Chapter 102
Chapter 102
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 102
“Contestant Austin surrenders! The winner is Pandemonium’s Rising Star!”
WAAAAAH-!
Cheers loud enough to shake the arena echoed through the stadium.
Narcissus confirmed the match result and let out a sigh of relief.
“……It went as expected. Since his life was spared, I suppose we can call that fortunate?”
Narcissus had sensed his disciple’s defeat long ago.
It was fortunate that thanks to the Rising Star’s mercy, he hadn’t suffered any major injuries.
Nimrod tilted his head at this.
“Do you not trust your disciple’s strength?”
“Trust only has meaning if one survives. Beauty too fades before death. That’s what both I and my disciple wish to avoid most.”
“Hmm.”
He values maintaining beauty over trust. Well, perhaps that’s only natural for a being with such legends.
“He did well enough for his level.”
Nimrod readily nodded at Narcissus’s added comment.
“Perhaps so.”
Who among those on the 12th floor could win against that guy?
Even across all floors, there are only a handful who could truly fight him and decisively grasp victory.
Generously speaking, maybe five or six could put up a decent fight.
In other words, for a climber who’s only just reached the 12th floor, that guy is practically a natural disaster.
‘At this level, they can’t even draw out his full strength.’
Like the fight he showed against the Divine Spear Lee Seo-mun in the depths of the 11th floor.
Only at that level does it become interesting to watch.
Nimrod’s gaze turned to Se-yeon entering the arena.
‘Can this girl truly draw out his full strength?’
And will I get to see him use the [Transcending Heaven True Scripture] himself?
Just the thought made anticipation rise spontaneously.
Nimrod shifted his gaze to Rosaria lounging comfortably on the sofa beside him.
“Rosaria, do you perhaps have nothing to say to me?”
His eyes held an accusatory tone, questioning her about helping create the Transcending Heaven True Scripture .
“Not particularly?”
But Rosaria had absolutely nothing to feel guilty about.
She had merely shown “a little” favor to her cute friend’s disciple.
Wasn’t this a rightful privilege for a great being?
As Rosaria feigned innocence, Nimrod smiled faintly.
“I have a deep interest in that guy, so I’ll let it slide, but the mere creation of that magic has drawn the eyes of many beings. Are you prepared?”
“Hoho. If I cared about such things, I wouldn’t have become an elder. Tell anyone who finds it distasteful to come see me.”
Rosaria’s words essentially said, “If you don’t like it, come fight me.”
Thinking it typical of her, Nimrod changed the subject.
“Indeed, it’s pleasing to see you as spirited as ever. And Talis.”
Nimrod glared, making Talis flinch.
“……W-why are you looking at me like that?”
“That staff the child is holding. It looks ‘awfully’ sturdy for some reason.”
“Ahem.”
Nimrod was referring to the True Ki Talis had imbued into Nameless.
It wasn’t that Talis was scared of Nimrod, unlike the shameless Rosaria.
Because he knew propriety, his feet just felt awkward.
“It seems you’ve taken quite a liking to that child?”
“Her talent is exceptional, that’s all…….”
Watching Talis scratch his head vigorously, Nimrod shrugged.
“Well. I’ll overlook this much.”
Since it was a weapon she’d soon use and replace anyway. He could show that much flexibility.
“Thanks.”
While they were exchanging such small talk, Gabriel asked him a question.
“But Nimrod, what is the reason for your presence here?”
He’d said he came just to watch, but the Tower’s administrator wasn’t such a light position.
There must be a clear reason for his descent to this place.
Nimrod pondered briefly before turning his gaze towards the arena.
“……I’ll tell you that a little later. For now, let’s focus on the match.”
***
“Then, the finals to conclude this cycle! Rising Star versus Nameless, the battle of Nameless versus the Rising Star!”
“WAAAAAH!!”
Thunderous cheers shook the Colosseum.
The heat of the Colosseum, fired up by the previous fights.
The rumored Rising Star versus the newly emerging dark horse.
During the pre-fight greetings, Se-yeon whispered to Seo-jin as she brushed past him.
“……You don’t have to hold back this time.”
“Okay.”
But he couldn’t use his full strength.
With many watching, using means other than black magic could cause problems for his subsequent covert actions.
