Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Fusing Light and Darkness
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Tap, tap, tap.
Two clones spreading out on both sides, slowly closing the distance.
The more I watched, the more impressive they seemed.
Their gait, hand gestures, footwork, breathing—everything followed its own distinct pattern.
Whooooosh—.
They even emanated the exact same aura as Dershion.
‘...At this point, it’s like facing three Dershions.’
No matter how I looked at it, this had already surpassed the realm of conventional light magic.
As if sensing my awe, Dershion’s main body, advancing from the center, spoke up.
“You look quite shocked. I felt the same. When I first seized this power, it truly blew my mind.”
Shrrrrk!
Whoooosh!
The Dershion on the left summoned dense demonic energy, while the one on the right floated a compressed sphere of light, closing in.
Proving his status as a high-rank mage, three spheres of light materialized at once, poised to pierce my body any second.
Even amid this, Dershion kept talking.
“Isn’t it astounding? That light and darkness—perfect opposites—can actually merge.”
“...Light and darkness merging?”
What was that supposed to mean?
‘I knew dark magic existed...’
A fusion of their attributes?
I’d never heard of such a thing, let alone considered it.
As Dershion said, light and darkness were utterly incompatible attributes.
‘It’s not like water and fire can be fused for no reason.’
Attribute fusion hinged above all on compatibility.
In simple terms, without matching affinity, no method in the world could make it work.
Light and darkness undoubtedly fell into that category.
And yet.
‘...I can’t deny it.’
Thanks to [Constant Enlightenment], I could observe that the clones were infused with Dershion’s signature light-attribute mana intertwined with ominous demonic energy.
Irrefutable proof that Dershion wasn’t lying. It meant their fusion was genuinely possible.
I was witnessing it with my own eyes right now.
“Light conjures illusions, and darkness grants them form. That’s how these beings were born.”
“...Beings? You saying those things are actually alive?”
“Well, it depends on your definition of life. They move like this, so at least to me, that’s how they appear. Heh heh heh heh.”
Dershion swept his leering gaze over the two clones before turning back to me.
His face was utterly entranced, as if lost in rapture.
“The possibilities of this pairing are endless. I can’t even fathom where it leads.”
Afterward.
“What a shame, such a shame...! That you’ll never experience this greatness!”
Dershion abruptly thrust out his hand.
Then.
Shiiiing!
The clones, now perilously close, launched their attack.
Mana and demonic energy surging in from both flanks.
Thump thump thump!
Feeling my heartbeat accelerate, I moved to evade—
Clang! Clang!
Elbert, who had instantly positioned himself in front of me, parried the clones’ strikes with his sword.
Boom!
The mana and demonic energy, thwarted from their target, cratered into the ground.
Confirming that much, Elbert glanced back and said,
“I’ll handle these two. You take the main body.”
“Me on the main body?”
It was a curt, precise command, but doubt surfaced before agreement.
“You’ll be fine alone?”
With good reason—he was volunteering to face both by himself.
One-on-one might be even, but two would overwhelm Elbert for sure.
Of course.
“Then you want to do it?”
“...No. I’ll take the main body.”
His offhand remark instantly convinced me.
Sure, he was far better suited than me.
Reckless as it seemed, he was the knight order captain and field commander.
He wouldn’t act without calculation.
Kabooms!
Clang! Clang!
Leaving Elbert to his fierce clash behind me, I advanced slowly.
Dershion immediately read the situation and took his stance.
Mana laced with demonic energy rose, emitting a repulsive hum.
Tzzzzzt!
As expected of a high-rank mage—swift adaptation.
But contrary to his actions,
“Heh heh, Yoo Han. You really sure about this?”
Dershion’s face and tone dripped with mockery.
No surprise there.
‘Even in the game, high-rank mages treated anyone under 5th circle like dirt...’
So in this situation?
8th circle versus 5th circle. An insurmountable gap, no matter how smoothly things went.
Of course, that applied to an average 5th circle mage.
‘I’m no ordinary 5th circle.’
+1 circle boost from the [Holy Staff]’s innate effect.
Mythic traits [Prodigy of Magic] and [Essence of Light].
The pinnacle soul imprint every swordsman coveted: [Former Owner of Sword Saint].
Plus a magic swordsman build rarer than rare.
If I willed it, I could generate any number of variables.
Which meant,
“You won’t have time to worry about me.”
Crackle!
I stepped forward boldly first.
“Yes... This should be interesting!”
Dershion’s magic rained down in response.
Pew! Pew! Peeew!
Inky black rays closed the gap in a blink.
I’d anticipated it, shifting trajectory to narrowly evade.
Or so I thought.
Tsk! Drip.
Stinging pain—red blood trailed from my left arm.
