Strike 56

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Sword King Barad was stealthily hiding near where Efreet was located.

He glanced at the sword he held. The fourth custom-made sword melted away as soon as he entered this place.

His armor suffered the same fate.

In just five seconds, it had lost about 30% of its durability.

‘Alas…’

Barad clenched the necklace around his neck, a gift from his son, which was also melting.

A unique-grade artifact, succumbing to Efreet’s ability to melt anything.

Yet, Barad stepped out from his hiding spot.

He decided not to hide anymore.

‘Even if I die, I’ll take it down with me.’

Soon, Efreet revealed itself.

Standing three meters tall, its body engulfed in raging flames, it wielded a burning spear in one hand.

[Efreet Lv.406]

In terms of pure strength, Efreet was weaker than Barad. The problem was its intense heat that could melt anything.

Barad charged at Efreet, revealing himself.

Crackling flames erupted as the renowned Sword King’s blade struck Efreet.

“Argh!”

His sword had now melted nearly 50% more.

He thrust it into Efreet’s chest and yanked upwards with all his might.

Blazing flames spread rapidly, engulfing Barad as well.

[Efreet’s Flame]

Efreet’s flame, which could melt anything, ignited all over Barad.

But he didn’t retreat.

He relentlessly slashed at Efreet again and again.

However, Efreet realized something.

It had won.

Barad was already dying, and his weapon was ruined.

His blunt sword could no longer harm it…

But then, “Roar!”

Barad struck.

Efreet was caught off guard.

The half-melted sword, dripping molten metal, had actually cut it.

Seeing this, Efreet felt a chill run down its spine.

It grabbed Barad’s shoulder.

Barad, too, had an extraordinary physique, rapidly regenerating.

But his body couldn’t keep up with the speed of burning from the intense heat.

Yet, with his arm melting, Barad kept slashing.

Crackling fear engulfed Efreet.

Barad gritted his teeth, gripping his sword with both hands and aimed for Efreet’s neck.

Thump!

The blunt edge couldn’t cut through the neck in one strike.

Two times.

Three times.

Four times.

He was determined to take it down.

Suddenly, Efreet kicked him away.

Barad, flung backward, sensed his imminent death.

Yet, there was a chance.

Efreet’s neck was half-severed, and he had just enough strength left for one final strike.

Then, Barad realized he couldn’t walk.

“…”

Lava, summoned by Efreet, covered the ground.

Barad, even as an immortal, knew he would melt if he walked on the lava path.

He looked at his sword.

The sword in his grip had completely melted, as had his armor.

Barad looked at Efreet.

Efreet, covered in fierce flames, was regenerating, unlike him.

Realizing he, too, would melt, Barad took a step forward.

“…!”

Efreet was astonished.

Even an immortal’s body would melt upon touching the lava.

Engulfed in instinctive fear, Efreet hurled its boiling spear at him.

Whoosh!

The flaming spear, with a deafening sound, aimed for Barad’s heart.

Barad watched the spear.

He sensed that the moment it pierced his chest, he would turn to dust.

Filled with regret, he thought of his son and their vengeance.

Then, suddenly…

Creak!

“…?”

Barad looked puzzled.

The spear flying towards him began to freeze.

Its speed slowed, and the raging flames on it froze in place.

Barad’s mind paused for a moment.

Efreet, too, was stunned.

What had they just witnessed?

Then…

“Your Highness!”

A familiar voice. It was Deputy Commander Bella’s voice.

At that moment, a sound of rapidly freezing surroundings echoed.

Crackle-

A tumultuous change.

A wave-like surge of ice, starting from the entrance, swiftly froze everything in its path.

Steam rose from the lava that had reached Barad’s feet, now rapidly cooling and solidifying.

Hundreds of ice fragments from the surge engulfed the entire area around Efreet.

‘…It’s the sword.’

This was the blacksmith Hyun’s sword.

But Barad smirked, knowing that even this sword would melt due to Efreet’s power.

Then, suddenly.

“Your Highness!”

It was blacksmith Hyun’s voice. Instinctively, Barad reached out and grasped the flying sword without even looking back.

Snap!

At that moment.

[Legends confront each other.]

[All effects of the sword increase by 5%.]

[Fire resistance at 343%.]

“…?”

Efreet’s flames engulfing Barad were extinguished by the cold emanating from him.

It wasn’t hot anymore.

Neither the oppressive heat in the air nor the single drop of lava dripping from the stalactite.

And Efreet felt uneasy about the sword.

It concentrated on melting the sword with its power.

Rumble-

Black flames covered the sword Barad held, but then…

“You think you can melt that?”

A man suddenly appeared, confidently smirking.

Efreet furrowed its brow.

Impossible.

