Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 71
Seo-jin, who had escaped from the gathering point where investigation teams from various countries had assembled.
He infiltrated the crystal cave of the Alpha route using the Shadowless Steps he had learned in an amateur fashion from Nam-gung Cheon.
Seo-jin had gotten ahead of the Japanese investigation team through the detour route.
The Alpha path was a passage filled with crystal veins of various colors on all sides.
A landscape completely different from the damp and bizarre organic cave of the Gamma route.
The flow of mana was also strangely stable, and thanks to the solid terrain and the bright light emitted by crystal veins on all sides, the exploration difficulty was much lower.
Moreover, each crystal contained mana equivalent to a low-grade magic stone.
'Just mining and selling these would eliminate financial worries for several months.'
'Those bastards knew what was good.'
It wasn't for nothing that Gu-ren and the Japanese investigation team had chosen this route.
Seo-jin, who had been walking for a while, suddenly stopped at one location.
'This place would be good.'
A connecting section where passages linked together.
A small cavity where crystals were embedded in a circle like Stonehenge.
With the abundant and stable flow of mana and the structure of the space resembling a small magic workshop,
It was an appropriate space for installing a magic circle.
After checking all directions, Seo-jin took out a core that looked like a small piece of ice from his chest.
This was a special core containing condensed essence of powerful cold energy.
It was the [Heart of Winter] obtained when defeating Glize, the Ice Queen who was the final boss of the 10th floor Primgard.
While this might be worth just a precious crafting material to someone else, Seo-jin understood the true nature of this core.
Seo-jin placed the Heart of Winter on the ground, drew a magic circle around it, and dripped blood on it.
Hyeon-wol, who had been watching this series of processes with interest, circled around Seo-jin and asked.
[Are you trying to increase your minions?]
"That's right."
Seo-jin nodded and opened his status window to check his skill level.
[Summon Dead LV.4]
Number of minions that can be commanded without mana consumption: (3/4)
Conversation with the dead
Minion promotion (automatic)
Earlier, Seo-jin had invested Achievement Points to modify his necromancer skill.
The existing necromancer skill greatly increased the number of minions that could be commanded as the level increased, focusing on building large-scale legions through minion promotions and recruitment from skeleton soldiers to archers, knights, mages, etc.
But that would only result in a ragtag army that just consumed mana.
Therefore, Seo-jin focused on commanding a small elite force of undead summons without mana consumption.
In some ways, it could be seen as Seo-jin's unique skill tree.
[Currently registered minions]
Baduki (S) LV:55
Lich King (S-) LV:41
Minotaur Scout (B) LV: 93
Baduki, skilled in exploration and close combat, the Lich King, skilled in quantity warfare,
And the Minotaur Scout was temporarily serving as a meat shield.
Since he had one more slot to increase minions without mana consumption, he planned to add a minion using the Heart of Winter.
CRACK-.
Seo-jin bit his thumb to draw blood.
The Reverse Heaven's mana drawn from his upper dantian dwelt in that blood
DROP-.
When that blood fell onto the Heart of Winter, a violent mana reaction occurred along with bright light.
WOOOOONG-!
Seo-jin fell into thought as he watched the flickering blue light.
'A different method from undead summoning based on physical corpses like Baduki or the Lich King.'
Implementing and commanding the power using the core of a spirit or elemental being as a medium.
Creating an environment similar to the environment where that being was born was essential for this process.
A large cavity similar to Primgard's mine but filled with abundant mana was perfect for making a contract with Glize.
'This is a trick that twists the principles of spirit magic and applies them to necromancy.'
It was not an easy attempt, but the Heart of Winter was worth it.
"Come forth, Glize."
At Seo-jin's command, blue cold energy poured out like fog over the magic circle, and gradually a form was created within that fog.
The extreme cold and pure mana emanating from that form seemed as if it would freeze even the surrounding air.
Eventually, Glize, who had taken complete form, floated gracefully in the air and gazed at Seo-jin.
[Glize]
Grade: A+
LV: 1
Race: Frost Spirit
Owner: Lee Seo-jin
A former Ice Queen who ruled the land of snow and cold energy. She was a spirit of destruction created by the world's will, but was awakened again by an excellent black mage and became a familiar.
Unique Skills
[Blizzard]
Upon summoning, reduces the movement speed and attack speed of surrounding enemies of A+ grade or below.
