My Magic Has No Upper Limit

It was as if, after countless ages, he had fused with the throne.

It wasn’t just Marcus who was alarmed; a deep sense of dread also rose in Hill’s heart.

’When I entered the Temple earlier, I didn’t sense this man’s presence at all!’

Just as Marcus shouted his warning...

"CREAK...!"

The man suddenly moved.

His every movement was stiff and halting, like rusting metal.

His hands slowly lifted from the armrests, as if breaking free from invisible shackles.

A chill ran down Valles’s spine.

’He’s actually alive?!’

The man stood up. Though his face was hidden beneath his hood, one got the distinct feeling that he was staring right at you.

Then he took a step.

One step, then another, he walked toward the party.

The weapons strapped to the man’s back fanned out behind him like the black tail feathers of a peacock.

As he walked, the weapons knocked against each other, creating a crisp CLINK-CLANG that sounded like wind chimes in the early morning mist.

There was no leakage of Fighting Qi, no fluctuation of Magic Power.

He approached so calmly, yet the atmosphere in the hall suddenly grew tense and suffocating, as if on a knife’s edge.

"Stay back!"

Marcus yelled the warning, his eyes fixed on the figure.

Marcus could feel an immense threat emanating from this man.

The mysterious man paid no heed to Marcus’s warning and continued walking toward the party.

"Do we fight?"

Hill’s voice was extremely low. She glanced at Zelir out of the corner of her eye, awaiting her captain’s decision.

She had already sunk into a low stance, lowering her center of gravity.

The moment Zelir gave the order, she could lunge forward.

But right now, Zelir was also undecided.

’This guy is clearly human, but he’s definitely no ordinary Adventurer.’

’The battle outside was so fierce, yet he just sat here, completely unmoved. He didn’t help... but he didn’t attack us either.’

’It doesn’t make any sense.’

’Could he be... someone who was originally left behind in these ruins?’

’A Guardian? Or something even stranger?’

’And most importantly, he hasn’t drawn a weapon.’

’If we attack rashly, will we just provoke him?’

As these thoughts raced through his mind, the man came to a stop five meters away from the party.

This was already an extremely dangerous distance.

But he finally stood still, and a raspy voice echoed from beneath his hood.

"Vae’kesh Shael’ad An’dorah thoribas. Vor’enai... Lir’khas... Dath’Remar..."

The party members exchanged glances, all seeing the surprise on each other’s faces.

They had never heard the language the man was speaking.

The strange, guttural pronunciation was almost like the Elven Language.

But strangely, the meaning of his words was conveyed to them with perfect clarity.

(After millennia of waiting, I have finally met others...)

(My blades yearn for a true duel, to free my soul from its bound flesh.)

Zelir didn’t quite understand the man’s words.

’A millennia-long vigil...’

’It seems he really is a native of these ruins.’

’But what does he mean by a duel... does he want to fight?’

"A duel...?" Zelir asked cautiously.

He spoke in the common tongue of the Candia Continent.

Yet the man understood him, replying in that same strange, guttural language.

"A duel."

The man nodded slightly.

"The victor may have their pick of my collection."

"And if we fail?" Zelir asked again.

"Pain is the best teacher," the man said faintly.

The party members exchanged another look.

’This guy seems to be some kind of native sword fanatic...’

’His meaning is simple enough.’

’A one-on-one duel with him.’

’Win, and you get one of his weapons.’

’And if you lose... from the sounds of it, he won’t kill you?’

Their eyes swept over the weapons on the mysterious man’s back.

A Longsword as black as ink, a Long Halberd carved with magnificent runes, a pair of strangely curved Dual Swords, and a heavy, solid greatmaul.

Without a doubt, they were all items of exceptional quality.

But judging by the oppressive aura the man exuded, beating him would be no simple task.

Besides, it was a one-on-one duel, so no one else could help.

Considering they had just fought a grueling battle with the Thorny Giant Beast and everyone was low on stamina...

"Can we refuse?" Zelir asked warily.

The man simply gave a slight nod, showing no signs of anger.

"Time is the best whetstone for skill. We will meet again."

Then, with a slightly stiff gait, he walked past the party and straight out of the Divine Hall.

The CLINK-CLANG of his weapons gradually faded into the distance, and his figure soon vanished into the vast jungle.

The Temple was now truly empty.

"What a strange man..." Hill frowned.

"In all my years of adventuring, that’s a first for me," Marcus said, letting out a breath with a hint of relief.

’Good thing we didn’t have to fight.’

He wasn’t sure how many blows he could have taken from that mysterious man.

Zelir gazed thoughtfully in the direction the man had gone.

A moment later, he turned to Gray.

"Gray, are you confident you could beat him in a duel?"

Without a doubt, Gray had the best Sword Skills in the party.

Hill was an Assassin; a straightforward, head-on duel would put her at a great disadvantage.

"It would be difficult. The chances are minuscule."

Gray said frankly, weighing the sword in his hand.

"If I were at peak condition, with a better weapon, and with your enhancements... maybe there’d be a tiny sliver of hope?"

"Of course, only a tiny one."

"And I have a feeling... those weapons on his back aren’t his source of Power. They’re more like a burden."

...

After the unexpected interlude with the mysterious man, the party ascended the stone stairs to the second-floor platform.

An oval curtain of light hovered silently, looking no different from the entrance to the first level of the ruins. It was very stable.

"Should we keep exploring?" Valles said.

"No. We’ll just take a quick look inside, then head back to Sengu Town. We’ve gained and spent enough on this trip."

Marcus looked around at the others. "Any objections?"

Everyone agreed.

This ruin exploration trip was more or less over. It was time for a proper rest.

They weren’t familiar with the second level, so they’d let other Adventurers be the vanguards and scout the path.

"I’ll go in first and check things out. If it’s clear, I’ll come back and tell you," Valles volunteered.

He was in the best condition of anyone in the party right now.

"I’ll go with you."

Gray stepped up. "In case anything happens, we can watch each other’s backs."

Valles glanced at Gray but said nothing, simply nodding.

The two of them prepared themselves and stepped into the curtain of light one after the other, their figures vanishing.

The others remained on the edge of the platform, staying alert as they waited patiently.

They didn’t have to wait long. About five minutes later, Valles and Gray emerged from the curtain of light.

"Well? What’s it like?" Zelir asked.

"Hsss..."

Gray scratched his head, an indescribable look on his face. "The second level of the ruins is... a little weird..."

"A little weird?" Zelir frowned.

"I can’t really explain it. It just doesn’t feel much like ruins... Anyway, you’ll know what I mean when you see it for yourself."

With that, Gray once again led the way into the curtain of light.

The others followed close behind, stepping through one by one.

After passing through the light curtain, Zelir instinctively shielded his eyes with his hand.

’The light is so blinding.’

’Wait... light?’

Zelir felt that something was wrong.

’How can there be such a blinding light inside the ruins?’

Zelir lowered his arm and looked around.

His jaw dropped unconsciously.

The party was now standing on the edge of a towering, steep cliff!

Beneath their feet was hard, rough rock. Looking out, they could even see a sea of forests in the distance.

A mountain breeze washed over them, carrying none of the stifling heat from the first level of the ruins. Instead, it was refreshing and pleasant.

And the light...

Zelir looked up.

’That place should have been shrouded in mist.’

But now, he could see the sky.

A vast, boundless sky.

And there was a sun!

’Aren’t we inside the ruins? Where did the sun come from?’