Chapter 211

Chapter 211
## Chapter 211

### Chapter Title: Absolute Sword Aura

—

The gathering concluded more rapidly than I had anticipated.

It felt as though a sense of urgency had gripped everyone, now that the Emperor’s return to consciousness was imminent.

‘…There were three primary topics raised during the sit-down.’

I exited the chamber with measured steps, mentally reviewing the points that had just been settled.

Three specific agendas had been laid out.

The first involved providing reinforcements to King Frederick, known as the Demon of Pride.

The second decreed that the privilege of the very first audience with the Emperor would be granted to the individual who located the Golden Spirit King.

And the third was the announcement of a ‘grand tournament’ intended to bring the citizens of the Empire together.

‘A competition for Imperial solidarity.’

On the surface, it was a sound justification.

In these chaotic times, what better way was there to fuse the Empire’s various factions and identify untapped talent?

However, the sheer magnitude of the event was staggering.

‘One could honestly call it the Ultimate Martial Arts Tournament Under Heaven.’

This contest swept aside all barriers of birth or rank.

For any person possessing genuine skill or raw potential, it represented a golden ticket to transform their life in a single moment.

The rewards being teased were beyond anything I had imagined.

‘…Path of Light and Holy Light.’

I was stunned to see two separate ‘Unique-grade’ pieces of equipment listed as prizes.

Strangely, both names resonated with a sense of familiarity.

‘…That was all Wilhelm’s gear.’

The revelation had sent a jolt through me when I first heard it.

I never suspected that two of the eight Unique-grade items that were scattered following Wilhelm’s passing would suddenly come to light like this.

‘Did they secure all the fragmented components from the Golden Rule Shop?’

If they were tracking the movements of every player, it wasn’t far-fetched to think they were utilizing the Golden Rule Shop for their own ends.

“Sir Golden Goat. You are requested to remain here for the night.”

“I understand.”

Following a servant obscured by a rabbit mask, I was led to the guest quarters situated within the palace grounds.

If the choice were mine, I would have fled this suffocating imperial residence the first chance I got, but that wasn’t an option.

—Tonight is the occasion when the ‘Great Will of the Moon’ settles upon this palace. Every guest must remain within these walls to participate in the ‘Great Night.’

That was the instruction issued by the figure in the golden mask once the meeting adjourned.

Even the Knight Commander, Raiga, had signaled his agreement without a word of protest, suggesting this was a standard yearly tradition.

‘They’ve stationed the troops around the palace perimeter to handle any sudden complications.’

Inside the opulent bedroom.

I took a seat on the edge of the plush bed and stared out toward the horizon.

Even while resting, I could sense the overwhelming, oppressive energies vibrating in the air around me.

The reason for massing the soldiers outside was becoming clear.

……It was to ensure they survived this single day unscathed.

In a place like this, any number of things could go wrong.

The troops weren’t there just for decoration or to look intimidating.

“How curious.”

Surveying the circumstances, I let out a soft comment to the empty room.

The way things were unfolding was deeply fascinating.

It wasn’t just the magical essence of the outdoor guards that I was picking up on.

There were faint, lingering gazes fixed upon me.

I was being watched from all sides, each observer harboring their own hidden motives.

Yet, there was something else even more compelling.

‘There is a concealed route inside the palace structure.’

While walking to my room, my unique ‘Mutation’ trait had suddenly triggered.

It revealed a path hidden from the physical world.

A corridor that was impossible to perceive or access without the aid of that specific trait.

I was amazed that such a secret existed within the heart of the capital.

‘Is it possible it leads to the chamber where the Emperor is sleeping?’

The possibility existed.

Because of that, I had to investigate.

《You have equipped ‘Shadow Footprint.’》

《Based on your Agility (145), you are maintaining ‘Advanced Stealth’ mode.》

Shadow Footprint!

It was a mantle that provided a level of invisibility that ordinary senses could never pierce.

It was the fruit of combining my previous ‘Shadow Cloak’ with various rare components acquired from the Golden Rule Shop, all forged together using the ‘First Flame.’

‘I’m glad I had the foresight to prepare this.’

I had crafted it before departing for the Empire, just in case a moment like this arose.

Draped in the pitch-black folds of the ‘Shadow Footprint,’ I stepped out of the room with a calm stride.

《Hidden trait ‘Mutation’ is active.》

《A hidden route has been detected!》

The palace corridors were lined with an endless array of artwork.

Hidden behind a depiction of the ‘Four Dire Beasts’ was the secret entryway.

《Entering ‘Secret Passage(???).’》

《A remarkable find! You have unlocked the achievement ‘Hidden Path of the Imperial Palace.’》

《Due to ‘Great Presence,’ you receive 100% bonus Honor (800).》

I stepped through the wall without pausing, and the passage—once invisible—became clear to my eyes.

It was a cramped corridor.

The map markers were filled with question marks, suggesting this was just one of several such paths.

‘What is the point of this secret tunnel?’

There are countless reasons to build such things: escaping danger, keeping watch, or stashing contraband.

Furthermore, this was a path that only someone with ‘Mutation’ could find.

I couldn’t begin to guess its true function.

Besides, the painting of the ‘Four Dire Beasts’ at the entrance left me feeling uneasy.

*Whirrrrr—*

Does this lead outside?

A chilly draft brushed against my face.

After trekking for a bit, the walls fell away, and the environment shifted into an expansive area.

‘A hillside?’

The tunnel was gone, replaced by a vibrant, grassy knoll.

At the peak of the hill stood a massive, healthy tree.

“As I suspected, you are someone out of the ordinary.”

……And standing right there was ‘him.’

For a second, my thoughts stalled.

I couldn’t fathom why he would be standing here at this moment.

But it wasn’t a trick of the light or a hallucination.

