Chapter 17: Warning (3)

"Are you Damian Hassen?"

Gerrick asked Damian. His tone was calm, but his eyes shone with a chilling light.

Damian did not respond to Gerrick's question. He didn't even show any interest.

"Hey, Victor."

Victor, who was lying on the ground, slightly lifted his head.

He looked as if he was about to lose consciousness, appearing very weak.

"Are you okay?"

In response to Damian's question, Victor silently gave a thumbs-up.

Damian chuckled at this action.

He was, after all, a funny guy.

"You three, don't you usually hear that you have good luck?"

The knights looked confused by this sudden question.

"If Victor's body wasn't tougher than others, he would have died from the beating. If that had happened, I would have beaten the three of you to death as well..."

Damian said, staring directly at the knights.

"Fortunately, Victor is alive, so I won't kill you."

At this, Lavender and Olphus burst into hollow laughter.

Gerrick didn't make a sound but wore an unpleasant expression.

"Who in the world dared to tarnish the reputation of the Viscount's family... Just a madman, it seems."

Gerrick, as if he had no need to hear more, gave orders to Lavender and Olphus.

"Break his legs and drag him to me. That should bring him back to his senses."

"Understood."

"Even though he used despicable methods, don't let your guard down since he managed to bring down Sir Erwin."

Despite Gerrick's advice, the two knights showed no signs of caution towards Damian.

Seeing this, Damian twisted his lips.

"Perfect timing."

He had been wanting to properly use the mana he had accumulated through the Power Accumulation Technique.

It was impossible not to be pleased when such an opportunity presented itself, with opponents openly showing their weaknesses.

"What did that guy just say?"

"He must be out of his mind from fear."

While the two knights were talking, Damian was gathering his mana.

Objectively speaking, the amount of mana Damian had obtained was not much.

If the mana of the squire in front of him was 100, Damian Hassen's accumulated mana was only 3.

Even though the Power Accumulation Technique allowed for rapid mana accumulation, this was the best he could do after just 3-4 hours of practice.

However, the same tool can be used differently and with varying effectiveness depending on the user.

"Look at his eyes? He seems to be serious about this."

"Seems like we need to teach him a lesson."

Damian thought of Qingyan Brigandine.

Brigandine was a man who rose to the position of one of the Five Great Saints of the Church with just his fists. He was exceptionally skilled in martial arts.

Damian had defeated Brigandine in battle and acquired all his techniques and levels.

However, there was no need to use Brigandine's level now.

Just using the techniques was enough.

"Huh?"

"Really?"

Damian moved.

At the same time as he pushed off the ground, he released his mana.

The distance of about three meters closed in an instant.

The two knights couldn't even react to Damian's speed.

Only when Damian was right in front of them did they realize something was wrong.

"This, this brat!"

Lavender, in his panic, extended his fist instead of his sword.

Damian lightly deflected the punch with the back of his hand.

At the same time, he threw a punch at the chest armor.

At that moment, the mana raced through his meridians, and explosive power spread throughout his body.

The punch gained momentum and struck the center of the chest armor.

The armor shattered, and Lavender's ribs cracked.

Blood spurted from Lavender's mouth like a fountain.

"Lavender!"

Olphus, in a hurry, shouted and swung his sword.

But before he could, Damian grabbed Olphus's wrist.

"This son of a—!"

Olphus tried to shake off the captured wrist.

Before he could, Damian twisted the wrist and kicked the ankle.

Olphus's body floated in the air.

Olphus experienced the phenomenon of the sky and ground being inverted.

"…What?"

In the moment of confusion, his head was slammed into the ground.

His brain was shaken, and the pain in his neck bones made Olphus scream.

"Ku… Kuk!"

Damian stomped on Olphus's face with all his might.

The enhanced strength from the mana easily shattered the jawbone.

"…"

Gerrick watched the scene with a dazed expression.

As the leader of this mission, Gerrick had the duty to protect Lavender and Olphus.

But he couldn't intervene. More accurately, he didn't have the chance to. The two were knocked out with a single blow each.

"What… This is unbelievable…"

Even as a squire, one is already recognized as a capable force in war.

To bring down not one but two squires so quickly?

"Sir Erwin Ryanbloom didn't lose to despicable methods…!"

When Gerrick heard that Erwin Ryanbloom had lost, he was furious.

He was certain that the Hassen Viscount's family had used despicable methods.

But now, he understood. Erwin Ryanbloom didn't lose to despicable methods.

He lost because Damian was simply stronger.

"But I still can't understand! How can a ruffian like you have such skills!"

"What's so great about being stronger than a mere brat?"

Gerrick acknowledged that Erwin Ryanbloom had talent.

But the world is vast, and such talent is more common than one might think.

"…I see."

Suddenly, Gerrick's expression changed.

He looked as if he had realized something.

"You… are not the real Damian Hassen."

This time, it was Damian's turn to be bewildered.

"What nonsense?"

"Don't play dumb! Who doesn't know that this is a trap set by the dogs who fear the prosperity of the Ryanbloom Viscount's family!"

