Chapter 238
Chapter 238
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: 천재 흑마법사-238화
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: Batory Family (2)
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Willes swung his longsword, wreathed in flames, broadly to the side.
The crimson blaze drove back the steam with its intense heat while forming a barrier that blocked the enemies charging in from all directions, shielding Oliver and Willes.
The flames, radiating ferocious heat, were overwhelming not just for ordinary folk but even for most mages or black magicians.
In response, the female black magicians of the Batory Family countered with ice magic.
The female black magicians drew upon their mana with the finesse of professionally trained mages, coordinating seamlessly to unleash their ice spells.
First, Chill plunged the surrounding air into a rapid chill, priming the environment for ice magic. Then Freeze locked the airborne moisture solid. Snowstorm hurled blizzards from every angle, eroding Willes's expansive flame barrier.
Chiiiiiik!!
Just as the flames visibly faltered under the barrage, icicles streaked in for the kill, punching through Willes's inferno.
These weren't mere icicles—they were colossal ice spears. Oliver and Willes tapped their black magicians' eyes and mana-sensing prowess to fend off the onslaught pouring from all sides.
Kwajik!!
Chaaang!!
Pang-!
Astonishingly, Oliver and Willes covered each other flawlessly, blocking only precisely what was needed without a hint of interference—as if they'd drilled together for years.
A feat born of their substantial skills.
"With just that...!"
The flame barrier, riddled with icicle punctures, flickered out. Through the gap, the female black magicians surged in, surrounding them and howling. Ice weapons gleamed in their grips.
Plain blades, scythes, rapiers, iron chains—crafted from mana-dense ice with intricate spellwork far beyond amateurish. Yet the wielders fell short.
For all their magical prowess and athleticism, they simply flailed the weapons.
Of course, their blinding speed made them dangerous regardless. But against Willes, honed in true swordsmanship, it was futile. They couldn't even touch Oliver.
Back-to-back, Oliver and Willes didn't just parry and evade—they struck back.
Willes compressed the flames cloaking his blade to razor density, shrugging off ice assaults before riposting with deflective slashes.
Oliver, channeling the crude tonfa forms from corpse doll Duncan, blocked like a shield, whipped like a lash, hacked like an axe.
The women excelled in agility, parrying Oliver's strikes. Yet despite their numbers and encirclement, they failed to dominate.
"Watch out for those ice weapons. Even a graze deals poison-like ongoing damage."
"Got it."
Oliver recalled a tome from Merlin's library.
Lightning magic's blistering speed and scope, fire's raw power and persistence—the Scardi school's ice magic bore its own hallmarks.
Chill seeped like venom, relentless. Mana-forged cold ravaged lungs and rotted flesh.
Thus Oliver fought defensively, safety first over offense.
"What're you gonna do about it?!"
A brown-haired female black magician hurled an ice chain in fury.
The anchor-tipped length lashed toward Oliver with a chwaruruk, but he gripped his tonfa axelike, batting it aside.
Hwarur-tak!
The chain snared the tonfa like a noose. She yanked, locking it down.
She smirked.
"Caught you! Now... Huh?"
Before she finished, Oliver released the tonfa without hesitation.
Her pull yanked her off-balance, tumbling backward. Seizing the moment, Oliver reeled the mana thread linking his tonfa, dragging her in.
"Wha...?"
Reeled like hooked fish.
Oliver smashed his reclaimed tonfa down her skull's midline.
Jjeok—!!
A sharp crack, head cleaved.
Luckily, such bifurcation defied regeneration. She merely convulsed face-down.
Blood welled from the fissure, straining to knit—futilely. Vessels half-formed, crumbling anew.
Kwang-!!
Just to be sure, Oliver stomped it to pulp.
He'd have preferred an intact corpse for study, but mid-battle, unwise.
'Plenty more anyway... But what's this?'
Oliver scanned amid the crunch.
The coordinated assault halted. All eyes locked on him.
Shock silenced them. Icy hush blanketed the air.
"How dare you... Esther... A man stomping our sister?!"
One bellowed, rage, scorn, loathing blazing. Face muscles and sinews throbbed; fangs beastlike, elongating.
"Kyaaaaaaa!!!!"
She gaped her fanged maw in primal screech. Others echoed.
"Kyaaaaaaa!!!!"
"Kyaaaaaaaangaaaak!!!!"
"Kyaaaaak!!!!"
"Kyaaaaaaaak!!!!"
"Kyaaaaaaaak!!!!"
The resonant wails pierced ears, but battle-hardened Oliver and Willes shielded with mana.
The wall-rattling din faded. The instigator roared.
"Mother wanted you intact—but plans change. A little banged up? She'll forgive! Girls!"
They dissolved their ice grips, surging fresh mana into new ice incantations.
Willes beheld the icicle deluge and blizzards, channeling every flame from his blade into a protective vortex.
Ill-suited indoors, but essential against the onslaught.
Hwahahahahahaha-!!!!
Flame storm ravaged the room; ice spells clashed to contain it. Oliver noted the deadlock—their magics evenly matched, mutual annihilation. Attrition loomed.
