Chapter 9, Chapter 2: The End of Succession
Lothelser Tlaesis, a name that not many would know in the current world—even when knowledgeable historians happened to hear it, they would often respond with a contemptuous smile.
But Igter knew. “Lothelser,” a senior whom he had regarded with reverence from the first moment he saw his name in the family’s ancient texts, was not only the founder and strongest of the once-great Sword Qi school, but also the most powerful swordsman of this era.
Igter had even heard rumors that during the Demon Race War of the past, Lothelser Tlaesis was the true first hero to receive God’s mandate, and the current King Lancaster was merely his most trusted companion.
“Hey! Young Master Ig, the place where the Hero drew the Sacred Sword is up ahead!”
Fleck, the greatsword swordsman’s shout brought Igter back to his senses. The young man quickly responded and caught up with his mercenary companions.
…
Standing at the summit of the Blazing Abyss, scorching hot air waves that were like licking flames rolled in.
Under the high-temperature baking, Igter’s bronze-rank Alchemical tool, designed for cooling, had its Magic Crystal energy quickly depleted, forcing the young man to replace it with another lower-grade Magic Crystal obtained from an ice-element Magical Beast.
Legend had it that the past Hero Lancaster killed the immortal Ancient Flame Dragon here with his sword and gained the Sacred Sword’s recognition.
Igter stood at the summit and searched around for a week, his sapphire pupils showing a hint of disappointment for the first time.
In a time when traces of his revered predecessor were almost impossible to find in the Peka Kingdom or even the entire continent, this place, where Lothelser met his end, was the only place Igter could imagine obtaining information about him.
Although the young man knew that the possibility was not high, when he truly found nothing, Igter couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
“Young Master Ig, we already said there was little chance of finding anything.”
Mercenary Fleck’s voice came again. He exchanged glances with his companions.
“If you have no other needs, why don’t we leave first.”
Igter could only nod in agreement. Just as he was about to move, the young man’s right hand touched the long sword at his waist, and his mind was suddenly stirred. A sharp glint flashed in Igter’s eyes, as if he had discovered something.
“Wait, Mr. Fleck, can you help me dig here?”
A flicker of surprise flashed in the greatsword mercenary’s eyes. After exchanging glances with his companions, he nodded and agreed to Igter’s request.
Even with the strength of the three Silver Rank Professionals, Fleck and his companions, with Igter’s help, took nearly half an hour to dig a pit large enough for a person in the rock crevices.
“It’s close, it’s close…”
Igter didn’t have time to wipe the sweat from his forehead. As the perception in his heart grew closer, his increasingly excited emotions were almost stretched into a straight bowstring.
As someone who had studied Lothelser’s self-created cultivation technique, the “Sword Qi Outline,” Igter naturally had some connection to the traces of this legendary Sword Saint.
At this moment, Igter touched this perception for some unknown reason, and the closer he felt, the more he felt his excitement becoming uncontrollable.
As the soil and stones were removed, a sword tip appeared in everyone’s sight.
Fleck and the others’ spirits were lifted, and they quickly took out the sword in good condition. But after examining it, they showed disappointed expressions.
The greatsword mercenary Fleck finally handed the long sword to Igter.
“This is…”
The young man looked at the broken sword edge in his hand.
The originally slender and straight blade edge was covered with rust and chips. Igter felt that if he swung the old sword in his hand with a little force, it would shatter into pieces—such a dilapidated weapon, even an apprentice who had just started practicing swordsmanship would not be willing to use it.
But Igter was certain that it was this incredibly dilapidated long sword that was attracting him in his heart.
The young man hesitated for a moment, then placed the long sword in his hand before his eyes and activated his innate talent, “Appraisal.”
—
End (Tegasol) (Damaged)
Type: Long Sword
Grade: Ruined
Evaluation: Former Sword Saint Lothelser’s personal sword. Forged by the legendary Elf craftsman ??? and the legendary Dwarf craftsman: ???. It was completely broken after bearing an unbearable amount of power.
—
Extremely rarely, Igter’s innate talent had actually managed to appraise the information of this blade, which was once the personal sword of a legendary strongman and should have been impossible for him to glimpse.
“It really is Lord Lothelser’s personal sword!”
Although the information was very brief, Igter, confirming that this was indeed the遗物 (remains/relic) of that predecessor, could not suppress his inner excitement.
“But, what kind of power was it that even a legendary strongman’s weapon could not withstand?”
As Igter was thinking, he suddenly heard the excited cries of the three mercenaries beside him.
The young man quickly turned his head and saw Fleck, the greatsword swordsman, holding a small palm-sized bone-white fragment in both hands. It gave off a crystal-like translucent texture, even having a color like a fiery flame.
“Dragon bone crystal—”
Igter couldn’t help but exclaim, but as soon as he spoke, he realized his mistake.
The gazes of Fleck and the three people not far away fell on him simultaneously. The pressure, like a heavy mountain, made Igter dare not move. Large drops of sweat continuously flowed down his cheeks.
As one of the most concentrated parts of a Dragon’s power, dragon bones, besides being used for forging legendary weapons and armor, refining the legendary omnipotent medicine, etc., could also greatly enhance a professional’s strength and innate talent.
What’s more, in the Peka Kingdom, there were even rumors of people obtaining part of the Dragon Clan’s bloodline through dragon bones!
On the entire continent, the remains of powerful and sacred Dragons were always priceless, let alone this piece originating from the legendary immortal Flame Dragon, born with fire.
Even if it was just this small piece, Igter’s guess was that it was worth at least tens of thousands of Kingdom Gold Coins, or even hundreds of thousands!
Such an amount of gold… even Igter couldn’t help but feel a chill. Igter of course knew what the mercenaries’ gazes towards him meant: it was greed, heat, cruelty, and malice!
The young man felt the coldness seeping from his body almost overwriting the heat of the surroundings. Igter suddenly lifted his head forcefully and shouted loudly:
“Mr. Fleck! This dragon bone is all yours, I just want this sword!”
The three mercenaries exchanged glances. The swordsman holding the greatsword walked towards the young man with a friendly smile on his face.
“Young Master Ig, a very clear decision…”
However, the seemingly friendly smile, no different from usual, felt incomparably cold and bone-chilling in Igter’s eyes.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Igter grabbed the damaged “End” and jumped up. He tore open the Magic Scroll he had gripped under his clothes in advance.
The moment the magic patterns on the scroll burned, the spell was completely activated: the Silver Rank defensive magic—”Elemental Crystal Shield”!
In the very next instant, the sword, empowered by the full burst of Silver Rank Battle Qi, instantly tore through the heat and scorching in the air and struck heavily upon the crystal shield rapidly condensing before the young man.
The immense power of the thunderous roar burst upon the elemental crystals, undulating like giant waves roaring under a gale!
