Chapter 334
Chapter 334
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 334
>Chapter Title: The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board
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Crack, crunch—!
Stone shards crafted by the Night Crow's sorcery flew toward the Lizard, but the Lizard's ice armor nullified them with ease.
It had been a probe to gauge the armor's strength anyway, but the fact that it dealt absolutely no damage wasn't good news.
Kang Seol winced as he recalled the message that had flashed by briefly.
‘Era Force, huh… So this is going to be no easy task.’
Era Force was deeply tied to Kang Seol.
It was a power absolutely necessary for challenging Ascension, after all.
The problem was encountering the opportunity to obtain it far too soon.
Era Force wasn't granted in just any adventure. Naturally, it was a power bestowed only for absurd feats or for writing history itself.
In other words, battling the Lizard before his eyes would bring major trouble.
Ssssss…
A thick layer of pure white mist settled around them.
It carried an intense chill that made one's face scrunch up just from brushing against it.
[The Lizard uses Authority: Frozen Blood.]
[Targets facing the Lizard accumulate chills over time.]
[The maximum chill value is 100.]
[When chills reach 50, movement speed decreases by 20%.]
[When chills reach 80, mana efficiency drops by 20%.]
[When chills hit the maximum, the target freezes.]
[Frozen targets thaw upon contact with another target, resetting accumulated chills.]
[Each thaw increases the starting chill accumulation value by 10.]
[Targets that have thawed once become exposed to sorcery erosion.]
[Freezing cannot be resisted, but chill accumulation can be resisted through specific actions.]
Authority.
Kang Seol, having grasped the Lizard's Authority, conveyed his intent to Bron.
“Bron, start circulating your origin first.”
Nod…
Bron caught on to Kang Seol's intention, nodded, and attempted to circulate his origin.
Whoooosh…
Circulating the origin was tantamount to resisting the Lizard's power.
This would alter the time it took to reach the freezing threshold.
The fatal scenario of both freezing simultaneously was now avoidable.
Craaack…
[The Lizard uses Glacier Breaker.]
[Both arms are treated as weapons.]
[Half of the damage converts to glacier attribute.]
Whiiish…
The Lizard gathered strength in its arms and smashed into the bone hill.
KABOOM-!
As bone fragments scattered everywhere, the Night Crow and Bron hurriedly erected walls to defend.
Kagagagak-!
Papapapapak!
The fragments couldn't breach the walls, but the Lizard demolished them effortlessly.
KABOOM!
“Monstrous….”
Pop-!
The Lizard shattered the wall and charged in.
The Night Crow switched to close combat.
Clack-!
He deflected the Lizard's straight punch upward, then targeted its legs.
- Hmph.
Whirrlik-!
The Night Crow's leg seemed to trip it up, but the Lizard countered by kicking the leg upward and pressing the assault.
Right then, Bron unleashed his ploy.
Clap-!
[Bron uses Waterfall Sorcery: Splash!]
[The terrain around the target changes to a narrow lake formation.]
Ploosh!
The Lizard sank straight into the lake.
Clap-!
[Bron uses Waterfall Sorcery: Swordfish Barrage.]
[16 swordfish arrows target enemies in the water.]
[The effects applied to swordfish arrows are identically applied.]
Pewpewpewpewpew-!
Arrows shaped like swordfish with sharp upper jaws targeted the Lizard.
Sploooosh!
Water sprayed as the Lizard burst out.
“…Damn it.”
- Is that all?
In the end, Bron's attack failed to pierce the Lizard's armor. This one exchange forced Bron to revise his battle strategy.
Bron locked eyes with the Night Crow and nodded.
It seemed they were switching to defense.
Claaaap-!
The Night Crow clapped, summoning sorcery orbs.
Whooooosh…
Sulfur, lightning, mountain, and a shadow skull made from that bastard's skull.
At this point, the Night Crow couldn't say whether Kang Seol or Jamad held the initiative.
Neither could oppose the Lizard's power without going all out.
Fwoosh…
The sulfur skull chattered its jaws open.
- Everything shall burn…
Fwooooosh-!
Flames erupted massively.
But trouble arose before the fire could spread.
[Authority: Frozen Blood greatly reduces sulfur's influence.]
‘…Damn.’
The Night Crow's first option was sealed from the start.
Craaackle…!
[The Lizard uses Pillar Pull.]
[An ice pillar is summoned.]
[The ice pillar can be used as a weapon.]
[It can be retrieved.]
A massive ice pillar the size of the Lizard's body appeared atop its arm.
Flash-!
“Shrieeeek!”
The Lizard hurled it without hesitation.
The Night Crow swiftly dodged the pillar and glared at the foe.
KABOOM!
Craaackle…
The pillar returned to the Lizard.
- Such a…
The Night Crow smirked.
“Don't hoard it too much, or it'll run out.”
[Lightning origin force activates.]
[Origin Force: Thunderbolt activates.]
While evading the incoming ice pillar, the seal of lightning he'd left on the pillar itself.
Ziiiiing…
KABOOOOOM-!
The thunderbolt's power shattered the ice pillar, and the resulting physical force engulfed the Lizard.
Thunderbolts were one of Jamad's confident origin forces. Their violent nature suited the word "destruction" best.
However.
“Why are you still unscathed….”
As the mist cleared, the Lizard's armor was scratched in places but otherwise intact.
The Lizard uttered its signature line again.
- Is that all?
Neither sulfur nor lightning worked.
Status ailments seemed ineffective against the Lizard.
Pure destructive power was the only way to deal damage, but even that wasn't smooth.
Origin force was depleting with nothing substantial to show.
It was only because of sulfur and lightning that they achieved even this much; unfamiliar shadow and glacier powers wouldn't have a chance.
