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Chapter 60: The Magic Sword, Freezing Talon

"Fascinating. These magical formulas were once incomprehensible to me, but now they make perfect sense."

The shelves were densely packed with books, each one an artifact from ancient times. If the sorcerers of the Magic Council were to see this, they would have been overcome with envy.

[Indeed, you now possess my knowledge. But the amount of magic you can wield is still limited,] Allen Javius stated, comfortably seated on a sofa he had used in his lifetime.

"Isn\'t there a way to overcome that? You were a grand sorcerer of the Magical Era, after all."

[I have never encountered a body like yours before. Even in my time, consuming a dragon\'s heart was unheard of. The heart itself is a condensed mass of magic. Mishandle it, and your body could explode.]

"Hmm..." Unfortunately, even a sorcerer from the magic era didn\'t know how to open meridians.

So, the only way forward is to meet a dragon? Well, it was only inevitable. Allen\'s words about Narh Di Maug kept coming back to Karyl.

All his answers lay with him. It wasn\'t that this was a roadblock for Karyl, rather they were bound to meet eventually. Until then, Karyl decided to strengthen himself by any means necessary.

[But what about that guy, Kaye Aesir? Was he truly human?]

"What do you mean? Are you suggesting he may have been a dragon?"

[I can\'t say for certain, but if he really was human, then taking down a dragon with magic alone wouldn\'t have been an easy feat, even for me.]

"Well, there were also rumors that the members of the Assembly of Seven Elders weren\'t human either."

[Yes, but rumors and truth often differ. You saw his battle.]

With a shrug, Karyl responded, "Well, I\'ve only witnessed one fight."

[And? Was there nothing else? No use of magical artifacts or elemental magic? Perhaps the assistance of an unknown third party?]

Allen Javius was deeply curious about the dragon hunter, Kaye Aesir. Dragons were revered as the very pinnacle of all magical beings. So the notion that a human, wielding magic no less, hunted creatures was undeniably stimulating for him.

"So, you\'re suggesting he might have taken some unknown shortcut? You seem quite reluctant to accept his ability."

[Hmph... Did he leave any message or anything behind?]

Allen\'s question sparked a sudden recollection in Karyl’s mind—a message left by Kaye Aesir in Einheri before Karyl left the mansion. "Now that you mention it, there was something."

[What was it?]

Karyl showed the bracelet fastened around his wrist. "This was left along with the dragon\'s heart. He knew that consuming the heart could overwhelm the body, so he left this as a precaution."

[This... I\'ve never seen this before... It doesn\'t belong to the Magic Era, but it could be from his time, 250 years ago.]

As Allen examined the intricately set gemstone on the bracelet, he couldn’t help but marvel. [The craftsmanship is truly remarkable. It might be the work of dwarves or gnomes. Achieving such mastery is no easy feat.]

“Now that I think about it, he mentioned something when he left this. He said that there were two more cursed things like him.” Karyl recalled the existence of beings stranger than Kaye Aesir, entities absent from history. “Maybe they\'re not even human.”

[Hmm?]

“I am just speculating. Referring to them as “things” might not have been to belittle them, but rather to indicate that they\'re not human. Like this bracelet here might be one of those ‘things’ he mentioned.”

It felt like Karyl had been hit on the back of his head. He had just always assumed that since he and Kaye Aesir were human, their counterparts would be too.

[Of course, it\'s only one possibility out of many... It\'s understandable why you came to that conclusion. Seems like there are hardly any demi-humans left in this era.]

"Was the Magic Era that different?"

[Indeed. From the elven realm of Elvenheim to the dwarven Ironbar... The troublesome Nephilim and demons posed a challenge, but the era was certainly different compared to now.]

"..."

Karyl\'s mind became increasingly muddled. If, as Allen suggested, the two beings Kaye Aesir referred to weren\'t human, they would be even harder to find, especially if they had left no trace in history.

This is difficult.

Karyl let out a deep sigh. When had it started? The feeling that his meticulously planned path after traveling back in time was slowly going awry. It wasn\'t merely a trip back to the past; it was an uncovering of mysterious events within his newly regained life.

[Don\'t take it too seriously. They belong to the past. No need to stake your life on words spoken 250 years ago.]

"Is that so..."

[Now is the time for you to grow stronger. That was the reason you sought the Freezing Talon, wasn\'t it? Right, Sword Saint?]

Allen Javius \'s words evoked a wry smile from Karyl.

"Stop trying to tease me. It\'s not funny at all."

Allen responded with a soft chuckle, his laughter fading away like a wisp of smoke, his figure now less distinct than in the Gray Training Ground.

[You understand that you need to become stronger, just as you had your reasons for entrusting Mikhail to me, right?] Despite saying that, Allen was content with escaping the prison-like confines of the Training Ground. [You are also aware of the monsters within Narh Di Maug\'s lair, right? So, you can\'t go there alone.]

"Of course." After returning back to the past, the fastest way to become stronger was undoubtedly to harness the power of a dragon. However, he couldn\'t proceed due to Narh Di Maug currently being in a state of deep slumber. Regardless of his exceptional swordsmanship, there were physical limits. From ogres and minotaurs to golems, the dragon\'s lair was not a place one could breach alone.

[And the last reason,] Allen added, shrugging lightly. [Indeed. By becoming stronger, you also help me regain my true power.]

