Chapter 63

Chapter 21. Tesing Underground Auction (6)

"Evade my sword aura? For a mage, that's quite an impressive movement. Or was it just good luck?"

Alu had been thinking Jin was a mage. After all, he had impersonated Veradin Zip and displayed 5-star magic power.

Clang!

Alu closed the distance in an instant and struck.

When Jin managed to block it, Alu's eyes flashed.

"Are you not a mage?"

Brydamante, which had met Alu's sword, was glowing with aura.

Just blocking the falling sword made every bone in Jin's body creak. He quickly retreated.

However, every time he thought he had put some distance, Alu was there when he turned his head. From the moment the battle started, Alu had completely predicted Jin's movements, as if a cat predicting a mouse's movements.

"Unbelievable."

Swish! A horizontal slash tore through the middle of Jin's coat. Blood splattered, but it wasn't a deep wound.

'He's fast. I'm already struggling even though he hasn't shown his full strength yet.'

The battle was completely going according to Alu's plan.

Although he ran the underworld in Akkin, Alu's 7-star skill level was not to be underestimated. Jin had no choice but to keep retreating and focus on defense.

Alu realized Jin was not a mage but a warrior.

'The magic he showed at the auction must have been a fake using an artifact. Damn, to fall for such a simple trick!'

He was so angry he felt like he might go mad.

However, Alu knew he had to be more cautious with his sword. Even if the opponent was 5-star, the world of warriors was one where a moment's carelessness could cost you.

Moreover, Alu was more concerned about Murakhan, who was grinning on the side.

'I thought he was a subordinate, but why is he just watching?'

To suddenly stop fighting after using incredible combat skills to take out dozens of subordinates was strange. Alu couldn't understand his intentions but thought he would deal with it after killing Jin.

Murakhan was simply enjoying watching Jin, who was on the defensive.

'No matter how great you are, you're already thinking about fighting a 7-star knight. I hope you learn a lesson today, damn brat. Heh heh.'

Murakhan smirked. Clang, clang! The sound of Jin and Alu's swords clashing was like pleasant music to his ears.

"Sir Murakhan, are you really not going to help? Even if it's the young master's will, it's too early to face a 7-star warrior."

As Gilly said, Jin looked so precarious that he could collapse at any moment. His evasive movements were almost acrobatic, indicating his stance was unstable.

"It's fine, strawberry pie. He needs to learn the value of his life."

"But still—"

"And, strawberry pie, you think the kid will lose, don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

Murakhan smirked.

Although he was enjoying Jin's suffering, it was because he could predict the outcome.

"Back in the days when the Runkandel swordsmen were dominant..."

Murakhan's words were cut short as Alu suddenly stepped back.

Whoosh! Flames suddenly burst from Jin's palm. A 5-star fire magic, Flame Pillar, shot up from the ground, reaching about three meters high.

"7-star warriors are nothing."

This was the first time Alu had retreated since the fight started. His eyes widened as he took a step back.

'A sword mage!?!'

He was too busy fending off the relentless flames to think. The magic-formed fire, unlike natural fire, didn't easily extinguish and was hard to shake off once it clung to you.

'He didn't even show any signs of incantation. How...!'

Typically, mages need preparation time to complete a spell. They need to gather magic power and articulate it through gestures and voice.

But geniuses are different. All the preparation processes flow naturally, and their speed is much faster.

Jin, being a 'simultaneous incantation' user, could prepare a spell secretly.

'This always works well.'

The momentum shifted to Jin. If Alu had known Jin was a mage, it might have been different, but the sudden magic attack was disorienting even for a 7-star warrior.

"You damn cheat!"

Alu shouted, barely shaking off the flames.

Jin had already completed the incantation for the next spell but didn't think the same trick would work again.

'I'll shake him with this spell and finish him in the next moment.'

No matter how strong the opponent was.

If you have a few unexpected tricks up your sleeve, the fight ultimately becomes a 50-50 chance.

Win or lose.

Jin could maintain a 50% win rate against strong opponents, at least until his identity as a sword mage was revealed.

It was because of magic and spirit energy. Even a single magic spell could create an opening in a 7-star knight, and with spirit energy added...

But Jin didn't plan to use spirit energy today.

Crackle!

This time, it was a lightning magic. As the Lightning Summoning spell he used to terrorize the Moon Well was cast, electricity flowed to the designated location.

