Reflect (2)

'A dagger?'

Kim Jehyun tilted his head at the dagger Jinhojang had drawn. A mage with a dagger? His first reaction was pure bewilderment.

"Die."

Jehyun easily dodged the dagger Jinhojang swung at him. The guy must have cast some kind of body enhancement spell, because his speed was impressive—but Jehyun had already hit level 4, boosting his physical stats along with it. Even without any enhancement magic of his own, he matched Jinhojang move for move.

"Shit."

Jinhojang's face hardened when his close-range ambush failed. Jehyun clearly wasn't the same useless pushover he'd known.

"What the hell did you do?" Jinhojang growled at Jehyun. No matter how good an artifact he was wearing, could someone change this drastically overnight? Doubts piled up in his mind.

"Who knows."

Jehyun twirled his wrist casually as he replied. Looking at Jinhojang stirred a strange feeling.

Was this guy always this weak?

In the past, facing Jinhojang had felt utterly hopeless. But now, with his Mana Core complete, Jinhojang looked pathetically frail in Jehyun's eyes. Weaker even than Shin Yesung, whom he'd met just recently. Despite being a 2nd Circle mage, Jehyun felt zero chance of losing.

"You little bastard."

Jinhojang's rage boiled over at Jehyun's smug expression. In the old days, he'd have charged blindly, but a sliver of reason held him back. Instinct told him Jehyun was no pushover. Even as a 1st ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Circle, underestimating him would be a mistake.

"Not coming? Fine, I'll go first."

Jehyun immediately conjured Mana Bolts. They materialized in the air in an instant.

"What the...?"

Jinhojang's eyes bulged at the terrifying casting speed. It was impossible. An artifact-assisted spell, maybe? Nothing else explained it. The speed rivaled a high-circle mage casting low-circle magic.

"Urk!"

A drum-like explosion echoed, followed by Jinhojang's grunt. He barely blocked with a hastily conjured barrier. But the casting speed wasn't the only surprise—the destructive power exceeded his expectations. As a 2nd Circle mage, why was his Barrier struggling against a 1st Circle Mana Bolt?

"What are you?" Jinhojang demanded, eyes blazing.

"What the hell are you?!"

Frustration boiled over as things spiraled out of control. Jinhojang had never once imagined Kim Jehyun as an obstacle in his life.

I can't accept this. No way.

Jealousy devoured his rational thoughts. He convinced himself Jehyun had pulled some dirty trick.

"Fine... I get it. You've teamed up with black mages."

Jinhojang's eyes darted wildly as he shouted with false certainty.

Black mages. Those who dabbled in forbidden arts, shunned for defying the world's order—but too resilient to eradicate. Their taboo spells made advancing to high circles twice as hard, yet they dominated lower realms with explosive growth.

"Kuhahaha! Thought you could mess with black magic and get away with it in the Magic Tower?"

Jinhojang cackled as if he'd uncovered Jehyun's secret.

—What the hell is this fool babbling? Attaching something as lowly as black magic to this body? What are ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you waiting for? Punish him at once for slandering the great this body!

Alkasha was the one fuming at Jinhojang's words. And rightly so—they'd pinned the power he'd bestowed on Jehyun as black magic.

"Believe what you want. Let's just end this. It's boring."

Jehyun decided to wrap it up quickly. This time, he'd show a gap Jinhojang could never bridge again. And settle all the old grudges while he was at it.

'Air Bolt.'

Whoosh.

Air Bolts sprouted in the air like weeds. If they all rained down on Jinhojang at once, it'd be like an aerial bombardment.

Then—

Crunch.

Jinhojang pulled a blood-red pill from his pocket and swallowed it. Steam-like crimson mist erupted from his body.

"Raaargh!"

A beastly roar escaped him. His skin flushed mottled red. It was anything but normal.

'That’s...'

Jehyun's face hardened. It resembled something from past news reports.

—This is no joke. Don't let your guard down!

Jehyun focused. Tension crept in for the first time since completing his Mana Core.

Swoosh!

As Jehyun's Air Bolts rained down and Jinhojang charged, they collided simultaneously.

Air exploded on impact, but Jinhojang tanked them, barreling through.

