Oma's Mage (4)
“Kuh, kurruk.”
The Oma mage's mind crumpled under the Dragon Fear that Kim Jehyun unleashed. Normally, it shouldn't have been affected this badly. But it had left itself wide open, getting too close to Jehyun without a care.
Thanks to that, even without full paralysis, the creature fell under a heavy debuff that slashed its stats across the board.
Debuff applied: All abilities greatly reduced.
—Oh, you're handling Dragon Fear quite well now.
Alkasha let out a sigh of admiration as it watched Jehyun's latest use of the ability. Seeing him wield a dragon's authority like this, it seemed he'd fully reached the hatchling level.
—You might ascend to holy dragon territory faster than I thought. I figured it would take much longer into the future. But perhaps that timeline will shorten even more.
“Still laughing through this?”
Jehyun smirked at the Oma mage, though it couldn't possibly understand. A mix of bewilderment, terror, rage, and more flickered in the creature's eyes.
“Let's end this quick.”
Golden flames began gathering in Jehyun's hands. He planned to wrap it up without dragging things out.
That's when it happened.
“Haaah!”
Song Jiseok, who'd been right behind him, suddenly shouted and lunged forward.
“……!”
Jehyun's eyes widened in surprise. He'd sensed mana stirring behind him and figured it was just support from afar. He hadn't expected the guy to charge straight in.
This bastard...!
Song Jiseok manifested a Wind Blade in his hand and aimed the edge straight at the Oma mage's heart. This wasn't just grabbing a spoon from Jehyun's laid-out feast—it was stealing the whole damn table and running.
I know how despicable this is...
Song Jiseok's eyes darkened grimly. He'd apologize properly later. For now, he had to think about his own position.
He was backed into a deeper psychological corner than Jehyun realized.
“Uwaaaah!”
Song Jiseok closed in right up to the Oma mage's face. Manifesting the Wind Blade and getting this close was a calculated move: Jehyun wouldn't dare cast recklessly toward the mage with him in the way, and a precise heart strike would one-shot even a mutant.
That was the moment.
Kurrrruk.
A chilling aura swept in from the side. As Song Jiseok charged, he glanced over.
Reflected in his pupils was a massive black Oma, similar in build to the mage, charging with a battle axe gripped in both hands.
“……!”
In that instant, Song Jiseok realized it. Even if his Wind Blade pierced the mage, he'd be bisected by that axe.
He desperately halted and twisted the blade's trajectory, but it was too late.
Song Jiseok's eyes bulged as he stared at the axe plummeting toward his head.
Thud!
Kwaaaang!
“……!”
The Oma swinging the axe got blasted by a massive mana cannon from the side and slammed into the ground.
Song Jiseok's heart, facing death a second ago, pounded wildly.
“That was seriously close just now.”
Jehyun shot him a glare as he spoke. To save Song Jiseok, he'd canceled the spell he was prepping and fired off a mana cannon instead—the quickest cast possible.
“Kuh, kurruk.”
The Oma mage belatedly tried to move, but another mana cannon from Jehyun sent it flying into the dirt too.
“Th-thanks.”
Song Jiseok bowed his head, face full of shame.
“Step back for now.”
Song Jiseok nodded and retreated at Jehyun's words. He'd blown the chance for a finishing blow on the Oma mage out of his own greed. He couldn't even look Jehyun in the face.
“Kuraraaaah!”
The black Oma that hit the ground first roared in fury and rose. The bellow swept over the group, sending chills down their spines.
This one wasn't a pushover either. It was on par with the Oma mage.
Dragon Eye.
Dragon Eye
The piercing gaze from Dragon Eye scanned the new Oma.
Another mutant.
Jehyun's eyes hardened. He'd never heard of something like this pre-regression. It must be a new change from purging the Magic Tower's black faction.
One or two, doesn't matter.
Jehyun cleared his mind and began manifesting golden flames in his hands again.
The group gulped as they watched him face off against the two massive Omas.
“T-two... both mutants...”
Someone muttered. Two boss monsters was rare enough. And both mutants? Question marks popped up in their heads.
Even Jehyun—could he win against those two?
Tension and fear spread across their faces at the thought.
We have to help.
Pool our strength.
The idea hit them all at once. They shook off their frozen bodies, readying for battle.
Until Jehyun started.
Fwoooosh!
Golden flames erupted from his hands. 4th Circle magic: Fire Burst.
The scorching heat scorched the earth.
“Kurruk!”
The two Omas, about to charge, hurriedly defended. The mana pouring off Jehyun's spell was too immense to ignore.
And rightly so—it was amplified twice over by his Dragon Horn and dragon artifacts.
“Kururuk!”
The Omas barely blocked and screamed. Astonishingly, a mere 4th Circle spell pierced their defenses and dealt damage.
Song Jiseok and the other mages' eyes went wide.
The Omas didn't just take it lying down.
“Kyaaaaah!”
The berserker Oma spread its arms and roared. Purple energy rippled out in concentric waves from it, slamming into the group like a ferocious wave.
Jehyun summoned two kasas and fused them into magic.
Spirit Magic: Curtain of Fire (B+)
Spirit Magic: Curtain of Fire (B+)
A rippling curtain of fire bloomed before Jehyun. A new defensive spirit spell he'd acquired.
