Episode 63
Chapter 21: The Tesing Underground Auction (6)

“Dodging my sword strike? For a mage, your reflexes are impressive. Or maybe you just got lucky.”

Alu had assumed Jin was a mage. After all, Jin had impersonated Veradin Ziphl and displayed a five-star magical power—it was only natural.

Clang!

In an instant, Alu closed the distance with a strike.

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

“So you’re not a mage after all?”

The Bradamante sword that met Alu’s blade glowed with aura.

Just by catching the falling sword, Jin felt his entire body rattle. He quickly pulled back.

But every time he thought he’d put some space between them and glanced back, Alu was still there. From the very start of the fight, Alu had perfectly predicted Jin’s movements—like a cat anticipating a mouse’s every twitch.

“This is unbelievable.”

Swoosh! A horizontal slash tore right through the center of Jin’s coat. Blood splattered, but the wound wasn’t deep.

‘He’s fast. And this isn’t even his full strength yet. I’m already struggling.’

The battle was unfolding exactly as Alu intended.

Though he was someone from the underworld of Akin, Alu’s seven-star rank was no joke. Jin had no choice but to keep retreating, focusing solely on defense.

Alu had concluded that Jin wasn’t a mage.

“The magic you showed at the auction must have been a fake, powered by an artifact. Damn it, to fall for such a simple trick and end up like this!”

He was furious, almost losing his mind.

But Alu knew all the more reason to wield his sword carefully. Even against a five-star opponent, one careless moment could mean defeat in the world of warriors.

What worried Alu more, though, was Murakan, who was smirking on the sidelines.

‘I thought he was a subordinate, so why is he just watching?’

Murakan had just wiped out dozens of his own men with incredible martial arts, then suddenly stepped out of the fight. Alu couldn’t read his intentions, but figured he’d just finish Jin off first and deal with Murakan later.

Murakan, meanwhile, was thoroughly enjoying watching Jin struggle.

‘No matter how great you think you are, you’re already thinking about fighting a seven-star knight? You’re about to learn a lesson today, brat. Heh heh.’

Murakan grinned. The clashing of Jin and Alu’s swords sounded almost like pleasant music.

“Lord Murakan, aren’t you going to help? I know it’s the young master’s wish, but he’s too inexperienced to face a seven-star warrior.”

As Gilly said, Jin looked on the verge of collapse. His evasive moves were almost acrobatic, which meant his stance was unstable.

“It’s fine, Strawberry Pie. That guy should know the value of his own life.”

“That may be, but—”

“And Strawberry Pie, you seem to think the kid will lose.”

“Huh?”

Murakan smiled slyly.

Though he enjoyed seeing Jin take a beating, it was only because he could predict the outcome.

“Back when the Rune Candelle magic swordsmen roamed freely…”

Before Murakan could finish, Alu suddenly recoiled in shock.

Flames erupted from Jin’s palm—five-star fire magic, Pillar of Flame. A three-meter column of fire shot up from the dirt.

“Seven-star warriors are nothing.”

For the first time since the fight began, Alu stepped back. His eyes widened as if they might pop out.

“A magic swordsman!?”

He was too busy fending off the relentless flames to think straight. Unlike natural fire, magic flames didn’t go out easily and clung stubbornly once they touched something.

‘And he didn’t even chant! How is this possible…?’

Most mages needed time to prepare spells—gathering mana, shaping it with incantations and gestures.

But geniuses were different. All those steps flowed naturally and swiftly.

Plus, Jin was a ‘simultaneous chant’ user, able to prepare spells secretly.

‘This always works.’

The momentum shifted to Jin. If Alu had known he was fighting a mage from the start, maybe it would have been different. But the sudden magic attack threw even a seven-star warrior off balance.

“You damn cheat!”

Alu shouted as he barely shook off the flames.

Jin had already finished chanting his next spell but didn’t expect the same trick to work twice.

‘I’ll shake him up with this one, then finish it next.’

No matter how strong the opponent, if you hold a few unexpected tricks, the fight is always fifty-fifty.

Win or lose.

That’s how Jin maintained a fifty percent win rate against even the toughest foes—at least until the world learned he was a magic swordsman.

Magic and spiritual energy combined. Even a single spell could create an opening against a seven-star knight; add spiritual energy, and it was even deadlier.

But today, Jin had no intention of using spiritual energy.

Crackle!

This time, lightning magic. As he had when attacking the Moonlight Well, Jin called down a bolt of lightning on a designated spot.

