ocean-life Chapter 210: Tarak
Chapter 210: Tarak
Chapter 210: Tarak
“Focus! To properly use dark energy, you must first clear your meridians.”
Boom...! Boom...!!
The explosion echoed loudly.
It felt like only yesterday they had caused an uproar sealing the Dark Spirit King again, and now the Grand Library was filled with loud noises once more.
Crash—!
Karyl swung his sword upward. Dozens of violet arrows kept flying toward him; they were Allen Javius’s specialty, the chantless Magic Arrows. Though a 2nd Class attack spell, in the hands of a Great Arcane Sorcerer like him, each arrow carried the destructive power equivalent to a 5th or even 6th Class spell.
It was these Magic Arrows that had blown off the head of Wel Bahar, the necromancer of the Assembly of Seven Elders.
“Ugh!”
Deflecting the Magic Arrows, Karyl felt a numbing pain in the hand that held the sword. It was as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer wielded by a heavily armored knight.
Crack—!
Then, as he tried to draw out more mana, the Bracelet of Greed on his wrist tightened as though to break his bones.
Bang...! Bang! Bang!
Karyl faltered for a moment, and that was enough for Allen Javius’ Magic Arrows to strike him.
Ssszzzzz...
Dark smoke enveloped Karyl. Though he stood in a battered state, it seemed he had avoided any fatal injuries, gripping his sword tightly.
“You’re finally resisting the bracelet’s constraints, I see.”
Allen looked at Karyl, who was still standing despite the assault, with a satisfied expression.
“Haaah!”
Karyl then charged at Allen through the smoke.
Bang!
“But you still have a long way to go.”
Allen’s magic orbs struck Karyl in the side and exploded mid-air, the impact sending him crashing into a wall.
“Ugh...You really are strong...” Karyl managed to say as he leaned against the shattered wall. He then slowly slid to the floor as if exhausted. He threw the Freezing Talon aside and laid down on the cold floor, seemingly finding comfort in its chill.
“Heh... That’s because you’re wearing the Bracelet of Greed. The stronger the mana you use, the more the bracelet tries to absorb.”
“I’ve never been pushed this far even with this thing on.”
Once, Narh Di Maug had jokingly told him that the Assembly of Seven Elders might actually be dragons. Of course, that was a lie, but fighting Allen Javius made Karyl feel like he really could be a dragon.
“I kind of wish I was born in the Magical Era. Were all the sorcerers of that era this powerful?”
“No, I’m just exceptional.” Allen laughed proudly.
“Sure, magic was more prosperous, and the essence of spirits was stronger back then, but it's a bygone era. Just because a prophecy was given doesn’t mean things would have been any different,” Allen explained to Karyl, who lay sprawled on the floor, his breathing still ragged.
Karyl had been staying in Antihum for two weeks now. He had initially wanted to leave immediately after reviving Allen and tracking down the necromancer, but Allen insisted on training him further.
At first, Karyl had been reluctant, but after sparring with Allen, he had changed his mind. After all, Allen was a sorcerer acknowledged by a dragon. That made the Great Arcane Sorcerer Allen Javius an unparalleled teacher and training partner.
“Don’t be in a hurry. With your current skills, if you go to the Platinum Dragon’s lair and he changes his mind, you might not come back alive.”
“Is he that strong?” Karyl frowned slightly.
“Of course. You’ve only been under the Platinum Dragon’s protection so far, but you’ve never fought him.”
“And you have?”
“Have you forgotten? It was the Platinum Dragon who imprisoned me in the Gray Training Ground.”
“What?! Are you saying Narh Di Maug imprisoned you, Master?” Nain Darhon, who had been standing behind, shouted in shock.
“You should focus on mana circulation. Element Transformation alone won’t get you to the 8th Class.”
Karyl narrowed his eyes. They had met at the Gray Training Ground, where he had obtained the Freezing Talon and...
“The box?”
“Yes. I didn’t know it contained clues to the seal of the Queen of Tides, Ethereal, the Water Spirit King. The way to open that box is in the repository of knowledge.”
“...!!!”
Karyl’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Is that true? Then why don’t you just tell me how to open it?”
“And the fact that you need to be at the 6th Class means you need to wield Great Sorcerer-level mana to open the box. It’s impossible right now.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“Don’t worry. When have you ever relied on others? I know you’re getting greedy after contracting with the Spirit King, but still.”
He helped Karyl to his feet.
“So, I understand you want to go see the Platinum Dragon and quickly resolve the empire’s issues. But when else will you have time to focus solely on your training?]
Allen leaned on his staff, looking at Karyl.
“You are undeniably one of the strongest on the continent, but that doesn’t guarantee victory against everyone. If you can’t defeat the continent’s beings, how can you aim higher?”
Karyl gave a bitter smile. “You’re right.”
It was then—
“Master!” the librarian from the lower floor shouted urgently after running up the stairs.
“What’s the matter?” Nain Darhon asked as the librarian was still catching his breath.
“...Traces of the Dust of the Void have been detected on the outskirts of Antihum.”
“Finally...”
Nain Darhon looked at Karyl as he received the report.
“What about the two?”
At that, a subtle smile played on Nain Darhon’s lips.
“They’ve grasped the basics.”
“Good. Allen, we’ll have to pause the training. We need to handle this nuisance first.”
“Alright.”
Karyl nodded and walked toward the stairs.
“What are you doing?”
“...?”
“You’re coming too.”
“Oh! Of course. It’s part of the deal, after all. I need to see if you handle the hunt properly.”
Nain Darhon stood up quickly, eager to leave behind the tedious mana circulation exercise.
“No. You’ll fight alongside them. It’s better to learn how to hunt now than to struggle later.”
“Later?”
Nain Darhon looked at Karyl, confused.
“And also, there’s no need to give them such grand names. There’s a more fitting one.”
Karyl chuckled softly at him.
“Tarak.”
He spoke with a firm expression as he descended the spiral staircase.
“That name will suffice.”