The Immortal Genius Spearman

Chapter 149

What Villipt had suggested was far more difficult than Damian had expected.

When Damian attempted to ask for more details, Villipt preemptively replied with a shake of his head.

“It’s best to learn the rest through training with the Duke. It’s not something that can change overnight simply by understanding the theory.”

Although Damian looked slightly disappointed, he nodded in agreement.

‘Villipt is absolutely right.’

If theory alone were enough to make progress, then everyone would be wielding aura by now.

For now, he needed to focus on filling in the gaps in his training.

“Rest well tonight. When the sun rises, it won’t be too late to continue.”

“Understood.”

Resting was also part of training.

To fight Hainel while still feeling the pain from the magic coursing through his body would be madness.

Damian focused on recovery, eating the food Villipt had prepared.

***

The next morning.

“How’s your body holding up?”

“It’s fine now, no issues.”

As soon as dawn broke, Damian had taken up his spear and stepped outside to practice magic techniques.

When Hainel approached, Damian rose from where he had been training, his eyes burning with resolve.

“Something feels different about today,” Hainel remarked with a small smile.

“I won’t disappoint you,” Damian replied, gripping his spear firmly as he assumed his stance.

The problem Damian had noticed in himself was his inability to control his emotions during their fights.

‘Keep the heart blazing, but the mind…’

Cool.

Stay calm and pierce through the enemy.

Swish.

As Damian’s presence settled into sharp focus, an aura of killing intent emanated from him.

Hainel flinched slightly, his expression stiffening.

Indeed, something about Damian was different today.

But…

Grin.

Hainel raised his aura with a broad smile.

Fighting this boy, nearly 40 years his junior, made his blood boil in an oddly invigorating way.

With a strong push off the ground, Hainel charged toward Damian.

“Today, I’ll go first!”

“Hah!”

The two met in the middle, their weapons colliding.

Clang!

The clash sent a resounding boom through the air, and Damian felt his wrist ache from the impact. But—

Step back!

Damian quickly retreated, swinging his spear in a wide arc.

Whoosh!

Though it seemed like an ineffective strike, the sheer breadth of the swing forced Hainel to take a step back.

The range of Damian’s spear was unexpectedly wide, making it unwise to advance carelessly.

And in the instant Hainel retreated—

“Hah!”

Vwoom!

Damian channeled his magic into his legs, stomping the ground hard.

Boom!

The impact left a small crater in the ground as Damian propelled himself forward like an arrow toward Hainel.

The sudden burst of speed took Hainel by surprise, forcing him to raise his sword in defense.

The thrust Damian delivered was devastatingly precise and threatening.

‘What is this…!’

It was too late to evade.

Hainel swung his sword to deflect the spear, but—

Clang!

“……?!”

This time, the force behind Damian’s attack was much heavier, causing Hainel to bite his lip in concentration.

‘This boy…’

In that brief moment, Damian had redirected most of the magic from his legs into his spear.

As the spear was deflected, Damian immediately redistributed his magic throughout his body, regaining balance.

Thud!

With another burst of speed, Damian repositioned himself behind Hainel in the blink of an eye.

Suppressing his surging fighting spirit, Damian coolly assessed Hainel.

‘I can do this… I can!’

Damian swiftly channeled his magic into his upper body and thrust his spear with all his strength.

Twisting his waist in the opposite direction, Damian unleashed a powerful thrust like a streak of light aimed at Hainel.

BOOM!

The surge of energy Damian released exploded outward, engulfing Hainel in a torrent of destruction.

The area surrounding Hainel was obliterated, and at the center of it all, Hainel formed a protective barrier with his sword to minimize the impact.

Even so—

“Whew, this is something,” Hainel muttered.

His clothing was torn in several places, and a small scratch near his shoulder trickled blood.

“Who would believe this if I told them, hohohoho.”

Hainel chuckled softly.

Truly, who would believe such a situation?

“I suppose I won’t be disappointed after all.”

Hainel realized that holding back his aura like yesterday had given Damian the opening he needed.

Still—

‘What in the world happened overnight? What did Villipt do?’

Hainel recalled Villipt’s cautious request to offer advice to Damian.

He had told Villipt to provide whatever guidance was necessary, but—

‘It’s as if he cast a spell.’

What was clear, however, was that Damian had grown significantly stronger in just one day.

But considering Damian’s ultimate goal—

‘He still has a long way to go.’

Hainel’s gaze turned cold.

He decided he could afford to use a bit more strength now that Damian could handle it.

“From this moment on, you mustn’t lose focus for even a fraction of a second.”

Rumble.

The ground around Hainel began to tremble slightly.

