Chapter 16: The Storm and Thunder Magic Harp

Although she knew it was possible that what Komer said was true, Katrina understood that if she failed to respond appropriately to such an aggressive provocation, her reputation as the Red-Haired Witch would surely suffer greatly. With a slight gesture of her hand, her body silently drifted away.

Terrifying screeches were accompanied by a barrage of spears and crossbow arrows, sealing off every space and angle within a few meters around Komer. This purely physical attack relied entirely on brute force, with no room for trickery. To avoid it, one would have to vanish underground. Even if the ground were made of smooth marble slabs, Komer was confident he could disappear without a trace. But for now, he didn’t want to do that—he needed to intimidate his opponent sufficiently.

A series of stone golems formed a ring in front of Komer, surrounding him tightly. As he rapidly made gestures with his fingers and chanted multiple magic spells in one breath, Komer himself began to gasp for air. The powerful spears and crossbows collided with the magically formed stone golems, causing intense explosions. Several golems were destroyed under the continuous attacks, but new earth element giants rose to fill the gaps. This relentless assault seemed intended to drain Komer’s strength completely.

Shaking his head slightly, Komer smiled calmly. This method might work against other magicians, but it was laughable against someone like him who had just gained the power of the Dark Emperor. His inexhaustible magical energy, though not infinite, was more than enough to handle such situations. And Komer had no intention of continuing this fight.

He gently plucked the seven-string harp in his hands, and melodious music instantly filled the hall. Even the screeching of spears and crossbows couldn’t drown out this heavenly sound from another world.

“Let the wind and thunder grow stronger, O King of Elements! I need your blessing!” The exquisite seven-string harp in Komer’s hands acted like a magic tool that could be transformed at will. Brilliant multicolored lights flowed across the bow, permeating each string and creating a fantastical atmosphere. As the music grew increasingly deep and resonant, Komer’s nimble fingers moved swiftly across the strings, and soon, the sound of wind and thunder roared through the air!

“The Storm and Thunder Magic Harp?!” A terrified scream came from the side chamber. When Katerina’s anxious gaze fell on one of her three magicians, the man’s face, ashen with fear, trembled uncontrollably, his greatly dilated pupils seeming to foretell something terrible.
“What Storm and Thunder Magic Harp?” Katerina snapped angrily, “That’s just a seven-stringed harp that every bard has—have you gone mad?”
“No, no, my queen! I swear to you by Thor that it’s by no means an ordinary seven-stringed harp. It’s the Storm and Thunder Magic Harp! Look at those black ripples flowing along its strings—each one represents the surge of Thor’s bloodline. Those are signs of gathering thunder magic. And look at those grayish clouds—every patch there is the result of wind magic, summoned by the wind spirits. This is the legendary ancient artifact, the Storm and Thunder Magic Harp!”
Almost howling, the magician’s eyes reflected madness, excitement, and a hint of despair. As a thunder magic specialist, he could never mistake such an artifact, long regarded as nothing but a myth.
Komer glanced at him in surprise. He hadn’t expected anyone here to be able to recognize the artifact in his hands. Indeed, it was the Storm and Thunder Magic Harp—a peerless magical instrument that existed only in ancient myths, the essence of wind and thunder magic. When it was unearthed from the treasure chamber in Damorlensk Fortress, no one recognized it. Initially, Komer had thought it was merely a beautiful instrument before uncovering its true origin.
“Wind Blades!”
Rebri’s signature skill was finally unleashed with the activation of the Storm and Thunder Magic Harp. In the vast hall, the shrill howling of the wind drowned out the sounds of spears and arrows being launched. Wind blades formed from wind elements filled the air, swirling out in various directions centered around the harp.
Unsatisfied with just the release of wind magic,Reeno pressed his fingers firmly on the strings, and deep thunderous booms erupted from them. A series of lightning strikes exploded above the heads of the spearmen and archers. Faced with this punishment from the gods, the warriors who had fought at sea for years could no longer hold on and scattered in panic. Only Katerina stood coldly in the distance, staring at Komer.

The magical attacks of the three mages failed to have any effect due to the swirling Wind Blades. It was not until Komer gently pressed his fingers on the strings to pluck them that the three mages, who were struggling against the Wind Blades, managed to avoid an embarrassing situation on the spot. The rotating Wind Blades left the mages with no chance to launch a second attack at all.

“Miss Katrina, I think perhaps we can sit down and have a proper conversation now.” The series of magical displays had drained quite a bit of Komer’s magic power. Although the Thunderstorm Magic Harp was powerful enough to greatly shorten the preparation time for spells, it required more magic power and consumed more energy. He didn’t want to show off all its intricacies; instead, he hoped this red-haired witch would calm down and accept his invitation.

Her usually icy expression now shone with brilliance. At that moment, it seemed even every strand of hair on Katrina’s head was glowing with dazzling light. She held her thrusting sword upright, emitting a radiant glow that stretched over three feet. The flickering light seemed to draw all the brightness around it toward the tip of the sword. Her dark, profound eyes aligned perfectly with the sword tip, creating a stark contrast between darkness and light that eventually faded into nothingness at her wrist.

“If I fall at your feet, or you lie beneath my sword, then we’ll have the right to talk.” Words as cold as ice shards burst from this red-haired woman’s mouth, leaving no room for negotiation. This made Komer feel frustrated once again—this woman’s logic was truly strange. Did they really have to defeat each other to qualify for a conversation? If so, what was the point or value of negotiation?