Chapter 198: The Immortal Archmage (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 198: The Immortal Archmage (2)
[This... magic...?]
A crack appeared in the Lich's incredibly arrogant voice.
It was only natural.
He had been certain that at the current level of humanity, casting a spell capable of destroying even a single gargoyle would be no easy feat.
In fact, during his sweep across Europe, the damage to his undead forces had been practically nonexistent.
Naturally, with an air defense network of this caliber, it should have been normal to plunge at least eighty percent of the intruders into the sea.
And yet.
To cast a wide-area spell of that scale without even blinking.
His sense and speed in manifesting the circles were far beyond the level of merely 'excellent.'
[Does this mean he is at a level where he can reinterpret the spell formula itself and shape it into a higher grade?]
This was a realm that even Liches, who had dedicated hundreds of years to magic, struggled to reach.
...It was a sight hard to believe even while watching it unfold.
The others standing beside Jinhyuk as if to protect him were equally astonished.
'We haven't even been apart for that long, and Oppa has grown this much already?'
'I knew he was an all-rounder, but just how far do Hyung's abilities go? I had my doubts, but to think he wouldn't even fall behind a Lich specialized in magic.'
Yu Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min swallowed hard.
While they struggled just to hone a single ability...
Jinhyuk, who could display such overwhelming majesty at any distance, was nothing short of amazing.
Wolyeong also stared at Jinhyuk with eyes wide like a startled rabbit.
In the Murim, the sect that best understood and wielded ice-attribute martial arts was the North Sea Ice Palace.
Each of its members possessed such a high affinity for cold that they had used heavy snow and biting winds as their blankets since birth.
Among them, the Palace Master of the North Sea Ice Palace was praised as a genius among geniuses, possessing both talent and effort.
But this was different.
'I have only met the North Sea Palace Master once... but I am certain.'
The martial art my Lord is showing right now...
...is undoubtedly several levels above that of the North Sea Palace Master.
“My Lord... when did you achieve such great mastery over the Ice Soul Divine Art? Even with my shallow knowledge, it seems you have reached a realm higher than that of the North Sea Palace Master...”
Mmm.
He's asking about an unexpectedly sensitive topic out of nowhere.
Since I can't tell him the truth, I'll have to make up a plausible lie.
Let's see, what would be good?
After a moment of thought, Jinhyuk smoothly spun a lie without even blinking.
“I just picked up and ate a Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng from the Dark Emperor's secret treasury, and it just kind of happened.”
“Ah... the Dark Emperor's... No, more importantly, a Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng? You mean you consumed it whole?”
“Yeah.”
If he thought about it even a little, it was an absurd claim, but Wolyeong had no choice but to believe it.
Where would anyone in the Black Wind Society have even laid eyes on a Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng?
At most, they would have only heard rumors like, 'A promising rising star of the Nine Great Sects ate one,' or 'The Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult gulped one down as a snack.'
Lastly...
Cheon Yu-seong, looking extremely dissatisfied, muttered to himself.
“If you had just waited a bit longer, I was going to handle them all.”
The fact that he looked completely dejected was a bonus.
“Sure, sure. Of course you were.”
“I-I'm serious! The form of the Soul-Chasing Sword I recently learned...”
Cheon Yu-seong tried to argue, but Jinhyuk's attention had already shifted back to the Lich.
“So, is this all you've got for a welcome? If so, I'm quite disappointed...”
[Disappointed? You dare speak of disappointment after merely dealing with a single pack of gargoyles?]
“First impressions are the most important. One look is all it takes to see the overall level. Or are you about to drop some ancient, cliché line like, 'Those guys were the weakest of my subordinates'?”
I have my suspicions, but I really hope that's not the case.
Because that would be way too predictable.
But it seemed expectations never failed to be met.
The Lich's voice fell dead silent.
[...]
Wow. He definitely flinched just now.
