#90
Trial of the Holy Sword (3)
Boooom—!
“Ugh.”
Heinrich winced as he deflected the black beam targeting him with the Blessing: Radiant Blade.
The relentless magic raining down from the sky was dizzying.
Kyyaaek!
Slash—!
In the meantime, he chopped down the undead rushing at him with his radiant sword, calmly analyzing the situation.
First, whether this trial has at least some semblance of conscience, or if there’s something up with that Archlich…
The absence of high-ranking undead like Death Knights among them was a huge stroke of luck.
‘If there had been one, that would really be a conscience issue.’
Even though they were both Archliches, there was a significant gap between the opponent in front of him and Hans from before.
From the nearly infinite black magic supplied by the ‘Fragment of the Undead King’, to various abilities like Evil Wisdom and Forbidden Knowledge.
Of course, the Archlich who had steadily evolved over time would be more seasoned than Hans, but their starting points were fundamentally different.
‘That doesn’t mean the opponent is easy to handle.’
That overwhelming black magic and his honed magical prowess were formidable.
He couldn’t just recklessly charge in and expect to win.
‘Not to mention, I can’t summon other avatars…!’
Whether he could summon additional avatars in the trial’s virtual space was secondary; the cooldown for the Dimensional Teleportation Circle hadn’t even finished.
Thanks to the different time flow, Heinrich had been in the trial for over a month, while only five days had passed outside.
He had no choice but to navigate the trial with his own strength.
‘No, it’s not like Heinrich is fighting alone either.’
At the moment he was attempting to move forward by shattering the skulls of the attacking skeletons with his graceful swordsmanship.
From above, an intense flow of black magic surged from the Archlich once again.
With the undead rushing at him, Heinrich’s movements became erratic, and a massive energy quickly wove together destructive mysteries.
‘Multiple Shadow Blades. Just a distraction? I can deflect them like before.’
Before the magic was even completed, it had been thoroughly analyzed by Hans.
‘Darkness attribute coordinate activation type, binding and then destroying the target… Hell Chains. This could be dangerous, I need to avoid it. Starting coordinates are twenty-one. Top at 9 o’clock, bottom at 12 o’clock, mid-bottom at 4 o’clock…’
The revealed structure was no longer a mystery.
He kicked the Dullahan he was engaged with aside and threw himself forward.
Gwaaar…!
Clatter, clatter—!
Heinrich, pushing through the undead attempting to grab him, repeatedly swung the Blessing: Radiant Blade toward several points in mid-air.
Crack—!
Sizzle!
Every time his sword passed, the half-formed magic coordinates shattered under the opposing energy contained within his sword.
Whoosh—!
In the midst of this, shadows rising from the ground obstructed his path.
He deflected what he could and if it was impossible, he’d shoulder the blow and remain fixated on his goal.
The number of coordinates he could destroy before the magic was triggered wasn’t many, but what significance did it have with holes in the net already?
In the end, the black chains fired from the coordinates that were completed late failed to achieve their purpose and fell apart uselessly.
Thus, even if he did sustain some damage, Heinrich managed to avoid any attacks that were particularly dangerous to him.
[…You’re quite nimble.]
Having gone through this several times already, it was understandable that the Archlich was feeling quite frustrated.
Initially, he intended to enjoy watching his opponent struggle while savoring the entertainment, but now that he mixed in genuine attacks, Heinrich kept slipping away, and it was starting to irritate him.
[He certainly has some skill. That light sword and all. Well, I suppose that’s why he made it this far.]
The Archlich contemplated changing his mindset.
He would acknowledge his opponent’s capabilities and crush him with everything he had.
Just as he made that decision, the surrounding black magic began to swirl and converge toward him.
‘Now!’
And that was.
The moment Heinrich, who had been concealing his abilities while waiting for an opportunity, had been waiting for.
With Blessing: Weight Increase, holy power surged into his sword dramatically.
Fueled by that, the size of the radiant sword exploded.
Aiming at the focused Archlich in the sky, he immediately used Blessing: Leap.
Whaaat—
[Huh?!]
In that split second when the Archlich was distracted, focused on completing a high-level magic spell…
With a burst of light, Heinrich materialized in mid-air.