[Authority of Frost]
Increases aptitude for ice-type magic.
[Queen's Royal Guard]
Can command subordinate ice spirits by consuming mana.
[Essence of Cold Energy]
Can generate the crafting material 'Eternal Ice' by consuming mana.
This was the familiar Glize reconstructed through necromancy.
However, the imposing appearance that had trapped Primgard in eternal winter was not fully reproduced.
Her size was similar to Hyeon-wol's, with long silver hair flowing over a white dress that seemed woven from snowflakes.
There was no emotion on her face made of ice crystals, but deep in her eyes, a faint hostility toward Seo-jin could be felt.
Although she was currently following the control of [Summon Dead], her strong ego had not yet submitted to Seo-jin.
Hyeon-wol stroked her chin and examined Glize closely.
[An ice spirit, I see. She doesn't seem completely tamed yet, so it would be good to be careful. Those kinds of beings have such strong egos that you never know when they might stab you in the back.]
"Stab in the back..."
When Seo-jin quietly muttered and looked at Hyeon-wol, Hyeon-wol got angry.
[What do you take me for? Even without your master's request, I have no intention of betraying you.]
"Hmm."
Well, Hyeon-wol was connected to the energy of the Primordial Unity Technique, so even if she wanted to leave Seo-jin's side, she couldn't.
[......]
Seo-jin pointed toward that passage to Glize, who was silently waiting for orders.
"Go explore that side and come back."
Being close to a spirit form, Glize could explore this cavity more safely than anyone.
Although Hyeon-wol was also a spirit, she couldn't go far from Seo-jin, and the spare body was at risk of damage.
Glize stared at Seo-jin for a moment, then disappeared as if seeping through the cave wall without saying anything.
All that remained where she disappeared was a gentle breeze of cold energy.
'It would be cool to have her around in summer.'
Moreover, thanks to her characteristics, Glize specialized in cold energy magic.
Earth magic to Baduki, ice magic to Glize, flame magic to Han So-yul.
If he divided responsibilities like this, there would be no need to bother learning general magic that didn't match his aptitude.
"Good."
***
A short while later.
Glize, who had safely completed her exploration and returned.
She finished reporting that there were no hostile life forms or abnormal mana reactions in the area and disappeared.
After receiving Glize's report, Seo-jin tilted his head.
"...This is very strange."
[What do you mean?]
At first he just thought it was like that, but the deeper he went inside the crystal cave, the deeper his doubts became.
'The mana flow inside a large cavity that is the interior of a demon's corpse is bound to be unstable.'
But only this Alpha route had a strangely stable mana flow.
Also, various parasitic creatures like the leeches he had captured earlier, which lived inside demon corpses, were nowhere to be seen.
There seemed to be some other variable.
Seo-jin activated the [Eye of Insight] to solve the mystery.
And.
"...So that's how it was."
Seo-jin was able to instantly identify the true nature of the Alpha route.
This route looked like a winding cave at first glance, but the reality was completely different.
'The Alpha route itself is the interior of some giant life form parasitizing the demon's corpse.'
A parasitic life form similar to the leeches he had caught earlier.
This meant.
"If I catch this, all the crystals inside will be mine."
According to the Great Cavity joint exploration agreement, all resources inside the Great Cavity would belong to whoever claimed them first.
KWALEUNG-.
Seo-jin immediately began spewing Black Lightning to collapse the crystal cave.
***
And now.
Seo-jin, who had split the crystal centipede in half, encountered Yamato's investigation team that had been exploring the Alpha route.
"Who are you?"
The brat emanating a murderous aura and showing hostility toward Seo-jin. Grand Mage Gu-ren.
Seo-jin looked down at him and smirked.
'It's been a while. That obnoxious face too.'
He hadn't particularly liked him in his previous life either, but seeing him after so long was quite welcome.
That obnoxious little brat, and Rei fidgeting beside him too.
Meanwhile, Gu-ren's gaze was fixed precisely on Seo-jin.
"I asked who you are!"
At the same time, red mana began swirling around him like a storm.
The flow of fierce mana that stirred in resonance with his anger.
Yamato's guild leader Kusanagi also drew his sword, and Rei also prepared to deploy defensive techniques behind Gu-ren.
Seo-jin shrugged his shoulders toward the Yamato investigation team showing hostility toward him.
"You're the ones - who are you and what are you doing in someone else's hunting ground?"
"Someone else's hunting ground? This is our territory!"