Whoooosh.
The purple waves assaulting the group fizzled out amid the roar of fierce winds. The group sighed in relief.
Feeling the lingering mana in the dispersing waves, they realized a direct hit would've caused massive damage.
“Kurumbaba. Umbaba.”
Meanwhile, the Oma mage cupped its hands, condensing mana. The surging purple energy suggested it was manifesting a new power from its mutation.
Ziiing.
Jehyun decided to end it in one go. Dragging it out would only disadvantage him.
His eyes fully turned golden.
He activated the combo he'd used against polluted spirits in the Polluted Spirit Forest.
Dragon Fear.
Dragon Fear — Full power
The authority of Dragon Fear, ramped up enough to cause headaches, descended on the Omas.
The charging berserker and mage jerked to a halt—stunned, if only briefly.
At the same moment, massive swords of fire formed above Jehyun's raised hands toward the sky.
Spirit Magic: Sword of Raging Flames (A).
Spirit Magic: Sword of Raging Flames (A)
The sky-piercing blades of fire crashed down on the berserker and mage.
Kugugugu.
Kwaaaaang!
A massive explosion scattered golden flames everywhere.
And that was it.
The two mutants fell without meaningful resistance, engulfed in golden fire.
“Fucking insane...”
The curse slipped from Song Jiseok's mouth. Nearing 5th Circle himself, he knew better than anyone here just how devastating that fiery sword was.
It surpassed 6th Circle power. Unbelievable, even seeing it with his own eyes.
He'd witnessed Jehyun's absurd feats before, but seeing it up close was different.
Kim Jehyun... he's on another level.
Song Jiseok had no choice but to fully acknowledge him now. Squabbling over credit for a mere boss like this felt utterly shameful.
“Whoa...”
“Insane...”
The others, ready to assist, were equally dumbfounded. They'd never forget this sight, even years later.
Clang.
Something dropped to the ground nearby with a loud clatter. Turning, they saw Seo Cheol-hee of the Isu Clan and a few others standing there.
“N-no... no way...”
Seo Cheol-hee hadn't even noticed one of his signature twin swords fall from his injured left hand, so shocked by the scene.
He'd gathered scattered clan members because he couldn't abandon the Haejeongsan raid. Upon sensing massive mana waves from the peak, he'd rushed up—only to arrive just before the end.
That guy's only 4th Circle now?
He even suspected the Tower had faked his circles. That final attack made goosebumps erupt on his arms. Minimum A-rank superhuman power.
“N-no way...”
“Hah...”
Cheolgangsan and Jo Seunghoon beside him wore equally stunned expressions at Jehyun finishing the bosses.
“You climbed up faster than expected.”
Jehyun smiled at them. No sign of fatigue after that display.
Monster...
Today, they'd witnessed the Magic Tower's rumored monster with their own eyes.
* * *
“Oh, they're coming down!”
Those waiting at the base of Haejeongsan had seen the massive fire pillar erupt from the peak.
As the fog cleared, they realized the climbers had slain the boss. Curiosity buzzed: who did it?
“Oh! Magic Tower! They took down the boss!”
“As expected from the old guard. Knew the Tower would handle it.”
“Wait, two boss corpses? Double boss?”
The Tower crew descended using magic tools to haul the bodies. Supporters cheered the success—then gasped at there being two.
No one had predicted a double boss.
“But don't those bosses look bigger?”
“Yeah, hard to tell from the charring... Is that the Oma mage?”
Murmurs rose as people eyed the corpses. They shot expectant looks for an explanation.
The site manager led Jehyun to the crowd, as Song Jiseok looked too flustered to speak.
“Hello. I'm Magic Tower mage Kim Jehyun. The situation is resolved successfully. All Omas released by the dungeon break have been eliminated, including the boss leading them.”
“Why two boss bodies? And they look bigger—is it really the Oma mage?”
Someone shouted the question everyone wondered. All eyes locked on Jehyun.
“Yes, it was a double boss. And the larger builds are because both were mutants.”
Murmurs intensified. Both mutants? The Tower's prowess in soloing them stunned everyone anew.
“Both mutants—didn't give you trouble?”
Jehyun smiled faintly at the question.
“Song Jiseok was here too, and everyone gave their all, so no issues.”
Nods rippled through the crowd. Tower praise spread instantly.
—You did it all—why not say so straight?
Strategy.
—Strategy?
Yeah. Telling the truth here? Hard for them to buy it outright. Better to build Song Jiseok's face. He's the Tower Lord's disciple anyway... and from a huge family.
—Hoh. Buttering up the kid for future gains? Even after slapping him silly?
Ahem. That was unavoidable. Spending time with him, I see some decent sides. Better to forge ties.
As he turned to leave—
“Greetings. I'm Song Jiseok, the Tower Lord's fifth disciple. I need to correct something from earlier.”
Song Jiseok stepped up beside him. He shot Jehyun a heated glance, then faced the puzzled crowd.
“In this Haejeongsan op... the rest of us, including me, were just baggage to Kim Jehyun here. He handled everything from start to finish alone.”
The crowd's eyes widened at Song Jiseok's bombshell, snapping to Jehyun.