Chapter 186

#186 Episode: The Tin Knight and the World Inside the Library (6)

“Welcome, my knight. My creation. I’m glad you were born into this world.”

Silver tools, black-and-white documents, and magical characters floating in the air.

In the center stood the master, smiling and reaching out a hand toward him.

That was the first scene the White Knight recognized upon arriving in this world.

The White Knight was exceptional.

His body was strong, his athletic abilities were outstanding, and the magnitude of magical power he could wield, along with his judgment and calculation skills, surpassed any magical automaton nearby.

The White Knight’s artificial soul concluded there was no magical automaton with better performance than himself.

But that was not a source of pride.

It was more like a cause for mockery.

The reason was simple.

The power he possessed was absolutely not given without a cost.

In contrast to the vigorous activities of the early days of the Magical Tower’s construction, the North Witch was seen in public less and less as time went by.

The same applied to her apprentices; just a little over a hundred years ago, the North Witch’s best students drove the tower’s innovations and prosperity, but now, most of them had either died or retired.

When the North Witch finally produced a new best student after decades, and rumors spread that this girl was the most outstanding among all the children she had taught, the reactions from the four towers were nothing short of enthusiastic.

‘Guardian’ gleamed at her skills in creating and developing various magical devices.

‘Seer’ envied her brilliance in mastering numerous ancient languages and magical characters at such a young age.

‘Annihilator’ marveled at her sense for adeptly using enhancement magic, which was not typically suited for combat.

Even ‘Controller’ went so far as to break their bloodline bias and sought to grant the girl a new surname, as her talents shone like gemstones.

Faced with invitations from the four towers to join them, the girl chose the Tower of Guardian.

When asked by the Master of the Tower of Guardian for her reason, she replied:

“It seems like the best place to create magical automatons.”

The Master of the Tower of Guardian was taken aback.

While it was true that the Magical Kingdom used magical automatons more frequently than other nations, that was mainly because they were easy to handle and had reliable performance.

While they might be suitable for inexperienced beginners or mid-level wizards who had reached their growth limits, it wasn’t quite fitting for a genius with exceptional abilities like the girl to take one on as a familiar.

Of course, the Master of the Tower of Guardian didn’t voice this concern.

Since the Tower of Guardian was where the first artificial soul was created, it had its own symbolism. If she were to leave for another tower due to negative comments, that would cause a different kind of trouble.

But the girl’s actions far exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Not only did she collect all the data available at the Tower of Guardian, but she also extended her reach to other towers and even other countries if necessary.

She went so far as to act as a mercenary for hire or sell the rights to the magic she developed.

People whispered about her as a mad genius.

Some laughed, saying she was just a child playing with dolls.

Others were indignant, asking if she had no pride as a wizard, and many clicked their tongues, claiming she tarnished the North Witch’s name.

Suspicion, ridicule, contempt, and the rare kindness and support.

Amid the swirling chaos, the White Knight was granted life.

And with his superior abilities, he became aware of what the girl had sacrificed to create him.

As a recently born artificial soul, he was essentially the embodiment of reason and logic.

The White Knight assessed his master’s actions as irrational.

Surely, his performance was excellent, but he didn’t think it was worth the effort she was putting in.

“Don’t mind what others say, Sigurd. No, Sig. You definitely have worth just as you are.”

“You will become a hero etched in history. I will ensure that happens. And when you do, everyone will flip their palms in disbelief!”

Seeing his master speak with confidence and smile, something stirred deep within the White Knight’s chest.

But the immature soul couldn’t grasp what this ripple was.

All he could do, unable to even utter awkward words of an oath, was to calmly fulfill the meaning of his own existence.

As someone endowed with the most blessed abilities among magical automatons, it wasn’t difficult for him to show worthy performance.

He thought it wouldn’t be that hard.

The Tower of Guardian, which was near the pinnacle of the field of magical automatons.

A result of gathering the latest technology and pouring in knowledge from other towers.

It meant he had performance not only surpassing ordinary magical automatons but even rivaling top-tier spirits, according to his calculations.

So.

The competition and loss he suffered in TikTok were simply ‘unthinkable’ events for the White Knight.

Even if it was not a life-and-death struggle with real swords but merely a competition of skills, that was no excuse.

His opponent was an old and dusty automaton.

There was nothing in terms of strength, speed, durability, magical power, or output that the White Knight lagged behind the Tin Knight.

The only thing he was lacking was—

The skill of the soul that controlled his body.

For the first time, the White Knight recognized a feeling called anger.

It was not just that he had lost in performance but the realization that he had been outperformed in technique was a much greater source of defeat.

He had received unparalleled power from his master, but he lost because he couldn’t wield it properly.

The White Knight dreamed of a rematch, and that dream was realized.

This time, he would not lose.

This time, it would not be like last time, the White Knight ignited his fighting spirit.

Not only to follow his master’s commands but also to dedicate his victory to her through his own will.

***

Clang! Karang! Kaga-gaga-gang!

The whirlwind roared, slashing through the surroundings like blades.

The ground howled, resonating violently as if trying to withstand the shocks.

It was merely the two knights clashing their weapons together, causing such commotion; no special magic or large natural phenomenon at play here.

Two knights were already beyond human limits as they exchanged measures and strikes at first, but as they raised their magical powers and engaged in combat seriously, they came to resemble natural disasters in human form.

