Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Goblin Lord (5)
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The image he conjured filled the night sky with dozens of streaks of lightning.
It was a massive phenomenon announcing the grandeur of nature amid the storm.
Zzzzt―
A tiny spark ignited at his fingertips.
Above it, Jun layered the mana pattern he had crafted.
The intricate imagery overlaid the pattern, and mana became the driving force to manifest that vision.
The phenomenon that began as a minuscule spark gradually grew, gathering at Jun's fingertips.
Lightning Whip
Crrrackle!
The shift in the atmosphere happened in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, the lightning whip bursting from his hand poured down on the goblins with a deafening roar.
Kikikikikeg―!!
The goblins at the front, clutching their crude shields, reflexively raised their arms, but it was far too late.
The moment the lightning whip made contact, the foremost goblins convulsed violently.
The lightning didn't stop there—it bounced to the goblins behind them like a contagion.
Though its destructive power had weakened considerably and couldn't deliver fatal blows, it was more than enough to paralyze their entire bodies.
"……."
With a single spell, dozens of goblins in the front lines were rendered combat-ineffective.
Jun gazed briefly at the result of his magic, then clicked his tongue shortly.
'Maybe because I haven't been training long. The imagery didn't settle properly. The mana pattern was too simplistic too. Needs refining.'
He hadn't even unlocked the choker's seal yet, so expecting more destructive power than this was unrealistic.
Even so, Jun intended to find areas for improvement right here.
Meanwhile, interpreting his tongue-click in a different light, a veteran soldier was the first to snap back to attention and shout.
"What are you lot doing? Charge!!"
His gruff voice jolted the soldiers to their senses.
Dozens of monsters incapacitated in the blink of an eye—it was enough to startle anyone.
Of course, the goblins were in an even worse state.
True to their wild nature, they were terrified by the thunderous boom of the lightning, and witnessing dozens of their kin die shrieking grotesquely right before their eyes.
The ones meant to lead the charge froze stiff.
"Uwaaaah!"
"Kill 'em all!"
"Don't push too deep! Keep your spacing!"
The goblins didn't flee due to the Goblin Lord right behind them, but fear left them paralyzed, unable to advance or retreat.
Seizing the moment, a few veteran soldiers struck with maximum cruelty.
They targeted vital points precisely and deliberately tore into areas with major blood vessels, splattering blood across the ground.
As the stench of their kin's blood filled the air, the goblins—despite their overwhelming numbers—hesitated and fell back step by step.
Of course, the Goblin Lord wasn't just watching idly.
Dakar tu danaka saru petaha―
"Huh……?"
As the Goblin Lord began chanting its sorcery, Jun narrowed his eyes.
He had already been focusing on it with Bright Eyes, and suddenly, incomprehensible knowledge flooded his mind unbidden.
Before he could even process the situation, instinct made Jun shout.
"Fall back!! Defend!"
"Mage's orders! Retreat! Withdraw!"
"Shields up!"
"Spread out the formation!!"
As the soldiers pulled back from their forward push, a red aura flickered and gathered around the Goblin Lord.
[Berserk aura expands]
"Blood Frenzy……?"
One of the signature sorceries of goblin shamans: Blood Frenzy.
True to its name, it was straightforward—inducing berserk rage in allies.
'Not to the point of total loss of reason like Plant Undead do to Outer Wolves.'
Even so, it erased fear and pain, allowing the goblins' ferocity to shine fully.
This was more threatening than expected.
In battle, tension often stiffened the body unidirectionally, but this eliminated that entirely.
Bam! Boom! Bam!
Sure enough, the goblins under Blood Frenzy charged forward mindlessly, their eyes glowing red.
Wooden clubs slammed down on the soldiers' shields.
The stiffness from the lightning whip was gone; they unleashed the monsters' raw savagery without restraint.
"Ngh!"
"Grip tight!"
"Maintain spacing!!"
