Crown Prince Sells Medicine

Even when struck, he remained standing. Regardless of how severely he was hit, he did not succumb to death. His vitality seemed almost supernaturally enduring. People around the world referred to it as a game-changing advantage.

However, at this moment,

His physique.

Could it be considered the ultimate advantage?

“Hey, tsk. After taking a hit, it’s nothing. So, you were a Swordmaster, huh.”

“…!”

Raciel’s cunning tone was accompanied by a sly glint in his composed eyes, forming a mischievous smile.

Javillon’s gaze wavered.

‘What’s going on here?’

It was perplexing.

The Holy military officer.

No, the Prince of Magentano.

Initially, his plan had been to swiftly disable his opponent. The circumstances and location were ideal. They were a considerable distance away from Balua Fortress.

Visibility was poor due to the extensive fires and thick smoke enveloping the plains. It was likely that the kingdom’s forces stationed in the fortress couldn’t accurately assess the situation here.

Therefore, only the prince’s entourage, Princess Adeline, and the kingdom’s guards had a clear view of the unfolding events. They simply needed to be eliminated.

Then, whether it was the prince or the Holy military officer, no one would ever know they had fallen into his trap.

‘No, even if they did, it wouldn’t matter.’

If necessary, he would sweep away the entire Magentano Empire, fueled by the might of his homeland and the greatness of the Anbouaz people. His confidence was unwavering, even when faced with the prospect of overthrowing a sprawling empire.

And so, he swung his sword without hesitation.

His intention was clear: to sever both of his opponent’s legs in a single stroke. Naturally, the prince sought to defend himself in his own way.

A magical tool that emanated cold? A shield? It didn’t matter to him. He dared the prince to try to block it, to struggle fruitlessly, all while he sneered.

However, he was taken aback.

The prince’s icy shield successfully intercepted his sword strike.

Up until that point, he had been sneering. He had chalked up the successful defense to mere luck.

‘I didn’t expect a second stroke of luck…’

Gulp.

Javillon’s throat quivered as he scrutinized Raciel from head to toe.

Nothing.

There was nothing to see.

The usual and natural reactions he had witnessed countless times as people met their demise at his hands were absent.

No signs of fatigue-induced breathlessness, no muscle spasms from the shock of the defense, not even the faintest tremor in the prince’s breathing.

In other words, he was perfectly unharmed!

It defied logic.

‘How?’

It had been a resolute attack. Despite his inability to manifest his aura for some inexplicable reason, the power behind his sword was not to be underestimated.

He was a Swordmaster.

Mastery of swordplay.

Understanding of the sword.

Mastery of mana manipulation.

All had reached the pinnacle of perfection. His strike was imbued with such essence.

It was not a blow that a mere, slender prince should have been able to withstand, let alone appear so nonchalant after blocking it.

‘How is this possible?’

Javillon’s eyes narrowed. There had to be some trick he was unaware of, some secret allowing the prince to remain so composed.

“Hey, Mr. Javillon. Is that all you’ve got?”

“……”

“You’re weak. It lacks intensity. Aren’t you a Swordmaster?”

“……”

“I thought Swordmasters could split the ground, cleave waves, shatter cliffs, like superhumans. But witnessing it firsthand, it seems that’s not the case? Just empty words?”

“……”

“So come on, don’t disappoint this time and give it your best shot. Okay? Come on. Fight.”

Bang, bang!

Raciel confidently smacked the Perennial Snow with his palm, even flashing a mischievous smile.

His tone resembled that of someone encouraging a novice struggling with basic sword techniques.

Of course, Javillon fully grasped the intent behind Raciel’s words.

“……”

It was a low-level provocation.

An overt ploy.

Yet, he willingly took the bait.

There was no profound reason behind it.

He was simply furious.

‘…I’ll wipe that smug expression off his face!’

Swish-!

His thoughts and charge occurred simultaneously. His heart guided his sword, and instinct dictated the direction of his attack.

