Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Checkmate
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Recognizing Isabelle, Harman bowed his head slightly.
“My lady, it’s been a while.”
“I’m not ‘my lady,’ I’m Isabelle, Harman.”
“Very well. Lady Isabelle, I have business with this young man. May I take him with me?”
Before Isabelle could answer, Si-woo let go of the hand he was holding and spoke.
“Forgive my impertinence, my lady. My time is short, so I got greedy and overstepped my bounds. My selfishness nearly caused you trouble. Please, step back. This old man is more than you can handle.”
His tone was subtly provocative, feigning concern for Isabelle.
A vein popped on her forehead.
Isabelle stepped in front of Si-woo and said.
“Unfortunately for you, this bastard just confessed his love to me. So I can’t let you take him. I need to ask him which of my innumerable charms he fell for.”
Harman let out a hollow laugh and glared at Si-woo.
The fact that this reckless fool had confessed to the one and only Isabelle was utterly preposterous.
In a placating, gentle tone, Harman spoke to Isabelle.
“Lady Isabelle, it seems this worthless fellow is just trying to get away from me. Now, don’t let a man like this sway you. I will offer you a small token of my gratitude if you’d just…”
Isabelle cut Harman off with a sneer.
“Hey, Harman. You’re speaking rather carelessly. Are you suggesting that I’m being swayed by a bastard like this? Me, Isabelle?”
As Isabelle revealed her displeasure, Harman let out a groan.
Isabelle, the treasured daughter of the Senior Magic Tower, was a difficult opponent even for him, the Summoner’s direct subordinate mage.
It wasn't just her status; provoking her foul temper would bring consequences he couldn't handle.
“Lady Isabelle, that is why I said I would offer sufficient compensation. Haha.”
Isabelle shot back at Harman, who was trying to smooth things over with a good-natured laugh.
“Oh? I’m quite sure I heard you say a ‘small token.’ Then again, at your age, I suppose it’s about time you started going senile.”
At Isabelle’s venomous words, Harman raised his voice.
“Lady Isabelle! You go too far.”
“Aren’t you the one who’s acting out of line in my territory? I told you. I have something to ask this man. So… I believe we’re done here?”
Judging by the way Isabelle mixed formal and informal speech, it seemed her patience was wearing thin.
At this rate, a clash with her was inevitable.
However, Harman had no intention of backing down.
With the white-haired young man’s whims being so unpredictable, this was his only chance to get his hands on Si-woo.
“I understand your position, Lady Isabelle. However, what if I must insist on taking him? Will you… try to stop me?”
Harman, Granada’s only human 4th-Circle mage and a man of legendary stature who had made his name in the past ‘Race War’ as the Summoner’s direct subordinate, bared his teeth.
It was Isabelle, however, who was taken aback.
She hadn’t expected Harman to come on so strong.
‘What’s with this old geezer? Why is he being so forceful? Seriously, what is it? Could it be… there’s something special about that idiot?’
Isabelle was already deep in thought.
Although she had made a contract with the Faceless Lord to deal with the old man, she never imagined she would run into him when she was completely unprepared.
As infamous as she was for her reckless behavior, she had to be cautious when facing a mage of the same level—especially Harman, who had quite a reputation back in the day.
An awkward silence fell between Isabelle and Harman.
After a moment of collecting her thoughts, Isabelle took a step back and shrugged.
“Fine. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect you to be so stubborn. Well, can’t be helped. It’s not worth fighting to the death with you over something so trivial… I’ll let it go this once. However, the compensation you blabbered about had better be as ‘sufficient’ as you promised.”
“Of course. How could I dare make an empty promise to you, Lady Isabelle? I assure you, whatever I offer will be more than enough to satisfy you, so do not worry.”
“Hmph. Just make sure you deliver that ‘compensation’ or whatever by tomorrow.”
“As you wish.”
Si-woo’s eyebrow twitched faintly.
It was a bold gamble, a hand where he’d gone all-in.
But was this how it ended? In a loss?
So anticlimactically?
Si-woo smiled faintly.
‘Smile. Failure favors the weeping over the laughing. Don’t even think about giving up. Until I flip the table, this game isn’t over.’
His life had always been a gamble, every single moment of it. If he had lost even once, he wouldn’t be here today.
Si-woo spoke to Harman.
“So, this is how it ends. The Faceless Lord’s invitation is now in your hands.”