Gerrick shouted, waving his arms.

"You are not the 'real' Damian Hassen! You are clearly a stand-in brought in to bring down Sir Erwin and tarnish the Ryanbloom's reputation!"

Gerrick's face gradually turned red with anger.

"How dare you, you lowly and insignificant things, to target the Ryanbloom Viscount's family? Do you think I will stand by and watch this?"

When someone is too ridiculous, they often lose their words.

Damian was exactly in that situation now.

"Think what you want."

He had no intention of clearing up the misunderstanding.

Whether Gerrick believed it or not, the fact that he needed to deal with Gerrick remained unchanged.

"You! As long as I, Gerrick Howd, am here, it's out of the question! I will stop your despicable scheme right here!"

Gerrick Howd grabbed the greatsword on his back.

It was a zweihänder, a two-handed sword as large as an adult male, famous for its size.

The imposing figure of Gerrick, already a giant, holding a zweihänder, exuded an overwhelming presence.

"I will execute you here and inform the whole world! I will show how solid the Ryanbloom Viscount's family is!"

"Is that so."

"After executing you, I will hold the Hassen Viscount's family accountable! I will burn their territory to the ground for their involvement in this!"

At this, Damian's body stiffened. The annoyed expression vanished, replaced by a chilling gaze.

"Family… What?"

Family was a sore spot for Damian. It was a treasure he would protect for a lifetime.

"You are finished."

Damian gripped the hilt of his sword.

* * *

Gerrick was the first to charge.

It wasn't a calculated move to take the initiative.

"Glory to the Ryanbloom Viscount's family!"

It was an act of anger, a desire to punish the one who had insulted the viscount's family as soon as possible.

Gerrick's momentum was terrifying.

A pressure like that of dozens of charging bulls rushed over.

'Indeed, a true knight.'

Damian observed Gerrick and thought.

To become a true knight, one must be able to freely manipulate aura.

This requires more than just increasing the proficiency of aura.

One must achieve the pinnacle of the techniques they use.

'Achieving the pinnacle opens a new world. It's not something a mere squire can compare to.'

True knights are superior to squires not only in physical abilities but also in their understanding of mana.

'The All-Flowing Insight won't work here.'

The All-Flowing Insight, a realm of sword mastery, is a state where one can see the flow of any attack.

Because one can see the flow, they can alter its trajectory.

However, the stronger the opponent's attack, the greater the burden on the user when altering the trajectory.

With Damian's current mana level, it would be difficult to deflect even one attack from a true knight.

'No need to use that.'

Damian thought nonchalantly.

While the All-Flowing Insight is excellent, Damian had acquired many other realms.

"I will kill you with one strike!"

Gerrick brought down the greatsword. A lightning-fast blow descended on Damian's head.

The blade was imbued with a clear aura, proving his skill.

Damian did not dodge. Instead, he swung his longsword at the incoming strike.

Gerrick's lips curled up.

Unlike Gerrick, whose aura was clearly visible, Damian's aura was very faint.

This indicated that he had less mana and a lower level.

"Foolish one! To dare challenge me head-on!"

Such a low-level aura could be easily shattered. Gerrick put more strength into his arms.

The two blades clashed. Immediately after, a sharp sound rang out, and the blades were deflected.

"…Hmm?"

Gerrick's smirk disappeared. The situation was different from what he had expected.

"Your aura is higher than it looks!"

Gerrick swung the zweihänder repeatedly, handling the massive sword as if it were a twig.

Damian immediately countered, blocking all of Gerrick's attacks.

"How long can you hold out?"

According to Gerrick's judgment, Damian Hassen could only hold out for now.

The quality of the weapons, the difference in physical strength, the intensity of mana, and the level of aura.

Considering all these factors, Damian's longsword was bound to break soon.

"Ugh?"

But contrary to Gerrick's judgment, Damian's longsword remained intact no matter how much time passed.

Not only that, but despite facing Gerrick head-on, Damian did not take a single step back.

"A few clashes have given me a sense of your level."

Even in this situation, Damian spoke.

"You are quite skilled for a low-class, but not enough to worry about."

Gerrick's face contorted at these words.

Being ignored by an opponent he considered a low-class filled him with unbearable anger.

"How dare you, a mere nobody, look down on me, a knight of the Ryanbloom Viscount's family?"

Gerrick gathered more mana. More mana flowed into his muscles.

"If your intention was to provoke me, it was very successful!"

Gerrick's attacks became even faster.

Now, he was so fast that his sword movements were barely visible.

The strikes were so rapid that they looked like a storm.

In the midst of this, Damian muttered a single sentence.

"I'm the one who's annoyed by being treated as a low-class all the time."

Damian's hand moved quickly. In the next moment, something grazed Gerrick's cheek.

A burning sensation spread across his face.

Something trickled down and touched his lips.

A salty taste spread in his mouth.

"…What is this?"

Confused, Gerrick stepped back.

He touched his cheek, maintaining a distance.

