Chapter 339
Chapter 339
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 340
Chapter Title: Victory in the Shadows
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"......Wow. Dodging that, huh."
I let out a hollow chuckle as Jin and Teresa evaded my long-range ambush attack, spotted through my Third Eye.
Even with my presence hidden by the Mana Concealment Potion's effect, they dodged the strike enhanced by [Deadweight].
It looked like they'd sensed the killing intent and dodged on instinct...... What terrifying senses.
[Effect 'Deadweight' has ended.]
"Hmm. Feels like something's missing......"
My original plan had been to assassinate both the Blood Ghost and Teresa within the five-second duration of Deadweight.
This was the perfect chance to take them out with minimal risk, given how weakened they were from their long imprisonment.
"......Guess taking out the Blood Ghost will have to do. Tsk."
The Blood Ghost was someone who joined Jawoon after the Aporia incident.
Considering the messes he'd cause down the line, nipping him in the bud was definitely a win.
But since my goal had been to eliminate both within Deadweight's timeframe, I couldn't help feeling a bit unsatisfied.
"Hoo."
I sighed away the regret and reformed the magic orb.
The Mana Concealment Potion still had nearly a minute left, so opportunity remained.
I extended my hand, aimed at Teresa, and unleashed the magic orb.
Paaang!
The instant I fired, I cast [Space Leap]—the teleportation spell I'd learned from Choi Il-hyun—on myself.
It was still rudimentary, but I'd practiced enough that as long as I didn't fuss with precise coordinates, failure wasn't a concern.
Jin and Teresa barely dodged my spell, then glared toward the direction it had come from.
—Over there!
A spike of ice rapidly formed above Jin's head and shot toward where I'd launched the spell.
Piuung!
But I'd already relocated with [Space Leap].
The ice spike embedded in empty air, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Kwaaaang!
—......What the hell? It definitely came from there.
I kept shifting positions in the forest, firing spells at them nonstop.
As magic with no detectable mana kept raining down from all directions, small wounds began accumulating on Teresa and Jin.
—......Urk! How's it shooting from everywhere without any presence?!
Teresa's shout, laced with fury.
I smirked faintly at them.
They'd never find me.
Not just with [Mana Concealment], but with my presence erased by [Lunar Sanctuary] too.
As long as I kept leaping around with [Space Leap], it'd be like searching for a needle in a haystack for them.
Pang!
Pang!
I circled the forest continuously, unleashing spells.
They were dodging well for now, but humans aren't machines—they'd slip eventually.
Sure enough, after relentless barrages, I landed hits on Teresa's shoulder and both thighs.
—Kaaaaak!
Teresa's face twisted in agony as she curled up on the ground.
Jin, who'd been dodging frantically, then took a spell to the calf—a solid hit.
_Urk......!_
Sensing his limits, Jin stepped in front of Teresa and conjured an ice wall.
Wooduduk!
Kwang! Kwang!
A few attacks were perfectly blocked by the wall, forcing me to pause.
No way to pierce that barrier with my current assault.
But I had a counter.
[Using effect 'Fighting Spirit.']
[Using effect 'Heart of Great Nature.']
Intense mana surged through my body, gathering in my palm.
It soon formed an orb faintly glowing with golden light.
This should punch through the barrier.
—......This is bad. Real bad.
Just then, Jin's voice reached me through the Third Eye. He'd caught on to my intent.
—Hey. Teresa.
—Urgh...... What.
—Sorry, but one of us isn't making it out alive.
Teresa's eyes widened as she huddled on the ground, wracked with pain.
—......What? Wait, Jin? No way. You're not ditching me, right?
—You know we can't both survive. I'm hurting bad too, and the others are tied up with their own plans.
Jin muttered to himself.
—If not for this damn forest, we'd have options. He picked this spot strategically.
—Hey! We've got the Ancient Barrier! Block with that!
Jin glanced back at Yoo Ah-ra.
—That won't work either. Focusing on it leaves us open for a backstab. And we can't go on the offensive first.
Right then, a massive magic orb shimmering with brilliant gold fully formed above my hand.
I extended it toward them and took aim.
—......Oh, and if you're hearing this, I don't know.
Jin muttered alone. Seemed directed at me.
—No matter what it takes, I'll hunt you down and kill you.
"Do your worst."
I muttered under my breath and unleashed the spell.
Paaaaang—
The golden magic orb hurtled toward them.
Jin sensed the intense killing intent and burned all his mana to evade.
Left alone, Teresa stared blankly at the incoming golden light.
And then.
Kwaaaaang—
A massive explosion erupted atop the ramparts.
[S-Rank Villain, 'Teresa' defeated.]
[Karma increases by 1.]
[Victory achieved in battle with target.]
['Victory Herald' effect increases 'Incantation Comprehension' by 10%.]
['Strategic Triumph' achievement unlocked.]
[Reward: 5,000 points acquired.]
[Victory in battle using spatial magic.]
[Incantation Comprehension for space greatly increases.]
Towering smoke billowed up.
A gust of wind cleared it, revealing nothing left where Teresa had been.
I lowered my hand and scanned the surroundings with the Third Eye.
Jin was visible, limping away on his wounded thigh.
"......Chasing him would get me killed."
Injured or not, he was Jawoon's Jin—head-on was hopeless.
I'd have to settle for preemptively removing Teresa and the Blood Ghost.
"Oh, right. Wonder how Lee Seo-jun's doing."
After we split earlier, Lee Seo-jun had headed to the detention center to aid the Association members.
He was probably fighting escaped prisoners inside the prison by now.
I shifted the Third Eye to peer into the cells.
As expected, Lee Seo-jun was locked in a tough battle against the freed criminals.
