Chapter 31
Chapter 31
Chapter 31
After all of our attacks were thwarted, I knew the moment I saw the sun-like heat radiating from Alexios. It was Alexios's ultimate move, [Unprecedented]. I seemed to have been prejudiced. Even though I had recently defeated Gerard by exploiting his prejudices, I hadn’t been wary of that word myself.
“He had an ultimate move…?”
When I first activated [Contemplation], the only skills I could use were [Mana Dominator] and [Spatial Barrier]. I hadn't paid much attention to it then, given the situation. Moreover, since the first SSR-rank magic I used, [Curse of Perpetual Snow], had shown power beyond my expectations, I hadn't imagined there would be an ultimate move. I thought it was natural for there not to be one. It was a foolish thought.
“Master… what did you do to the Fist King? He seems incredibly angry. That’s your fault, isn’t it? What did you do?”
“No, I didn’t do anything…”
At least, I didn’t. But Oz must have done something. Otherwise, that level of rage wouldn’t make sense. It wasn't just competitive spirit; it was the look of someone facing a mortal enemy.
What a crappy life.
“I know Master likes the word ‘nothing,’ but please be specific this time.”
“The plan failed.”
“No, not that kind of specific… And I already know that, so you don't have to tell me.”
Crack—
Was this it? Cracks appeared on the ice Baekyang had created with all her might. She probably wouldn't last long. But it was also difficult to charge in, as Alexios was surrounded by blazing heat. That was probably why the ice was melting even faster.
“It’s about to break! Let's run! Shouldn't we run away?!”
As expected of Baekyang. She was the first to suggest running away. How could a guardian be so cowardly? But seeing Alexios, who looked like an incarnation of the sun, I understood.
“Yeah, that's a bit much.”
“…Do you know what his ability is? My ice is melting at an incredible rate.”
The White Goblin's power wasn’t just made of mana. Her ice, as a yokai, was mixed with demonic energy that possessed the characteristic of ‘chaos.’
“First, his physical abilities double…”
“That’s bad! If I get hit in that state, I’ll really turn into shaved ice!”
“Wouldn’t it be more like slush?”
I tried making a fitting joke for a goblin, but all I received were cold stares. Despite the scorching heat from Alexios’s ultimate move, a chill ran down my spine. Well, Alexios looked too dangerous to joke around. It would have hurt even with a normal punch, but in this state, it would probably hurt twice as much. She really might turn into shaved ice or slush.
“I want to run away…”
“Yes, you should run away.”
“Huh…? What about you, Master?”
“I have to settle things here.”
Running away now wouldn't solve the problem. Considering the future, I had to resolve the issue with Alexios, no matter what. With an SSR-rank character as an enemy, the already difficult main story would become a mess.
“Arietta, divine magic.”
“Yes, Oz.”
As expected of Arietta, the strongest support character. She seemed to grasp my intentions and began casting various divine spells on me just from me speaking to her.
“Lucia.”
“…….”
“Ah, Lucia suddenly appeared!”
Lucia, who had blended into the surroundings, quietly revealed herself. As Eleanor was startled by Lucia’s sudden appearance and stepped back, I whispered to Lucia,
“Guide Eleanor to where Marie is.”
“Marie…? The Death King’s daughter? What are you planning this time, Prince Oz?”
“You’ll see when you get there.”
Lucia looked unconvinced, but she nodded. Despite everything, she still trusted me.
“But Prince Oz, no offense, can you really win against that with a penalty?”
Lucia flicked her tail and pointed at Alexios. The ice holding Alexios’s legs was almost completely shattered. We were only holding on thanks to Baekyang's struggle.
“…He also has a penalty.”
Alexios had thrown away his cloak with its protective magic, but he couldn’t throw away the penalty. The shackles were still hindering his movements. Otherwise, there was no way Baekyang’s ice could restrain Alexios while he was using his ultimate move. Originally, [Unprecedented] also had a status ailment immunity effect.
“Go now.”
“…Shouldn’t you at least explain the gist of your plan?”
“There’s no time, so just tell Eleanor what I’m about to say when the time is right.”
It seemed it was time to end the whispering with Lucia. Seeing Eleanor's dissatisfied face, she would soon grab Lucia by the scruff of her neck like a cat. So, I spoke briefly and to the point,
“Everything.”
“Everything?”
“Tell her to ‘dye everything with your existence.’”
“What does that… ugh?!”
