The Immortal Genius Spearman

Chapter 150

More than two weeks had passed.

Each day for Damian had been the same.

At the break of dawn, he trained in the techniques for harnessing magic. Then, he fought Hainel until he lost consciousness.

Ending each day unconscious had become routine, but something small changed with each passing day.

Clang!

The jarring pain in Damian’s wrist was matched by the grimace on both their faces.

“Not yet!”

Thud!

Damian pushed Hainel back with sheer force, his spear spinning rapidly as it thrust toward Hainel’s calf.

Hainel’s eyes wavered for a brief moment.

‘Is this real, or a feint?’

Damian’s spear techniques were unlike anything Hainel had encountered before.

They were rooted in the Kingdom’s most renowned spear arts, yet felt completely different.

The techniques had been distorted by Damian’s personal experiences, evolving into something unique.

It wouldn’t be wrong to call it “Damian’s Kingdom Spear Arts.”

His attacks often feigned one target only to redirect unpredictably—aiming for the side after targeting the lower body or switching to the legs after focusing on the chest.

The problem, however, was that even knowing this, it was incredibly difficult to defend against.

Even for someone like Hainel, who had wielded a sword for over 40 years.

‘What kind of experiences could lead to this level of expertise?’

Such unorthodox movements could only be born from years of life-and-death combat, repeated daily for over a decade.

Realizing this, Hainel shifted his body backward, escaping Damian’s attack range entirely.

Taking away Damian’s options was the only answer.

Dash!

Seeing Hainel retreat, Damian’s eyes narrowed.

Thud!

With a powerful stomp, Damian closed the gap again, lunging forward with his spear.

‘I’ve got him…!’

Whoosh!

The unrelenting thrust was fueled by sheer determination, the kind that refused to let Hainel slip away.

Hainel’s eyes widened as the spear narrowly missed him, grazing his collar.

Rip.

The edge of Damian’s spear nicked his clothing. Hainel frowned slightly, while Damian’s lips curled into a smile.

‘Finally… I caught him.’

For so long, Hainel’s movements had eluded him. But now, they were beginning to come into focus.

‘I’m starting to catch up.’

Keeping up with Hainel Fremunt, an Aura Master, was a monumental achievement for Damian.

It meant he was beginning to grasp the elusive “level” Hainel always spoke of.

And

‘The materialization of magic…’

It was a constant source of frustration and contemplation.

What exactly was magic materialization?

What was the difference between magic and aura?

As Damian fought Hainel, he continuously grappled with these fundamental questions.

Aura was said to be a higher form of power, attainable only by those who had mastered magic to its utmost limits.

But even with the hint of “magic materialization,” Damian couldn’t find a clue to unlock it.

And then.

“Whew, impressive.”

Hainel, deflecting Damian’s spear, glanced at his slightly torn shoulder garment.

He hadn’t expected Damian to reach such control over his magic in so little time.

Damian, however, shook his head.

“…I still have a long way to go.”

“Perhaps, if you consider your ultimate goal. But I think you’ve earned the right to move forward.”

“…The right?”

Damian questioned, looking at Hainel.

Hainel nodded.

“Yes, right. Have you heard from Villipt about magic materialization?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Villipt must see great potential in you to bring that up so soon.”

Hainel’s expression suggested mild surprise.

But Damian let out a small sigh.

“Villipt told me about it… but honestly, I don’t understand what it means.”

He candidly admitted his frustration, feeling stuck trying to grasp something intangible.

In response, Hainel began channeling his magic.

“Watch closely.”

Boom!

As Hainel’s magic surged, Damian focused intently on him.

The energy around Hainel began to ripple visibly as he spoke.

“This is what it looks like when magic is pushed to its maximum. Visually, there’s not much of a difference.”

When magic was pushed to its limits, it started to become faintly visible—a soft glow around the body.

Damian listened closely, not wanting to miss a single word.

“At this level, the physical strain on the body increases tenfold—up to twentyfold depending on the amount of magic one possesses.”

For context, Damian’s magic reserves were comparable to those of a sixth-circle mage, an extraordinary level considering the human limit was typically around eight circles.

Hainel continued.

“And magic materialization is about transforming this magic into the form most suited to its nature, thereby elevating its power to another level.”

Like this.

Crackle!

The magic surrounding Hainel suddenly erupted outward, creating an intense field of lightning.

This was Hainel’s aura.

“When I mastered my magic, I realized lightning was the form most suited to it. This isn’t a purely theoretical process—it’s intuitive, almost instinctive.”

What form best aligns with my magic?

This was something only the individual could determine.

