The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 289: Raising Chaos

Could a human possess dragon mana? It wasn’t impossible. After all, Karyl knew of two kinds of people who possessed that power.

Firstly, it was the sorcerers known as the Assembly of Seven Elders. Allen Javius claimed that they were individuals who had received their magic from dragons. They had created numerous kinds of magic based on dragon mana, from the Arcane Technique to Colorless Air Sword and Original Magic.

Secondly, the warriors of the Digon tribe from the south also possessed dragon mana. Interestingly, their power wasn’t something they had learned or achieved, but rather an innate ability. However, this was only possible because they were a race blessed by the Golden Dragon Toska.

There were many speculations, including tales of their ancestors being a hybrid between human and dragon, but regardless of that, the fact that they were the only humans directly connected to dragons was undisputed.

And lastly, Karyl himself possessed dragon mana, having gained it by consuming the heart of the Flame Dragon Riseria.

All of them had obtained dragon mana through different means, but the one thing they all shared was a connection to a dragon. Without that, dragon mana would be unattainable.

Kuwell MacGovern had died in his previous life without ever attaining dragon mana, so how did he possess it now? Karyl could think of only one point in time when Kuwell had interacted with a dragon.

The future has changed, but not the events leading up to it. Narh Di Maug must have imparted dragon mana to my father.

But why? Karyl’s mind was racing with questions. He knew that Narh Di Maug hadn’t bestowed dragon mana upon anyone in his previous life, but now, Kuwell had somehow attained it.

What could have caused such a difference in the outcomes between the two timelines?

BOOOOOOM―!!!

But before Karyl could find answers to his questions, he was violently knocked back by a heavy blow.

Ssss...

Kuwell, paying no mind to Karyl’s state, slowly exhaled and took a stance again.

“...”

The moment Karyl saw that, his shoulders shuddered faintly

Kuwell slowly raised his sword, turning the blade sideways while guarding his face with the hilt. Karyl suddenly found himself wondering if that sword stance had always felt this heavy.

It was the third technique of the MacGovern swordsmanship—Thunderous Heat Blade.

The tip of the sword, which felt like a massive boulder, quivered ever so slightly, and the muscles in Kuwell’s arms bulged as if they were about to burst.

Then, Kuwell swung his sword, the explosive speed completely shattering the boundaries of heavy swordsmanship. It looked like Kuwell had surpassed mortal limits.

“Haaa!!!”

The blade descended from above. It seemed simple, but it was far from that. The moment Karyl lifted his sword to block the first strike, Kuwell would slash at his waist.

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“Hmm...!!”

Fully aware of how the Thunderous Heat Blade would strike, Karyl raised his gauntlet to block the sword while turning his Freezing Talon sideways. Just as he expected, the second strike followed.

As Kuwell brought his sword down, he twisted to the right, targeting Karyl’s waist with the living, twisting blade.

This is as far as the feint goes, Karyl thought, even as he staggered from the fierce impact. Despite the violent blow, he remained alert, knowing that Kuwell’s sword was still pursuing him like a predator hunting its prey.

The true power of the Thunderous Heat Blade was the third strike, which followed by closing the gap with relentless pressure, leaving the opponent defenseless. It was a move that forced the adversary to take a step forward, making it impossible to defend effectively.

“Karyl, drop your sword! If you don’t, you’ll lose your arm!” Kuwell shouted at him.

Indeed, when it came to sword techniques, the MacGovern family’s swordsmanship was unrivaled. Karyl had even admired the profoundness of the technique when he had first reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

But...

Unfortunately, Kuwell had made a mistake. He had taught Karyl his swordsmanship in his past life.

Much to Kuwell’s frustration, Karyl had managed to hone his skills against the endless swarms of Tarak in the hellish realm of Phrael, including Kuwell’s sword techniques. That also meant he knew how to counter those techniques. In fact, Karyl had devised a counterattack method for each of the five sword stances.

The First Stance: Crown Posture.

Karyl’s Freezing Talon moved strangely in the narrow space between them. As Karyl’s sword slid down the blade of Yulstern, ice shards scattered in all directions.