As Lucia looked confused, Eleanor finally grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and dragged her away.
“Master, we’ll be going now!”
“Yes, you just do what you normally do…”
As Eleanor slung the seemingly exhausted Baekyang over her shoulder and Lucia began to blend into the environment, I spoke to Arietta, who was looking at me with a gentle smile.
“Arietta, would you stay?”
“Yes, Oz.”
Arietta nodded. Her gentle expression eased my tension somewhat.
As expected of the Saintess.
“Huh? Wait a minute? What’s going on between you two…?”
“Noah, let’s go.”
“Eeeeek…”
Lucia grabbed Eleanor by the scruff of her neck and dragged her away, as if seeking revenge for earlier. With the loudest one gone, silence quickly fell over the area.
“Now then…”
My foolish judgment had disrupted the plan. But that didn’t mean the situation was bad. Except for the fact that my plan was ruined…
In any case, Alexios had lost half his sanity and was weakened.
Even his ultimate move, [Unprecedented], which granted status ailment immunity and enhanced physical abilities, wasn’t at its full potential, considering it couldn’t completely break free from Baekyang’s ice. His physical abilities probably hadn’t increased as much as his threatening appearance suggested. Tia’s meticulously crafted magical tool wouldn't have been broken even by Alexios.
“Oz…!!!”
“Yes, Alexios. Shall we clear up this misunderstanding?”
[Mana Dominator Lv. 2]
“Judging from your appearance, I don’t think words will suffice.”
[86/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
To think I would waste the stack I had painstakingly built up here… I had endured so much nagging from Headmaster Tia and suspicious glances from the Disciplinary Committee and other students to build this up…
“Such a waste.”
I launched a preemptive attack before Alexios could break free from the ice. The first spell that appeared was the intermediate magic [Waterfall]. I would have scoffed at it before, but it wasn't bad. There was a way to utilize anything.
[Erosion Rate 29%]
A cascade of water fell on Alexios, who was radiating heat. But it couldn’t stop him. The water evaporated before reaching two meters above Alexios’s head. But its power wasn’t bad. Tia’s magical tool hindered the power of my magic, but it didn't affect [Mana Dominator]. Fog began to form on the battlefield again.
Intermediate Magic
[Physical Enhancement]
Tia had made another mistake. She had only limited the power of my magic, not my physical abilities.
“Phew…”
The [Physical Enhancement] magic, combined with Arietta’s divine magic, dramatically increased my physical abilities. The burden on my body was also significant, but it didn’t matter. My physical abilities were now at SSR rank.
“You can never achieve SSR-rank physical abilities because of the penalty, right?”
I blocked Alexios's fist, which emerged from the fog, with my palm. It stung… but it wasn’t unbearable.
“What…?!”
Even with [Unprecedented] active, he couldn't surpass the limit set by Tia. All Alexios gained from his ultimate move was an absurdly high status ailment resistance and continuous fire damage.
“This is the first time I’ve punched the Fist King.”
With those words, I kicked Alexios in the abdomen.
“You bastard…!”
“You shouldn’t take a mage’s words at face value.”
Mages were constantly changing. Alexios was still naive to believe a mage’s lies so easily.
“Now, for the second one.”
[Mana Dominator Lv. 2]
[87/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
The second spell that appeared after 10 seconds was the low-level magic [Dig]. As expected, no SSR-rank magic appeared. I knew it. Considering my usual luck, it would be strange if it appeared immediately.
[Erosion Rate 30%]
[Dig] was a spell I usually considered useless. But I had to utilize whatever spell appeared. I had to be efficient. I wasn't expecting much. I wasn't planning on digging deep. I just dug a shallow hole near Alexios’s left foot, aiming to disrupt his balance as he prepared to jump.
“Still…”
“Uh…”
But I failed to disrupt his balance.
Was that even possible?
Alexios instantly shifted his center of gravity to the other side and jumped. It was an absurd feat of skill.
“How dare you…!”
Thwack!
My head throbbed. What happened? When my vision returned, I saw Alexios's extended leg. He had kicked me in the head. If it weren’t for Tia’s cloak, my head would have exploded.
“Are you looking down on me?!”
“Ugh…”
[Erosion Rate 30%]
I assessed the situation in slow motion. In terms of physical abilities alone, I was superior. But Alexios’s techniques were far more diverse than Gerard’s. His skill transcended several ranks. As expected of the [Fist King], the title wasn’t just for show.
