Chapter 47
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 047
Chapter Title: Veteran and Newcomer (2)
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'Let's see...'
Before clashing head-on with Terence.
I quickly scanned the battlefield.
Gilbert, Bear, and Cornell.
I was worried about those three.
The enemy's elite force consisted of five mages.
They had split into groups of one, two, and two, heading off to deal with Gilbert, Bear, and Cornell respectively.
Black mages didn't just use necromancy, so they were employing a variety of spells—earth magic, wind magic, water magic, and more—to keep their assigned opponents in check.
Still, I wasn't too concerned.
'Even if I leave them alone, we'll win.'
Gilbert, Bear, and Cornell.
These three easily dodged the enemy's spells.
Or they used the undead around them as shields, making the spells hit those instead.
Because of that, the mages facing them could only briefly slow their advance with magic—they couldn't inflict any meaningful damage.
'As long as I handle my part, we're good.'
With that thought, I turned to Terence.
He was surrounded by his horde of undead.
'He's not coming out from there.'
If I attacked him with magic, he'd use the corpses around him as shields to block it.
Just like he had with the lightning bolt earlier.
So, I couldn't just spam spells without thinking.
I needed a strategy.
"You with the shield, block in front of me."
I pondered how to counter Terence's approach.
At the same time, I directed my companions.
This was the bare minimum preparation against his attacks.
If I failed to defend, at least the men in front of me could take the hit instead.
It was harsh, but it was the best option.
'Magic.'
At that moment, I sensed mana flowing from Terence's side.
He was definitely preparing a spell.
But it wasn't Wind Blade.
The process of completing the spell felt subtly different.
Whoosh!
Moments later, a powerful gust erupted from Terence, rushing toward us.
It was strong enough to push our bodies back.
But I had no time to worry about that.
I had to block the Wind Blades hidden within it.
Thud!
I quickly cast Rock Spike, causing a boulder to rise in front of the shield-bearing men.
Right after.
Slash.
A gruesome sound rang out, leaving marks on the rock's surface.
Traces like it had been sliced by a sword.
It hadn't cut through the Rock Spike, but it had gouged deep wounds into it.
'Hiding wind inside wind? Clever.'
Good thing I'd sensed the follow-up with mana detection.
Otherwise, that last attack would've hurt badly.
So, I revised my assessment of Terence upward.
I hadn't expected an attack like that.
But there was no time to admire it.
His assaults kept coming.
Whoosh!
Another Wind Blade flew in.
But this time, the target was different.
Not me—the men.
So, I hurriedly pulled them back toward me.
"Everyone, gather around me!"
Once the men were clustered, I cast Rock Spike again.
I fused the new boulder with the rock I'd summoned earlier to protect the shield-bearers.
A wall formed in front of us in an instant.
A makeshift barrier to buy time.
Boom!
The scraping of rock against rock didn't stop from ahead.
Proof that Terence's attacks continued.
At this rate, the wall would break.
Time was short—I needed a countermeasure fast.
'He deliberately targeted the men, not me.'
Terence seemed to have noticed I cared about their safety.
That's why he aimed for them.
To force me to spend mana protecting them.
If I played into his hands, defeat was certain.
I had to seize control of the fight.
'I can't just take this lying down.'
I ordered the men to hold position.
Then slipped out from the wall alone.
A Wind Blade came flying instantly.
I ducked it and fired a Lightning Bolt at Terence.
Seeing the lightning streak toward him, he quickly hid behind an undead.
Exactly what I wanted.
Fwoosh!
The moment an undead blocked his view of me.
I seized the opening and cast Clinging Flame.
A fireball followed right after the lightning.
Terence spotted it late but didn't panic—he shot a Wind Blade forward without hesitation.
Bang!
The fireball was neatly sliced in half horizontally.
Cut by the Wind Blade.
In the end, it exploded midair, vanishing futilely and scattering small embers.
But that was my real aim.
'Mana left: 145.'
I quickly calculated my remaining mana.
Then focused intently on the embers, eyes wide.
About ten of them.
I couldn't control them all perfectly with my will.
The situation was different from when I'd faced the Kudraks before.
'Too far—they're not moving as I intend.'
If I tried shifting one right, it hesitated before finally veering that way.
A slight delay.
But that tiny lag led to disappointing results.
Fwoosh!
The embers aimed at Terence.
Most hit the undead around him, igniting their bodies.
Flames erupted simultaneously.
Even in this uncontrolled chaos, I kept my focus.
One ember remained.
Slither.
It weaved around the undead's rotten flesh.
Finally reaching Terence, it flew straight at his face.
That was when.
"Ugh!"
Terence spotted the ember.
He raised his left arm to block it.
Flames burst from there, greedily devouring his arm.
"Arghhh!"
