"A demon lord's castle…" one of the younger knights muttered under his breath, eyes wide with dread.
Smack! Gareth struck the back of his comrade's head- a gesture he often delivered, whether warranted or not. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"So, is this the source of sinister energy? Interesting," Allen uttered, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the surroundings.
One of the knights pointed toward a weathered wooden post near the base of the tower. "Look there—it bears a warning: Do not enter."
The knights exchanged uneasy glances, their murmurs growing louder. "That clearly meant trespass."
"Is that an abandoned magic tower?" one of them asked.
"Perhaps not," another replied, studying the structure. "Though it looks worn, it is far too well-kept to be forsaken."
"Was this here before?" a third knight questioned.
Remarked by Allen, "Looking at its appearance, this tower must have existed for at least a thousand years. This is an amazing discovery."
Commander Darius calls forth his marshal, saying with firm authority, "Marshal Romeo, take count of the casualty and report immediately."
After a short while Marshal Romeo returned, his countenance grave.
Bowing his head slightly, he spoke, "Commander, twenty elite knights has died due to self-inflected wound. Most of them are newly promoted elites."
With restrained sorrow, Commander Darius muttered, "Figures! The best thing we can do is to pray for our fallen comrades and collect their valuables as mementos."
The prayer was led by Priest Jarek as he cried, "Oh God Jeremiah of mercy and boundless love, We mourn for our brethren who have fallen because of the wicked witch magic. Though illusion clouded their senses, their hearts remained true. They died with honor, clad in duty and please grant them eternal rest as they join your grace. May the justice of light prevail and punish those who sinned…"
Touched by the sacred words and the weight of shared memory, the knights could no longer hold back their grief. Hardened warriors, clad in steel and scarred by battle, wept openly.
Some fell to their knees, others bowed their heads, clutching the hilts of their swords in silent reverence.
And as one, with voices trembling yet resolute, they echoed the priest's final word: "Amen…"
With the prayer concluded the steeds of the fallen—military horses that had borne their masters—were now gently laden with the corpse wrapped in cloaks bearing the sigil of their order.
"We've been venturing this area multiple times, but I've never seen this magic tower before, not in this area." commanded Darius, voice firm and authoritative.
He turned to Allen as he pressed his question further, "You still haven't answered my question."
Allen hesitated, then exhaled slowly. "Fine! But it's difficult to explain… but I recognized the magic. The inscription, the pattern of the drawing—it's familiar to me. The counter to the illusion is simple, if you know it: blockade and shut down your mana flow. The spell targets your mana directly. If you cut it off, the illusion loses its usefulness."
"Hey! Isn't disabling your mana the same as ending your life? You can't just do that! That's suicide! We should punish this mage for lying." Gareth scowl.
Allen scoffed "See? Hard to explain, ignoramus will never grasp the knowledge of a 7th core mage."
Commander Darius, pleased by his words, uttered, "Well then, step aside."
At his command, the knights obediently stepped aside, but Allen moved to intercept him. "I had told you everything I know. What do you think you are doing?"
Marshal Romeo stepped forth, his brow furrowed with worry ,"Commander, Think twice before doing this. We suffered casualties and we cannot afford to lose more."
Commander Darius ignored them as he unsheathed his Azure Great sword, gripping it with one hand.
He held the sword high above his head, the blade slightly angled downwards. His lead foot was on the same side as the hand gripping the sword, with his knee bent slightly. His rear foot was positioned slightly behind and to the side, ready to support his stance.
A blue aura suddenly engulfed the entire area, its intensity and size comparable to the earlier magic circle.
The aura emanated from Commander Darius, swirling around him like a tempest. He took a deep breath, his eyes focused and determined, and screamed, "Storm Sword Style, First Form: Line Drive."
The knights watched in silence, their eyes wide with amazement. The sheer power and elegance of the technique left them speechless, as they marveled at their commander's skill.
"Whoosh. Whoosh"
A slight earthquake shook the ground, accompanied by a massive breakthrough of wind as Commander Darius thrust his sword towards the magic tower.
The sheer force of his attack created a massive ground contour, carving a deep trench in the earth. A trace of faint blue aura shimmered like a ghostly trail.
Though the weight of grief still lingered, the knights could not help but be drawn once more to the sight before them. "So cool," one of the knights whispered in awe.
"That's our Commander Darius," another knight added.
Every time Commander Darius performed the technique, almost all of his opponents were annihilated.
His swordsmanship style, Storm Sword Style, had been passed down by a select commander in Southern La Magia entrusted with protecting the territory. It was renowned as one of the strongest swordsmanship styles in the kingdom.
To their surprise, the magic tower remained unscratched, protected by a powerful barrier that enveloped it. However, the barrier itself was not impervious to Commander Darius's attack.
His thrust left a mark, shattering a human-sized section of the barrier.
On the sideline, Allen wasn't impressed by Darius's swordsmanship but rather by the barrier magic.
"I've never seen a barrier of this calibe." He remarked filled with astonishment.
Commander Darius retorted with a smirk, "You've never seen a magic barrier this flimsy?"
Allen shook his head. "You're just a monster of a different level, but this is considerably one of the strongest barriers I've ever seen."
Allen thought to himself:
"Common strikes and 6th core magic wouldn't work against this kind of barrier."
"Even I, is not confident that I could even scratch the barrier. And yet the Southern Strongest Sword- one of the kingdom's strongest swordsmen, a 4th aura corewith a Heroic knight as a blessing, wielding the strongest swordsmanship and he is considered as the greatest aura user cannot shatter it. This barrier needs to be studied."
As Commander Darius was about to prepare for another masterclass attack, Allen shouted, "Hold! This barrier magic needs to be studied on behalf of the duke's grace!"
Commander Darius had no choice but to comply if it would benefit their territory. He unsheathed his great sword.
Commander Darius turned to his men, as he called out, "Those who would brave the Magic Tower at my side, step forth. Those who choose to remain, stand watch and await our return."
His knights had fought alongside Commander Darius in various wars, slaying monsters and facing life-or-death situations. Because of this, they all had the courage to raid the sinister Magic Tower together.
They also felt safer with Commander Darius by their side rather than waiting outside, where they might encounter unknown dangers without their commander. And thus, the raid began.
As soon as they set foot at the magic tower entrance. A massive magic circle inscribed by runes stone has appeared underfoot.
Allen knew what it was as he said, "Everyone, calm down, this is a teleportation magic. There's no need to panic."