Strength

Chapter 29: Strength

Iron Gate Style!

He drew his sword with lightning speed, crossing the greatsword in front of his body.

"Clang..."

The arrow collided with the blade, splashing a few sparks, and the impact force made Karl's body pause.

"Go!"

Among the three on the opposite side, the red-haired man waved his arm lightly, his voice indifferent.

"Kill him!"

The other two lunged forward without a sound. Even with the thick ice beneath their feet, their speed was not at all slow.

One of them held a spear, leaned his body forward, and adjusted his stance so that the spear tip always pointed at Karl's heart.

Thrust!

This was the spearman's most common move.

An inch longer, an inch stronger. With the spear and the body's own weight, the accelerated charge could easily pierce the body of a beast.

Fast!

Accurate!

Ruthless!

Although not a Knight Squire, the power of this thrust was no weaker than that of an ordinary Knight Squire.

The other person held a long saber, quickening his pace with small steps, his eyes fixed on Karl, ready to attack at any moment.

Compared to the assassins and Fire Thieves of Signo City, the people here were clearly more skilled at fighting people.

Or rather...

Each of them was battle-hardened and experienced.

"Clang!"

A collision sound rang out.

Karl swung his greatsword to block the spear, and with a sidestep, he collided head-on with the person holding the saber.

The immense force shattered the ice on the ground, ice particles splashing and flying. The three figures became entangled.

Furious Strike!

"Bang!"

One person stumbled backward.

Seizing this opening, Karl's eyes narrowed.

Zero-ring Witchcraft—Lesser Force Field!

An invisible force field appeared out of thin air, instantly enveloping the entire area, causing the expressions of the two charging figures to change drastically.

Under the influence of the force field, the two men's movement speeds shifted, their attacks were hindered, and their previously tacit coordination showed flaws.

"Magic seal..."

"Pfft!"

Before one of them could finish speaking, he saw a greatsword sweep towards him. His head flew high, and blood spurted more than a foot from the severed neck.

Slash!

Karl's expression was cold as he seized the opportunity to strike fiercely.

"Pfft!"

The saber-wielder's chest cracked, and he stumbled backward, screaming.

Just as Karl was about to press his advantage, his expression suddenly changed. He lunged to the side, rolling to dodge.

As he lunged, a fireball the size of a human head whizzed past where he had just been and smashed heavily against a wall.

The prolonged severe cold and freezing had made the wall as hard as steel; even a longsword could only leave a shallow mark.

Now...

The fireball exploded against the wall, blasting a hole through it, melting the ice and snow on its surface.

If it had landed on a person, even a Knight Squire would likely have turned into a charred corpse on the spot.

What kind of technique was this?

Witchcraft?

His heart pounded, but Karl's movements did not falter in the slightest. He rolled over and lunged toward the red-haired man.

It was him just now who had raised his hand and conjured a fireball.

Unlike the others he had encountered in Black City.

The red-haired man's clothing was incredibly ornate. His long hair was smooth, his face free of blemishes, and even the leather boots on his feet were spotless, indicating a status far above ordinary.

"Swish!"

Facing Karl's pounce, the red-haired man didn't "cast a spell." Instead, he drew the sword at his waist. With a slight flick of the blade, he unleashed several afterimages.

Such speed...

A Knight Squire!

And definitely not a newly promoted one.

"Hah!"

Karl grunted, his speed increasing once more.

Combat Skill—Gale Slash!

Four afterimages materialized out of thin air, converging with the main body of the broadsword. The five sword shadows instantly engulfed the opponent.

Furthermore, with Zero-ring Witchcraft's Lesser Force Field assisting, the air within a few meters seemed to momentarily stagnate.

"Clink..."

"Clang!"

The sounds of collision rained down like a torrential downpour.

The red-haired man clearly hadn't anticipated the invisible force field, his expression changing drastically. However, his movements remained steady.

"Clang..."

He blocked it!

Although the red-haired man appeared to be struggling immensely, he managed to repel the onslaught with his solid foundation.

"Hmph!"

With a flick of his long sword, the two clashed in mid-air.

Suddenly.

A streak of light appeared from nowhere. The brilliance was extremely dazzling to those who had lived in the Black City for years.

Light Spell!

The red-haired man instinctively closed his eyes, then immediately realized something was wrong.

Damn it!

"Pfft!"

