Chapter 55: The Return of the Doom-Class Death Knight

Chapter 55: Jacques Noire (1)

As the sun was setting, Damian stopped the carriage and prepared to camp for the night.

"Everyone, come and have dinner."

Victor prepared the evening meal. The group filled their stomachs with the food Victor made and then went to sleep.

To be prepared for any eventuality, Olivia slept inside the carriage, while the other three laid out their sleeping bags and slept outside.

As the night grew deeper, a black shadow approached the campsite. Its movements were so stealthy that not even a sound was heard.

None of the campers noticed the intruder's approach. They were all fast asleep.

The intruder slowly drew a dagger. The white blade glinted eerily in the moonlight.

Before striking, the intruder counted the people lying in the campsite.

One in the carriage, two outside.

...Two?

"I thought I'd die of boredom waiting."

A voice came from above. The intruder quickly looked up.

Someone was sitting on top of the carriage.

"Jacques Noire, did you really want to kill me that much?"

Against the backdrop of the night sky, Damian Hassen smiled mockingly.

* * *

"How did you know I was coming?"

Jacques Noire spoke in a calm tone, not appearing particularly surprised despite being caught off guard.

"You shouldn't be so quick to reveal others' secrets."

"You're sharp. There's no benefit in revealing yourself to others."

Jacques Noire nodded, and Damian felt a sense of curiosity.

"That's strange. I thought you'd be furious and start ranting the moment you saw my face."

"Why should I be angry at you?"

In response, Damian replied with a look of disbelief.

"Because I got you chased by the Order."

"Oh, you mean that. I was angry, as you said, but I decided to forget it. Being wanted by the Order is a hassle, but I can change my appearance and escape to the outskirts of the continent."

Damian's brows furrowed slightly.

To so easily discard his name and identity like that.

From his breathing and tone, it didn't seem like a lie. Jacques Noire was speaking sincerely.

Now he understood the sense of unease he had felt since first meeting Jacques Noire.

Jacques Noire was a human with some fundamental flaw.

"Then why did you come after me?"

"To obtain the fortune you possess."

"...Fortune?"

Damian's brows furrowed even more, taken aback by the unexpected statement.

"There's no point in hiding it. You must have obtained something left behind by a Master Class. You became so strong through the knowledge and memories contained in that object."

"I never did?"

Damian said with a look of disbelief.

"There's no point in lying. How else do you explain your sudden improvement in skills?"

"I'm just a genius."

There was a moment of silence between the two.

Jacques Noire clicked his tongue.

"To hide your weaknesses so thoroughly. You're clever. Too clever, to the point of being annoying."

"No, I'm really telling the truth."

"Originally, I thought about sparing you in exchange for the fortune... but since you're like this, I have no choice. I'll kill you and take the fortune."

Jacques Noire discarded his dagger and slowly drew the sword hanging from his waist.

Unlike a regular sword, the blade was wavy.

"Treasures should only be in the hands of those who are worthy."

Jacques Noire rotated the blade, leaving a trail that disappeared with a strange sound.

"So, hand over the fortune quietly."

Damian gripped his千里剑 with a sneer.

"You're kidding."

* * *

Damian and Jacques Noire charged almost simultaneously.

Two swords clashed in the air, neither side giving an inch.

They both retreated almost simultaneously. As soon as they put some distance between them, Jacques Noire lunged forward again.

He aimed a stab at Damian's face.

As if he had anticipated it, Damian easily deflected the blade and aimed for his opponent's neck.

However, Jacques Noire smoothly evaded Damian's attack.

Each time their swords clashed, a loud noise shook the surrounding trees.

'A top-tier Mid-Class, indeed. No waste of power.'

The leader of the Yu Lan group he fought before was a Mid-Class Black Mage. Every time he swung his fist, an earthquake occurred, and the terrain was destroyed.

On the surface, Jacques Noire's attacks seemed less powerful compared to that Black Mage. But in reality, it was not the case.

Jacques Noire could unleash even greater destructive power if he wanted to. But he was condensing all his power into his sword.

Evidence of this was the occasional marks left by Jacques Noire's sword on the surroundings.

Whenever the blade grazed a tree trunk, the entire tree was cleanly cut. The cut surface was smooth enough to be used as a mirror.

To achieve such cutting power without invoking aura was impressive.

'I did well to cast the black magic on the kids beforehand.'

Damian thought as he checked on his companions lying on the ground.

Despite the commotion, they were still fast asleep, thanks to the black magic that induced deep sleep.

Damian intended to hide his true strength to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Therefore, he didn't want his companions to see him fighting Jacques Noire.

'I need to move the location.'

If they continued fighting here, there was a high risk of involving his companions.

Damian deflected Jacques Noire's sword and dashed to the side.

"Where are you going?"

Jacques Noire pursued Damian. They raced through the forest, their swords clashing repeatedly.

Dozens of exchanges occurred in a single breath, and the sound of slicing air was continuous.

'What a devious sword technique.'

Since the start of the battle, Damian had been analyzing Jacques Noire's swordsmanship.

