Combat wizards with the light attribute were required to learn the essential skill called Blind Light. It directly impacted low-level monsters and blinded any higher-level monsters even if they were protected by shields or barriers.
Furthermore, the use of Blind Light frequently appeared in national wars as only a few warriors managed to attain a high enough level of Sense to use it instead of their eyes to see. Blind Light was a Circle Two, low-grade magic, but it was extremely versatile.
Smack!
A sudden stinging sensation on his cheek woke Elland up. As he attempted to open his eyes, he was met with a blinding intensity of light that he recognized as Blind Light. He wondered if the outsider was accompanied by a wizard.
He first tried to use Mana[1] to protect his eyes, but…
Sheek-
A woman’s face burst into his view. Under life-threatening circumstances, an individual’s capabilities and decision-making skills tended to become more heightened than usual. It all happened in a blink of an eye, but he could clearly see her face.
Her small face and beauty evoked images of the Rajania flower in his mind. He observed her raven-black hair and eyes, which were the distinct characteristics of outsiders. He had only heard stories about them and had never imagined that he would meet two of them in one day.
A random thought passed through Elland’s mind even though his situation was dire.
Do outsiders also use magic?
The giant outsider who swept his expedition party was similar to a barbarian warrior. Then, the light pouring down from the sky by Blind Light was used by that small woman.
The girl is a wizard!
As a swordsman, losing the close combat against the wizard would have been a disgraceful outcome. Strangely enough, his body, which had been severely injured by the barbaric outsider’s attack, had fully recovered and returned to its original state. Therefore, he tried to focus all his attention on her.
We should ditch that witch first, then figure out how to get out of here! Lord, please bless and keep me.
It was then he met the woman’s eyes.
Whoa!
Elland felt like he was falling into a void, but there wasn’t a physical sense of falling. However, the bright blinding light vanished in a second, and darkness filled the emptiness. It was pitch black, and he couldn’t see anything. His body was somehow quite stiff, so he couldn’t move. He wondered if this was how a prisoner felt when they were on the gallows with their limbs tied up.
After that moment, Elland’s spirit started to drift further into the distant past.
When Elland regained consciousness, it felt as though he had just woken up from a dream. The sequence of events that led a once immature young boy to devote himself to battling against the Declans and eventually organizing an expedition team in pursuit of fame and fortune felt like a hazy dream.
Although they were undoubtedly good memories, they now felt like dreadful nightmares to Elland, leaving him bewildered by the contradiction. He couldn’t find answers from his past life to explain why he was now standing on the ground with Blind Light once again pouring down upon him.
What the hell is going on?
Then, his vision began to return. Elland raised his head up unconsciously and realized that the light was radiating from the top of the iron structure that was attached to the ground.
It’s not Blind Light, but… it’s not even an artifact.
Elland was certain because if it were Blind Light, then he wouldn’t be able to see right now. He shifted his gaze in a hurry and looked around. He spotted two people first: the female outsider wizard and a young guy who had just appeared on the spot. Then, he saw other men over their shoulders.
They didn’t appear to be outsiders. They seemed to be from the continent where Elland was from, but they were hidden in rocks and trees while aiming their weapons at him.
There are no blades or spears, but they are definitely weapons.
Elland was confident in his assessment because the men had the eyes of highly trained soldiers who were ready to fight. Weapons were the only things that such men would use against him. If those things weren’t weapons, then they could have been Mana or artifacts that determined the authenticity of the curse.
“Skill eun? (How about the skills?)”
“Ma na reunr- da roor joor al a. Bo myun al guh ya. (Do you know how to deal with Mana? You will know when you see it.)”
Elland blinked and stared at the two outsiders who were speaking in their own language. Of course, he was unfamiliar with the language just as much as he was with their fashion sense. He didn’t understand anything, but he knew something unusual was about to happen.
He recalled the giant outsider who had killed the Orcs and stormed his expedition. The man and woman in front of him were bound to be the monster’s subordinates, and the men in the back looked like they had cooperated with the group of outsiders for a while. Therefore, the only one he could ask for help was…
Malus was lying on the ground a few steps away from him, but he appeared to be of little assistance. After all, he was still unconscious.
“G ruh ji. (That’s right).”
Right then, the voice of an outsider man was cut off. Elland’s eyes opened wide.
Zing!
Elland was taken aback by the sudden appearance of lightning, particularly because the magic activated without the man uttering a single word. The unexpectedness had caught him off guard. The moment a sword bounced from the location where Malus was lying down, Elland felt like he was literally plunging into a whirlwind of chaos.
