Chapter 347: War of Annihilation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 347: War of Annihilation
The moment the great light swallowed me, all I could feel was a colossal surge of magic. There was no feeling of becoming a god, nor could I hear Isaac's thoughts. Strangely, the only voice I heard was Choi Eunju's.
"What about Isaac?"
- I've temporarily severed the mental connection. It seems Isaac's condition isn't good when we're merged...
Choi Eunju was right. It was impossible for the merged Isaac to guide me. Hearing her words, I let the corner of my mouth lift into a slight smile. The thought of Isaac made me laugh.
- Honey.
"I can hear you."
- Yes. The one activating the magic is, after all...
"I know. I've already finished talking with Isaac, so you don't need to worry."
Simply put, Choi Eunju was my guide. Although we were using the magic of others, the core of the spatial teleportation spell was Choi Eunju herself. My role was the vessel; the others were the contents. I was a vessel that possessed immense magic and could contain it, a switch that would activate the spell according to Choi Eunju's will.
It was only natural for her to worry about me. She was concerned about whether the vessel could handle such a massive amount of magic, even if I was integrated with Isaac. I understood. In reality, however, there wasn't a huge strain on my body. A demon's body was naturally attuned to magic, and my integration with Isaac had perfected it into a form capable of holding immense power. Of course, it wouldn't be completely without aftereffects, but as long as I had Mystletainn, I should be able to move without issue in the battles to come. The burden would be far greater on the mages, who had to continuously pour out their magic.
The same went for Choi Eunju. There was no way casting a spell like this wouldn't take a toll on her. The fact that I had to put her through this when she was still suffering from the aftereffects of her exhaustion made me feel sorry.
- You don't have to be sorry.
I nodded.
- Do you remember when we first met?
"I remember."
- Yes...
"I'm always grateful. And... it's embarrassing, but..."
- I love you.
She beat me to it. I smiled and nodded. I held all the memories of her and her original husband. From the happiest moments to the saddest, I remembered every single detail.
I couldn't see Choi Eunju, but for some reason, I felt she was smiling quite wistfully.
The moment the colossal magic swallowed me, I lifted my head. It wasn't just Choi Eunju and Isaac; the magic of every mage around me was flowing in. I bit my lip instinctively, and blood began to trickle out.
She was the one chanting the spell, but I was the one who would activate it. Maintaining the massive amount of magic was difficult, but not unbearable.
- ..............................
I could feel Choi Eunju slowly activating her ability. The coordinates of the magic, the coordinates where the Magic Tower would fall—all sorts of complex equations poured into my ears, but there was no way I could understand them. As her voice and the magic intensified, I began to feel everything around me.
"Hahahat..."
The humans swallowing nervously, the Green Skins trembling with the thrill of battle, and the mages sending their magic—I felt them all. To be precise, all kinds of information were flooding into my mind. I could see people, each with their own thoughts. Whether this was possible because I was in a three-dimensional space, or because I had momentarily become like a god by accepting such a colossal amount of magic, I couldn't be sure, but my senses were definitely expanding. It wasn't just people. I could feel the magic that made up the continent, the air, nature itself.
Not everyone held noble thoughts. There were those who didn't want to fight, and those who were afraid. Some wanted to run, while others purely wanted to fight. Some thought of their families, others of their lovers and brothers. Yet, all the thoughts they held began to feel sublime.
The range of my perception, which had spread out wide like a spiderweb, began to shrink. The connections to the mages sending their magic started to sever. It wasn't that something had gone wrong. It was the mages collapsing after sending their power.
And then,
The vast universe vanished, and the surrounding landscape came into sharp focus. Just as I felt like my body was about to shatter,
The spell was complete.
- Now.
"Confirmed."
The moment I pressed the button that had formed in my mind at Choi Eunju's voice, the immense magic that had been sustaining me was instantly sucked away somewhere.
The magic drained out in a flash, like a massive tsunami receding after it had crashed ashore. The incredible speed forced me to bite down hard on my lip.
My body began to tremble uncontrollably.
A voice burst from my lips, independent of my will.
"..................!"
Under the spell's influence, the Great Archmage Isaac's staff was flung from my grasp and clattered to the ground. The same happened to Isaac. Seeing him dazed and dizzy, as if he'd fainted, I felt a wave of relief. But the spell wasn't over yet. The mages who had been waiting began to send me their magic once more. If the first wave of magic was to cast the spell, the second was to sustain it.
"Ha... ha... fuck..."
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahat!"
This was no three-dimensional space. What I saw was a colossal Magic Tower floating in the sky. It was so far away, yet I could see it with my own eyes, slowly falling toward the enemy's main camp.
