The castle gates, over four meters high, were made of thick planks reinforced with steel bands and weighed several tons.
They had only been raised halfway when Reyn crashed into them with the full force of his Charge. The impact was so powerful it was as if a dragon had rammed the gates—the entire wall shook, and several guards standing on it lost their balance and fell.
The massive gates buckled inward. The guards behind them froze in shock. In the next instant, they watched in horror as a blade of a gigantic sword burst out from the dent, carving a deep crack in the wood.
The sword vanished. For a few seconds, silence reigned.
Boom!
Another deafening impact echoed through the entire castle. The gates splintered at the crack, and through the cloud of debris, a tall figure burst into the fortress.
"Who is that?!"
"Alarm! Enemy!"
"Protect the viscount!"
The guards finally remembered their duty. Shouting, they raised their weapons and rushed toward the breach in the gates from all sides.
But the enemy was unimaginably fast.
Several guards closest to him didn't even have time to make out the attacker—only the blade of the gigantic sword flashed by. The strike lacked any technique; it could be described in one word—fast!
A flash of steel streaked past, merging with the rushing figure.
The clash of metal merged into a single sound. The guards' armor burst like paper, slicing through men and plate alike. One of them, a Superhuman, reacted faster than the others and tried to parry with his long sword, but it didn't save him—his blade was cleaved in half, and the warrior met the same fate.
In a few moments, five or six guards collapsed to the ground, flooding the courtyard with blood.
"Aaah..."
"Help!"
Some didn't die instantly, emitting gut-wrenching screams.
The remaining guards, seeing this horrifying sight, slowed their steps. They realized what kind of monstrous foe they faced—no ordinary man could handle him. They milled about in the middle of the courtyard, exchanging bewildered glances.
Even the few Superhumans among the guards darkened their faces.
"Quickly, protect the viscount!" Exchanging glances and gritting their teeth, they finally steeled themselves and, barking orders, charged toward the castle's main building.
By this time, the entire castle was roused.
Boom!
Having dealt with the guards blocking his path, Reyn crossed the inner courtyard and kicked down the door to the main building. The lavish carved door shattered into splinters, revealing a spacious and majestic banquet hall.
The hall was brightly lit by crystal chandeliers. A group of servants under the manager's direction was cleaning up after the feast; the air still carried the scents of exquisite dishes and fine wine.
Seeing Reyn burst in, everyone froze in terror.
"Who are you?!" the stern-faced manager shouted. "Get out!"
Reyn ignored him. The Voice of All Things had long pinpointed Galloweyna's location. Gripping his gigantic sword, he crossed the hall toward the stairs when a shadow lunged at him from the side.
Out of the corner of his eye, Reyn spotted it was the manager.
The manager was a third-level Ranger. From somewhere, he drew a slender rapier and attacked with astonishing speed and skill. The rapier's tip shimmered with countless silver points, enveloping Reyn's entire body.
Ignoring the rapier, Reyn simply swung his gigantic sword.
Clang!
After a brief ring, Reyn continued on without looking back.
The manager was bisected from the shoulder. His right hand still clutched the rapier, and his frozen eyes held disbelief. His blade had pierced the enemy's armor; a few more inches, and it would have reached the heart. Why hadn't it worked?
The manager's death sparked a wave of panicked screams among the servants. They bolted, darting around the hall like frenzied flies.
When several Superhumans from the guard burst into the banquet hall, Reyn was already racing up the stairs to the second floor, heading straight for Galloweyna's room.
Rounding the corner on the landing, he saw a thick ice arrow flying at him.
The bone-chilling cold forced Reyn to halt. He turned his head—a middle-aged man in luxurious robes stood in the corridor, gripping a magical dagger. His body was surrounded by a shimmering ice shield.
"Mage."
Reyn's pupils narrowed. Soul Eye showed him a fifth-level mage, an Elementalist specializing in ice magic.
Reyn was slightly surprised—a mage among Galloweyna's people, and not a low-level one at that.
In the Empire, mages commanded immense respect. Each possessed exceptional talent, and their status far exceeded other Superhumans. Mages were proud and usually joined magical organizations like the Duke Silver Star's Mage Tower or academies, serving more powerful mages in exchange for knowledge and wealth.
