Chapter 94: Artificial (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 94: Artificial (5)
“Array of Thunder—”
As sparks of lightning began to crackle across Alon’s body, he took a step forward.
“Decomposition.”
The crackling lightning transformed into fine grains. Simultaneously, he swept up a holy knight’s sword that had been flung aside during the battle.
“Melting.”
The blue grains were absorbed into Alon’s flesh.
“Universal Transmutation.”
His body began to shimmer and blur like a lingering afterimage.
“Thunder God Form.”
As he formed a hand seal, he became the lightning itself.
“The, the vines are coming in!”
The moment the ceiling of the barrier was opened according to Alon’s instructions, the vines began to burrow inside.
Despair clouded everyone’s eyes as they watched the intrusion.
In that instant, Alon tore through the wooden stalks crawling through the ceiling and soared toward the sky.
Kaba-boom!
Amidst the debris of the vines torn apart with a violent roar, the figure of Marquis Palatio appeared before everyone’s eyes, silhouetted against the blue moon.
Floating in the air, Alon watched the wooden stalks beginning to shoot toward him.
As I thought, they’re slow.
The vines were certainly approaching, but their speed wasn't overwhelming. Reassured, Alon felt the grip of the sword held in his left hand.
It’s a tight window, but the preparations are complete.
There were two reasons why he hadn't been able to move quickly until now.
The first was that it took time to find Machina’s weakness.
Fundamentally, Alon had never needed to search for the weaknesses of Outer Gods before. Outer Gods who had not yet become Living Gods generally followed the physical structure of their Divine Vessel prior to descent. Moreover, most of the Outer Gods he had encountered so far possessed bodies within the range of the magic he could manifest.
In short, there had been no need to target a specific weak point.
However, the current situation was different.
The Machina he faced now was so colossal it made Alon’s magic range look insignificant, and it possessed overwhelming regenerative abilities. Simply put, he couldn't annihilate the entity before him by just firing off magic at random.
But at this very moment, Alon perceived Machina’s weakness with absolute clarity.
It was thanks to the item he had obtained in the Holy Kingdom—the ‘Necklace of the Eye Eater,’ which, in the game, gradually identified an opponent’s weakness and increased critical hit rates after ten turns of combat.
The weakness is the solar plexus.
Inside the body composed of red branches and stone statues, he spotted a human shape glowing blue at the solar plexus. He let out a long, deep breath.
I only have one shot. I’m out of mana.
Mana.
That was the second reason Alon couldn't move quickly. Not expecting things to escalate like this, Alon had already spent most of his mana to save Yuman when Anderde first unleashed his attack.
Consequently, Alon needed time to replenish his reserves.
Even now, setting aside his lamentable Mana Hole, the mere act of manifesting magic during the less than one second it took to soar into the sky had nearly drained him dry. The remaining mana was at a pathetic level, barely enough to manifest a single spell.
Of course, thanks to downing two potions in succession despite the risk of Mana Poisoning, his mana was trickling back in. However, even by the most generous estimate, Alon’s mana was essentially a pittance.
In other words, ridiculously enough, Alon could no longer use powerful magic at this point.
Normally, that is.
“Whew—”
Alon exhaled a heavy sigh and extended the sword in his left hand toward Machina.
“Array of Thunder.”
He chanted the Phrase.
Crackle!
The moment the words left his lips, a sharp static filled his ears. The meager mana remaining in Alon’s body was consumed, plunging him instantly into Mana Depletion.
“Urgh—”
Pain flared simultaneously. He felt his body convulsing, protesting that it could no longer squeeze out any more mana, but Alon did not stop reciting the Phrases.
After all, what he intended to use wasn't the standard Thunder God Form.
“Decomposition.”
Since returning from Laxas, he had been immersed in magical research—more specifically, the study of Self-Embodiment, focusing intensely on mana efficiency. For someone like him, whose mana was so meager that a single use of Self-Embodiment caused depletion, the pursuit of efficiency was an absolute necessity.
“Melting.”
To be blunt, despite half a year of countless experiments to increase the efficiency of Self-Embodiment, Alon had ultimately failed to achieve that specific goal.
However, he had gained something else.
And that was...
“Universal Transmutation.”
The method of manifesting the Thunder God Form not within his own body, but within an object.
Zzzzzzt!
The sword in his left hand began to shimmer like an afterimage as it absorbed the blue grains.
It was a discovery made entirely by chance—a byproduct of his desperate research to somehow reduce the mana consumption of Self-Embodiment.
But at this moment...
“Thunder God Form.”
That accidental discovery was manifested into the world as the strongest magic Alon could currently cast.
BZZZZZZT!!
The shimmering sword in Alon’s left hand instantly erupted with blue lightning, sending white currents lashing out in all directions.
Gripping the sword like a javelin, Alon pulled his arm back and manipulated the sword’s array, lengthening it.
What was created was a thin, long...
VREEEEEEEET!
...spear, imbued with the vivid power of an electrical strike.
The moment everyone, including Yuman, witnessed Alon silhouetted against the blue moon holding a spear of lightning, the weapon was hurled with all his might.
And then...
KABOOOOOOOM—!!!
Accompanied by a massive explosion, the lightning pierced Machina’s solar plexus.
* * *
Immediately after the spear of lightning thrown by Alon struck Machina’s solar plexus, everything stopped.
