Chapter 199: The Immortal Archmage (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 199: The Immortal Archmage (3)
Crack, crackle...
Having calculated the timing to exactly ten minutes, the Gate closed the moment Jinhyuk and his party stepped through.
The scenery before them shifted.
Instead of a rough sea and dark, cloud-covered skies, an elegant, European-style palace appeared.
It was a garden filled with blackened flowers.
Here, quite a few undead monsters were stationed, including the Lich—the culprit behind this Outbreak.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
'So they didn't all cross over.'
About five Death Knights still remained.
Although they were about two tiers lower than the ones riding the Bone Dragons, a Death Knight was still a Death Knight. A combination of knights capable of using Aura Blades and a Lich meant they still possessed at least a basic defensive lineup.
If "those guys" inside joined forces with them, victory was far from guaranteed.
'Above all, rescuing Teresa is the priority.'
Jinhyuk turned his gaze in another direction.
Though he couldn't see it with his eyes, he could feel a powerful mana emanating from beyond the garden.
A mixture of good and evil.
He could feel a desperate will trying to hold onto sanity, clashing with a corrupting desire to break that spirit. Even at this very moment, she was undoubtedly fighting with all her might to maintain consciousness.
'Thirty minutes at most is her limit.'
Although the Saintess's corruption was something he had anticipated, failing to perfectly coordinate the timing and circumstances could lead to an irreversible disaster. An uncontrolled nuclear bomb could easily become a double-edged sword.
As Jinhyuk was sorting through the various scenarios, the enraged Lich shrieked in disbelief.
"You made it look like a head-on clash, only to slip through the Gate I opened like a rat! Do you not possess even a shred of pride?!"
To build up the tension like that, only to use the chaos to slip through the Gate. Even demons, who considered backstabbing a virtue, wouldn't pull a stunt like that.
But the Lich didn't know.
He didn't know that a veteran was someone who could make even those demons shake their heads in disbelief.
Jinhyuk snapped back as if the answer were obvious.
"I'm not an idiot. Why on earth would I waste my time fighting Bone Dragons and Death Knights?"
A righteous knight might have indulged in a duel for the sake of honor or whatever, but this was war. In war, one must pursue maximum efficiency by any means necessary.
And even now, the best course of action was to bypass the enemy's main forces, weaken them, and take out the leader directly.
Jinhyuk quickly activated 'Gluttony's Eye'.
[Bayorodum]
Race: Undead
Age: 3005
Level: 91
Strength: 55, Agility: 60, Stamina: 45, Magic Power: 213
Unique Ability: Great Magic
Skills: Lv19 'Elemental Magic', Lv18 'Black Magic', Lv18 'Necromancy', Lv18 'Undead Creation', Lv17 'Curse'
Description: Bayorodum was once a great mage of the Empire who climbed the Tower, but after realizing his limits and falling into despair, he made a contract with a Demon King to become a Lich. He is highly proficient in Black Magic as well as the magic of the Five Elements, and he is a being prepared to face any danger or pay any price for his intellectual pursuits.
[Copy Condition: A Lich who has lived in constant contempt of all existence since becoming undead. If you make him desperately experience the bitter taste of life, you will be able to copy one of his skills.]
A direct subordinate of a high-ranking demon, and the boss monster ruling the 14th floor.
That was the Lich, 'Bayorodum'.
Seeing the copy condition, the corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
One particular skill caught his eye—one that would be incredibly useful for climbing the Tower later on.
'Making someone taste the bitterness of life is my specialty.'
A rough blueprint of how to handle this situation formed in his mind.
To set up the play, first...
Jinhyuk leaned down and softly whispered something into Goguma's ear.
* * *
Contempt involves looking down on someone.
However, ignoring someone means completely disregarding their very existence.
Grit...
In that sense, Bayorodum was currently feeling an indescribable rage.
'How dare he... ignore me and look away when I am right in front of him?'
He admitted that the human possessed decent magical skills for his race. He also acknowledged that the human had caught him off guard to reach this place.
However, all of that was only impressive when considering the pathetic standards of mere humans.
"If you thought playing such cheap tricks would work... you have made a grave mistake."
Bayorodum reached out once more. If the Gate was closed, he would simply open it again.
Wrooooom!
The space trembled, and the recently closed Gate began to reopen.
However, the tear in space, which had widened to the size of an adult's fist, abruptly vanished.
It wasn't a mistake in his spellcasting. How could an Archmage who had spent his entire life mastering magic make such a blunder?
This was... the activation of the magic itself had been completely dismantled.
"You read... my spell formula? That's impossible...!"
It was a formula layered with multiple bypass circuits specifically designed to prevent external interference. Deciphering such a complex blueprint and altering the circuits should have been impossible—even for someone like him.
"Maybe if you were far away, but at this distance, interfering is easy enough. Your magic isn't even that high-level, so it wasn't very difficult."
"Don't make me laugh! A mere human who won't even live a hundred years... dares to lecture me on magic?! I am the immortal Archmage!"
The Lich roared in fury.
At the same time, the air began to vibrate violently.
[The Sacred Relic... is unleashed!]
A black cubic die appeared before Bayorodum.
Instead of dots representing numbers, each face was inscribed with red runes and illustrations.
"The Black Horned Dice."
"...?!"