The broadsword swept horizontally, carving a long gash across the red-haired man's abdomen. Karl spun around and struck again, completely severing the opponent's life force.

Dead!

Karl held his sword, his breathing rapid, and looked at the last remaining person on the field.

The severely injured man with the knife.

A moment later.

Three corpses lay in disarray on the ground, hot blood flowing across the floor. Karl's face was also pale.

The people of the Black City were incredibly fierce.

Even when at a complete disadvantage, they would fight back desperately, unlike those fanatical followers of the Fire Thief.

Savage, vicious, treating lives like weeds.

Not just others' lives, but their own as well. Perhaps it was precisely the environment of the Black City that forged such personalities.

"Huh?"

After rummaging through the red-haired man's corpse, Karl's face showed confusion:

"No Enchanted Item?"

He hadn't forgotten that the opponent had "cast a spell" against him.

When a Wizard Apprentice activates Sorcery, there would be fluctuations in Mental Power that ordinary people couldn't detect. As a Wizard Apprentice himself, he should have sensed it.

Rechecking the previous version...

There were no obvious Mental Power fluctuations just now. This situation would only occur if *Enchanted Item*s were used to cast spells.

But...

There were no *Enchanted Item*s on the corpse.

"Strange."

Karl rubbed his chin, his eyes flickering. He bent down and removed all the clothing from the red-haired man's body.

Then, his gaze fell upon the corpse's left arm.

"Swish!"

"Pfft!"

The broadsword swung down, severing the arm in one clean cut. He wrapped the limb in clothing and quickly departed before others could arrive.

A moment later.

Several figures appeared in the clearing.

"Red Hair is dead."

One person squatted beside the corpse and spoke in a low voice:

"The attacker was clean and efficient, killing three people in a short exchange. They're definitely a master among Knight Squires."

"The opponent also took Red Hair's spell seal."

The one inspecting the body looked up, revealing a delicate, pretty face.

"Big Brother, does the Scythe Gang have experts like this?"

A burly, robust figure stood not far away, resembling a giant bear. He shook his head slightly at the question.

"No."

He clenched his five fingers into a fist.

"The Scythe Gang's five leaders, including Goron, all died by my hand."

"Then it was someone else," the woman shrugged. Though the deceased was a comrade, her expression showed no sympathy. "Red Hair was really unlucky to run into an expert halfway through his journey."

"Investigate."

The burly man spoke in a low voice.

"Whoever killed someone from our Brotherhood will pay the price."

"Yes."

The woman nodded and let out a low whistle.

Instantly.

The surrounding earth trembled, and rats scurried out from dark corners, sniffing the ground before scattering.

*

*

*

Divine Domain Fragment.

Karl took a large-caliber glass container from the pile of items and filled it with the solidification fluid used for experiments.

Finally.

He placed Red Hair's arm inside.

He had specifically brought the arm back, not due to any strange habits, but for the patterns on it.

"Spell Model?"

Karl rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

The markings on the arm were complex and strange, making one dizzy if stared at for too long. They resembled Spell Models.

"Red Hair wasn't a Wizard Apprentice, nor did he have Enchanted Items. He could cast spells, which should be because of these patterns. I wonder if I can decipher them."

Deciphering Spell Models was a mandatory subject for Wizards.

Otherwise, how could one know the activation method or the Sorcery replicated on an Enchanted Item?

All of this required deciphering.

However, for a novice, deciphering a Spell Model was by no means easy, even for relatively simple spells.

"Could it be that there's Sorcery in this other world too?"

"Hmm..."

"Or perhaps it's called a spell seal!"

Karl had heard of spell seals before, but he only associated with people from the lower classes, so his knowledge was limited.

"Maybe..."

Karl mused.

"I should spend more effort exploring Black City."

He was no longer the ordinary person who had to be cautious when facing an unknown world.

He was now a Knight Squire with considerable combat power, and a Wizard Apprentice.

Red Hair's strength was not weak. Under the influence of the spell force field, he could withstand combat skills head-on. Even if he wasn't as strong as Dina, he should have been close, yet he was still cut down by Karl's sword.

Considering this.

Karl's strength was no less than that of a peak Knight Squire.

From what he had gathered these past few days, the top figures in Black City were only Knights. A peak Knight Squire was already an outstanding expert among various factions.

However, for safety's sake, to prevent being watched, he didn't plan to go there in the next few days. He would wait a while longer.