The veterans at the front reinforced their bodies with mana, supported by regular soldiers at their flanks.
Normally, even regular soldiers could withstand such attacks, but weakened by the Goblin Lord's weakening aura, it was a struggle.
Still, a silver lining amid the misfortune.
The Blood Frenzy didn't last long.
About 10 seconds of relentless shield-bashing, and now their movements visibly slowed.
The price of overexertion: hands gripping clubs had skin torn off, blood streaming down, and soon some dropped their weapons entirely.
As the soldiers prepared a counterattack once more.
"It's coming again! Don't slack!"
Jun's thunderous shout rang out, and the Goblin Lord's sorcery echoed across the battlefield again.
Dakar tu danaka saru petaha―
'Why can I interpret its sorcery?'
Jun faltered briefly at the unfamiliar phenomenon.
But this time, it wasn't just the Goblin Lord moving.
A few swift goblins stabbed something into the ground.
Totems made from young goblin skulls.
Red light flickered on the totems simultaneously, expanding the Goblin Lord's sorcery range.
Kiyaaaaah―!!
Twice as many goblins fell under Blood Frenzy, launching into mad charges.
'Damn. Getting desperate, are you?'
Kill the commander here before frontline troops could regroup.
That was its goal, so time was short for it too.
It was willing to burn through gathered goblins as cannon fodder.
The soldiers blocking them began falling back significantly.
Dozens of goblins ignoring pain, exerting beyond limits—shields alone weren't enough.
'No idea why I can read its sorcery... but not the time to ponder. Solve the crisis first. Area spells are tricky now.'
Unlike before, allies and enemies were intermingled.
Here, support magic for the frontline fighters trumped direct damage.
'Rapid-fire spells.'
Scanning the battlefield swiftly with Bright Eyes, he deployed support based on the data.
Wind Cutter
[Junior Mage's signature spell]
The hallmark spell of junior mages—no need for intricate imagery.
Berserk goblins wouldn't have time to defend anyway.
Even unenhanced, the blades of wind would pierce goblin flesh and shred innards.
'Aiden. How did that guy move again.'
But he didn't just spam spells blindly.
Aiden.
Modeling after his movements.
True to his considerate nature, Aiden's combat style reflected that.
Unlike Jun overseeing from afar, Aiden dynamically filled gaps, turning the tide.
Jun infused Aiden's mindset into his spellcasting.
[Prioritizing threats]
Ignore the aggressively swinging goblins at the front.
Enemies were overwhelming with numbers anyway.
What truly taxed soldiers were the reserves lurking behind, ready to strike anytime.
Even after felling the front one, the next was waiting.
'Just buying the soldiers a breather is enough.'
Thus, Jun targeted reserves over frontline foes.
Or those slipping sideways impatiently.
Whiiiish― Kyaaak!
Like conducting an orchestra, each swing of his hand launched a Wind Cutter, carving breathing room on the battlefield.
'Just like Aiden does.'
From what Jun had observed, Aiden—with his short experience—focused more on support than dominating personally.
This rapid-fire sequence was improvised from Aiden's style.
'Won't match his raw power.'
But as ranged attacks, the impact spanned wider.
'This is magic's advantage.'
Master it, and versatile utility flips battlefields.
Thanks to that.
Despite the Goblin Lord's weakening aura, soldiers steadily held against goblin assaults.
Truly befitting Imperial troops.
"The mage is behind us!"
"Just block the ones in front!"
As falling goblins mounted, soldier morale solidified.
With the battlefield stagnating, the Goblin Lord moved first.
Taru uracha!
It lumbered forward, judging berserk alone insufficient to break the lines.
To strike soldiers directly with sorcery, it had no choice.
The moment it advanced, chanting.
Tat!
Aiden, concealed until now, sprang into action.
His position: directly above the Goblin Lord's head.
Magic's strength lay in its versatility.
