The sights seen in the dream were beyond Ghislain's control. He could only view them from a limited perspective.
Most of the time, the dream revolved around the battle between the Hero and the Adversary. From their combat, Ghislain was able to observe and learn a great deal.
Occasionally, the two figures would not appear at all. At such times, he witnessed massive wars between large armies.
Dragon versus giant battles, the Human Alliance's army clashing against the Riftborn, and glimpses of the leaders of the Human Alliance.
These too proved beneficial to Ghislain. He watched what strategies and tactics they employed, how they succeeded, and how they failed.
However, this dream featured characters he had never seen before.
Boom!
Among the members of the Salvation Church, there were four individuals exceptionally stronger than the other Arbiters.
When they appeared, the soldiers of the Human Alliance tensed and shouted in alarm:
"The Apostles have appeared!"
Hearing that, Ghislain tilted his head in confusion.
'Apostles?'
He had never heard of anyone in the Salvation Church referred to by that title.
He had heard of high-ranking priests, arbiters, and enforcers, but the term "apostle" was new to him.
The Apostles were standing right next to the Adversary. It seemed they were the second-highest-ranking figures in the Church, right below the Adversary.
Regardless, they were powerful. Cloaked in black mist, their attacks swept through the soldiers of the Human Alliance like autumn leaves.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Apostles' power was formidable enough to make even Ghislain uneasy. Even the individuals once hailed as the Continent's Seven Strongest seemed inferior compared to the Apostles.
'Shouldn't Erenes or the Dwarf King step in?'
The Hero needed to focus on the Adversary. From what Ghislain had seen, there were exceptional individuals within the Human Alliance, but they were no match for the Apostles.
However, Erenes and the Dwarf King were engaged in battles against other priests on both sides. At this rate, the central forces would be overrun by the Apostles.
At that moment, the Human Alliance forces retreated, and four figures advanced toward the Apostles.
Boom!
The four individuals who appeared suddenly fought evenly against the Apostles.
Ghislain carefully observed the four newcomers one by one.
The first was a man with disheveled hair and pronounced dark circles under his eyes. Judging by his robe, he seemed to be a mage.
Apart from his gloomy and melancholic expression, he had a rather youthful and delicate appearance. Of course, given his participation in this war, his actual age was unlikely to be that young.
Despite his frail appearance, his skills were astounding enough to shock Ghislain.
"Hellfire."
The mage uttered a single word, which echoed through the air.
In that instant, dazzling white flames erupted from the air. The man effortlessly unleashed 9th circle high-tier magic as naturally as breathing.
A blazing fireball, radiating intense heat, surged toward an Apostle like a lightning bolt.
Boom!
The Apostle countered with black energy from his hand, clashing with the fireball and triggering an explosion. Light and darkness intertwined, shaking the surrounding space.
The mage's eyes glimmered. As his fingers danced, dozens of magic runes were instantly inscribed in the air.
Moments later, a magic storm of fire, ice, and lightning rushed toward the Apostle.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Apostle retaliated fiercely. The black energy emanating from his body writhed as if alive, devouring the incoming spells.
At times, the darkness sharpened like an arrow and darted toward the mage.
The battle between the two remained evenly matched. The sheer power of their exchanged attacks distorted the fabric of space and time around them.
While astonished by their abilities, Ghislain closely observed the mage.
'Is he the founder of the Magic Tower where Jerome studied? A companion of the Hero?'
After the battle with Gartros, Jerome had shared many stories.
The founder of the Magic Tower, who was once the Hero's companion, and the magic he developed to counter the Adversary.
Even before Erenes spoke of the ancient war, he seemed to have been aware of the Adversary's existence.
'The mage in that tale must be him.'
The power displayed by the mage left no room for doubt.
Ghislain turned his gaze to the other figures.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A knight clad in gleaming silver armor was holding a massive shield as he confronted an Apostle.
The knight's sword cut through the air and struck down with tremendous force. His swordsmanship was the epitome of tradition and orthodoxy.
What seemed like simple movements carried centuries of wisdom and countless battle experiences within them.
Boom!
Every clash between the knight's sword and the Apostle produced thunderous shockwaves. His sword wasn't merely a weapon but a manifestation of his will.
Each powerful and straightforward strike seemed to carry unshakable resolve.
The Apostle moved unpredictably, like a shadow, aiming for openings in the knight's defense. However, the knight's shield stood like a living fortress.
No attack, no deception could breach his defense.
The knight's every action exuded precision. Each motion seemed to embody the essence of chivalry.
Courage, honor, loyalty.
All these virtues seemed to be engraved in his sword and shield.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the clash continued, the surrounding atmosphere grew heavier.
The Apostle couldn't penetrate the knight's formidable defense. Similarly, the knight struggled to land a decisive blow on the elusive Apostle.
Their battle resembled an eternal dance of light and shadow.
Watching the knight's movements, Ghislain's expression gradually stiffened.
'That swordsmanship…'
Ghislain had studied countless styles of swordsmanship across the continent. While knights' techniques often seemed similar, each carried unique traits upon closer inspection.
Ironically, Ghislain was extremely familiar with the knight's swordsmanship.
'The swordsmanship of the Ladran royal family!'
It was a secret technique and mana cultivation method used solely by the royal family of Lutania.
After conquering the kingdom, Ghislain had thoroughly studied its swordsmanship and mana cultivation method.
