Chapter 264: A Boss Right from the Start?
Chapter 264: A Boss Right from the Start?
My words must have hit the mark, as Mavolo’s expression stiffened for a brief moment. But it was only for a moment. Soon, his eyes curved up like half-moons, the corners of his mouth stretched wide to his earlobes, and a deep smile settled on his lips.
“Hehe. A half-god, you say. Indeed. Normally, I should be angry… but strangely, I don't feel angry at all.”
“That’s because it’s the truth.”
“Hohol. I'll admit to part of it. But more than that…”
Mavolo didn't remain still either. He slowly rose from his chair and beckoned with his index finger. Taking that as a signal, the Users behind him began to creep forward, their gray eyes flashing. Still smiling, Mavolo raised one hand.
“It’s because I feel that you and I are in the same boat, after all.”
Snap!
He snapped his fingers as casually as someone out for a stroll. The moment he did, the Users’ bodies were enveloped in a faint silver light that quickly faded. I quickly analyzed them with my Third Eye and saw that their physical abilities had been greatly enhanced. They had received an Archmage’s buff.
“Now then, let’s have the underlings play with the underlings. Isn't it proper for the leader of a faction to fight someone of their own caliber?”
“Is that another one of your life philosophies? In any case, I doubt they’ll be a match for my comrades.”
“Let’s call this the pride of an Archmage rather than a philosophy. And I wouldn't underestimate them. It’s often better to finish things with one clean spell than to set off a complex combination of grandiose ones.”
I glanced over at Ko Yeonju. Without a word, she nodded. It was her way of telling me not to worry and to leave this to her. I was a little worried about the other clan members, but I decided it was best to trust Ko Yeonju for now.
No, in a way, it might be more advantageous for me to tie up Mavolo one-on-one than to fight in a group. Because…
“You look curious. About why I’m not using Mind Manipulation.”
“Go ahead. I’ll just cut through it, or kill you before you get the chance.”
“Hohol. So confident. I like it. Keep that attitude. It will make it all the more satisfying to break you when I finally capture you.”
“So you’re a perverted old man. Why don’t you act your age?”
Despite my constant provocations, Mavolo’s expression didn't change. In fact, he was humming to himself with a look of pure delight.
“Kekel. It’s a matter of taste, so please respect it. At my age, it’s hard to find pleasure in ordinary things… Well, once you get a taste of it, you won’t be able to escape the catharsis either.”
I know. I felt something similar when I made Lilith submit.
Suddenly, I recalled the image of Lilith—a demon on par with an angel—begging for her life, naked and a mess of tears and snot. I chuckled and drew the hilt of Formless Sword. The Archmage watched me with a peculiar gaze.
“……”
Come to think of it, this was, in a way, Formless Sword’s debut. If this had been Sun and Moon Divine Sword, there would have been the cold ring of a blade being drawn, but Formless Sword made no sound at all. There was only the hilt, as if the blade both existed and didn't.
The blade was invisible. I couldn't see it even with my Third Eye activated. But just because I couldn't see it didn't mean it wasn't there. Perhaps due to its binding effect, I could clearly sense its form. Gripping the hilt so tightly it felt like it might shatter, I aimed it straight at the mage before me.
Mavolo couldn't see it either, but he must have sensed its threatening aura, as his curious eyes were fixed on the hilt.
“Oho. An invisible sword. You truly surprise me in many ways. Ah, you lot can go on ahead. You’re all failed experiments, so it doesn't matter if you die. As long as your corpses remain, just try not to lose. Hohol.”
“They’re finally coming? Everyone, get in position! Soohyun! Don’t worry about us! Be careful!”
At a light gesture from Mavolo, the Users who had been standing still behind him finally began to creep forward. At the same time, Ko Yeonju’s worried voice struck my ears. Heeding her words, I decided to focus all my attention on Mavolo. Even with the concentrated ancient buffs they’d received, I was sure Ko Yeonju could handle them.
“Our underlings are fighting so hard. It wouldn't do for their leaders to stand idly by. Shall we begin as well?”
“……”
“My, look at the glare on this one. You look like you could eat me alive with just your eyes, you rascal! Hohol.”
A Magic Power stat of 100. The implications of that information could not be taken lightly. Moreover, the mage before me was a veteran of veterans who had seen it all. An old monster whose every gesture could not be overlooked. Of course, I didn't think I would lose. But the same was likely true for Mavolo, so letting my guard down was out of the question. Even if my class had a natural advantage against mages.
I’ll save Eternal Flame for now. This could turn into a long fight, and if I use it from the start, I don’t know how my stamina will hold up. It’s better to create a clear opportunity with my own skills and use it as a finisher.
I wasn't hoping for a lucky break. He wasn't the kind of opponent where luck would matter, and more importantly, this place was practically Mavolo’s home ground. The first clash was likely to be a probing battle anyway, so I needed to gain a clear advantage in the initial exchange and bait him into revealing his hand first.
