Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 41
CHWAREUREURU-.
Skeletons collapsed like reeds before the wind along with the ripples of concentric circles.
The plains that had been filled with the sound of clashing bones were left with only quiet silence.
And in that quiet.
"Rise."
As Seo-jin's voice echoed, life began to dwell once again in the collapsed pile of bones.
DALGEUREUK-.
The fallen bones began to attach one by one again, and red light settled in the empty spaces.
Skeletons slowly rose from their positions following Seo-jin's command.
The infinite wave that had been endlessly advancing toward the village awakened once more and filled the horizon.
However, if there was one difference from before.
KEUREUREU-.
The direction the skeletons were looking was different from before.
Skeletons scattering hostile red light toward the Lich King.
That's right.
These beings were now under Seo-jin's control, not the Lich King's minions.
Seo-jin had succeeded in severing the control from the thoughts of the Lich King that dominated the Land of Ash and Death, and returning it to himself.
[What on earth is this...]
Hyeon-wol gaped at the sight of the skeleton army rising at Seo-jin's command.
'How can someone who's level is in the 20s do something like this...'
When he had mastered the Primordial Unity Technique earlier, she had been impressed by his speed, but this was on a different dimension.
His main profession was, after all, a black mage.
If he displayed his true abilities, he could accomplish such tremendous feats.
However, the expression of Seo-jin, who had accomplished this feat, was not particularly bright.
"HUUU, HUUU."
No matter how much he had used the power of the Ley Lines to greatly reduce mana consumption, there were limits to that too.
Even if he had infinite mana, he needed the strength to handle it.
KKUREOK- KKREUREUK-.
Black spots that rose like hives on both of Seo-jin's arms.
Due to excessive mana use, pain that felt like his entire body's Mana Circuits were being torn apart washed over him.
Reverse Heaven's Mana that far exceeded the level that could be resolved by the Primordial Unity Technique's abilities.
Madness rushed to his brain, turning his vision red-hot and blurry, and his entire body's muscles trembled, unable to bear the load.
The madness of black magic that paralyzes thought and creates destructive impulses to destroy everything in sight.
This madness, felt after a long time, was even welcome.
Hyeon-wol, who had been watching Seo-jin from the side, asked worriedly.
[Are you alright? It seems like you're pushing yourself too hard.]
Seo-jin wiped away the black blood flowing from his nose and shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm used to this much. And it's still too early to talk about dying."
Regaining control of the skeletons was only the beginning, so the real fight with the Lich King starts now.
After catching his breath once, Seo-jin took out the cigarettes that Circe had made for him with trembling hands and put one in his mouth.
TIK-.
When he flicked his fingertip to light it, the elixir filled his lungs in smoke form and soon spread throughout his Mana Circuits and blood vessels.
"HUEU."
When the madness temporarily subsided, the Lich King's thoughts echoed in his head.
[KEULKEUL. Using the energy of the Ley Lines in reverse, you used your head well, living one. But how long will that last?]
The Lich King sneering as if it were ridiculous.
At the same time, his form floating in the sky moved his hand.
KKEUREUREU-.
Skeletons shaking their bodies wildly in place as if resisting that gesture.
The Lich King's mana began to bind the skeletons to regain the control stolen by Seo-jin.
PPUDEUK-.
Some of them couldn't overcome the mana conflict and broke or crumbled, but some escaped Seo-jin's control and were subjugated back under the Lich King's command.
This series of processes of stealing and being robbed of control was repeated, and eventually the massive skeleton army was split in two following the owner of the mana.
Tens of thousands of the dead were divided and pointed broken bones and worn blades at each other.
Soon, a massive melee began where the skeleton army clashed.
***
KWAJIK-.
PPUDEUK-.
PEOSEOSEOK-.
Skulls are smashed by rusty iron swords, and bones get tangled with bones before collapsing with a crash.
A chaotic battlefield where tens of thousands of skeletons are mixed together, destroying and being destroyed by each other.
Min-ho, standing in the middle of that battlefield, stared blankly at the skeletons attacking each other around him.
Just moments ago, these were the ones charging at him recklessly.
But now they're not even paying attention to Min-ho and are swinging weapons at each other.
When he missed the Teleportation Stone, he thought he would die, but thanks to the changed war situation, he barely escaped crisis.
Min-ho, who had been staring blankly at the skeletons, suddenly came to his senses and picked up the Teleportation Stone that had fallen on the ground.
'Good, good.'
Then he retreated to a safe rear area and checked the camera that was broadcasting.
??
?
What is this, exactly?
Necromancer?
How did they do it?
Who is it?
A feast of countless question marks covering the chat window.
But Min-ho felt exactly the same as the viewers.
Min-ho didn't know what was happening either.
But the surprising thing wasn't just that.
"Huh? What?"
Before he knew it, the live viewer count had surpassed 2,000.
[The broadcast with the most active chat]
A tremendous number of viewers had flowed in due to the algorithm's selection.
Min-ho's hands trembled as he faced his first chance at going viral.
"HUUU. HUUU."
Min-ho read the reactions in the actively rising chat window with half excitement and half fear.
Several chats that stood out among the countless question marks and exclamations.
Who's controlling them?
I heard a voice earlier.
Was there a Necromancer profession?
Probably a sub-profession of Black Mage
Most of them were talking about the unknown being who had controlled the skeleton army.
Eventually, they soon reached one conclusion.
If it's a Black Mage, isn't that the rising star?
Why would he come here, idiot.
This is the 4th floor.
He cleared the 3rd floor, so he might be here by now?
Min-ho's thoughts also suddenly reached that point as he carefully watched the chat window.
'Come to think of it.'
That man who was somehow confident and particularly rude.
