Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Harmful Bird
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Dodging the barrage of spells, I slipped inside the robe. No matter how cheat-like [Spell Eater] was, there was a limit to how much magic it could devour at once.
If I'd pressed [Spell Eater] against that last spell, it would've shattered the instant it touched.
And if it shattered? I'd die right away. Yeah. Gotta be careful.
Counting five seconds silently in my head, I stepped back out. The first thing I saw were the spirits, who couldn't care less about me.
They'd turned their backs at some point, attacking something else.
"Got it."
I knew that, but I was a little curious. Did some monster crawl in? Or maybe there's a reason the spirits went berserk?
Thinking that, I hopped along behind the spirits—who were ignoring me completely—and peered at whatever they were attacking.
And there—
"Huh?"
Was Shin Chae-yeon. The blue-haired woman had spirits swirling around her sword as she slashed through their magic.
Was "canceled out" the right way to put it? It looked more like she was cutting it down. But at this point, you couldn't slice magic, right?
Fascinated, I jumped up to watch, when my eyes met those of a nearby spirit. It didn't actually have eyes, but that's what it felt like.
"Haha."
I gave an awkward laugh and fled back into the robe. Greeting them would just get me attacked anyway.
I'm not dumb enough to do the same stupid thing twice. These days, kids don't even think about responding to a hello—they just attack first?
"Yeah. Pretty, right?"
But we're gonna kill 'em all. Still, I couldn't leave them be for now, so following Lachesis's guidance, I prepared to reach out from under the robe.
Just like before, her warning that I'd lose my hand if I reached out carelessly. The moment I heard her, I thrust my hand out.
The familiar soft sensation, naturally. I grabbed tight and yanked her in.
"Ugh!!"
Unlike Isia or Raphael, the blue-haired woman didn't even scream as she was dragged into the robe.
Along with the other fainted blue-haired girl cradled in her arms.
"Lee Seong-hoon. What's this?"
Shin Chae-yeon lowered her sword upon confirming it was me and asked. Too lazy to answer, I changed the subject with another question.
"You okay? Don't tell me you kept fighting while holding Shin Ga-yeon?"
"Yeah."
She's turning into a real monster. See? Giving her inspiration works better than pumping her full of something.
This space probably helped. Fighting non-stop here, thick with spirit mana, in extreme conditions.
She must've gotten stronger with every sword swing. Probably can't even see the spirits' true forms anymore.
"You've gotten a lot stronger."
"You get it? I feel like I understand something. She's sorry too, just letting me hold her body, so it really feels like we've become one?"
A feeling of unity with the spirit—she really powered up fast.
But that's not important right now. Better ask what I need to and bail.
"Why are you here?"
"My contracted spirit guided me."
"What?"
Hold up. I just got a bad feeling... Nah, no way?
"It said training here would raise spirit affinity fast, so it guided me, but then we ran into that giant spirit and it suddenly flipped—"
Before Shin Chae-yeon could finish, I smacked my forehead. Had to.
In the original story, the spirits rampage on day three because some idiot barges into this cave cluelessly.
And Shin Chae-yeon came in? Guided by a spirit?
Who told that spirit, I wonder?
Me.
I meant well, tried to do a good thing, but how'd it turn out like this? Why does nothing ever go right?
As I wiped away tears, Shin Chae-yeon continued.
"When we ran into the giant spirit, sis fainted, and it said stuff like, 'You humans destroyed the forest. Turned some places into wastelands,' then went berserk."
Yeah, yeah. So it all happened because you came here? Ultimately my fault, huh?
"Shin Chae-yeon."
"Yeah."
"Can you fight a bit more?"
At my question, the expressionless girl nodded. She gripped her sword, seemed to communicate with the spirit, then looked at me with a resolute face.
I gripped my scythe too.
Gotta clean up your own shit.
Damn it.
We decided to split the spirits half and half. I wanted to tell her to just handle a few, but she'd push back for sure, so I let her do as she pleased.
Instead, I took the ancient spirit. I wasn't budging on that no matter what, but surprisingly, she agreed easily.
She knows it's impossible, huh.
Truth is, the ancient spirit was my goal. It's not connected to the spirit realm.
From lesser spirits to spirit kings, spirits naturally belong to the spirit realm.
But long ago, in ancient times, those boundaries were blurry. That's why ancient spirits exist in the human realm.
With physical forms here, kill 'em and they just die. And when spirits die, they drop crystals.
