n

n

nOpposite to each other.

nWith their gaze to another and there Mana that was flaring through their body's.

nAn awkward silence took place, where neither party was willing to make the first move.

nHearing the Draugr declaration, Rapha frowned at the draugr that was in front of him.

n

"You...

" As he was about to question the Draugr in front of him.

nThe stalemate between this two was broken once the mana of one party started to move!

nTaking a step back, I lowered the Veren sword and put forward the staff that I got from the goblin caster.

nThe next moment, the mana in my body started to circle, going directly to the skull and crystal within.

nSeeing the mana go to the staff instead of the sword. Rapha's eyes turned wide open.

n'Magic?'

nRaphael was stunned by this sight.

nAfter his failure to defend the young master by this draugr, he went this way to research the undead race inside the huge library of the Darcy mansion.

nTo be more precise, he mainly researched the Undead called 'Draugrs'.

nUpon this research, he found out that Draugr's mainly use martial arts skills with rare cases of using shadow and necromancy spells.

nBut the true reason he was so surprised by the Draugr in front of him is that it used a staff to use magic.

nSeeing someone using a long sword in one hand while staff in another one was similar to see a unicorn with two horns.

nWhile Rapha had a frown on this face.

nThe spell was already done.

n

"Be honored! As you will be the first to experience my magic! Curse of Vigor!

" The dark crystal showed a small purple light in this center.

nRight after some dark mist came rushing out of the gem with immense speed on Rapha's location.

nThe mist travels so fast that it didn´t even take 2 seconds to reach Rapha.

nSeeing the speed that the smoke was approaching him, he was surprised but he didn´t show it on the outside.

nIncreasing the grip on this sword, he swung at the approaching mist.

nBut the moment the dark mist meets with this sword. Instead of the mist dissipating like how smoke would usually do. The sword of Rapha passed through the sword as if the sword wasn´t even there!

nOf course, that shocked Rapha.

n

"What!?

" The mist entered this body and slowly fused through every single muscle of this.

nRapha was about to panic the moment the mist entered this body, but after feeling just this muscle getting a little tighter together and nothing else.

nHe realized the origins of the spell.

n

"Curse magic of the necromancy tree...that´s why...

"

nCurse Magic.

nKnown for their odd spell effects and their difficulty to deal with.

nThe difference between curse magic and other types of magic is the ability to penetrate most of any defense that an opponent has.

nSince curse magic is more of a spiritual attack aimed at the enemy's souls, there are few ways to avoid being cursed.

nBut such magic has a devastating weakness.

nThat is the range limitation.

nBeing able to affect someone's soul to decrease their body capability isn´t as easy as it sounds. Compared to making a small fireball and throw it at the enemy and cursing someone.

nThe difference is like heaven and earth.

nThus the further away the caster is, the more difficult it is to cast a curse.

nWith such nature that curse magic has, seeing someone that uses such magic is extremely rare.

nSince if you aren´t anything else that a master on the ways of curse magic. You will have no hope of surviving any encounter.

nBeing a mage and going near your enemies too simple to use your magic is like begging with your knees on the ground to be killed.

nCurse magic isn´t even good for assassination or other kinds of similar works.

nSince the moment you curse your target, you basically announce to the whole world that there is someone a magic caster nearby!

nSuch cases can be avoided if you are capable to hide your tracks or delay the activation of the curse, but something like that requires the caster to be a master of magic.

nAt least an Archmage that is.

nOf course, that was only if a mage was the one cursing you.

nIn an instance of a Tier 2 undead such as Draugr, which is known for their melee combability which is capable to use curse magic is a whole another matter.

n

"That thing is a monster abnormally...

" Rapha finally remembered the content of the last pace of every book that he read about dungeon monsters.

nIn rarer cases, the dungeon for unknown reasons will produce a stronger version of the regular spawned monster which is smarter, stronger, and more evolved than other monsters.

nAnd in every book that he read till yet named such a monster.

n`A Monster Abnormally´

n

"This thing is way too dangerous to stay alive...I need to kill here and now...

"

nRapha threw every other useless thought out of the way and dashed towards the Draugr while moving this mana from this body.

nSeeing Rapha moving towards me I couldn´t help but grin viciously.

n

"Heh, a magic caster closing up the distance...You truly are arrogant!

" I threw the stuff out of the way and held the Veren sword with both of my hands.

nWith a swing from the top of my head, both our blades met with each other.

n*Thuck!

nSpark flew out through the clash with our blades.

nBoth of them looked like there were in a stalemate, but that couldn´t be further than the truth.

nBy a closer look you could see how the Veren sword was slowly, but surely pushing Rapha's sword.

nRealizing what was happening, Rapha was shocked.

n

"You...

" But before he could finish this sentence.

nWith my cold voice, I said.

n

"You weak...

"

n*Thucck!

nRapha's sword was pushed out of the way with pure physical strength.

nAnd with such an opening right in front of me, there was no way that I was letting this chance go!

nSeeing me swinging at him, Rapha quickly stepped back.

nBut that didn´t stop my assault on him!

n*Thuck!

n*Thuck!

nSparks similar to the flame that was spreading through the forest could be seen.

nWith the echoes of clashing metal, Rapha was still on this feet.

nBut not unwounded...

nGlancing at the blood of the tip of the Veren sword, my grin grew bigger.

n

"Look at this blood Rapha, hehe. I wonder from where it came from.

"

n

"You rotting pieces of bones...

" Touching this side of the stomach, a sense of pain came. Seeing the small cut that was made and the blood that was coming out he was shocked as he was confused.

n`How did mere undead acquire such strength in a mere of 2 weeks!? This thing wasn´t that strong back then! Is that a monster abnormally is? I can´t let such a thing run freely outside!´

nRapha at the moment felt a duty that a knight should have and the dread of a fight.

nIt has been a long time since Rapha felt like that. If not the first.

nHe remembered the duty of a knight that was taught by this aunt.

nThe strong should protect the weak and those that stand on the same land as you shall be protected with twice the effort.

n

"I can´t let this thing grow stronger than it is already...

" With this determination to destroy the very undead in front of him, he began chanting.

nBut such determination came also with the dread of failure.

nWhat will happen in the case he fails?

nWhat will her aunt think about him? What about lord Darius?

nIf he were to let such an undead unchecked, the accident of the past decade will repeat itself.

nWho knows how many lives will this undead take and ruin at the same time.

nJust imagining such a thing brought dread through this heart.

n

"Essence of fire, forge my body...Reinforcement

" A red light showed through raphas whole body.

nSeeing that light, I stopped in my tracks and my grin for before disappeared.

n

"Magic huh... that `Reinforcement´ spell didn´t show...

"

nSeeing that arsonist using an unfamiliar spell, I couldn´t help but grow weary.

nBut I didn´t stop my advantage.

n`Letting someone that is part of a magic caster alone screams for trouble. If I don't close the distance who knows what other kinds of spells he will throw at me...

n

"Sprint!

"

n