Chapter 450: The Third Calamity (4)

“...Is there another way?”

Serga looked down at Anchar below. She was still holding Lice in check with her druidic arts, but she seemed to be reaching her limit.

“Hmm.”

It didn’t seem to him that Anchar alone would be able to stop the Third Calamity.

“I admit, it’s incredible that a Wildling possesses the power of a Divine Beast... but if you think that power can somehow turn the tide, I must disagree.”

“Oh, so you’ve noticed it’s the Divine Deer?” Karyl asked with marked intrigue.

“You speak lightly of the library’s bookshelves, but they contain countless valuable records. The Wildlings’ ancestral spirits were originally animals in the Mythical Era. However, none of them possess the power of light.”

Serga pointed at Anchar.

“Apart from ancestral spirits, the only living creature with the power of light is Alkar, one of the Three Great Beasts. Druids can accept the spirits of animals, so the fact that Anchar wields light against those things means she’s drawing upon the power of the Divine Deer. Although I’ve no clue how a supposedly extinct creature is alive and within her.”

“It’s simple,” Karyl said flatly. “I gave it to her.”

“...”

Serga nodded, seemingly unsurprised at this revelation.

“I am aware that Darryl Harian remains at your side. It seems the Golden Cross Association succeeded in resurrecting a Divine Beast after all.”

“Oh? So you’ve deduced that much.”

“They once tried to recruit me to their ranks. At the time, their ambitions seemed ludicrous... but now I realize I underestimated them.”

“Yes, you did. Darryl has also reached the rank of Great Sorcerer. Just because you’ve stepped into that realm a bit earlier doesn’t mean you’ve comprehended more.”

“You are absolutely right.”

“I suppose it’s only natural you became conceited. I bet you told yourself,

I’ve even learned draconic magic. How could they ever compare to me?

Isn’t that right?”

Serga looked at him with a troubled expression.

“You keep testing me, Lord Karyl. I’m still grateful that Lady Miliana sent the three dragons to me. Thanks to that, I managed to grasp a realm I otherwise couldn’t have on my own.”

“You’ve mastered the elemental magic of three dragons.”

“...”

“You’re undoubtedly an exceptional sorcerer, worthy of being recorded in history. But...”

Karyl looked at him with a peculiar smile.

“Mikhail and Serica Lauren,” he went on.

“Sorry? What about them?” Serga asked, puzzled.

“You’ve only reached this realm of magic through learning. Others opened the doors for you, but you’ve never broken down the walls yourself. You should be careful. Those two might catch up to you.”

Karyl’s warning didn’t seem to break Serga’s composure. His mana remained tranquil, like a lake.

“And Anchar as well.”

But that was when Serga’s mana wavered.

***

Just a little more...

Anchar pushed her druidic arts to their limit, pouring every ounce of her mana into restraining Lice. The murderous insects continued to swarm her, even as Ganeth and Aidan rained lightning from above, incinerating hundreds at a time.

“Damn it! At this rate...”

Zouk De Holde concentrated her shapeshifting powers on her eyes. Though it wasn’t nearly as effective as the Infinity Circle, she managed to push her enhanced dynamic vision to its limit. Even so, it was barely enough to track the regular insects, let alone the mutant ones.

“Hraaahhh...!!”

With a thunderous shout, Aidan’s entire body blazed with a bright yellow aura. Near his mana veins, the light turned almost white. That shift alone showed he had pushed his lightning to its absolute limit.

Swish—!

He slashed swiftly with his dagger, cutting down bugs left and right. But as time went on, his expression grew more severe.

Crack—!

The sound came from his shoulder.

Although Aidan had enhanced his mana beyond Sword Master level through Mana Transformation, he was beginning to feel the strain of wielding such immense power. The excess mana was eating away at his body, and despite his exceptional physique, sustaining that strength indefinitely was impossible.

“Where is it...?!”

Though slicing through tiny insects with such precision was impressive on its own, it wasn’t enough. What he sought was the core of the Calamity—the one true entity hidden among millions.

If only I were just a little... faster.

Ironically, someone else at that very moment was also pondering speed.

Anchar’s druidic arts released mana like fine threads, weaving through the air to guide and control the insects. With Alkar’s power sharpening her precision, she used those delicate strands to search for the core.

But even her refined mana manipulation fell short. She couldn’t locate Lice’s true form, and like Aidan, she found herself wishing she were just a bit faster—not physically, but in the way she commanded her power.

“Aidan!” It was then that a voice called out to him as he darted through the chaos.

Aidan abruptly turned his head.

“I’ll give you my mana. Lightning is faster than wind. It will push your speed to a whole new level! Find that core!”

It was Ganeth Avelant. As a Sword Master, Ganeth’s mana was of the 4th Class, greater in volume and stability than Aidan’s temporarily-enhanced state.

“But sir, you’ve already been using your mana. If you transfer it to me, you’ll be completely dry.”

“We’re not getting anywhere chasing the small fry. Anchar’s mana isn’t infinite either. We find the core now, or we collapse from exhaustion.”

Boom!

Ganeth’s resolve was clear.

“Use me.”

Once a hero, Ganeth understood that the greatest way to serve the next generation was to become its foundation.

“Tch... This is ridiculous,” Aidan muttered under his breath, his pride stung by the fact that he needed help in the one area he took the most pride in—speed.

Ganeth extended his hand, and Aidan, running across the air, reached out and grasped it tightly.

Crackle-crackle-crackle...!!

Boom-boom-boom—!!!

A powerful surge of molten mana flowed from Ganeth’s hand into Aidan’s body.

So this is the power of a Sword Master’s mana....

At the end of the day, Aidan was not a true Sword Master. His abilities relied on brief, artificially enhanced bursts of 4th Class mana—advanced techniques that allowed him to momentarily surpass a Sword Master in speed and power.