The Transcending Heaven True Scripture went without saying; even martial arts, blood magic, or necromancy were difficult to use.
At best, he could use the Lich King’s undead legions, already known to the world, but they offered little help in a one-on-one duel.
Only black magic.
And even then, only the basic, untransformed forms of black magic to face his opponent.
“Starting right now!”
PEEEEEEEP-.
As the whistle blew, the final match of the tournament began.
Se-yeon pointed her staff at Seo-jin and took her stance.
CHUCK-.
Seo-jin looked at the staff she held, his eyes gleaming.
‘Talis’s handiwork.’
It seemed the Sword’s Original, given as a climbing commemorative gift, had been temporarily processed.
Seeing Se-yeon armed, Seo-jin decided he should also prepare a weapon.
After all, it’s common for mages to enhance their magic through wands or staves.
Standing empty-handed felt too bare.
‘Maybe I should make a poplar wand or something.’
Blinking as he momentarily lost himself in thought.
“!”
In his future sight, he saw Se-yeon’s figure already right before his eyes.
“Dimension Wall.”
ZZWOOONG-.
Immediately after confirming the future sight, Seo-jin erected a dimensional barrier in front of him.
As expected, Se-yeon should have been sucked into the distorted dimension and tumbled out in a strange direction.
But contrary to Seo-jin’s expectation, Se-yeon wasn’t swallowed by the Dimension Wall.
Instead.
CLANGGGRANG-!
She precisely struck its weakness, the point where mana was concentrated, and shattered the dimensional barrier.
‘……!’
Having confirmed this scene in future sight, Seo-jin evaded backward.
Using only ordinary black magic, without employing any movement technique.
‘Lightning Steps.’
CHIRRIT-.
Sparks of black electricity crackled under his shoes as he slid backward.
However, Se-yeon used her beast-like movement, pivoting on one foot in a spin, and immediately closed in on Seo-jin.
PA-BANG-.
The shadow of death pursued relentlessly.
‘Then.’
First, create distance.
“Dark Flare.”
PUH-VERBENG-!
A wave of pitch-black mana exploded like fireworks before the charging Se-yeon.
“Tch.”
Se-yeon clicked her tongue, spinning her staff to deflect the minor explosions.
But this was merely a smokescreen to blind her.
“!”
CHARRRR-.
Amid the storm of mana. Black Chains stretching from the floor had already latched onto Se-yeon’s back, trying to bind her limbs.
‘Can’t dodge.’
No matter how fast her body, it couldn’t be faster than magic.
Dodging already cast magic was impossible.
Then.
Gritting her teeth, Se-yeon drew up her Blood Lineage Sword Energy and detonated it all at once.
PA-BANG-!
An explosion in concentric circles erupted from Se-yeon.
This repelled the bundles of Black Chains targeting her.
Having cleared all obstacles, Se-yeon approached Seo-jin.
“Flash Strike!”
PIT-.
Her staff became a ray of light, stabbing towards Seo-jin’s throat.
“Tsk.”
He struggled, using various magics to create distance.
But dislodging her, who moved with beast-like agility, was difficult without martial arts.
It was an inherent limitation of a mage.
Ultimately allowing distance, Seo-jin narrowly avoided the trajectories of Nameless flying towards him, relying on future sight.
PA-VA-BANG-.
Gradually increasing in speed and power, the staff dyed red.
The staff wrapped in Blood Lineage Sword Energy seemed to tear through space itself, sending chills continuously down his spine.
PA-VA-BANG-!
Seo-jin looked at Se-yeon charging at him like a madwoman.
She charged like a blood-crazed demon, yet her pupils maintained cold rationality.
A Sword Demon who kept her innate ferocity completely under rational control.
Seo-jin swallowed dryly as he created distance.
‘That crazy old man. He’s turned the kid into a monster this time.’
He’d thought she’d made some progress, but to make her such a monster in just a month?
Her solitary wandering in hunting grounds before regression was already extraordinary, but could systematic training under an excellent master lead to this level of growth?
“Cheonhwanagyeong (Heavenly Flowers Falling Shadows)!”
KWAGWAGWA-!
A downpour of staff strikes like falling petals.