“Hmm~. He’s hiding a strange power, he can cut through magic, and he uses an invisible sword. And judging by his clothes, he seems to have some degree of magic defense… I can probably break through the magic defense, but that sword seems a bit dangerous… Hmm…”
“……”
While I was making my own calculations, Mavolo stood before me, muttering to himself. As if it were a racial trait of mages or alchemists, he even stroked his chin, looking lost in deep thought. After a moment of contemplation, an intrigued expression appeared on his face as he spoke.
“Well then, how am I supposed to fight? Hehe… Huh?”
“Petals embracing the cold shall become a shattered flash beneath the dawn storm.”
It seemed she was making the first move, as I heard Kim Hanbyul chanting a spell. Mavolo’s face lit up as if he’d found another interesting toy, and his gaze quickly shifted in that direction.
“Spread!”
The moment a sharp voice cried out from behind me and a wave of magic washed over, I lunged forward.
It was then.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Whoosh! KABOOM!
As expected, he was prepared. Sensing my charge, Mavolo immediately extended a hand toward me. At that, intangible ropes began to wrap around me as a massive, bluish beam of light shot straight from his palm.
I won’t dodge.
I decided to meet it head-on with all my strength. With his Magic Power at 100, the force emanating from the wave was terrifying. But I calmly collected myself. Holding Formless Sword straight, I thrust it precisely into the center of the beam.
KRA-KA-KA-KOOM!
And then, the moment Formless Sword and the beam connected.
The wave of energy split in two, as if by a miracle of Moses. The resistance I felt in my grip was fierce, but the strain was far less than I had expected. Mavolo, too, seemed surprised that his magic was cut so easily, and an expression close to ecstasy appeared on his face as he let out a sound of admiration.
“Oho!”
I hadn't paid the Bind Magic any mind from the start. The Glory of the Sun around my waist blazed hot, and in response, the Glory of Heaven emitted a bluish barrier. The ropes that tried to bind me simply faded away, as if absorbed by the barrier. Mavolo clapped his hands and roared with laughter.
“Wow, this is fun! So much fun! Shall we test this as well, then?”
“You should worry about yourself first.”
“You little brat, not so fast.”
The seemingly endless wave of light finally ceased. After cutting through it all, Mavolo was within arm’s reach. Just as I calculated the range for my sword aura and was about to swing, his body turned transparent and ethereal, stepping back.
At the same time, I felt an immense pressure closing in from both sides. I could have forced my way through it, but there was a better way. I immediately used Positional Exchange.
CRASH! Ssshhh…
Was that gravity magic?
With a tremendous roar, a massive shockwave erupted where I had just been standing. That wasn't all. The space itself was twisting and crushing, as if caught in a compressor. Under the force of that potent magic, the afterimage I left behind fluttered like a flag before melting into thin air.
“What, don’t tell me you were taken out by just… Huh?”
Mavolo tilted his head in confusion, then his eyes widened as he whipped his head around. But I was already behind him, preparing to strike.
A single second. Our eyes met. But he didn't look surprised. As if he had calculated from the start that I would break through his magic, his body was already translucent. Hoping he would grow even more complacent, I brought Formless Sword down as if to split his skull.
However, just as I’d thought, there were no lucky breaks. He moved his body quickly even as my sword fell, forcing me to alter the path of my blade, which had initially aimed for his head. And…
Hwung! Swish!
“Tsk.”
Unfortunately, Formless Sword only sliced through Mavolo’s left shoulder, and I saw a gaunt arm tumble to the floor.
Thud, thud-thud.
I tried to follow up with another attack, but Mavolo had already used some kind of movement magic to quickly put distance between us.
“A shame. I could have ended it. Seems you didn’t just get old for nothing.”
“…Haha. How can this be.”
The look on Mavolo’s face was something to see. For the first time since our battle began, he wore a slightly distorted expression of disbelief.
But he recovered his composure almost immediately. He looked at his severed left shoulder and the arm rolling on the floor, then raised his right hand as if to applaud. Of course, it was impossible with only one arm, so no sound of clapping was heard. Only a single hand cut meaninglessly through the air.
“Haha, truly magnificent.”
“…Hah.”
“I let my guard down. A mistake. I can’t believe it even after experiencing it myself. Physical force shouldn't work on me here. No, more than that, my severed arm isn’t regenerating. I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Heh, guys like you always say that.”
“Hm?”
As I, who had been silent during the fight, spoke up, Mavolo looked up with a pleased expression, as if he’d been waiting. His translucent body was slowly returning to its normal color. The magic he had just used was likely a nasty one for melee fighters—a spell that moved his physical body to another dimension to nullify physical attacks.
It was an incredibly high-level spell, of course, but that kind of evasion magic doesn't work on me. That’s because one of the properties of the Formless Sword I’m holding allows it to strike beings in any dimension. And that wasn't all. I also had the Authority of a Sword Specialist—the authority to cut anything that exists in the world.