His eyes widened in astonishment as he felt for the first time the raw, unadulterated mana of a genuine Sword Master.

Zap!

Perhaps it was coincidence—or perhaps fate—that Ganeth’s mana carried the element of lightning, just like Aidan’s. With such synergy, their mana merged seamlessly, its effect amplified.

Thunk! Thunk! Thuuuunk...

Each time Aidan stepped into the air, it felt as though time itself had slowed to a crawl. The insects—once too fast for his eyes to follow—now appeared frozen around him. Yet Aidan knew that time hadn’t stopped, and that the creatures weren’t still.

He was merely faster than he had ever been before. For a brief moment, he marveled at this new realm of speed, one he had never experienced even with his advanced techniques.

But he couldn’t afford to waste time.

Where is it?

His eyes darted around.

There it is!

Amid the countless ordinary insects, he spotted a single one glimmering with a unique silver hue. Without hesitation, Aidan pushed off the air with all his might.

Bang—!

He surged forward, a shockwave rippling in his wake. The swarming insects, still appearing frozen in time, ricocheted off his face as he tore through them.

Voooom...!

Aidan thrust his dagger forward.

“...!”

But just as his blade was about to pierce the silver bug, the creature darted away, shattering the illusion of frozen stillness. Even with two forms of Sword Master-level mana, it had been faster than him.

Now, the difficulty of their task really dawned on him.

Swoosh...!

His dagger missed the mark entirely, cutting only through air.

“Fuck!”

The moment his mana flow wavered, the frenzied insects stirred once more, vanishing in a blur.

I lost it.

Anchar had been observing the entire scene—not with her eyes, but through her connection to the environment itself. Druids didn’t perceive with sight; they sensed the essence of things.

At that instant, as she merged with Alkar’s power, her hind legs moved on their own.

Skang—!

She darted forward like a deer leaping into action, surging toward the silver insect with incredible speed.

“Kyahhh...!” Anchar broke into a shrill scream, seemingly unable to handle the overwhelming velocity.

And then, without warning—

“Wha—?”

Alkar, the Divine Deer, burst forth from her body, leaving her stunned. Anchar had never experienced a forced release of her spirit contract before, and for a moment, she was speechless.

Radiant and swift, Alkar surged from her form like a beam of light, chasing after Lice with incomprehensible speed.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The air seemed to burst with each step of the deer’s hind legs.

“Purrrr...!!”

This time, Lice was startled by its chaser. It attempted to flee, but Alkar caught up effortlessly, swallowing the Tarak whole in a single gulp.

“Uhm...”

“What just...?”

Aidan and Anchar stared at each other, dumbstruck.

Fwoosh...!

Fwaaaaah!

As Lice’s core disappeared, the swarm of insects surrounding the Silverwing Fleet crumbled to ash in an instant.

“Uh... Well, that was proper disappointing. In the end, it was this little deer that saved the day...”

“Lord!”

At the sound of Karyl’s voice, Aidan quickly knelt.

Alkar, having descended from above, nuzzled affectionately against Karyl’s side.

“...Have we stopped the Calamity?” asked Anchar, her exhaustion evident. The sudden severance of her contract with Alkar, combined with the strain of wielding the power of a sacred beast, had taken a toll on her.

“No. The Night of the Red Moon has only just begun. The one Alkar consumed was merely one of the Lice meant to ravage the continent.”

“So, we failed.”

“By yourselves, yes.”

“Meeew...”

Karyl gently stroked Alkar’s head, and Anchar bit her lip at the sight.

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

Anchar glanced at Aidan, who cocked his head, confused by the look on her face. Karyl seemed equally puzzled.

“I smell lightning on him.”

“Oh, that?” Aidan asked, sighing with relief. “We just fought side by side. It would’ve been strange if you hadn’t noticed that my mana’s attribute is lightning. It’s pretty obvious, no?”

“...If it were so obvious, I wouldn’t have mentioned it. I’m not talking about your attribute. I mean there’s another kind of lightning scent on you. A smoky, heavy aroma, like the air in the Great Jungle right before a storm.”

“You truly are a Wildling.” Karyl chuckled. “When I visited the Great Jungle, I remember noticing a similar smell.”

His eyes gleamed.

“You must be referring to the Thunderlord Kungen.”

Anchar slowly nodded.

“Aidan, show her your blades. That should answer her question.”

At Karyl’s command, Aidan unsheathed his two blades—Thunderstrike and Thunderclap.

“So the scent of lightning isn’t just a matter of elements... A Wildling’s sense of smell is certainly not to be underestimated,” Aidan remarked, staring at her curiously.

“These are part of the Blader relics forged in the Magical Era. They are said to carry the power of the Thunderlord himself.”

“...”

For some reason, Anchar frowned as she gazed at the twin blades.

“These are fakes,” Anchar said tartly.

“...What?”

“Asserting that these are imbued with the Thunderlord’s power it’s hilarious. Embarrassing, really.”

“What... What are you talking about? Fakes? Are you insulting the relics my lord bestowed upon me?”

Aidan was stunned, outraged by her presumptuousness. Though usually level-headed, he became noticeably cold and defensive when it came to Karyl.

Anchar turned to Karyl. “There’s a way to stop Lice.”

“Oh yeah?”

Karyl shot her a sideways glance.

“See? I told you. She was bound to come up with something.”

Serga next to him was visibly befuddled.

“I won’t fail next time.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“We just need to be faster than Lice.”

“Well, without Alkar’s power, how can you hope to—”

“Not me. Him.”

She pointed at Aidan.

“Me?”

Aidan seemed confused, but Anchar kept her eyes on Karyl.

“Please contact my father,” she said firmly. “Tell him to bring the Relic of the Savages.”