Episode 205: Masterclass (1)
The moment the blade sliced through him, the Weapon Master was sent flying backward, crashing through a series of wooden pillars before slamming into the ground.
Buried in the earth, the Weapon Master pondered.
What just happened?
He had consumed both the Elixir of Mitasung and the Fire Essence Stone simultaneously, not only surviving but enhancing his physical abilities to surpass even his own master-class reflexes?
And most astonishing of all was the sword wielded by Damian Haxen.
A sword without even a hint of aura had deflected an aura blade? Even a demon-forged sword of ducal rank couldn’t achieve such a feat.
A series of incomprehensible events unfolded, yet the Weapon Master felt neither curiosity nor wonder.
Rage boiled up from within, grinding his teeth.
Currently, the Weapon Master was possessing the body of Joshua Silva through the medium of the cursed sword.
Even at only thirty percent of his true power, he was confident he was stronger than most master-class warriors.
Thus, it was hard to accept that he had been struck by a mere high-class opponent.
The Weapon Master rose to his feet. Despite being cut, his body was unscathed.
It seemed that while the cursed sword could withstand an aura blade, it wasn’t sharp enough to penetrate his protective aura.
The Weapon Master lunged forward, swinging his sword. A dark purple aura blade aimed for Damian’s head.
Damian blocked the strike with his cursed sword.
In that instant, the muscles in his arm burst, blood flowing down. The force was too great for his body to withstand.
The Weapon Master relentlessly targeted Damian’s vital points with a flurry of strikes.
Damian Haxen parried the attacks without pause. Each time he blocked an aura blade, the impact caused his muscles to rupture.
Even with enhanced physical abilities from the elixirs, he was still just a high-class.
Compared to a master-class like himself, he was woefully lacking.
With each swing of his sword, the Weapon Master felt his anger dissipate, pressing Damian Haxen harder.
Then, he noticed something strange.
Given the gap between them, the battle should have ended already.
Yet Damian Haxen was holding his ground, enduring every attack.
“Your expression doesn’t look too good. What’s wrong? Not going as planned?”
Damian Haxen spoke, his voice dripping with mockery.
The words made the veins on the Weapon Master’s forehead bulge.
At that moment, Damian Haxen bent forward, dodging a slash while swinging his cursed sword.
The blade traced a diagonal line from below, grazing the Weapon Master’s face.
Thanks to his protective aura, he wasn’t cut. But the Weapon Master couldn’t help but seethe with anger.
The Weapon Master roared with fury, attacking Damian even more fiercely.
The relentless barrage of slashes continued. Both the Weapon Master and Damian Haxen moved frantically.
Yet something was amiss. Despite the increased pressure, Damian Haxen wasn’t being overwhelmed.
Not only was he blocking the Weapon Master’s attacks with ease, but he was also dodging them. Some he even countered.
He was getting stronger.
With each passing moment, Damian Haxen’s physical abilities were rapidly improving.
He was keeping up with the Weapon Master’s movements, a testament to his growth.
Despite his body being ravaged by the conflicting elixirs, Damian Haxen was not only holding his own against a master-class but was also growing stronger.
A chill ran down his spine. It was terrifying.
It was absurd. For someone like him, a great evil of Pandemonium, to feel fear towards a mere high-class.
The Weapon Master shouted, unconsciously gripping his sword tighter.
In doing so, he swung his sword wide. Damian Haxen seized the opportunity.
Dodging the attack, he closed in on the Weapon Master.
He drove the cursed sword into the Weapon Master’s solar plexus, unleashing a burst of magic.
With a thunderous explosion, the Weapon Master was sent flying into a cliff.
“It’s no use after all.”
Damian clicked his tongue, observing the Weapon Master’s condition.
Despite putting all his strength into the attack, not a scratch was left.
Erebus alone couldn’t break through the protective aura.
“If I could manifest its full power, maybe I could pierce it…”
But Erebus’s restoration rate was still too low. It wasn’t enough to face a master-class.
Moreover, others lay unconscious nearby. They might lose their lives if caught in the power’s wake.
