Chapter 358: The Trap (1)
Chapter 358: The Trap (1)
I never imagined they would call me out, so for a moment, I was simply bewildered. The other Users around me seemed to feel the same, as a quiet stir went through the crowd and a few of them turned to look at me.
“The Mercenary Lord…? Why him all of a sudden…?”
“I’m here.”
I had already moved to the front line. Hearing the Goryeo Lord mutter beside me, I immediately raised my hand and answered.
“Hm. So you were here. By ‘wanderer,’ I assume he means a Vagabond… You don’t have to respond if you don’t want to.”
“I want to respond.”
“Very well, then. But do not speak with them for too long. They are dangerous.”
I nodded once or twice at the Goryeo Lord’s advice. He then glanced at the mage standing next to him. With a short incantation, the Sound Amplification Magic was activated once more.
(Are you the Mercenary Lord?)
It seemed they had a clear view of us from the castle walls. As soon as I stepped forward, the same low voice addressed me.
(Yes.)
(You caused quite a stir back in Mule. It was rather impressive.)
(You seem to have the wrong definition of ‘causing a stir,’ Wanderer.)
(…Hmph.)
If they know what happened in Mule… did they hear a rumor? Or did they come through the Warp Gate?
It was a puzzling statement, but I decided to put the thought aside for now.
(Fine. Then let me ask you one thing. I had subordinates tracking you then… What happened to them?)
(They’re dead.)
(Every last one of them? All of them?)
The voice that questioned me back was still low and composed, but it carried a subtle undercurrent of rage.
I didn’t know how much they knew about the incident. But the important thing here was that there was no need to give them details, like how we had taken them prisoner or publicly executed them.
(That’s right. They’re all dead.)
(Th—)
The Vagabond’s voice cut off after the word “Th—.” The way he trailed off suggested he had more to say, but his voice was currently being broadcast to at least thirty thousand people. He was likely conscious of the eyes and ears around him to ask about personal matters.
I wasn’t sure why, but I had a feeling he might have wanted to ask about Baek Seoyeon.
(…I see. Understood. I appreciate you answering my question, even though we are enemies.)
(Are we done here?)
(Yes. We’re done. And while it’s not much of a reward for the information, I’ll give you something nice.)
Something nice?
I had already heightened my eyesight and all my other senses. As I scanned the castle walls again, I saw a long pole being erected between the ramparts. There was something peculiar about it: a round, blunt object was stuck on its tip.
“Be careful, Mercenary Lord. Mage! Deactivate the Sound Amplification Magic now…!”
The Goryeo Lord was saying something next to me, but his words didn’t quite register. My attention was completely fixed on the pole. It was initially standing vertically, but it slowly tilted until it was horizontal, then angled even further down. Its tip was now aimed directly at me.
Then, the pole was pulled back, as if preparing to be thrown.
(Mercenary Lord, this is a gift for the trouble you caused back then. The rest of you will enjoy it, too. Hah!)
With a low grunt, the object was launched with immense force.
SWOOOOOOSH!
Was it because I had activated my senses? The sound of the pole tearing through the air as it shot straight toward me was particularly vicious. But since I had been watching its movements, I reflexively gripped Caligo Abraxas. I didn’t know what was on the end of it, but I had no intention of taking it head-on.
The initial distance was about four or five hundred meters, but the pole was closing the distance at an incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it was nearly upon me.
In that fleeting moment, I estimated the distance and bent my knees slightly. I planned to slice it apart with a quick-draw technique the instant it entered my range.
It was then.
Flash!
For a split second, a brilliant light flashed.
Huh?
It was just as I thought—a flash of light that appeared and vanished in an instant.
A low murmur rippled through the crowd.
A faint commotion followed.
Perhaps it would have been a blur to the naked eye, but with my eyesight enhanced, I saw it clearly. A single streak of intense light had shot out like a bolt and struck the tip of the pole with perfect accuracy.
Yes, it was like a flash of lightning.
SPLAT!
As proof, the pole, which had been flying at high speed, exploded in mid-air. Tattered fragments and a dark red liquid scattered across the sky. It seemed the object on the end of the pole had been a part of a human body—most likely a head.
I don’t know whose head it was, though.
