The disappearance of mages wasn’t just a problem in Phoenix. At first, people didn’t pay much attention to the disappearance of the Phoenix Magic Tower, but as more mages began to vanish, the relevance of the incident began to get talked about.
And that was years ago. Although it was certain that the disappearance was not an accident, there was no clear evidence to support it.
However, the shadow here looked like the Magic Tower master. Roman Dmitry carefully looked at the dead corpse and once again confirmed that this man was the one whom Felix spoke about.
‘The burn mark that covers half his face can be evidence.’
In addition, the magic used by the shadows was similar to the magic of Phoenix too. They used dark magic while using flames at the same time.
That was why he was able to confirm that this person had an affinity for fire. He must have tried to win with all the power he had.
So the question was, how did the Magic Tower master become a shadow? He suddenly disappeared without a trace, and there wasn’t any connection with the Kronos Empire. A reasonable suspicion was that he had been forced through black magic.
There were also beings who used similar sorcery in Murim, and they all seemed to have lost their sense of reasoning.
This felt ominous. At the very least, it seemed that the Phoenix Tower master whom Roman dealt with had lost all his thoughts and reasoning.
‘Black magic is something I cannot comprehend yet. So there might be some methods of forcing obedience that I am not aware of.’
“Chris.”
“Yes.”
“Record the faces of the corpses through the Magic Image. Later, we will verify their identities.”
“… Did the Kronos Empire really force their control onto the magicians using black magic? If that is true, then this matter needs to be formally addressed in the International Community and raised as a concern. Even the Kronos Empire cannot avoid taking responsibility for such action.”
Chris looked angry. Black magic and forbidden arts. The fact that the enemy touched a power that betrays the humans was something that he was furious about.
Roman said,
“The truth isn’t the important thing now. Whether Kronos forced them or they did it themselves, the important fact is that the Kronos Empire revealed the existence of warlocks despite knowing that there was a chance of being ‘discovered.’ No, the existence of these people and the shadows troops active in Kronos has been constantly talked about. The fact that these warlocks are one of them. If people who denied reality wanted to confirm them, they could have found out about it too.”
Kronos was becoming bolder. Kronos wasn’t hiding their ambition, and even now, they were openly displaying the warlocks, invaded the lands of Valhalla, and fought with the people of Cairo.
The horrid deeds of those with power were amazing. Rather, they might even want the truth to be the signal for a new war. People couldn’t face the truth, and everyone would watch the continent collapse with their own eyes.
Their ambition to conquer the land would not take much time from now on. There had already been signs of it happening all over the continent, and there had been clear evidence that the Kronos Empire’s desires would explode one day.
It was interesting. If Roman was a being who lived on common sense, the moment he first strayed from Kronos’s eyes, he would have died without being able to see the truth.
“Organize the troops. One hour later. We will head to the trading city.”
They were still from Dmitry, and Kronos would not give up this wonderful opportunity to kill Roman Dmitry.
It was a race against time. They had to get to the trading city as quickly as possible, but Roman Dmitry wasn’t in a hurry.
When they would arrive, safety would be their top priority. They were forced to move and were attacked by Kronos right before they reached the place, and Dmitry’s troops would have no choice but to deal with them.
So they took a few breaks on their way. They would stop by a nearby city to secure supplies, and if needed, they would spend an entire day there to relieve their fatigue from the march. That was the schedule.
Meanwhile, Sanchez was lost in his own thoughts. During the battle against the shadows, he felt so helpless.
‘How could Dmitry’s soldiers deal with the shadows? Not all of them are stronger than the warriors of Valhalla.’
However, they showed that there was something different about them by being able to cut down the shadows that scattered like smoke. It must mean that they had some special technique.
Then the battle ended. Roman Dmitry said they could head back, but Sanchez and the other warriors couldn’t. The pride of Valhalla was at stake. Even if they would die because of their choice, they hoped that their lives would be a stepping stone for Roman Dmitry to return safely.
That was why it was essential for them to deal with the shadows. If another battle broke out, he wanted to make the shadows his companions in the underworld at least.
He hesitated for a while. Before long, Sanchez, who had made a decision, approached Roman Dmitry.
“Roman Dmitry. Please tell me how to deal with the shadows.”
He asked him directly. The chances that he would tell him were slim. Such matters were usually sensitive, and even if Roman Dmitry said he wouldn’t teach him, he couldn’t just ask him.
Conversely, it was a simple task. If he were Roman, passing down the secret was a matter that had to be seriously considered. So while asking, Sanchez showed an expression that recognized his request to be unreasonable.
Roman Dmitry said,
“I get it. I will pass on the skills through Chris.”
“… You will?”
“The warriors of Valhalla proved their determination by fighting the shadows. You have the right to ask me for the skills.”
They were bold words and this made Sanchez feel emotional. Valhalla did appreciate the dedication of the warriors. However, he didn’t think that a person of another nation, who had been treated unfairly from the start, would acknowledge them.
