Chapter 160
Chapter 160
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: Redcliff (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Della felt irritated.
The desire that had blazed hot for the first time in ages had cooled off like it was doused with a bucket of ice water.
She'd been planning to drag Sharon back to her room and have her fill of fun, but some damn fly had buzzed in and ruined everything.
Before Della could even register the ribbon's threat, her autonomous defense had kicked in—leaving her with zero actual damage.
But that was just the intruder's take. Hurling her noble flesh through the air like that? Grave sin.
Della fully intended to make them pay.
"........"
"........"
A brief standoff.
The two of them sized each other up—a mutual probe.
Della figured the sudden interloper didn't look like any witch.
Maybe it was the armor, but she towered well over 180 cm.
And that full-body plate armor and helmet? Looked like it had zero to do with magic.
One word summed it up: black knight.
That fit her to a T.
But what self-respecting witch ran around looking that tacky and gaudy?
Someone with that kind of standout getup would've made waves in the rumors. No doubt she was some no-name hack.
And that assessment filled Della with confidence.
"I'm Della Redcliff. This duel had every justification, and I hold the authority to deal with Sharon Evergreen. Keep interfering, and I'll treat it as hostility—force will follow."
-화르륵!
As her words ended, a tiny flame flickered to life in Della's left hand.
It was so faint you might miss it—like softly smoldering embers.
But the heat pouring out? Nothing like embers.
Once she set her mind to burn something, it was an ultra-high-temp blaze that wouldn't die until it was ash.
"........."
But Siwoo stayed silent.
The second he spoke, his male voice would give him away.
Even if he shook this witch and bolted by some miracle, that truth would bite him later.
"Can't you at least introduce yourself? And..."
But Siwoo's hesitation didn't drag on.
Della's arm slashed sharply through the air.
Something's coming.
-캉!
Siwoo hadn't even braced for defense when agony exploded across his forehead—a beat-late heat wave chasing it.
His neck snapped back. The helmet hiding his face flew off. Bangs singed.
"Gah!!!"
He'd misjudged.
This witch had dropped Sharon without a mark on her.
No room for casual flee-or-fight choices.
"When you meet someone new, manners say show your face..."
Hair and eyes like roaring flames. Icy jade face now fractured.
Siwoo shadow-regenerated his helmet late, but her reaction said it was pointless.
"A man?"
"Hah... Busted."
"A man using magic?"
Mana suggested 14th or 15th hierarchy. A guy? No way.
Della blinked in rare bewilderment, head cocked.
"I showed you something neat. Can't you just let me slide?"
Then Della's face went stone-cold.
Siwoo's existence shook common sense to the core.
But her downturned lips? Not curiosity.
Some guy popping out to shield Sharon.
Easy guess what that meant.
Her prize? Already swiped.
"Flouncing around paying debts, and you snag a male concubine... Legs that loose?"
Sarcasm aimed past Siwoo—at beat-down Sharon.
Sharon started to snap back but deflated with a deep sigh, drained.
Siwoo, blind to details, tried talking.
"I don't know the full story, but please just let her go."
Siwoo flashed the Gemernai ring.
Unlike Ea, this one might listen. No need to clash head-on.
Della's ruby eyes flicked to his hand.
But her vibe? Miles from what he'd hoped.
He wanted Sharon-level hesitation...
"So? Think a ring makes me roll over?"
"No. But for Countess Gemernai's face..."
"My face?"
Della cut him off like his words were trash.
"Evergreens crashed my turf, struck first. Badly hurt too—I was gonna treat 'em. You barge in demanding the prisoner for Gemernai's sake? Arrogant much?"
Sounded legit at a glance. Scrutinize? Laughable.
Beat someone senseless, call it 'treatment' to haul off?
Sharon, citizenship-obsessed, wouldn't swing first without cause.
Even blind, near-month with Sharon? Trust her over Della.
"I'll sort details later, comp you properly. Let us leave now?"