At the words that slipped from Si-woo’s lips, Isabelle’s face, which had been watching the exchange, turned ice-cold.
Harman, on the other hand, simply tilted his head.
‘What is this bastard babbling about now? The Faceless Lord’s invitation? What’s that?’
Harman grabbed Si-woo by the hair and warned him.
“Enough of your nonsense. Just come along. No matter what tricks you try to pull, they’re useless now.”
With his hair in Harman’s grip, Si-woo’s lips twisted into a smirk.
Mentioning the ‘Faceless Lord’ was a significant risk for him.
If Isabelle found out that he himself was the Faceless Lord, the consequences would be severe.
But Si-woo, standing on the edge of a cliff, had no other choice.
If he held back now worrying about risks, it would all go to waste. He wasn't in a position to worry about the consequences.
“Harman, no matter how much you want my soul—”
*Smack!*
The moment the word ‘soul’ left Si-woo’s mouth, Harman struck him across the face.
Harman, who never dreamed this madman would mention the Soul Treasure, tried to calm his racing heart.
‘This bastard is really going all out now, isn’t he? But now that you’re in my grasp, no amount of struggling will do you any good…’
Shaking his head, Harman unconsciously clenched and unclenched his hand.
Strangely, the impact felt rough, as if he’d just struck a boulder.
Annoyed by their scuffle, Isabelle spoke in an irritated tone.
“Harman, striking someone in my territory? Even if you lack common decency, this crosses the line.”
“My apologies, Lady Isabelle. I lost my temper and acted out of turn.”
“Haa, whatever. Can’t you see the other customers are uncomfortable because of your thoughtless assault? Tsk, what a pain… since you might strike him again, I’ll escort you to the entrance myself.”
Harman was far from pleased with Isabelle’s offer of an escort, but since he had, in fact, assaulted Si-woo inside the department store, he had no choice but to accept.
Harman tapped Si-woo’s lips with his index finger.
Si-woo scoffed as he felt the mana flowing from Harman’s fingertip bind his mouth and jaw shut.
Harman had acted, fearing Si-woo might run his mouth even more.
‘Sorry, but you’re a step too late, Harman.’
Isabelle needed a justification.
Given her status, she couldn’t just attack Harman without reason.
So Si-woo had thrown himself out as bait.
Harman was kidnapping the man who had just confessed his love to her.
An event like that was justification enough.
And that wasn’t all. He had also given her a reason to be bold.
The Faceless Lord’s invitation.
If that fell into Harman’s hands, it would be quite problematic for her, the one who had to kill him.
‘An escort? Don’t make me laugh. A woman like Isabelle would never offer to escort someone just because a guy like me got hit. So she must be waiting for an opportunity… Fine. I’ll create that opportunity for her.’
Harman had made a mistake.
If he was going to bind him, he should have bound his hands and feet, not just his mouth.
Si-woo’s inventory ring glowed.
Si-woo grasped a hammer in each hand and swung them at Harman’s head.
*Thud.*
With a sigh, as if to say, ‘What is this foolishness?’ Harman caught the hammers with one hand.
But the impact must have been rougher than expected, because Harman’s eyebrow twitched.
Of course, that was the extent of his reaction.
It was merely like discovering what he thought was a fly was actually a mosquito.
Yes, the surprise attack should have ended as a minor incident.
That is, if the only one targeting him was an insect like Si-woo.
[4th-Circle Dark Magic: Shadow Scythe]
*Shunk!*
A massive scythe shot out from Harman’s shadow, piercing his body.
Or rather, it looked like it pierced him.
Sensing the killing intent, Harman had twisted his body at the last second, causing the scythe to slice through his arm instead of his back.
*Thud.*
Watching his own left arm fall lifelessly to the floor, Harman roared.
“Isabelle—!”
A Mana Shield isn’t infallible.
This is especially true when mid-tier mages of the 4th Circle or higher clash.
Up to the 2nd Circle, simply keeping a Mana Shield active can block most magic of the same level. But starting from 3rd-Circle magic, which possesses the ‘penetration’ attribute, the shield will be pierced unless one learns the mana shield enhancement technique known as ‘Shield Control.’
In other words, if 2nd-Circle magic is a club that can be blocked by a single layer of leather, then magic of the 3rd Circle and above is like a spear, which will pierce right through unless one has the skill to layer the leather.