"Where is your territory or my territory? First come, first served."
Although exploration routes of the Great Cavity were decided through agreements between countries, this was only the 'right to explore that route first.'
It didn't grant the authority to own all the resources produced in that route.
First to take it owns it.
Moreover, the centipede that had been the Alpha path itself had been killed, split in half by Seo-jin's hand.
Since the route itself had disappeared, there was nothing to argue about whose it was or mine it was.
But Gu-ren's position was completely different.
'That damn bastard.'
Not only had he invaded allied territory, but he had also dealt with his prey first and now had such a shameless face.
This was clearly a provocation.
The muscles in Gu-ren's face twitched violently.
"You insolent!"
KWAREURUNG-!
At the same time, powerful lightning shot out from his hand.
A wave of electric shock that tore through the air and rushed toward Seo-jin.
The power contained in that lightning, the arrangement and delicacy of mana was on a different level from any ordinary mage's magic.
The power and speed were several times stronger than the Black Lightning Seo-jin had spewed earlier.
'Indeed.'
As he had felt in his previous life, that guy's magical talent was certainly outstanding.
Sorry to Han So-yul, but except for the total amount of mana, there was such a huge difference in talent that it couldn't even be compared.
'He knows instinctively.'
What way of using magic is most efficient, strong, and fast.
But instinct alone cannot reach the pinnacle.
Seo-jin, who had leisurely observed Gu-ren's lightning using Future Sight, calmly extended his hand toward the rushing lightning.
[Dispel Magic]
When Reverse Heaven's mana that decomposes mana structures poured out from Seo-jin's hand.
SHIIIK-.
The electric magic that had been flashing as if it would tear through space instantly disappeared.
Like lightning absorbed by a lightning rod, as if there had been nothing there from the beginning.
"...Huh?"
Gu-ren, who was stupidly tilting his head as his electric magic disappeared.
'That was a bit dangerous.'
Seo-jin brushed off the residual mana that remained tingling at his fingertips.
Dispel Magic was theoretically the ultimate defensive magic that could return any magic to mana particles.
But it was actually difficult to consider it proper defensive magic.
Defense was just the result, and its mechanism was the fundamental dismantling of mana structures.
If the reverse calculation speed fell even slightly behind the power and casting speed of the target magic, far from perfectly blocking it, it could lead to a mana explosion and result in immediate death.
Even with prediction through Future Sight, mana circuits systematized to the extreme, and rapid casting speed from long experience, he couldn't perfectly block Gu-ren's magic.
However, this was only the result interpreted from Seo-jin's perspective.
"......"
Gu-ren, who had been revered and supported as the world's greatest mage and had been most confident in his own talent, fell into great shock.
An ordinary mage wouldn't have even noticed what had just happened.
But Gu-ren was different.
Gu-ren looked up at the man standing proudly on the crystal centipede's corpse and clenched his fists.
'Just now that wasn't... avoiding it or defending against it.'
As he was also a mage with the greatest talent, he instinctively understood what had just happened.
That his magic had been 'broken.'
The mana that guy had emitted had reverse-calculated his Electric Bolt's mana structure and decomposed it into mana particles.
'How, how is that possible?'
Fear flowing down Gu-ren's spine.
He had recognized what phenomenon had occurred, but that didn't mean he understood all of that phenomenon.
No one in this world could analyze mana structures and reverse-calculate them to break magic in such a short time.
That was theoretically impossible.
'No, no, that can't be.'
Gu-ren, who denied reality, decided to check once more.
With more complex and difficult-to-calculate magic.
CHIRIK-. CHIRIRIT-.
Blue electric branches blooming around him.
His hair floated up, and the surrounding mana was influenced by magnetism and transformed into the shape of lightning.
Gu-ren perfectly composed each flow of mana under his influence, then infused power through incantation.
GOOO-.
Eventually, an intense storm of electricity that took spherical form in the air and rippled.
Kusanagi and the other members of Yamato's investigation team swallowed their saliva as they looked at the storm of lightning rippling above their heads.
[Lightning Storm]
Just before Gu-ren's magic, cast with great effort along with the incantation, was about to be shot at Seo-jin.
PISHUK-.
With a sound like a fuse being cut, the intense storm of lightning that had been flashing overhead disappeared.
Seo-jin looked at Gu-ren, who was stupidly staring at the air, and smiled.
"I told you it won't work on me."