The Runic Alchemist

Chapter 853: Is Your Song Your Own?

Nimrel, the aged fourth ranker, was said to be the closest to becoming a true god out of all lesser gods alive on the mainland. Unlike the warriors of the world, Nimrel was different. It wasn’t the fight and conquest that gave him strength. It was the music and joy it brought to others.

A true prince of the realm. Loved by kids and elders alike. His esper powers were a perfect reflection of his jovial and charming personality. He loved to sing way before music became his strength. His powers were enhanced every time a person smiled after hearing his songs.

Lightbringer, on the other hand, was a child born in hell. Becoming stronger was his only aim. If he were present on the border, the enemies chose to turn around without fighting, swallowing their pride. He was notorious for killing all his enemies. Lightbringer never took a prisoner.

The stronger, the better. He often challenged famous warriors of other kingdoms to duels to the death, even though they were far stronger than he and more experienced. Each time, Lightbringer came out victorious.

For those who considered strength before all else, they truly admired Lightbringer, despite his young age. With each fight, Lightbringer was becoming stronger and stronger. They say he was the ultimate student; even in a single span of a match, he learned more from his opponents than ever possible through common sense.

The Illuminator called him the greatest student he ever had.

The spectators gathered to witness the historical fight between Nimrel and Lightbringer were not one-sided. Both individuals were either loved, feared, or respected. Nimrel did not actively choose to fight people, but he was a true fourth-ranker and had proved his strength multiple times.

In times of war, Nimrel was the most respected general under Illuminator. His songs could make a hundred-man army fight thousands without taking a single step back. They had won plenty of battles together and had fought individuals from all over the mainland, making lasting friends and enemies alike.

Many of whom had come to see him fight once again.

Before the battle, however, Lightbringer used the excuse of his father’s death to make the battle a fight to the death. Illuminator was not willing, but after getting a reassurance from Nimrel that he won’t deal a killing blow, Illuminator reluctantly agreed.

Nimrel’s pride that day became his own downfall.

Lightbringer, the battle-born, had the greatest motivation to fight this battle. Before the eyes of thousands, the historical fight began.

For a while, it looked the same as the fight that Nimrel had fought a month ago. Completely one-sided.

Nimrel and his spirit-caller skills were not even fully utilized. But, because Nimrel had promised his father, he wouldn’t go overboard. Together with feeling slightly guilty after indirectly being the reason for his older brother’s death, he never dealt a killing blow.

Nimrel dealt attack after powerful attack on his nephew; normally, it would have even knocked out a fourth ranker. But Lightbringer was different. Every time he fell, the abomination of nature rose even stronger than before.

The Illuminator was born in ancient age; his methods of training were simple and effective. Hitting till one could do no more. His two children and other students could never bear this kind of abuse day after day. But not him. Lightbringer had been fighting Illuminator all his life.

Illuminator loved him more every time he got up after being knocked out. The rage of ever-burning fire of the sun, he didn’t need to teach Lightbringer that – the boy was born with that.

Alas, if Illuminator had taught him more about the kindness of light as well, the world might have been very different today.

Lightbringer mastered a way to counter Nimrel’s attack one after another. Nimrel was the fourth ranker, yet Lightbringer was the one who seemed to never lack mana inside him. The spirits of warriors long dead called by Nimrel’s songs fell one by one under the never-ending assault of Lightbringer and his ridiculous light and fire spells.

Back then, we had no idea that the bastard was an esper hybrid class who could bend light itself, along with being able to master spells as a mage. Battle-mage was not his only job. He truly was Lightbringer.

Who knew what VoidFlame had done to get this abomination of five natural, sacred classes? I wouldn’t be surprised if he were born Esper, same as the monsters of the ancient age. Maybe that was the truth. Lightbringer was never human to begin with; perhaps he truly was a monster.

The God of Music sensed he might have underestimated his nephew a bit too much. Nimrel gathered all his strength to prepare for one final attack, but he was still trying not to kill Lightbringer as his father required. Lightbringer, on the other hand, had no such restraints. From the very first attack, he was fighting to kill his opponent. As was his nature.