Boom!

When the White Knight thrust his spear with all his might, a long hole formed in the stone seating area following its trajectory.

Crack!

When the Tin Knight stepped forward, a small crater formed around him.

In the time it took an ordinary person to take a breath, dozens of exchanges of attacks, defenses, and counterattacks occurred, with clangs and sparks erupting as their weapons collided, creating a chaotic fusion of colors.

It was only thanks to the Tin Knight deflecting the White Knight’s assertive attacks with grace that the repercussions were minimized; otherwise, when they collided with equal force, the sound was akin to cannons firing nearby.

Those with weak hearts trembled and curled up, and even those who were not afraid struggled to comprehend what was happening due to the high level of the duel.

Among the spectators, only Adelheid was able to perceive the duel between the two knights at such a level.

‘Not to mention the knight, but the opponent is really strong too.’

Having fought various magical automatons in TikTok, Adelheid had a rough idea of what the ordinary level of magical automatons was.

A knight who could put up a fight against one wielding a sword was reasonable, but if the opponents were elite warriors of Lenart, it would be easy for them to defeat ordinary ones.

In that sense, the White Knight’s strength was disbelievable, given he was a magical automaton.

Even when compared to the representative instructors from Lenart Dojo, he would easily have the advantage, and even against Kalidahs, it was hard to declare who was stronger.

At first glance, he seemed to be swinging based on mere strength and momentum, but his exquisitely targeted strikes felt almost terrifying.

Yet, the Tin Knight was still a Tin Knight.

Swish!

Though the duel appeared evenly matched at first glance, as the intense exchanges continued, wounds began to appear on the White Knight’s body.

The metal forming the White Knight’s body was not ordinary, so while the traces were shallow compared to the power of the attacks, the Tin Knight never sustained a single proper wound.

If the battle continued like this, it would not be long before the Tin Knight claimed victory.

That’s right.

If the battle continued like this.

Caaaang!

The Tin Knight was knocked back after being struck hard by the spear.

Though it blocked the attack with its shield without any serious injury, the real problem was that the distance they had worked so hard to close was now reopening.

As if sensing the gap, the White Knight’s spear swung fiercely, releasing a vast amount of magical power.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

With powerful strikes like cannon fire, the Tin Knight’s body was pushed back.

Adelheid quickly realized something.

‘The knight is gradually reducing his magical power use.’

It wasn’t that the Tin Knight used more magical power than the White Knight, leading to fuel depletion…

Its magical power management was at a transcendental level, so despite sharing attacks while successfully overpowering at intervals, the amount of magical power spent was still considerably lesser than the White Knight’s.

Yet, the White Knight continued to use magical power at an alarming rate, while the Tin Knight began to pace itself— the reason was simple.

Remote magical supply.

The ancient magical automaton, the Tin Knight, required direct contact with his master for magic replenishment, but the latest technology utilized by the White Knight allowed him to receive magic without being near his master.

Neither knight was physically exhausted or suffering from stamina depletion, so if anything, their remaining magical power served as an equivalent to stamina.

In a sports match, one side must conserve pace while the other can always exert full power without worries.

Originally, a chicken race would unfold, determining which would reach their limits first: the Tin Knight’s magical reserve or the White Knight’s injuries, but that was something the girl present here wasn’t seeking.

The white girl, Gale Elilraz, positioned herself behind the White Knight and shouted.

“Wizards and familiars are originally a pair! Let’s see which one is in sync this time!”

『Extraordinary Strength』 『Acceleration』 『Endurance』

The moment the magical characters left Gale’s hands and seeped into the White Knight’s body, he dashed forward at an unprecedented speed.

Crack!

For the first time, the Tin Knight’s unwavering defense was pierced, and its side was gored as though a beast had bitten it.

But instead of panicking, the Tin Knight flared up as if it had become more excited.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ has entered the empowerment phase!]

“Now’s not the time to cheer!”

Dorothea yelled in annoyance.

Her heart wanted to rush to the Tin Knight and pour magical power into it, but doing something like that in front of the White Knight with that long spear was asking for trouble.

No matter how capable the Tin Knight was in defense, fighting while having Dorothea right behind him would create an incredible penalty.

She could trust her defensive magic and push forward, but with an attack capable of sending the Tin Knight flying, it was far too uncertain a gamble.

Of course, that did not mean they had no options.

As a Necromancer, Dorothea had few means to enhance the Tin Knight directly like an Enchantress, but if she didn’t have to worry about Gale’s interference, there were plenty of things she could do.

Her blue eyes glimmered with a chilling light.

Drawing out a dagger, she immediately sliced her palm without hesitation.

Crimson blood flowed and pooled on the ground, gathering around the remnants of corpses shattered by Gale.

The spectacle of blood, magical power, corpses, and curses gathering in one place was grotesque, resembling a patchwork of beasts, but the aura emanating from it was unparalleled compared to before.

And it was no wonder.

Typically, Dorothea prioritized convenience and speed, often glossing over most of the procedures of Necromancy with her immense magical power, but this was different.

“Souls that have lost their will, wandering with nowhere to go, and even their names forgotten. I grant you a new purpose, a new kinship, a new name. So follow me. So yield to me.”

She declared with a tone both soothing and arrogantly indicating her superiority as a witch.

The Necromancer, the Witch, Dorothea proclaimed:

“Arise, Jabberwock.”

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