The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 55: Longing for Freedom (4)

The knights and guards completed their encirclement.

Even so, Martin remained still, keeping his eyes fixed on the Dark King.

He was the most dangerous presence here, and if Martin tried to escape hastily, it could result in significant losses.

“Seven-circle magic, martial arts, and an innate wind element ability. Even after confirming these crucial details, I can’t recall anyone like you, so you must be a new powerhouse. Every time something like this happens, I’m reminded of how vast the continent is. If it’s not too much to ask, could you take off your mask?”

“I’m terribly shy, so I don’t show my face in crowded places like this. How about you take off your mask instead, Dark King? I’m sure more people are curious about your face than mine.”

Martin calmly countered, his tone unruffled.

However, his voice was different from before.

To fully conceal his identity, he manipulated the air to change his voice.

“By the way, is it okay for the Dark King to be so interested in a drug farm? That clearly falls under the Medicine King’s domain. Violating the unspoken rules of the underworld doesn’t seem like a wise move.”

“Stop spouting nonsense!”

As soon as Martin mentioned the drug farm, Jurgen von Brightner frowned and shouted angrily.

The faces of the surrounding knights turned even more grim.

On the other hand, the guards, who were hearing this for the first time, couldn’t hide their confusion.

“If you’re going to pretend to be in the industry, you should at least do it properly. Your acting skills are terrible, and you just don’t give off the right feeling.”

“Yeah, acting’s not really my thing. But I am genuinely curious. Even if you’re the Dark King, there’s nothing to gain from clashing with the Medicine King, is there? The fact that you made contact despite the risks means… the Brightner family’s drug farm must have something pretty valuable, right?”

“Kill him! Now, that bastard…!”

“Your subordinates won’t be enough.”

The Dark King interrupted Jurgen’s command.

Ssss.

At the same time, his shadow began to writhe and split into dozens of tendrils.

Then, they all shot up from the ground, like snakes raising their heads.

“I’ll handle this. I’m really curious to see what’s behind that mask.”

“I was also curious about what the famous Dark King looks like. If I’d known we’d meet like this, I would’ve come better prepared.”

“A fun game then, let’s see who reveals the other’s face first.”

“You’re the only one who thinks it’s fun.”

Swoosh!

Before Martin had even finished speaking, the dozens of shadow tendrils shot toward him.

Just like when he was ambushed earlier, each shadow was carrying an aura blade.

In response, Martin lowered his body and pulled back his right fist.

Then, he punched forward with all his might.

He combined the Rothar Martial Art, which devastates from the inside, with Omni Distortion, which shatters from the outside.

Boom!

A single punch collided with dozens of shadows.

The result came quickly.

The shadows trembled and were severed, then shortly afterward, they returned to their original state.

‘I’m becoming more curious about his identity.’

Feeling strong curiosity, the Dark King twitched his right index finger.

His shadow extended once more, connecting with the shadows of the others nearby.

Swoosh!

This time, hundreds of shadow tendrils shot out.

It was already remarkable, but even more astounding was the fact that every one of them was wrapped in aura blades.

Martin couldn’t hide his disbelief.

‘What an incredible amount of mana.’

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that, among all the opponents he had faced so far, this man possessed the largest reservoir of mana.

He even had more than Vincent, an eighth-circle mage, which suggested a special constitution.

However, while Martin was surprised, he wasn’t discouraged.

No matter how much mana his opponent had, it couldn’t compare to the curse of the dragon that Martin carried.

Whirrr!

A tornado began to form around Martin.

Each one towered higher than the Brightner estate, and their numbers continued to grow.

“Aaargh!”

“Nooo!”

The guards were the first to lose their balance and get thrown back.

The knights planted their weapons into the ground and held their ground, but they had reached their limit.

None of them dared to move.

Martin and the Dark King, however, ignored their surroundings and continued attacking each other.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Hundreds of shadow tendrils and twelve tornadoes clashed violently, as if they were trying to tear each other apart.

The massive collision of power uprooted flowers and trees, flipping the garden’s ground.

The grand fountain, along with various decorations, shattered or was sent flying in all directions.

Crack!

Even amidst the chaos, the Dark King rushed at Martin as if nothing had happened.

In his hand, which had turned into a dark blue flash, was a dagger that had appeared out of nowhere.

Boom!

Martin also launched himself off the ground with all his might, punching the dagger away with his fist.

This marked the beginning of a series of strikes, each faster than the speed of sound, aimed at one another.

‘Dragging this out would be troublesome.’

Martin had the confidence to finish this fight if it were a one-on-one battle with the Dark King.

But Jurgen was here as well.

Jurgen possessed both third-circle magic and sixth-circle innate abilities.

While one-on-one in close combat wouldn’t be a problem, Martin’s hands were tied, battling the Dark King.

If Jurgen began supporting with magic, the situation would become dangerous.

He needed to escape as quickly as possible.

The problem was that the Dark King knew this and was meticulously maintaining his distance, preventing any unexpected outcomes.

‘In that case!’

Martin decided to take a risk and kicked off the ground repeatedly.

In an instant, he closed the distance between himself and the Dark King.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The Dark King slashed upward with the reverse-grip dagger, but the blade didn’t rise all the way.

Martin had blocked it with his left fist.

