The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 135: The Medicine King (3)

Buzz.

With a grim expression, the Sword Demon summoned another iron blade, focusing his mana to activate his unique ability, Magnetic Control.

The weapons of his fallen comrades floated into the air around him, and even weapons scattered across the mountainside were drawn toward him.

In moments, over a hundred weapons hovered around him, each sheathed in an aura blade.

“To think you’d risk your life like this. Why not withdraw while you still can, Sword Demon? My business is only with the Medicine King. There’s no need for us to clash if there’s no ill will between us.”

“It’s my creed to fulfill any job I accept, no matter the cost. Abandoning my employer simply to save my own skin? That would destroy not just my reputation, but the very purpose of my existence. I won’t accept such disgrace.”

“A criminal talking about honor and creed—how noble.”

Martin clicked his tongue in mild disdain but didn’t press further. If the Sword Demon was set on self-destruction, he had no reason to stop him.

“Trying to sow discord? Hardly fitting for a noble,” the Sword Demon retorted.

“Respect is reserved for those who deserve it. Criminals like you don’t qualify,” Martin replied coldly.

“That arrogance will be your downfall, young master.”

“Are you that slow to learn? Neither of you stands a chance.”

Martin’s gaze shifted back and forth between the Medicine King and the Sword Demon, his composure unshaken. The two men sensed the unyielding confidence in his stance.

“Haaap!”

The Sword Demon made the first move, shouting as he swung the twin iron swords in his hands, commanding the floating weapons to rain down on Martin.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The weapons tore through the air, slicing fiercely toward Martin. The impact created craters across the ground—but Martin was untouched.

Hum.

Martin evaded effortlessly, teleporting through the rifts in space.

It doesn’t matter how powerful the attack is if it doesn’t hit.

Reappearing behind the Sword Demon, Martin struck with the holy sword Karadyl. But he frowned, sensing the ground beneath him had hardened into stone—a trap laid by the Medicine King.

If Martin’s blade had connected with the Sword Demon, he too would have been turned to stone.

Got him!

The Medicine King’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. Although his first attempt to corner Martin had failed, he had managed to steer him into a vulnerable position.

Swish!

The Medicine King sprinted toward Martin, thrusting his right fist forward, wrapped in a swirling gray aura imbued with petrification.

Clever move.

Martin silently acknowledged the strategy. If the Medicine King’s aura blade even grazed him, he’d be turned to stone, followed by a crushing blow from the Medicine King’s fist to shatter his petrified form.

The attack had a dual purpose, but now that Martin had read his intention, it was useless.

Hum.

With a clenched left hand, Martin instantly widened the space between them, causing the Medicine King’s fist to cut through empty air. Unfazed, the Medicine King regrouped and lunged at Martin again.

Meanwhile, the Sword Demon’s iron blades stretched out, their length extending toward Martin like serpents, weaving eerily in the air. As they approached, the blades split into twelve branches, surrounding him.

Fwoosh.

Martin’s left hand ignited with crimson flames, and a blast of heat erupted, scorching the iron blades. Forced to retreat, the Medicine King’s face twisted in irritation.

The Sword Demon, however, was struck with shock.

What?!

The intense flames melted his iron blades, reducing them to molten metal—even though they had been reinforced with aura.

Although the extended length had dispersed the aura’s power, it was still unimaginable for them to melt so easily.

“Now then. Try this.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The flaming vortex split into two, one headed for the Medicine King and the other for the Sword Demon.

In response, the Medicine King smashed his fist into the ground, causing a mound of earth to rise as a barrier.

The Sword Demon summoned more iron, shaping it into a whirlwind to shield himself from Martin’s fiery onslaught.

Crash!

“Gah!”

“Ugh!”

As they blocked the attack, both men let out strained grunts. The sheer intensity of the heat and the resulting shockwave was overwhelming, even for fighters of their caliber.

Hum.

While the flames raged on, Martin reappeared at the Sword Demon’s right side in an instant.

“One down.”

Before the Sword Demon could react, Karadyl was already thrusting toward his neck.

Startled, the Sword Demon abandoned his defense against the flames and twisted his body, raising his iron blade to intercept the attack.

But just as their blades were about to clash, Martin flicked his left thumb.

Crack!

Enhanced gravity bore down on the Sword Demon, throwing him off balance. His body staggered under the unexpected force, and in that moment, he realized the inevitability of his death.

Slash!

True to form, Karadyl pierced the Sword Demon’s neck.

“Gah!”

Blood gushed out as the Sword Demon choked, his consciousness fading. Even in his final moments, he looked at Martin, who regarded him with the same calm gaze.

So this is the power of the continent’s foremost sword family’s sole heir…

Even among the 8th-circle, Martin’s strength was fearsome. Surely, one day, he would rank among the greatest swordsmen on the continent.

Finding some semblance of satisfaction in meeting his end at the hands of such a formidable warrior, the Sword Demon closed his eyes.

—

“Honestly…”

The Medicine King gave a bitter smile.

He had spent an immense fortune to recruit the Sword Demon, believing that killing or capturing Martin would yield far more than his initial investment. But now, he had not only lost all that money but was also facing the threat of his own death.

Glancing around, his bitter smile deepened.

Step, step.

