Chapter 176
Chapter 176
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP. 41 – Until the Heart Stops Beating (2)
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Lee Han had done his job perfectly to the end.
He had acted as the shield, drawing Tür's attention to allow him to sneak into this position, and showed exactly what the [Best Tank] meant.
So, his role now wasn't to worry about the tank who had brought him this far, but to excel as the [Dealer].
Whoosh.
Whoosh!
Whooooosh—!
The spear thrust forward.
The spear strikes grew faster and faster, and even though it was clearly just one man thrusting his spear, it created the illusion of multiple people striking simultaneously—a storm of spear blows.
Lark de Duran's spear was that fast, precise, and ferocious.
- One-Man Phalanx.
He achieved the feat of performing the role of an entire long-spear infantry unit alone.
Swoosh, shwoooosh!
"…Afterimages?"
Lark's body began to split apart.
His movements were so fast that afterimages lingered continuously, and those afterimages gradually took on clear outlines, multiplying into five.
Not using a clone spell, but creating clones purely through speed…
"Impressive…!"
An exclamation escaped involuntarily.
The knight who had just defended against everything and shattered it was impressive too, but Tür clapped as if Lark's godlike spearmanship was equally astounding.
"—!"
Grit!
But the one receiving praise wasn't pleased at all. Lark ground his teeth.
Dozens of spear strikes launched every second failed to pierce Tür's mana barrier even slightly.
Through the [Third Eye] that elevated mystery into technique, he targeted the barrier's gaps without respite, yet his spear seemed to chase illusions.
'…I see. Even when it pierces, the barrier regenerates instantly?'
Even if it pierced, the barrier reformed so quickly he couldn't even register the breach.
Lark judged as much and instinctively sensed the need for a powerful single blow.
Whoosh!
In that split second, he pulled his spear back and concentrated immense killing intent.
Compressing his crimson battle spirit and converting it to energy—the whole process took less than 0.2 seconds.
- Fangs of the Ferocious Wolf.
Fwoooosh!
The spear blade, infused with massive energy, took on the form of a gigantic awl-shaped aura, like a true drill.
If Lee Han had used sword energy, this could be called crimson spear energy.
Crimson Spear Gang.
Lark's ultimate strike, meant to pulverize everything, slammed into Tür's barrier.
Fwaaaah!
For an instant, it erased all air currents, turning the surrounding area into a vacuum.
The spear tip pierced the atmosphere, even igniting the oxygen.
Not even a superhuman could easily withstand such a blow…
Thud—!
…But an ominous echo spread, and Lark's brow furrowed deeply.
Not the sound of striking a thin barrier, but like smashing a massive rocky mountain.
And indeed, what Lark had struck was…
"-Impressive, but a bit slow. Not 0.2 seconds—you needed to prepare it in 0.05. Otherwise, you can't catch me."
A truly gigantic ice wall.
The massive ice wall conjured by Tür's magic was thick and towering.
Fit to be called a castle wall.
Crackle, crack…!
But the ice wall shattered under Lark's spear strike. Still, Lark took no pride in it.
His target wasn't the ice wall, but the monster's neck.
"…Memorize."
"Right. Mages always prep spells in advance, though I don't really need to. But just in case, I've got about 41,514 defensive spells layered around me. Too bad, hehe."
"……."
"That's why I told you to give up. What you're doing is just challenging the impossible."
Like an egg against a rock.
The outcome was obvious from the start.
To defy it anyway was utter folly, Tür shook his head.
Whoosh!
"Again?"
Pointless.
Swish.
Even at close range, perspective manipulation was easy.
Tür's hand moved, slapping Lark away.
Thwack!
"…That hurts."
But had he seen it too many times?
His own hand bore a larger wound than the one he'd just inflicted, and Tür grimaced reluctantly.
…He hadn't expected that knight to counterattack even mid-flight.
However.
Shruk.
"It doesn't mean much."
Tür's wound regenerated quickly.
"Victory without a scratch."
No matter how they struggled, it was meaningless.
This proved it, and Tür wished they'd stop their futile thrashing.
"……."
"…Getting up again?"
…Lark was rising.
Even after being flung far away.
"Why do they do that?"
Genuinely puzzled, Tür tilted his head.
When facing an unbeatable foe you couldn't even flee from, wasn't giving up the obvious choice?
Yet they burned with fighting spirit.