That's what I need.
"You take half that side, I'll take this half. Got it? Call me if you can't handle it."
"You kidding?"
"Of course it's a joke. You're doing it. Grit your teeth if you have to."
"Don't worry."
Truth is, I don't doubt her at all. With Shin Chae-yeon's talent, she gets stronger every swing in here.
No way she'll lose. So time for me to do my part.
Watching her dash off, I stood before the spirits. The moment we emerged, they slithered closer, already half-encircling us long ago.
Feeling the pressure from the ancient spirit glaring behind me, I spun my scythe.
"No robe, and [Spell Eater] can't drink all this magic."
I didn't have the ability to slash every incoming spell like Shin Chae-yeon.
Pull out Lily from [Inventory]? Risk getting spotted by nearby Rosaline.
Take them out one by one? Get blasted by magic and die. Caught between a rock and a hard place.
I ran through every option I had. Thought slowly, but these rampaging spirits didn't give a breather, firing spells relentlessly.
The first wave was blocked by Levatein's [Auto-Defense (A+)].
But after that? No defenses left. Impossible to deflect all that magic with Lachesis's skill.
"Guess I gotta kill 'em all at once?"
Plenty of methods. Use runes. Throw the scythe. Unleash crows. So many, but none feasible.
Used almost all my crows on Leon. Runes lack power. Scythe? No idea where the necks are for decapitation.
Only one option left.
"That's plenty."
I extended my arm. Straight ahead. As expected, a crow hopped over and perched on the tip.
This guy's gonna kill 'em. All the spirits in front of me. The ancient one... we'll see.
So many. How'd Shin Chae-yeon hold out? Well, the ones behind couldn't cast, I guess.
Looking at the perched crow, I stopped spinning the scythe.
"Levatein."
"Mimic the crow."
"You can do it. Don't trust Daddy?"
At my words, Levatein mimicked the crow without further questions. It burst into flames. But the crow didn't seem to mind.
Scratching its head with its foot like always, going nuts.
"Mm. Alright then. Let's go."
Spells incoming soon. I released the crow. It flew off.
An ordinary burning crow. Just a bit more aflame than usual—how's this gonna wipe out all the spirits?
Simple answer.
Calling Levatein the ultimate weapon isn't exaggeration. Mythic-grade base specs. Ego for communication.
Plus three packed weapon skills.
Nothing lacking, but what makes Levatein shine is, naturally, the [Ever-Changing] skill.
Its value comes from imagination. It can transform into whatever the owner desires in any situation.
An imagination-made formless sword with no fixed shape. How'd I use it?
Mimic stuff, leave it home sometimes.
Probably 'cause it ego'd into a kid-like form. But Levatein is a weapon.
Its worth lies in how well it slices enemies. And Levatein—
Once incinerated the world.
"Burn them all. Levatein."
With those words, the crow erupted. No longer small and puny.
It grew to fill the cave.
A flame in the shape of a crow, a bird. Flying incarnate of fire.
It lit the dark cave ablaze. Far away, yet the heat felt like it'd melt my body.
I've had a name for this technique since forever. Thought about it since getting the crows.
Firebird, Phoenix, rise Vermilion Bird. Many names, but none better than this.
"Ahh. This is the Harmful Bird."
"Brave Bird!!!"
How a brave bird snatches bugs.
Shin Chae-yeon halted her swinging sword. After hearing that killing spirits just sends them back to the spirit realm, she'd earnestly sent over five packing.
She could only gape at the light surging from behind.
It illuminated the ominously dark cave. Like beholding a phoenix from legend.
Far away, yet the heat reached her. Even rampaging spirits turned to ash on contact.
What kind of magic was that? Could he wield something that powerful? It felt like a 10-verse incantation spell.
That terrifying might. And that wasn't all.
Lee Seong-hoon, who'd been watching the magic, turned around. After unleashing such massive magic, he stood nonchalant. Grinning smugly.
A "How's this?" look.
Shin Chae-yeon couldn't look away. What the hell was this guy's deal?
Magic worthy of a grand archmage, one-shotting undying monsters, unaffected by 11th Island mana, spells of every variety.
A dragon in disguise? Even polymorphed, unbelievable abilities.
Even mighty dragons wield one attribute.
But this guy? Already three she knew of.
Shadow, space, fire.
'What the hell kind of monster is he?'
Her common sense couldn't comprehend it.