Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: The Erased Name (4)
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To a third party's eyes, it wouldn't look anything like that at all, but Galen had really only thrown a light jab.
An attack that moved nothing but the spirit purely, without any aid from Water Flow Manipulation.
Spirit Creation was still stuck at Gold, and so was the opponent—a Gold mage.
In a probing exchange between two Golds, if the other guy went down in one hit, that would have been suspicious.
That said...
"...".
This was a little unexpected. Galen's eyes narrowed slightly.
Whooooosh—
The giant's arm, swinging toward the armored figure with such momentum, suddenly slowed dramatically at some point, as if slamming into brakes.
The increasingly sluggish attack came to a complete halt just before reaching the armored figure.
Boom!
As if recoiling from the forced stop, the giant's arm burst apart powerlessly. The bound water poured out all at once.
Yet the armored figure right below remained untouched by a single drop. It was as if an invisible umbrella shielded him—the streams of water slid harmlessly aside.
Galen watched the entire scene crystal clear in the slowed time of his thought acceleration.
"Interesting magic."
Galen muttered. No sarcasm—just genuine admiration.
Visually, it looked like the opponent's spell exerted some powerful repulsive force to halt the giant's arm.
But Galen, linked to the spirit through his channel, grasped exactly what had happened.
The moment it touched the opponent's magic, the water giant withered as if suddenly aging. Even though spirits had no concept of aging.
The arm hadn't burst from external impact—it simply lacked the internal strength to hold its form.
The status window was always reliably helpful, no matter the situation.
He could only glimpse the spell's name right after the clash, but even that felt ominous.
Death-Extinction was death itself, and Cloud-Mist was fog.
He could roughly guess its nature.
Whether due to the pitch-black night or its faint nature, the pale haze worthy of "cloud-mist" was barely visible, but something was there—and it had blocked the giant's arm.
If its effect of weakening the spirit—what he tentatively called "death-extinction"—applied to living beings too... that might be the true nature of the plague.
"...".
Meanwhile, the armored figure still hadn't uttered a word.
He was facing Galen's direction, sure, but with the visor pulled so low, it was questionable if he could even see.
"Well, I'll be."
The first voice didn't come from inside the helmet. It spilled from another man's lips.
A middle-aged man with beady eyes and a somewhat frivolous air.
"What a day for running into unexpected company."
The squinty-eyed man shook his head with exaggerated dismay. Though he hadn't been directly doused, the sopping wet street clearly irked him.
"Who'd have thought a rare spirit mage would pop up in a place like this. And one I don't even know."
"Too bad. A few more months, and I might've been recognizable. Then again, I showed up precisely because that time hasn't come yet."
Galen smirked. The squinty man's tiny eyes narrowed even further at the words.
"The Church must've gone to some lengths to hire you."
"Gotta hire someone to catch and interrogate shady types like you."
"I see. But you do know just how dangerous this job is?"
"What?"
"You left your spirit too far away."
The squinty man's words hadn't even finished.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Arrows flew from both sides of Galen in unison.
Those hiding in the dark houses had fired crossbows through window cracks.
Mages were vulnerable to ambushes by nature, and spirit mages even more so without their spirits. Perfect timing.
Except Galen wasn't your average mage—and certainly no ordinary spirit mage.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
In that split second, water arrows materialized in midair—twice as many as the incoming bolts, and fiercer.
Two per direction: one to intercept, the other to counterattack.
"Gah!"
"Urk!"
All arrows detonated in the air, and the hidden archers lost their lives in an instant.
Galen hadn't even shifted his gaze forward as he casually handled the ambush. Then he spotted four more charging straight at him.
Of the six from the carriage—including the driver—everyone except the armored figure and squinty man rushed him at once.
And faster still, the reformed water giant fired a massive water cannon from its mouth.
Whoosh!
The high-pressure jet sliced straight through the air—then abruptly bent at a right angle midway.
The downward cascade engulfed all four mid-charge.
Kaboom!
They slammed into the ground like they'd been waterfall-smashed headfirst, too stunned for screams, crumpling on impact.
By their charging speed, they seemed Silver-rank warriors at least. But it meant nothing. Crushed, they didn't rise again.
"So what about the spirit?"
Galen scoffed.
"Mm... not a spirit mage after all...?"
The groaning squinty man suddenly clapped as realization dawned.
"Ah, got it now. If you're just a water mage, I know who comes to mind. You're that mage Galen, right?"
"Maybe."
"There's this mage the Church is pushing for some reason. Astonishingly, a top-tier Gold in water magic, and young—in his twenties. Hard to find two like that. Makes sense why you're here. And lately, rumors say he's hit Gem rank—"
"What did you just say?"
A grating voice like scraping metal cut the squinty man off. Not Galen's, obviously.
The squinty man shrugged nonchalantly at the armored figure, who spoke for the first time since facing Galen.
"Ah, just idle gossip. Some rumors from the southern regions about a new Gem mage popping up. Puts it together—this guy's probably the source. Though it's Church nonsense, no need to—"
"Idiot."