Shaking off the thought of the head, I turned my attention to the archer who had fired the shot. I had a good idea who it was, but I turned to confirm. Not far away, I saw a woman who looked both familiar and strangely different.
Her usual gentle face and kind smile were gone. Lim Hanna’s eyes were sharp as she glared fiercely at the castle walls. In her left hand, she held Brilliant Flash, Laura Phyllis.
Vwoom! FWOOSH!
It was a bow with no string and no arrow. But soon, another arrow of brilliant light formed, once again emitting a terrifying aura. Lim Hanna seemed to be so enraged that the tip of the arrow pulsed with enough power to split the earth.
“User Lim Hanna, stop…”
Rumble, Roooar.
I was about to tell her to stop, thinking one shot was enough for now. Just then, a sound like the clash of storm clouds and the roar of thunder echoed all around us.
I quickly turned my head back toward the castle walls. This time, a flurry of movement was visible on their side.
What now…?
And, before I could identify the spell and tell them to stop…
CRACK! CRACKLE!
From the darkening sky, a massive bolt of lightning zigzagged down.
*
Zzzzzzt! BOOM!
“Shit!”
A massive explosion rocked his ears, and Simon instinctively covered his head with his hands. As he caught the scent of acrid smoke carrying a tingling aftershock, he flared his nostrils and glanced to the side.
“Oh my God…”
It had only been for an instant, but a barrier had definitely formed just before the lightning struck. However, the barrier was torn apart in a moment, and the lightning slammed into the castle wall without mercy.
As a result, several people were now sprawled on the ground, groaning amidst black smoke.
Being a major city, the castle walls were incredibly thick and sturdy. But a deep hole had been gouged where the lightning had struck, and black smoke was still pouring out of it.
Simon swallowed hard, his face stunned. Seeing no further attacks, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew.”
“My apologies. I sincerely apologize for acting on my own, Simon Grimes.”
Hyeon, who was standing beside him, spoke. He hadn’t been able to completely avoid the aftershock either, as his face was smudged with black soot.
“It doesn’t matter, Wanderer. I never expected the people outside the walls to accept our proposal so meekly anyway.”
“I appreciate you thinking so.”
“I heard that Rapid Incantation and Applied Magic Circuits are essential to be recognized as a mage on the Northern Continent… Whew, I guess it was true.”
“……”
“Anyway, that aside… Wanderer. Don’t you have something to tell me?”
“Something to tell you?” Hyeon asked, a puzzled look on his face. Simon nodded emphatically.
“This whole situation feels a little strange.”
“What feels strange? I’d appreciate it if you could be specific.”
“Many things. For one, you didn’t bring as many people as I expected… And you didn’t seem very surprised when I told you we achieved a bloodless entry. We’ve talked about this and that, but it’s as if you already know everything about our situation.”
“……”
“Wasn’t the situation supposed to be the other way around? I was under the impression that you were the ones who had planted a spy among them. Oh, and the field effect is no excuse. It’s definitely been deactivated now.”
The translation magic wasn’t perfect, resulting in some awkward phrasing here and there, but it was enough to understand him.
However, Hyeon gave no answer. He simply remained silent, exercising his right to do so.
“Hm. Perhaps you wouldn’t know, having just come from Mule… In any case, I understand. And please, refrain from acting on your own from now on.”
“…Understood.”
Hyeon replied with a low groan and turned away with heavy steps.
When he glanced over the wall, he could see the Eastern forces slowly beginning to move. Some remained in place, but others were shifting their formations in different directions.
Just as Hyeon was about to walk away in step with the scene below, a cold voice struck him from behind.
“I’m not just talking about you; I’m talking about all the Vagabonds. If something like this happens one more time… we will abandon all our plans and return through the Warp Gate immediately, even if it means giving up on everything.”
At that moment, Hyeon’s steps came to a dead halt.
*
Night had fully descended upon the plains.
Upon arriving at Barbara, the Eastern forces had their first clash with the Western Continent and the Vagabonds.
In truth, it was such a minor skirmish that calling it a clash felt embarrassing, but in any case, the first battle could be considered a victory for the East. This was because the East had suffered no casualties, whereas my brother’s ‘Lightning Strike’ had definitely damaged the Vagabonds.
