Chapter 301: Iron Fairy Subjugation (11)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 301: Iron Fairy Subjugation (11)
The ice mana condensing in his right hand shimmered with the brilliant, multifaceted hues of the fairies' power. A trail of light followed in Isaac’s wake, streaming behind him like a comet’s tail.
Now I understand why I’m the only one who can do this.
He felt a crushing pressure weighing down on his five senses as he channeled the power. He sensed that if he remained in this state, he might touch a transcendent truth beyond human comprehension—but the price would be his life. It was impossible to contain this much power within his body for long.
He had to pour everything into a single, decisive strike.
[“Let’s see this through to the end!”]
Clady, the Cloud Fairy, shouted with a beaming smile.
The rain drenching Rachnil did not freeze, even under the influence of [Frostwind]. Instead, it became preternaturally cold. The downpour Clady unleashed pushed Isaac's [Elemental Synergy] to its absolute limit. However, only beings on the level of fairies could truly benefit from such an effect.
Before long, Isaac reached the center of Rachnil’s chest.
[“You detestable wizard!”]
Slash!
The giant, flying greatswords severed the vines, and Rachnil regained his freedom. He swung a massive blade infused with iron mana at Isaac, the human he deemed both eerie and arrogant.
The air shrieked as the blade cut through it. It was a strike capable of cleaving the distant horizon, and the surging iron mana extended the range of the slash to terrifying proportions.
But that was the extent of his resistance.
“Yes… let’s see this to the end.”
The conclusion of 「Act 11, Chapter 3: Fairy War」 from ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
Isaac flew straight toward Rachnil. To counter the greatsword swinging his way, he unleashed the concentrated ice mana held in his right hand.
Boom!
An ear-splitting explosion rocked the battlefield.
A pale blue radiance flooded the Iron Sanctuary, erupting through the shattered ceiling and surging toward the heavens. Overwhelming firepower was unleashed upon the world. Sharp ice spikes continuously froze the very air as they stretched toward the distant sky.
Elaine, the Rainbow Fairy, dispelled her barrier and infused the rising ice masses with rainbow mana. Charged with the power of shock reflection, the ice collided with the greatswords falling from above.
Crack!
The greatswords in the sky shattered, clearing a path for the ice. Infused with the fairies’ mana and further amplified by Clady’s [Elemental Synergy], Isaac’s ice easily shattered the resilience of Rachnil’s iron.
Rumble!
A massive surge of ice overflowed, systematically obliterating the Iron Sanctuary piece by piece. The iron giant froze solid before detonating into a million shards. Debris began to rain down across the wasteland.
[“What… just happened…?”]
Amidst the raging cold, Rachnil—now reverted to his childlike form—plummeted through the air in a blind panic, his body mangled and torn. His form was saturated with a lethal, frigid chill.
Thud!
A man intercepted his fall, grabbing Rachnil by the head. Three pairs of ice wings unfurled, blotting out Rachnil’s vision. The fairy's eyes trembled violently.
The ice wizard—the very avatar of frost—glared down at him with frigid, crimson eyes.
“Didn’t I say I would kill you?”
[“P-please, spare me…!”]
Ice mana gushed forth. Rachnil’s head froze in an instant.
And then—
Crunch!
Isaac tightened his grip. Rachnil’s head shattered like glass, exploding into a cloud of frost.
The Iron Sanctuary continued to crumble. The refugees at the Aldreque shelter, the McGregor twins, the commanders of Mephisto, and the legion commanders of Dufendorf all stopped their fighting to stare at the scene, struck dumb with awe.
[“…Well, I guess I have no choice. It’s been fun, everyone! I’d love to stay longer, but it seems that’s my cue. I’ll leave the rest to you, Thanatos~.”]
“What? Hey, wait—!”
Snap!
With a sickening crack, Mephisto snapped his own neck, ending his life instantly.
Meanwhile, the Water Sovereign, Siren Silivian, watched with a look of profound admiration.
“As expected, there was a way. What a terrifying man.”
The other Elemental Kings were equally astonished by the man who had subjugated the Iron Fairy, but there was no time to relax. They had to refocus their efforts on fending off Thanatos’s assault.
Rachnil’s body turned to ash and vanished, leaving Isaac holding a strangely carved iron orb. Everything Rachnil had built dissolved into beautiful silvery dust, scattering in the wind.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the fairy [Iron Fairy Rachnil (Lv. 200)] and gained EXP!]
[Level Up! Your Level has increased to 168!]
[You have gained 44 stat points!]
[You have unlocked the legendary achievement ❰Broken Sword❱! Elemental resistances have increased by 30!]
[Loot Obtained: Iron Core]
[Iron Core]
The source of iron mana. If a suitable vessel for iron mana accepts this core, they will one day rival the fairies.
Rank: Tier 1
As Isaac withdrew his ice mana and released the frozen mass, a shimmering trail of energy fell over Aldreque like snowflakes in midwinter. To the people below, it was a sight of ethereal beauty.