Just like Harman now, who, caught by surprise, failed to employ Shield Control in time.
“It was a perfect ambush, and you dodged it? They say class is permanent! For a has-been, you’re pretty quick on your feet.”
Harman flew into a rage at Isabelle’s brazen taunt.
“You insane bitch! Even if you are immature, have you no thought for the consequences of your actions?! Do you really think the Summoner will let this slide?!”
Even as he spoke, Harman used mana to apply pressure to the wound, stopping the bleeding.
It was a swift response, befitting a veteran who had once roamed the battlefields.
“Like you said, I’m an insane bitch. Do you think I care about the consequences? When I lose my temper, I don’t think about what comes next. Keep talking. Since you underestimated me in my own territory, you old geezer aren’t leaving here alive today.”
This was the convenience of being a hellion.
Given the slightest justification, even if she caused an unbelievable incident, people would just dismiss it as ‘that psycho is at it again,’ and accept it.
Yes, without ever suspecting that the hellion might have another, secret objective.
Harman glared at her with bloodshot eyes.
“I may be missing an arm, but I’m not so rusty that I’d lose to a little brat like you!”
The inventory ring on Harman’s right middle finger glowed, and a ballista shot out.
The massive siege weapon, which would normally require four men to operate, settled into place, pushing aside the department store displays.
A ridiculously oversized siege artifact appearing out of nowhere.
Isabelle scoffed and extended her hand.
[2nd-Circle Dark Magic: Shadow Snare]
Shadowy ropes shot out from the ballista’s and Harman’s shadows, binding them tightly.
With a powerful shout, Harman unleashed a wave of mana, shattering the shadow ropes, then focused mana into his raised index and middle fingers.
[4th-Circle Arcane Magic: Inevitability]
A violet current flowed from Harman’s fingertips and seeped into the ballista.
The ballista hummed and glowed with a purple light.
“Hup!”
With a low grunt, Harman poured a massive amount of mana into the ballista.
*Kwang!*
As if manipulated by an invisible hand, the ballista’s string was drawn back and released.
A projectile more like a spear than an arrow shot toward Isabelle.
Isabelle laughed openly.
“You think I’m going to get hit by a slow-ass arrow like that?”
Isabelle nimbly dodged the spear-projectile with a backflip.
Watching her triumphant expression, Harman gave a grim smile.
“You will be. Because that is your fate.”
“…What?”
Just then, sensing a presence behind her, Isabelle hastily ducked.
The spear-projectile she had just dodged grazed the air above the back of her head.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! I definitely dodged it!”
Harman’s eyes glinted with murderous intent.
“What would a coward like you, who hid in the safety of the Magic Tower to save your own skin during the Race War, know about combat? Heh heh. I bet you looked down on me, thinking I was just some Arcane scholar with no attack spells. But…”
Harman raised his index and middle fingers again, letting the violet mana flow once more.
“If you knew how many dark mages died by my hand on the battlefields of the past, a little brat like you wouldn’t dare raise your head in front of me. You fool.”
[3rd-Circle Arcane Magic: Misfortune]
A violet aura shot out from Harman and swept over Isabelle’s body.
There was no pain, no impact, but feeling an inexplicable sense of dread, Isabelle tensed and assumed a defensive stance.
Harman clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. With Misfortune and Inevitability combined, only tragedy remains.”
No sooner had Harman finished speaking than Isabelle, who had been moving cautiously, suddenly fell and landed on her butt.
She had slipped after stepping on a part of the floor that had been heavily waxed.
*Swoosh!*
Not missing the opportunity, the spear-projectile that had been circling the area targeted the fallen Isabelle.
Realizing she had nowhere to run, Isabelle focused mana into both hands, layering her Mana Shield.
Forming a four-layered shield in her hands like the 4th-Circle master she was, Isabelle caught the spear-projectile.
If she couldn’t dodge it, she had to block it.
*BOOM!*
The immense destructive power of the siege weapon instantly shattered three layers of the shield.
Gritting her teeth, Isabelle barely managed to block the attack with the last layer of her shield.
The single blow had taken a significant toll on her mana reserves.
‘The destructive power is incredible, but he’s compensating for the siege artifact’s glaring weakness—its terrible accuracy—with his bizarre Arcane magic? Tsk, that old geezer Harman. He’s really not someone to be taken lightly.’
Harman spoke with a gravelly laugh.
