Chapter 193

“This is troublesome…”

As Ha-shal-leur had anticipated, Valenstein, who was hiding among the knights and observing the battle, was clearly showing signs of distress.

“Ahahahaha!”

Every time the red monster laughed maniacally and swung its arms, fountains of blood gushed out like hot springs, staining the air.

Drinking the pouring blood, chewing the torn flesh, ripping apart intestines and scattering them, Or-han’s Daughter was rampaging like a monster, throwing away all pretense.

“Ahhh!”

“Ugh, ughhh!”

“Gyaaaah!”

The terrified knights’ swords were helplessly held back, turning against their owners. The incapacitated men, with despair-filled expressions, stared at the monster before them, only to have their faces ripped off and scream in agony.

Ha-shal-leur, who had previously shown shocking brutality by dismembering and exploding people.

Now, it seemed her interest had shifted from killing enemies to tormenting them, as she didn’t kill them easily. Instead, she made them beg for death.

It was like a hungry cat fiercely attacking its prey, only to play with it once its belly was full.

It was akin to giving a child a handful of clay. She kneaded, tore, crushed, and mixed the pieces together.

Her surroundings were soon filled with crude crafts, like those made by children in an orphanage. It was a childhood prank everyone had tried at least once, except the material was people.

The stench of intestines and blood filled the air, making it almost palpable with every breath.

“Ughhh!”

Someone, unable to bear it, vomited violently, adding to the foul odor. The fact that they still had the judgment to vomit meant they were among the stronger-willed.

Valenstein observed the knights’ varied reactions.

Some dropped their swords and sat trembling. Others giggled insanely, as if they had lost their minds.

Some muttered the name of God, as if they believed this was a nightmare. Despite the woman who turned their comrades into chunks of flesh being within arm’s reach, none dared to swing their swords.

Those brave enough to do so… had already been caught and became part of the carnage.

All this happened within a minute of Ha-shal-leur breaking through the encirclement.

No one wondered why Sir Valenstein wasn’t stepping in. They were too busy trembling and denying reality with their empty minds.

—

“She’s a completely different person from before. Was she hiding her true strength and nature until the brink of death? For what purpose?”

Though she seemed to have lost her mind and was rampaging, Valenstein wasn’t fooled. Her techniques and tactics had become sharper than before her injury.

As if wary of the Ghost Sword’s ambush, her blue eyes repeatedly scanned the air. She kept her surroundings filled with enemies, leaving no opening for Valenstein to exploit.

Clearly, it was a strategy aimed at countering the Ghost Sword.

Under normal circumstances, this would be suicidal.

No matter how fast and strong she was, she couldn’t block all attacks from every direction. Indeed, before being severely injured by the Ghost Sword… when she fell among the knights, she barely managed to block and repel a dozen attacks, helplessly pushed back.

But now was different.

She roared like a beast, tearing people apart and eating them without uttering a word. She adorned herself with a sense of otherness and terror, breaking the knights’ morale and clouding their judgment.

This wasn’t something a madwoman could do. That cruelty wasn’t insanity but cold calculation.

The effect was evident. The knights, with their coordination shattered and morale broken, were no longer a threat.

Valenstein remained silent, observing the battle for three reasons.

First, to analyze Ha-shal-leur’s sudden change in skill. This was almost done.

Her techniques, boldness, and judgment had sharply improved, but her power had actually decreased. She had only stopped the bleeding; the injury’s effects remained. She was handling her strength more delicately, not increasing it.

Second, he needed to let the damage escalate. Earlier, she didn’t even try to kill the knights, so he had to adjust his plan to just subduing them… but for the original plan, some knights needed to be sacrificed.

The results were smoother than expected.

With her cruelty exposed for all to see, her reputation would plummet if witnesses remained. Leopold, who had sided with the monster, would also be at the center of controversy.

Third, her strategy was actually targeting the Ghost Sword’s weakness.

“Did she realize the Ghost Sword’s weakness after just a few encounters? No, even a genius her age couldn’t do that. Or-han must have taught her.”

Valenstein raised his sword, glaring coldly at Ha-shal-leur.

—

His signature technique, the Ghost Sword.

It was a skill Valenstein, who had already reached the limits of a master in his mid-thirties, had glimpsed beyond and achieved.

The next realm beyond a master, the realm of a hero, where the user’s soul imbues their technique. The life they’ve lived, the ideals they’ve aspired to, begin to manifest in reality.

