The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 56

“Oh…”

So this method could be used as well?

How amusing.

Kaylen smiled as he grasped the now-blackened star in his hand.

At that moment, an overwhelming surge of dark mana began pouring into him. The sheer magnitude of it was enough to corrupt even a high-ranking cleric in an instant.

Yet, Kaylen welcomed it.

"This dark mana is perfect for enhancing the growth of my swords."

Kaylen’s six swords. Among them, the obsidian blade, which had long been overshadowed by the water and light blades, began to grow rapidly.

"With the light blade in my arsenal, I can absorb as much dark mana as I want."

If only the obsidian blade grew on its own, it might strain a human body. But with the light blade firmly in place, he could control the darkness with the power of light.

As the absorption of mana stabilized, a groan reached Kaylen’s ears.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Royen, who had collapsed earlier, had changed significantly in a short time.

His silver hair had turned jet black, his once pale skin now bore blood-red markings, and his small frame had grown visibly larger.

"So this is the modification?"

Kaylen had assumed he had absorbed all the dark mana from the black star. However, since the subspace itself had been altered, it appeared Royen was affected as well.

"I can’t leave him like this."

With a swift motion, Kaylen scooped Royen up in his left arm.

His younger half-brother, now transformed from a child into an adolescent, had elongated limbs marked with sinister crimson tattoos glowing faintly.

"Absorb."

With his right hand, Kaylen drew in the mana from the black star. At the same time, with his left, he absorbed the dark mana swirling within Royen’s body.

Fortunately, the dark mana that had altered Royen wasn’t substantial. It took less than a minute for Kaylen to collect it entirely.

However, something else remained within Royen.

"The fire mana is extraordinary."

While the black aura had disappeared from the crimson tattoos, their red hue persisted.

To erase the markings entirely, Kaylen would need to absorb the fire mana roiling inside Royen.

"This isn’t my decision to make."

The fire mana within Royen’s body could become an invaluable asset when he one day wielded the power of a Fire Meister.

“Ugh… ha…”

As the dark mana left him, Royen’s breathing became noticeably lighter.

It seemed the “modification” had been stopped.

Holding Royen securely, Kaylen refocused on absorbing the mana from the black star.

Before long, the ominous voice echoed once more through the subspace.

– Eternal Space. Mana insufficient. Terminating.

As the voice faded, the black star in Kaylen’s hand and the darkness filling the subspace rapidly dissipated.

Seeing this, Kaylen clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"It’s already over?"

Though the obsidian blade had grown considerably, it was still only half the size of the water and light blades.

"Glacia’s mana reserves truly were incomparable."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Even after absorbing it, the obsidian blade remained only half the size of the water and light blades.

Kaylen once again marveled at the power of the S-rank mana suit.

At that moment, another voice echoed:

– A Rank 1 Bloodline has been upgraded to Special Rank.

– Initiating forced transfer sequence. Catalyst destroyed.

Crack!

The golden star shattered like glass.

Boom!

A massive door began to open.

– The Opponent. Cryostasis release initiated.

And beyond the door…

The strongest dragon species, a Drake, opened its eyes.

A Drake.

Known for its impenetrable skin and enormous size, spanning dozens of meters when it spread its wings, it was considered the most powerful species of dragonkind in the Middle Realm after the disappearance of dragons.

However, following the fall of the Meier Empire, sightings of Drakes became increasingly rare, leading many to believe they had gone extinct.

The only remaining Drake was thought to be the Sky Spear, a specimen preserved in the Knight Academy.

"Yet one exists here…?"

Kaylen recalled the moment he absorbed the Infinity of the Sky Spear.

– I… will not leave.

The Sky Spear had repeated those words endlessly.

At the time, Kaylen hadn’t understood its meaning. Could it have been related to the presence of this Drake?

“Grrrr…!”

A fierce roar echoed throughout the subspace.

The sheer murderous intent in the sound made Royen’s unconscious body instinctively twitch.

The crimson-black Drake slowly rose to its feet.

"Now that I look closely, its scales aren’t just black and red."

Upon closer inspection, the red scales bore black runic patterns, forming an intricate magic circle.

"Those are… infernal runes. And that style of magic circle…"

It wasn’t unfamiliar to Kaylen. He had definitely seen it before.

"Could it be…?"

Srrrkkk.

Kaylen activated his spirit transformation.

– Mana insufficient.

The Guardian issued a warning about his low mana reserves.

Due to the relentless dungeon raids, Kaylen was dangerously close to depletion. One more spell could result in forced unsummoning.

Even so, there was something he wanted to test.

“Ice Spear.”

Massive spears of ice formed behind Kaylen, numbering in the dozens, and all of them shot toward the Drake in unison.

Whirrrr.

As the Ice Spears neared the Drake, a faint red glow emanated from the black magic circle engraved on its scales.

