Chapter 161
Chapter 161
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: A Dangerous Wager
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"A bet?"
"That's right! Let's make a bet!"
Havik's expression turned peculiar.
"Absurd! You have nothing to offer me! All that exists are the two choices I present!"
Havik didn't stop, launching his daggers.
The daggers flew like arrows and struck Herteias, but they were either blocked by layered barriers or, even if they pierced through, simply bounced off the Golem Armor and fell away.
"If you get rid of me here, you could easily conquer Tranpeion—no, even Earth, which you've seen for yourself. You still don't like the sound of that?"
At Do-jae's question, Havik's eyebrow twitched.
Neither of them had shown their full strength yet.
If they were to clash with their full power, even if Do-jae's power was slightly lacking, Havik wouldn't emerge unscathed.
No, in the worst-case scenario, if an Ascetic sacrificed themselves to imbue Do-jae with their power, just as Haydn had done, Havik could find himself at a disadvantage.
"So confident, with the Ascetics backing you!"
"Haha, they're everything to me. Of course I am."
Havik stopped launching daggers and unleashed his power.
And soon, it summoned black storm clouds in the sky.
"Black clouds... Is this Gellahan's mana?"
Havik's power originated from Gellahan.
The black clouds formed when Gellahan's mana swelled explosively.
Sting-!
As the dense mana of Gellahan touched Do-jae's body, a tingling sensation spread through him.
But this was actually a favorable situation for Do-jae.
"Thanks for replenishing my mana."
His mana, which had been depleted from the lesson in Draconic magic.
Drawing on his numerous experiences of absorbing Gellahan's mana, Do-jae began to chip away at Havik's power.
Realizing this, Havik retracted the power he had unleashed.
His plan to overwhelm Do-jae with the difference in their power wasn't working.
"Hah! Take this!"
Herteias seized the opening and unleashed a spell on Havik.
A massive wave, churning with white foam, crashed over Havik.
Swoosh-!
The edges of the wave froze in the mountain's chill, turning into sharp icicles that stabbed at Havik.
"Pathetic!"
When Havik deployed a curtain of mana, the icicles shattered and the wave was deflected.
Instead, the aftermath washed over Do-jae.
"Watch your aim!"
A thin layer of ice formed on the Golem Armor after the cool drenching.
Herteias was certainly impressive for casting a water spell powerful enough to create a valley on a mountain in this weather, but right now, it was just a hindrance.
"Sorry! I thought he'd at least get swept away!"
"Don't use that spell! What if I get drowned?"
He was being sucked down the chasm like water flushing down a toilet.
Still, with his golem below, he wasn't worried.
Thud-!
Do-jae leaped up, kicking off a protruding rock.
The mana he'd recovered thanks to Havik surged into the Black Scale.
Fwoosh-!
He imbued the shimmering mana into a sword strike and launched it at Havik.
Using the Nerves of the Golem, he manipulated the crescent-shaped mana, spreading it wide.
The mana, spread wide like a net, wrapped stickily around Havik.
"Tch. What an annoying trick!"
Havik waved his hand, severing the constricting threads of mana with his own.
Next, a black flame ignited in Havik's palm, and he threw it toward Herteias.
Boom-!
Do-jae threw himself in front of Herteias, shielding him.
As the black flame exploded on his back, his Golem Armor was stripped away, and even his clothes were burned black.
Do-jae's pale back turned red as he was burned.
"Th... Thanks. If only I could manifest, a mere flame spell like this would be nothing..."
"Forget it!"
Do-jae moved away from Herteias, opening his Subspace to reinforce his Golem Armor.
At this rate, it would just be a battle of attrition.
He had to find a way to deplete Havik's power.
And he had to do it in a way that would force Havik to propose a choice with the greatest possible backlash.
Just then, Elatra's voice echoed in Do-jae's mind.
"...Really."
Do-jae murmured while enduring Havik's mana.
Herteias gave him a strange look, but he ignored it.
Then, after tossing Herteias aside, he closed the distance to Havik.
"Havik!"
Do-jae called out to Havik as he deactivated his Golem Armor.
Then he ripped off his shirt and shouted.
"Here, I'll wager the Heart of the Golem. Make me any offer you want!"
The red magic stone glowed brightly in the center of Do-jae's chest.
Havik stopped launching mana at Herteias and watched with interest.
"So you're willing to bet everything... How interesting..."
***
"Elatra, are you serious?"
"It's a dangerous gamble. You could be consumed."
The voices of Altein and Ruiden reached him not through his mind, but through his ears.
That's right.
This meant they weren't in another world, but in a newly created space.
Do-jae could see the form of Elatra, shimmering with light.
"This is the only way. I've already transferred most of my power to the Adversary. All that's left is for me to make Havik self-destruct."
Elatra spoke with a resolute voice.
It had been Elatra's instruction for Do-jae to wager the Heart of the Golem.
She had said that luring Havik required a powerful stimulus, and only something like the Heart of the Golem would pique his interest.
In the end, Elatra's plan worked, and Havik proposed two choices.