The sight of the Magic Tower floating above the clouds was magnificent enough to awe anyone. It was a feat of magic unbelievable to have been accomplished by humans; without Isaac, it would have been impossible to realize.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahat!"
Krrrrrrrumble.
A strange sound, like thunder, echoed. Staring at the massive tower in the sky, at the falling bomb, the soldiers in our camp stood with their mouths agape. For a moment, it felt as if the Magic Tower had been blocked by something.
The enemy had intercepted the falling tower.
But it would explode. The holy power we had crammed inside the tower beforehand detonated, shattering the enemy's magic and pushing forward.
KWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!
KRA-DUDUDUDUDUK!
The sound was deafening even from here. At the moment of first impact, the holy power inside the tower exploded, piercing through the enemy's spells.
I wanted to make it fall faster, but it wasn't easy. The thing that had broken through the clouds continued its descent.
"Prepare for battle."
Someone's voice rang out. The soldiers I could see began to lower the helmets that had been resting on their heads. The humans raised their swords, and the Green Skins lifted their axes and various weapons.
The horses of the cavalry began to move, and the few wolf riders stroked their Giant Wolves. Those responsible for the banners raised the flags symbolizing their respective factions.
KWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!
No one flinched at the massive sound. This war was one of annihilation.
Even as everyone prepared for the coming battle, the great Magic Tower continued to fall. It broke through tens, no, hundreds of defensive spells and kept advancing. The magic prepared on each floor began to detonate mid-air.
Perhaps deciding that defensive magic was useless, the enemy unleashed colossal spells, but the Magic Tower didn't even flinch. It was already falling on its own, without my control. I kept my hand outstretched and muttered.
"You have to pay back what you're given."
Pay back what you're given. That was always my way.
The moment the Magic Tower finally struck the ground,
A colossal light
erupted in all directions.
KWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!
"-------------!!!"
"------------------------!!"
A great roar erupted from our camp, but it was completely swallowed by the sound of the Magic Tower's explosion. All I could hear was a ringing in my ears so loud it was painful. But... but it wasn't that I couldn't hear any voices at all.
"Let's go."
There was no grand speech like the one during the defensive battle. Perhaps no other words were needed. This land, where humans and Green Skins lived together, had been wounded once. This time, it was our turn to inflict the wound. Han So-Hye, the Queen of the North, opened her mouth wide.
"Let's go! Warriors who live upon this land!"
A massive pressure wave from the explosion slammed into us, but no one dodged. The ice walls crumbled as if they had never been there. Our forces slowly began to advance. As the colossal light threatened to reach us, the mages who still had magic left stretched out their hands.
Their calculations had been precise, but they were worried the aftershock might reach our side. Watching them, I slowly turned my gaze to my surroundings. The mages who had sent me their power were in no condition to fight anymore.
"I will also..."
I shook my head at Choi Eunju's words. I could see her biting her lip, but I answered by stroking her head. The members of the Blood Dagger Clan were waiting for me. In the Brother's Land, Goff and Black Spear were waiting for me too.
"Let's go."
Boom!
The sound of a war drum echoed.
"It feels like it's been a while."
Boom!
"Hmm... now that you mention it, I think you're right. It's been a long time since the three of us fought together... Brother."
Boom!
"Let's try not to get hurt."
The members of the Blood Dagger Clan were also roaring. I could see the terrible tattoos drawn on their bodies. With Najin and Nicole gone, they had drawn them on themselves, a complete mess. Not a single one of them had any artistic sense. Instead of daggers, they'd drawn strange clubs. An elementary schooler could have drawn better than that. Seeing it, I couldn't help but laugh. I, too, infused magic into my body. It was the tattoo Nicole had drawn for me before.
"Puhahahahat."
The invisible tattoo slowly began to glow, revealing itself. My body instantly heated up.
'No... it's very... warm...'
Feeling as if I'd heard Ragia's voice, I smiled.
"Yes, I'm warm too."
Boom!
"Let's go!"
Boom!
"My brothers!"
Boom!
"This is a glorious battle."
Boom!
"This battle will be recorded in history!"
Boom!
"The dead will be remembered for all time."
Boom!
"But the victors! The survivors! They will live on, remembering this glorious battle! They will live their entire lives remembering this glorious battle! This honorable battle!"
Boom!
"Let's go!"
Boom!
I muttered quietly. But I believed everyone had heard my voice.
"We will live not as the ones who are remembered, but as the ones who remember."
Humans and Green Skins, Green Skins and humans, beings who each championed different values, slowly began to advance.
Their first steps were incredibly slow and heavy. But with the pouring roars, their pace began to quicken.
When the wave of humans and green finally covered the blackened earth,
I smiled.