Chapter 149: Master of the White Dragon Throne (4)
Having been fortunate enough to experience regression, Martin had gained many advantages.
But that was the extent of it.
No matter how much he knew, he couldn’t predict events that hadn’t happened in the past.
Flash!
It was understandable that the holy sword Crassion emitted light when it touched the dragon’s heart—it was part of its evolution into a divine sword.
But—
‘What the hell is this?’
Martin was genuinely bewildered.
Woom.
Out of nowhere, Karadyl, another holy sword, emerged as the surrounding space split open.
What left Martin even more dumbfounded was that he hadn’t summoned the sword from his subspace.
What was even more absurd, however, was that Karadyl’s blade was now shrouded in light—light identical to that emanating from Crassion.
‘Is it synchronizing with Crassion’s evolution?’
The only known way to evolve Karadyl into a divine sword was to have it absorb the core of a monster wave. That was why Martin had been waiting for this year’s monster wave.
And yet, something completely unexpected had occurred.
Shrrkk!
As Martin stood dumbfounded, the light radiating from Crassion and Karadyl intensified, and several massive magic circles appeared.
The runes engraved on both swords began to surface.
Crassion was the first to change.
Its blade extended slightly, and ancient golden characters were engraved along its edge. Its hilt grew larger, and a massive, fist-sized mana stone was now embedded in its pommel.
“…Divine Sword Crassion.”
Martin’s eyes widened, trembling slightly.
For the first time, he was witnessing the true form of the sword that had accompanied Arelia during her legendary achievements.
Not only that, but this sword had supported successive heads of the Adalbert family through their reigns.
It was history itself—the embodiment of the Adalbert family’s legacy.
As a descendant, it was impossible not to feel an overwhelming sense of pride.
But the surprises weren’t over yet.
Although both swords were still encircled by the magic circles, the light enveloping Crassion began to fully transfer to Karadyl.
Shrrr!
A dazzling radiance engulfed Karadyl, and its shape began to transform.
The length of the blade remained unchanged.
However, while the original blade was well-balanced for both thrusting and slashing, the new design was different. It was now heavily specialized for slashing, with a significantly wider blade.
The pommel gained ornate embellishments, and unlike Crassion, Karadyl now featured a mana stone embedded directly at the center of its blade.
The Divine Sword Karadyl.
The weapon that had once been the cornerstone of Stefan Rustal’s formidable prowess had finally returned to its true form before Martin’s eyes.
However, Martin couldn’t wield both swords simultaneously.
The magic circles surrounding the two holy swords had begun to synchronize.
—
“It seems it’s time for a mage to take over.”
“…Can you explain what’s happening, Great Elder?” Martin asked, his voice strained.
“Hmm. It’s hard to believe, but the situation itself is simple: the two divine swords are merging.”
“…Is that even possible?”
Martin struggled to process the notion of divine swords combining. He had never heard of such a thing.
Barthez simply shrugged in response to Martin’s disbelief.
“What’s the point in asking? It’s happening right before our eyes.”
“That’s true, but—”
“Then be quiet for a moment, young master. I’ll need to intervene directly to ensure the fusion proceeds smoothly.”
“Understood.”
Martin stepped back, making way for Barthez.
The Great Elder stepped forward, raising his staff and channeling mana.
Soft streams of light flowed from his staff, connecting to the magic circles surrounding the two swords.
‘All of them are high-level spells.’
Barthez clicked his tongue.
Even for him, a 9th-circle mage, the complexity of the magic circles was daunting.
What made it even more troublesome was that the swords were fundamentally different in nature.
Crassion’s magic was centered on enhancing spatial abilities to their utmost potential.
In contrast, Karadyl’s magic focused on amplifying the user’s physical capabilities, with its strength enhancement being merely a derivative.
Reconciling such disparate domains into a single sword was a monumental challenge.
‘Still, I can’t let myself look incompetent after offering my help.’
Determined, Barthez began adjusting the magic circles.
Crackle!
Whenever concepts within the circles clashed, sparks flew violently.
Yet Barthez deftly neutralized each collision by introducing new spells as mediators, minimizing the residual effects.
Woom.
Thanks to Barthez’s efforts, Crassion and Karadyl began to merge, their forms dissolving into particles of light.
Drip.
Sweat poured down Barthez’s face, soaking his entire body.
Not only did he have to harmonize the existing magic of the swords, but he also had to infuse them with new spells. On top of that, he had to ensure the final product retained a cohesive form.
‘The young master has helped settle old grudges. This is the least I can do to repay that debt.’
Thanks to Martin, the cursed slave market had been destroyed.
Not to mention the world tree had been safeguarded against the wyvern threat.
With such debts in mind, Barthez couldn’t allow himself to falter over something as trivial as this.
Krooooooh!
Immense mana surged around Barthez and the two swords, creating powerful gusts of wind that made even standing difficult.
Still, he remained steadfast, concentrating solely on merging the holy swords.
As he worked, the new form of the divine sword began to take shape.
‘It’s finished.’
Boom!
A deafening roar erupted just as a satisfied smile spread across Barthez’s lips.
Neither he nor Martin paid it any mind, their attention fixed on the result of the fusion.
The new sword gleamed brilliantly, with two mana stones embedded—one in the blade and the other in the pommel.
On both sides of the blade were inscriptions—blue on one side and gold on the other—resembling Karadyl’s original style.
However, the hilt bore a striking resemblance to that of Crassion.