In the blink of an eye, before he could draw a breath, Javillon charged towards Raciel.

Zing!

A precise thrust!

‘Here it comes.’

Raciel’s eyes gleamed. His senses were heightened to the extreme.

Certainly, he couldn’t entirely comprehend or predict the actions of a Swordmaster like Javillon. It was beyond his capability.

But he possessed a unique technique.

Kreee-!

The mana circle roared to life, spinning vigorously, drawing in the ambient mana, and amplifying it.

This heightened mana surged through his entire being. It empowered his muscles and connective tissues. His nervous system didn’t remain untouched. His vision, tactile sense, and hearing were all pushed to their limits.

Thanks to these elevated senses, he could roughly anticipate when Javillon would strike and even infer the direction.

‘Here!’

Clang!

With his left foot as an axis, he swiveled his body 70 degrees counterclockwise, executing a pivot turn with his right foot.

He then lowered his stance and raised Perennial Snow diagonally, infusing it with mana.

Zzzz!

The icy shield of Perennial Snow expanded dramatically, nearly enveloping his entire form. It was as though not even a heavy rain could dampen him.

Naturally, Javillon’s thrust was no exception.

…Clang!

The sharp thrust met the unyielding icy shield of Perennial Snow. It teetered momentarily but held steadfast.

An immense shock rippled through his arm, bearing down on his shoulder. The instant he felt it, he threw himself backward, rolling to disperse the force.

‘…Damn!’

Raciel’s face twisted in discomfort. It felt as though a crucial point had been squeezed.

He might have dismissed it as unimportant, but blocking such a thrust was no ordinary feat.

However, the assault didn’t conclude with just one thrust.

‘Here it comes again.’

Thump!

Javillon charged towards him with an intense expression, raising his sword. Was he planning to strike downward? It appeared that way.

Yet, Raciel didn’t raise Perennial Snow. He wasn’t naive enough to react hastily to an obvious attack.

‘Meridian Scanning!’

He shouted.

He concentrated on Javillon.

Ding-dong!

[Vital Point Skill Option ①: Activating Meridian Scanning.]

[Meridian Scanning option has detected the target.]

[The target has been successfully locked on.]

Kreee-!

A swift notification chimed, and his perspective shifted.

Clear outlines materialized around the advancing Javillon. Raciel could now discern the arrangement of vital points within Javillon’s body with precision.

With this enhanced vision, he could discern the flow, sequence, intensity, and synergy of energy within Javillon.

Thanks to this insight…

‘…I see it!’

Raciel’s eyes sparkled. In that very moment, he extended Perennial Snow not above but to the front and right.

Simultaneously, Javillon’s raised sword naturally veered to the lower left.

‘The downward strike is a diversion. The real attack is a diagonal slash from the lower left to the upper right!’

Following the energy flow within Javillon, which Raciel could discern thanks to Meridian Scanning, every movement indicated the solution. He adjusted accordingly.

‘Here!’

The moment he figured out the solution, it was confirmed.

Kwaang-!

A jolt akin to a one-ton truck collision!

‘…Gasp!’

This was it. He had successfully blocked it. Raciel was thrown several meters back, gritting his teeth in frustration.

For a moment, his gaze locked with Javillon’s, who stared at him incredulously, as if struggling to comprehend.

Indeed, it must have been difficult for him to fathom how Raciel consistently predicted and thwarted his attacks, especially how Raciel seamlessly recovered after each block.

‘HP Conversion.’

Even while being propelled backward, even before touching the ground, he chanted. The response was swift.

Ding-dong!

[Asrahan Core Technique Skill Option ③: Activating HP Conversion.]

[Current Conversion Rate = HP 10 : Life Force 1]

[Set the amount of HP to be used for conversion.]

[Your current life force: 190 / 300]

[Your current HP: 5,700]

‘1,100!’

Whether it was refueling or HP conversion, a man should always be at his best!

He declared confidently.

Whooosh!

[1,100 HP is being converted.]

[110 life force is restored.]

