The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 11: The Return (3)

The three Elders stared at Martin with stern expressions.

Although he had not yet manifested his unique ability, they acknowledged Martin’s talent in swordsmanship.

But that was all.

All three Elders were warriors who had reached the 7th Circle.

As a mere 3rd Circle, Martin couldn’t even leave a scratch on their bodies.

The difference between them was that stark.

‘Knowing that and still provoking us—what is he up to?’

Elder Aren couldn’t help but ponder.

At that moment, Elder Oriana spoke up.

“Hehe. It seems you’re confident you can beat us, young lord?”

“Oh, of course not, Elder Oriana.”

“Then why mention us?”

“The most important thing is whether I can manifest my unique ability. Since I have to prove it anyway, I thought it’d be best to face one of the Elders and receive proper recognition.”

“Ahh. So, we misunderstood your intentions. But I don’t think we need to step in ourselves, don’t you agree?”

Elder Oriana’s gaze shifted toward Elder Aren and Elder Marius.

The two elders nodded lightly.

“I agree with the method, but I don’t see why we need to be involved, young lord.”

“I share the same opinion. How about you show off your skills by dueling a more suitable opponent?”

“I understand the Elders’ will. I’ll choose another opponent, then.”

After responding, Martin turned his head.

At the end of his gaze stood Kalain Gustin.

“What do you say, Kalain? How about a match after all this time?”

However, Martin already expected the response.

‘He definitely won’t accept.’

Kalain was someone who preferred plotting behind the scenes.

Even after obtaining the King’s legacy, that trait hadn’t changed.

There was no way a person like that would accept a duel in front of everyone, especially one where defeat was inevitable.

As expected, Kalain shook his head as he responded formally, given the official setting.

“I’m sorry, young lord. I suffered an internal injury a few days ago and am currently resting. Let’s have our match another time.”

“Really? That’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. Focus on your recovery for now.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Oh, no need for thanks. It’s only natural to look out for a friend, isn’t it?”

Kalain simply smiled and bowed lightly, though it was clear to Martin that he was inwardly seething from his wounded pride.

Just then.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to be your opponent, young lord.”

A young man with black hair tinged with a bluish hue and brown eyes stepped forward. It was Stefan Rustal.

He was the only son of Valdemar von Rustal and had a mother from the Marquis Royce family, which was ranked just below the three great noble families.

In terms of bloodline, he was second only to Martin.

Unlike his slender father, Stefan boasted an imposing height of 1.9 meters and a muscular build.

Based on appearance alone, he didn’t lose out even when compared to Elder Marius.

“Stefan Rustal.”

The smile on Martin’s lips grew wider.

Valdemar von Rustal was a cunning man who tried his best to conceal his true self.

In contrast, Stefan Rustal was proud of his abilities. With his vanity, Martin had anticipated that Stefan would step forward if challenged.

‘He’ll make an excellent sacrifice.’

Of course, Stefan was no slouch. Among his peers throughout the empire, he was considered a skilled individual.

In fact, he had reached the 2nd Circle in both swordsmanship and unique ability, boasting strength comparable to the 4th Circle.

If Martin could easily defeat someone like him?

It would surely leave a strong impression on those gathered here.

‘It’s meaningful as a form of revenge as well.’

Before Martin’s return, Stefan had pushed him into difficult situations on several occasions.

Though Stefan wasn’t on the same level as Kalain, Martin had eventually defeated him with his own hands.

Still, the grudge from that time lingered, and Martin wanted to settle it once and for all.

By thoroughly crushing him.

“Please grant me the chance to redeem myself for my past defeat.”

“Of course, I’ll give it to you. Stefan, you’ll be a fine opponent.”

After responding readily, Martin looked around and issued a command.

“Everyone, clear some space so the duel can proceed smoothly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the members of the family stepped aside.

Meanwhile, Sien approached Martin and whispered softly in his ear.

“Make sure you win.”

“Don’t worry.”

Sien nodded and joined the others.

Now, only Martin and Stefan remained on the road.

Swish.

Stefan fixed his gaze on Martin as he grasped the hilt of his sword at his waist, but he didn’t draw it.

Since this was a duel, using a real sword was not appropriate.

On the other hand, Martin didn’t even touch the hilt of his sword. He simply crossed his arms and watched Stefan.

“…What are you doing, young lord? Draw your sword.”

“The purpose of this duel is to showcase my unique ability, right? There’s no need to draw my sword unless I’m truly in danger.”

Murmur, murmur.

The onlookers were greatly taken aback by Martin’s words.

Everyone acknowledged Martin’s skill in swordsmanship.

At the same time, they knew his physical capabilities were far below those of ordinary knights.

His body wasn’t even suited for close combat, let alone hand-to-hand fighting.

And yet, he intended to fight bare-handed?

Stefan, along with the others, found it hard to understand.

‘Even though Spatial Domination is the most powerful of space-type abilities, there’s no way he’s mastered it to that extent.’

‘Isn’t he being too cocky just because he manifested his unique ability?’

While everyone’s confusion reached its peak—

Grit.

Stefan ground his teeth, feeling blatantly disrespected.

“…Don’t regret it when you’re humiliated.”

“I won’t. Elder Aren, will you act as the referee?”

“Understood.”

Aren Cruse nodded and stepped forward.

Raising his right arm, he glanced at Martin.

“This is just a duel, so no using aura, young lord.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And neither of you should aim for each other’s vital spots. Understood?”

“Yes.”

Both Martin and Stefan responded simultaneously.

“Then… let the duel begin!”

As Elder Aren’s shout rang out, his right arm dropped.

Zap!

The unique ability passed down through the Rustal family was “Spatial Compression,” which allowed them to compress or open space. With this ability, they could move swiftly or even fly.