The tree roots that had been spreading as if to devour the entire Holy Kingdom began to crumble into handfuls of ash. The hands that had been falling toward Yuman and the priests just moments ago also scattered as white dust.
Thump— Rumble— CRASH!!!
Machina, which had maintained a distinct form, began to collapse as its wooden stalks turned to ash. Everyone present, including Yuman, ignored the collapsing Machina and stared at a single man.
Beneath the blue moon, where white ash fluttered like flower petals, stood a man who had single-handedly brought down an Outer God. He remained expressionless, showing no emotion as if such a feat were only natural—
They could only stare blankly at Marquis Palatio.
Just as a flicker of awe began to take root in everyone’s eyes, Marquis Palatio...
‘...I’m in trouble!’
...was actually wearing a look of genuine gravity behind his expressionless mask.
Everything had gone according to plan so far. Preparing the magic in mid-air to avoid interference from the vines in case his power was insufficient, identifying the weakness through the Necklace of the Eye Eater, and drinking more than two bottles of potion regardless of the Mana Depletion—it was all calculated.
The only problem was that he hadn't thought about what would happen immediately after defeating Machina.
No, strictly speaking, he had thought about it. He had planned to create an ice wall with magic after finishing the attack, carving it into a curve to slide down safely from the air. He knew that even with that method, he was more likely to get hurt than not, but since this was the Holy Kingdom, he figured he could be easily healed.
The priests of the Holy Kingdom, especially those at the bishop level or higher, could save anyone as long as they were still breathing.
However, that only applied if one was still breathing. Since even the most skilled priest couldn't resurrect the dead...
‘I didn't think it would take more mana than expected...!’
As he lamented the fact that adjusting the mana array for the Thunder God Form had consumed far more mana than anticipated, he wondered how to handle the situation.
Thud!
He realized the speed of his helpless fall had slowed. Soon, he understood why.
“...Yutia?”
Something like a pure white cloud made of divine power had caught his falling body.
“You worked hard, Teacher.”
Soon, he saw Yutia’s face, smiling brightly against the backdrop of the blue moon. Alon squeezed out his remaining strength to nod in response.
* * *
In the end, the Birth Festival of the Goddess Sironia was completely suspended due to the sudden appearance of Machina.
It was only natural. Although the threat was eventually stopped, the damage the Holy Kingdom sustained from Machina’s appearance was immense. Even for the Holy Kingdom, holding a festival in such a situation was impossible.
And Alon, who had dealt with Machina...
“...Are you alright, Count? No, I suppose I should call you Marquis now.”
“I think I’ll finally be able to move soon.”
...had been receiving treatment for about two days in a hospital located in a corner of the temple.
In truth, there didn't seem to be much wrong with him externally. His only injuries were a few nicks caused by his still-imperfect control over the Thunder God Form; he hadn't taken a single hit from the Outer God.
The problem was his Mana Hole.
‘A week of recuperation due to mana depletion...’
Despite drinking two bottles of potion while fully aware of the risk of Mana Poisoning, Alon had been forced into a hospital bed for a week due to Mana Depletion Syndrome.
But honestly... Alon wanted to escape this hospital as quickly as possible. No, beyond just escaping the hospital, he wanted to leave the Holy Kingdom altogether now that his business was finished.
The reason was simple.
“Marquis.”
“What is it?”
“You’re quite the popular man.”
“...”
It was because Alon was being subjected to the extremely burdensome gazes of the priests throughout his stay. He spoke while receiving the respectful looks and greetings of priests who seemed to "accidentally" pass by his open door.
“To be honest, I don't particularly enjoy it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Of course, Alon knew that being respected by others wasn't a bad thing. In fact, immediately after being injured, feeling the reverent gazes of the priests hadn't felt too bad. Every human has a basic desire for recognition.
But...
‘Isn't this a bit much?’
Even so, having every priest he encountered look at him with such sparkling, wide-eyed intensity was, frankly, a bit overwhelming for Alon.
And the real reason he wanted to leave the Holy Kingdom even faster was...
“Marquis, do you have a moment?”
“...Saint.”
“Yes, Marquis.”
It was because of Yuman.
“Ah, Marquis, now that I think about it, I have some information to collect, so I’ll be back in a moment.”
Evan, as if suddenly remembering a task Alon had given him the moment Yuman arrived, stood up and left the room. Alon scratched his head.
“...Well, please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
Yuman sat down with startling speed and opened his mouth.
“How is your body, Marquis?”
“Well, as I said yesterday, it’s not too bad.”
“That is a relief.”
Yuman nodded as if truly relieved, then looked up at Alon. His eyes were a mixture of respect and awe.
And Alon found that incredibly burdensome.
Of course, having a good relationship with Yuman wasn't a bad thing. He was the man who would become Elivan’s right hand in the future. But having him visit every single day to show that look of admiration and reverence was, frankly, quite embarrassing and taxing for Alon.
“...I appreciate the concern, but there’s no need to visit this often.”
He tried to carefully hint that Yuman should stop coming and go do his own work, but...
“I cannot do that.”
“...Why not?”
“Because you, Marquis, bear the same karma as I do. No—an even heavier karma than mine.”
“...?”
“Knowing that, I have no intention of turning away from you.”
Instead, Yuman nodded with eyes full of respect, strengthening his resolve.
“...??”
Alon could only stare at Yuman, who was spouting incomprehensible nonsense with an even more bewildered expression.
“I will never turn away.”