Chapter 130
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Enverman (3)
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In truth, this chimera crafted from Sergei's corpse was still an unfinished work.
It had been intentionally designed not to lose its intellect, which was fine, but it retained almost no knowledge of combat.
However, Enverman had one experiment he hadn't tried yet.
A secret technique of ancient alchemists, obtained by sheer chance in the past.
It was a partial formula for creating mutants.
The problem was that its effects were too potent—the chimera would fully regain its memories from life.
Once that happened, it wouldn't obey even Enverman's commands, and the mismatch between its past body's data and its current form would cause its entire body to collapse.
'This was the one method I didn't want to use.'
But with his life hanging by a thread, he had no choice but to try anything.
"If that thing pulls any funny business, kill it!"
At Terdin's command, the Black Guard Knights charged in unison.
Meanwhile, Jun began calculating the most powerful spell he could muster.
Flare
This wasn't like any Flare he'd cast before.
Fire attributes fully separated from the circle compressed the minimal mana, maximizing the fire element even further.
On top of that, he entrusted the still-preparing ancient spell to 'Monghwan'.
Flare
Stack
Stacking required intense focus during calculation.
But he replicated the trickiest parts through 'Monghwan', and the created Flare blazed with dazzling light as it shot from Jun's fingertips.
The Flare, propelled at the speed of light, pierced the chimera's arm and then Enverman's shoulder, who had been hiding behind it.
"Kuhk?!"
Enverman, who never dreamed Jun could complete a spell of that magnitude so quickly, vomited blood.
Just as the heat from the Flare began spreading through his body in an instant...
Pathetic.
The chimera's hand gripped Enverman's head.
"Kuh... ugh..."
But the chimera didn't crush Enverman's skull.
Instead, the heat invading his body was instantly yanked out and absorbed into the chimera's hand.
Hmm. Pure mana. Fire mana this refined can only be achieved within my mental image barrier.
"...Damn it."
Jun grimaced at the chimera's voice.
The Black Guard Knights, too, hesitated to charge recklessly at the chimera, now radiating a completely different aura.
"...Everyone, pull out your enchant scrolls."
Terdin simply ordered them to deploy grand magic enchants.
The chimera—no, Sergei, now fully compos mentis—gazed at his body in wonder.
Did you turn my body into this?
"Kuh... Yes, Sergei."
That voice... Ah, Enverman. Just as I remember. Looks like you used my corpse to make a chimera.
"A body infused with immortality."
Immortality, huh...
Sergei closed his eyes, staring at his skin, which was already turning black.
His body, which had reached the 7th circle, calmly accepted the situation.
Though the memories after his soul's destruction were fragmented, he recalled everything that had happened to him.
Absurd.
The Mage Tower he had built over a lifetime had melted away like a snowman under midsummer sun.
And he had become this monstrous form.
At the same time, he realized immortality meant nothing to him.
I've gained immortality and lost the ability to grow.
"Immortality signifies a perfected lifeform. Growth holds no meaning for such a being."
Could you shut up? Even without a soul, the instincts etched in my memories are functioning. I might just kill you out of remembered rage.
"If you can make rational judgments, that's fortunate. At least we can escape this situation."
True to their deranged minds, even their conversation was anything but ordinary.
On the other hand, Jun realized he couldn't handle this alone.
"...Maya, Eleanor. Support the Black Guard Knights."
With Enverman's assassination failed, Sergei—whose specialty was wide-area fire magic—could wipe out the Black Guard Knights.
And if that happened, the White Whale Mercenary Corps wouldn't survive either.
They lacked the capacity to handle a full-fledged level 7 right now.
Ah, mage. It's been a while.
Meanwhile, Sergei shifted his gaze to Jun, ignoring any preparations he might be making.
Impressive growth in such a short time. I can't help but be amazed. Now I understand why Damian died so pathetically.
"..."
Jun refused to engage in the monster's banter.
Giving it time would only benefit the enemy.
Right now, while Sergei wasn't yet accustomed to this body, he had to kill it first.
Your eyes say chatting with me isn't fun. Unfortunately for you, I'm glad to see you. If I transplant your heart into me, it might fill the void inside.
Even in death, the madman coveted his heart like a greedy child. Jun felt a wave of dizziness.
"Whatever. I'll kill you here no matter what..."
Glad our intentions align.
The conversation ended there.
Sergei began chanting first.
Volcanic Tornado
Adrian's spell—the flame storm that had once brought Jun to the brink of death—raged in all directions.
Its power dwarfed Adrian's version.
But...
Ice Break
Stack
Anticipating the wide-area fire magic, Jun and 'Monghwan' raised a wall of ice.
White steam billowed up in an instant, and the Black Guard Knights seized the opening to charge at Enverman.
But Enverman hadn't only awakened Sergei—he'd injected himself with a cylinder too, unleashing its explosive power in a red burst.
The blood sample from the Butcher Saint he'd harvested recently.