It was painfully obvious that he had been about to say exactly that before stopping himself.
“Why waste each other's time with that stuff? Instead of testing the waters by putting weaklings on the perimeter, why don't you just put a few Death Knights on a Bone Dragon and make them Dragon Knights or something?”
Unless he was intentionally giving us time to grow by letting us defeat the weaklings one by one, he was incredibly stupid for a boss.
If it were me, I would have sent out my most trusted subordinates right from the start to crush them.
Tsk, tsk.
Jinhyuk openly clicked his tongue.
But then.
[That is a splendid idea. It seems disposing of you is a much higher priority than guarding this place.]
The Lich did not deny it.
In fact, he actively accepted Jinhyuk's suggestion.
Vroooom!
A rift tore open in the air.
1 meter... 2 meters... 5 meters...
A black gate, sizzling with flames, began to expand rapidly.
A large-scale gate.
Emerging from within was a Bone Dragon measuring twenty meters in length.
“Groooaar!”
The atmosphere trembled.
Its majesty made even attempting to estimate its level meaningless.
Its overwhelming size and overflowing mana... forced one to admit that even if it was just a corpse, a dragon was still a dragon.
Furthermore, atop the dragon, knights clad in black armor and wielding swords inscribed with runes could be seen.
Death Knights.
The strongest melee monsters of the undead realm, capable of wielding Aura.
“...”
Three Death Knights cast a deep, glowing gaze from behind their visors.
As if proving they had been knights in life, their restrained momentum felt like looking at a collection of divine weapons.
“Damn it! Is your mouth a magnet for disasters?!”
Unable to hold back, Cheon Yu-seong cursed.
I don't know why this guy is getting so angry when he was just bragging about handling everything himself, and now I've set the stage for him.
Above all, this wasn't a case of getting hit back after merely bluffing.
Provoking the enemy to summon their powerful gatekeeper here...
...was exactly what Jinhyuk had been aiming for.
'...Hook, line, and sinker.'
Normally, this was a destination they would have had to spend countless hours and effort to reach.
Just how many enemies would they have to defeat, and how many days would have to pass before they could get there?
But thanks to the gate opening, there was no longer any reason to waste time.
By utilizing a two-way gate, they could travel to where the Lich was at any time.
'Normally, a gate's duration is about ten minutes.'
We have to settle this within that time.
Jinhyuk quickly activated his Subspace Inventory.
A massive, sluggish military transport plane like this wouldn't be able to dodge a dragon's attacks.
In that case, he had to bring out a suitable countermeasure.
At Jinhyuk's call, Goguma and the Spirit Beasts responded.
“Mogi!”
It seemed the hierarchy inside the Subspace Inventory had already been sorted out.
Judging by how the other creatures were slinking behind Goguma, warily watching his every move.
Jinhyuk climbed onto Goguma's back.
“Get on, one by one. Hurry.”
Realizing that fighting was now their only option, everyone quickly claimed a Spirit Beast of their own.
“And you guys, if you let any of them fall into the ocean, you're dead meat. Got it?”
“D-don't worry. I'll do great!”
“Just trust us, Master!”
“Yeah. We worked our asses off practicing how to make wings.”
“Everyone shut up. You're too loud.”
The Spirit Beasts used their respective unique attributes to form wings capable of flight.
“Well then, stay safe out there.”
The pilot wished them luck.
The moment everyone stepped out of the transport plane...
...the aerial battle began in earnest.
* * *
A stream of fire from Salamander signaled the start.
A thin, long stream of flame struck the side of the Bone Dragon.
Boom!
Thick smoke billowed along with the explosion.
Seizing the opportunity, an ice arrow created by Jinhyuk flew like lightning.
However...
Screeech!
It was not enough to pierce the dragon's bones.
Naturally, its defensive power was absurd.
To inflict damage, it would require a 9th-circle spell or higher... or 'Sword Force,' which was considered the pinnacle of physical force.
