Dawn Empire (34)

The far northern region of the Shadow Forest.

A massive lake covered in ice and snow was nestled within the deep, dark forest.

The lake's surface was blanketed in thick snow and ice, the frozen sheet glittering under the sunlight.

“I've found the Frozen Lake, but where is the energy crystal?” Ning Busan muttered to himself. “I think I feel a powerful energy fluctuation...”

Ning Busan walked toward the center of the lake and finally located the source of the energy fluctuation.

Deep beneath the ice at the center of the lake lay a crystal emitting a faint blue light.

Ning Busan stroked his chin, hit with a brilliant idea.

Using the crystal's position as the center, he set up a Flame Array with a one-meter radius.

No matter how thick the ice was, a slow simmer would eventually turn ice water into boiling water.

Fifteen minutes later, Ning Busan had the crystal in hand.

The entire process was simple, easy, and completely unobstructed. But sometimes, when things went too smoothly, it was a sign of the greatest danger.

Ning Busan did not plan to linger here and turned to leave.

Suddenly, however, the crystal in his hand dissolved into threads of blue light, surging back into the ice.

The underside of the ice was carved with complex runes, and in an instant, these patterns lit up with a blue glow simultaneously.

Cold sweat broke out on Ning Busan's forehead. He could feel the magic in his body draining rapidly, as if it were being devoured by something.

He couldn't even sense the magic elements around him anymore.

What kind of bizarre thing was this?

Heavy footsteps echoed from behind him. Two men clad in heavy armor came into view, the greatswords in their hands glinting with a cold light.

Ning Busan recalled the warning Grayson had given him and instantly guessed who they were.

Ning Busan asked, “You are both Grand Swordsmen. What did His Majesty promise you to make you serve him?”

“We brothers aren't serving him,” the swordsman on the right said. “His Majesty promised us weapons forged from dragon-blood steel. We kill for him, and it's merely a transaction.”

“Enough. Don't waste your breath on him,” the swordsman on the left said coldly. “His Majesty has commanded us to put you to death.”

With that, his greatsword was unsheathed, and he charged at Ning Busan.

Ning Busan smiled bitterly, his fingers trembling slightly. The magic that used to obey his every command was now locked away as if at the bottom of an abyss.

He couldn't even cast the simplest Flame Spell now.

Hair-thin beads of sweat dripped down his cheek, and he could hear his own rapid heartbeat.

Just then, a golden light suddenly burst before his eyes.

A golden card materialized out of thin air, floating in front of him. Intricate patterns were etched onto the card, with a sword-wielding figure at its center.

Ning Busan instinctively reached out to touch it, and the card instantly dissolved into countless specks of light, merging into his body.

An unfamiliar power surged through his blood.

Ning Busan felt his bones making faint popping sounds, and his muscles grew firmer. His originally somewhat slight frame became upright and tall, and the outlines of solid muscle were faintly visible beneath his loose mage robes.

His knuckles grew thicker, and thick calluses formed on his palms, looking like marks left by years of holding a sword.

The most obvious change was in his eyes.

Those eyes, which had always held a hint of gentleness and wisdom, were now as sharp as daggers, reflecting the unique edge of a swordsman.

His stance also changed unconsciously. His center of gravity lowered, and his feet parted slightly—a textbook starting stance.

Facing the Grand Swordsman's attack, Ning Busan turned sideways almost instinctively, a greatsword appearing out of thin air in his grip. The blade was entirely pitch-black, save for a thin line of silver light along the edge.

He had never held a sword before, yet at this moment, he felt as if this sword were a part of his own body.

Metal clashed against metal, sparks flying in all directions.

Ning Busan steadily parried the first strike, spinning around with the momentum to sweep his greatsword in a perfect arc.

His originally gentle and elegant aura as a mage vanished completely, replaced by the fierce sharpness unique to a swordsman.

Ning Busan gripped the hilt tightly, feeling the vibration radiating from the blade. It was a completely new experience, entirely different from the sensation of channeling magic.

Muscle memory awoke in his blood, and every cell in his body rejoiced.

The two Grand Swordsmen clearly sensed the anomaly as well. They exchanged a look and flanked him from both sides, their blades slicing through the air with sharp whistles.

Ning Busan's pupils contracted slightly, and time seemed to slow down at this moment. He could clearly see the trajectory of the blades and feel the changes in the air currents.

His body reacted naturally. Sweeping his greatsword, he precisely deflected the attack from the left, while lightly shifting his steps to narrowly avoid the blade from the right.

Ning Busan began his counterattack.

His movements were incredibly fast, the greatsword feeling as light as a feather in his hands. With a twist of the blade, he aimed straight for the throat of the swordsman on the left.

The man hastily raised his sword to block, but felt a massive force transfer through. It numbed his hand, forcing him back repeatedly, and his greatsword flew right out of his grip.

Ning Busan followed up with a kick to his chest, sending him flying several meters to crash heavily onto the ice.

Seeing this, the swordsman on the right immediately swung his sword to rescue his companion.

But Ning Busan seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Spinning around, his greatsword thrust out like lightning, precisely knocking away the opponent's weapon. The blade scraped across the other's armor, leaving a deep gash.

The battle ended in the blink of an eye.

The two Grand Swordsmen lay on the ground, their faces filled with disbelief.

At this moment, no one would doubt that the person standing before them was a top-tier Grand Swordsman.

That innate swordsman aura and his fluid sword-swinging form made it impossible to associate him with the mage from before.

The swordsman on the left recognized the sword in Ning Busan's hand, his voice trembling: “You... who on earth are you? How did General Louis's sword end up in your hands?”

The Grand Swordsman on the right swallowed hard and muttered, “Brother, why does he look so much like General Louis's statue?”

To defeat them in a single round, have the exact same appearance as General Louis, and possess General Louis's Jinge Sword...

Could this... could this be General Louis, who had been missing for ten thousand years?

The two brothers exchanged a look. They seemed to have discovered a secret that would shock the entire Landia Continent.

Ning Busan pointed his sword at them, his voice cold and deep. “Do you want to live?”

“Yes,” the two brothers said in unison.

“I won't kill you because the Empire only has four Grand Swordsmen. It would be a waste for you to die by my hands,” Ning Busan said.

“The Empire is currently facing a crisis. Follow me back and protect the citizens of the Dawn Empire.”

Ning Busan's voice was full of majesty, making it impossible to even think of disobeying him.

The two brothers looked at each other and said, “We are willing to follow the General to the death.”

“General? What General?” Ning Busan raised his eyelids, letting out a sinister grin tinged with a bloody aura.

“Keep my secret, or I will kill you.”