Chapter 74
Chapter 74
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: The Elemental Tree's Might
-----------------------------------------------------------------
When Lee Si-woo vanished before their eyes with the Elemental Stone and didn't reappear for over thirty minutes, the leader of the monster mages irritably threw off the black robe he was wearing.
Tentacle, a giant whose entire body was wrapped in tens of thousands of purple tentacles, asked.
-Vespid, still no sign of him?
-Sorry, boss. Shamefully, I can't find a single trace. It seems that bastard... possesses an exceptional stealth Talent.
As Tentacle let out a low groan, his face—a writhing mass of thousands of earthworms without eyes, a nose, or a mouth—twitched.
Knowing from their time together that this was a facial expression, one that conveyed displeasure, Chilmyeonseokcheok watched him cautiously and held his tongue.
He had a gut feeling that uttering any negative comment right now would earn him a severe beating.
Just then, the space before them distorted, and Lee Si-woo popped out.
Perhaps because he had finished his business inside Barathrum, Tentacle studied Lee Si-woo’s noticeably relieved face and asked in a cold, low voice.
-You've become a 2nd Circle Master. Did you consume the Elemental Stone?
“Yes. I'm the type who always eats the tastiest things first.”
Tentacle nodded his head and spoke.
-Is that so? Then you must also know this will be your grave.
“Even with the Graves family behind me?”
-Whether we’re executed by the Graves or by the Elder, it makes no difference to us. So you’d better be prepared, monkey.
The purple tentacles writhing on Tentacle’s skin stretched as if waking up.
Pointing at Lee Si-woo with his tentacles, which danced like seaweed swept by an ocean current, Tentacle said.
-I will not grant you a gentle death.
The conversation was short, the clash instantaneous.
With a buzzing of wings, Vespid shot past Lee Si-woo.
Barely twisting his body to avoid Vespid’s body slam, Lee Si-woo let out a soft whistle as he saw the stinger tail swaying at Vespid’s waist.
The thought that a moment of carelessness could have gotten him stung sent a slight shiver down his spine.
Lee Si-woo took out Ogre Hammers from his inventory, gripping one in each hand, and simultaneously cast his Mineralization ability and wind magic.
[1st Circle Elemental Magic: Swiftness]
As the buff-type wind magic, Swiftness, was cast, a gentle current of wind settled upon Lee Si-woo’s platinum-hued body.
A buff magic like Swiftness had a base effect of a 30% increase in agility, with an additional 10% for each Circle.
So, for Lee Si-woo, a 2nd Circle Master, it should have been a 40% increase.
That is, if he hadn't consumed the Elemental Stone.
‘My body... is as light as a feather.’
The Elemental Root, the magic root that governs the elemental school.
And standing tall upon it was the Elemental Tree, the magic tree.
When Lee Si-woo cast Swiftness, the roots of the Elemental Tree surged, amplifying the spell's effect.
The resulting increase in agility was 80%.
Such was the might of the Elemental Tree, born from the Elemental Stone that doubled the power of elemental magic.
*Vweeeen!*
Realizing Vespid was aiming for his back through his Crisis Detection Talent, Lee Si-woo moved his body lightly.
Evading Vespid’s attack like a leaf startled by the wind, Lee Si-woo slammed his Ogre Hammer into the side of Vespid as he flew sluggishly past.
*Baaam!*
-Kieeeek!
Vespid tumbled to the ground like a fly swatted by a flyswatter.
Lee Si-woo’s eyebrow twitched as he saw the shimmering blue barrier around the creature’s body.
As expected of a 2nd Circle Master's Mana Shield, it seemed difficult to destroy in one blow, even with an Ogre Hammer.
With a light scoff, Lee Si-woo extended his left hand and drew upon his mana.
[1st Circle Elemental Magic: Blade Wind]
As Lee Si-woo cast the elemental magic, the roots of the Elemental Tree moved with the force of a newly installed engine.
A torrent of bladed wind, sharp enough to grind down a decent-sized boulder, erupted from the center of his palm.
Lying on the ground, Vespid was startled by the force of the Blade Wind and deployed his Mana Shield to its limit.