The staff flying towards him, wrapped in crimson Sword Energy, resembled falling red flower petals.
‘Can’t block it with half-baked defensive magic.’
Like the Dimension Wall being destroyed earlier, it would be pierced through if she exploited its weakness.
This needed to be avoided.
“Blink.”
Ultimately, Seo-jin decided to evade the attack and cast a teleportation spell.
ZZWUCK-.
With the horrifying sensation of his whole body being sucked into imaginary space, he moved to the opposite end of the arena.
“Huu.”
Seo-jin sighed, feeling a sharp, prickling sensation in his head after casting the teleportation spell.
Blink was a 7th Circle black magic.
Putting aside its immense difficulty, the spell itself involved passing through the void space where demons resided, imposing a huge mental burden.
“…….”
Having struck the ground uselessly with her staff, Se-yeon swiftly turned her head back.
Then, staff in hand, she began approaching Seo-jin again.
THUD- THUD-.
Like cornering prey, Se-yeon slowly advanced.
Seo-jin let out a short sigh and made a decision.
“I admit it. You’ve become strong.”
Perhaps equal to me, or even stronger.
Losing intentionally here might be the virtue of an adult, but he couldn’t do that.
She had also told him not to hold back.
‘True enlightenment often comes in extreme situations.’
He hoped this fight would become the catalyst for her to grow another step.
‘Overwhelming with numbers isn’t my style…….’
But now, it was the only way.
Seo-jin opened the path to the Energy Core and began absorbing mana.
GRUGGLE-.
Mana like tidal waves supplied from the Demon’s Heart.
This flowed backward through his blood vessels, generating the Reverse Heaven power even more fiercely.
PAT-.
Seo-jin raised his finger and exerted his mana.
“Flourish.”
PUH-BUBUK-.
Simultaneous with Seo-jin’s gesture, spears woven from black magic erupted from every space in the arena.
Demonic Spears densely filling the arena without a single gap.
“!”
Faced with the sharp black spear blades erupting one after another like blooming flowers, Se-yeon panicked and hastily jumped upward.
With nowhere to dodge, it was an unavoidable choice.
Then.
KWARRUNG-!
A streak of Black Lightning tore through the air, flying towards Se-yeon floating in the air.
Without stepping on the air to move, there was no way to dodge attacks while airborne.
“Kuk.”
Se-yeon displayed quick wit, setting up Nameless like a lightning rod to absorb the Black Lightning.
Then, she poured internal energy into it to prevent the lightning’s explosive force from detonating and slammed the staff into the ground.
PUHEONG-!
The explosive force of the Black Lightning contained within Nameless pushed aside the Demonic Spears on the ground, creating a landing space.
PAT-.
Se-yeon landed safely below, picking up Nameless embedded in the ground.
But there was no time to relax.
“!”
A shadow cast on the ground.
Raising her head, she saw black clouds now floating above the arena.
Soon, a shower of falling lightning poured down from those clouds.
KUGWAGWA-!
Se-yeon hurriedly raised her staff and began deflecting the pouring black lightning.
KA-GANG- KANG-!
ZZIRIRR-.
Each time she deflected the falling lightning with her staff, an impact that threatened to tear her palms apart traveled up her arms.
But there was no time to rest.
CHWARRR-.
In addition to the endless downpour of lightning from the sky, bundles of Black Chains surged from the ground, flying towards Se-yeon.
“Tch.”
Se-yeon moved her feet swiftly, smashing the Demonic Spears rising around her.
PA-VA-BAT-.
Vaulting over and kicking off the spears, Se-yeon dodged and deflected the magic with nimble movements.
Twisting her body, she evaded the barrage of black magic, parrying what she couldn’t dodge.
Her movements were near-divine, but even they had limits.
KWAGWAGWA-.
Giant Demonic Spears blocking her path. Black chains surging from below. The relentless shower of black lightning striking from above.
No matter how advanced Se-yeon’s state was, there was nothing she could do before such a waterfall of magic.
“Huu. Huu.”
Her breath hitched in her throat; her limbs screamed.
Se-yeon gritted her teeth, continuously deflecting the pelting magic barrage.
‘He’s strong.’
Se-yeon gasped for breath, looking at Seo-jin standing beyond the magic waterfall.