A Lich once used a similar spell against me. Back then, I landed a direct hit using my Authority alone. Combined with Formless Sword’s properties, it received a synergistic boost, resulting in the perfect judgment of ‘arm severed.’ In other words, whether Mavolo was a god or a demon, before me, he was no different from a mere human mage.
I twirled Formless Sword and provoked him with a sneer.
“‘I underestimated you,’ ‘I made a mistake,’ ‘I let my guard down.’ It’s always the incompetent ones who say that. This isn’t a game, it’s a battle for your life. Why do you live so carelessly?”
“Kekek. You’re an interesting one. Yes, you’re right. Everything you say is so delightfully pleasing. If you were Lloyd, we might have become quite good friends. I’m the one who finds this a shame.”
“I’ll pass on that.”
“Hohol. Playing hard to get like a little girl. Well, then. As you wish, perhaps I should start getting serious…”
Pang! Pang!
I couldn't stand the sight of him talking, so I fired off a couple of light sword-aura blasts as a warning. Mavolo, who had been speaking leisurely, was startled and frantically extinguished the blasts with his remaining hand. Then, his gentle demeanor shattered as he scowled and shouted.
“Fuck, let me talk, you bastard! You impatient son of a bitch! What’s the damn hurry that you have to keep pushing relentlessly!”
I stared at Mavolo with a blank expression. No matter how much I provoked him, he had just laughed it off, but now he was exploding with anger just because I attacked him mid-sentence. He was definitely a lunatic, just as his disposition suggested.
“I-I just fired one or two blasts of sword aura…”
I scratched my head and corrected my stance. I had achieved my initial goal. If I had split his head as planned, the fight might have been over. It was a bit of a shame, but I collected myself once more. Taking one of his arms during the probing battle was a definite gain, not a loss.
“Hoo, my apologies. I misspoke for a moment.”
Mavolo took a deep breath or two, raised his one remaining arm, and then opened his clenched fist. A clear light, blazing like the sun, began to pour out from his palm. He brought it forward carefully, caressing it with his fingers as if playing a piano.
Soon, the light stretched out like a long rod, forming the shape of a staff. The elongated light was dimmer than before, but it still covered the entire staff, casting a brilliant glow.
“It’s been a while since I’ve taken this out. Allow me to introduce you. This is the companion that has been with me my entire life.”
“Oh. Looks expensive.”
“What? You look at Ordo and all you can say is that it looks expensive? Kekekekeke! Other mages would faint if they heard that!”
“Don’t get too cocky just because you pulled out one weapon.”
Mavolo laughed like a madman for a moment, then wiped his eyes and spoke.
“Hehe, don’t you worry. I have no intention of ending it here. As you wished, I truly plan to use my full power.”
Finishing his words, Mavolo once again raised the Ordo high into the sky. And for the first time since we met, he opened his mouth and began to chant a spell.
“───. ───. ───.”
Rumble. Rumble.
It was in that moment. Perhaps it was a spell too powerful for his S Zero-rank Silent Casting ability to handle, because as soon as he began chanting, the scenic bushes scattered around us began to disappear one by one. The beautiful scenery instantly reverted to its original state, and soon the entire city began to shake.
“I never thought I’d have to use this ability on a single person… But yes, I’ll be honest. I have a feeling that if I don’t use this, I might actually lose.”
Kukukuku! Kukukuku!
“Your magic resistance is simply marvelous. That’s a compliment from an Archmage, so you can be proud. In any case, this is what you wanted, so please don’t call me cheap.”
“Cheap.”
“…Damn you.”
At that moment, Mavolo’s body began to slowly rise into the air. The light pouring from the Ordo had already covered everything in sight. Its range was so vast that it completely blotted out the sky.
One Bowstring Shadow Step, then Positional Exchange.
Thinking it would be a pain if the spell fully manifested, I was about to kick off the ground and leap into the air.
Vwoom! Vwoom! Vwoom! Vwoom! Vwoom! Vwoom! Vwoom! Vwoom!
Light green magic circles erupted from the ground all around me, and countless defensive spells blocked my path. It wasn't just defensive magic. All sorts of spells—curses, debuffs—surged toward me, trying to restrict my movements and keep me from reaching Mavolo. I swung Formless Sword around and broke through them, but in the end, I couldn't achieve my initial objective. And then…
Wooooooooooooooong…!
The profound sound of magic vibrated through the air. I swallowed nervously at the immense flow of power and looked around to see countless magic circles on the city floor, glowing with multicolored light.
Stab! CRACK!
As the flow of magic crept along the ground, I stabbed Formless Sword into the floor, shattering a magic circle into flying fragments. But there were too many circles. Dozens, no, easily hundreds of them. The sight was enough to draw a gasp of admiration.
“What do you think?”
“?”
“This is my unique ability. The great barrier that uses Ordo of Order, the very essence of the Magic City Magia.”
“Hm.”
Hearing his voice from the air, I let out a long sigh and turned my gaze upward. On his slightly exposed skin, the symbols I had seen earlier were glowing brightly.
He gave his usual leisurely smile and continued slowly.
“You’d best prepare yourself.”