Alu immediately sensed the lightning and dodged. The night sky flashed as a bolt of lightning struck, and Alu threw his body sideways, releasing a sword aura.

Thwip! The moment Alu's sword aura grazed Jin's shoulder, he thought this was the chance to kill Jin.

Jin had lowered his stance to avoid the follow-up sword aura. Sword users preferred such situations when facing non-sword users.

The moment the opponent lowered their stance to avoid a flying sword aura, they would rush in and strike the neck.

It was a perfect opportunity.

'He's finished!'

Alu's thighs swelled as if they would burst. The muscles then transmitted force to the ground, creating a heavy thud.

The ground cracked. Alu's sword, flying in a straight line, aimed directly at Jin's head. Whether he thrust or slashed, Alu was confident Jin was a dead man.

He had no idea this was a trap set by Jin.

'He couldn't have suspected I would so easily lower my stance.'

The usual Alu would have noticed. 7-star wasn't a level you could achieve easily.

But he thought Jin was a mage who used a sword, and then a swordsman who used magic.

Having never encountered a sword mage, Alu's judgment was to end it quickly when the opportunity arose. The longer the fight, the more variables would come into play.

The moment Alu's sword was about to strike. Gilly gasped, and both Murakhan and Jin were confident of victory.

'Helmet activation.'

Clang!

The blade that should have smoothly cut through Jin's neck was stopped by something solid. The new artifact, Melta's Rune, activated, forming a helmet.

This is why Melta's Rune is the dream of all warriors. The helmet that can block a 7-star knight's strike without any shock is the only one in the world.

Alu, losing his balance from the recoil, staggered, and Jin didn't miss the opportunity.

Swish!

Brydamante cut Alu's shoulder. But the blade had already passed over his shoulder and into his chest.

"It's over."

Murakhan shrugged. Gilly, unable to believe what she saw, opened her eyes wide.

"Grrr..."

Jin could have cut through his heart but deliberately stopped the sword. As a result, Alu fell to the ground, barely breathing, his death temporarily delayed.

Crack, crack.

Jin looked down at Alu, who was coughing up blood.

"Before you go, I have one question, Alu. I heard rumors about your connection to Runkandel."

"K, k, heh."

Alu smiled strangely.

'You, were you from Runkandel?' he seemed to be thinking.

"Tell me. Do you know anyone from Runkandel?"

"Hey, hey, kid. You got the order wrong. You should have asked after subduing him, not when he's dying."

Murakhan, who had approached, clicked his tongue. Jin couldn't argue, as it was a valid point.

But subduing a 7-star knight was impossible for Jin in his current state.

"Th... that's right. Now I understand, Jin... you. Jin, were you from Runkandel?"

"Recently, I've been using the name Jin Gray, but it doesn't matter to a dying man."

"Phew."

Alu coughed up blood but had a strangely upward curl to his lips. For a while, he panted and laughed.

Then he said:

"Anyway... you can't stop him."

"What?"

"Even though I failed back then..."

That was his last word. Alu's eyelids closed, and he no longer breathed.

"What was that about?"

"Are you okay, young master?"

Murakhan and Gilly spoke simultaneously.

Jin nodded lightly but was pondering Alu's last words.

'Even though I failed back then, you can't stop him...?'

Of course, it was just a dying thug's last words. The implication of a connection to Runkandel was there, but it couldn't be trusted entirely.

But if we assume Alu had a connection to Runkandel, 'the failure back then' could mean 'the aftermath of the blade,' and 'you can't stop him' could mean...

'No way.'

One name immediately came to mind.

Joshua Runkandel, the next heir of Runkandel.

'Alu said I can't stop 'him.' The only person a pureblood like me can't stop is the one who will lead Runkandel.'

Joshua being the heir is common knowledge.

It might be an overreach, but the feeling of unease couldn't be ignored.

"Spiderhand Alu. This name. It doesn't sound like a real name, does it?"

It was a problem he hadn't considered in his past life.

"Why are you asking that suddenly, young master?"

"I need to look into it. This guy seems to have a connection to Runkandel. It's strange for a 7-star to be running the underworld in a place like this."

"Kid, there are 9-star warriors who run bars. I've seen many of them. Your ancestors had one too."

"Just, I'm leading a clan in the future. It's better to clear things up early. Let's go, we need to find someone like Jet for more information."

The three left Akkin's capital.