Chapter 247
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 247
Chapter Title: The Hunter's Resolve (2)
His consciousness wavered.
A massive force originating from his abdomen engulfed his upper body, soon sweeping over his lower half as well.
It hardened his body to its utmost limit.
His body was pushed back.
Hawks did not let his fading consciousness escape.
He had experienced situations like this more than anyone.
With a mighty flap of his spread wings, he dove downward.
He didn't know what kind of magic it was, but all forces had a flow.
It was a straight beam of light.
If it shifted up or down, the force would inevitably weaken relatively.
He flicked his index finger to reload the crossbow.
'Impressive for a human, but I'm not a body that crumbles to something like this.'
He clenched his fist.
Twang—
The arrow shot out.
The arrow, hardened through rigidification and cloaked in aura, pierced the light in its thin, pointed form.
Modified for Hawks' ease of use, the crossbow's power far exceeded imagination.
Jamie, seeing the arrow flying through the light from below, started to raise a shield but instead leaped aside.
As he moved downward, he watched the light beam he had created split diagonally.
"Good call not blocking it."
Had he tried to block it with a shield, it would have pierced right through, inflicting a fatal wound.
Even after taking "Let There Be Light" head-on, it had countered immediately.
As expected of one of Frontier's top powerhouses.
That was when it happened.
Twang— Twang—
Two sharp sounds rang out from not far away.
Jamie activated Beyond Avalon.
Two arrows flew at him like beams of light, passing straight through.
And the moment they embedded into the massive boulder behind him.
Boom!! Boom!!!
The arrows didn't stop there; they pulverized the massive boulder into dust in an instant and flew off into the unseen distance.
With a flap of wings, Hawks appeared in midair.
"Not bad."
He landed leisurely on the ground as if it were nothing.
In truth, the damage to his body seemed minimal.
Rumble—!!
From quite a distance away came the sound of a cliff-like structure collapsing.
Jamie turned to look and saw a tall cliff in the distant forest crumbling down.
Hawks' voice reached him.
"Looks like it finally hit."
The two arrows that had passed him by earlier had shattered the boulder and brought down the cliff.
Jamie let out a hollow chuckle at the absurd destructive power.
Normally, an arrow's power should weaken the farther it traveled.
After all, crossbows and bows had limits to their draw strength.
As Jamie turned back to face him, Hawks spoke.
"Was that your best shot just now?"
"As if."
"Good. If that was your limit, you'd never take me down."
Jamie frowned at Hawks' boastful tone.
"Let There Be Light" was one of the top offensive spells among those using holy light.
Hawks was undoubtedly strong.
Stronger than he had imagined—a bird beyond expectations.
Especially his rigidification, combined with Hawks' prowess, made it a natural counter to mages.
'If he hardens up, it'll be tough to snap that beak.'
He had declared earlier that he'd break the beast's beak by daylight.
Jamie gripped his staff tighter and soared into the sky.
It wouldn't be easy to win with ordinary methods.
But he didn't want to resort to black magic either.
Secrets were best kept by as few people as possible.
In the end, he'd have to settle it with white magic alone...
"Guess I'll have to show off my skills for the first time in ages."
He had barely used it in this life.
He had stubbornly stuck to other ways, fearing it would drag him back to his past life's shackles.
But now was not the time to hold back.
"Got more to show?"
"Keep your eyes wide open. I'll show you human limits have no end."
"Human, huh..."
Hawks resumed his hunting stance.
His aura shifted dramatically.
"Not just humans. Races unfit for battle should stick to what they can do under the strong's protection. Leave the fighting to me."
"I don't know what twisted logic got you there, but..."
Innumerable lines began weaving complexly above Jamie's head.
"I'll smash that gloomy ego of yours."
It was a magic circle.
Not just one.
Through layering techniques, multiple magic circles formed, their lines and surfaces interconnecting to create a three-dimensional structure.
Several massive立体 magic circles synthesized simultaneously, and a colossal magic circle began manifesting high in the sky.
Blood trickled from Jamie's seven facial orifices.
Since it wasn't a method comprehended through magical insight, it placed an immense burden on his body.
It felt like his vital energy was flowing backward.
His mana cores seemed on the verge of collapse.
"I don't know why you didn't attack, but..."
Jamie forced a grin toward Hawks.
"Try blocking this too."
The colossal magic circle blanketing the sky began emitting rainbow hues.
[The End]
Light descended from the center of the magic circle.
Hawks muttered as he watched it.
"I didn't hold back."
Hawks placed his spear atop the crossbow.
The two weapons began merging into one.