It was rare for mages to hire out to others. Even aristocrats, unless they were mages themselves, found it extremely difficult to secure a sorcerer's support, no matter their title.
"Who are you?" the mage opposite asked coldly.
His gaze was icy. Noting Reyn's heavy armor and gigantic sword, he assumed he faced an Iron Guard with immense physical strength. This somewhat reassured him—he'd faced such warriors before, relying solely on brute force. Bind them with magic, then finish with a wave of spells.
Reyn said nothing. Instead, he launched into Charge.
Whoosh...
A gust of wind tore through the opulently decorated corridor. Before Reyn had covered half the distance, a wave of icy air enveloped him. A thick wall of solid ice rose instantly before him.
"This mage has rich combat experience."
The thought flashed in Reyn's mind an instant before he slammed into the icy barrier.
Pouring all his power into the strike, he shattered the wall to pieces.
The mage's face changed as Reyn burst from the ice shards. Though the Charge was interrupted, the enemy's strength exceeded all expectations—he'd smashed through a third-circle ice wall with raw force.
Reyn was now just seven or eight steps away.
Without hesitation, the mage instinctively cast Ice Ring.
Blue energy shot from his feet like lightning. It was a favorite spell of ice Elementalists for close-range foes, and few could dodge it.
But this time, the mage miscalculated.
Reyn pushed off the floor sharply, leaping into the air and evading the ice ring.
Like a nimble cat, he ran several steps along the wall, crumpling priceless paintings hanging there, and landed beside the mage.
The gigantic sword crashed down.
The mage had just used Ice Ring and couldn't Blink. He could only watch helplessly as the sword struck his Ice Shield.
The impact was unimaginable. The Ice Shield cracked like an eggshell.
Crack!
The shield's frost failed to freeze the enemy. The frosted blade instantly bisected the mage's body.
Killing the mage, Reyn didn't pause a second. Landing, he rushed to the end of the corridor.
There was the door to Galloweyna's study.
The door opened.
A tall man in ornate silver-black armor, helmetless, emerged. His face, scarred long across the cheek, looked menacing; his gaze was grim. Like Reyn, he gripped a gigantic rune-covered sword—clearly enchanted.
Reyn scanned him with Soul Eye, and his heart tightened warily.
This man had multiple defensive elements, his power at fifth level.
Seventh-level Steel Knight!
As expected, this must be Inok, whom Galloweyna had mentioned—his strongest subordinate, executor of the plan to seize Reyn's family.
Inok stepped out and saw the mage's corpse on the floor. He hesitated slightly.
Reyn seized the moment and Charged.
Clang!
The two similar figures collided. The gap between fifth and seventh level became evident instantly.
Inok flew back into the study, crashing into the wall.
His hands, gripping the sword, trembled uncontrollably. Disbelief crossed his face—he, always proud of his strength, had been repelled in a direct clash. Inok felt the enemy's power far surpassed his own! Without his powerful defenses, he'd have been gravely wounded by that single blow.
Reyn was slightly surprised too. He'd expected to kill Inok in one strike, but he endured.
Reyn halted for an instant, shedding the strike's momentum, then strode quickly into the study.
In the spacious, richly furnished study, only Inok remained, still embedded in the wall. Reyn scanned the room, but Galloweyna was nowhere in sight.
"Where did he go?"
Reyn focused, trying to locate him. He'd just sensed Galloweyna's presence, but it had suddenly vanished.
Before the thought fully formed, he sensed danger behind him.
A sharp blade silently thrust at a gap in his armor. Even with Reyn's reflexes, fully dodging was impossible.
He'd only begun to turn when he felt the stab in his back.
Galloweyna's figure appeared before him. He gripped an ornate dagger. The viscount swiftly retreated, melting into the shadows.
"Sixth-level Shadow Warrior."
Reyn wasn't surprised at all. Back at that auction, he'd learned Galloweyna was a mid-level Shadow Warrior with nearly ten elements, one step from high rank.
What surprised him was that Galloweyna's dagger had pierced his Steel Body.