In an instant, the approaching Ice Spears began to shrink.

By the time they reached the Drake’s skin, they had already disappeared, completely disintegrated.

"As I thought. Magic… is being dismantled."

Kaylen’s mind raced as he recalled an earlier memory.

“Ha. That troublesome creature has appeared again. Sword Saint, can I leave that one to you?”

“You mean that infernal beast?”

“Exactly. Do you see that magic circle? Even high-circle magic doesn’t work on it.”

“Aren’t you a Grand Mage? Can’t you just cast high-circle magic instead of complaining?”

“…Do you think high-circle spells just materialize with a snap of your fingers? Besides, you could kill it with a single swing of your sword. It’s a matter of efficiency—please take care of it, Sword Saint.”

The creature’s resistance to magic was so high that even the Grand Mages of the Meier Empire would shake their heads in frustration.

Though their appearances varied, these infernal beasts shared one commonality: the ominous magic circles etched upon their bodies.

During the Demon King subjugation war, these creatures were a constant thorn in the side of the allied forces. However, to Kaylen, they were nothing more than easy prey.

– Mana Suit Guardian disengaged.

Srrrk.

As the mana in his suit was completely depleted, Kaylen’s elementalized body returned to its original state.

Now standing face-to-face with the Drake, completely exposed, Kaylen remained unfazed.

Despite the massive dragon advancing toward him with thundering steps, his composure was unshaken.

“Dual Sword Release.”

Water, Light.

Two of the six swords appeared: the water blade and the light blade.

“These should be enough.”

As the two mana swords hovered in the air, the Drake hesitated for a moment.

Even a beast acting purely on instinct could sense the overwhelming power emanating from the blades.

Kaylen grasped the swords in both hands.

“This might hurt a little.”

The Way of Six Swords, Dual Blade Technique, unleashed its first move: Sword Rain.

When the light blade and water blade combined, radiant droplets of water spread outward, filling the space.

These droplets soon coalesced into a multitude of tiny swords—hundreds, even thousands of them.

“Kraaaah!”

Sensing imminent danger, the Drake opened its maw, unleashing a breath attack powerful enough to incinerate the entire subspace.

Yet, the Drake’s fiery breath could not penetrate the wall of swords.

As with the earlier Ice Spears, the breath was rapidly weakened upon contact with the countless blades and dissipated entirely.

One by one, the swords began to pierce the Drake’s scales.

“Kraaaaaaah!”

The mighty roar of defiance turned into a cry of pain.

The black infernal runes etched into the Drake’s skin started fading, one after another.

Infused with the energies of light and water, the Sword Rain washed away the darkness held within the magic circles.

“Live on, Drake.”

Though he spoke of sparing its life, Kaylen continued to rain down swords relentlessly.

The once-proud Drake, which had risen so majestically, struggled desperately to resist the torrent of blades.

It roared, spewing flames, and furiously flapped its wings, but it was futile.

For a creature of its size, dodging the downpour of swords was impossible.

Thud! Thud!

Sword after sword embedded itself into the Drake’s body.

The more the Drake thrashed, the more swords embedded themselves into its massive body.

Its frantic movements gradually slowed, and the once-mighty beast began to falter.

“Grrr… grrrr…”

The pained growls that once echoed with defiance dwindled to faint whimpers.

The ferocity it displayed upon its initial appearance had completely dissipated, leaving only occasional tremors running through its body.

“Tsk. How can you collapse already?”

Kaylen clicked his tongue as he slowly approached the now-weakened Drake.

Despite being riddled with countless swords, the Drake’s body remained intact.

The only thing missing was the intricate magic circles that had once covered it.

Its size, too, had changed drastically. What was once a colossal creature spanning several dozen meters now barely measured ten meters in length.

‘So this is its true form. It hasn’t reached the status of an elder dragon yet.’

Kaylen leapt nimbly onto the Drake’s head.

On its head, now devoid of strength, sat three horns that jutted out prominently.

“Dragon, prepare to meet your true master.”

Kaylen split off a portion of Infinity and pressed it into the Drake’s horns.

Even though the act caused considerable strain on his current body, the opportunity to dominate a dragonkin was far too valuable to pass up.

“Grrr… grrrr…”

The Drake initially showed resistance, but its strength quickly waned. Lowering its head, it began to accept the Infinity shards.

Soon, each of its three horns housed a fragment of Infinity.

‘It’s done.’

Once the Drake regained its reason and submitted to the dominance, the process would be complete.

A smirk played across Kaylen’s lips at this unexpected acquisition of a Demonkind Legacy.

However...

Shhhhhh—

A sudden hissing noise interrupted his thoughts.

The Drake’s body began shrinking again, this time at an alarming rate.

Kaylen’s expression stiffened.

‘What... what is happening?’

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]