Sssshhh...!!

Kuwell was brimming with fire-element mana, and each time he unleashed a Mana Blade, the ice shards that brushed against his skin melted instantly, making a sharp sizzling sound.

“Hmm!”

Pushing his Freezing Talon against Kuwell’s sword, Karyl managed to deflect it and slash at his chest.

“...!!”

Whoosh―!!

Kuwell quickly dodged the attack. Despite wearing heavy plate armor, his movements were so light that the weight seemed negligible.

Crack! Shhhk...

Though Kuwell thought he had dodged perfectly, his armor was left with a sharp cut.

“Incredible. Not only did you counter the Thunderous Heat Blade, but you also managed to strike back. Not even Gordon Fabian would’ve been able to block that.”

“Perhaps you haven’t heard from the leader of the Guidance Mercenary Gang?” Karyl responded calmly. “He acknowledged his defeat against me.”

At that, Kuwell chuckled lightly. However, Karyl was just as surprised as he was.

If I hadn’t wandered through the unique corridors of Phrael and had stayed at the level of my past life, I might have lost in swordsmanship.

Even though Karyl had once suppressed a Sword Master without using mana, this particular duel sent a chill down his spine.

Not only was Kuwell’s mana more powerful than before, but his swordsmanship also seemed to have improved significantly compared to his past life. Could it all be because of the dragon mana?

“That mana... It’s not human,” Karyl murmured.

“How did you know?” Kuwell asked, his face showing a hint of surprise.

“As you know, I possess the spirit power of Ramine, the Blazing King. Not only that, but I also have the power of Ethereal, the Queen of Tides.”

“...!!!”

As soon as Karyl finished speaking, he tightened his grip on the Freezing Talon.

Crack... Shhhhck...!!

The blade of the sword froze, turning a pure white.

“To think you found the Spirit Kings of the lost Spirit Realm... Not even the court sorcerer managed that. You never cease to exceed my expectations,” Kuwell said in a quavering voice, gazing at Ramine’s figure behind Karyl and the frozen blade of his sword.

“The spirits are speaking. They say there is an unfamiliar power within your mana, a power belonging to a dragon,” Karyl subtly inquired.

Of course, he lied about learning this from the spirits, but it was necessary to confirm Kuwell’s dragon mana, which, fortunately, wasn’t strong enough yet to fully grasp Karyl’s mana.

Just as an ant perceives an elephant’s leg as a massive pillar, Karyl’s dragon mana was so overwhelming that Kuwell couldn’t perceive Karyl’s true intentions. Karyl, on the other hand, had easily discerned Kuwell’s mana.

If Kuwell’s mana had been just a bit stronger, he might have sensed Karyl’s true power and seen through the lie.

That was close, Karyl thought.

Revealing the power of the Spirit Kings wasn’t an ideal situation for Karyl. He had been especially hesitant to mention Ethereal, if only for a brief moment. However, he needed to divert Kuwell’s attention, and revealing that he also possessed Ethereal’s power was a calculated risk. The real reason he had unleashed his spirit power was to conceal his own dragon mana.

“What happened?” Karyl asked.

“After you left the mansion, I encountered a man,” Kuwell began, pausing as if to gather his thoughts before continuing.

Must be Narh Di Maug...

Karyl instantly realized that this man had to be the Platinum Dragon.

“He was a man with a peculiar sword style. He challenged me to a duel, and we exchanged a few blows before it ended without any real strikes. I heard nothing from him afterward... until he sought me out again after Prince Kromen’s funeral.”

...Narh Di Maug visited the mansion again? Karyl’s face stiffened slightly, as that hadn’t happened in the previous timeline.

“I’m not sure whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, but the planned northern expedition was canceled due to the mourning period after the Third Prince’s funeral. That gave me a rare opportunity.”

“...”

“He taught me a breathing technique. I had always believed the MacGovern swordsmanship was flawless, and I suppose that bold claim still stands, as the flaw was never in the swordsmanship, but in me. As I followed his advice and trained, my body became lighter, and a new kind of mana surged within me—a condensed mana that I had never felt before.”