He was still strong.
Se-yeon knew.
That if he got serious, this seemingly close fight could end in an instant.
KKWAAAK-.
Clenching the staff with all her might in hands that felt like they would burst, she gritted her teeth.
KWAGWAGWA-!
Faced with the overwhelming gap, Se-yeon’s spirit wavered.
When would she ever escape his shadow and stand proudly by his side?
Would a day ever come when she wasn’t just someone he helped, but someone who could stand back-to-back with him and fight together?
She couldn’t picture a future standing side by side with him. Just chasing his back, growing stronger daily, was exhausting enough.
If things continued like this, she feared he might soar to unreachable heights and leave her behind.
Just as her spirit was breaking under the pressure of the magic waterfall, something happened.
‘Stand strong alone, but do not forget the subtlety of Softness (Yu). A dagger of water advancing through raging currents. That is how you defeat him.’
Instantly, Talis’s teaching flashed through her mind.
The teaching to not resist or clash and break, but to deflect and utilize.
“Huu.”
Se-yeon let out a small sigh and retracted her staff.
She composed her mind.
Harboring impatience and fear would only sweep her away before the fierce waterfall.
She sharpened her mind.
Steadied it without wavering; set it straight.
PAAAT-.
As she gathered her resolve, her vision, blurred amidst pain and despair, cleared again.
KUGWAGWA-!
The magic waterfall still poured down upon her.
Composing her mind and widening her eyes didn’t change the situation.
But her attitude towards it had changed.
It was different from before.
‘I see it.’
A clear path became visible amidst the pouring magic barrage.
A way out (活路).
A path to survive clearly existed.
Even within this seemingly merciless storm, a path he had prepared for her existed.
Suddenly, this magic barrage no longer felt threatening.
Fierce and destructive, yes, but there was no malice in it.
Perhaps this was a switch.
An ordeal he bestowed to temper me stronger. Somehow, it felt that way.
Therefore, this waterfall-like magic barrage might be another form of the grace Seo-jin had shown her.
The powerful magic flying at her was merely a phenomenon. Its essence was expectation and concern directed at her.
“…….”
Thinking that, she was no longer afraid.
KWARRRUUNG-!
Black Lightning flew towards Se-yeon.
Instead of deflecting it, she read its trajectory and gently extended her staff.
PA-BANG-.
Just as the lightning struck the staff hard, threatening to snap her wrist.
HWIK-.
Se-yeon twisted the staff, not resisting the lightning’s flow, but instead gently wrapping it around the staff using her Blood Lineage Sword Energy.
CHIRIRIT-.
The Black Lightning wrapped in crimson Sword Energy no longer attacked her; tamed like a wild beast, it began swirling obediently along the staff’s surface.
Having wrapped one lightning bolt, Se-yeon.
She immediately hooked and wrapped the next bolt flying beside her in the same way.
HWIK-.
One, and then another.
The Black Chains surging from the ground were the same.
CHARRR-.
The black chains repeatedly writhed like snakes, aiming for her wrists and ankles.
But this too was ultimately the flow of mana.
Form was unimportant.
If she could catch lightning, she could handle iron chains as she wished.
PINGGRURR-.
Se-yeon evaded the chains as if dancing, then wrapped the black chains around her staff using her Blood Lineage Sword Energy, just like she had with the lightning.
That series of movements was no longer the beast-like agility she had shown before.
JABAK-. JABAK-.
Light, refreshing footsteps and smooth, natural body movements as if dancing.
Se-yeon took step after step forward through the magic waterfall, naturally clearing a path.
“…….”
It felt like flying over feathers.
Amidst that ecstatic dance, Se-yeon looked at the magic wrapped around her staff.
Finally having wrapped the maximum amount of magic her staff could handle, Se-yeon.
She spun her body once and thrust it forward.
Even if she was still weak and clumsy now, even if following his shadow was hard.
PA-BANG-.
The day would surely come when she would gather all the grace she received from him and repay it.
As she thrust her staff forward, all the energy she had gathered was released through the staff’s tip.
“Hwajing (Dissolving Force).”
FLASH-.
The waterfall of magic wrapped around the staff poured forth towards Seo-jin like a dam bursting.