Sien and Adel approached him calmly, looking completely at ease. Despite their mere 6th-circle status, these two had managed to slaughter dozens of his elite fighters.

“Don’t take it too personally,” Sien said. “You just had bad luck with your matchups.”

“You would’ve had better odds sending the Sword Demon against us instead,” Adel added. “He could have taken us down quickly and rejoined you, while the rest of your forces could have weakened the young master.”

The Medicine King let out a sigh. “You and your master both have absolutely no respect for others, it seems.”

Though he grumbled, inwardly, he admitted they were right. He cursed himself for making such a foolish decision.

“Surely you’re smart enough to see you have no chance of winning,” Martin said. “You also can’t escape from someone who controls space like me. Why not give up, share what you know, and meet a peaceful end?”

“I’ll have to decline,” the Medicine King replied. “In the world of battle, there’s no such thing as an absolute.”

“Ah, I agree with that. I’ve put it to the test myself, like the time I defeated the Dark King despite being only a 7th-circle against his 8th-circle. But you’d be wise not to expect the same. I won’t underestimate you.”

Martin’s calm gaze settled on the Medicine King. Thanks to The Dragon’s Curse, he could see exactly how his opponent was manipulating his mana, reading even the Medicine King’s slightest movements.

In the past, a fight like this might have worn me out, but not anymore.

Martin’s physical condition was close to its peak now. He felt some pain within his body, but it was bearable. He was confident he could sustain this level of combat for hours if necessary.

“Even if you’re going all out, it doesn’t matter to me,” Martin said.

Thud!

As the Medicine King stomped his right foot on the ground, his petrifying aura surged out, spreading rapidly.

Sien and Adel immediately teleported to avoid it, while Martin floated lightly in the air, looking down at his opponent.

“My petrification ability may turn anything it touches into stone, but that’s not all it can do,” the Medicine King said.

Rumble!

The earth shook violently, and chunks of stone rose, clinging to his body to form a massive stone armor.

With another stomp, enormous stone fists emerged from the ground.

Martin gave a low whistle of admiration. “You’ve taken it to the level of manipulating the stone itself. Classic 8th-circle strength.”

“Unlike you, young master, who juggles different powers, I specialize in this rock-based ability. The difference in efficiency is staggering. Let’s see if you alone can withstand the might of the earth.”

“Nice words. But I can see your mana is draining rapidly, and your body’s straining under the power.”

“This is nothing,” the Medicine King replied with a wry smile. “Through the earth, I can continuously replenish my strength. As for the pain… I only need to endure it until I kill you.”

Inwardly, he regretted not using this power while the Sword Demon was still alive. He had held back due to the strain, but in hindsight, it would have been better to unleash it earlier.

Well, regrets always come too late.

Martin shrugged. “It’s good to have lofty goals. Achieving them, though—that’s another matter.”

“Let’s see, shall we?” the Medicine King roared, punching the air in Martin’s direction. The enormous stone fist barreled toward him, tearing up the ground as it went.

Martin evaded with ease, teleporting behind the Medicine King.

Swish!

The Medicine King, anticipating his move, spun on his heel like a top, using the momentum to kick upward, aiming a powerful strike at Martin’s head.

It’s like he’s using a detection spell.

Any presence on the ground couldn’t escape the Medicine King’s awareness. But Martin adjusted the distance between them with a subtle manipulation of space, closing in swiftly.

Having seen this before, the Medicine King didn’t panic. He directed the massive stone fist to smash down on Martin once again.

Tighten.

Martin clenched his left fist, channeling a technique from Rothar Martial Art, and delivered a powerful punch that met the stone fist head-on.

Crash!

The stone fist shattered instantly, sending fragments flying in all directions and momentarily obscuring the Medicine King’s vision.

He’ll teleport again.

The Medicine King sharpened his senses, preparing to counter Martin’s next move, no matter where he reappeared.

But, to his surprise, Martin didn’t teleport. He remained in place, watching the Medicine King with calm focus as he thrust Karadyl forward into the empty air.

In a normal world, the sword would simply slice through the atmosphere. But here, reality itself responded.

The golden blade, sheathed in an aura of dimensional magic, merged with the fabric of space.

Hum.

A radiant cube of golden energy expanded, forming a cage around Martin and the Medicine King.

This was the manifestation of the Adalbert family’s legendary ability: Spatial Blade.

“It’s over.”

“No matter how sharp your blade is, it won’t break my armor….”

“That armor? Breaking it is hardly a challenge.”

Slash!

Golden sword strikes flooded the Medicine King in a relentless barrage. Too numerous to count, each slash was imbued with both aura and the cutting force of space itself.

Before this ultimate cutting power, the Medicine King’s armor was meaningless.

“Aaaaargh!”

The Medicine King screamed in agony. Even he couldn’t endure the pain of his limbs being severed one by one.

Still, he struggled to lift his enormous stone fists for another attack, but Martin’s strikes were faster.

A wedge-shaped slash shot forward, piercing straight through the Medicine King’s mana core in his abdomen.

“No!”

As the source of his power shattered, despair appeared on the Medicine King’s face.

Martin gazed at him calmly and said, “I told you—I wouldn’t let my guard down.”

One thing was now certain.

The 8th circle no longer posed a threat to him.