"Leave if you want. Sharon stays."
There it was.
Compensation offered, still clings to Sharon? Shady as hell.
One play left.
"Guess no choice, then."
Stall Della, evac Sharon.
Aftermath? Later.
That killing intent hit Della—red mana lines coiled around her.
"Won't hold back. For Gemernai's face, no killing. But you'll feel the burn."
-탁!
Della stomped—the tunnel blazed bright.
Stigma mana sprayed air, sketching circles like tossed confetti.
Instantly, ambient mana fell under her command.
Insane mana control. Total space lock.
Thick-thin mana haze wove circles midair—natural, seamless.
Magic not even manifested yet.
Heat radiating? Skin-cooking levels.
No killing?
Bull.
No autonomous defense? Siwoo couldn't tank that heat.
Full trigger? Dead.
"........."
But Siwoo didn't shrink. No fear.
Combat mode shoved petty feelings aside.
And now? He was different.
Amelia's vs. Ea, Latifundium homunculi—he'd reverse-engineered from effects.
Unprepped now, left eye locked Della's formula crystal-clear.
'Seeing mana flows'? Magic fight godsend.
Her formula? Furnace-like.
Holding back? Yup—simple triple-line wide-V.
Shape, angle, environs: mana-fueled flames, sequential shotgun bursts x3.
Weak solo. Numbers killer.
Dozens circled her like guards.
"타올라라."
⟨ Ignite ⟩
Della chanted—circles sucked mana, whined like overheating engines.
Full defense? No unscathed block.
Siwoo's pick: dispel pre-trigger.
"피어라!"
⟨ Disperse! ⟩
"What?"
Black ribbons lashed from Siwoo's back, threading circle gaps wildly.
Prime vuln: activation edge.
Left eye cores pierced—ribbons smashed on sight.
Della no time to gape—half her arrays snaked down.
Shadow particles clung, disabling formulas. Dispel pins? Amateur hour.
Arrays disrupted en masse
50% neutralized
Couldn't nix all in time.
Too many.
Half dispelled, shadow shield up—heart, head guarded.
-콰광! 쾅! 콰광!
Pre-face shield glimpse: shotgun blast fireworks flooding vision—multihued inferno.
Storm-hail mana flames scorched armor, shield—brilliant scatters.
-투둑! 투두두둑!
"Guh!"
Shadows no full magic immunity.
Manifested superheat sparks grazed armor—flesh charred relentless.
Hot.
Armor glowing red? Brazen bull roast incoming—panic clawed chest.
"You're something else."
Ten seconds like an hour passed. Della's voice—rare true awe from her stingy lips.
"Spot my relays on the fly, dispel 'em... What are you? Gemernai secret magic weapon?"
Della's schtick: fire via 'spatial dominance'.
Most witches? Internal mana only.
Her? Relays siphon external—less precise, insane efficiency. Lock space, spam big spells.
"How'd you pull it off? Hid 'em deep."
Relay core: stealth.
Strokes pure hide. Haze jams detection, wipes traces.
This guy? Saw through, dispelled clean.
Sharp instincts? Detection self-gen magic? Who knows.
Didn't matter.
Hundreds more? Easy.
Della stomped—dozens fresh relays deployed.
"Hoo..."
Siwoo gasped.
Armor cooled. Sweat-drenched body? Still soggy.
Drenched skin—breathing sauna-tough.
But odds now visible.
Clash intel: her spell sequence.
1) Pre-air circles.
2) Stigma to circles.
3) Circles shift external mana.
4) Boom.
Win con?
Instinct nailed it—always did.
Scream: Della lacks, Siwoo has.
Max it.
Armor strength boost—no distance. Melee rush.
Ribbons dispel floaters simultaneous.
"Hoo!"
Siwoo inhaled deep.
Max-leg mush-melted asphalt like tofu.
Pure leap power—shield front, Della charge.