‘The key is his speed.’

The dash through compressed space was known to be as fast as teleportation.

As if to prove that point, the moment Stefan activated his ability, his body vanished from where he stood.

‘It’s over!’

Stefan reached Martin in an instant and swung his sheathed sword down with all his might.

It didn’t matter if Martin blocked it. As long as he couldn’t use aura, there was no way he could withstand Stefan’s strike.

Whir.

But at that very moment, Martin disappeared right in front of Stefan’s eyes.

‘What in the world…?’

Grab.

Something grasped the nape of Stefan’s neck as he stood in shock.

Crash!

Stefan was slammed into the ground, looking utterly pathetic.

“As I thought, there’s no need to use my sword.”

A smirk appeared on Martin’s lips—a clear sign of mockery.

Unlike Stefan Rustal, who had lost sight of Martin’s movements, the onlookers had seen everything.

As soon as Martin disappeared, the space behind Stefan warped, and from that distorted space, Martin reappeared.

There was no one present who didn’t understand what that meant.

“Wow! It’s teleportation!”

“The young lord really did manifest his unique ability!”

Teleportation was the signature technique of spatial abilities.

However, it was notoriously difficult to execute.

Even the members of the five branches of the Adalbert family had to reach at least the 2nd Circle before they could use teleportation.

The only unique ability that allowed teleportation from the 1st Circle was Spatial Domination.

Hence, the crowd was ecstatic.

Finally, the only direct descendant of the Adalbert family had taken the first step to becoming the rightful heir.

“Not only did he use teleportation! The young lord even fought with hand-to-hand combat!”

“His physical abilities must have improved! It’s clear he had a fruitful experience in the dungeon!”

One of Martin’s two major weaknesses had now completely vanished.

The other had significantly improved.

Everyone had witnessed the entire spectacle with their own eyes.

‘I should be grateful to my ancestors.’

Confirming the reactions of the crowd, Martin grinned.

He knew all too well from his previous life.

Thanks to the Adalbert bloodline, he could perform teleportation even with Omni Distortion, a 1st Circle ability.

The key point was that no one could distinguish between Spatial Domination and Omni Distortion.

‘No one can deny that I’ve manifested my unique ability now.’

The first step toward becoming the head of the family had been successfully completed.

While Martin was feeling relieved, the crowd still hadn’t recovered from their shock.

The only person who remained calm was Sien.

However, not everything was going smoothly.

‘Ugh!’

A sharp pain throbbed in Martin’s head, and the mana circuits in his body ached, a reaction from using teleportation.

The intense pain caused cold sweat to drip down his back.

This was the limit of Omni Distortion.

Although his direct bloodline allowed him to manipulate space, it was far less efficient compared to Spatial Domination.

Moreover, the backlash was more severe, inflicting much more pain than manipulating other objects.

‘It’s thanks to Rothar’s breathing techniques and Dragon Blood that I’ve gotten off this lightly.’

If it were his former self, he would’ve vomited blood and lost consciousness by now.

And he had experienced that many times before.

Shoving aside the painful memories, Martin straightened his posture.

Many eyes were still on him.

He couldn’t afford to show any signs of weakness.

“Is teleportation not enough for you, Stefan? I’ve clearly proven that I’ve manifested my unique ability, so I think we can end this here.”

“Congratulations on manifesting your unique ability, young lord. But the match isn’t over yet.”

Stefan, who had been slammed into the ground, quickly got back to his feet.

While he didn’t match up to Sien, Stefan also possessed impressive physical abilities.

As a result, his clothes were merely dirtied, and he hadn’t sustained any significant damage.

However, the mental damage was evident, as he glared at Martin with an enraged expression.

“You’re certainly durable. But are you sure about this, Stefan? The gap in our abilities seems pretty clear.”

“…I was simply caught off guard. I didn’t expect the young lord to use teleportation.”

“That excuse might fly in a sparring match, but I hope you don’t try that on the battlefield. If this had been real combat, you’d already be dead. Isn’t that right?”

Grit.

Stefan gritted his teeth, unable to suppress his anger.

However, he couldn’t argue back.

He knew full well that in real combat, he wouldn’t be given a second chance.

“Huff.”

Stefan took a deep breath.

His mind cleared, and he regained his composure.

He also realized that his situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed.

Keeping the other spectators in mind, Stefan offered a polite bow to Martin.

“I apologize for my poor performance, young lord.”

“It’s fine. Everyone gets carried away sometimes.”

“Thank you for understanding. And congratulations once again on manifesting Spatial Domination.”

“Thank you, Stefan.”

“I believe I’ve grasped the young lord’s capabilities now. I won’t make the same mistake again.”

Stefan once again pointed the hilt of his sword toward Martin.

‘If this drags out, I’ll win.’

Even if Martin had manifested Spatial Domination, his cursed condition from the dragon made it impossible for him to fight for long.

His stamina wasn’t sufficient, and the more he used mana, the greater his pain would become.

If Stefan could endure a few more attacks, victory would be his.

‘What a simple-minded fool.’

Martin couldn’t help but laugh internally.

Stefan’s plan to drag the fight out was painfully obvious.

To be fair, it wasn’t a bad strategy. After all, time had never been on Martin’s side.

But that’s where it ended.

“I once told Sien something. Anyone who focuses on fighting has their own plan. Do you know what she said in response?”

“How would I know?”

“Come on, don’t be so dismissive. I didn’t expect you to ignore me completely.”

“I don’t care.”

“Well, you won’t forget it after today. Once you get beaten up, you’ll realize that plans are meaningless.”

This was advice that would serve Stefan well in the future.

‘He should be thankful.’

Martin could almost picture Stefan’s gratitude after what was about to happen.