A clear sword cut was felt. Blood flowed continuously from the wound.

"…"

Gerrick looked at Damian with a shocked expression.

He couldn't understand what had just happened.

"Do you feel the difference in level now?"

Damian placed his longsword on his shoulder and said.

Gerrick stared at Damian's longsword. Blood was on the blade.

"From now on, keep your stance straight. If you don't, you'll die."

Suddenly, Damian's body disappeared.

Just as the confused Gerrick was about to look around, Damian appeared right in front of him.

"I told you to keep your stance."

Damian brought down his longsword.

Gerrick instinctively raised his zweihänder to block the blade.

At that moment, a heavy impact was transmitted through the greatsword.

He almost dropped the sword.

"Grk?"

There was no time to be surprised. A second attack followed.

Gerrick hastily swung his greatsword. The greatsword and longsword clashed in the air.

A sharp sound rang out, and the greatsword was deflected. Gerrick's body was pushed back.

"What nonsense is this!"

The weapon he used and the physical difference were overwhelmingly in his favor.

Yet, he was being overpowered. It was an incomprehensible situation.

"What trick are you using!"

In response to this shout, Damian calmly replied.

"Skill difference."

The efficiency of mana increases the more precisely it is used.

In terms of mana quantity, Gerrick was far superior to Damian.

However, in terms of mana manipulation, it was different.

Damian's mana manipulation had already reached a divine level.

In other words, Gerrick was being overpowered purely due to the skill difference.

"Stop spouting nonsense!"

Gerrick shouted and brought down his zweihänder.

He poured all his strength into the strike, determined to kill Damian in one blow.

Damian deflected the sword effortlessly. Not only that, but he also cut through Gerrick's chest armor.

Gerrick's chest armor split like water, and the flesh and muscles beneath were cut.

"Ugh!"

The sharp pain made Gerrick step back.

But Damian didn't give him a chance to rest.

Damian's attacks continued. Rapid and powerful strikes poured down relentlessly.

Every time the sword moved, a new wound appeared on Gerrick's body. Blood splattered.

"Y-You!"

Gerrick swung his greatsword desperately. But it was futile.

He couldn't even block Damian's attacks, let alone read their trajectory.

"Kyaah!"

Unable to hold out, Gerrick tried to run away. But he couldn't even do that.

Damian followed him closely as he retreated.

Gerrick's wounds continued to increase.

"Huff… Huff!"

Finally, Gerrick had no choice but to kneel on the ground.

The sudden loss of a lot of blood made him dizzy.

Gerrick looked at Damian with trembling eyes.

Damian was the same as before. He didn't even have a scratch or a drop of sweat.

"You, you…"

When people encounter something they can't understand, they feel intense fear.

This was the case with Gerrick now.

At his level, he couldn't even gauge how strong Damian was,

or what kind of monster he was.

It felt like he was in the middle of a vast ocean.

The vastness and depth of the sea were beyond the perception of a mere insect.

"You, you… If I let you live, it will be a disaster for the viscount's family…!"

This realization brought a new light to Gerrick's eyes.

His ignorance gave him the courage to fight. His inability to understand allowed him to resist.

"Someday… You will surely bring great calamity to the viscount's family!"

Gerrick's demeanor changed.

While his momentum had decreased, a menacing aura that was hard to describe emanated from him.

Damian immediately sensed Gerrick's change.

"Are you going to use a special technique?"

Special techniques are designed to kill the enemy decisively.

While ordinary special techniques are threatening, those that use aura are even more so.

Depending on the martial art, a special technique can split a mountain or evaporate a lake.

"It's been a while since I've used the Lion's Roar Sword's special technique."

The knights of the Ryanbloom family learned a sword technique called Lion's Roar Sword.

While the direct descendants learned the versatile Lion's Roar Sword, the Lion's Roar Sword was specialized in powerful strikes.

The pinnacle of the Lion's Roar Sword is "One Strike, Certain Death."

Gerrick wasn't just gathering aura to show off his mana.

He was preparing an attack to kill Damian.

"For the future of the viscount's family, I will stop you!"

Gerrick charged forward.

The moment he kicked off the ground, the condensed aura exploded.

His entire body accelerated at an incredible speed.

He poured this speed into his greatsword strike.

It wasn't a simple thrust. It was an attack filled with all of Gerrick's mana.

The force was so strong that the air was torn, and a gale blew.

An invisible pressure pressed down on Damian.

"Quite showy."

Before the greatsword reached him, Damian's sword moved.

Damian thrust his sword at Gerrick in the same manner. The tips of the longsword and the greatsword faced each other.

At this sight, Gerrick was certain of victory.

Unlike Damian, who was using a simple thrust, Gerrick had condensed all his mana.

The outcome of their clash was clear.

"For the Ryanbloom family!"

Gerrick shouted loudly. Immediately after, the two sword tips collided.

The aura Gerrick had condensed scattered in all directions.

"Wha—?"

The greatsword's blade shattered into pieces, which scattered in all directions.

Gerrick looked at his h