And when one’s imagination and magic aligned, coupled with the effort to manifest that form…

“That is when you finally gain the ability to wield aura.”

Though it sounded simple in theory, the path to achieving it was anything but.

Understanding the nature of magic was already challenging, but transforming that nature into a specific form was an even more daunting task.

And above all—

“Using aura grants overwhelming power. But the strain it places on the body is equally immense.”

Even Aura Masters faced limitations in how much aura they could use, precisely because of this.

Using too much aura could risk the complete collapse of the body.

“That’s why even Aura Masters go to great lengths to conceal how much aura they can use.”

“…I see.”

Damian felt like he was starting to uncover the secrets of aura.

Yet at the same time—

‘It feels even farther away.’

A rough sensation crept into his throat, almost as if he’d swallowed sand.

Hainel gave him a faint smile.

“It won’t be easy. But… I believe you’ll achieve it.”

With that, Hainel sheathed his sword.

“That’s enough for today. Take a few days to process and organize your thoughts.”

“Ah… understood.”

Damian nodded respectfully.

As Hainel suggested, his mind was a chaotic mess of unprocessed thoughts.

As he passed by, Hainel lightly tapped Damian’s shoulder.

“If you find a clue or have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

With Damian’s response, Hainel turned and headed back to the villa.

Left alone, Damian—

Thump.

He sat down on the ground and began practicing his magic refinement techniques.

Focusing on refining magic was the best way to clear his mind.

Moreover—

‘It helps me sense my magic more clearly.’

Damian slowly channeled his magic, reflecting on Hainel and Villipt’s words.

‘Materializing magic… materialization…’

What form of magic would suit him best?

That night, Damian practiced his refinement techniques, thinking over and over until dawn broke.

***

“Hyahhhhh!”

A soldier from the Caion unit charged forward with a shield, aiming directly at Kyle.

Boom!

The deafening sound echoed as Kyle was pushed back a step.

Despite the powerful charge, Kyle stood firm like a wall.

Watching from the side, Leonhark nodded approvingly at the soldier’s effort.

“Not bad. But when you charge, you should lower your center of gravity and engage your hips more.”

Leonhark stepped forward, demonstrating by holding a shield.

“Like this. As you collide, tuck your hips in to generate more momentum.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Still, this is quite an improvement. Barely passing, but good enough for now.”

“Whew, are we done now?”

Kyle wiped the sweat from his brow and asked Leonhark.

Leonhark patted Kyle’s shoulder lightly.

“You’ve done well acting as the training partner for the unit.”

“It’s nothing, sir. I see it as part of my training.”

“Haha, that positive mindset is one of your greatest strengths.”

Leonhark held Kyle in high regard.

His immense strength, typical of those from the northern regions, was impressive, but it was his relentless determination during training that stood out even more.

Most individuals with superior abilities tended to grow complacent.

However, Kyle and others like Dianal continuously pushed themselves to improve.

‘…Is this because of Damian?’

Leonhark had suspected it, but he couldn’t fully grasp just how much of an influence Damian had on them.

Whenever Damian advanced two steps, these soldiers struggled to close the gap by at least one step.

The proof was in Kyle himself. Within the Caion unit—or even the entire kingdom—he was now considered one of the strongest in terms of defense and breakthrough power.

‘He’s no ordinary soldier anymore.’

If compared, his abilities would rival, if not exceed, those of a sub-commander in the knighthood.

Damian’s growth alone was astonishing, but to think multiple soldiers from a regular unit could surpass knights—it was unimaginable.

‘And their progress is influencing the rest of the unit.’

Watching the Caion unit grow stronger at an unprecedented pace, Leonhark couldn’t help but feel a mix of surprise and excitement every day.

What training should he plan for tomorrow?

Could they handle the next set of challenges?

Of course, he tailored the training to their current level.

But the intensity of the Caion unit’s training had long surpassed that of ordinary knights.

The specialized units, like the assault and archery divisions, had solidified their roles. The main unit, led by Dianal, had developed formidable offensive capabilities.

On top of that, as Damian requested, they had become adept at guerrilla tactics, maintaining formation while moving quickly, and undergoing rigorous physical conditioning.

So much so that running up mountain trails barely left anyone exhausted.

‘At this rate…’

Even seasoned knight orders would struggle to face them.

Leonhark turned his gaze elsewhere.

By the time Damian returned to see the Caion unit…

‘Haha, he might just faint from shock.’

Could there be another unit on the continent that had grown this much in such a short time?

As he watched the Caion soldiers training with every ounce of their strength, Leonhark allowed a small smile to grace his lips.

He eagerly awaited Damian’s return.