Refined into an awakening agent.
"Hup!"
He inhaled deeply and kicked off, vanishing into the mist like a phantom.
As the knights seeking to ambush him searched...
"Behind you!"
"Kuhk!"
At Terdin's shout, a knight's chest was pierced by Enverman's hand.
"Mmm... Butcher Saint. I knew of it, but what mental fortitude."
Enverman's eyes now streamed with red energy, exuding an aura akin to the Butcher Saint itself.
A fragment of the [Blood Mountain Reincarnation] ability—which drew power from slaughter—had temporarily taken root in his body.
"I don't fancy moving this aggressively, but no choice. Brace yourselves. I've resolved to ruin this suit today."
His form vanished again, faster than before.
But this time, his target wasn't so easy.
"Not on my watch!"
Terdin blocked Enverman's strike with a mana-infused shield, and the knights countered by thrusting their swords.
Meanwhile, fierce combat raged against Sergei too.
A mage battle began with reading each other's mana flows.
Jun at the 5th circle, Sergei at the 7th.
Yet Sergei hadn't used anything beyond the 5th circle so far.
'No—more precisely, he can't.'
A crimson fireball hurtled straight at him.
As Jun moved to intercept, it scattered in all directions, morphing into arrows that assailed him from multiple angles.
"Sunbae!"
Aiden nullified half with [Bash], but the rest targeted Jun's head, chest, and abdomen precisely.
Shield
Attribute Transformation
Transformed Attribute: Fire
Cold magic was ideal for damage, but fire excelled in defense.
Pure fire attributes separated from the circle overwhelmed Sergei's.
'Still, the situation's dire.'
Jun had fired multiple [Ice Spears], but unlike before, they weren't landing easily.
Sergei had summoned [Fire Wall] to block them.
As they pierced each other's intentions, Jun's eyes twitched.
"...Don't try it."
Heh. Caught me?
Fire mana rippled around Sergei, who had been relentlessly bombarding Jun.
But it wasn't for threatening the enemy.
Through the fire mana dispersed into the environment during his spells, Sergei was attempting to deploy his [Mental Image Barrier] here.
If successful, the battle would tilt entirely in his favor.
In response, Jun pulled a golem core from his dimensional bracelet—one he'd prepared in advance.
And then.
Detecting Target
Mental: Marionette Line
Enhancement: Elemental Body
Granted Attribute: Fire
Just like against the Orc Lord before, Jun, linked to the golem core, immediately released the incantation.
Incantation released. 'Odyssey of the Lazy Pilgrim' influence reduced by 25%.
He then used ancient magic to reinforce his mental image, granting a new lineage.
Flame Rage
Granted Lineage: Ravenous Flame
The summoned spiraling fireball spread across the area, devouring Sergei's dispersed fire mana.
True to its name, Ravenous Flame greedily consumed even Sergei's fire mana, fueling itself to burn fiercer.
...This!
Even Sergei—bereft of soul, clinging only to reason—gasped in admiration at Jun's magic.
In less than a year, this mage had elevated his fire mastery to such heights alone.
Hahaha...!! Indeed, all gods must have died! Otherwise, how could such an absurd talent be born into this world!!
Devoid of anger or fear, he simply exclaimed in awe.
Fine. I thought this rotten body was part of me, but I can't afford to hold back against you.
Without a soul, he couldn't imbue mental images.
Thus, while his spells retained their old power, their durability fell short of Jun's.
But he could output more, overwhelming and devouring.
By consuming the opponent before his own magic shattered.
Of course, there was a cost.
This chimera body was still incomplete; he didn't know how long adaptation would take.
He'd refrained from 5th-circle-plus spells to avoid accelerating collapse, but...
Even if I endure like this, death is inevitable.
As a 7th-circle mage, he had no intention of dying twice.
He planned to kill Jun first, then use his heart to halt the body's breakdown.
"You bastard, always eyeing someone else's heart."
Jun sensed the mana flow around Sergei and simultaneously recalled the spellbooks stolen from the Volcanic Mage Tower via [Exceptional Memory].
'He's prepping one hell of a spell...'
Letting it go would cost over half their lives here.
He couldn't allow that, so his mind raced.
'Can I counter it head-on?'
Impossible.
He might offset the destructive power somehow, but the spell covered a vast area.
Jun alone couldn't cover it all.
Should he leave the Black Guard to fend for themselves?
'Impossible.'
Their grand magic enchants wouldn't suffice.
'Convert the [Volcanic Tornado] to ice attributes?'
Also impossible.
Fire and ice were polar opposites; converting without prep would kill even him.
'Damn. Should've kept Eleanor right beside me.'
He hadn't foreseen this, so he couldn't use the Lament of the End's [Conversion].
'Then the last resort left is...'
Only one.
He manipulated his dimensional bracelet and drew out a syringe.
A slender syringe swirling with a tiny amount of purple liquid.
Without hesitation, Jun jabbed it into his arm.