Chapter 48: The Broken Cycle 8
Saruman felt himself being overwhelmed by the insane conjecture in his mind.
King Arthur! Merlin! Knights of the Round Table!
That was a legendary era, heavily tinged with mythology by time, and vaguely described in orthodox A History of Magic, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Most detailed records of that era were destroyed by war, religious purges, or simply exaggerated poems by bards. Only forgotten, forbidden corners like the " Raven Ruins " remain.
Only then might a few words remain.
And he, Saruman, because he had integrated the Forbidden Knowledge he had accumulated over a thousand years in his old age, possessed a far more profound, albeit still fragmented, understanding of that era than most people!
In those fragmented pieces of knowledge, Merlin is described as a demigod, possessing unfathomable power, boundless wisdom, mastery of almost all magical domains, the ability to foresee the future, and communication with nature and Dragon. He assisted King Arthur, ushering in a glorious but short-lived era.
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are said to possess a unique and extraordinary power known as " Holy Radiance " or " The Way of the Knight."
Unlike the magic systems of modern Wizard that rely on wands, spells, and Mental Power, it places greater emphasis on the combination of faith, honor, the physical body, and some kind of mystical energy.
It is said that when cultivated to its peak, it is enough to slay demons and dragons, and even contend with powerful Wizard. Now, the boy before us, named Ian Prince, is exhibiting multiple characteristics that may be related to that era:
Unfathomable, timeless magical power, which matches the description of Merlin's power.
He knew King Arthur and seemed to have a close relationship with him, mentioning him casually in a relaxed tone.
He showed great interest in Karg's " Battle Qi," which he suspected was a variant or branch of the knight's extraordinary power, and he himself possessed incredibly exquisite swordsmanship.
This is also a signature Skills of knights, which most Wizard would not bother to learn. It is only when they are friends like Merlin and King Arthur that they might learn it.
In addition, the other party appears young, yet possesses the gravitas of an ancient being, while Merlin is said to be able to maintain his youth or live forever.
These clues, like jigsaw puzzle pieces, rapidly pieced together in Saruman's mind, imbued with millennia of knowledge. A conclusion that sent chills down his spine was about to emerge—could it be that Ian Prim was the legendary archmage Merlin himself?! Or perhaps, a direct descendant of Merlin, or even some special incarnation?! Only this could explain why he was so powerful, so learned, so "young," yet connected to the era of King Arthur!
" Merlin! Is it really Merlin?!"
Saruman felt his heart pounding wildly, his blood rushing to his head. He Hard Work recall fragments of descriptions of Merlin's appearance from his memories of his old age—unfortunately, most of those accounts were vague; some said he was an old man with white hair and a long beard, others said he could change his appearance.
Some descriptions are not provided at all. The only certainty is that Merlin was a male Wizard.
Ian Prince. Male. Wizard —young and handsome—seems to fit? After all, Merlin's image in legends is quite varied.
"What a waste of this knowledge—" Saruman felt a sudden, absurd self-mockery. He had inherited the wisdom of a thousand years of exploration, and his first act of application was to "verify" the true identity of this person before him, who might be a mythical figure? And at a time when this person could easily crush him, his companions were fighting for their lives, and the environment was extremely dangerous?
The divergent and unconventional thinking of young people, compared to the ancient souls of the past, is vividly displayed at this moment.
Fear, shock, curiosity, and a strange sense of excitement—"I might be witnessing live history"—were all mixed together, making him waver. He forced himself to pull some of his attention away from his shocking conjecture and focus on the battle before him. Karg was still fighting desperately.
He couldn't completely immerse himself in his own imagination. Meanwhile, the battle in the distance, or rather, the battle of learning from others and receiving guidance in return, had entered a new phase.
"Aaaaah! Don't you dare humiliate me like that!! You bastard!!!" Karg's roar and the whistling of his sword were the only intense sounds in this eerie space.
He was completely immersed in the battle, forgetting his fear, forgetting that his opponent might be an invincible Legend, and only the warrior's instinct remained—to defeat the opponent before him!
He wielded his greatsword with tremendous force, his crimson Battle Qi sometimes condensing at the blade to enhance its power, and sometimes erupting around his body to strengthen his defense and speed. He brought his lifelong battlefield swordsmanship to its extreme, his attacks wide and powerful, ruthless and fierce, each strike carrying a tragic momentum of mutual destruction.
