Chapter 347

“Your Round Table will be mercilessly slaughtered by the minions of Gehenna. Every member of your family will be wiped out, and your entire house will be reduced to ashes.”

“W-what? Don’t spout such nonsense!”

“Nonsense? Watch closely.”

A brilliant flash!

Chris unleashed a spell.

In midair, a horrifying vision appeared—an image of the Round Table’s utter destruction.

“This is a direct ‘manifestation’ of the celestial revelation. Marquis Heinfer, as the head of a renowned sorcery family, you should understand. This isn’t a mere illusion—I witnessed this revelation myself.”

Though both are forms of visual magic, ‘manifestation’ and ‘illusion’ differ greatly.

‘Manifestation’ recreates something actually seen or existing, with a completely different method of spellcasting.

(In truth, it’s not a celestial revelation, but a scene from my past life that I’ve manifested.)

Marquis Heinfer, head of the sorcery family, nodded gravely.

“…It seems the hero’s words are not false.”

Shock rippled through the hall.

“Th-that can’t be!”

“Can’t believe it?”

Chris sneered.

“Honestly, looking at your sorry state, it seems entirely possible.”

“!!”

“You all know it too, don’t you? Compared to the true noble houses of the Magic Empire, your level is far beneath.”

The heads of the families bit their lips tightly.

He was right.

Though they boasted as heads of noble houses, not a single one among them was an 8-star mage.

Among the Round Table’s heads, only one was 8-star—the rest were all 7-star.

“…Still, we don’t need your help. Such revelations mean nothing. Our Round Table will prevail.”

“Really? That’s a tall order.”

Chris openly smirked.

“From what I see, none of you have even properly mastered your family’s secret techniques.”

“!!”

That was an insult they couldn’t let slide.

The heads glared fiercely.

“Retract that statement immediately.”

“Retract? Why would I? Well, if the heads are this pathetic, no wonder your subordinates are just as pitiful.”

Unable to hold back any longer, the heads bristled with anger.

It was as if they were about to challenge him to a duel.

Exactly the reaction Chris had hoped for.

“I’ll prove my words myself.”

“…What did you say?”

“I’ll duel each of you one-on-one and win.”

“!!”

The heads exchanged incredulous looks.

But Chris’s expression was serious—no bluff, no exaggeration.

“A simple duel would be too dull, though. Let’s make it interesting: you each face me using your family’s secret technique. Swordsmanship if that’s your strength, martial arts if that’s yours. Actually, that might be too easy.”

Chris’s madness only deepened.

“You’ll each face me using only your family’s secret technique.”

“…Our family’s secret technique?”

“Yes. I’ve been studying the materials you donated to the academy. After about two weeks of practice, I’ll use those techniques against you.”

Chris hadn’t just been teaching the students.

In his spare time, he’d been absorbing the vast collection of materials stored at the academy.

“Stop talking nonsense. The materials we donated are only basic techniques. And you think you can face the head of our family after just two weeks of practice?”

The heads’ faces flushed with anger, feeling insulted.

But—

“That’s more than enough.”

“!!”

“If you don’t believe me, let’s make a wager. If I lose, I’ll leave the Keinfer Academy immediately.”

Chris scanned the heads.

“But if you lose, you’ll come here and train under me.”

“…W-what did you say?”

“I told you—I’m here for your Round Table’s sake. Your level is lacking, so I’m here to teach you.”

Chris nodded.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared? Even with the condition that I face you using your own family’s secret techniques, you’re trying to back out? The name of noble house head suits you well.”

The heads’ faces reddened, unable to hold back any longer.

“…Fine. Prepare yourselves.”

And so, they headed to the duel arena within the academy.

Word had spread, and students gathered around.

“That demon and the heads are dueling?”

“Who do you think will win?”

“…I don’t know.”

The students trailed off.

They now knew the young hero was no ordinary fighter.

But these were the heads of the Great Round Table.

Moreover, the hero said he would face them all alone.

“Maybe he can handle one, but two? That’s unlikely.”

“I agree.”

That was high praise.

The Round Table heads held immense prestige in the alliance.

“But I heard the hero will face the heads using their own Round Table secret techniques?”

“What? Are you crazy? Really?”

“Yeah, he said he’d show the heads the true essence of their own secret techniques.”

“…I knew he was crazy, but this is next level.”

The students clicked their tongues in disbelief.

Meanwhile, a furious middle-aged man stepped onto the duel platform.

It was Marquis Lamed, head of the swordsmanship family Ilsom.

“As agreed, if you lose, leave Keinfer Academy immediately.”

“Yeah, keep your promise. If you lose, you become my disciple.”

“You bastard…!!”

His face red with rage, he took a stance ready to draw his sword.

But Chris raised a hand to stop him, then said something unexpected.

“Wait, you’re going in alone?”

“…What?”

“That’s impossible.”

Chris spoke with genuine concern.

“You won’t stand a chance alone. Have all five of you attack at once.”

“Shut up!!”