But that wasn’t the end.

Bang!

Martin stepped forward aggressively, ramming his shoulder into the Dark King’s chest.

A thunderous crash echoed as the Dark King’s body was pushed back.

“Ugh.”

He let out a groan, but that was all.

Before the full impact could reach him, he had retreated, minimizing the damage.

However, Martin didn’t let the brief opening go to waste. He immediately unleashed a whirlwind.

Boom!

A fierce explosion occurred, but the shockwave didn’t spread.

The Dark King had used his shadows to suppress the force itself.

“Let’s meet again next time.”

With a cheeky shout, Martin turned and fled with all his might.

Though a barrier stood in his way, he simply punched a hole through it with his power.

Jurgen, watching him escape, prepared to launch a spell.

But the Dark King stopped him.

“Leave him. We’ll meet again soon enough.”

“What do you mean?”

Following the Dark King’s advice, Jurgen withdrew his mana, though his expression was filled with irritation.

The drug farm was his Achilles’ heel.

Now that it had been exposed, there was no telling what could happen. Yet, the enemy seemed infuriatingly calm.

Jurgen was genuinely displeased.

Sensing his dissatisfaction, the Dark King explained.

“The man’s objective was the map of the mine. This means he already knew about the drug farm itself. Normally, he should have informed the Adalbert family or their branch families, but he didn’t. Why do you think that is?”

“…Is he trying to save the people in the drug farm?”

“Exactly. He’s probably worried that if he informs them, we’d destroy the farm to cover our tracks. And with someone as skilled as him, it’s likely he’s connected to the Shout for Freedom. Would those who cherish their comrades so deeply just sit idly by?”

“They wouldn’t let that happen.”

Jurgen nodded at the Dark King’s response.

“We’ve already set up a warp magic circle at the drug farm. Once we receive the signal, we’ll go there and capture him.”

“While we wait, we should uproot the Shout for Freedom entirely.”

After saying that, Jurgen glanced at the Dark King.

“I’ll let it go this time, but next time, if the same thing happens, make sure you capture the intruder. Don’t forget it was you who first requested this deal.”

“Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten.”

The Dark King shrugged lightly.

‘Things are getting interesting.’

Even though it was for his goals, working with someone he didn’t like was exhausting.

But now, he had encountered someone who could provide some entertainment.

The Dark King vowed to make the most of it.

—

The moment the Brightner estate disappeared from sight, Martin used teleportation to return to where Sien and Sara were waiting.

He informed them about the Dark King’s presence and relayed his experiences.

Faced with this unexpected turn of events, Sien frowned, and Sara’s face turned deathly pale.

Once the Assassin’s Guild got involved, even the Adalbert family would struggle to act without caution.

‘I never expected the Dark King.’

Martin had already known about the Brightner family’s drug cultivation and its effects.

What he didn’t know was the location of the drug farm, which he had been gathering information to uncover.

Fortunately, Sara Meinert knew about it, saving him valuable time.

‘I had only considered the Medicine King’s involvement.’

All drugs passed through the Medicine King.

That was a constant for any noble.

But what was this?

It wasn’t the Medicine King, but the unexpected involvement of the Dark King.

The implications were clear.

“The drugs the Brightner family is cultivating… they aren’t ordinary.”

“Exactly. That’s why the Dark King is risking a clash with the Medicine King. But the real problem is getting to the drug farm. His assassins are probably stationed there.”

“He might choose to move quietly on his own. He wouldn’t want to risk running afoul of the Medicine King either. In any case, the Brightner family will undoubtedly increase the farm’s security.”

With that response, Martin glanced at Sara.

Her face still looked pale.

“Even if the Assassin’s Guild gets involved, I’m going to act. The more of these people we eliminate, the more secure my position becomes. Besides, there’s nothing good that can come from getting tangled up with them. But there’s one problem.”

“…I know what you’re worried about. My comrades and other citizens could die, right?”

“Exactly. If things go wrong, they might destroy the entire farm. Since the map I brought doesn’t show the farm’s location, there wouldn’t even be any evidence. Are you prepared to accept that sacrifice?”

Trembling.

Sara’s eyes and eyebrows trembled noticeably at Martin’s question.

But only for a moment. She soon calmed her breathing.

Then, looking directly at Martin, she spoke.

“For the past thousand years, the emperors and the heads of the three great noble families have ruled as absolute powers. Their strength was so overwhelming that it’s no exaggeration to say they were almost omnipotent.”

“That’s true.”

“If you truly want to rise as the head of the Adalbert family, shouldn’t you perform miracles that are just as extraordinary?”

“Wow. I didn’t expect you to turn that on me.”

“You got me there, Martin.”

“Indeed.”

As Sien teased, Martin smiled.

Being powerful alone wasn’t enough to declare oneself an absolute ruler.

Only by accomplishing what others couldn’t, could one truly become a great being.

“Listening to Lucas the Commander was the right choice.”

“Are you sure you don’t regret not bringing more? No matter how great the White Dragon Knights are, it’s hard to handle the Brightner family with just one squad.”

“Well, I brought the Vice Commander, so we’ll at least have some means of keeping things in check.”

But it wasn’t enough.

How could they solve this situation?

The group began to seriously discuss their options.

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