At Jinhyuk's murmur, the light in Bayorodum's eyes wavered violently.
"Y-you... how do you know about this die?"
"A long time ago, I fought for three days and three nights against someone who understood this die far better than you do. He was strong enough on his own, but using that made things quite a headache."
Not a Lich, nor a demon... but a Demon King.
The battle against that monster, who transcended common sense, was a memory he could never forget.
Having fought such a being... a mere Lich was nothing.
Even if his current level and stats were lower than back then, and even if the Lich knew how to wield the magic-type Sacred Relic, the 'Black Horned Dice'.
That was all it was.
"Nonsense! No human who has laid eyes on this die has ever survived!"
"If it were an ordinary human, sure. But sorry, I'm a bit far from ordinary..."
"You do nothing but flap your mouth. Fine. Let us test if those words hold any truth."
The Lich flipped the die.
A face bearing the symbol of a bull surrounded by runes appeared.
At that exact moment, wrooooom!
A massive hexagram manifested before Jinhyuk.
Sizzle!
A searing heat, like a branding iron pressed against his skin, washed over him.
The die was indeed powerful. Even though he had instantly deployed a thin layer of 'Glacial Shaping', it couldn't completely neutralize the intense heat.
Rumble!
The ground shattered completely as a calamity fire, a mixture of flames and volcanic bombs, surged toward him. The defensive barriers he had created with Glacial Shaping began to vaporize all at once.
'Perfect. If I pretend to struggle here...'
Jinhyuk glanced sideways.
Right on cue—
"Step back if it's too much for you. This time, I'll prove once and for all that I am superior."
"There is no need for my Lord to step forward against such an evil, lowly creature."
As if they had been waiting for this exact moment, the two stepped forward simultaneously.
[Cheon Yu-seong activates his unique ability, 'Sword's Song'!]
[Wolyeong activates Lv7 'Black Heaven Art'!]
A dazzling radiance surged along Cheon Yu-seong's sword.
A blue-tinted Sword Qi, extending nearly ten centimeters, erupted from the blade. As the form of the 'Soul-Chasing Sword' fell into place, a blindingly cold sword strike took shape.
The First Strike!
A slash meant to cleave the flames cut horizontally through the air.
Crackle!
Wolyeong's blade was also enveloped in a blue and black energy.
The deep ink-black of the Black Heaven Art blended with the distinct blue light of the Sword Qi.
"Phew..."
If Cheon Yu-seong's strike was meant to deflect the enemy's attack...
Then this was the Second Strike—designed to slit the enemy's throat.
Boom!
The two techniques pierced through the flames in a single blow, hurtling straight toward Bayorodum.
"Urgh!"
Bayorodum quickly flipped the die.
This time, a pattern resembling a tortoise shell and runes appeared.
Though limited in range, it was a shield possessing 'Absolute Judgment'.
Crash!
The sword energy shattered into pieces against the transparent shield. However, unable to absorb the entire impact, Bayorodum's body reeled backward.
* * *
"That Lich has some pretty annoying skills..."
Cheon Yu-seong clicked his tongue. Then, he cocked his head toward Jinhyuk, clearly showing off.
"This is the Soul-Chasing Sword I recently perfected. As you can see, even the Lich you were struggling with is no match for this blade."
Hmm...
He was gloating so much he looked like an elementary schooler who had just gotten a perfect score on a spelling test. Should he give him a 'Great Job!' stamp and pat him on the head?
"Who do you think you are, speaking so casually to my Lord? Do you even know who he is?"
This time, Wolyeong exuded a terrifying murderous intent. He was furious at Cheon Yu-seong for speaking so disrespectfully to Jinhyuk.
Of course, Cheon Yu-seong wasn't one to take that lying down.
"And who the hell are you?"
"I am the shadow who serves my Lord. Wolyeong."
"Shadow or whatever, why are you talking like you know him so well?"
"What is so strange about a sword knowing its master well?"
"Unbelievable. I've clashed with that guy for years. No one knows him better than I do."
"You speak as if you are close friends with my Lord. However, I have never heard my Lord mention you."
"That's because that damn Colonel Teemo trusts me more than he trusts you."
Their voices grew louder.
Although Bayorodum was recovering from the shock and gathering his mana, the two of them didn't seem to care in the slightest.
"Is now really the time for us to be fighting among ourselves? Can't you see that Lich is still perfectly fine? You might have bound his feet temporarily with Sword Qi, but we need a magic attack to deliver the finishing blow!"
Seriously, I'm begging you, stop bickering. And don't try to draw your swords on each other.
"Lich or not, what matters to me is teaching this insolent brat some manners."
"I feel the same way. My Lord, please tell me. Between that human and this servant, who is more important to you?"
These absolute lunatics.
Europe was on the verge of destruction, yet protecting their own pride was more important to them?
Jinhyuk massaged his temples.
He was grateful that their intervention had drawn Bayorodum's attention, but the mere thought of running a company with these guys gave him a headache already.
However.
His playful exasperation and relaxed demeanor vanished in an instant.
Rustle.
Along with the soft sound of stepping on grass, a new figure intervened.
A chill ran down their spines.
The atmosphere shifted abruptly.
"...!"
"...!!"
"..."
The gazes of the three men turned toward the same direction simultaneously.