Cheon Yu-seong must have had the same thought, as he flew up beside Jinhyuk.
“We need to get within sword range. If you and I combine our strength, we can deal with the Death Knights and finish off the Bone Dragon.”
The Bone Dragon also moved via its 'Dragon Heart.'
Although the Lich had modified it with black magic, its weakness remained the same as any other dragon.
But just as Cheon Yu-seong was about to shift his weight forward...
He flinched.
His entire body's senses screamed in warning.
Crackle...!
Seeing the mana gathering in the Bone Dragon's maw, Jinhyuk roared.
“Dodge!”
Kaaaa-boom!
A concentrated stream of acid sliced through the air in a straight line.
Clouds parted, and the waves below sizzled and burned.
Ssssshh!
The rising steam completely obscured their vision.
'If even a drop grazes us, there won't even be bones left.'
Having narrowly dodged the attack, Jinhyuk checked on his companions.
Fortunately, no one had been hit. As expected of battle-hardened veterans, they had all managed to twist their bodies out of the way.
However...
...it was only a matter of time.
No matter how fast the Spirit Beasts flew, they couldn't outrun a dragon forever.
[I shall show you that scurrying around like rats is utterly futile! This is the end!]
The Lich roared.
At the same time...
[The Bone Dragon activates Lv?? 'Fear'!]
An irresistible pressure bound their entire bodies.
An authority that only dragons could wield.
The ultimate power that looked down upon all living things.
It was 'Fear.'
“This is...”
“Ugh!”
“My... body... won't move.”
Frozen by the overwhelming terror, the Spirit Beasts stiffened completely.
Ruuuumble!
Once again, the breath began to condense.
If they were hit like this, they would undoubtedly be drenched in strong acid.
However, there was one thing the Lich had failed to anticipate.
That even among the 'Fear' used by dragons, there were tiers.
And that the species wielding the strongest Fear of all was none other than the Ancient Species.
[Goguma activates Lv4 'Fear'!]
“Mooogiiii!”
The suffocating pressure vanished.
No, in fact, the mana gathering in the Bone Dragon's maw fluctuated violently.
It had been affected by Goguma's Fear.
“You shouldn't put on airs with a mere corpse, unless you're a living Ancient-grade dragon.”
The hierarchy of skills stood above the skill level itself.
Meaning, the Dragon race could never surpass an Ancient Species.
Goguma proudly spread his wings wide.
'Yes. That's my pet.'
Jinhyuk gently patted Goguma's head.
[That... that tiny reptile is... an Ancient Species?! That is absurd... How can a human tame an Ancient Species? I cannot believe it. This is utterly impossible!]
The Lich muttered in disbelief.
Of course, whether he believed it or not didn't matter in the slightest.
“Now!”
“Yes, Hyung!”
Right on Jinhyuk's cue, Lee Tae-min's drones switched their mana bullets to special rounds.
Bang!
The blue smoke was a complex mixture of various types of mana.
Naturally, this was bound to confuse the undead, who relied on tracing mana residue to locate their targets.
That served as the starting signal.
With Jinhyuk leading the charge, Cheon Yu-seong, Lee Tae-min, and Yu Yeon-hwa scattered in all directions.
Wolyeong moved fiercely toward the bottom.
“Groooaar!”
The Bone Dragon thrashed its head wildly from side to side.
Crackle!
Hummmm!
The Death Knights riding on top also fully charged their Aura Blades, bracing themselves for the impending ambush.
They had instinctively realized that this very moment was the most dangerous.
Front, back, left, right—
the enemy could strike from anywhere.
Moreover, their opponents possessed more than enough martial prowess to harm them.
They could not afford to let their guard down.
A solemn, tense atmosphere hung in the air ahead of the final clash.
And yet...
...the scene that followed once again far exceeded all expectations.
[W-What on earth are you doing?!]
The enraged Lich screamed at the top of his lungs.