*Kagagang!*
With a sound like metal being ground by a saw blade, Vespid’s Mana Shield rippled.
But unfortunately, that was all.
The Blade Wind, enhanced by the Elemental Tree, was certainly threatening, but it was still just a 1st Circle spell.
Though it dealt some damage, it was not enough to break the Mana Shield of Vespid, a 2nd Circle Master.
Of course, that didn't mean Vespid wasn't surprised.
‘This is a 1st Circle spell? It’s chipping away chunks of my mana!’
While Vespid shivered at the power, which wasn't quite 2nd Circle but at least 1.5, Lee Si-woo was already preparing his next spell.
He’d thrown a jab to test the waters; now it was time to throw a hook.
Lee Si-woo pointed his index finger, now focused with mana, at Vespid.
[2nd Circle Elemental Magic: Wind Throw]
Wind rose from beneath Vespid's feet and wrapped around his entire body.
In the blink of an eye, Vespid's body was lifted into the air, then slammed back down to the ground with an impact like a giant striking his back.
It was Wind Throw, one of the three wind spells that the bird-kin mage, Lime, had completed researching with Harman inside Barathrum.
*Kwaang!*
The power of the Wind Throw was so immense that a crater formed where Vespid was slammed down.
Vespid coughed up blood as his Mana Shield shattered from the impact, which was incomparable to Blade Wind.
-My Mana Shield broke from a single 2nd Circle spell…?
The moment Vespid's Mana Shield shattered, the space right behind Lee Si-woo shimmered, and Chilmyeonseokcheok appeared.
Having taken Lee Si-woo's rear using his 3-star Talent, Camouflage, Chilmyeonseokcheok aimed his purple tongue at the back of Lee Si-woo's head.
*Swish!*
The sharp tip of the tongue shot out like a spear, but thanks to Crisis Detection, Lee Si-woo was aware of the surprise attack and easily dodged it with a tilt of his head.
As he turned, Lee Si-woo grabbed Chilmyeonseokcheok's tongue with his right hand and yanked it hard toward himself.
-Keck? Kkieeek!
Chilmyeonseokcheok shrieked as he was helplessly dragged forward by Lee Si-woo's immense strength.
When Chilmyeonseokcheok was in front of him, Lee Si-woo smashed his face with the Ogre Hammer in his left hand.
*Kwaaang!*
Struck by the Ogre Hammer, Chilmyeonseokcheok's Mana Shield flickered precariously.
Losing 20% of his mana in a single blow, Chilmyeonseokcheok let out a scream-like roar and unleashed a barrage of magic at Lee Si-woo.
[2nd Circle Elemental Magic: Rock Thorn]
Rock thorns shot up from under Lee Si-woo's feet, but he was no longer there.
Using the high agility granted by Swiftness, he had sensed the threat and immediately let go of Chilmyeonseokcheok's tongue to evade.
Sniffing the air, Chilmyeonseokcheok tracked Lee Si-woo's position by scent and once again shot out his sharpened purple tongue, but it was useless.
The attack was far too slow to deal with Lee Si-woo, whose physical abilities were enhanced to their peak by Mineralization and the Swiftness buff.
-Kyaaaa!
Chilmyeonseokcheok's attacks weren't particularly effective, but they weren't entirely useless either.
Thanks to his support, Vespid was able to recover.
As Lee Si-woo prepared to move on Vespid, who was retreating to recover his mana, Chilmyeonseokcheok played his trump card.
[2nd Circle Elemental Magic: Antlion Pit]
A portion of the solid rock plain where Lee Si-woo stood transformed into a sand pit, which immediately began to pull him down.
In an instant, Lee Si-woo was buried up to his chest, and he thrashed about, swinging his Ogre Hammers in all directions.
But once caught in the pit, it was a meaningless struggle; the more he moved, the deeper he was pulled into the earth.
Finally, after watching the sand pit swallow Lee Si-woo from head to toe, Chilmyeonseokcheok waved his hand.
*Kwaduk.*
As the sand pit turned to rock like a freezing river, Vespid shouted.