Its power could melt even unique artifacts.

Yet…

The sword didn’t melt. Instead, it froze the black flames, causing them to fall to the ground.

Thud-

Barad gasped for breath, his face showing incomprehension.

‘What power does this sword hold…?’

He examined the sword.

(Hyun’s Sixth Custom-Made Sword)

Grade: Legendary

Durability: 6,000/6,000

Attack Power: 517

Requirements: Sword Mastery 300-450 or higher

Special Abilities:

· 343% resistance to fire attributes.

· 194% increased attack power against ice attributes.

· Against fire attribute monsters, 397% increased ice attribute attack power.

· Active Skill: Frost Flower.

Description: The sixth custom-made sword for King Barad by Hyun, and Hyun’s first legendary creation.

“…”

Barad was breathless.

Legendary.

A sword of the highest caliber.

This sword imbued him with certainty. Barad summoned his last ounce of strength.

And with the sword in hand, he began to run.

***

Bella, arriving with Hyun, watched their lord charge towards Efreet.

Each stride he took rapidly froze the surrounding space.

The bewildered Efreet unleashed a burst of intense flames.

Its flames attempted to melt the surging ice power around Barad.

Efreet used telekinesis to retrieve the spear it had thrown, aiming it at Barad’s back.

As the spear neared, Barad sharply dodged and slid past it.

The spear.

Sizzle-

It impaled Efreet’s chest instead.

Efreet, trying to pull out the spear with both hands, was flabbergasted.

Barad’s piercing gaze, his dark eyes fixed on Efreet, unnerved it.

But Efreet laughed.

Unlike Barad, it had already regenerated.

A few strikes from his sword wouldn’t kill it.

It was confident of victory…

But then Barad’s sword struck.

“Frost Flower.”

With that murmur, Efreet saw thousands of snow crystals fluttering around the cut.

The crystals rapidly cooled the area they touched.

Crackle-

Starting from the cut, the freezing spread throughout Efreet’s body.

Efreet, its face starting to freeze, looked at Barad with shaky eyes.

Crunch, crack, crunch-

Efreet’s body crumbled, melting rapidly into the ground.

Ssshhh-

As it melted away, Efreet met its demise.

With its fall, Barad collapsed too.

Bella rejoiced. Their lord had finally fulfilled his long-standing desire.

She rushed towards him with all her might.

But then, hot flames erupted around the fallen Efreet.

Woosh-

The flames burned so fiercely that Bella couldn’t approach.

Some powerful monsters, even in their final moments, seek to take others down with them.

The firestorm spread around the kneeling lord.

Bella, unable to get closer, shouted.

“…Your Highness, please come out!”

However, the king did not move.

Holding a necklace in his hands, he stared into space with a resigned expression.

Bella realized it then.

The king had lost his reason to live.

Having lost his wife and son, living for a new purpose, he now seemed ready to find peace.

“Your Highness, please!”

She wanted to rush to him.

But the searing flames prevented her movement.

The king, looking up at the ceiling, appeared ready for peace.

Bella was torn. She wanted to save the king, but did he want to be saved?

Even though she couldn’t approach due to the flames, she couldn’t decide, understanding the king’s heart.

Then.

The outsider, Hyun-soo, started walking forward.

Hyun-soo was incredibly vulnerable.

Even brief contact with the flames could annihilate him.

Yet, as he walked, minerals surged up around him.

They formed into a hologram, melting, refining, forging, and polishing before his eyes.

A blue armor draped over his body.

Click-

Whoosh-

The cold emanating from the armor protected him.

Fwoosh-

Hyun-soo walked through the flames. Bella’s eyes wavered.

He must know.

He didn’t have much time to endure.

He was frail.

But he spoke to the king.

Hyun-soo shouted something, and the king grabbed him by the collar, shouting back.

Then, at a few words from Hyun-soo, the king bowed his head and sobbed.

Slowly, very slowly, Hyun-soo’s hand comforted the king.

‘Comforting the king…’

Yes, the outsider Hyun-soo was comforting him.

Patting his shoulder.

Whispering warm words.

Their conversation was inaudible.

Then, the king stood up, and Hyun-soo, the outsider, crumbled into ashes.

The king looked at him for a moment before taking steps, walking through the flames.

His expression was one of relief.

The king glanced back at where Hyun-soo had been.

Then, he slowly collapsed.

“Your Highness!”

Bella frantically carried him away from the tomb.

A carriage whisked the king away, where top priests and the best healing remedies attended to him.

Days later, the king, gazing into the distance, spoke his first words.

“I miss him.”

“…”

It was a familiar sentiment.

He always said that. How he missed his prince.

But then, the king smiled warmly and said,

“Hyun-soo. I really miss that boy.”

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