"Hey."
Willes called from the storm's calm eye, hair whipping.
"Yes, Willes?"
"Ideas? Solo, I'm at my limit. Pure defense'll drain me dry."
True. Over ten foes; he alone. Parity was masterful.
Oliver fingered his medicine box, pondered, shook head. Save for later.
Scanning via black magician's eye past the blaze, he pinpointed the women.
"Dunno if it'll work, but... an idea."
"Spill."
Willes asked; Oliver explained.
Willes nodded post-explanation.
"Solid. Can you pull it now?"
"Yes."
"Good. Go... Now!"
Willes bellowed; flame storm detonated outward. Women amped output to repel.
Scorching gust refilled steam.
Stunned, they faltered. Oliver pounced, mana chains snaking everyway, binding limbs, torsos, waists.
Parurururur...... Pak!!!
Snakelike, they ensnared.
Panic flickered—briefly.
Thin mana; they sensed it.
"Stalling with this?"
Steam parted; she eyed chains, conjuring ice blade to sever.
"No stalling."
"What, you little... Huh?"
She eyed Oliver.
Tonfa-channeled, a dozen-plus chains tethering them. Kneeling strike-ready; Willes loomed, blade refamed, arcing down.
On the tonfa.
Magically astute, they twigged the ploy—horrorstruck, too slow.
Willes hammered down. Chains blazed per preset rite, hurtling at women.
Oilrag swift.
"Kyaaaaaaaak!!!"
Bound women ignited head-to-toe, shrieking anew.
Pain-terror wails, alien to prior fury.
They clawed to douse—but mana on Willes-flames? Gasoline.
Instinct condensed mana; flames detonated, engulfing instantly.
"Kuh....!!"
Neck-bound: face charred, airways ashen—scream silenced.
"Lucky" limb-flamers amputated, barely sloughing fire.
Safety? Hardly.
Chwaak-!
Puk!!
Willes exploited vulnerability, blitzing lethally-wounded, cleaving.
Blade seared mid-slash; survivors dual-tormented—neck severance, pyre—ashed.
"Kyak-!!!"
One, maybe two, fled lab-depths barely alive.
"Pursue!"
Willes, momentum seized, urged. Oliver trailed, corpse-quality lamenting.
Chasers: Willes, Oliver.
Fleeing swift, but limbless—speed slashed.
Blade imminent—ceiling hatch yawned, zombies cascaded.
"Kyahahahaahaha!!!!"
"Krrruk-!!"
"Kyak! Kyahahaak-!!"
Ambush: Willes recoiled, sweeping longsword. Zombies butter-sliced, torched.
Pour continued; Willes unflinched, corralling flames hordeward.
Dense masses? Fire optimal.
Puhwahahahaha!!!
Mana coalesced, obeyed—engulfed zombies.
Then: anomaly.
Flame-spared: bloating grotesquely, spoiled-tin-like.
Aptly: innards burst, gore-spraying omnidirect.
Willes fell back; Oliver probed bloodied skin.
Disease-debuff check: clean. Relief.
Doubt too. He'd have plagued.
'Aim...?'
Scan: guttering flames bloodied, corpse-shrapnel, floor-puddles....
'Puddles?'
Insight dawning—pre-warning Willes: pool erupted, woman surged.
Sudden: Willes flame-slashed; she faster.
Pool-touch: black-mana hybrid rite triggered. They quag-sank.
She crowed.
"I'll split you—handle singly!"
"I'll split you—handle singly!"
Words echoed as Oliver blood-plunged.
Vision crimson-flooded, torrent-tossed—ejected outward.
Blood-drenched, he rose, wiped face, surveyed.
No Willes, per her word. Shadowy unfamiliarity.
Mana fingertip-glowed, spell-bounced orb lit. Lab-like.
'Lab... Odd recollections.'
Mind flashed: Rosburn hunt, Martel secret lab infiltration.
Memories chained: clutched Rosburn-kids weeping; boy Colin.
Direst case mistook Oliver savior, pleaded aid.
Oliver couldn't—lied inadvertently.
Confess, heaven-bound.... Truth dubious.
Colin trusted, begged divine pardon via Oliver.
'Why...?'
Belated self-doubt, replaying.
Raison unknown. Overreach why?
"Hm?"
Thought-mired scan snagged anomaly.
Wall bars; neared: bound freakish inmate. Label?
"Improved Human-C03."
Life-sign sudden: turned. Orb pivoted—pool, emergent women.
Vengeful-malice ringed Oliver.
"Improved Human-C03?"
"Aye. Cow-human hybrid, novel breed."
Oliver re-peered bars.
Cow-headed humanoid-chimera sprawled dead. Gore from orifices.
"Cow-human blend?"
"Plain sight."
"...Why?"
"Prime laborers. Mightier, hardier, meek-good workers."
Urban myth macabre—yet Life school's underbelly glimpsed, Oliver absorbed sans shock.
Anticipated, perhaps.
New query.
"How'd you know?"
"Collaboration."
She affirmed earnestly.
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