Damian felt the vibrations through his feet and exhaled steadily.

Releasing the magic circulating within him, Damian resisted Hainel’s rising aura.

Swish.

His spear hummed with a clear metallic tone as he prepared.

Splatter!

In an instant, Hainel vanished.

Damian’s eyes couldn’t follow Hainel’s movement.

But sensing his presence through sheer intuition, Damian twisted his body and swung his spear.

Swish!

The spear slashed through the air, missing Hainel by a hair’s breadth.

No, it wasn’t that Hainel’s movements were slow—it was his masterful ability to evade without wasting a single motion.

“Hup!”

Hainel inhaled briefly, having avoided Damian’s spear.

Then, his sword began to vibrate faintly.

Whoosh!

With overwhelming force, it slashed toward Damian’s side.

Had it connected cleanly, it might have split his body in half.

Reacting instinctively, Damian pulled his spear back, gripping it with both hands to block the strike.

Clang!

The deafening impact sent Damian skidding backward.

His tightly clenched lips split, a thin line of blood trailing from his mouth.

But he had no time to dwell on the pain.

Dash!

Like a predator, Hainel lunged, his sword slicing through the air with the ferocity of a storm.

His calm and measured strikes were now replaced by relentless, chaotic aggression.

Clang! Boom!

“Argh!”

The explosive force of Hainel’s aura knocked Damian off his feet, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Struggling to rise, Damian panted heavily, his shoulders heaving with the effort.

“Huff… huff… huff…”

Despite his exhaustion, Damian’s gaze never left Hainel.

Step, step.

Hainel approached, taking in Damian’s unwavering focus.

What was it?

‘It’s like an obsessive determination.’

This wasn’t something that could be explained by talent or mere concentration.

It was something entirely different.

‘Has this boy truly brushed against the brink of death before?’

At such a young age?

Even knowing Damian’s history—his time in the military, the countless life-threatening battles—it was hard to imagine how he had developed such a disposition in such a short time.

“Hahaha!”

Hainel suddenly burst into laughter.

A flurry of thoughts ran through his mind, but one stood out.

‘None of that matters.’

What mattered was the unpolished gem standing before him. Its potential was dazzling beyond comprehension.

Perhaps.

‘Just perhaps…’

This boy might become a monster capable of changing the fate of the continent.

“Steel grows stronger the more it is hammered.”

“…?”

Damian frowned at Hainel’s cryptic muttering.

What was he talking about?

And then—

Shing.

Drawing his sword again, Hainel looked at Damian with eyes brimming with murderous intent.

“So don’t break.”

He intended to forge Damian into the strongest blade, no matter how much he had to hammer him.

Once again, Hainel’s relentless attacks came down on Damian like a storm.

***

Meanwhile, near Drionte.

As Calon’s Imperial army arrived on the outskirts of Drionte, an aide rushed over with urgent news.

“General, we’ve just received word… Kalen Diego is on his way here.”

“Kalen Diego?”

Calon turned to his subordinate.

“You mean Artian’s Aura Master?”

“Yes, sir.”

Kalen Diego was not only an incredibly powerful Aura Master but also a master strategist.

He was renowned as one of Artian’s greatest military figures, having saved the kingdom from countless crises.

But Calon remained unfazed, turning his gaze back to Drionte.

“How long until he arrives?”

“Approximately two days, sir.”

The information, relayed by spies embedded within Artian, was likely accurate.

Calon muttered softly.

“Two days, hmm…”

Drionte, with its high walls and rugged terrain, was far more defensible than Srenzkanal.

For the defenders, two days might be just enough time to hold out.

Calon glanced at his aide and spoke in a low voice.

“Let the soldiers rest. Distribute the rations and ensure they eat their fill.”

“Sir, are you not planning to attack immediately?”

Given Calon’s aggressive reputation, the aide had expected him to launch an immediate assault to seize Drionte before Kalen’s arrival.

But Calon’s orders were entirely unexpected.

“Post guards and create a secure environment for the soldiers to rest. And…”

Calon looked up at the sun,

It was barely past noon. At least seven hours remained before nightfall.

By midnight… another twelve hours.

“At dawn, we’ll attack Drionte.”

“But sir, the terrain around Drionte is treacherous at night. It could put us at a disadvantage.”

“That doesn’t matter. The soldiers will move only after the walls have fallen.”

“Do you mean…?”

The aide’s face stiffened, realization dawning on him.

Was Calon planning to—

“I’ll bring down Drionte’s walls and draw out the defenders myself. Make the necessary preparations.”

The aide swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on Calon.

What Calon proposed was no ordinary strategy—it was an audacious gamble relying entirely on his own overwhelming strength.