Alu immediately sensed the incoming strike and dodged. The night sky flashed as lightning struck, and Alu lunged sideways, sending a sword strike flying.

The moment Alu’s blade grazed Jin’s shoulder, he thought this was his chance to kill.

Jin had lowered his stance to dodge the follow-up strike. Warriors wielding swords loved this moment when their opponent bent low—it was the perfect opportunity to dash in and strike the neck.

A flawless chance.

“It’s over!”

Alu’s thighs bulged with power. As his muscles drove force into the ground, a heavy cracking sound echoed.

The earth cracked open.

Alu’s sword flew straight toward Jin’s head. Whether he stabbed or slashed, Alu was certain Jin was dead.

What Alu didn’t realize was that this textbook scenario was a trap Jin had set.

‘He couldn’t have been so careless as to lower his stance so easily.’

Normally, Alu would have noticed. Seven-star rank wasn’t earned lightly.

But he’d thought Jin was a mage, then confirmed he was a swordsman, and now found out Jin used magic.

He’d never faced a magic swordsman before, so Alu decided to end it quickly before any variables came into play.

Just as Alu’s blade neared Jin’s neck, Gilly held her breath, and Murakan and Jin both felt certain of victory.

“Helmet, open.”

Clang!

The blade that should have sliced through Jin’s neck caught on something hard.

The newly acquired artifact, the Rune of Multa, activated, forming a black helmet.

This was why the Rune of Multa was every warrior’s dream—the only helmet in the world that could block a seven-star knight’s strike without a scratch.

Thrown off balance by the recoil, Alu staggered, and Jin seized the moment.

Screech!

Bradamante sliced across Alu’s shoulder, the blade continuing past to his chest.

“It’s over.”

Murakan shrugged. Gilly’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Ugh…”

Jin could have cut through Alu’s heart but stopped short. Alu collapsed, barely clinging to life, buying a brief reprieve.

Gurgle, gurgle.

Jin looked down at Alu, who was foaming at the mouth.

“Before you go, I have one question, Alu. I heard rumors you have ties to Rune Candelle.”

“Kh, heh, heh.”

Alu gave a strange smile.

‘So you were Rune Candelle?’ Jin thought, reading the look in his eyes.

“Tell me. Do you know anyone in Rune Candelle?”

“Hey, kid. You’ve got the order wrong. You should’ve subdued him first, then asked. How’s a dying man supposed to answer?”

Murakan approached, clicking his tongue. Jin had no argument—he knew Murakan was right.

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

“I… see. Jin… you’re… Jin Rune Candelle, huh?”

“Nowadays I go by Jin Gray. But telling a dying man won’t change anything.”

“Puhuh…”

Alu coughed up foam, but a faint smile lingered.

For a while, he just laughed hoarsely, gasping for breath.

Then he said:

“No matter what… you can’t stop him.”

“What?”

“Even if you failed back then…”

That was the last. Alu’s eyelids closed, and he stopped breathing.

“What did he say?”

“Are you alright, young master?”

Murakan and Gilly spoke at once.

Jin nodded lightly but was deep in thought about Alu’s final words.

‘Even if he failed back then… I won’t be able to stop him?’

Of course, that was just empty talk spat out by some low-level thug—words already dead on arrival. The implication was that he had ties to Runcandel, but it didn’t mean he was entirely trustworthy.

Still, if he really did have a connection to Runcandel, then “that failure back then” must refer to the “delusion of the blade,” and “no one can stop that person” meant…

“No way.”

One name immediately came to mind.

Joshua Runcandel, the heir apparent to Runcandel.

“Alu said it as if I couldn’t stop ‘that person.’ Even as a pureblood, the only one who could never be stopped is the one who will lead Runcandel in the future.”

Everyone in the world knew Joshua was the heir.

It might be an overreach, but the uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away.

“Spiderhand Alu. That name… doesn’t sound like a real one, does it?”

It was something I’d never even considered in my past life.

“Master, why bring that up all of a sudden?”

“I need to find out. This guy seems to have some connection to Runcandel. It’s odd for someone with seven stars to be running a shady operation in a place like this.”

“Kid, there are even nine-star guys who run taverns and live quiet lives. I’ve seen plenty of them. One of your ancestors was like that, too.”

“Still, this is the family I’m going to lead. Better to clear things up early. Let’s go. I think we need to dig up more info from someone like Jet.”

The three of them left the capital of Akin without hesitation.