[Your current life force: 300 / 300]

He felt rejuvenated. Energy surged from the deepest core of his being.

All the damage he had sustained from the two attacks vanished instantly. Javillon’s incredulous look disappeared as well.

Gracefully landing, Raciel shot a playful glance at Javillon, much like a freshly opened soda bubbling over.

He was perfectly unscathed.

Is that all you’ve got?

Give it a little more effort(?).

With genuine encouragement and a teasing demeanor, he winked.

“……!”

Kwaang-!

Javillon, now wearing a more contorted expression, pressed his assault on the ground.

With a speed that a regular person wouldn’t even dare to attempt to react to, and with a dazzling pattern that made it nearly impossible to predict, he launched an intense attack.

Kwaang-! Thud! Kwajik! Tsk!

‘…Close! Ouch! Eek! Tight!’

Every time, Raciel narrowly parried the strikes. Thanks to Meridian Scanning, he remained unperturbed by Javillon’s intricate techniques. He heightened his reaction speed with the Asrahan Core Technique.

With the Stun Immunity option, which still had about 4 minutes remaining, he resisted any potential stuns. After each attack, he replenished his life force to the maximum using the HP Conversion option.

And yet, he continued to advance.

‘Ugh! Grunt!’

Bang! Crash!

An unrelenting barrage of attacks, leaving no room to catch his breath. Within them, memories from his past intertwined. He recalled a scene from a protest.

A bamboo spear, split at its tip into multiple strands. A menacing tool crafted for protests, designed to pierce through shields and protective gear to target the eyes.

He reminisced about the occasions when he had deflected such assaults and the times he had vocally opposed the flying Molotov cocktails.

However, his relentless advance wasn’t solely driven by his experience with the shield.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

[You are actively employing the Asrahan Core Technique options in an intense battle scenario, efficiently managing your life force.]

[Such experiences are significantly enhancing your proficiency with the Asrahan Core Technique.]

[The level of the Asrahan Core Technique has increased.]

[Skill Name: Asrahan Core Technique]

[Stage: Single Circle Lv.7]

“……!”

The heart-pounding ebb and flow of the battle.

He didn’t have a moment to scrutinize the intricacies within it. Nonetheless, the subsequent cheers from his internal organs echoed vividly in his ears.

[Your organs rejoice in the development of the Asrahan Core Technique and your resilience in extreme situations, sending heartfelt cheers and support.]

[Heart: Oh! An upgrade! The circle is tightening up!]

[Lungs: Ha! Pa! Ha! Pa!]

[Intestine: Our body’s performance today is off the charts, isn’t it?]

[Liver: Open up! Glycogen incoming!]

[Stomach: Carbs! We need more carbohydrates!]

[Your heart beats faster.]

[The lungs deliver extra oxygen.]

[Digestive organs generously increase blood flow to enhance physical capabilities.]

[The high-energy nutrition produced in the liver is amplified through the Asrahan Core Technique and transported to the muscles!]

[Your organs rally behind your fierce will to survive and triumph, donating 2,000 HP.]

[Your current HP: 6,000]

Whooosh!

[Due to the rapid advancement of the Asrahan Core Technique, the option features are also improved!]

[The absorption and release delay of <Circle Slot> is reduced!]

[The operational duration of <Stun Immunity> is extended by 1 minute!]

[The conversion rate of <HP Conversion> increases!]

A deluge of messages surged in like a tempest.

Real-time HP contributions.

Thanks to this, his life force continued to replenish!

‘…I can do this!’

Raciel’s eyes gleamed.

He brandished his weapon, Perennial Snow, with even greater force.

Tearr-!

Swordmaster Javillon, launching a furious assault, and Raciel, an ordinary man defending with unwavering determination and enduring like an unyielding force. Their fierce clash persisted.

The level of the Asrahan Core Technique continued to ascend.

Confronting the unparalleled Swordmaster, Raciel’s taunts, combined with his audacious confidence and calculations, were propelling his explosive growth.

(To be Continued)

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