"No need to worry much."
They were all weakened from long captivity. Unless it was Blood Ghost or Teresa level, he'd handle them solo.
Just then, the overflowing power drained from my body.
The [Concealment Potion], [Heart of Great Nature], and [Fighting Spirit] effects had all ended.
"Hoo."
No strength left to move—I'd rest here a bit.
"......They're finally here."
While Baek Eun-seong, Jin, Lee Cheong, and other Jawoon members drew the Association's attention.
Bert, Natasha, and Aaron reached the end of the underground passage linked to Jin Cheon-woo's soul.
The entrance had been riddled with complex incantations, costing them time, but they still had margin.
[......No way. Bert?]
A voice echoed through the space.
Bert's eyes widened at the familiar voice he hadn't heard in ages.
"......Aiden?"
Jawoon's former action captain, Aiden's voice.
Moments later, a ghost approached them.
"Aiden. So you died and became a ghost."
Aiden nodded at Bert's sorrowful words.
[......Yeah, pretty much. You here to retrieve Him?]
"Yeah. It was a promise."
Bert murmured quietly.
Then, a voice crackled from the communication magitech.
—Bert, Heather and Bell got taken out by Choi Il-hyun!
Ska's urgent voice.
Bert's expression hardened.
"......Heather and Bell are down?"
Heather, Bell, and Ska's mission had been to stall Choi Il-hyun.
They'd taken an ancient weapon with a 'movement hindrance' effect for that.
But how had two fallen so soon after the assault began?
Bert gritted his teeth.
Natasha, who'd been watching quietly, cut in.
"Aiden, nice seeing you, but we're short on time."
[I know. Don't worry about me.]
With that, Aiden stepped aside.
Bert and Natasha examined the ceiling incantations, then infused mana into the [Grand Mana Purifier].
Intense mana coalesced in the device and blasted toward the ceiling.
Kwaaaang!
A hole punched through the sturdy security incantation ceiling.
Bert, Natasha, and Aaron swallowed hard and climbed up.
Tears welled as they beheld the faint ghostly form before them.
"......Fi, finally."
How long had they waited for this?
Seeing their god after 14 years brought joy mingled with crushing guilt.
They felt responsible for His current state due to their shortcomings.
"......Please wait just a bit longer. We'll free you soon."
They stood, activating the pre-prepared holy relic, the [Grand Mana Absorber].
It was a relic that sucked in ambient mana, disrupting magitech.
All the terrorism and relic thefts had been for this day.
Pajik, pajijijik!
As the [Grand Mana Absorber] activated, the lights of the seal incantations and security magitech on Jin Cheon-woo flickered unstably.
Everything was proceeding as planned.
His seal would lift soon.
"......Natasha, bring out the 'Soul casket'."
Natasha produced the one mystery capable of sealing souls: the 'Soul Casket.'
The moment Jin Cheon-woo's freed soul was sealed inside, their Aporia mission would end.
Right then, Aiden—who'd been watching—spoke.
[By the way, do you know the kid around Lee Seo-jun's age he hangs with?]
Bert paused and turned to Aiden.
"You mean Kim Sun-woo?"
[I don't know the name. Just that he had dark brown hair.]
Dark brown hair.
Definitely Kim Sun-woo.
"That'd be him. But how do you know Kim Sun-woo?"
[The guy used necromancy to summon Him with Lee Seo-jun.]
"......Summoned Him?"
Necromancy isn't for amateurs.
It requires heaps of materials and is one of the Association's banned spells—no one attempts it lightly.
Plus, someone Lee Seo-jun's age? Had to be Kim Sun-woo.
[Yeah. Couldn't hear the conversation, but it seemed important. Not Lee Seo-jun—the Kim Sun-woo kid taking the lead. Looked like he'd prepped it solo without Lee knowing.]
Bert felt deep suspicion.
......Kim Sun-woo pulling that off?
He'd sensed odd vibes from Kim Sun-woo before, but still......
Bert mulled it over briefly, then cleared his mind.
Plenty suspicious, but higher priorities now.
Primary goal: secure the soul and escape safely.
"Got it. Thanks for the intel."
Bert resumed dismantling Jin Cheon-woo's seals one by one with the [Grand Mana Absorber].
Time passed, and the bindings began crumbling.
"......Done."
Sseuueueu.
Jin Cheon-woo's soul spread like smoke.
Natasha opened the trembling Soul Casket in her hands.
"......Our Lord. We'll escort you safely."
Faint light emanated from the casket simultaneously.
Jin Cheon-woo's soul dispersed like smoke once more, seeping into the casket.
The resealing was underway.
Once fully contained, Natasha carefully closed the lid.
"......He's back with us."
She murmured softly.
Bert nodded and looked down into the basement.
"Let's get out of here fast."
"Yeah."
Thus, Bert, Natasha, and Aaron descended.
They pulled out the 'small gate' linked to the 'installation portal.'
Then, the communication magitech buzzed again.
—Teresa's dead.
Jin's dejected voice.
"......Teresa too, huh."
Bert murmured softly.
"No helping it. We steeled ourselves for sacrifices."
At Natasha's words, Bert nodded and spoke into the device.
"But Jin, who got Teresa?"
—Dunno.
"......Dunno?"
—No mana signature. Sniper fire from the shadows.
Bert's eyes trembled briefly.
Magic with no detectable mana.
He'd seen something similar at his mansion last year.
And through long deduction, he'd personally concluded the culprit: Kim Sun-woo.
Did that mean Kim Sun-woo was......?
Right then, Baek Eun-seong's shout burst from the magitech.
—Hey! No mana? That's that Rune Clan punk!?
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