The Defier of Heaven (8)
"Ha..."
The Defier of Heaven let out a hollow laugh.
Right. Since he had no idea what my plan was, he had no choice but to assume I was just being needlessly arrogant.
"This is truly beyond absurd."
He growled, his voice scratching against his throat. The look he directed at me was thick with contempt.
"Fine. I will admit you are impressive. Deflecting my spells with a single swing of your sword, shattering my barrier in an instant..."
His voice trailed off as he shook his head, looking at me.
"But this is madness. Do you truly believe you can defeat me now that I have obtained a new vessel? That is nothing short of delusional, arrogant—"
A smirk slipped past my lips. My chuckle cut him off mid-sentence.
Then again, did I really need to hear any more of his rambling?
Even if I told him that all of this was part of my plan, he wouldn't believe me anyway.
I was merely putting on an act, pretending to let my guard down.
So... just hurry up and finish the ritual already, you bastard.
I couldn't understand why he wouldn't take the opportunity when it was practically handed to him on a silver platter.
Was his pride needlessly inflated because he was some ancient geezer who had lived for hundreds of years?
If so, I had no choice but to provoke him further.
I had to make him so desperate to kill me that he would cast aside whatever shred of pride he had left.
"Pathetic,"
I muttered, adopting the most obnoxious, condescending tone I could muster to mock him.
"Arrogance is a word reserved for those who lack skill but can't keep their mouths shut."
"...What?"
"I mean it suits you perfectly, not me."
The Defier of Heaven gritted his teeth so hard they ground together.
A thick, murderous intent began to cloud his face.
"Very well."
His expression hardened as if he had made up his mind. The dark red energy swirling around him grew increasingly intense.
He was resuming the ritual to inject his soul into the new vessel.
"If death is what you wish for, I shall gladly grant it to you!"
A chilling energy surged violently.
The cavern, already a complete mess, began to shake violently as if struck by an earthquake.
Stone dust rained down from the ceiling.
And the ground cracked and split open, steam hissing up from the fissures.
"Kahahahat!"
A vortex of black mana enveloped the altar.
Within the intensifying gale, the Defier of Heaven spread his arms wide.
The young man's body slowly began to float into the air.
The Defier of Heaven's maniacal laughter echoed through the cavern.
A pathological obsession gleamed in his eyes.
The young man's body convulsed, and a white light spilled from his wide-open pupils.
"Through this new body, I shall... once again... challenge... ascension!"
The ritual reached its climax.
A dark red mist billowed from the Defier of Heaven's original form.
Like a soul leaving its shell, the mist slowly seeped into the young man's body floating above the altar.
"This is the end! The moment I return to my complete form, all of you will meet your demise!"
The earth rumbled. The cracks in the ground widened further, and a deep, subterranean resonance filled the cavern.
And finally, after a terrifying tremor, everything fell dead silent.
The young man's body slowly descended back onto the altar. His entire frame was shrouded in a dark red aura, his eyes tightly shut.
His joints popped and cracked as his body twisted intermittently.
His blood vessels, muscles, and bones were undergoing a complete restructuring.
Just like when I had first accepted the Dragon Body... the vessel hosting the Defier of Heaven's soul was adapting and transforming into its optimal state.
When the young man finally opened his eyes again, his pupils held the depth of a dark abyss.
"Ahhh..."
Hot steam and a low groan escaped his slightly parted lips.
"The ritual was a success. I no longer feel the weight of the 'status' that crushed my shoulders, nor that agonizing pain."
The corners of the young man's—no, the Defier of Heaven's—mouth twisted into a grotesque smirk.
He looked at me, smiling with deep satisfaction.
"I finally understand your intentions, Seeker. You are of the same breed as the Fire Dragon Sword Master."
"..."
"A true warrior who seeks meaning in life through combat against powerful foes. That is why you wanted to bring me to my optimal state..."
"No. Not really."
I cut him off.
His overly dramatic, theatrical tone was getting so cringeworthy that it was becoming hard to listen to.
A soft chime rang in my ear.
At the same time, a new checkmark appeared next to the private message I had sent to Strawberry Latte.
"I just had something I wanted to test out."
"What? What does that..."
My sword moved in a flash.
It was a strike devoid of any aura, mana, or energy.
The Feather Sword sliced through the empty air, hitting nothing but wind.
"...?"
The Defier of Heaven stared at me, utterly bewildered.
Since I was nowhere near striking distance, he hadn't even bothered to cast a defensive spell and stood completely unguarded.
His brow furrowed as he asked,
"What are you doing? Why are you swinging your sword at empty air all of a sudden..."
"I didn't slash the air."
Cutting him off, I sheathed the Feather Sword.
The clear, metallic ring of the blade sliding home was a sound I could never tire of.
The Defier of Heaven narrowed his eyes in confusion, but I paid him no mind and continued.
"I slashed your soul."
"What nonsense are you talking about all of a sud—"
Before he could even finish his sentence, his body collapsed.
The dark abyss in his pupils instantly dissolved, leaving his eyes blank.
His body hit the ground with a heavy thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
As everyone watched the scene in sheer shock, a series of new notification windows popped up.
You have used the Authority Skill: Eternal Slayer Jin.
Directly attacked the target's spiritual body.
Nullified the target's immortality.
...It worked.
Eternal Slayer Jin. The skill I had acquired by defeating the corrupted Sea Moon Mother in the Sky Ocean Forest.
With this, I was able to target and cleanly eliminate only the Defier of Heaven's soul without damaging the young man's physical body.
Allows the user to directly attack all types of spiritual entities.
An effect that allowed direct attacks on spiritual bodies.
It was the same principle I used when I singled out and killed the corrupted Sea Moon Mother within Doricco Shiro's Soul Separation Barrier.