A hard lesson from Jun's past as 'Lee Jung-jun,' when he poured everything into firepower while leveling his mage.
'Honestly, pure DPS? Warriors are unmatched.'
Until learning high-power spells later, a mage's role was simple.
Leverage utility to aid the team.
Thus, during the two years until <Blackout>'s remake release, Jun brainstormed myriad magical strategies.
Lee Jung-jun came to reappraise magic then.
"If conditions align, it's ridiculously broken. Party synergy this high."
One such: this ambush play.
[Reduces presence]
Magic muffling presence.
Plus a cloak of branches and leaves—Aiden dropped from the tree.
Target: Goblin Lord's head.
But the Goblin Lord was no ordinary shaman.
Irregular.
Transcending its kind, it sensed the faint presence and retreated.
Ambush failed.
The Goblin Lord's lips curled smugly.
Failed ambush's price: death.
As goblin warriors guarding it raised spears toward Aiden.
It saw.
Aiden's face, relaxed like its own.
"……!!"
The ambusher wasn't Aiden alone.
Rustle―
Leaves stirred by wind from the adjacent tree.
Kyaha?!
Turning, the Goblin Lord saw Jinovan swinging his sword with grim focus.
And the blue aura cloaking his blade.
Kartu―!
Death loomed.
Recognizing it in that instant, the Irregular's transcendent soul raced.
It screamed: can't die quietly like this.
In its final moment, malice erupted.
Die, but not alone.
Tanaha―!!
Last gasp. Innate curse power surged, even sacrificing its soul.
In that fleeting moment, feeling its soul depart, it smirked faintly.
At the end: Aiden.
Has he ever focused this intensely?
As Aiden and Jinovan leaped from the trees, Jun witnessed a bizarre phenomenon in himself.
Unknown memory fragments sharply grazed his mind.
As if his brain screamed from forbidden action.
- Don't let it end like th…… ……is!
It was some basement.
Damp, long unkept, someone in ragged sackcloth tinkered at a desk.
'What is this……?'
But the fragment flashed briefly.
His gaze returned to the malice-filled, chanting Goblin Lord.
The sorcery was visible.
Not mere red mist of curse power.
Power flows, malicious intent woven in, and outcome—all laid bare.
"Soul Chain"
⟨ Shares soul's pain ⟩
Sacrificing its soul to share pain with another.
No physical force, but mishandled, shock from agony could kill.
The victim's brain would register vivid torment.
In fact, one of Lee Jung-jun's past party members died that way.
"……!"
Not mage's cold reason, but instinct moved Jun's mana.
[Mana convergence point]
Mana aiming point formed.
But no spell fired through it.
No time.
Instead, a fraction activated.
His talent, skill: Demon God Body.
Not internal absorbed mana—external mana bent to his will at the aim point.
Goblin Lord's surrounding mana responded to his call.
The choker reacted wildly, suppressing his talent.
Powerlessness gripped him, yet.
Grinding his teeth, Jun resisted faintly.
Twitch―
A sliver of mana obeyed.
Enough.
Mana infiltrated the Goblin Lord's sorcery.
Couldn't cancel it.
Curse power differed from mana.
Magic warped reality via natural mana.
Sorcery different?
'Really?'
Fleeting interpreted sorcery flashed.
In this crisis, defying mage logic, gut feeling birthed conviction.
Scant natural mana wove into the sorcery per his will.
Spells surfaced and discarded; new possibility took root.
Like electricity seeping circuit board, mana permeated, expanding domain.
Powerless mana gained physicality.
Like Jun's clenched fist, mana gripped the sorcery briefly.
Kir―?!
In that instant, Bright Eyes read the Goblin Lord's fleeting emotion.
Disbelief.
Or despair, betrayal.
Its soul-sacrificed malice seized, immobile.
Its final expression.
Slash― Thud.
Jinovan's sword delivered the end.
Living as a Mage in the Hero's Party Episode 14