Nimrel enhanced himself beyond limit with thousands of dead warriors’ souls that had come to aid him from the afterlife after hearing his call. His strength grew over ten times the original. The whole of Mainland was shocked, realizing what the true limit of the jovial Musical God was.

But Lightbringer did not back down even after seeing that. For he had something special as well. The moment Nimrel’s insanely powerful punch was about to hit Lightbringer, the golden burning fire enveloping Lightbringer’s runic sword, armor, and shield changed its color to a cold, abyssal black fire that gave no heat.

Even the Illuminator had no idea what was going on. No powerful individuals gathered could even sense the black fire Lightbringer had just released without any chanting. Not the beastman pugilist Iron-Blood Kragmar, the elf light goddess Aeralyn the Star-Spring had any idea. I, myself, was present there, witnessing all of it happening. And I still have no more knowledge about that abominable thing than I had that day.

The gods had never seen such a thing ever.

Neither the elf goddess of fog and secrets, Mistborn Aelyth, had any clarity as to what was happening, nor the god of decay, Viruth – the Ruinweaver, could figure it out.

Everyone assumed it to be some powerful dungeon relic. That’s the only thing it could be.

The fist of a fourth ranker, enhanced ten times in strength, was stopped by a newborn transcendent with his sword clad in black fire.

What followed was a series of exchanges proving just how ridiculous the battle had become. Lightbringer could not match Nimrel in strength, but he wasn’t that far behind. Every exchange of fist and sword sent shock-waves across Dawnstar.

Nimrel had pushed back and beaten Lightbringer hundreds of times, but the man came back every single time with just as much stamina and mana as at the beginning of the match. Everyone was beyond shocked by the enormous mana pool the barely born transcendent had.

At last, after 36 hours of continuous fighting, the moment came when Nimrel was too exhausted and drained of mana to keep up. With time, Lightbringer’s attacks had just become fiercer than ever. He was using Nimrel’s own fighting techniques by the end. He had mastered it to such an extent that Nimrel was finding it harder and harder to push back Lightbringer.

A thousand times Nimrel had spared Lightbringer’s life over the whole duration of the fight. He could have killed him anytime, but the prince of Dawnstar worshiped his father. His command was everything.

One chance! Only one chance after 36 hours of tiresome fight, Lightbringer earned to deal a killing blow with his abominable black sword. And the spawn of VoidFlame did not hesitate even for a second.

Pushing his sword forward, Lightbringer rushed in. Not a speck of mercy in his eyes. Nimrel realized something horrible was about to happen. Technically, there was nothing wrong being done. If Illuminator stopped the fight, he would be breaking his own laws of sacred duel.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, considering everything that followed, Lightbringer’s dark sword did not reach Nimrel’s chest. A pillar of immensely powerful light stretching from high above had enveloped Nimrel’s tired body at the very last second.

You see, the world believed Illuminator’s two sons were not as loved by their patron god as the Illuminator himself. But in this moment, the Sun God proved the world wrong. Even Illuminator himself had never received such direct divine aid from the Sun God in his centuries-old lifespan.

The duel was decided. Illuminator declared Nimrel as victor, making him his heir. And after witnessing the dislike their patron god had towards the son of VoidFlame, Illuminator made the worst mistake a family could make and exiled Lightbringer for no crime at all.

By all laws, it was unfair. Lightbringer was the abomination that destroyed the world, but even after everything, I would still say it was unfair. A god does not choose a favorite from among his believers. That’s the first thing a proper god teaches his scion, never to favor any single believer of his. All were his children; the laws were the same for everyone.

But Sun God broke the law set by himself.

He could have ordered his scion, Illuminator, to stop the fight, and he would have obeyed. But it was clear that the Sun God cared more for Nimrel’s life than following his own commandments. Or maybe it was something else.

That day, Lightbringer walked away. But not quietly. He said just a few words, but those few words split the mainland in half. I still remember those words,

’The day a god bends his law is the day mortals stop bowing. I see it clear as day – your favor isn’t mercy, it’s fear. The fear.. of my rise.’