Reidan, the second-largest city of the Eternal Kingdom.
Once, it had been a prosperous and lively city. But everything changed after the city lord and his forces marched out to subjugate the vampires—only to be completely wiped out. From that moment on, Reidan's decline began.
Its military strength was reduced to nothing, allowing desert monsters to multiply without restraint. Even the creatures of the nearby river grew stronger, eventually cutting off Reidan's water supply entirely.
Many noble houses tried to intervene, but against the combined threat of powerful vampires and rampant desert monsters, they were helpless. One by one, they gave up. In the end, Reidan was abandoned.
Left to fend for themselves, the people of Reidan begged the Empire for help. The Empire responded—but only in exchange for massive payments. The city sold everything it could to survive, but the crisis never truly ended. Eventually, Reidan could no longer afford the cost, and the Empire withdrew its support.
The citizens were certain that death was inevitable.
Then, unexpectedly, a new lord was assigned to Reidan.
He arrived with food, farmers, and supplies. He invested funds, repaired irrigation systems, and restored water veins beneath the land. Slowly but surely, the city began to revive.
Now, Reidan—once barren and forsaken—was covered in golden wheat fields and rainbow potato plantations, standing as a symbol of rebirth and resilience.
"It sure has changed a lot," Alan muttered as he looked over the city.
The last time he had been here, it had been a dying, barren place. Now, it was flourishing.
"Leaving it in Piaro and the Rabbits' hands was a good choice," Alan smiled as he walked toward the city, passing through fields of golden wheat.
Trang!
Suddenly, someone attacked him from behind. Alan pulled out his sword in an instant, blocking the strike and saving himself.
"That's not how you greet someone, Piaro," Alan said, rolling his eyes as he looked at Piaro, who was dressed in simple farming clothes and holding a hoe.
"Hahaha, can't help it. Without you, I wasn't able to train properly for a long time," Piaro replied with a laugh.
"Alright, we'll fight," Alan nodded as he took out the Hellfire Staff.
"Huh? A staff?"
Piaro looked surprised when he saw Alan pull out a staff.
"Did you abandon the sword?" Piaro asked, pulling his sword from the scarecrow nearby.
"Abandon it?" Alan snorted. "Did you forget? I was never just a swordsman. I'm a blacksmith who likes to fight—and now I can use magic too. On top of that, I'm a legend now."
"I can sense it," Piaro said seriously. "When I first saw you, I almost didn't recognize you. Your power is overwhelming compared to last time."
He stepped back, lowering his stance.
"Let's fight again."
Piaro kicked off the ground and shot forward like a bullet, momentum surging through his body. Alan instantly activated Blink, vanishing from his spot and reappearing behind him.
Piaro's sword sliced through empty air.
Before Piaro could turn, an Ice Spear formed midair and shot forward, striking him head-on. Frost spread rapidly across his body, applying a freezing debuff and slowing his movements as he was forced back across the ground.
"Your magic is more refined than your sword now," Piaro said, shaking off the ice as his aura surged. "Supreme Swordsman—First Style!"
Nine sword phantoms formed behind him, each radiating lethal intent. They merged into a single devastating strike as Piaro slashed forward.
Alan didn't hesitate.
Blink.
He vanished again, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Alan immediately followed up, activating two more spells.
One was Blink—a short-range teleport with an extremely low cooldown. Though its range was limited to about ten meters, it was perfect for instant movement in close combat.
The other was Magic Mine.
It was a landmine-type spell. Alan could place it anywhere on the battlefield, and the moment someone stepped into its trigger range, it would activate—detonating directly beneath the target.
Blink was a skill Alan had purchased from the Player Auction, while Magic Mine was an original spell he had created using Magic Creation.
Unlike ordinary magic, Magic Mine wasn't limited to pure damage. Alan could embed other spells into it as well—but doing so required chanting each spell individually. In the middle of combat, he simply didn't have the time., so he only used basic ones to distract Piaro rather than aiming for damage.
Piaro rushed forward the moment Alan reappeared.
The next instant—
Boom!
Piaro stepped onto the Magic Mine.
The explosion erupted beneath his feet, sending dirt and shattered stone flying into the air. The blast forced Piaro back, buying Alan precious seconds.
Alan raised his Hellfire Staff, mana surging violently around him.
"Perfect timing."
A torrent of flames spiraled forward, followed immediately by a shard of compressed ice. Fire and frost collided midair, creating a violent shockwave that tore across the battlefield.
Piaro planted his sword into the ground, skidding backward as he endured the attack. His eyes burned with excitement rather than pain.
"Good," Piaro said, grinning. "This is good."
He tore the sword free and charged again, his stance sharper, more dangerous than before. Each step cracked the earth beneath him.
Alan clicked his tongue and activated Blink once more, appearing to Piaro's flank. Without pausing, he slammed his staff into the ground.
A second Magic Mine formed—hidden beneath the soil.
Piaro twisted his body mid-charge, barely avoiding the trigger zone, and swung his sword in a wide arc.
Steel met flame.
The clash echoed across the fields as sword intent and magic collided, neither side willing to yield.
In the end, Piaro's sharp sword pierced straight through Alan's flames—but Alan only smiled.
His chant finished.
"Dragon Claw."
The ground trembled violently.
Massive pillars of wood erupted around Alan, each shaped like a gigantic, razor-sharp claw. They twisted and tore through the earth, forcing Piaro to retreat in an instant.
Before Piaro could fully regain his footing, Alan continued chanting without pause.
The Wooden Dragon Claws continued to harass Piaro as Alan finished his Chant and then aimed at Piaro " Inferno Spear"
A Dark red concentrated flame spear formed but suddenly it was engulfed with Black hellfire.