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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
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Agnes tightened her grip on her sword. She saw the statue holding the rapier kick off the ground and leap towards her.
The statue with the axe remained motionless, observing the duel between her and the other statue.
A loud shout. The knight statue was suddenly before her.
A swift strike followed.
Clang!
But Agnes’s sword effortlessly deflected the rapier. The rapier, cut in half with a single swing.
“Your weapon seems to be broken.”
Agnes took a step back with her right foot and turned her body. The statue was faster than she’d anticipated, but it was still just a statue.
She could easily see its movements and block them…
Flick!
A line appeared on her cheek. And below the line, red blood trickled down.
Before she could even register the pain, the rapier had grazed her, leaving a clean cut. Agnes blinked.
The knight’s rapier was already restored. The stone fragments floated in the air.
A shiver ran down Agnes’s spine.
‘I didn’t even see it.’
If that rapier had been aimed for her throat? There would have been a gaping hole in her neck, and she would have been killed instantly.
“…I apologize.”
Agnes wiped the blood from her cheek. It stung a little, but it seemed to clear her head.
The knight had clearly stated this was a spar. Walking Lenox’s path.
It was clearly another way of referring to a Magic Swordsman.
Agnes gathered her strength. The two paths she could choose after awakening to mana.
Magic and Aura.
Mages chose magic and wisdom, following the energy of nature. Knights chose Aura and physical strength, enhancing their innate power.
That was the established norm, the accepted truth.
However, the first Magic Swordsman, Lenox, thought differently.
‘Why not use both?’
Great inventions always began with simple questions. That was how the Magic Swordsman profession was born.
Aura enveloped Agnes’s blade, and a 2nd Rank ice spell coated it. Her sword pulsed with a chilling light.
The knight burst out laughing at the sight.
The knight admired Agnes’s sword. At the same time, the knight shifted its stance, its arm moving into a familiar position.
The stance for requesting a spar. The corners of Agnes’s lips twitched upwards slightly, and she replied,
“The Magic Swordsman, Agnes, accepts your request.”
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“A genius is a genius indeed.”
I had been secretly worried she wouldn’t figure it out. But there was no need for concern.
Agnes was undeniably a genius.
I didn’t know how much she would grow from her spar with Ilione. But she would no longer be underestimated as a Magic Swordsman within the academy.
A Magic Swordsman utilizing simultaneous activation was inherently a level or two above ordinary swordsmen or mages.
As I stood watching the spar, the knight statue holding the axe approached and asked. I stared at the knight for a moment before replying casually,
“Only she walks Lenox’s path.”
Observant bastard. I checked the distance between Agnes and myself, making sure she was out of earshot.
“Yes, I will walk the path of the Magic Swordsman.”
“Because I don’t intend to limit myself to just being a Magic Swordsman.”
The statue’s expression didn’t change, but if it could, it would have been a look of utter disbelief.
As a knight, the statue must have understood my meaning immediately.
“Yes.”
I answered briefly. If a Magic Swordsman wielded both magic and sword…
I would wield all weapons. It was a path not even the protagonist, Lee Han, had taken.
And it was a method only I, with the Genius trait, could achieve.
I nodded slightly and opened my status window to reconfirm the Genius trait.
A genius is a talent bestowed by the heavens, or a disaster descending from them. You possess an unparalleled talent for weaponry. You can master any weapon you pick up, reaching its peak potential. May it be a talent for yourself, and a disaster for those who walk the same path.
(Currently linked to the Terminally Ill trait.)
*Stamina: 3
I could reach the peak potential of any weapon. That meant I could freely wield swords, spears, axes, scythes, and anything else.
Although my primary weapon would still be the sword.
“Do you not believe me?”
“No.”
How could I? The knight spoke as if to prove a point.
“You don’t have to believe me… but what if I prove it?”
“The elixir?”
I feigned surprise.
The Trial of Combat. The two knights here possessed elixirs entrusted to them by Lenox.
They offered a spar, guiding those on the path of the Magic Swordsman, and rewarding the victor with an elixir. Since the statues were enchanted with a self-repairing spell, they were excellent training partners.
“Show me the elixir.”
Deals like this need to be confirmed. He was so naive.
Grumbling, the knight slowly opened its hand. A hole appeared in its palm, and something resembling tree roots emerged.
…One day per year? That 60-year-old ginseng was worth two months of my life.
I always felt the exchange rate for Spirit Orbs was terrible. And quests hadn’t been appearing since I entered the academy…
I needed to increase my physical stats, but the need for elixirs was hindering my progress.
I felt there was a clue in the sensation I’d experienced after consuming the Black Dragon’s core fragment.
So I needed to accumulate as much lifespan as possible…
“Sigh…”
“No, it’s true.”
The problem was that proving it would cost me more lifespan. But this time, 15 days should be enough.
“What kind of weapon should I demonstrate with? I don’t have a spear or dagger on hand…”
I glanced around and gripped the hilt of my sword. The sword slid smoothly from its scabbard.
The only weapon I could wield properly was this magically lightened sword. So I needed to obtain that ‘magic’ as soon as possible.
I took a deep breath and assumed a stance. Thanks to the lightening enchantment, the sword felt almost weightless, but even then, my cursed stats couldn’t hold it for long.
The knight raised its axe, surprised. It then rotated the axe slightly, using the flat side as a shield to protect its face.
A clear intention to solely defend against my attack.
Then it would be rude not to break through that defense.
I closed my eyes and channeled mana into my sword. There was no need for simultaneous activation like a Magic Swordsman.
My focus was solely on the sword. I felt the mana envelop the blade, and my blood surged.
It was due to the rapid depletion of mana. But my body was terminally ill.
I could enhance my physical abilities at the cost of my lifespan.
『Physical abilities increased.』
The strength in my grip changed. It wasn’t comparable to the 50-day boost I’d used against the instructor, but it was powerful enough.
“Hold on tight to your axe.”
I drew more mana from within my body. The intermediate level energy coursed through my veins and erupted into the air.
My hands trembled. Was 10 days’ worth still insufficient to control this power?
‘If I cancel now, the backlash will cost me even more lifespan.’
Then I would have to sacrifice more.
『Physical abilities increased.』
Slowly, I controlled the energy. Upon reaching the intermediate level, everyone developed their own mana color.
I, too, had chosen my color.
Crackle. Sizzle.
Red flames enveloped my right arm. Blue mana flowed into my left.
The opposing colors merged, converging on my sword. Lightning coursed through my body. I had already sacrificed my lifespan, so my blood didn’t burst forth.
I swung my sword.
Purple Lightning Flash
A streak of violet lightning sliced through the air. The single strike of my sword connected with the knight’s axe.
Boom!
The statue’s head, along with its axe, went flying.
“Phew…”
After calming the rampaging violet lightning, I sheathed my sword. The statue had a self-repair function, so it didn’t matter.
“Uh, um…”
As I gathered my strength, I heard a familiar voice. I turned my head sharply to see Agnes staring at me with a bewildered expression.
As our eyes met, I knew instinctively.
I needed to explain this.
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