Twice interrupted—and insulted—the squinty man furrowed his brow slightly. But the armored figure growled on, unconcerned.
"Did you confirm it's false yourself?"
"...No time for that. It's a very recent rumor."
"Then why are you so sure it's false?"
"Come on, it doesn't add up."
"Are your eyes peepholes? Does what that guy just showed look like mere Gold to you?"
"The rumors say he's some freakishly strong water mage even on land."
"No such mage exists."
The armored figure stated coldly, then glared back at Galen.
"If one did, it'd be a monster in another sense. Am I wrong, mage?"
"No idea what you're getting at."
Galen tilted his head.
"That I'm a Gem, or a monster. One or the other?"
"No need to dodge. I just realized I have to kill you here."
"Didn't expect you to step up first. Whatever the reason, I'm grateful."
The armored figure spoke with murderous intent. The squinty man grinned.
Galen paused, wondering why they were suddenly hyping the mood after whispering among themselves.
The armored figure was convinced of Galen's extraordinary skill—not just overhyping, but sharply rebuking the squinty man for denying the Gem possibility outright.
Yet he charged anyway. That could only mean...
Ziiing!
In that instant.
Galen's senses prickled painfully.
A colossal, transcendent presence crushing his soul.
The already massive armored figure seemed to swell dozens of times over—an illusion, but vivid.
It was a domain imposition. The opponent's.
"What?!"
Galen's eyes flew wide. An unimaginable scenario—he was genuinely shocked, heart dropping.
At least it wasn't his first time facing a Gem mage. He'd reached Gem himself, inspired by Radica's domain back then.
Thanks to that, even in his shock, Galen reflexively countered.
Ziiing!
Water Flow Manipulation's domain stretched vigorously.
Two clashing wills—each rooted in absolute self-conviction, each dyeing the world in its hue—began mixing chaotically in the same space.
No one had explained, but Galen instinctively knew.
High Priest selections and Gem domains weakened each other by devouring one another.
But Gem domains overlapping granted advantages to both.
Not the knowledge he wanted in this abrupt clash, of course.
"Indeed. So that's how it works."
The armored figure murmured lowly.
"Won't stop me from killing you, though."
A pale, misty gas slowly seeped from the armor's gaps.
Sensing danger instinctively, Galen moved his spirit first.
Whoom!
The reformed water giant threw a punch, just like before.
But the result differed.
Sizzle...
The giant's fist melted away upon touching the fog enveloping the armored figure.
More precisely, its form collapsed into mere water on contact, spilling down—but so instantly, it looked like dissolving in strong acid.
And sensing deeper than sight, Galen was even more shocked.
"What the...".
Before, it felt like the spirit weakening. This time, the mana composing it crumbled.
If the High Priest's selection "carved out" magic, this "gnawed it away"?
Different, but equally foul.
Hoping he'd misread it—but no.
Sizzle...
The fog climbed back up the spirit's arm, engulfing its torso. The giant collapsed limply.
Feeling disgust and chill at once, Galen hastily recalled the spirit. The cat escaped the overflowing water and scampered to him.
Though spirits lacked true intelligence, it somehow felt trembling. Galen hugged the arriving cat, stroking it fiercely as he gritted his teeth.
"Fine. A domain that kills everything, huh."
No way to know the exact mindset behind its development unless he was the caster.
But judging by the look, it was the rampaging type—kill intent so fierce it slayed magic too. Seemed absurd, but the spirit's mana melting softly suggested some intense imagery.
Then he'd counter in kind.
Different flavor, but Water Flow Manipulation's domain stemmed from the same—intense self-conviction.
Absolute dominion over water.
Swoosh!
The re-energized cat swelled behind Galen.
Reverting to its upper-body giant form, it erected a barrier around him with both arms—then unleashed water like opened floodgates.
Roooosh!
A flood rampaged down the street.
Sparing the surrounding houses entirely, the torrent targeted only the road—engulfing the clearing's armored figure and squinty man at once.
Sizzle...
The fog cloaking them blocked the water like a shield.
Just like before, Galen's mana frayed at the edges.
But it felt different from the spirit's ordeal.
Gem-rank Water Flow Manipulation's mana didn't erode easily, unlike Gold-rank Spirit Creation's. Even as it frayed, it crushed the fog's embedded mana.
Crunch!
As if trapping the foe in an aquarium, Galen bore down on the water filling the entire clearing.
The fog shield wasn't perfect. Even gnawing magic at the boundary, it couldn't fully withstand the water's mass—leaks seeped inward bit by bit.
Sensing it, Galen snarled savagely.
"Let's see how long you last."
In an endurance contest, Galen was confident.
His mana reserves were vast. Against a peer Gem, he held the edge.
Not much else to try while trapped in water. Unless the fog suddenly ramped up and devoured all magic...
That was when it happened.
Ding!
Galen suddenly felt dizzy.
Extreme focus on magic often brought fatigue—nothing unusual.
"Cough, cough."
His chest tightened a bit, so he coughed. But oddly, he tasted blood.
Wiping his mouth, Galen stared at his palm—and froze.
"...Huh?"
Moonlight gleamed off the blood.