The man I had stood across from just a short while ago was right in front of me.

It was, without a doubt.

“…Knight Commander Raiga.”

What was he doing in a place like this?

Despite my advanced stealth from the Shadow Footprint, he had identified me immediately.

Did he also have the ‘Mutation’ trait?

As if he could sense my confusion, Raiga spoke up.

“Aside from myself, you are the only one to ever set foot here. I didn’t think I’d encounter another living soul with the ‘Mutation’ ability.”

“Where exactly are we?”

“This is where I train. Actually, it was ‘our’ training ground.”

‘Our?’

“Look over there.”

Raiga gestured with his hand.

In the spot he pointed out, there were five headstones.

“Those five were the previous wielders of the ‘Eight Greats.’ To be precise, they were my mentors. I took their strength, refined it, and evolved into who I am now.”

The secret to how he became powerful enough to hunt down the shards of ruin was revealed.

His power was the result of generations of inheritance and constant polishing.

“However, the legacy of the ‘Eight Greats’ might conclude with me. I haven’t found anyone capable enough to carry my burden.”

Passing on the torch.

He was searching for an heir.

But the Palga Knights were composed of the elite.

They were the most gifted warriors in the Empire.

Naturally, I had to ask.

“Is that the real reason for the tournament?”

“Precisely. I am hunting for a candidate with the potential to follow in my footsteps. I found a possibility within the Dersian bloodline, but one person isn’t sufficient.”

……He was talking about Isabella.

The pieces clicked as to why Isabella had been taken in as an initiate of the Palga Knights.

‘She must have crossed paths with Raiga while traveling to the Dersian estate.’

Isabella’s natural talent was indeed peerless.

Since she had ascended as the ‘Star of Jormungandr,’ her trajectory was essentially limitless.

Raiga was staging an empire-wide event just to find a successor.

“But there is something curious. Isabella von Dersian, the young lady of the house, is said to have never ventured beyond the Empire… so how is she acquainted with you?”

“……”

……Had he seen through me?

Even though I maintained a perfect poker face, I couldn’t hide the truth from Raiga.

Isabella wouldn’t have betrayed my identity, so he must have sensed the subtle shift in the air during our brief encounter earlier.

I braced myself, watching Raiga’s every twitch.

Then, Raiga simply gave a casual shrug.

“Well, those who suffer from the ‘divine illness’ often perceive things others don’t. Much like the leaders of the Reaper Church currently do.”

Raiga locked eyes with me.

His gaze was heavy with the assumption that I had also dealt with that ‘divine illness’ in the past.

Slowly, he reached a hand out toward me.

“However, you are clearly distinct from those other executives. We might actually make for effective allies.”

“Are you suggesting I act as your informant?”

“You’ve already drawn the ire of the golden mask. Restoring the ‘Lahon family’ would be a much smoother process if you had my backing, wouldn’t it?”

He was still operating under the belief that I was a descendant of the ‘Lahon family.’

Though…… he wasn’t entirely off base.

During the meeting, I had openly defied the golden mask.

In turn, the golden mask had treated me as if I didn’t exist.

That cold shoulder would likely continue.

In fact, they might even try to eliminate me.

If Raiga offered his support, my life within the Empire would be much safer.

“I decline.”

“I expected that answer.”

Raiga gave a small, knowing grin.

It was as if he would have been let down if I had accepted his offer so easily.

Aligning with him now would be a strategic blunder.

I needed to fully understand what he was really after.

Because while he was in the dark about me, I knew very little about him as well.

It was then.

*Sring.*

Raiga drew his blade with a deliberate motion and pointed the tip at me.

“Did you know? Those who possess ‘Mutation’ are capable of seizing the abilities of one another.”

This was his true motive.

His eyes were alight with a fierce intensity.

The competitive fire I had sensed when he summoned Baal and targeted me with his sword aura had reached a boiling point.

Earlier, the setting wasn’t right for a duel—but here, it was just the two of us.

A sanctuary only we could access.

There was no reason to hold back or hide our strength!

‘He’s not playing around.’

……A confrontation was unavoidable.

*Shaaaa!*

A violent sword aura erupted like a localized inferno.

*Kwarung!*

The impact of our colliding energies made the very ground beneath us tremble.

We poured our ‘auras’ into the air, letting them clash without restraint.

‘He is incredibly strong.’

The more our blades met, the more I was struck by Raiga’s sheer power.

I could also tell that he was still holding something in reserve.

‘He wants to test our auras.’

Raiga wasn’t looking for a complex display of technique; he wanted a raw clash of ‘sword auras.’

He wanted to see whose ‘will’ was more dominant.

That was why.

His strikes were fundamentally basic.

It was a repetitive, brutal contest of aura against aura.

Raiga viewed my sword aura as something borrowed from ‘Baal’s authority.’

He was convinced that his own ‘sword aura’ was the most refined and powerful in existence.

The talk of stealing abilities through Mutation was merely a pretext.

From the beginning, Raiga’s goal was to demonstrate that his sword aura was superior to mine.

*Kkaang! Kkaaaang!*

‘This is actually fun.’

Despite the simplicity of the exchange, I found myself enjoying the rhythm of the fight.

It was a duel that required zero distraction, focusing entirely on a single point of contact.

In this environment, so different from my usual battles, I found myself becoming completely absorbed.

I lost track of how much time had passed.

《Sword proficiency has increased.》

《Sword proficiency has reached Lv. 31.》

《Sword proficiency has surpassed Lv. 30, ascending to the next tier.》

《You have finished the hidden quest ‘Proficiency Level Transcendence (7)’ granted by ‘Master of the Mountain of Trainees’!》

《You have earned the achievement ‘Challenger Who Wrote the Myth of Proficiency Levels.’》

《Do you wish to claim your reward?》