That fleeting moment was Heinrich’s perfect opportunity to move beside him.
‘Success!’
Had he used the leap recklessly, he would have been intercepted immediately as he landed.
Although Blessing: Leap had an extremely short activation time, using it right next to an Archlich without preparing for anything was tantamount to suicide.
Wizards always prioritized their own safety and would have several measures prepared for crises.
And he could use that to unleash numerous spells on him in the blink of an eye.
[No way!]
Even at that very moment, several spells were simultaneously completing around the Archlich, who was quickly canceling the one he was casting.
‘Permanent activation defensive barrier, repulsion field, radial curse, automatic counterattack system…’
However, he had given Heinrich too much time.
He burst through the air, expelling holy power from his back and legs toward the Archlich.
Resisting the curses radiating in all directions with the holy power enveloping his body, he swiped through the black flames with his extended radiant blade.
Then, with a surge of peculiar force pushing against him, he cut it down and, at last, smoothly penetrated the Archlich’s defensive barrier.
[…What?!]
This fluid combination was not merely a result of the power of the Blessing: Radiant Blade being exceptionally strong against black magic.
While he playfully tossed a few spells to test the waters, Hans had managed to break down the spell structure and reverse engineer it.
Heinrich, following Hans’s knowledge, seamlessly dismantled the connection of the magic spell along the gaps and flows of magical power with his radiant blade.
The entirety of that process was executed in an instant by his robust physique and proficient swordsmanship.
And thus, after the stunningly swift light sword had nullified all of the Archlich’s defenses…
Crack—!
The radiant blade dug into the Archlich’s shoulder.
Ugh!
Having been split from one shoulder to the chest, the Archlich plummeted to the ground along with Heinrich, who had thrust his sword into his chest.
Boom—!
The shock kicked up a cloud of dirt that obscured his vision.
“Ugh…!”
Amid the dust, Heinrich staggered back to his feet, wiping the blood that trickled from his mouth.
‘I poured holy power into my body like that, and yet I was still countered…’
It must have been too close range; he had no choice but to allow the attack.
In the process, he had been ricocheted away from the Archlich and calmly began to chop down the undead rushing at him again.
‘…It must’ve been the slight miscalculation that did me in.’
He had intended to split the head in two, but at that crucial moment, the Archlich reacted and the trajectory of his attack twisted.
Grk…! How dare a mere Knight…!
Of course, that didn’t mean the damage the Archlich suffered was light.
The radiant blade packed with abundant holy power was deadly for him as well.
Even now, the wound was yet to heal, and the holy white flames were fiercely interfering with the Archlich’s control of black magic.
‘I cannot delay any longer. I’ll finish this swiftly.’
While he had pushed away from the Archlich, he radiated holy power through the air, maximizing distance from the ongoing battlefield, but there were still quite a few undead around.
If the ones left behind joined in, the situation would only become more complicated.
Hoo…
Holy fire that burned away curses and restored his body erupted fiercely from Heinrich.
His superhuman physique was rapidly recovering even during the brief moment of catching his breath.
‘Here I go!’
With that, he hardened his senses, squinted into the air, and threw himself into the surge of black magic and pouring black spells.
All while having the top instructor in this realm on his back.
*
Whatever black magic was used, he could sense it before it was completed.
Using the Blessing: Radiant Blade with its peak properties, he could sever the weaknesses of the identified spells, nullifying them.
His robust body, able to withstand several attacks without faltering, did not easily wear down.
Even if he suffered wounds, the combination of his own regenerative abilities and Holy Law could heal him in an instant.
His abundant holy power seemed to endlessly gush forth.
Through efficient movements honed by practice and smooth sword trajectories, he sliced through any enemy standing in his way.
And finally…
Whoosh!
The light blade embedded in the skull of a skeleton shone brightly as it cleanly split him in two at the waist.
Whoosh—!
With the holy flames rising from the severed surface, the Archlich quietly murmured.
[…Not bad, Knight of the Order… ]
His body, destroyed beyond the point of regeneration, was slowly turning to ash.