This is not a coincidence!
The man’s eyes were telling Elland to pick up the sword. He had never heard of outsiders possessing magical abilities, but even if “g ruh ji” was their incantation, he had undeniably witnessed the process of the sword falling before him by the man’s hand.
The lightning power sparked several times in the air as if they were teleporting, moving the sword toward Elland. He had never heard of a guy being able to control bolts of lightning that freely. Well, no. The Holy Knight who dealt with lightning could have managed it like that.
Holy Knight. Holy Knight? What a load of nonsense!
Elland looked at the sword that fell in front of him in a confused manner.
God, please be the witness of your creature. If you do so, I will give you all my property and the rest of my life to you.
Elland had no choice but to pick up the sword. He was a warrior before he was the head of the expedition party. He needed to do his best as he had Lord Lacryma’s protection. The Lord despised those who prayed without trying.
***
Some time passed.
It’s a weapon as expected…
Elland’s previous speculations were confirmed when the men behind the outsider man passed another weapon to him, making it clear that he intended to challenge Elland.
He even has the ability to handle lightning, but why…?
“A dda. O din gge suh- jik jub ha si neun guh yo? (Gosh, are you doing it by yourself, Odin?)”
Elland turned his head toward the sound and his eyes widened. It was the monster! He had wondered where he was, but he was there! The giant outsider!
He didn’t understand what the hell they were talking about, but it seemed like the giant monster was giving orders to the young outsider. The moment the towering outsider halted with his arm folded, Elland felt a great deal of pressure. He recalled the moment he first met the monster. With each expedition team member he seized and hurled, it appeared as though the entire world was on the brink of destruction.
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Just thinking about the moment made Elland have goosebumps.
Why? Why are outsiders attacking us, and why are those people from the Greenwood continents cooperating with them? Why? Fucking why?
Suddenly, something he had forgotten flashed through his mind.
Ah! Saint Cassian’s Book of Records!
Elland inwardly cursed at his stupid self. He definitely touched something he shouldn’t have.
Saint Cassian’s record was divided into two categories based on the content. One was the history book that described the War of the New Devil in Genesis from Saint Cassian’s perspective.
The other document was a research report detailing both superlative magical abilities and swordsmanship. Acquiring and merging the contents of this book was crucial to the success or failure of the Holy Knight families, and completing the research was equally essential.
“T…This…”
Elland rummaged through his pocket with a hand that he didn’t hold the sword. His voice also trembled as much as his hand. Next, he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. To his surprise, the preservation magic that had been cast on it in the past was so potent that it still was completely intact without a hint of decomposition.
“Are you looking for this? But this is part of a history book.”
Elland was willing to confront the Red-Faced Orcs, but not the giant man who was folding his arms in front of him. Even if his two subordinates, the young man who freely handled the lightning power and a woman who used strange mental magic, didn’t step up, Elland’s life was in the hands of the outsider monster.
The treasure would lose all value as it was rendered useless upon his death.
Elland shouted again, “This is not what you guys are looking for!”
“Mok chung eun k ne- ing. (He is hella noisy.)”
“You should check and see it with your own eyes.”
If Cassian’s record book was something that could be torn and burned, then he would have escaped this situation by using it as an excuse. However, that was something that only the devil kings that were mentioned in Genesis could do.
Elland had no regrets, then crumpled the paper and threw it at the giant outsider. As it flew through the air, the conservation magic immediately unfurled the paper and made it flat again.
“Muh? Uh jjuh ra go. (So what?)”
With just a single glance, the giant man seemed to have finished evaluating it, and a perplexed, nonsensical grin spread across his face.
“You and I are both creatures of God. Although our skin and hair colors are different, our start was from God. I swear to the name of our Lord Lacryma, I will never tell what happened today to anyone. I swear. If I violate this, I will gladly accept the curse of the Demon King Doom Kaos.”
Elland knew they wouldn’t understand him, but he shouted this earnestly.
“A dda. Si ggeu ruhb ne. Ji deul iee mun juh dum byu no ko. (Gosh, he talks too much. You guys are the ones who attacked first.)”
The giant outsider shifted his glance to the young male outsider.
“Joi song huh yo. Ju ddae moon in guh ga teun di… Bba jiguh sso. (I’m sorry. I think he is doing this because of me… I will step out.)”
What the hell is he saying to that guy? Please, please. Please take this and let me go.
1. A concept in fantasy and video games referring to a form of magical energy or power that characters can use to cast spells, perform abilities, or activate magical items. Apparently it’s one of the stats in this continent. ☜