“If you don’t want to die, stop using these ridiculous spells…”
A dazzling, sun-like light enveloped Alexios’s arms. The cooldown for [Flame Cloud Thunder Fist] was already over. Just thinking about that attack being unleashed in his [Unprecedented] state made my head spin. Even with reduced physical abilities, its power couldn’t be underestimated, considering the skill coefficient.
“Show me your true power!!!!”
Flame Cloud and Thunder. A natural disaster unfolded from Alexios’s arms.
[Spatial Barrier Lv. 1]
Bang!
I blocked the first attack. But at the same time, the [Spatial Barrier] shattered, and I lost my lifeline.
[Spatial Barrier]
[Cooldown: 1 minute 59 seconds]
Two minutes. An absurdly long time. But it was a time I had to endure somehow. I was suffocating from the pressure, but it couldn't be helped.
“Stop looking down on us!!”
“Ugh…!”
This was frustrating, but this was my limit. Compared to the Oz that Alexios knew, it was pathetic. I was really doing my best!
“Haa!”
I twisted my body as if falling, scooped up some dirt, and threw it at Alexios’s face. Alexios completely avoided my surprise attack just by closing his eyes. I hadn’t expected it to succeed anyway. Blinding a warrior had never worked before.
“What…?!”
But he couldn’t see me while his eyes were closed. Gerard had charged in blindly, but this time was different. I was a learner. How was that possible? By sound? He could distinguish my location in the midst of a roaring battlefield just by sound? That was absurd. Even if it was possible, he couldn’t possibly have this level of precision.
“He’s sensing me through mana.”
It was natural in a way, but I hadn't considered that method since I perceived the world through [Contemplation]. But [Contemplation] could completely conceal my mana. Only a monster like Tia could detect the void in mana.
Basic-level Magic
[Wind Bomb]
I cast the spell on the ground, sending more dirt flying. But it was only a temporary measure. Alexios had already successfully deployed [Flame Cloud Thunder Fist]. This distraction wouldn't last even three seconds.
Boom!
As expected, with a loud explosion, the dust cloud I had created was blown away. I rolled on the ground, dodging the ensuing attacks. Considering my current physical abilities, I could avoid his attacks if I focused. [Erosion Rate 30%] I rolled on the ground clumsily, sometimes using magic to propel myself or obstruct Alexios, buying as much time as possible.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 2]
[95/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
I activated [Mana Dominator] for the ninth time and deployed a spell. Although it wasn't SSR-rank magic, it was somewhat helpful. It was advanced-level magic.
[Frozen Tempest]
A fierce blizzard blocked Alexios's attack. Breathing room, and composure, led to more clear thinking.
It wasn’t enough.
No matter what, it wasn’t enough. My head spun from the strain of forcibly enhancing my physical abilities with divine magic and magic. Focusing on each spell was disrupting my strategy and twisting my thoughts.
[Erosion Rate 30%]
It wasn’t enough. This wasn’t enough. At this rate, the SSR-rank physical abilities I had obtained would be useless. I had to be calmer, more perceptive.
[Erosion Rate 30%]
Should I run away? This wasn't my problem to solve in the first place. It was ridiculous that I had to clean up Oz’s mess. If so, shouldn't he at least have given me a solution?
[Erosion Rate 30%]
There was no point in defeating Alexios without knowing what had happened. The same thing would just repeat. Besides, I couldn't even imagine myself defeating Alexios. Even if I tried to overpower him with physical abilities, his techniques wouldn’t allow it. I’d probably end up with my head caved in. Intermediate magic couldn’t even scratch Alexios, whose durability had greatly increased due to [Unprecedented]. I could hope for SSR-rank magic from [Mana Dominator], but I didn't have the confidence to hold out until then. I lacked planning, and calm thinking. I was confused. I needed to be able to utilize the magic generated by [Mana Dominator] on the spot. I couldn't waste a single moment.
[Erosion Rate 30%]
I was a mage. I had to strategize every aspect of the battle, not just mindlessly spam magic. The opponent’s habits, techniques, weaknesses, even their past and present history. No matter what, it wasn’t enough. So…
“You should deal with the mess you made yourself, Oz.”
“What are you talking about…? Are you losing your mind, Oz?”
“Yes.”
[Erosion Rate 31%]
“It’s about 31% now.”
The [Erosion Rate], which had been suppressing my memories, broke through its limit. Memories flooded in.