[That light sword and your intense insight into my magic… the Order really has trained a fine hunting dog.]
No matter how much he had been caught off guard due to his carelessness, Heinrich’s level was undeniably exceptional.
He accepted that calmly, even as he mocked his opponent.
Hehe… But unfortunately for you, I do not die. I merely lose my freedom for a while.
As long as the source he had extracted wasn’t destroyed, the Archlich was an immortal being.
[What now? Though I appear to have used all my trump cards, if we meet again… there won’t be any luck like this next time. Hehe.]
Despite his taunts, the battle-worn Heinrich showed no reaction.
He simply watched the fading Archlich through the remains of the undead, taking deep breaths as he approached the end of his ash state.
[Yes, it was a good entertainment. While my body recovers, thinking of what despair I could bring you could also be quite the pastime. I can hardly wait to meet you again… ]
Finally, when the Archlich had completely turned to dust…
[Third trial complete. Proceed to the next stage through the gate.]
The brown door stood solitary where the Archlich had been.
“…Even though I didn’t completely finish him, is it over like this?”
Since it was merely a process to assess qualification, perhaps that wasn’t particularly important to them.
The creature that spoke as if something were at stake was simply a character brought to life by the trial.
But Heinrich did not move through the door; instead, he paused for a moment, folding his arms in contemplation.
‘Hmm… It’s quite a close call, but it seems feasible.’
Then, he promptly made his decision.
If he was going to do it, he’d do it thoroughly.
‘Even if it’s just a virtual space, moving on like this feels unsatisfactory. It’s just… uncomfortable.’
First, he touched the gate before proceeding with his plan.
Just as during the first trial, the energy around him was drawn in, and his tattered body was instantly restored.
The broken armor was completely restored as well.
‘Good. The effect is certainly reliable.’
Very pleased with his considerably sturdier body after surpassing the trial, he closed his eyes and concentrated, raising his holy power.
He then thought of a specific coordinate…
And directly used Blessing: Leap towards that place.
Crackle—!
The barrier enclosing that area resisted, but Heinrich burst through, pouring overwhelming holy power from Blessing: Weight Increase.
“Phew— That was risky.”
In this dark, gloomy underground chamber with a sinister atmosphere, he was located in a spot that barely touched the range limit of the long-learned Blessing: Leap, far from the previous battlefield.
‘The oxygen is scarce. I can’t stay long.’
Not that he needed to remain there for long.
Heinrich quietly scanned his surroundings and then, spotting what he was looking for, approached it with a faint smile on his lips.
The source of the Archlich, carefully preserved on an altar, safeguarded by various barriers.
“Hey there? Looks like we meet again quite soon?”
Woom—
The source of the Archlich trembled faintly, as if startled by Heinrich’s sudden arrival.
It probably hadn’t expected to see him so soon.
That’s why it must have blurted out its words before disappearing.
But Heinrich hadn’t merely watched as the Archlich turned to dust.
To be precise… it was thanks to Hans’s efforts working diligently out of sight, deciphering the flow of black magic as it ebbed away and backtracking to calculate the source’s coordinates.
For the Undead King, this was a rather simple task.
Woom— rumble! Woom—!
With black magic pouring out continuously, the source of the Archlich trembled.
Though no voice could be heard, its intent was clear.
Crack!
Naturally, Heinrich, who had no intention of conversing, swung his radiant blade and cut it in two.
“Phew— Now that’s refreshing.”
He watched the source disappear enveloped in holy power, smiling contently.
At that moment.
<...Third trial complete. Proceed through the gate... towards the Holy Sword.>
The trial’s will echoed again in his mind.
However, this time the content was different from before.
‘Oh? Did I earn extra points?’
It seemed they had given out a generous judgment indeed.
As if completely bypassing an entire trial.
‘There’s a sense of panic in the air…’
Still, it turned out well, so wasn’t it a good thing?
Grinning, he boldly moved toward the gate that had appeared before him and swung the door wide open.
Simultaneously feeling a shining light envelop him… he took a step forward.
Thus, Heinrich successfully completed the trial to obtain the Holy Sword.
Thanks to the overwhelming aid of the ‘Undead King’.
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