The First Magic World War

Mama Karen sipped her floral tea, watching the two young men duel with the vigor of dragons and tigers.

This kind of Dreamscape duel had taken place more than ten times, each consisting of twenty rounds. Neither Charles nor Cyrus ever brought up just how long the duel would last.

During this time, both men's strengths had soared at a rapid pace. Each time Cyrus became stronger, he managed to kill Charles more swiftly.

Although Charles had not achieved another breakthrough to ascend to the Eighth Order within these short ten-plus days, he had comprehended up to the seventh movement of the Angel's Twelve Symphonies: All Things Hazy.

His Stellar Battle Qi took on a more dangerous form from this chapter, transforming from the overwhelming glory of the scorching sun to a concealed, shadowy edge, so perilous that even Cyrus was averse to taking a hit from Charles's sword.

Yet Charles still couldn't withstand more than thirty moves, continuously suffering defeat in all twenty rounds. But he wasn't discouraged and, with respectful decorum, bowed to Mama Karen before exiting the Dreamscape.

Cyrus always found Charles somewhat peculiar, but couldn't figure out why and didn't bother to guess. He, too, paid his respects to Mama Karen before returning to the South Serif military camp.

After the two young men left the Dreamscape, Mama Karen stretched languorously. When she was young, she enjoyed spectacles, and instead of mellowing with age, her interest in all manner of entertaining affairs only intensified.

Charles and Cyrus each had their own schemes. Ordinary clever people might rely solely on their intellect to solve problems and stop exerting themselves, but these two were different; they did not let this reliance slacken their personal cultivation. Having personally witnessed their mutual honing over this period, where each treated the other as a whetstone, Mama Karen felt her trip was well worth it. Otherwise, how could she witness such interesting young men?

With a light clap, everything within the Dreamscape vanished.

Standing on a mountain peak dozens of kilometers away from Silver Pigeon Fort, Mama Karen gazed at the city and the encroaching military camp of Lady Southseraph. She had a premonition that within this period, another Sacred Order Transcendent had joined the camp, evidently concealing their presence with the intent to spring a surprise on her in collusion with Saint Vigo when the moment was ripe.

Little did they know that the Dreamwalker's Special Ability was profound and mystical. In this period, Mama Karen had drawn almost everyone's dreams into her realm.

In other words, neither Silver Pigeon Fort nor Lady Southseraph could keep their secrets from her, except the Transcendents. Their Spirituality was much higher than that of ordinary people, and unless it was a combat situation, Mama Karen was reluctant to pull Transcendents into her Dreamscape, as it would impose a great strain and consume too much of her spirituality.

Mama Karen murmured to herself, "The Sacred Order is not as common as cabbages. It's rare for Lady Southseraph to have one Sacred Order member, it's almost impossible for there to be another. The other must belong to the Blood Clan of the Byron family, but it's hard to say which Sacred Order member of the thirty-one clans it is."

Mama Karen was unafraid of being attacked by those of the same rank. Dreamwalkers traverse dreams, not excelling in direct combat, but are exceedingly hard to kill. After ascending to the Sacred Order, they would almost never appear in front of anyone again, and no one could find their true forms. Each appearance was but an illusion in a dream. She didn't think that the cooperation of two Sacred Order members would be enough to locate her.

Now awake, Cyrus grasped his Knight's Spear, and with a gentle shake, the Black Knight's Lance transformed into countless spear shadows. But in the next instant, the shadows coalesced back into a single Knight's Spear, pointing in the direction of Silver Pigeon Fort.

He whispered to himself, "To think that battling with such a lowly Transcendent could actually refine my skills."

"Although this fellow's strength is lacking, his battle instinct is horrifyingly keen."

"It's a pity that the three Special Abilities I've comprehended—Flesh Regeneration, Steel Bones, and Organ Generation—all focus on tempering the flesh, allowing me to recover quickly no matter the severity of my injuries and enhancing my defense, even fearless of higher-ranked enemies. Yet they are of no use against such slippery foes."

"That guy seems to know my strengths; he almost never trades blows with me directly, but every counterattack is aimed at killing me. This man... truly one of the most cunning I've ever encountered."

"However, my progress has been significant."

"Next time we meet in reality, I'll give you a taste of death."

Cyrus gazed into the distance at Silver Pigeon Fort, suddenly feeling a hint of nostalgia for Charles.

At the same time, Charles had awakened in his own bedroom. He touched his left arm and chuckled to himself, saying, "If I encounter Cyrus in reality, I'd take out all the guns and blast him into a sorry state."

"I don't believe he could withstand one Magic-Breaking Bombshell Bullet, two Magic-Breaking Bombshell Bullets... ten Magic-Breaking Bombshell Bullets, not to mention twenty, or even thirty."

"Moreover, I have prepared two fresh tricks for him. I hope he'll enjoy them."

In the past few weeks of fighting, not only had Charles's swordsmanship improved dramatically, but he had also mastered two Secret Techniques of the Asiluo Clan, named Fierce Corrosion and Dark Corrosion!

Fierce Corrosion is a Secret Technique used in conjunction with the first six chapters of the Angel's Twelve Choruses, which can make Stellar Battle Qi become treacherously overwhelming. Once it penetrates the enemy's body, it burns like an intense fire, continually scorching the enemy's vitality. The more they try to suppress it with Fighting Spirit, Spirituality, or Magic Power, like pouring oil on a fire, the more it aids the Stellar Battle Qi to grow.

Dark Corrosion is a Secret Technique that can be activated after the Angel's Twelve Choruses have broken through to the seventh chapter: All Things Hazy. The Stellar Battle Qi shifts from the intensity of a blazing sun to a darkened state, with hidden sharpness, allowing for an even more unpredictable attack that gives no warning, nestling inside the enemy's body. It can suddenly erupt several days, or even more than ten days later, proving to be even more vicious than Fierce Corrosion.

Whether it is Fierce Corrosion or Dark Corrosion, the Stellar Battle Qi that is injected into the enemy's body will burst forth and return to its original owner when in proximity, carrying back a large amount of vitality.

The Asiluo Clan became one of the Three Emperor Clans and dominated the Old Continent not just because the members of this Blood Clan were swordsman with unfathomable and thunderous swordsmanship, but also because of the many Special Abilities of the Stellar Battle Qi which makes it extremely difficult to defend against in battle.

However, the rapid improvement in his swordsmanship and Stellar Battle Qi, along with mastering the Asiluo Clan's Secret Techniques: Fierce Corrosion and Dark Corrosion, were not as fulfilling to Charles as another gain which made him even happier.

He left the bedroom for the terrace, overlooking the entirety of Silver Pigeon Fort, watching the bustling crowd in the city, as well as the Westwind Knights and the militia of Silver Pigeon Fort busily preparing for battle. A proud smile suddenly formed on his face.

Just as Charles was about to utter a sufficiently impressive line to lighten the mood, he heard the sound of the door being pushed open. Belisa hurried in, calling out loudly, "Mister Charles Mecklen, I beg you, please save Grand Duke Joseph!"

"We've already delayed here for too long. I fear the Grand Duke might not hold out much longer; the Behemoth Duchy cannot be without its Duke."
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Although Belisa pleaded desperately, she was filled with hopelessness. The most beautiful maid at the duke's side had been refused by Charles countless times before. She had expected to be turned down once again, but to her surprise, Charles gave a slight smile and replied, "Alright!"

"We'll set off for Interlaken City tomorrow."