“Give this sword a name, young master,” Barthez suggested.
“A name… you mean?”
“This is neither Crassion nor Karadyl anymore. It deserves a new name, don’t you think? After all, this sword will become the symbol of the Adalbert family. Choose wisely.”
Martin stared at the newly forged divine sword with a calm yet thoughtful gaze.
After a moment of silence, he spoke cautiously.
“Clariel.”
“‘The one who brings light’… You’re well-versed in ancient languages, young master.”
“Well, it’s a basic skill,” Martin replied with a faint smile, though his thoughts were elsewhere.
He couldn’t focus. His senses were entirely captivated by the holy sword Clariel.
‘Is this mere coincidence? Or destiny?’
Initially, his goal had been straightforward—ensure the survival of both the Adalbert family and himself.
But after experiencing countless events, his aspirations had grown far beyond mere survival. He now dreamed of elevating his family to heights unseen before.
The Adalbert Empire.
A dream that even Arelia von Adalbert, the great founder of their lineage, had never achieved.
At last, the opportunity to realize this dream had presented itself.
‘This sword will become the symbol of a new empire.’
And Martin vowed to make it so.
With renewed determination, he reached out with his right hand and grasped Clariel’s hilt.
Then, he swung it through the air with all his might.
Hiss!
A shiver ran down Martin’s spine as goosebumps prickled his skin.
The blade felt nearly weightless, but its effect was bone-chilling.
The mere act of swinging it gave the sensation of cutting through space itself with perfect precision.
Though it hadn’t truly severed space, the sheer sharpness of its cut was perilously close to doing so.
More astonishingly, this wasn’t due to magic—it was the blade’s inherent power alone.
“If you add an aura blade to it, you could actually cut through space. And you wouldn’t even need to activate your innate abilities. With those, you’d be capable of cutting through anything.”
“That’s… no, that’s incredible.”
“You shouldn’t be this surprised, young master. I’ve also enhanced the magic from Karadyl that boosts physical capabilities. As long as you wield this sword, no one of equal rank will surpass you in physical strength.”
“That does seem likely.”
Martin nodded, feeling the truth in Barthez’s words.
Not only did Clariel enhance his strength and durability, but its layered protective magic would allow him to withstand most attacks with ease.
Additionally, the mana within the blade and pommel stones could now freely exchange energy with his own mana.
It was, without question, a sword among swords—a true divine blade.
“…Thank you so much, Great Elder.”
“The fusion of these swords was a fortuitous discovery. I merely helped it along.”
“But without your help, this divine sword’s potential would never have been fully realized.”
Martin’s gratitude was genuine.
Barthez chuckled sheepishly and gave a slight nod.
“Well, now that our work here is done, let’s head back. The world should know that you’ve become a Dragon Slayer.”
“Yes, that’s a good idea.”
Martin readily agreed.
Even for a 9th-circle master, climbing from the 70th floor back to the surface was a tiresome ordeal. Skill aside, losing focus for even a moment could lead to disaster.
“When we get back, I’ll need to commission a new scabbard.”
“Ah, Alexandre will love that. Even for a dwarf, crafting a scabbard for a divine sword is a rare opportunity.”
“That’s something to look forward to.”
The thought of a scabbard personally crafted by the elder of the dwarven village made Martin’s heart race with anticipation.
—
Martin’s steps were unusually light, no doubt due to the acquisition of Clariel.
Unlike their initial descent, Barthez no longer needed to investigate the dungeon, so their ascent was far faster.
In fact, within just two days, they reached the 61st floor.
That was where the problem arose.
“Hmm?”
“What is this?”
Both Martin and Barthez frowned.
They had detected the presence of an immensely powerful being.
While the monsters on the 61st floor were formidable, this entity was on an entirely different level.
Without exchanging words, both of them immediately suppressed their power as much as possible, carefully avoiding detection.
“This one seems human.”
“And quite strong—nearly on par with us.”
However, it wasn’t Alexandre.
Having previously faced his might, Martin was certain of this.
“It seems reasonable to assume they’re another 9th-circle master from the Empire. But their purpose here is unclear.”
“If they are from the Empire, it shouldn’t be a significant problem. Identifying them should reveal their intent.”
“That’s true, especially for you, as a noble of the Empire. So, what’s your plan?”
“I’ll give them a little surprise.”
Their foe hadn’t noticed them yet, likely preoccupied with their own activities. Even a 9th-circle master could be caught off guard under such circumstances.
Especially against someone like Martin, who could utilize Spatial Movement.
“I’ll take care of this. Please follow slowly, Great Elder, and avoid direct contact with them.”
“Understood.”
Woom.
Hearing Barthez’s reply, Martin vanished into the folds of space.
He reappeared at a reasonable distance, revealing himself while carefully observing the intruder.
‘It’s him?’
What Martin saw was none other than Jurgen Ferdinand, the heir of the Ferdinand family and current ally of First Prince Richard Altaria.
Though initially surprised, Martin quickly smiled with satisfaction.
‘Lucky me.’
Had he not come down to slay the dragon, he might never have discovered this.
A member of the Ferdinand family in the Adalbert family’s dungeon?
Suspicious didn’t even begin to describe the situation.
And it wasn’t just their presence. Jurgen seemed to be engaging in highly questionable activities.
‘Well then, I suppose you’ll make a fine test subject for my new sword.’
With a grin, Martin unsheathed Clariel and swung it with all his might.