"I am the warrior!" Karg knew that his skills might not be as refined as his opponent's, so he would make up for it with strength, momentum, and a determination to perish together!
"I know you are a warrior, but I am the Hogwarts Juggernaut." However, Ian still seemed to be in complete control in the face of his storm of attacks. The ordinary longsword in his hands seemed to have a life of its own, and he could always block, deflect, and deflect Karg's heavy blows with the least amount of force and with the least effort.
His footsteps were light and unpredictable, like dancing on the edge of a knife, always managing to dodge the giant sword by the slightest margin at the last second.
Why are you playing me like this?!
Hogwarts, Juggernaut — Karg didn't care about any of that. Karg's roar echoed in the distorted crevice, carrying the madness of a warrior at his wit's end, a mixture of anger and despair.
To be honest...
Karg did feel that Ian was humiliating him.
He was, after all, a soldier.
Even my brain is enough.
However, they are not as agile Wizard.
The remaining Battle Qi within him was completely ignited, and crimson flames almost burst forth from every pore of his body, turning him into a burning human torch.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"
The greatsword seemed to lose its weight in his hands, transforming into a crimson storm of destruction that poured down on Ian in the most savage and reckless manner!
There are no rules, only the ultimate expression of power and speed!
Each sword strike carried the illusion of cleaving space itself, and the crimson Battle Qi aura even left brief burn marks on those slowly writhing, eerie color blocks.
"Respect me! I need respect!"
The soldiers roared, fighting for their dignity.
Karg abandoned all defense, pouring all his strength, will, and even life potential into this final, ferocious offensive. He knew that against such an opponent, any skill or defense was futile; only by pushing his attack to the extreme might he be able to touch the hem of his opponent's clothes before being crushed.
Only then can a sliver of dignity be preserved for the soldiers!
"That's impressive."
Faced with this frenzied attack, which resembled a volcanic eruption, Ian's figure became even more elusive. He was no longer confined to the exquisitely refined " Ian-Style Swordsmanship."
The ordinary longsword in his hand sometimes transforms into a gentle, silky touch, vibrating at a high frequency with extremely small amplitude, weakening and guiding the most violent impact force of the Karg Greatsword layer by layer in a harmless direction; at other times, it is fierce and unparalleled, the blade infused with Magic Power refined to the extreme, striking the key nodes of Karg's Battle Qi with precise point-to-surface strikes.
I've used Magic Power as Battle Qi before.
Actually, the effect is quite good.
Ian's attack caused the crimson flames to flicker unpredictably.
at the same time.
His gait also became unpredictable and erratic.
At times, she moved like a ghost, nimbly weaving through the gaps in the storm of blades in Karg, her clothes fluttering without stirring up even a ripple of energy;
At times, he was as solid as a rock. When Karg's most powerful slash came, he paused slightly, as if he had been "anchored" to the chaotic space for a moment. He blocked the mountain-splitting blow with his longsword. His body only sank slightly, but the "void" beneath his feet seemed to ripple outwards.
"This guy, this Wizard ----" What made Saruman's heart clench even more as he watched from afar was that Ian, while dealing with this ferocious offensive, still had the leisure to conduct various "tests"!
As the saying goes, the bystander sees most of the game.
He saw Ian deliberately slow down a fraction of a second, allowing Karg's sword to almost graz his nose, then in the split second, he turned to the side, extending his left index finger, the tip of which was wreathed in a faint Magic Power glow, and gently touched a spot under Karg's ribs exposed by his full-force sword swing.
With a soft "poof," the crimson Battle Qi armor under Karg's ribs dented slightly. Although it failed to penetrate, it caused his blood and qi to surge, and his attack faltered. Ian nodded thoughtfully, as if verifying some conjecture about the distribution and weaknesses of Battle Qi defense.
On another occasion, instead of parrying or dodging Karg's powerful slash, Ian placed his longsword flat against the greatsword and rapidly vibrated his wrist at a peculiar frequency. The point where the longsword and the greatsword made contact emitted a piercing, metallic whistling sound.
"It's getting harder and harder! What's wrong!"
Karg felt as if the power in his sword was being channeled into a high-speed spinning millstone, rapidly "grinding" and consuming it, causing his sword to involuntarily deviate from its trajectory. Ian, on the other hand, took the opportunity to retreat, glancing at the almost imperceptible Battle Qi burn marks left on his longsword.