Count Palantz, who had once served as the royal knight commander, had also mastered the royal family's techniques under Berhem's guidance. It was this rigorous training that elevated Count Palantz to the level of a superhuman.
Ghislain had even faced Count Palantz in battle, experiencing the royal family's swordsmanship firsthand.
Seeing such a style here naturally startled Ghislain.
'Was the founding king of Lutania also a companion of the Hero?'
However, the story Berhem told didn't match.
— The founding king was... said to be a servant of the Saintess.
This man was no servant by any means. He seemed more like an exceptional knight.
Perhaps the so-called servant had been recognized for his talent and character and had been knighted. Such cases weren't unheard of.
Ghislain scrutinized the knight's face. However, he couldn't help but frown.
'His face... is obscured.'
A dense shadow covered his eyes, making it impossible to discern his features. The faint outline of his lower face only indicated that he was young.
Never before in these dreams had a face been obscured like this.
It could mean something was wrong with the dream itself, or that it wasn't time for him to see the face. Either way, Ghislain could do nothing about it.
Sighing, he turned his attention elsewhere.
There, he witnessed an even more astonishing sight.
'Huh?'
A mysterious woman with a masked lower face moved gracefully, her hands slicing elegantly through the air.
In an instant, hundreds of daggers appeared around her, like a cascading galaxy.
The radiant daggers were so stunning they captivated everyone who beheld them.
Swish.
As her fingers moved again with grace, the daggers began to dance.
They glided through the air like a swarm of fireflies, tracing intricate patterns. The trails of light left in their wake resembled a living masterpiece of art.
When the woman's gaze fixed on the Apostle, the movements of the dancing daggers shifted. Every dagger pointed its sharp tip toward him.
The previously tranquil air instantly became heavy with tension.
Swoosh!
After a moment of stillness, hundreds of daggers shot toward the Apostle like a storm.
The daggers sliced through the air with a sharp, piercing sound. Their speed and power were overwhelming.
Boom!
The Apostle's eyes glimmered as black energy began swirling around his body.
With all escape routes blocked by the barrage of daggers, he moved like lightning.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Apostle's hands and feet moved so quickly that only afterimages remained. Each time he struck down a dagger, sparks flew, and their trajectories twisted.
In the heart-stopping tension, the duel between the two continued. Neither gave an inch, maintaining a perfectly balanced stalemate.
In the air, only silver trails were visible. The brilliant traces of light intertwined with the Apostle's black energy, creating a scene reminiscent of stars scattered across a night sky.
'Belinda… no, my mother's technique…'
It was the ultimate secret technique of his mother, the former leader of the Shadow Knights. Yet, what was unfolding now far surpassed anything Belinda had ever demonstrated.
If he were caught in that web of daggers, he doubted he could escape easily.
Ghislain suddenly recalled a past conversation with Belinda.
— A single family has monopolized the captain position for generations? In this kingdom?
— Yes, it's a hereditary position. Only members of Lady Annette's family have mastered the secret techniques and taken the role of Shadow Knight Captain.
If that were true, then this person...
'Wait, does that mean she's one of my mother's distant ancestors?'
For some reason, it seemed that this individual's descendants had settled in the Kingdom of Lutania after the war ended.
The techniques, passed down through generations, had eventually reached his mother and now resided with Belinda.
Encountering such unexpected figures in succession left Ghislain utterly stunned.
He quickly turned his head to observe the last figure. He needed to confirm them as well.
Boom!
Unlike the others, the fourth figure was a man dressed in a surprisingly rough and casual manner, wielding a sword.
The sword in his hand was far from ornate. Its blade was rough and rugged, bearing the marks of countless battles.
Swoosh!
Each swing of the sword seemed to freeze the air around it.
The man's stance deviated significantly from traditional swordsmanship. He moved like a wild wolf stalking its prey.
Boom!
The man's sword struck toward the Apostle repeatedly. His swordsmanship had no discernible rules or form. It was raw, instinctive, and primal.
His movements were similarly unpredictable. Despite the Apostle's relentless attacks, the man evaded them with a fluidity that resembled a dance.
His motions were like a leaf riding the wind, making him impossible to predict.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the two clashed, shockwaves rippled through the surrounding space.
The man's swordsmanship constantly evolved. It was impossible to discern any consistent style or pattern.
Sometimes his attacks were as fierce as a blizzard, other times as smooth as gliding across ice.
At moments, his approach was as timid as a coward's, while at others, it was as majestic and direct as a knight's.
His swordsmanship transformed endlessly, adapting perfectly to the circumstances.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The duel raged on. The man's sword clashed with the Apostle's black energy, shaking the very air around them.
Watching this intense battle, Ghislain's gaze trembled with astonishment.
'That sword…'
If the man's level is lower than now.
If key aspects of his swordsmanship and mana cultivation technique were missing…
And if that incomplete form had been restructured into something else…
It would become the fangs of the wild wolves that roamed the vast northern plains—a sword style Ghislain knew all too well.
'The swordsmanship of the Perdium family!'
The Perdium family's swordsmanship and mana cultivation technique had always had certain flaws.
As a result, all of Perdium's ancestors had failed to surpass a certain level of skill.
Ghislain himself had wondered why but could never uncover the reason. Ultimately, he had reconstructed the family's mana cultivation technique entirely.
But now, in this dream...
The Perdium family's swordsmanship was unfolding in its perfected form.
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