The only usable one left was the mountain's power.
As his very roots, the mountain's power could produce far superior force compared to the others.
Crunch…
The Lizard's armor corner crumbled.
‘No way, did it work?’
Crack…
But a new layer of armor quickly overlaid the damaged spot.
“Ha….”
- Child of the waterfall, death could not claim you, yet why do you rush toward death again?
The Lizard directed its dry words at Bron.
Bron, who had been circulating his origin to avoid freezing alongside the Night Crow, scoffed.
“Because that's the path forward to life.”
- Fools, so frail without the shadow of the Origin God. You can do nothing.
Crunch…
As Bron grew angry and tried to retort, Jamad raised a hand to stop him.
“No need for talk. The victor's words become truth anyway.”
- Meaningless.
Smirk…
Jamad grinned in response.
“Let's verify your words right now. Bron, now!”
“Ooh!”
Crunchle—
Shwaaaaaaaa-!
An earth wall surged up, blocking the Lizard's view.
The Lizard instinctively realized the ploy.
Craaackle…
Judging that the accumulated chills had frozen the Night Crow, it assumed they were using this flimsy wall to cover their contact.
KABOOM-!
The Lizard swung its fist, crumbling the earth wall in an instant, revealing Jamad frozen solid before it.
“No!”
- …Pathetic.
Bron desperately rushed toward Jamad, shouting, as the Lizard mocked their antics.
For such meager beings to challenge the Origin God's power.
- It's over.
KABOOM-!
The Lizard smashed the ice.
Crackle, shatter…
With the Night Crow's form breaking apart, victory seemed decided. Bron couldn't face the Origin God alone.
“You bastaaard!”
Claaaap-!
[Bron uses Waterfall Sorcery: Water Prison.]
[Restrains the target.]
[The smaller the target, the stronger the restraint.]
Groooan…
Bron's sorcery targeted the Lizard's arms.
- …Hm?
Something was off.
It seemed fueled by rage, but the attack was too composed.
Aiming for the arms instead of the neck felt suspicious.
And then he realized their scheme.
- …Not bad.
As the Lizard turned its head, having its arms temporarily sealed, the Night Crow sprang from the earth wall's corner.
The shattered form was merely a glacial decoy sculpted by ice power.
The real Night Crow had hidden in the wall from the start, aiming for the back.
“Eat this!”
The Night Crow mashed all his sorcery orbs together and blasted them at the Lizard.
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM-!
[Sulfur sorcery orb is destroyed.]
[Shock propagates.]
[Overload state entered. Sorcery destructive power increases by 15% temporarily.]
[Lightning sorcery orb is destroyed.]
[Shock propagates.]
[Overload state entered. Sorcery destructive power increases by 15% temporarily.]
[Mountain sorcery orb is destroyed.]
……
Whoooooooosh!
A massive energy vortex sucked in.
The Night Crow froze before he could see the result.
Craaackle…
[Chills reach maximum.]
[Freezing! Enters frozen state.]
[Cannot escape on your own until contact with another ally.]
……
Thud.
Craaackle…
Bron placed his hand on the Night Crow's shoulder, and the ice encasing him vanished.
[Thaw! Level increases by 1.]
[Base chill value increases by 10.]
[Influenced by sorcery erosion.]
……
‘…What’s this?’
Kang Seol shuddered at the eerie, tingling sensation.
His reaction wasn't just from the thaw.
‘Something….’
Clink, rattle…
Ice chains coiled around his wrist due to sorcery erosion.
The Night Crow looked ahead.
The Lizard, armor shattered, faced him with a rougher appearance.
- Your final resort?
Craaackle…
The Night Crow placed his hand on Bron's frozen shoulder, thawing him, and replied.
“…It's just too annoying.”
Kang Seol and Jamad frowned at the Lizard, still unscathed despite exploding all their gathered sorcery orbs.
The overwhelming Origin God's power confirmed there was no easy path for them.
‘Jamad, first plan failed.’
Jamad chuckled at Kang Seol's words.
“Then what's the second plan?”
‘We’ll find out starting now.’
Boom-!
The Lizard charged at the Night Crow.
“Urk! I’ll block it!”
Bron leaped in front of the Night Crow to intercept the Lizard's attack.
The chains that had bound Bron had shrunk, now wrapping only part of one arm.
He had overcome the sorcery erosion by circulating his origin.
In contrast, massive chains—several times larger than Bron's—still bound the Night Crow's arms.
He hadn't achieved circulation yet.
It was a dire crisis, but hope remained.
As Bron said, since the erosion chains targeted the origin, he could sense the origin's power more precisely.
- Sensing the origin's movement is hard to grasp at first, but when the enemy fixates on it relentlessly, you unconsciously tense your origin.
Bron was right.
‘Circulation… I’m getting the feel now.’
“Yeah, circulation.”
Circulation, circulate it.
Griiind…
Griiiiiiind…
While performing origin circulation in the fortress, Jamad and Kang Seol had detected one anomalous reaction.
It was utterly different from Bron's.
Their origins were vast, multicolored, and heavy, making rotation extremely difficult…
“Kang Seol!”
But it was their origin, not just his.
Origin circulation could be achieved not only by Jamad, but together with Kang Seol as well.
‘Two as one, one yet two… circulate… circulate.’
A wheel. A massive wheel rotates.
Visualize it and merge with the origin.
Griiiiiiind…
BOOM-!
Soon, the wheel exploded forward.
[Multi-Origin: Achieves Circulation Realm.]
[Prepare yourselves. A great step forward approaches.]
[Meteor Shower! Sustaining Meteor Shower state continuously grants enlightenment.]
……