He definitely asserted that if he just trusted him and bought time, he could clear the quest.
If he could show such composure in front of an unprecedented crisis like a defense wave of tens of thousands of skeleton armies...
Thinking about it again, he's definitely not an ordinary Tower climber.
Moreover, the robe and hood covering his face as if hiding his identity, and his general appearance were similar to that famous rising star.
Lastly he had said that since he lost his job because of him, he should consider this incident as compensation.
That means it's also connected to the news of the 3rd floor's development and the subjugation of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.
Now everything fits together.
'Scoop, it's a scoop.'
Min-ho clenched his fist.
If he could reveal his identity during the broadcast, he could instantly gain tremendous fame and subscribers.
The Association also promised rewards and support, so there's no better opportunity than this.
Min-ho turned the camera toward himself and shouted.
"I, I'll go toward the Ley Lines. I might meet the rising star, the rising star!"
Having made his decision, Min-ho began running with all his might toward the village where Seo-jin was.
***
[KEULKEUL-]
The Lich King looked down at the battlefield from the sky and smiled an ominous smile.
The Lich King's minions who were gaining the upper hand, little by little.
At first, both camps were evenly matched, but as time passed, the Lich King's army was gaining the advantage.
This was natural logic.
The Ley Lines that the human brat was handling was just one in the village.
On the other hand, he was drawing the power of Ley Lines from the entire 4th floor.
The total amount of available mana itself was incomparable.
Moreover, with a human body, he wouldn't be able to fully utilize even the mana from that single Ley Line.
Soon he would collapse from exhaustion.
If things continued this way, he could seize victory without lifting a finger.
The Lich King scratched his jaw bone with skeletal fingers and emitted light from his eyes.
'I should refine his corpse well and use him as my puppet.'
Although he's not his match, he has outstanding talent for a human.
If he successfully implants his thoughts, he could place this world completely under his feet.
Someday, the army of the dead will march to unknown lands beyond this world.
[Now, there's no need to waste more time. Bring his flesh before me!]
Just as the Lich King was about to extend his hand to advance the army of the dead.
KEURUK-!
Along with the sound of a beast's cry from somewhere, an ominous energy was felt from below.
[What?]
When he concentrated his thoughts to check the situation, something was wrong with his Spirit Core connected to the Ley Lines.
[!]
A half-made wolf-like strange creature was biting his Spirit Core.
[This vermin-like thing. Die.]
The Lich King gathered his thoughts to try to remove the monster biting his Spirit Core.
But for some reason, the Lich King's attack didn't work properly.
KEUREUREU-.
The strange creature hanging like a leech while biting the Spirit Core.
The Lich King continued to emit the Authority of Ash while looking at that sight.
[Fall off! I said fall off!]
The Lich King's authority that turns any living being it touches into ash.
PASEUSU-.
But that strange creature was perfectly fine even after being hit by the authority.
Like lightning absorbed by a lightning rod, neither magic nor authority worked at all.
This is a phenomenon that mainly appears when a being of lower rank faces a being of higher standing.
This meant that the rank of that wolf-like monster was higher than his own.
[Non, nonsense!]
That half-made wolf-looking thing having a higher rank than himself.
When the Lich King was flustered by the absurd situation.
"It's natural that a mere wandering spirit has a lower rank than a fragment of Behemoth."
Seo-jin spoke through Baduki's mouth.
When a human voice came from the monster's mouth, the Lich King, who roughly grasped the situation, asked.
[How, how did you figure out where my Spirit Core was?]
Since the Lich King's thoughts dwelt in the Ley Lines spread throughout the entire floor, there was no particular center point, making it nearly impossible to subjugate.
To the Lich King's question, Seo-jin responded with a question.
"Why do you think I made such a grand spectacle?"
The Great Battle was achieved by taking enormous risks and stealing control of tens of thousands of skeletons.
The reason for doing this was simple.
'To concentrate his thoughts spread across the entire 4th floor here.'
He's not a great being. He's just a wandering spirit parasitizing by borrowing power from the Ley Lines.
When a Great Battle like this unfolds, tremendous mana is bound to be consumed.
When mana becomes insufficient, consciousness must be concentrated in one place to draw that power from other Ley Lines.
In that process, his thoughts scattered across various Ley Lines also concentrate to one point.
Seo-jin aimed for that concentration point of thoughts, the 'Spirit Core.'
While Seo-jin drew the Lich King's attention by commanding tens of thousands of skeletons.
KEUREUREU-.
Baduki, who had been sent earlier, finished off the Spirit Core created by the gathering thoughts.
A plan that used the Lich King's existential characteristics in reverse.
This was the basic framework for this large-scale wave strategy.
After hearing the whole story, the Lich King cried out as if in agony.
[Nonsense! Such a method is not even possible, and even if you know it, it's not a method that can be executed with a sound mind! How is such a thing possible with a mere human body!]
The Lich King's words were absolutely right.
This wasn't the kind of plan that could be executed just by knowing the information.
To begin with, the very idea of stealing subordinates from an opponent who controls most of the Ley Lines wasn't something an ordinary person would think of.
You'd have to be insane to do such a thing.
Here Seo-jin answered.
"Ah, that's nothing special."
Although the Lich King's mana handling all the Ley Lines on the 4th floor was impressive, the structure of magic controlling each skeleton was very backward and inefficient.
He was just ignorantly rich in mana, but an amateur when it came to necromancy and magic.
Thanks to that, stealing control wasn't difficult either.
"Simply, I was just a superior mage."
There's nothing more to explain. There was just a big difference in the ability to handle magic.
"Farewell."
KKADEUK-.
[No, no!]
When Baduki crunched and bit the Spirit Core he was holding, the Lich King's thoughts inside it shattered into pieces.