Chapter 377: When Winter Goes, Spring Comes.
Chapter 377: When Winter Goes, Spring Comes.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-clang!
The loud rattling of chains echoed everywhere. Chains burst forth from the magic circle, instantly blanketing the air and surging with menacing force toward the Vagabond.
“Wh-what?”
Jeonghan panicked at the ability that had appeared so suddenly, right before his eyes. It was a power he had never encountered before. His senses screamed a warning, and he tried to dodge, but in that brief moment of hesitation, the chains had already coiled around his entire body. Soon, the chains, wound as tightly as a silkworm’s cocoon, began to slowly lift the Vagabond into the air.
Watching the man suspended in the air, Shin Sangyong dazedly pushed himself up. He had no other thoughts. The joy of finally summoning the magical beast, the fear of facing death—in this moment, he forgot it all.
There was only one thing on his mind. A final burst of life dedicated to the single thought that he had to save the others. Driven by this conviction, Shin Sangyong shouted with all his might.
“Imprison!”
Kiiieeeek!
Perhaps because it was a reflection of Shin Sangyong’s inner state, Imprison’s reaction was violent. The coiled chains seemed to tighten for an instant before flowing like water, twisting and raking across the Vagabond’s entire body.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-clang!
“Kuaaaaaaaahk!”
A horrifying scream erupted from within the cocoon of chains. The ink-black iron chains, imbued with magic power, tore the Vagabond’s body to shreds in a single motion. Then, they unraveled completely, revealing the scene within.
Thump!
A mangled piece of meat, looking like a tattered rag and dripping blood from every inch of its body, fell to the ground.
“Jeonghan!”
“What the—?!”
Finally noticing that something was wrong, the other Vagabonds let out shrill screams. Shin Sangyong’s head snapped up. His eyes fell on Ahn Hyun, lying motionless on the ground, and Lee Yoojung, now pinned down and being toyed with. In that instant, his usually calm and serene eyes blazed with a fierce light.
Shin Sangyong flicked his hand violently.
Clang! Clang!
Dozens… no, countless chains, almost numbering in the hundreds, split into three groups and surged forward. The three remaining Vagabonds cried out in horror at the chaotic storm of chains rushing toward them.
The woman sitting on Ahn Hyun quickly turned to flee, but evasion was the wrong choice. The chains, as if alive, changed their trajectory to match her movements, spreading out in a circle to envelop her body. They had deployed in all directions, leaving her no room to escape.
“Keuk!”
As the chains constricted with full force, they grew taut, and the woman’s face began to turn red.
The man who had been admiring the equipment nearby fared no better. Since he was standing, he reflexively batted away the chains coming at him from the front, but he eventually exposed his side to the chains that whipped in from above, below, left, and right. The moment they struck both sides of his rib cage, he felt the agony of shattering bones and immediately lost consciousness.
“What the hell is this?!”
Clang, clang!
The man who had been pinning down Lee Yoojung yelled, swinging his axe like a windmill. He seemed quite skilled, his movements anything but ordinary, but his hands grew increasingly frantic as he tried to fend off the chains.
Just then, Shin Sangyong clenched his open palm into a fist. The chains, which had been attacking relentlessly, began to change their pattern. Some simultaneously latched onto the axe, binding it, while the rest crossed in a lattice pattern to form a net.
The newly formed net of chains rushed toward the man.
“Shit!”
Realizing it was pointless to resist, the man cursed and dropped his axe. He tried to pull back, but his body suddenly tilted. He looked down in horror. On the ground, Lee Yoojung was reaching out with one arm, her eyes gleaming with venom. Her hand was gripping his ankle tightly. His eyes widened like saucers.
“You crazy—!”
Before he could finish, Lee Yoojung yanked his ankle hard, and the net of chains slammed into him.
Thwack!
“Aargh!”
In an instant, the tables had turned.
As the man stumbled, Lee Yoojung snatched a dagger that had been cast aside nearby. Then, with the fluid grace of a cat, she performed the feat of leaping onto his stomach. The hand holding the dagger drew back sharply.
“Fucking bastard!”
“S-Save me… gurgle!”
Before the man could finish his plea, Lee Yoojung struck without hesitation, plunging the dagger down. Bloody foam frothed at his lips. But it didn’t end with one strike. As if determined to pay back everything she had suffered, she began to repeatedly stab down with the ‘Skurepf’ in her hand.
Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
“Gurgle, gurgle!”