Lamed, nearly losing his mind with anger, launched his attack.

Flash!

Ilsom Strike.

Like a streak of light, he surged toward Chris, a brilliant line of steel flashing.

“Whoa!! As expected!!”

“The Sword King of Ilsom!!”

The students watching gasped in awe at the extreme speed of his blade.

Clang.

His sword was stopped mid-strike.

Chris’s blade had precisely pierced Lamed’s sword.

“How?”

Lamed’s eyes widened.

He was famed as the alliance’s fastest swordsman.

Yet Chris’s delayed draw had overwhelmed him.

But that wasn’t the only shock.

“What was that move?”

Chris smirked knowingly.

“I told you I’d face you using your own secret techniques.”

It was a basic thrust from the Ilsom family!

“Don’t get cocky just because you got lucky!”

Flash!

A rain of blades poured down.

It was the high-level secret technique Hanbakbi (Flower Explosion Flight), passed down only to Ilsom’s main bloodline.

Countless blades surged toward Christian.

“As expected, pathetic.”

“!!”

Chris moved his sword.

“Let me show you the true essence of your Ilsom secret techniques.”

He thrust his sword forward.

Nabicheop.

A trembling sword technique that shakes the blade in all directions to keep the opponent at bay—a basic technique.

Even the lowest-ranked warriors in the Ilsom family learn it.

But how could a basic technique have such an effect?

Swish!

Lamed’s relentless assault suddenly began to falter.

As if blocked by an invisible barrier.

“W-what?! That’s not Nabicheop!”

“Isn’t it? Your secret manual says to use the waves and vibrations traced by the sword’s path to sever the core of the opponent’s attack.”

Click.

Chris sheathed his sword.

He was about to unleash another basic Ilsom technique—Sword Draw Flash.

“I’ll use your basic secret technique, Balgeomseom. I’ll perform it formally, so try to block it.”

“!!”

Announcing the exact point of attack to his opponent was absurd, but Lamed couldn’t underestimate him.

He sensed something was off.

“…Prepare yourself.”

Flash!!

Lamed unleashed his strongest secret technique, Soaapseom (Crushing Flash).

Using his 7-star talent, he added weight to his extreme speed strike.

Though using a talent technique in a duel was against alliance rules, his desperation was clear.

But—

Chris scoffed.

“You’re wrong.”

Flash!

He drew his sword.

A pure-speed strike, the basic Sword Draw Flash.

No fancy tricks or elaborate sword principles—just the simplest of basics.

Yet the result was anything but light.

The opponent’s technique began to split apart.

An unbelievable sight.

The family’s lowest basic technique clashed head-on with their highest secret technique—and the outcome was the exact opposite of what anyone expected.

“The important thing isn’t whether it’s basic or advanced.”

Exactly.

Even a simple strike can have wildly different results depending on how it’s executed.

What matters is the meaning behind the sword.

Though basic, Chris’s strike embodied the true meaning of ‘Ilsom’—a blade that cuts through everything like a streak of light.

No matter how advanced a secret technique is, if it can’t surpass the meaning behind Chris’s strike, it’s useless.

Finally, Chris’s sword completely shattered Lamed’s technique.

Flash.

Lamed’s sword snapped into two pieces.

“……”

He stared blankly at his broken blade.

A treasured family heirloom, now broken in two.

“M-my heirloom…”

“That’s not what should matter right now.”

Chris grinned.

“You should be lamenting that the head of your family can’t even master the basic secret techniques.”

Lamed’s eyes widened, but he couldn’t argue.

Chris was right.

“Go reflect on that.”

Lamed’s face burned red, but he said nothing as he stepped down from the platform.

The shocking sight plunged everyone in the arena into a deathly silence.

It was more than just mockery—it looked like a full-blown master-level sparring match.

Then, others stepped onto the duel stage.

Chesul, Jusul, Taming, and Seonghwi.

The four heads of their families.

This time, they were going for a joint attack.

“So you’ve finally come to your senses. Good. No need to be ashamed. It’s only natural for the weak to gang up on the strong.”

The four clan heads bit their lips.

Their pride was wounded, but none of them had the confidence to face that monster alone.

“However, there’s a condition.”

“Hmm?”

“We’ll give it our all, so you’d better do the same. Don’t even think about insulting us halfheartedly.”

They weren’t asking him to rely on their clan’s basic secret techniques—they wanted him to show his true strength.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“!!”

Chris sneered.

“If you want me to go all out, then you’d better step up your game. Though I doubt you can.”

The atmosphere among the clan heads turned tense.

“The Fist King of the Chesul family.”

“The Beast King of the Shinsu family.”

Two figures with intense presences stepped forward.

The clan heads at the round table often adopted the title “King” as a nickname to command respect.

The two behind them introduced themselves as well.

“The Curse King of the Jusul family.”

“The Radiant King of the Seonghwi family.”

Four clan heads launching a joint attack.

It was a scene so overwhelming, it was as if a demon lord from the Magic Empire had descended.

Everyone in the arena swallowed hard.