Chapter 8
Chapter 8: You Messed with the Wrong Person (1)
In an instant, one person was dead.
“T-this bastard!”
Another man hurriedly raised his sword and swung it at Ghislaine.
Ghislaine dodged effortlessly, flicking the side of the sword with the back of his hand.
Clang!
With a crisp sound, the man’s arm holding the sword was flung up. His upper body was completely exposed.
Grab!
Ghislaine seized his face and slammed it into the ground.
Boom!
With a thunderous noise that shook the ground, the man’s head was half-buried in the dirt.
His head cracked, and blood began to ooze out.
But Ghislaine didn’t stop; he kept grabbing the man’s head and slammed it down again and again.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Boom!
After several hits, the man’s skull was utterly destroyed.
Crack!
Even the remaining front part was completely smashed by Ghislaine’s fist.
Ghislaine stood up slowly.
As their eyes met, Frank’s face turned rigid. He was so taken aback by the suddenness of it all that he couldn’t respond.
‘What kind of gaze is that…?’
Ghislaine looked at him with an expressionless face.
Frank felt chills all over his body.
He resembled a beast hungry for blood. Despite having killed many people, he had never seen anyone exude such an aura.
It should have been an easy plan. He thought that if he just killed Jamal and Philip, no one would interfere.
‘Tch, the information was completely off.’
In that brief moment, Ghislaine had definitely used mana. Without it, he wouldn’t have been able to wield such strength and speed.
‘To think he can use mana at that age.’
There was a vast difference in power between those who could manipulate mana and those who couldn’t.
A sword enveloped in mana could easily cut through even the strongest steel.
‘Still, those two went down way too quickly. Were they too careless?’
Frank squinted as he compared the information he knew with what he was witnessing.
‘He didn’t hesitate to kill. It’s rare for someone his age. Was he truly a reckless brat with a cruel nature all along?’
They’d said that Ghislaine Perdium had never killed anyone and had only lived in the territory, yet here he was, making bold moves as if it were second nature.
If this was truly his first murder, then Ghislaine Perdium was probably a born killer.
‘When I get back, I’ll have to deal with those information bureau fools.’
The incompetently notorious Ghislaine had swiftly dispatched two knights using mana.
It was absurd, but for now, he could only think that the information was completely wrong.
Elena was equally stunned.
Shivering at the brutal scene unfolding before her, she was more surprised to witness her brother’s skills.
‘Did he really get this strong in just a few days of practice? Is that even possible?’
Elena was shocked but then felt relieved.
‘W-well, at least he’s alive for now.’
No matter how he had grown stronger, surviving was what mattered most now.
Frank swallowed dryly and slowly spoke.
“Ghislaine Perdium. This is not what the information said. Have you been hiding your skills?”
At that, Ghislaine straightened and drew his sword.
“Whether others are hiding their skills or not doesn’t concern me. I’ll ask once more: who sent you to do this?”
Ghislaine’s question had Frank shaking his head.
“There’s no need to know. You’re quite impressive, but you’ll die here.”
He was surprised, but the situation needed to be resolved.
Though Ghislaine’s display of power was unexpected, Frank didn’t believe he was a worthy opponent.
Ghislaine nodded.
“Right, I didn’t expect you to open up willingly. That’s what typical villains tend to do, though.”
“Don’t get cocky just because you defeated my subordinates. I’ll acknowledge your skill for your age, but the experience and wisdom you lack can’t defeat me.”
Ghislaine smirked. Who was talking about experience and wisdom here?
“I’ve lived longer than you, you know?”
“I see you’re quite the fool.”
Frank positioned himself with his sword. There was no point in staying here longer than necessary; he wanted to finish the job and leave.
Ghislaine raised his sword, lifting one corner of his lip.
“Let’s get started then.”
Whoosh!
Ghislaine took the initiative.
Frank quickly blocked his attack and immediately countered.
Clang!
The swords of the two entangled in a complex dance.
Elena anxiously clasped her hands.
If Ghislaine faltered, she’d be in danger of dying too, but there was nothing she could do except pace around anxiously.
‘Should I run away?’
Perhaps it would be wise to call for help soon.
But leaving her brother alone nagged at her conscience. Besides, she had no idea how many assailants there were.
‘If I act recklessly by myself, it could get even more dangerous.’
As Elena hesitated, she cautiously backed away.
She decided to keep watching a bit longer and intended to return to the castle for help if things got out of hand.
Clang! Clang!
While Elena was deep in thought, the battle between the two grew fiercer.
‘Indeed, Jamal and Philip must have been easy targets.’
Ghislaine saw Frank as a remarkably skilled knight.
The amount of mana he emitted and the techniques he utilized were on another level compared to regular knights.
Well, it made sense he’d come all the way to the Perdium territory if he had that much confidence in his skills.
‘The longer I drag this out, the worse it gets for me.’
With just mana accumulated from a week, it would be difficult to hold up against Frank.
With both physical ability and mana lacking, Ghislaine could only rely on his exceptional swordsmanship.
Frank was thinking similarly.
‘What kind of swordsmanship is this!’
Ghislaine’s bizarrely practical swordplay was beyond terrifying; it was almost awe-inspiring.
His sword wasn’t just an ordinary knight’s sword or even a Perdium sword.
It was brutal and filled with ferocity, making it impossible to predict his strikes. Just when he thought he had blocked, they slipped through, targeting unexpected vital spots.
Knights didn’t wield such cruel swords.