Morale was higher on the Eastern side. If they had met on the open plains, they might have considered an all-out assault, but the East’s decision was to temporarily retreat.
They needed to buy time until the Southern and Northern forces recaptured their cities, and they had yet to construct a forward base for a reckless attack. Of course, the massive magic formation drawn around the city was another reason.
And now, the Eastern forces were steadily proceeding with their preparations for the invasion.
The four legions began moving toward their assigned gates, and accordingly, my legion also relocated toward the West Gate.
Upon repositioning, the legion immediately began constructing a forward base, and the work of deciphering the magic formation around the city resumed.
In the meantime, the leadership was not idle either.
“It seems our greatest weakness is that our forces are divided into four. From each legion’s perspective, it means our offensive and defensive capabilities are weakened. The reduction in defense is especially dangerous. If they go crazy and focus their attacks on one legion…”
“One side will certainly be burdened. However, the advantage is that the other sides can unleash their firepower as much as they want.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better for the targeted legion to focus solely on defensive magic and retreat out of range if the situation becomes untenable? Then, when things quiet down, they can move back into range…”
In the first command post to be erected, a heated discussion was underway. In the past, a few people had shown lukewarm reactions, but today, there wasn’t a single one.
Perhaps because of the first attack by the mages at dawn, everyone wore a grave expression. The firepower of mages was a crucial key that could decide the outcome of a war. And since they were about to engage in their first proper battle since dawn, I could understand their excitement.
It was then.
A messenger flew into the command post, where the heated debate showed no signs of cooling down.
“We have news! A mage has just deciphered the magic formation drawn around the city!”
“Oh? Such a large magic formation, this quickly? Which legion is she from?”
“The West Gate legion! And she is currently waiting outside the command post.”
“Then she’s from our legion? Huh… In that case, escort her in.”
As the Goryeo Lord spoke in a pleased tone, the messenger quickly ran outside.
Soon, a woman walked into the command post. The moment I saw her face, I let out a faint, sharp breath.
An elegant and intelligent impression. Eyes and hair tinged with a pale blue.
The woman was none other than Jung Hayeon.
Jung Hayeon’s eyes met mine for a moment before she offered a gentle smile. Then, she bowed politely to everyone and opened her mouth.
“Hello. I am Jung Hayeon, a member of the Mercenary Clan.”
“Oho. Jung Hayeon of the Mercenary Clan… I believe I’ve heard the name before. Your class is…?”
“A Secret Class. Mage of the Blue Moon. It’s a class related to Ancient Magic, so I was able to identify the magic formation faster than expected.”
“Ah, Mage of the Blue Moon. You were one of the members of the contingency team, I recall. Yes, I remember hearing that. By the way… proficient in Ancient Magic… It seems things are going quite smoothly. Haha.”
Although the atmosphere wasn’t as boisterous as before, the meeting room was buzzing with excitement. A few of the male Users, in particular, were secretly sending heated gazes toward Jung Hayeon. Her beauty had certainly blossomed even more since she had obtained her Secret Class.
Finally, the Goryeo Lord spoke.
“Hm. User Jung Hayeon. Could you please tell us the identity of that magic formation?”
“Yes. I’ll tell you right away. The magic formation currently drawn around Barbara is called a Protective Magic Power Nullification Formation.”
“A Protective Magic Power Nullification Formation?”
Correct.
I already knew, of course, but the other Users, hearing it for the first time, all wore looks of confusion.
“Protective Magic Power Nullification Formation… I’ve never heard of such a thing. Do you happen to know its specific effects?”
Knowing Jung Hayeon’s thorough and meticulous nature, she wouldn’t have come here if she didn’t.
“Of course. To put it simply… when the formation is active, any magic power exerted from outside the formation can have no effect on the inside. In other words, you can think of it as a type of large-scale Anti-Magic Formation.”
“A large-scale Anti-Magic Formation? How can something so broken…”
“It’s not broken. Its effect is certainly powerful on its own, but that magic formation was not widely used even in the ancient Hall Plain. In fact, it was quickly abandoned. That’s because the Protective Magic Power Nullification Formation has a fatal flaw.”
“A fatal flaw, you say…”
To someone’s question, Jung Hayeon answered in a clear voice.
“Yes. While the formation blocks external magic, it completely freezes all magic power within it.”