One of the three rays had grazed it by a fraction.
No major wound, but startling all the same.
‘This fast?’
Worlds apart from the light ray speed of my own casting.
This was light-speed incarnate, no hyperbole.
Yet the feeling it evoked was curiosity over fear.
‘How’s he doing it? Looks no different from mine on the surface...’
- Magic Learning Rate increases by 300%.
I replayed the scene meticulously.
A duel with a fellow light-attribute mage—such a rarity.
Dershion’s spells might propel me toward high-rank mastery.
Naturally, Dershion wouldn’t idly spectate.
“Tch, your basics are sloppy. Stray thoughts are poison in mage combat!”
Crackle!
A bellow, and the next assault followed.
Three rays incoming again.
Whiiiing—!
Empowered beyond the last, wider coverage.
I twisted without pause.
Tsss!
Grazed my arm once more, hair’s breadth.
Drip drip!
Scorching pain flared from the limb.
No respite, though.
Dershion now fully committed, the follow-up struck instantly.
Shraaa!
A murky aura snaked from his staff tip across the ground toward me.
Shadow-like in form.
Unknown technique, but one thing clear: avoid at all costs.
Crackle! Leap!
Mana surged instinctively into my feet; I kicked off, gaining distance.
The shadow quivered short of me, unable to press, then dissolved.
Shrrk.
Brief lull.
Dershion scowled—unforeseen on his end.
“Turned into quite the agile mage, eh, Yoo Han?”
“My feet were always quick.”
“Tch... You’ve abandoned the mage’s way.”
Whatever irked him.
He tsked, condensing mana.
Black rays erupted from his staff in tandem.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
A far cry from the prior trio volleys.
For an instant, I wondered if he’d breached 8th circle bounds.
‘...No, he hasn’t.’
Thankfully not.
He’d merely splintered the three rays into multiples.
Power and speed per ray diminished accordingly.
Now within my dodge range.
Swish! Swish! Whirl!
I contorted relentlessly through the hail.
Teetering, but every black ray veered just shy.
My mind raced with urgency, though.
These were mere stalls—I knew it.
‘...Damn.’
Mid-evasion, my eyes locked on Dershion’s staff.
Precisely, the black mana mass he amassed.
Mirroring my mega flare setup.
Dershion was channeling his own colossal spell.
Dire.
Unimpeded, devastation for me and all life nearby.
‘Stop it!’
Desperate, I thrust my arm through the rays.
That instant.
Shraaa!
- Magic Learning Rate increases by 300%.
Like a life-flashing montage, the prior scene slo-mo’d past.
Dershion unleashing black rays.
‘...That’s it.’
I grasped his ray spell’s secret in a flash.
Simultaneously,
I unleashed a ray infused with [Essence of Light].
Bang!
It streaked from my hand toward Dershion’s brewing mana mass.
Impact was fleeting.
Beam too swift for even me to track fully.
Crackle! Crrackle! Shrrk...
The mass shattered midair from the shock.
And.
“...You bastard.”
Dershion fixed me with an unprecedented glare.
“What did you just do?”
Face a mask of fury, every feature contorted.
Frankly baffling.
‘Warrants this reaction?’
No grand feat on my part.
Just replicated his ray magic.
Easier than expected, too.
‘Not brute activation—pre-lay mana along the path.’
The ray then rides it naturally, speed exploding.
Sure, demands peak focus mid-cast, but...
Hardly cause for such shock.
Yet.
“Vile talent. Time to prune your sprout here!”
Dershion surged with even greater rage, mana roiling.
Rumble! Rumbllllle!
Force so immense the earth quaked.
Chills raced my skin, breath labored.
Instinct screamed:
8th circle amplified by demon might—he was unleashing full power.
Not only that.
A sudden groan yanked my gaze aside.
“Urk!”
Elbert gripped his gut, agonized.
Close inspection: abdomen and clutching hand drenched scarlet.
As predicted, two-on-one proved too much; clone had wounded him.
The clones, deeming their fight done, pivoted languidly my way.
Eyes met—I gulped dryly.
Gulp.
‘...This is bad.’
That thought struck—
“Yoo Haaan!!”
A familiar voice echoed from afar.
I turned.
“Huff... huff...!”
There: middle-aged dwarf Barundel, sprinting gasping.
“...Barundel?”
More accurately,
He dashed with elite escorts—powerhouses plain at a glance.
Strangers mostly, but familiars dotted: Roan, Professor Jairen, Shuhan.
And Asion Gail.
“Huff... huff...!”
Barundel closed in, heaving, then flashed a grin.
“I’ve arrived!”
Pride beamed from him straight to me.
‘...Right, he bolted off in a panic just before.’
Barundel must’ve foreseen this, hastening backup.