‘This is definitely not Perdium’s swordsmanship. How on earth did he learn this at his age?’
In Frank’s view, Ghislaine’s swordplay was several levels ahead of his own. If not for his enhanced body through superior mana, he would have already been torn to shreds.
‘But I will win.’
To end the fight swiftly, Frank further channeled his mana.
As time went by, Ghislaine sustained more wounds.
Clang!
Ghislaine barely managed to block Frank’s incoming sword, staring intently into his eyes.
He wanted to gauge whether the family’s enemies were linked to this incident.
“Should I take a guess at who ordered this? Duke Delphine? No, it’s probably Count Desmond.”
Count Desmond was managing the northern territories under Duke Delphine’s command.
Even Duke Delphine couldn’t directly handle every territory.
They often left the attack on smaller territories to other families that followed the duke.
While it was possible the Duke sent minions directly, it didn’t seem like he would be paying that much attention to Perdium.
Regardless of who sent them, they were still in cahoots.
Frank’s eyes widened in surprise at Ghislaine’s assertive tone. But soon he collected himself, looking as if nothing had happened.
“You’re a dangerous one.”
He didn’t say more and swung his sword again.
But Ghislaine was already convinced by that reaction.
“Hehe, so it is you after all.”
“Shut up.”
Indeed, the family’s downfall was due to their schemes.
His assumption that all the conspiracy began with Elena’s death turned out to be correct.
With confirmation complete, it was time to ensure they couldn’t make the first move.
Clang! Clang!
The swords of the two clashed, sending unpleasant metallic sounds in all directions.
Ghislaine gritted his teeth and smiled.
“There’s nothing more to confirm, so let’s finish this.”
“Don’t get cocky. Your swordsmanship is decent, but with this level of mana, you can’t defeat me. I don’t know what you think you know, but dying will render everything meaningless.”
Frank confidently replied.
Ghislaine had already sustained considerable injuries. If things continued like this for a bit longer, he’d be breathing his last.
Bam! Bam!
The two faced each other, channeling mana into their swords.
Gradually, Ghislaine’s blade was being pushed back. Frank was certain of his victory.
And then—
“The outcome should be pushed to the limit. Don’t you think?”
A flash of red lit up in Ghislaine’s eyes.
Feeling a chilling premonition, Frank gathered all his strength to press Ghislaine back.
In that instant.
Whirrrrr!
A second core within Ghislaine began to spin and unleashing mana.
The vibrant red mana enveloping Ghislaine’s sword was incomparably clearer than Frank’s mana.
“Guh!”
As Ghislaine’s strength surged suddenly, a groan escaped from Frank’s mouth.
“What the… is this?!”
Frank yelped in shock.
Ghislaine slowly pushed Frank’s sword away, a cruel smile on his face.
“You didn’t even realize there was another culprit and spent your life regretting it. If I’d known, I’d have pursued you and killed you by any means necessary.”
“What?”
“You were one of my greatest regrets.”
Frank was bewildered, unable to comprehend what Ghislaine was saying. But it didn’t matter.
No matter how many years passed, he would never forget the memories of this time.
Every time he thought of Elena’s death, he drank and spent sleepless nights.
Always regretting, but never able to turn back the past.
“This time is different.”
Now that he returned to the past, all that pain and anger transformed into joy.
The fact that he could sever the source of all nightmares and get his revenge was indescribably delightful.
Ghislaine grinned and unleashed his third core.
Boom!
He erupted with a force several times greater than his mana, pushing Frank back.
“Cough!”
Unable to withstand such overwhelming power, Frank stumbled backward.
“What the hell…?”
Quickly regaining his balance, Frank took a few hesitant steps back.
No matter how much mana he channeled, he couldn’t amplify his strength in that manner. With a bit of effort, he could only grow slightly stronger.
But the power Ghislaine displayed was beyond that level.
‘Has he been hiding his strength all along? But if so, why did he endure injuries like this?’
Caught in confusion, Frank was at a loss.
Ghislaine seized the brief opening.
“Do your best.”
Boom!
In an instant, Ghislaine closed the distance and swung his sword with incredible speed.
Clang!
Frank barely managed to block it, but before he could regain his wits, a second strike followed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
An unending barrage of blows rained down from Ghislaine.
With a crimson aura emanating from him, Ghislaine swung his sword madly, forcing Frank to continue retreating.
‘This is insane! How can he be this strong suddenly?!’
Frank began to lose in speed, strength, and technique against Ghislaine.
Boom!
Ghislaine didn’t relent, pushing Frank back like a storm.
He could only sustain this immense power for a few minutes. He needed to settle this quickly.
Clang!
Ghislaine struck Frank’s sword hard.
Frank blocked again, but Ghislaine didn’t stop.
Hiss!
Mana burst forth from Ghislaine as if it were out of control, creating tangible energy.
From his body, stained bloody from the wounds, a red mist swirled.
He truly looked like a red reaper.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The two swords met in a fierce clash several times.
Crack!
At some point, Frank realized something was off with his sword.
However, if he didn’t strike back against Ghislaine’s assault, his neck would be severed. He had no other options.
Clang!
Their swords clashed once more.
Crack!
Frank’s sword shattered, unable to withstand Ghislaine’s relentless onslaught.
Amidst the flying fragments of the broken sword, Frank murmured in disbelief.
“How can this be…?”
Ghislaine met his gaze directly.
“Don’t think you’ll die easily.”