It wasn't an honest technique that aimed to defeat the opponent by directly countering their skills.

Instead, it targeted the opponent's vital points and relentlessly exploited their weaknesses.

This wasn't just a matter of Jacques Noire's personality.

It was the essence of the sword technique he had mastered.

'Hmm?'

He sensed a significant fluctuation in Jacques Noire's mana, indicating he was preparing a technique.

"Quite impressive, but it ends here."

Jacques Noire struck his sword in a straight line.

The power and mana contained in the sword were immense, but the movement was large and easy to block.

However, Damian didn't block the sword. Instead, he let it cut his head.

As Jacques Noire's sword touched Damian's head, it surprisingly turned into an illusion and disappeared.

Immediately after, a fatal strike aimed at Damian's neck came.

Damian had already realized that the first attack was a feint and the second was the real one.

He raised his sword to block the attack, and the force pushed him back.

Jacques Noire stopped his attack and put some distance between them, looking surprised.

"...I can't believe it. A Low-Class being able to counter my attack like this."

Mid-Class and Low-Class were on different levels.

Not only were their physical abilities and mana quantities vastly different, but the decisive difference was the depth of their techniques.

The techniques of a Mid-Class, who had achieved enlightenment, were far more profound than those of a Low-Class.

In a typical scenario, a Low-Class would not be able to exchange blows with a Mid-Class for so long.

"To top it off, you can even see through my techniques."

The illusion Jacques Noire had just shown was not an ordinary technique.

It was a technique belonging to the pinnacle of the sword technique he had mastered.

Illusionary Sword.

A type of sword technique that used mana to create illusions to strike the opponent's weak points.

It was one of the most difficult and hard-to-use sword techniques.

"I told you, I'm a genius."

Damian tapped his shoulder with the back of his sword.

During the battle, he had quickly identified the Illusionary Sword by observing Jacques Noire's posture and mana flow.

Once identified, blocking it was easy. It was a matter of relying on senses other than sight.

"Hey?"

When Jacques Noire didn't respond, Damian asked with a puzzled look.

"...Now I understand."

After a long moment of contemplation, Jacques Noire slowly nodded.

"The knowledge you gained through the fortune must have been that impressive. Your realm is Low-Class, but your technique has reached the level of a Mid-Class."

"Still on about that?"

"Undoubtedly, you must have obtained a great fortune. I'm curious to see what kind of fortune it is."

A smile appeared on Jacques Noire's face, but it felt forced and unpleasant.

"It's been a long time since I've been this excited. I want to see the fortune you've obtained."

Jacques Noire invoked his mana. Aura began to envelop the sword he held.

"Do you know what the decisive difference between a Low-Class and a Mid-Class is?"

The aura of a Low-Class was similar to mist.

The aura of a Mid-Class was much denser, like being wrapped in smoke.

"It's the materialization of aura. Beyond manifesting aura, it's the ability to transform it. That's what defines a Mid-Class."

Jacques Noire took a step forward.

Numerous afterimages were left in his wake. Surprisingly, these afterimages didn't just remain stationary.

They moved in different directions. Some went left, others right, and some even leaped into the air.

The afterimages dispersed into the air after moving a certain distance.

Jacques Noire circled around Damian.

Dozens of afterimages surrounded Damian Hassen, leaving no escape route.

"I'll show you my materialization."

One of the afterimages charged at Damian.

Damian didn't rely on his eyes. He used other senses to judge.

His heightened senses told him it was real.

Damian raised his sword to block the real one, and a heavy impact hit him.

However, the Jacques Noire he thought was real dispersed.

"Hmm?"

Before Damian could react, another afterimage charged from behind.

His senses told him it was real again.

Damian turned and aimed to cut the neck. But it was an illusion again.

"...Oh?"

Damian wore an expression of surprise. He didn't expect his senses to be so thoroughly deceived.

In his previous life, he had faced knights who used Illusionary Sword, but none were as unique as this.

"Isn't it impressive? This sword technique is something I have spent my entire life restoring."

Jacques Noire's voice came from among the afterimages, which continuously moved to confuse Damian's vision.

"These are all illusions, yet they are real. Your senses won't be able to tell what is real."

The afterimages all aimed their blades at Damian.

"This is the final move."

Dozens of afterimages simultaneously charged at Damian Hassen.

Watching this, Damian chuckled.

"It's entertaining, but it's nothing special."

Those who see Illusionary Sword for the first time are inevitably overwhelmed. They are captivated by the mysterious technique that turns illusions into reality.

However, Illusionary Sword is not a particularly powerful sword technique. It lacks the destructive power of a powerful sword and is slower than a swift sword.

It focuses solely on striking the opponent's weak points.

Fortunately, Damian had a very good technique to counter Illusionary Sword.

"You seem to have a great deal of pride in this sword technique."

Damian swept his千里剑 with his palm. The sword vibrated and began to emit a sword cry.

"I'll shatter that illusion."

Damian flicked his finger against the千里剑.

Evil Sword - Voice of Carnage

A deafening sword cry enveloped the space.