Though the wound was minor, just a scratch without blood, it was astonishing.
Reyn frowned, sensing no poison.
Galloweyna appeared beside Inok. Shock filled his eyes even more. He even glanced doubtfully at his dagger and rasped,
"Who are you? Why did you storm Burke Castle?"
Reyn, of course, had no intention of answering.
Mentally activating Swift Run, he accelerated sharply. With his right hand, he swung the gigantic sword like a long club, without any fencing technique, relying purely on raw power for maximum damage.
Boom!
The sword swept horizontally like a hurricane.
Galloweyna paled in horror and desperately leaped aside.
As a sixth-level Shadow Warrior, he also had Swift Run. His speed surged, and the sword blade passed a millimeter from his nose. The air wave from the strike lashed his face painfully, forcing him to squint.
The desk, bookshelves, lamps, decorations—everything shattered from the gigantic sword's blow.
The study became ruins.
Reyn recovered the sword and struck again.
Galloweyna, moving at tremendous speed, tried to melt into shadow but found his Shadow Escape failed. The gigantic sword pursued relentlessly, like a shadow.
In pure speed, Galloweyna, with multiple agility elements, was slightly faster than Reyn. But in the confined study, that edge was nullified. Moreover, Reyn's gigantic sword had a massive sweep; dodging was nearly impossible.
As despair gripped Galloweyna, Inok finally extricated himself from the wall.
With a battle cry, he Charged, raising his sword for a strike on Reyn.
A seventh-level Steel Knight's attack, fifth-level strength enhanced by third-level Heavy Strike, able to instantly double power—even with Steel Body, Reyn didn't want to take it head-on. He had to turn and parry.
Clang of metal, shower of sparks.
Reyn's body swayed slightly, while Inok was hurled back, his feet gouging deep furrows in the floor.
Seizing the moment, Galloweyna slipped from under the sword.
He melted into shadows again, trying to flee through the study door.
Reyn sensed the situation complicating. Until now, he'd avoided magic-related abilities, planning to kill Galloweyna with pure strength and speed to leave no clear evidence.
Now it was clear magic would be needed.
If Galloweyna escaped the study, catching him would be tough. Plus, Burke-town wasn't far from Longsand, and Galloweyna had surely signaled the Mage Tower for help.
"Must act fast."
Reyn hesitated only half a second before changing plans.
Beneath his armor, thin lightning crawled over his skin, weaving into barely visible spiked armor.
In one step, Reyn blocked the study exit.
Galloweyna, hiding in the shadows, was forced to retreat. He froze in a corner, holding still so Reyn wouldn't spot him.
Inok, recovered, charged Reyn without hesitation.
The two gigantic swords clashed.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Each blow rang deafeningly. The blades wrecked everything around, gouging deep furrows even in the study walls.
Inok's hands went numb; he barely held his sword but gritted his teeth and fought on.
He noticed the enemy's sword technique seemed inferior to his own—rather primitive, just simple chops. In moments, he found an opening and struck at Reyn's shoulder.
Though not full power, it should have wounded him.
The gigantic sword cleaved the black armor, and in that instant, powerful lightning discharges flared. Inok was caught off guard. Electric current surged through his blade, paralyzing his arm and body. Even his brain seemed to stall.
"It's over!"
The thought flashed in Inok's mind. The blade loomed; he felt himself airborne, saw his headless body below in armor, and plunged into endless darkness.
In an instant, Inok was decapitated.
This sudden turn stunned Galloweyna in the corner. Then he saw the enemy Charge straight at him.
"He sees through shadows!"
Galloweyna panicked. The corner he'd chosen for cover became a trap. The gigantic sword with serrated blade blocked all escape.
Despair overwhelmed Galloweyna, accustomed to luxury and comfort; he lost all will to fight.
The gigantic sword smashed a bookshelf and vase, sweeping through the air. Blood sprayed. Two halves of a body tumbled from the shadows. Galloweyna didn't die instantly. Staring at Reyn, he asked bitterly,
"Who... are... you?"
Under the helmet, Reyn's face remained impassive. He made no sound.