A knowing glint flashed in his eyes.
Saruman clearly captured him.
That's why they say it has to be Wizard's brain.
"He's analyzing Karg's Battle Qi characteristics! Testing its strength, resilience, and energy decay rate!" Saruman instantly understood Ian's intention.
My heart was filled with even greater horror.
This is hardly a battle.
This is clearly the most efficient and direct "real-world data collection"! Karg's all-out attack is nothing more than a series of data samples that can be tested and recorded at will in the eyes of the enemy!
" Karg! Watch out! He's testing you!" Saruman shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to warn his companion who was enraged and almost out of his mind.
However, his voice sounded so faint amidst the turbulent energy and the clanging of metal. Karg only heard the roar of his own blood rushing and his Battle Qi burning; he could no longer hear the shouts from the outside world. He simply, time and again, like a moth drawn to a flame, poured all his strength into that seemingly unreachable figure.
"Damn it! The sound travels so poorly here! Magic can't amplify anything!" Saruman was extremely anxious, but he found that there was nothing he could do. His Magic Power had not yet recovered from the previous depletion and the impact of the soul fusion, and his Mental Power was also disordered due to excessive shock and thought.
Therefore, as Karg's teammate, he could only watch helplessly as Karg, like a trapped beast, futilely charged through Ian's carefully woven invisible net. Each outburst seemed to only allow the opponent to gather more information and gain a deeper understanding of the " Battle Qi " power system.
This feeling of powerlessness is more tormenting than facing death.
Just as Saruman was anxious and helpless, the situation on the field underwent a subtle change.
"I'm about to die! I'm going to burn out!"
Karg's relentless, all-out offensive ultimately could not be sustained.
His internal Battle Qi reserves were already low, and this reckless outburst only accelerated their depletion. The crimson flames began to dim and shrink at a visible speed, his sword swings became slower and stronger, his breathing became heavy like a broken bellows, and sweat mixed with beads of blood seeping from under his skin due to overexertion.
He was covered in blood.
Ian, it seems, has also "collected" enough data. He no longer conducts various tests and dodges as frequently as before. Faced with Karg's clearly weakened attacks, his response has become more—"conventional".
It was still that ordinary longsword, and the swordsmanship was still exquisite. But Saruman keenly sensed that Ian's movements had lost some of their probing and experimental quality, and gained more of—pure "response" and "observation."
Ian no longer deliberately exposed weaknesses to lure attacks, nor did he use those strange techniques to deflect force or test attacks.
He simply used the most concise and efficient methods—parrying, deflecting, and occasionally counterattacking—to neutralize Karg's increasingly feeble attacks. His gaze was more focused on Karg's sword-wielding posture, footwork, and the flow of his remaining Battle Qi, as if reviewing? reinforcing? or...
Saruman's heart sank.
A thought that he found utterly absurd yet had no choice but to believe emerged:
Could it be that this Legend, in such a short time, has basically grasped the characteristics of Karg's Battle Qi and the essence of his swordsmanship, and is now entering a deeper stage of "learning"?
How to learn the "combat mindset" and "style" behind Karg's swordsmanship?
"Even if it's Merlin, this is too much!"
This hexagonal talent wasn't just a source of despair for Saruman.
It made him feel even more that it was magical.
That's normal.
After all, Ian's talent was so great that even the gods had to remain silent.
Humans are nothing but mortals.
Of course, I've never seen it before.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!"
Just then, Karg unleashed a rather insidious trick he had never used before—it appeared to be a Forceful Cleave of Mount Hua, but halfway through, he flicked his wrist strangely, causing the greatsword to trace a rapid arc, changing the slash into a sweeping motion, aiming straight for Ian's lower abdomen! This was a life-saving trick he had learned from an old mercenary when he was in the underground arena in his early years, incorporating a touch of thief's cunning, quite different from his usual bold and sweeping battlefield style.
"You still have a trump card up your sleeve?"
Ian seemed slightly "surprised" as well.
But he reacted extremely quickly.
The Legend level of reflexes was too strong. Ian's longsword pressed down almost instinctively, and the spine of the sword precisely struck the trajectory of the greatsword's upward thrust, deflecting its force.
At the same time, he shifted his feet and, with a smaller and faster motion than Karg, completed a similar but smoother side slide, instantly widening the distance between them.
The two are temporarily separated.