The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 134: The Medicine King (2)

“Aaaargh!”

“Die!”

The Medicine King’s henchmen charged at Martin, fear etched on their faces despite their intense resolve. It was almost impressive, if futile.

Not that it changes anything, Martin thought.

He swiftly grabbed the throat of the first man to reach him.

The henchman, struggling to breathe, managed to grip Martin’s right arm with both hands.

Almost simultaneously, a red glow ignited across the man’s body, culminating in a massive explosion.

Boom!

Scarlet flames shot up, turning bone fragments and flesh into a storm of sharp debris aimed at Martin. And this was only the beginning.

More henchmen, their bodies glowing with the same ominous light, charged at him like moths to a flame.

Even those who had been fighting Sien and Adel seized the opportunity and lunged toward Martin.

“Come with us to hell, Martin Adalbert!”

“This is your end!”

Bang! Boom!

The explosions erupted in rapid succession, each one amplifying the heat and destructive force of the previous.

The ground was left pockmarked with craters, molten lava-like residue bubbling up in places.

A storm of body fragments, sharpened by the explosions, swept over Martin and carved into the ground like claw marks.

“You’re taking these hits on purpose, aren’t you, young master?” Sien remarked casually.

“Precisely,” Martin replied.

Within the blazing inferno, a ring of golden flames flared up, followed by an opening through which Martin calmly stepped out.

He had taken the series of explosions point-blank, yet emerged entirely unscathed—without even a single scorch mark.

“Annoying pests. They’re even destroying evidence with their own deaths,” Martin muttered irritably.

The henchmen’s self-destruction had left the Clodel fields in ruins. While other fields existed across the mountain, the unnecessary complication bothered him.

“Still, it seems clear this is where Doom is being produced,” Sien noted.

“Even without hard evidence, it’s reasonable to assume that the Medicine King is responsible for its manufacture,” Adel added.

Martin nodded in agreement.

“It seems the Medicine King is reluctant to show himself. We’ve made quite a scene, and yet he hasn’t appeared.”

“From his perspective, it’s probably safer to avoid being caught up in the ‘calamity’ that is the young master,” Sien remarked with a grin.

“Even so, it won’t make a difference. Right now, the public would believe anything I say. That alone will ensure his downfall. The only way for him to salvage this situation is by confronting me directly.”

Rumble!

Almost in response to Adel’s words, a wave of murderous intent surged from nearby.

Sien and Adel’s expressions tensed as they prepared themselves. Despite both being 6th-circle mages, the force of the aura was overwhelming.

But Martin’s lips curled into a smile.

“Quick to assess the situation, Gert Forktz—or should I call you the Medicine King? Either way, your only chance at survival is to take me down.”

“I must apologize for ever thinking the Dark King was a fool. It seems he didn’t fall in vain.”

Martin infused mana into his words, and the Medicine King replied in the same manner as he emerged from the shadows.

He looked identical to the fake they had encountered earlier at the merchant guild, though his expression was slightly more composed.

“Your identity is already exposed. We know this is where Doom is manufactured. Why not surrender and atone for your crimes?”

“There’s no need to take things that far. Killing you would resolve all problems quite neatly, wouldn’t it?”

“Do you realize how many people have died thinking that same thing? Why repeat their mistake?”

“You, of all people, should understand why, young master. People always believe that they’re the exception. I have no doubt I’m different from those who failed before. In fact, I’ve come well-prepared.”

The Medicine King raised his arms, and dozens of henchmen emerged from the shadows.

All of them were at least 3rd-circle, with a third of them having reached the 4th circle. Among them, four were even at the 5th circle.

However, what truly caught Martin’s eye was the man standing beside the Medicine King—a figure known across the underworld for his prowess.

“Didn’t expect you to bow to someone else, Sword Demon. What’s the story there?”

The Sword Demon, Berti Netscher, was an infamous assassin known for facing his targets head-on.

His reputation had soared after a duel with the Shadow King, where he had earned the right to remain independent from the Assassin Guild.

“I wouldn’t call it bowing. I’m simply collaborating for a chance to learn from one of the greatest sword masters on the continent.”

“I don’t mind teaching you, but my lessons come at a high price. Namely, your life. Can you afford it?”

Berti replied with a smirk.

“Such arrogance, young master. Do you really think the three of you can stand against this force? It’s not too late—surrender, and I’ll spare your life.”

“Surrender? Does anyone here feel like surrendering?” Martin asked, glancing at Sien and Adel.

Sien snorted, and Adel gave a cold smile.

“Looks like no one,” Martin said.

“I can’t understand why you’d choose death, but I’ll respect your decision nonetheless,” the Medicine King said.

“No need to. I couldn’t care less about a criminal’s motivations.”

Whirr.

Martin summoned the holy sword Karadyl from his personal dimension.

He was confident in his ability to defeat them, but he wasn’t about to take any chances.

The Medicine King observed him and fitted a pair of unusual gauntlets onto his arms. The gauntlets covered only the back of his hands, leaving his palms exposed.