Frontier's master blacksmith Ironrill had crafted it personally—Hawks' exclusive ultimate weapon.
The long stock extending up and down from his fully gloved left hand, the aura bowstring, and finally, the aura arrow formed by hooking his right index and middle fingers on the string.
"I can't lose to a human. I'm a warrior of the Jo-in tribe, braver than any. A hunter more skilled and seasoned than any."
The humiliation of having his face trampled and insulted.
A horrific memory he, born a warrior and hunter, had never endured before.
The strong should act as the strong, the weak as the weak.
Then, were the Jo-in tribe strong or weak?
"I am..."
His hawk eyes gleamed fiercely.
"The strong. So I absolutely cannot lose to a human!! Realize your limits!!!"
Even if it mirrored dragon logic.
To reach that realm, he had to become like them.
Even if it meant being called a damned bastard.
"I'll shatter your full-power attack head-on!!"
He released the fully drawn string.
A massive aura arrow shot toward the falling light.
It was a deafening roar.
Everyone asleep in the village jolted awake at the sound.
Vena, dozing in Jamie's lodging, bolted upright from bed and rushed to the window.
Behemoth, now awake, landed lightly on her head.
"Wh-what was that noise?!"
"A clash of massive forces. Open the window!"
She drew back the curtains and flung open the window, unleashing a gale.
"Eek!"
"Wh-what is this?!"
It was the dead of night, yet the sky blazed like midday.
What could have caused this white night phenomenon?
Vena roughly smoothed her wind-tossed hair and leaned out the window.
Spotting something, she pointed.
"L-look over there!"
"Whoa."
High in the sky, two forces collided, generating tremendous resonance.
The terrifying energy was jaw-dropping.
Isis witnessed the scene too.
"My god."
She slapped her forehead.
Jin beside her looked incredulous, his mask hiding a twisted grimace.
"That damn Hawks."
"His opponent... must be Jamie."
"Damn it. We need to stop them quick..."
"Hold on, Isis."
"Why?"
Jin blocked Isis as she moved to rush toward the fight.
He glanced back at the window.
"They're the two who were bound to clash anyway. This might be for the best."
"But it could damage the village."
"Then we'll contain it to that extent. They can handle it, right?"
It was sound logic, leaving Isis speechless.
She sighed and stepped outside.
"I'll block the shockwaves as best I can. You minimize civilian damage. That's an order."
"Got it, boss."
And elsewhere.
Blacksmith Ironrill gazed at the brightly lit sky like daytime and muttered.
"Hawks. You're using that, huh?"
The ultimate weapon made exclusively for Hawks: "Hunter's Resolve."
A fusion artifact born from merging crossbow and spear.
Even a regular mana user could level the back hills with its power.
For a top Frontier powerhouse like Hawks, it could reshape the map.
"But his opponent's no slouch."
He wore his self-made glasses artifact "See It All!" with see-through vision.
It revealed the colossal magic circle in the sky.
The mana light originating from it clashed with Hunter's Resolve.
Neither side held clear superiority; they were evenly matched.
One thing was certain.
"Hawks. You can't underestimate humans anymore."
Ironrill turned away, entering his forge as if he'd seen enough.
In contrast, some watched silently.
The elf Nel-Sharan, hood drawn deep even late at night.
She focused more on the massive magic circle than the clashing forces.
No one knew her thoughts.
Her face was expressionless by nature.
"Nel."
Someone called from behind.
Brahma, a fellow elf.
Five years ago in Senderman, she had helped return Vena to her homeland with companions, bringing Behemoth here.
Nel-Sharan's cousin as well.
Gazing at the ceaseless flashes outside, she said.
"He's gotten much stronger than back then, Jamie Welton."
"You know him?"
Nel-Sharan asked flatly. Brahma smiled softly and nodded.
"Not well, but I saw him once five years ago. Thought he was just a cheeky kid..."
"Strong."
"Interested?"
"Interested?"
Nel-Sharan tilted her head.
She murmured, staring out the window.
"Interested..."
Then she clamped her lips shut, lost in thought, eyes fixed skyward.
Brahma sighed briefly.
As a fellow mage, she best knew the extent of Jamie Welton's magic.
Brahma wasn't a mage, but even to her, Jamie's skill was beyond imagination.
'What the hell did he do in five years to get this strong?'
High elves, dragons, anyone—it was impossible to grow this dramatically in mere five years.
Yet he matched Hawks without yielding.
But the clash would end soon.
The light intensified.
Too blinding to face directly, Brahma turned away.
And like a lie, the light vanished, night returning.
The fight was decided.