmj4But all of that fell apart.48bI
MjrDereck was still standing, almost unscathed, after shaking his arm a couple of times.Z44w0UQ
ZZSFThen he spoke.mlc
9nquR“You returned my own magic to me? Even after it had already dissipated?”Y9h
atbUmb“…”rlq
iZPIWSf“It seems more like you captured the residue of a magic that had already fulfilled its role and restored it to its original state. It’s similar to the residual effect of my staff, Footprints.”IsnL
M7NApzHDereck had already fully grasped the core of Kalimford’s magical control.mAV052
6GWMEAnd this was the first time he had ever seen it.FLOtSXf
TzYNNlP“It’s the first time I’ve seen someone do it without the support of a magic weapon. And using the opponent’s mana.”TGl
krFnhgJ“It’s better to do it directly than to rely on equipment. There’s no limit to its use, and it confuses the enemy much more.”RCWwRb
hnfOBeing able to reactivate an adversary’s spells at the desired moment forced the opponent to regard even their own past magic as a threat.g0l
evN9QNIn a one-on-one duel, it was an ability that shattered all established rules.GlgV
JOgwmpi“If you understood it that quickly, you can advance to the next level without delay. That’s good news. I don’t have much time left.”R1uTtP
L1hA4q“What…?”rCBmpW
bNpThe instant Dereck responded, his body was already sent flying.Wq7
uOQMWham!kdj8fv
ykrXINThe fact that he even managed to raise both arms to assume a defensive stance was already an absurd reaction, but his eyes widened.Khi99N
pgbZThud! Thud!ZhJuS
bmu0POCrack! Crunch!j1N
YyVsmDereck slammed into the inner wall of the dueling field.O3O
sjZEven so, he released mana instantly, managing to cushion the direct impact.M6jz
drD“If you are going to face Fina… and if you intend to continue teaching Siern, four stars are not enough. Whether you like it or not… you must become stronger.”Kma
Hf9ysRYCrack!5nr2
csQsKGrind!RiFkfW4
H4QF4lThe amount of mana Kalimford possessed was surprisingly small.mlo7NtX
WEQYHowever, with just the act of clenching his fist, an overwhelming pressure fell upon Dereck, difficult even for him to endure.jwuB
P3cXoWham!MtTTHUp
RFvSKCrack!eWD
PkxDereck’s arms trembled, but he clenched his teeth and focused strength into his fingers.rNEc
lH6AIG‘The absolute quantity of mana is low, but… is there a technique that amplifies its effect?’8U5qu
u4O‘If I understand the mechanism, I might be able to counter it.’bjLlv
xSYCEven under attack, he did not stop thinking.PGMvOy
k5q9Even so, at that moment he could not grasp the exact basis of Kalimford’s magic.g5Xs
aBcu“I will show you what the true essence of combat magic really is. It will be something on a completely different level from anything you have experienced.”ssw1
XklDragging the massive staff along the ground, Kalimford advanced with steady steps.Etj
ioq9jEThat great mage, long past his prime, had nonetheless reached a degree of mastery that bordered on the inconceivable.pOZv
wgd2And in his eyes, sharp as blades, an even more intense light gleamed.HIZ
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