Just then, a menacing aura emanated from the Weapon Master, who was embedded in the cliff.
Dark energy erupted from the Weapon Master’s body, shooting skyward as if to pierce the heavens.
The Weapon Master muttered, his voice brimming with rage.
The Weapon Master lifted his head, his eyes gleaming with madness.
A spear, once wielded by a soldier, began to rattle at Damian’s feet.
The spear rose into the air. It wasn’t alone. Every weapon scattered on the ground soared skyward.
Swords, spears, axes, and more.
There were dozens of weapons. Dark energy gathered around them, coating their surfaces with aura blades.
The Weapon Master spoke, his voice dripping with hatred.
Dozens of weapons descended in unison.
A black rainstorm engulfed the ground.
Weapons, brimming with aura blades, rained down on Damian Haxen.
The Weapon Master eagerly awaited the scene to unfold.
The rain of weapons piercing and tearing Damian’s body apart.
“Haah…!”
Damian took a deep breath, bracing for the oncoming assault.
A longsword from above aimed to pierce his neck. Damian swung his cursed sword, deflecting it.
But the force within the weapon was overwhelming. He could only slightly alter its trajectory.
The sword’s path veered, grazing Damian’s cheek. Blood trickled from the cut.
There was no time to tend to the wound. The second weapon followed swiftly.
Damian parried the spear, but again, he could only slightly change its course.
The spear grazed his side, embedding itself in the ground. Blood gushed from his side.
Third, fourth, fifth.
The weapons fell relentlessly. Damian gritted his teeth, deflecting them, but couldn’t prevent the accumulation of wounds.
When the storm finally ceased, Damian’s body was covered in cuts. Blood pooled around him.
The Weapon Master found himself speechless.
The ultimate technique was meant to ensure the enemy’s death. Yet a mere high-class had withstood it?
Even witnessing it, he couldn’t help but doubt his eyes. His mind refused to comprehend.
“This won’t do.”
Damian spoke, a twisted smirk on his lips.
“What’s the point of using your ultimate technique if you can’t even aim it properly? If you use your skills so carelessly, I can’t die even if I wanted to.”
The Weapon Master was left speechless by Damian’s taunt.
As Damian Haxen said, the Weapon Master had used his ultimate technique ‘carelessly.’ But it wasn’t entirely his fault.
To a master-class, a high-class was no more than an insect. Something to be crushed with a flick of a finger.
What master-class would seriously use their ultimate technique on a high-class?
The Weapon Master raised his hand high. The weapons embedded in the ground rose once more.
Aura blades formed on their surfaces again, turning them black.
Damian Haxen was exhausted. His body was riddled with wounds.
He lowered his raised hand. The black rain poured down once more.
The first spear was aimed straight at Demian’s heart. With a swift motion, he deflected it using his enchanted sword.
The spear ricocheted off, spinning through the air before clattering to the ground.
In that moment, the Weapon Master felt a pang of confusion.
Why did it bounce off like that? It should have just altered its trajectory…
The second attack came—a longsword descending from above. Demian swung his sword down with force.
The enchanted sword clashed with the longsword, and soon the latter was driven into the earth.
“Wait a minute…”
The third assault was an axe, hurtling towards him. Demian swung his sword again, shattering both the aura blade and the axe in one blow.
“How is this possible…”
The fourth was another spear, slicing through the air. Demian slashed diagonally with his sword.
The aura blade and the spear shaft split in two, falling helplessly to the ground.
“Could it be…?”
It was then that the Weapon Master realized something about the surface of Demian’s sword.
Blue?
He immediately dismissed the thought. It wasn’t just blue.
Starlight.
A faint glow, like the North Star shining at dawn, covered the surface of the enchanted sword.
“No way…!”
A torrent of black rain poured down, obscuring the view. Within it, Demian swung his sword repeatedly.
Each time the blue slash cut through the air, the rain was severed, and broken weapons fell to the ground.
With every swing, the blue light grew more intense.
Finally, as he severed the last streak of rain, a brilliant blue light burst forth.