Boom!

As he closed in, the ground erupted before Jehyun with a thunderous crash.

'Direct hit.'

Jehyun had prepped Mana Spear amid the Air Bolts. Among 1st Circle spells, it was the most powerful—slow to charge, but devastating when unleashed. The Air Bolts blinded Jinhojang, letting the Mana Spear slam home. The recoil propelled Jehyun back. He'd cast Grease on his feet to eliminate friction, widening the gap further.

—What is that? Mana overload? Can Magic Tower mages even use stuff like that?

'Exactly... that’s—'

Jehyun couldn't finish explaining to Alkasha. Jinhojang, arms mangled from the Mana Spear, thrust them forward.

'Binding.'

Invisible mana ropes lashed at Jehyun. He swatted them away with mana-coated hands—a feat possible only because his spirit engraving let him sense mana particles precisely. Anyone witnessing it would call it impossible.

—Danger!

Alkasha's warning rang out. Despite Jehyun's feat, his balance was shot from retreating and deflecting. Jinhojang was now within arm's reach.

'Barrier.'

Jehyun's hasty Barrier formed, but Jinhojang's black dagger pierced it. Nanik's Fang, infused with his mana, shredded the shield, scattering dark energy. It dominated spells below 3rd Circle. Jehyun's superior Barrier bought a split second.

'Gotta block it.'

Instinct screamed danger. He'd felt the eerie aura disrupting his barrier's mana.

—Use Reflect!

Alkasha's advice hit at the crisis point.

Jehyun's Leather Tunic absorbed his mana, forming a protective membrane.

Clang!

Incredibly, Nanik's Fang—absolute against sub-3rd Circle magic—failed to pierce the Reflect.

The dagger reversed course, stabbing Jinhojang instead.

Stab.

Flesh tore with a gruesome sound. Jinhojang froze.

"Guh... guhuk."

His pupils shook like an earthquake as he stared at Nanik's Fang embedded in his left shoulder.

"H-how...?"

Pain overwhelmed him before he could finish. Mana Crush shattered his circles below 3rd Circle. The amplified mana from the "Boom" pill scattered, doubling the agony.

"Guuuhk... p-please... mercy... my... guuuh... my circle... please."

Jinhojang writhed on the ground, desperately reaching for Jehyun with his right hand. Seeing it, Jehyun pieced together the dagger's identity.

Nanik's Fang. How did a villain's tool end up with him? And that pill was definitely Boom—another villain exclusive.

Jehyun's eyes chilled. Accusing him of black magic, when Jinhojang was the one consorting with villains.

"Nothing I can do."

Jehyun's voice was ice-cold. Mana Crush had collapsed his circles beyond repair. Even if he could help, he wouldn't.

"You brought this on yourself, Jinhojang."

"Gu... guk..."

Tears and snot smeared Jinhojang's pain-twisted face at Jehyun's rebuke.

"I-I just... guk... did what Kim Hyeongjin... told me... huuuk. Sob."

Jehyun now knew the mastermind behind this. As expected.

Kim Hyeongjin’s in bed with villains?

He hadn't imagined Hyeongjin possessing their gear. Meanwhile, Jinhojang passed out from the pain of his twisting Mana Road.

Jehyun ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yanked Nanik's Fang from his shoulder. He pulled an Appraisal Scroll from his inventory and used it. Info popped up.

"As I thought."

Jehyun stowed Nanik's Fang in his inventory. Its Mana Crush had two uses left. It felt like it'd come in handy—especially against Kim Hyeongjin, if he was involved.

Though I can't use it openly.

Possessing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a banned magic tool like Nanik's Fang could brand him a villain associate.

—Then have the dwarves rework it later.

Jehyun tilted his head at Alkasha's suggestion.

"Dwarves? They don't deal with humans. Hard enough just to see their faces."

Dwarven magic tools were leagues beyond others. Jehyun's own Leather Tunic was dwarven-made. But dwarves were notoriously insular, associating only with a select few.

—Nonsense. Dwarves and elves have been dragons' servants since ancient times. Everything they have belongs to dragons. Not a request—a command.

Jehyun's jaw dropped at Alkasha's words. Command the dwarves? Unthinkable.