Standing beside him, the Sword Demon reached forward, summoning a long sword forged from the iron embedded in the earth.

“I’ll leave your head intact; there’s a lot I want to ask you.”

Slash!

The moment Martin swung Karadyl, dozens of golden trails sliced through the air, signaling the start of the battle.

—

The golden trails wove together like a net, targeting the Medicine King’s henchmen.

The Sword Demon responded by swinging his iron sword, slicing through the air.

Boom!

The blade, infused with a violet aura, clashed directly with Martin’s golden sword energy, neutralizing his attack.

In that instant, the Medicine King charged toward Martin.

The Medicine King’s true innate ability is petrification.

Anything that touched the Medicine King’s skin would turn to stone. Once petrified, it was irreversible—a deadly ability that had earned his touch the moniker “Death’s Hand.”

As long as I don’t let him touch me, it won’t matter.

With a slight twist, Martin swung the holy sword Karadyl, aiming directly at the Medicine King’s gauntlet.

Crash!

A powerful sound rang out, but the gauntlet remained intact, shielded by a gray aura that enveloped it.

“Haaaap!”

The Medicine King thrust his left fist forward, his aura swirling around it in a furious spiral. Martin easily blocked the attack with a downward strike of Karadyl.

Swish!

Meanwhile, dozens of iron strands split apart from the Sword Demon’s blade and lunged toward Martin, vibrating at high speed to maximize their cutting power. Each strand was infused with aura, enhancing their lethal sharpness.

But Martin remained calm as he observed the oncoming attack.

Trying to challenge my defenses with mere cutting power is meaningless.

No matter what type of attack his opponent threw at him, nothing could penetrate the dimensional cuts he wielded with Karadyl.

Martin unleashed a series of sword strikes, tearing open rifts in space that absorbed some of the iron strands.

Despite the failure of his offensive, the Sword Demon was unfazed. While Martin was occupied with the iron strands, the Medicine King made his move.

The Medicine King leaped high, positioning himself to strike from above.

Do they not realize that ambushes don’t work on me? Martin thought, smirking inwardly.

He flicked his left index finger, releasing a surge of gravitational force that pressed down on the Medicine King, disrupting his stance mid-air.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Martin spun like a top, slashing upward with Karadyl. A golden arc, infused with spatial power, sliced through the air, aimed at the Medicine King.

Crash!

The Sword Demon intercepted the golden arc with his iron sword, sparing the Medicine King from being cleaved in two. But there was no relief in his expression.

Hum.

In a blur, Martin utilized teleportation, appearing right in front of the Sword Demon.

Martin’s left fist cut through the air, a fierce blow directed at the Sword Demon’s torso.

Blocking it head-on is out of the question!

The Sword Demon had done his research, and he knew that any contact with Martin’s punches would allow Martin’s mana to infiltrate his body, wreaking havoc internally.

Bzzz!

The Sword Demon swiftly raised his iron strands, forming a protective barrier around himself. But Martin’s fist shattered the barrier in a single punch.

Watching his defense crumble, the Sword Demon’s eyes trembled with disbelief.

Such terrifying power! He shouldn’t have the physical strength typical of an 8th-circle mage…

Despite his shock, the Sword Demon leaped back to create some distance.

But Martin wasn’t going to let him escape.

Hum.

With a pulse of energy, space itself seemed to shrink, closing the gap between them.

“What—?!”

The Sword Demon’s eyes widened in alarm as Martin closed in.

“One down,” Martin muttered, thrusting Karadyl toward the Sword Demon’s heart.

At the last second, the Sword Demon teleported away, dodging the lethal blow.

Boom!

Almost immediately, the Medicine King’s fist struck the ground where the Sword Demon had been, hardening the shattered earth beneath him like stone.

“Honestly, this is disappointing. I thought I’d take you down easily,” Martin remarked with a smirk.

“…To think you’ve reached such skill so shortly after achieving the 8th circle—it’s infuriatingly unbelievable. And those two are just as problematic,” the Medicine King muttered, his expression grim.

Screams echoed across the battlefield as Sien and Adel dispatched the Medicine King’s elite forces one by one.

“I don’t travel with them for nothing. Even though they’re only 6th-circle, they’re better suited to handling weaker opponents than some 7th-circle fighters.”

Outnumbering Sien and Adel was useless if the enemy’s attacks couldn’t even land. Against the weak, the two women were practically invincible.

“We’re being overpowered even though we joined forces. It seems we’ll need to commit fully, Medicine King,” said the Sword Demon.

“I agree, Sword Demon. It’s time to stake our lives on this.”

“You two think you can get what you want just by steeling your resolve? If simply wishing for something made it happen, there wouldn’t be a word for hardship.”

Martin thought to himself that, for him, hardship no longer applied. Though much had changed, he had already lived through his past once. Knowing the future, enduring hardships was, to him, a pointless waste of time.

“Your only purpose is to serve as a stepping stone for my experience,” he declared coldly.

To Martin, the two men had no value beyond that.