With every flash of the red blade, the man’s body twitched.
She must have stabbed him over a dozen times. Even after his tensed feet went limp, the dagger showed no sign of stopping. Only when the man’s face was mangled beyond recognition did Lee Yoojung finally come to her senses. Beside her, she heard the sound of chains and a mournful scream.
Clang, clang!
It was only then that the Vagabonds fighting the Sword Empress finally turned their gazes to the side. One by one, they let out deep groans. The four Vagabonds who had charged in so confidently were now sprawled on the ground, not a single one of them left unscathed.
Confirming the deaths of their comrades, the Vagabonds’ eyes all focused on Shin Sangyong. In a way, it was the first time he had ever received such attention.
In terms of stats alone, Shin Sangyong could by no means be considered weak. The primary measure of a mage’s level was their Magic Power stat. When he first met Kim Soohyun, it was at 85 points; after some growth, it was now in the mid-to-late range. On top of that, by inheriting a Rare Class, he had created and evolved new abilities.
Even if he had benefited from the element of surprise, having now perfectly summoned a magical beast and taken care of four Vagabonds, Shin Sangyong was undeniably ‘strong.’ He wasn't on Kim Soohyun’s level, able to command and overturn an entire battlefield, but he was more than capable of having a significant impact on a small-scale battle like this.
“Pant… pant…”
Shin Sangyong gasped for breath, feeling an unfamiliar emotion.
Thump. Thump.
His heart was still pounding and his whole body trembled, but he felt strangely refreshed. Was this what it felt like to have a weight lifted from his chest? He had merely summoned a single magical beast, but within him, a feeling quite different from before was beginning to well up.
He slowly lowered his outstretched hand. As if obeying his command, the chains returned and began to coil around him, hanging down like the vines of a dense jungle. The magical beast, towering in the air, stared down at the motionless Vagabonds, ready to lash out with its chains at any moment.
“What… is that now?”
Lee Kangsan unconsciously took a step or two back and muttered under his breath. It was a truly dumbfounding situation. While he couldn't say they had victory in the bag, the tide of battle had been slowly turning in their favor. He hadn't paid any attention to the fledglings on the left, but at some point, one of them had grown into a force to be reckoned with.
Of course, it wasn't a completely hopeless situation… Lee Kangsan glanced at the Sword Empress. Though she was panting with exhaustion, the aura she exuded hadn't lost its sharp edge. It was obvious that if those two joined forces, things would get difficult.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-clang!
As if Shin Sangyong had the same thought, the loud metallic clang once again echoed all around.
The Vagabonds hastily fell back on guard, but the chains that shot out bypassed them, rushing simultaneously toward the Sword Empress, Ahn Hyun, and Lee Yoojung. The moment their bodies were wrapped in chains, the three of them were lifted into the air. Lee Kangsan’s eyes widened.
“Stop them!”
“—. —. —. Ice Lance!”
At that moment, an ice spear launched by one of the Vagabonds targeted the Sword Empress as she rose into the air.
It was then.
“—. —. —. Hold!”
Just before the ice spear could pierce her, a white light flew out and enveloped it. The spear stopped in mid-air as if by magic, then fell powerlessly to the ground. The three figures continued their arc through the air, flying in a smooth curve.
“N-No way!”
The Vagabond who had cast the spell let out a sharp cry at the unbelievable sight before him.
The basic principle was that every User had a unique magic wavelength, and their magic powers could not mix. As such, when different magic powers collided, they were supposed to explode.
Just now, the Ice Lance should have pierced through the Hold spell. Or, to be precise, the Hold spell should have had no effect.
But the Hold magic Shin Sangyong had cast did not lose its influence. The reason was his Special Ability, ‘Magic Square of Harmony.’ By activating the ability, Shin Sangyong had harmonized his magic wavelength with his opponent’s, and as a result, the system determined that his Hold spell had maintained its effect.
“Hoo.”
Shin Sangyong lowered his raised staff and swallowed hard. He had been worried he might be a little late due to the influence of his ‘magic bullet’, but preparing in advance had been the right call.
Watching the Sword Empress land safely within the cordon of chains, Lee Kangsan ground his teeth.
“Get that bastard first!”
Thinking he would press his advantage, Lee Kangsan immediately gave the order and charged forward like the wind. It wasn't so much that he didn't think they would lose, but that the order was born from the frustration of letting the Sword Empress, whom he thought he had within his grasp, slip away right before his eyes.