“Is that how you ascended to the 6th Class? The title of Sword Master seems insufficient; you’re truly worthy of being called a Grand Master.”

“Of course.”

Karyl found it almost laughable that Kuwell’s future had indirectly been altered by him. It was as if fate itself had arranged for someone just as powerful as Karyl to emerge, to make up for the lack of worthy challengers on the continent.

The fact that Kuwell MacGovern was that challenger felt like a cruel joke, as he was the one person Karyl had hoped to avoid, his adoptive father.

Yet...

Something’s off, Karyl thought.

As he listened to Kuwell, he got the sense that Kuwell didn’t fully understand that his mana was draconic.

Does he think it's simply a variant form of mana?

It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. As it stood, the Digons were the only ones with dragon mana. No one else in the empire held such power, so Kuwell’s ignorance was understandable.

The real issue lay with the man who had taught him this power.

Did he see no need to explain it? Or did he deliberately withhold the information?

Kuwell’s explanation didn’t offer enough detail to confirm whether that man was Narh Di Maug. Nevertheless, Karyl couldn’t help being astonished that Kuwell had awakened dragon mana with minimal guidance, and without the heart of a dragon.

Although Kuwell didn’t yet understand the essence of mana, his ability to wield it could potentially rival that of the Assembly of Seven Elders.

“This power is difficult to control... but it’s greater than anything I’ve ever known. It pains me to use it against you, but...”

Clang—

Kuwell readjusted his grip on his sword.

“...You must pay the price for your insolence.”

And at that moment—

“Everyone, stop!!” a sharp voice rang out just as Kuwell and Karyl were about to clash again.

“How dare you draw swords in the Holy City of Heim?! Such insolence! Can you still call yourselves followers of Yula after this?!”

“...”

Upon seeing the bishop, Kuwell slowly lowered his sword.

“It seems the chaos ends here,” he said with a shrug.

Karyl followed suit, his expression nonchalant. The combat priests remained tense, but emboldened by the bishop’s presence, they pointed their weapons at Karyl.

“Not even the emperor himself can draw his sword here without Yula’s permission! And yet, some foreign king has the audacity to desecrate this holy site—”

BOOOOOOM―!!!

Before the bishop could finish his reprimand, an explosion erupted from one of the buildings deep within Heim.

“...!!”

Everyone turned toward the shattered building, staring in shock.

“I’ve found it!”

Out of nowhere, Israphil pointed at one of the dozens of floating illusions he had created.

BOOOOM―!!

“Dark magic...? This is madness...! Do they not know where they are?! Capture that heretic immediately!”

The bishop, gazing at the Superior Vision hovering above Israphil, struck his staff against the ground in disbelief.

“Hmph!”

WHOOSH...!!!

But before the priests could react, a shadowy figure appeared behind them, the outline of an elderly man becoming clear. With a wave of his hand, unquenchable blue flames erupted between Israphil and the priests.

“Argh!!”

“Ahhhh...!!”

Allen Javius covered his nose, grimacing as though he had just caught a whiff of something foul. His frown made it clear that he wanted to leave this place immediately.

“C-Curses...!”

Some of the priests frantically tried to extinguish the blue flames that had caught on their robes, but the soul-bound fire only grew, consuming them even more fiercely.

“Hahaha...” Allen chuckled lowly as he watched the priests writhe on the ground.

BOOM...!!

Another explosion rocked the building behind them. Amidst the crumbling debris, another dark silhouette moved swiftly.

“Is this the one you were looking for?” a voice spoke out, smooth yet grating like metal scraping against metal.

Everyone was stunned, their gazes now locked onto the puppet-like figure.

“Stop right there...!!”

One of the priests, seizing the opportunity, raised his mace and lunged at Zarka.

Swick—!

But that was over in an instant, as the priest’s head was severed clean. Blood dripped from the sharp wire coiled around the puppet’s wrist.

Karyl watched the scene unfold, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if this was exactly what he had envisioned.

“What do you mean, the chaos ends here?”

Then, turning his head after glancing at Jake, who was unconscious in Zarka’s arms, Karyl murmured to Kuwell, “We’re just getting started.”