-No! Considering his physical abilities, you have to keep him trapped longer!
Chilmyeonseokcheok spat out a curse and shook his head.
-Dammit, I know, but I can't help it. Antlion Pit is great, but it consumes too much mana. I don't have enough to maintain it...
Before Chilmyeonseokcheok could finish his sentence, the ground exploded with a tremendous roar.
Lee Si-woo shot up like a rocket missile and charged with the ferocity of a cheetah hunting a gazelle.
Reaching Chilmyeonseokcheok with the speed of a gust of wind, Lee Si-woo's Ogre Hammer split the air.
*쾅!*
Taking a direct hit to the face from the Ogre Hammer, Chilmyeonseokcheok's head snapped back like a punching bag.
In a single blow, his blue Mana Shield faded, and blood trickled from his nose.
He was unlucky.
Unlike Vespid, who had ample mana for defense, he had expended a great deal on Antlion Pit.
Watching his own Mana Shield flicker pitifully like a candle about to go out, Chilmyeonseokcheok muttered.
-N-no...
“Yes.”
Lee Si-woo’s Ogre Hammer passed through Chilmyeonseokcheok's depleted Mana Shield and mercilessly crushed his head.
Until the moment of his death, Chilmyeonseokcheok was simply dumbfounded and bewildered.
In truth, a normal mage would have died from the first surprise attack.
The deceptive concealment of Camouflage and the formidable physical prowess of a monster mage were more than enough to overwhelm an ordinary mage.
However, the unfortunate fact for him was that Lee Si-woo was far from ordinary.
From Crisis Detection to Antennae and Mana's Blessing, Lee Si-woo had mastered Talents that were the essence of various species. On top of that, his Mineralization ability gave him physical capabilities rivaling a monster's, making him a mutant in his own right.
And that wasn't all.
Having absorbed Harman's knowledge, Lee Si-woo was not lacking in combat experience. From the moment he ascended to 2nd Circle Master and reached their level, it was safe to say that Chilmyeonseokcheok never stood a chance.
-Boss!
Vespid cried out to Tentacle, who had yet to join the fight, his voice laced with resentment. Only then did Tentacle, who had been watching silently as Chilmyeonseokcheok died, finally move.
*Ssssk.*
Thousands, tens of thousands of tentacles surged toward Lee Si-woo like a wave.
Seeing the swarm of tentacles resembling an army of earthworms, Lee Si-woo frowned and took a step back.
Not only did there seem to be no room to dodge, but the sight was so repulsive that he hesitated to block it head-on.
As if anticipating Lee Si-woo's movement, Tentacle cast a mystic spell.
[2nd Circle Mystic Magic: Hallucination]
A faint dizziness washed over him, and his vision blurred. Lee Si-woo shook his head.
All sorts of bizarre illusions appeared before his eyes, confusing him.
At that moment, Harman, who had been residing in a corner of his mind since they were in Barathrum, shouted in an urgent voice.
-My lord! You must dodge! You must not make contact with Tentacle's tentacles. They will use them to invade your mind and soul.
Unfortunately, Harman's warning came a moment too late.
Tentacle had used Hallucination to disorient Lee Si-woo, then bound his entire body with tentacles.
The wave of tentacles washed over Lee Si-woo, slithering up his body.
Even in his dazed state, Tentacle's unpleasant voice provoked him.
-Your soul and mind will now become my nourishment.
At the mention of devouring his soul, Lee Si-woo's lips twisted into a smirk.
Tentacle's method was to erode and contaminate the minds of other species before slowly sucking out their souls.
That was what made Tentacle so terrifying.
No matter how high one's Circle or level, if their mental fortitude was weaker than his, they would inevitably be slowly devoured.
But Lee Si-woo wasn't worried.
He had survived even the Yellow Eyes; what could a mere monster species do?
It was out of the question.
Lee Si-woo murmured in a soft voice.
“Well, now. If you eat just anything you find, you might end up dead... Perhaps you should be more careful?”
-Struggling is useless. The erosion has already begun.
With those words, Lee Si-woo felt a pressure like sleep paralysis and drifted into slumber.