Seeing the Vagabonds charging at him with menacing force, Shin Sangyong activated his Latent Ability.
“Magical Fortification!”
Wooooong!
A square of light formed around Shin Sangyong, and four magic circles appeared at each corner, beginning to glow brightly.
With that, the second round between the Users and the Vagabonds began.
Clang, ch-clang!
As Shin Sangyong flicked his hand again, half the chains moved to defend his surroundings while the other half plunged into the midst of the onrushing Vagabonds. This time, however, the Vagabonds did not go down so easily. Fully prepared, they cut and batted away the incoming chains, scattering in all directions.
But Shin Sangyong was unshaken. He knew full well that while the surprise attack had been effective before, it wouldn't work now. That was why he had deliberately pulled the Sword Empress to his side while the Vagabonds were momentarily stopped. If he could create openings and space for her, she would undoubtedly shine.
With that in mind, Shin Sangyong intended to fight a supportive battle to cover the Sword Empress.
The ensuing battle brought Lee Kangsan’s fears and Shin Sangyong’s calculations to life.
Using the information provided by ‘Magical Fortification,’ Shin Sangyong swung his chains in every direction, doing his utmost to obstruct the approaching enemies. Instead of attacking head-on, he aimed for their backs to disrupt their paths, wrapped chains around their ankles to break their balance, and used chains to parry magic spells coming from a distance. And whenever a clear opportunity presented itself, a chain would mercilessly wrap around a Vagabond’s neck.
Shin Sangyong was wielding Imprison as if in a trance. He was truly squeezing out every last ounce of strength he had. Now that the dam had broken, his ‘Matan’ was no longer an obstacle. The magic power he drew out to its limit was coursing freely through his circuits, and the circuits enduring it were running red-hot.
Amidst all this, the person having the most fun was, in fact, the Sword Empress. She had initially charged in a fit of rage, but later regretted losing her composure when she was pushed onto the defensive. But now, with the support of a Rare Class User, it was like she could finally breathe again, and she began to display her true skills.
The Vagabonds, on the other hand, were having a miserable time. A single chain wasn't much of a threat, but when several of them came at them relentlessly, it was incredibly distracting. And if they managed to break through, they were met with the sight of the Sword Empress, her eyes gleaming from within a whirlwind of dozens of chains.
They had gained a slight advantage in the battle of attrition, but this was the same Sword Empress they couldn't easily subdue even when she was alone. It was a touch-and-go fight even when they focused all their attention on her; now, they couldn't even focus, let alone fight a battle of attrition.
Moreover, it wasn't just the two of them. Lee Yoojung, who was guarding Shin Sangyong’s perimeter and watching for an opportunity, was also subtly grating on the Vagabonds’ nerves.
“Kuaaahk!”
By the time the first scream came from somewhere, Lee Kangsan realized it. As long as his opponents remained purely on the defensive, winning this fight would take much longer than he thought.
And perhaps… they might even lose.
A belated regret crept into Lee Kangsan’s mind. If only they hadn't charged in so recklessly, if only they had formed a proper team composition… But that thought was fleeting. Now that it was clear this was a war of attrition, he immediately shouted.
“Damn it! Fall back for now!”
The Vagabonds, too, had just felt the battle suddenly become more difficult. They immediately stopped circling within the chains and retreated in an instant.
“It won’t be easy. What are your orders?”
“Hngh…”
After putting some distance between them, Lee Kangsan answered the panting Vagabond with a groan.
Dragging this out would do them no good. Their relationship with the Western Continent was provisionally broken due to Simon’s attempt to use them as shields, and even if that weren't the case, support troops from the East were due to arrive soon. It was a bitter pill to swallow, letting go of the Sword Empress they had searched so long for, but if they wasted any more time here, they might get caught.
Even as he thought this, Lee Kangsan’s gaze lingered on the Sword Empress with regret. She still stood tall amidst the chains, staring back at the Vagabonds.
The Vagabond pressed him once more.
“I understand how you feel, sir, but the situation is a bit urgent.”
“……”
Lee Kangsan said nothing, but his silence was a tacit agreement.
Just then, Lee Kangsan suddenly whipped his head around, staring in one direction. His face contorted, and he spoke in an urgent voice.
“Fuck! Did they notice? Everyone, pull out! We’re leaving the battlefield right now!”
The Vagabonds began their retreat. Watching them slowly back away before turning to flee, Shin Sangyong felt a sense of relief.
And the Sword Empress tilted her head slightly in confusion.