And so, they were taught during the march. At Roman Dmitry’s words, Chris took over the training, and Chris explained the principles of the technique to them.
“The principle of attacking the shadows is not that difficult. The shadows have two weaknesses. The first is to attack the gap when their body reforms. In the end, it is a way to attack by being aware of the fact that in order for them to exist physically, they would become vulnerable for a short time. And the second one is to see through the flow of their mana and sever the link between their bodies.”
It was a simple explanation. Dmitry’s soldiers had been taught by Roman Dmitry, and it didn’t take long for them to master the art of feeling the flow of mana.
It was included in their training process to begin with, and since it was a skill that could be called an extension of it, he made the skill his own through sufficient training.
However, Sanchez and the warriors of Valhalla were different. Even after a few days, they couldn’t get a sense of it, and rather, they showed a shocked look.
“Are all the people of Dmitry geniuses in mana? I don’t understand how the flow of mana can be figured out so easily.”
Sanchez’s question made Chris realize something. What Roman Dmitry had taught him, the things he had been taught in the past, and their value. He was sure of it.
The Emperor of Valhalla wanted his allegiance, but the most ideal environment for him to grow as a swordsman was being taught by Roman Dmitry until the end.
Whether the opponent was Kronos or Valhalla, there wasn’t any room for doubt.
If Roman Dmitry overcame them all, the world would call him the best sword on the continent.
Valhalla was excited. When Roman Dmitry stopped in a city on the way, the people of Valhalla rushed to pay their respects.
“Ahhh!”
“We greet Roman Dmitry!”
“I really respect you!”
The people were all excited. They filled the streets, and some even pretended to bow to the ground. To the people of Valhalla, Roman Dmitry was no longer a stranger.
The appearance of breaking through the plans of the Kronos Empire was reminiscent of a hero’s life that once made the hearts of people burn hot.
The people said,
“Roman Dmitry is a great warrior who will rise to the world of warriors one day. To see his steps. He proved his fighting spirit by defeating Barbossa even after taking poison. And even though the Kronos Empire openly tried to kill him, he didn’t back down a single step. On the Salamander Continent, there has never been anyone like Roman Dmitry. He showed the pride a warrior should have and defeated two huge people.”
It was a story that the people of Valhalla longed for. He was one with the sword. Excluding every other social aspect, Roman Dmitry proved his existence with force alone. In addition, coming from a small nation added more to the special hero effect.
Unlike the empire, even though he had no background for people to believe in, his force itself was amazing.
Barbossa fell to his knees after just seven attacks. Even though Kronos was trying to openly assassinate him, unlike in the past, they continued to fail in killing Roman Dmitry. It was a heroic move.
As the events of the past were mentioned one by one, the people of Valhalla regarded Roman Dmitry’s existence as special.
On the road to the trading city, all the eyes and ears of the people were focused. The attacks of the shadows continued, and whenever battle broke out, Valhalla heard of their victory.
Kki!
Roman Dmitry won! This time, the troops of Kronos were killed by his sword!
When three or five people gathered, they talked about Roman Dmitry without realizing time had passed.
“We will guide you from here.”
It was a man who called himself Rodriguez. He was the leader of one of Valhalla’s military troops, the Green Field, and he ranked 7th, just one step below Barbossa.
This was good news. In order for them not to look bad to the people, Valhalla sent them, but Roman just had a cold look.
“Let us keep out the pretense. I don’t need your help. It is impossible for Kronos to run around like this in Valhalla without the permission of Valhalla. It seems like they sent out their troops on purpose because they were concerned about how people would see them, but since neither of us are stupid, take your cause and reason and retreat.”
“As the rumors said, you are quite bold.”
Rodriguez grinned. Barbossa’s death was a great achievement, but there was no reason to fear Roman Dmitry in the land of Valhalla.
“If you think this as a conspiracy of Valhalla, why would we take this risk? The public’s opinion is already on Roman Dmitry’s side. If you take a city and pass, Valhalla will eventually have no choice but to send Roman Dmitry to safety. This situation—it is something you brought to yourself. Why did you have to go and make things worse?”
The more famous Roman Dmitry grew, the clearer it became for him to die.
Then Roman Dmitry smiled at the blatant show of intentions. It was so similar. And he looked down at the opponent.
“Your thought is wrong. You cannot kill me. Even if you call Kronos and attack me directly, that will not change. So do not waste time. No matter how desperate you are, my death will not be in the land of Valhalla. And…”
At that moment, Rodriguez’s expression went stiff. The force of the killing intent that rose around him made his body feel like it was being clenched.
“As soon as I return to Dmitry, you will all pay for it. Therefore, if you want to kill me, do your best. If not, you will never get such a better chance.”
Roman Dmitry. It was confirmed that he was insane.
In the land of Valhalla, when he was being attacked by Kronos, two big empire’s turned on him, but he gave his enemies more reasons to attack him.
And this brought out his curiosity. In the coming days, would Roman Dmitry really be able to head back to Dmitry?
Rodriguez was convinced that such a thing shouldn’t happen.
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