Valenstein was no different.

His insane desire for a higher realm, his nature hidden behind loyalty and righteousness, living as a noble knight and seeker.

Life.

A life filled with deception seeped into the karma he had built.

His karma deceived the world.

Spreading the karma of deception throughout his entire being, a power that made the world fail to recognize his presence even when he was clearly there. That was the first page of the heroic saga Valenstein had grasped.

At first, it was an utterly clumsy skill. He could only reduce his presence to an extreme when standing still, but as soon as he moved, his location was immediately revealed by sound and wind.

Valenstein continuously refined the Ghost Sword. Believing it would be the key to reaching the next level.

Years later, when he faced Or-han. His karma had completely erased sound and scent.

Though he couldn’t eliminate the tremors in the air, Or-han wasn’t sensitive enough to detect that. If Or-han’s level had been just a bit lower, he would have died that day like a dismembered beast.

A body harder than steel, nearly impossible to cut. Perhaps that was the beginning of Or-han’s heroic saga.

“That was the limit.”

Valenstein gritted his teeth, recalling old memories.

Even after that, he endlessly repeated his training, but… his level and the Ghost Sword’s performance didn’t improve at all. Instead, his skills began to decline due to his aging body.

As if the level permitted to him ended there.

When he didn’t know the reason, he prayed fervently to the gods and repeated self-torturous training. The moment he learned the truth… he hurled curses filled with hatred toward Elpinel.

And then.

Not long ago, his sword finally advanced once again, for the first time in decades. Suddenly, without any trigger, just as those who revealed the truth had assured.

A true Ghost Sword that could deceive even the flow of the atmosphere. Though it still couldn’t deceive vision, making it hard to call it complete… that too was only a matter of time.

On the day the world’s constraints were peeled away. Valenstein, now certain, joined them.

To advance to the next level before his aged body gave out.

—

Because the technique was still incomplete, the Ghost Sword had a clear weakness.

To activate it, he had to escape the enemy’s sight… and the more obstacles around, the greater the consumption of karma. Naturally, as the elements to deceive increased.

Thus, whenever he entered combat, Valenstein cleverly manipulated the flow of battle to ensure the enemy wouldn’t realize this. This battle was no different.

When he first revealed the Ghost Sword, he deliberately hid in the crowd, sneaking closer before casually speaking. As if the Ghost Sword’s activation wasn’t hindered by the surrounding people.

In truth, if he had swung his sword in that situation, he would have cut down other knights before Or-han’s Daughter. He only began swinging his sword in earnest after securing enough space.

The brief release of the Ghost Sword in the middle was also to naturally create a one-on-one environment, preventing interference from obstacles. Indeed, Or-han’s Daughter, seemingly completely fooled, charged without a hint of doubt and suffered a fatal wound.

But now, the battlefield had changed. The insane knights stood like shields, making it impossible for Valenstein to move quickly.

Even if he cut through the knights and charged, it wouldn’t mean much.

The Ghost Sword only deceived his own presence; it couldn’t extend its effect to the knights he cut down. The sudden collapse of the knights would give away his direction.

And with the rain of blood and guts, each activation of the Ghost Sword would consume a significant amount of his strength.

“Impressive. If Or-han had used such tactics, it would’ve been dangerous.”

Yes. If it had been Or-han.

Finally, Valenstein, having finished his thoughts, charged toward Ha-shal-leur.

Pushing aside the dazed knights with his body, drenched in pouring blood, without a moment’s hesitation, straight ahead. The Ghost Sword was completely released.

“Haaah!”

“Kyaaah!”

Ha-shal-leur, spotting Valenstein charging, let out a fierce roar and swung her sword.

– Kwaaaaang!

Jin’s longsword and the Black Iron Sword clashed violently, unleashing a deafening roar.

The shockwave swept through the area, scattering the pooled blood and guts in all directions. The knights, overwhelmed by the force, collapsed helplessly.

And one sword was flung away by the impact.

The Black Iron Sword, wrapped in a red aura. It was Ha-shal-leur’s. Perhaps for the first time, her sword was overpowered in a pure contest of strength.

Valenstein smiled coldly.

“That’s right. You’re just Or-han’s Daughter, not Or-han.”

If it had been Or-han, he wouldn’t have suffered such severe injuries, and even if wounded, a head-on clash like this would have resulted in his crushing defeat. But she wasn’t Or-han.

Now, in pure strength, Valenstein held the upper hand.