Utterly uselessly.
Anyway.
"I can never understand knights, no matter the era."
He shrugged, incomprehensible.
"-You wouldn't understand."
"Huh?"
…The knight who had ignored all conversation finally spoke.
Drip!
Bleeding profusely yet with calm eyes, he said flatly.
"To you, who sees the world as toys, who values life as worthless—what would you know."
"??"
"You still don't get it. Why we fight, why we despise you."
"…There's a reason?"
Tür showed genuine curiosity, and Lark glared with utmost contempt and disgust.
What a horrific creature.
How could he lack any guilt?
Suppressing a surge of emotion, Lark voiced the sin of Tür—no, of the Magic Tower.
"—I heard you lot are deliberately maintaining this [Ten Years' Winter]."
The fairy's wrath.
It was said the horrific season of death lasted over ten years because the Magic Tower and Empire had angered the fairies. But the truth was different.
After all.
"The fairies didn't curse us, did they?"
…The fairies never actually cast a curse.
So, the ones sustaining this winter were none other than…!
"Ah, that? No big deal. But who told you? Not many know."
Them.
They brought the Ten Years' Winter, killing a third of the empire's people to frost and starvation, yet Tür seemed utterly unconcerned—like all the other mages.
They even looked puzzled why it was wrong.
"So we made colonies for them, right? Problem solved!"
Tür laughed without hesitation.
"……."
…Now Lark understood.
Why that rogue called mages "spellcasters" and despised them.
'No wonder.'
Horrific beings.
No, horrific creatures.
Devoid of guilt, convinced everything they did was right.
'These are monsters!'
Humanity's predators.
Monsters that couldn't coexist.
And knights existed to slay such monsters and protect the weak.
And he was… no.
"We are knights. Aren't we?"
Those who wielded weapons for the weak.
Rumble—!
The ground trembled.
The sounds grew louder, the quakes larger.
Until at one point.
Whoosh!
A human hand burst from underground.
"Haa…!"
BURIED in the earth, yet clawing out like a beast, the inhuman figure roared as it gasped for breath.
"Nearly died…."
"You're late."
"…I nearly died, why are you half-dead?"
"Doesn't hurt, so don't worry."
"…R-Right."
Doesn't seem that way…
Muttering lowly, Lee Han rose slowly and assessed the situation.
"…Still the worst."
The smug spellcaster looked unscathed, slightly surprised at his emergence.
Ridiculous guy.
'As if I'd die from something like this.'
'After sparring that old man over a hundred times.'
He'd sparred with a superhuman over a hundred times.
Never won, but he survived.
In that sense, this fight was light compared to those spars.
After all, that spellcaster bastard was at least…
"Hey, you noticed too?"
"…Somewhat."
"Right? Not just me."
A cryptic exchange.
But they understood.
"That guy's weaker than our kingdom's monster old-timers."
A notch below the superhumans they knew.
"…Does that include His Highness?"
"Obviously."
"…Blasphemous bastard."
"You're agreeing."
"……."
Yes, the spellcaster was strong, but something was missing.
Overwhelming and transcendent monster? True.
But…
Exactly the level of strength you'd imagine?
No excess or shortfall—just the average superhuman.
Monstrous, sure, but the knights knew how vast that gap truly was.
Thus.
"We can kill him."
But to do so.
"We need not pokes, but one big hit."
"…Tricky."
Lark's massive strike had just been blocked effortlessly.
No matter how powerful the blow, piercing the monster's barrier and defenses rendered it useless.
They needed force to shatter it all, but lacked techniques with that punch.
And no time to prepare even if they had.
"…So, while playing human mole underground, I thought of something."
"What."
"How to beat him."
"…Did you."
"Not guaranteed. But… worth trying."
"……What do I do."
Conversing with a quick-witted guy was nice.
Lark instantly knew Lee Han needed his help and asked what was required.
Thus.
"How far can you go."
He countered. How far?
"-All the way."
Lark answered without hesitation.
"…Damn, romantic."
Perfect for lighting a cigarette, but both non-smokers had no time anyway.
Instead, they calmly grabbed sword, axe, and spear, stepping forward.
Condition: worst.
Injuries: severe.
Yet the driving force propelling them was.
Thump! Thud!
Their hearts pounding hotly.
More fiercely than ever, reading their master's will, the hearts surged.
Fight—.