The two of them shared a Soul Contract. The agreement with Karyl allowed Allen to exert influence in the real world, though it was limited to throwing objects around or shaking a table—actions that would be attributed to the actions of a poltergeist by any unsuspecting observer. The once world-shaking Grand Sorcerer was now a mere ghost.

[Thus, I\'ll teach you how to use the Freezing Talon. Swords suit you far better than magic.]

Karyl gazed at the blue-bladed sword on the table. There lay the Magic Sword and the Freezing Talon.

~

In the Magic Era, a period of peace when humans, dwarves, and elves coexisted, there existed quite a unique group known as the Bladers. United by the common purpose of forging formidable powerful weapons, this unlikely coalition of dwarves, elves, and the oddities from the Assembly of Seven Elders created five masterpieces.

The Flame Punish, a chakram infused with the power of fire; the Infinite Breath, a staff imbued with the might of wind; and the Freezing Talon, a magic sword infused with the serenity of water—Karyl had only encountered these three in his previous life.

The remaining two, sadly, were lost, beyond our reach. But maybe, with Allen Javius by my side, there’s a slight chance that the remaining two artifacts will be discovered.

Ever since his return, Karyl had yearned for a sword befitting his skills, one that would fully manifest his swordsmanship. And now, he had finally obtained such a weapon.

"I know how to wield it." Karyl firmly declined Allen\'s offer.

[If you\'re referring to that woman in your memories, the one with a hint of dragon magic in her, forget it. It wasn\'t her who controlled the sword; rather, the sword controlled her.]

"..."

[You should know, being a swordsman who once reached the pinnacle. Her technique actually damaged the Freezing Talon. Well, you had no other choice, despite being aware of the consequences.]

Karyl spoke after a slight pause, "Had she heard you say that, she wouldn\'t have stayed quiet. Her temperament may have been awful, but her swordsmanship wasn\'t bad."

Suddenly, a thought struck Karyl. In the far south of the Three Kingdoms of Istria, beyond the influence of the empire, lived the southern tribes. Though similar to the barbaric tribes of the north, they were distinguished by their vast grasslands as opposed to the rugged northern terrain.

Most of the tribespeople were nomadic horsemen. Among them, there was a tribe renowned for taming and riding creatures similar to the horses of Kargon, known as Diggon.

While the majority of the south was inhabited by minority tribes, in Karyl’s past life, the Diggon, led by a human possessing dragon magic named Milliana, had amassed a force large enough to be considered a kingdom.

[Not bad, you say? That\'s precisely the problem. Possessing the most powerful weapon and yet unable to defeat a magic-less human. What a joke!]

Karyl chuckled at Allen’s words.

[The Golden Dragons were simply insufferably proud. They believed themselves to be blessed by Toska. Rumors even suggest that the Diggon’s ancestor was born from Toska and a human woman. But that\'s a tale from centuries past, dating back to the Magical Era.]

"That long ago? If that story is true then the dragon\'s blood truly runs deep. To endure even after all those years."

[I wouldn\'t have used the Freezing Talon in such a manner.]

"And how would you have used it?"

[I would’ve created the Dragonfang Warriors. Though they lose their sense of self, their adaptability to dragon magic would be far superior.]

Karyl fell silent at Allen’s casual mention of creating warriors infused with dragon blood, a cursed art forbidden within the empire.

[What good is the empire if the world is on the brink of destruction?]

"Well, it\'s a lost art."

[But, before you stands someone from an era before its disappearance, right?]

“...”

Allen Javius chuckled, finding amusement in teasing Karyl.

"I’ll never use sacrifice humans."

[That so-called pride has led to more deaths. If they\'re going to die anyway, wouldn\'t it be better to make them useful?]

"What do you think humans are? You must have been human once," Karyl spoke firmly. "To determine right from wrong solely based on outcomes is foolish. Even after knowing the future, I will never resort to such sorcery."

[Well, the choice is yours. But should you ever need it, do not hesitate to let me know. Even the Immortals who use cursed magic adhere to our magical system,] Allen said, shrugging lightly at Karyl’s rigid stance.

"..."

[The past is just the past. I\'m not taking you to a place of memories to indulge in sentimentality.]

"I understand. After the war, that land is considered sacred by the spirits. But I didn\'t know that the Assembly of Seven Elders dabbled in spirit magic as well." Karyl sighed softly.

[It\'s not solely because of the spirit magic.]

"Then why?"

[We studied about spirits in pursuit of magic. And what I\'m about to teach you isn\'t about swordsmanship,] Allen shifted the topic, seemingly reluctant to provoke Karyl further. [Don\'t think that wielding a sword for eons means you\'ve mastered every aspect of it. Not even the wisest can become a god.]

"Are you implying that there are limits to my swordsmanship?"

His words intrigued Karyl. As someone who had reached the pinnacle with his sword alone, denying his swordsmanship was a provocation.

With a gentle tap on Karyl\'s shoulder, Allen said with an ambiguous look, [You\'ve swung your sword “without” magic for eons.]

"..."

[Infusing magic into your sword is not the end.]

Karyl furrowed his brows at Allen Javius\'s mocking tone. "Is that so? Then when will you begin teaching?"

[See? Even after acquiring magic, you\'re not using it properly.]

"What?"

Almost instantly, Karyl scanned his surroundings. The room had faded into darkness without him realizing.

[Training has already begun.]