- It seems you know me quite well! To claim your heart, I must wager power of equal value. But I like this. I do so enjoy these precarious moments! Then I shall give you two choices. The first is...
The first was to kill three beings closely related to Do-jae.
In return, Havik would offer half of his power.
Only half his power left?
That would give Do-jae an enormous chance of victory.
But Do-jae couldn't choose the first option.
Beings closely related to him included Sarieta, Oson, Tahul, Salreuta, and Katania, who had traveled with him during his previous summoning to another world.
There was also the Titan boy Theus, whom he met during this summoning, as well as Harkes and Herteias.
He had met many other races, but since Havik had specified 'closely related', killing someone with a weak connection would violate the terms, and the Heart of the Golem would be destroyed.
- I will choose the second option.
The second choice.
The second was to endure pain close to death three times, in exchange for which Havik would offer two-thirds of his power.
But this one was also difficult to choose.
Not only did he not know the extent of 'pain close to death', but he would also have to fight Havik while enduring it.
Nevertheless, Elatra told him to choose the second option.
Her voice had been full of faith and conviction.
The half-Elatra would have hesitated between the two choices.
No, she wouldn't even have thought of wagering the Heart of the Golem in the first place.
Having decided to trust her, Do-jae followed Elatra's words without a doubt.
"Adversary, Lee Do-jae."
A golden hawk mask materialized on Elatra's forehead.
Her flowing dress also transformed into that of a warrior.
It was the same appearance from the painting he had seen in the temple where they first met.
"The power of my eyes is not limited to that. When all our strength is gathered as one, you will be able to see far more than before."
As Elatra finished speaking, a numbness began to creep into Do-jae's arms and legs.
The second choice was beginning to take effect.
"Kuh... Lady Elatra. Did you foresee this when you told me to choose?"
Do-jae asked, enduring a pain like his flesh was being torn and burned.
This much?
It was still bearable.
Nod-.
Elatra gave a serene smile and nodded.
Then, she walked forward toward Havik.
"Endure it for just a little longer."
***
Thud-.
Overwhelmed by the rising pain, Do-jae fell to his knees.
But he never took his eyes off Elatra.
He wanted to capture her final moments as she deliberately lured out Havik's space and sacrificed herself to deal with him.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you like that!"
Havik watched arrogantly, arms crossed.
"There was no condition that I couldn't intervene, was there?"
"True. I didn't expect an Ascetic to confront me directly. Just like in the past!"
"You are merely a subordinate of Gellahan. Inflicting pain on our Adversary is impossible outside a space created with Gellahan's power. Thanks to that, I too was able to reveal myself and stand before you."
"Are you saying I've dug my own grave? Kuhahahat! So what! Your power is far inferior to mine anyway. I, Havik, will annihilate an Ascetic here and shatter the Adversary's heart!"
Fwoooosh-!
A chilling aura erupted from Havik.
Altein stepped in front of the weeping, blood-eyed Do-jae to block the aura, and Ruiden came to his side.
"The pain is that bastard's authority, so I can't get rid of it, but I can at least soothe your mind."
As Ruiden placed a hand on Do-jae's head, past memories flashed by like short clips.
They were all memories of times when Do-jae had been happy.
For instance, the sight of his younger brother delighting in a Metallic Hero toy, or the scene of him chatting with Eun-hee over coffee.
"Ugh... Thank you, Ruiden..."
As the happy memories surfaced, his will to endure the pain grew stronger.
If only for Elatra, who was fighting fiercely against Havik over there.
Craaaash-!
"How?"
Havik blurted out, his eyes wide.
Elatra's power had clearly fallen to a pathetic level.
And yet, the spear she wielded easily parried Havik's power-infused longsword.
At times, it even triumphantly pierced through Havik's power to strike at him.
"If you think we used all our power to seal Gellahan and you Apostates, you are mistaken."
"What do you mean? Didn't you also expend all your power and entrust it to that human over there?"
"Huhu... This is why you are only half-divinities. Granted only crude authority by Gellahan."
Shhhwing-!
Elatra pulled down the golden hawk mask over her face.
Her spear flashed, piercing through Havik's power.
Havik stumbled backward in alarm.
"Do you think you broke the seal yourselves?"
"Then..."
"The seal was designed to be broken from the very beginning. Han told me in advance. Even before the war began!"
Swish-!
Boom-!
Elatra's form vanished, and where she reappeared, her spear was piercing the empty air.
Crack-.
Crack-crack-crack-.
The space around Elatra's spear tore apart, creating fissures.
She had destroyed Havik's space itself.
"This level of power is impossible..."
"If you had come first, instead of that human, none of this would have happened."
Through the eyeholes of the hawk mask, Elatra's eyes glowed blue.
The hawk mask was a divine artifact that had preserved the power of the half-Elatra.
If Do-jae hadn't discovered the temple and an Apostate had come to eliminate the half-Elatra first, she would never have been able to wield such power.
Psssss-.
Elatra's eyes shone even brighter as the sharp tip of her spear aimed for Havik's throat.
"This... This is too... anticlimactic..."
Thrust-