As the Iron Sanctuary vanished, the rest of Isaac’s party began to fall, but they were caught in mid-air by Dorothy’s starlight and Kaya’s wind magic. They descended slowly toward the ground.
“We actually won…!” Dorothy sighed in relief.
As Alice rode Kaya’s wind magic down, she stared blankly at Isaac.
[“Kaya.”]
“Sylphia?”
Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy, leaned in and whispered into Kaya’s ear.
[“Our role ends here. We can no longer interfere in your affairs.”]
“…”
Kaya tightly hugged Sylphia. The fairy’s eyes widened in surprise.
“We can meet again, right?”
[“…Yes, cutie. I’ll always be there. See you again.”]
“Take care.”
Sylphia smiled, her form turning into glowing dust that scattered into the wind. Then, Sylphia and the four other fairies, their roles finally complete, transformed into streaks of light and shot across the sky like falling stars.
Whoosh.
[Frostwind] subsided.
As the dark clouds cleared and a rainbow arched across the horizon, sunlight poured onto the man hovering high above, his three pairs of ice wings spread wide. It was a holy sight, as if a god had descended. The chill of the Ice Sovereign—a power only accessible to those who had reached the pinnacle of the element—flowed gently from his body.
Isaac, the Ice Sovereign.
His frozen, crimson gaze shifted toward Thanatos the Ruination, looming in the distant wilderness.
Since Thanatos’s resurrection, the Elemental Kings had been using powerful magic to halt his advance. While Isaac was battling Rachnil, Thanatos had been devouring the mana of the Elemental Kings, growing stronger and larger. To Isaac, he appeared far more massive than he ever had in the game.
To defeat him, Isaac would need to unleash an attack of such overwhelming destruction that Thanatos’s ability to absorb power would become meaningless.
The Domain Expansion, [Realm of the Eternal Glacial Palace], was poison in this situation. Domain magic that did not inflict immediate, lethal damage would only serve as a growth stimulant for the demon.
Clang!
The Frostscythe, held by the Frost Dragon Hilde, dissolved into mana and reformed in Isaac’s hand.
“Demons…”
The sight of the creature ignited a cold fire in Isaac’s heart. The stage for a battle against demons was set. The conditions were met.
“I’m really sick of you guys.”
Isaac closed his eyes. The mana coursing through his body began to pulse, then rage.
[You have recognized a demon as an enemy.]
[The unique trait [Hunter] has been activated!]
[Your level and stats are temporarily and significantly enhanced!]
[Your skill tree temporarily becomes +10!]
Fully feeling the surge of power, Isaac exhaled a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. Though his level no longer increased past 200, his stats continued to soar, peaking at the EX-rank cap. At this moment, Isaac had reached a level of power that humanity could not dare to approach.
Whoosh!
The overwhelming mana of the [Hunter] spread across the world. Suddenly, the sky turned a deep, dark blue. A razor-sharp chill began to swirl through the air, enhancing the power of the ice magic raining from the heavens.
The unique magic of the Frostscythe: [Divine Authority - Everlasting Night].
In that moment, Isaac became the absolute ruler of the sky.
“Hilde.”
[“Kaaaargh!”]
Behind Isaac, the massive white dragon roared and soared into the sky. Hilde spread her beautiful wings, scattering white jade mana. The Frost Dragon carried Ian Fairytale upon her back.
“Let’s go.”
Isaac and the Frost Dragon accelerated to terrifying speeds. Wind pressure exploded in every direction as the cold of the Ice Sovereign trailed behind Isaac like a comet's tail.
“Oh my god…”
The people of Aldreque felt a terror akin to the approach of death. Even the Elemental Kings, engaged in their desperate struggle with Thanatos, felt a chilling sense of dread. Isaac’s presence as the Ice Sovereign had already surpassed all known limits.
Rumble.
A shadow cast itself over the wilderness. Suddenly, a massive iron gate of unfathomable scale manifested in the sky above the Elemental Kings and Thanatos, overlooking the earth.
Countless people looked up at the gate and gaped in shock. The Water Sovereign Siren’s expression stiffened. Lightning Sovereign Jaul and Fire Sovereign Andersen narrowed their eyes. Wind Sovereign Erin remained as expressionless as ever.
“Is that… from back then?”
“Is it the Primordial Magic Beast?”
As Siren grew bewildered, Fire Sovereign Andersen responded in a grave tone.
“Wait, hold on! If that iron gate opens, absolute zero will pour out…! Why is he summoning that monster? Ice Sovereign, what on earth are you thinking?!”
As the Elemental Kings felt an ominous premonition, a frosty voice echoed directly in their minds.
[“Deploy your barriers and hold your ground.”]
So that this world does not freeze over.
[“I’ll handle that thing.”]
Isaac gave his orders. The method for deploying the barrier became instantly clear to the Elemental Kings as Isaac’s will flashed through their consciousness.
“This is interesting…” The Water Sovereign Siren gave a faint chuckle, though she was breaking into a cold sweat. “You’re telling us to stop the end of the world… caused by you? You must be out of your mind.”
Isaac was preparing to unleash a cataclysmic force that could bring about the end of the world.