Only now, I didn't even need to go through the hassle of setting up a barrier.
As long as I had this skill, I could kill any specific ego coexisting within a single body at will.
Indeed. The reason I had gone out of my way to visit the Sky Ocean Forest before coming to Wintersield Magic Academy, and the reason I had obtained Eternal Slayer Jin there...
All of it was merely a blueprint drawn up for this very plan.
By the way...
I carefully examined the young man lying face down on the ground.
...Was the enhancement a success?
Ever since the Defier of Heaven possessed his body, many changes had occurred.
Rebirth. A mage who had reached the absolute peak, like the Defier of Heaven, had reconstructed the physical vessel into its ultimate state.
His skeletal structure had changed, and the energy flowing around his body had grown much stronger. The internal changes were likely even more drastic.
"Ugh..."
The young man, who had been collapsed on the floor, groaned and pushed himself up, clutching his head.
"...!"
Selena's eyes widened in shock at the sight.
"Be careful! The Defier of Heaven is still alive—!"
"No," I quickly cut her off.
Selena, who was about to squeeze out the last drops of her depleted mana to cast a spell, froze in place.
"There is no need to worry. He is harmless."
No sooner had I spoken than the young man opened his mouth, his voice dazed.
"W-what? What's going on..."
As he looked around in utter confusion, the deep abyss was no longer present in his eyes.
Instead, they held the gaze of an ordinary man... or rather, the soul of the 'second player' who had been transmigrated into this godforsaken world.
I smirked and offered a silent greeting in my mind.
Good to see you, Strawberry Latte.
"Gasp!"
His eyes snapped open.
Gasping for air, Professor Biorf bolted upright.
He shouted in a panicked voice,
"Damn it! You disgusting monster! I'll reduce you to ashes right now—huh?"
Biorf, who had been yelling at the top of his lungs, suddenly froze with a blank expression.
"Where am I?"
Professor Biorf looked around, completely bewildered.
Just moments ago, he had been locked in a desperate battle in the middle of the pitch-black Abyss...
"A-an infirmary?"
When he finally came to his senses, he found himself lying on a bed in the academy's infirmary.
"You're awake, Biorf."
"What! Selena? Were you there too?"
Professor Selena's voice drifted over from the adjacent bed.
However, a curtain was drawn between them, preventing him from checking her condition directly.
"Are you alright? How are your injuries?"
Biorf barked out in frustration.
"Why aren't you answering? You aren't seriously hurt, are you?!"
"Well, yes... I sustained some injuries, but they aren't critical."
"Whew! That is a relief!"
"...It seems you are doing well yourself, Biorf. Judging by how loud your voice is."
"Of course I am! I take my health very seriously, after all!"
"How impressive."
"Kahahahat!"
Biorf let out a hearty laugh.
"If you also start every morning with light cardio and eat three meals a day on a slow-aging diet, you too can live to be 212 years old and stay as healthy as me!"
Selena let out a sigh before replying.
"I believe that has more to do with your racial traits than your health routine... But more importantly, Biorf, considering where we are, could you lower your voice a bit?"
"Ah."
Biorf looked sheepish at Selena's reprimand.
"C-cough. My apologies. That aside... what on earth happened? Did we take care of that monster?"
Biorf whispered, keeping his voice down. Selena chuckled softly and replied,
"Yes. The monster has been dealt with."
"Ha, I knew it!"
Biorf pumped his fist in the air.
"I knew it! No matter how powerful that beast was, it couldn't stand a chance against my ultimate spell—"
"Actually, no."
"...?"
"The Sword Master was the one who defeated it."
"...Ah?"
Biorf froze, his face falling instantly.
His excitement evaporated in a second.
"S-so my magic had no effect whatsoever..."
"It wasn't like that."
Selena calmly continued.
"The Sword Master mentioned that he could never have killed the monster without your magic, Biorf. He specifically asked me to convey his gratitude to you."
"...!"
Biorf's eyes gleamed with pure joy.
"Pfft, hehehe!"
He desperately tried to suppress the laughter bubbling up. If they weren't in an infirmary, he would have burst into a boisterous roar.
"So, where is the Sword Master now?"
"He is in the VIP ward."
"...The VIP ward?"
"Yes. Along with his squire and... the sole survivor of this disaster."
Inside the VIP ward.
After having Isaac Berylof cast a Silence Barrier, I sent everyone else out of the room.
The assistants and healers dispatched by the academy, and even Adelia, who always stayed by my side.
I had no choice.
There were far too many things I needed to discuss with Strawberry Latte in private.
"So..."
After some time had passed, the young man, who had been listening to the summary of my journey so far, muttered with a dazed expression.
"...So, after killing Barba the Human Butcher in the tutorial, you coaxed Karayan to get the Feather Sword, took Adelia as your subordinate, defeated the corrupted Heavenly Dragon Bird, replaced the head of the Eastern Merchant Coalition in the free city of Vertas, went straight to the Corpse Exhibition to kill Camilo von Taribas, went to Midtemple to make a Sacred Covenant and get the easter egg, allied with Doricco Shiro in the Sky Ocean Forest, purified the Sea Moon Mother, and then came here to Wintersield Magic Academy to rescue me and kill the Defier of Heaven?"
"You missed about three things."
"..."
"In the middle of all that, I killed the Earth Dragon in the Labyrinth Village, met the Fire Dragon Sword Master to get his scale, and survived against the Black Bone Sword Master during the holy trial."
The young man's face twisted into a bizarre expression.
"Anyway, you're saying all of that happened in just one month?"
"Yeah."
"..."
A long silence stretched between us.
The young man sitting on the bed let out a deep, heavy sigh.
Scratching the back of his neck, he finally looked up at me and spoke.
"Hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Who the fuck are you, exactly?"