“What’s the matter? Starting to have regrets? It’s too late for that. I’m going to teach you a proper lesson today.”
Harman’s inventory ring glowed again, and various gun-type magic weapons emerged.
From assault rifles to machine guns and sniper rifles.
As if he’d robbed a gun store, Harman levitated dozens of magic weapons in the air with his mana and began to operate them.
[4th-Circle Arcane Magic: Inevitability]
Even though the muzzles were pointed at the ceiling and walls, Harman pulled the triggers with his mana as if aiming was unnecessary.
A moment later, a storm of countless bullets rained down, accompanied by gunshots that sounded like hundreds of firecrackers exploding at once.
“You have got to be kidding me!”
Sensing the danger, Isabelle deployed her shield with all her might.
A swarm of bullets, swimming through the air like a school of sardines in the ocean, swallowed Isabelle whole.
*Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!*
With a sound like bullets hammering against a steel wall, Isabelle’s Mana Shield rippled relentlessly.
While a single bullet from a magic weapon might not be a significant threat to a mage, it was a different story when dozens of guns were hammering her shield without a single miss.
Harman burst into triumphant laughter.
Losing his arm was infuriating, but properly disciplining this unruly foal who didn’t know her place was incredibly satisfying.
“Having a good time, are we?”
At the sound of Si-woo’s voice, Harman’s body flinched.
He had been so focused on cornering Isabelle that he had completely forgotten about him.
Moreover, whatever trick the bastard had pulled, he had somehow managed to break his sealing spell.
Harman whipped his head around to see Si-woo waving leisurely from the end of the department store corridor.
He probably couldn’t even imagine it.
For Si-woo, who was practically a god inside Barathrum, breaking such a sealing spell was a trivial matter as long as he had a moment to connect to it.
Si-woo ran his mouth, as if deliberately trying to provoke him.
“Heh, but can you really afford to pay attention to me? Well, I’ll make you a promise. If I get out of here alive today, I’ll tell everyone what I have, and what you tried to steal from me.”
“Nonsense! You wouldn’t get away unscathed either!”
“My, you still don’t seem to grasp the situation. Frankly, what’s the difference to me whether I kick the bucket by your hand or someone else’s? I’d take a hundred strangers over a sight for sore eyes like you any day.”
With those words, Si-woo turned and began to run.
Panicked, Harman hurriedly tried to chase after him.
But it was a foolish decision, unworthy of a seasoned veteran who had rolled through countless battlefields.
No matter how much of a novice she was, his opponent was still a mage of the same level.
*Sssshhh.*
Isabelle, her usually sleek bob now a disheveled mess, rose from Harman’s shadow.
[3rd-Circle Dark Magic: Shadow Step]
“There’s a limit to how much you can underestimate me! You dare turn your back on me in the middle of a fight? Have you lost your mind, you has-been bastard!”
All the nearby shadows warped and then, like iron filings drawn to a magnet, gathered in Isabelle’s hands.
From the displays, from Harman, and from Isabelle herself.
All the shadows coalesced to form claws on her hands.
[4th-Circle Dark Magic: Shadow Claws]
With the claws of a black beast covering her hands, Isabelle swiped like a furious tiger.
Harman hastily formed a Mana Shield, but having exposed his back, there was no way he could have properly executed Shield Control.
Struck in the back more than half a dozen times in an instant, Harman coughed up blood.
The combination of strenuous mana exertion and the physical blows had left him critically injured.
‘Heh… to think I’d make a mistake like this? I really have gotten old… Heh heh, and I had the nerve to laugh at Isabelle, calling her a novice. I, who had become complacent after so long, was the one who was nothing more than a has-been, just as she said.’
To turn his back on an enemy, blinded by greed?
It was a mistake worthy of a hundred deaths.
Suddenly, he recalled the necklace fortune he’d seen before chasing Si-woo.
Even though the necklace had fallen on the ominous number 4, he hadn’t been able to give up his greed. Looking back on that now, Harman let out a dry laugh.
*Shunk!*
Isabelle’s shadow claws pierced through Harman’s abdomen and emerged from his back.
Clenching and unclenching the shadow claws, now stained with pieces of Harman’s internal organs, Isabelle whispered.
“Checkmate. You fucking bastard.”
As he coughed up another mouthful of blood, Si-woo’s reflection appeared in Harman’s eyes.
He was smiling.