His left arm was engulfed in an instant.
Terence screamed.
Not the best outcome, but inflicting real damage satisfied me.
Still, I couldn't stop here.
I'd finally gained the upper hand—I had to press until victory was sealed.
Crackle!
I walked toward Terence while firing a Lightning Bolt.
I saw him duck behind an undead, face twisted in agony.
That he still had the wits to watch me amid the burning pain wasn't good.
It meant he could still cast spells.
Whoosh!
Sure enough, soon after, Wind Blades flew at me.
Two of them.
One for my neck, one for my chest.
But I'd read the mana flow and predicted their paths, so I leaped right.
Slash!
Where I'd stood.
The Wind Blades sliced through empty air.
Hearing that, I hurled a fireball at Terence.
Clinging Flame.
Fwoosh!
The fireball hurtled toward Terence.
Having suffered from it before, he'd counter differently this time.
I planned to exploit that gap for a surprise.
Whoosh!
Terence sliced the fireball with a Wind Blade.
Up to here, same as before.
But after that, it changed.
After cutting the fireball.
He prepared another spell.
Checking the mana flow, I realized it was the gale he'd used earlier.
He planned to whip up a powerful wind to blow away the embers from the Clinging Flame.
The moment that thought hit me.
I knew I could win this fight.
'Now's my chance!'
Terence completed Wind Blade quickly.
Probably high proficiency since it was his main skill.
Other spells took slightly longer.
That was the weakness I targeted.
'Time to end this.'
I maxed my concentration and cast Rock Spike twice.
Consecutively?
No.
Simultaneously.
Boom!
Right after dual-casting success.
The ground heaved, two pillars surging toward Terence.
Stone pillars flying from both sides.
Terence's face twisted upon seeing them.
His stoic expression finally cracked.
'Try blocking this. Good luck.'
Terence swung Wind Blade to slice the Rock Spikes.
Not enough—he pulled undead in front, forming a wall of flesh.
But I wasn't worried.
I knew that wouldn't suffice.
Thud!
The two Rock Spikes charged their target.
Like twin spears, they pierced the undead's rotten bodies in one go.
And not just them.
"Guhk..."
A pained groan from amid the undead.
Unmistakably Terence's voice.
'Got him.'
No more spells came.
Proof Terence was in bad shape.
Too injured to cast.
'Still, no room for complacency.'
I steadied my loosening mind.
My condition wasn't great either.
Dual Rock Spikes had drained my mana.
Only about 10 left.
I couldn't keep fighting.
So.
'Control the familiar.'
I directed Gilbert.
He'd finished off his black mage handler and was rushing here.
'Gilbert, clear the undead.'
I gave the new order.
He began slaughtering them.
Literally slaughtering.
Each sword swing lopped off undead heads, arms, legs.
When Bear joined, Gilbert slipped away from the battlefield as I willed.
Bear took over his role.
"Where's Sir Cornell?"
As Bear and I approached Terence.
I asked about Cornell's position.
Bear answered immediately while clearing undead and opening a path.
"He's rescuing people while mopping up stragglers. Quite a few prisoners the black mages had."
"Probably for magic sacrifices."
Why else would black mages drag prisoners around?
Vile bastards.
And when we faced Terence, that thought solidified.
He was smiling even as he died.
"Heh heh heh..."
Terence, now face-to-face with me.
He stood rigidly in place.
Or rather, his legs hovered slightly off the ground.
His abdomen impaled by the crossed stone spikes, pinned in midair.
"The skeleton was your familiar, right?"
Suddenly, Terence asked, looking at me.
I didn't answer.
Gilbert had left the field right when Bear returned.
Without my admission, no proof he was mine.
"Necromancy, lightning magic, earth magic, even fire magic. What the hell are you? How'd you master so many types?"
I stayed silent, so he asked something else.
But it struck me as suspicious.
Like he was fishing for info on me.
'Why act like this on death's door?'
That thought sparked a memory.
Thought Body Summon.
Wouldn't at least one black mage in Eremus know a similar spell?
Then Terence doing this...
'To leave info about me behind.'
The answer hit—I asked Terence directly.
"Trying to leave word about me for Eremus? So the other black mages will watch out."
His face hardened at my words.
Seemed I'd hit the mark.
'Wait, isn't this dangerous?'
I recalled the black mage from the relief warrior squad encounter.
He'd seen I had no navel.
Did Eremus already know about me?
A chill ran down my spine.
But I dismissed it.
'No, probably not.'
If Eremus knew who I was, they'd have sent an elite assassin team by now.
Or spread word to all their black mages.
Yet Terence didn't recognize me.
An executive like him reacting that way meant Eremus was still in the dark.
Lucky.
'Gotta be more careful from now on.'
With that resolve, I looked at Terence.
While I'd been lost in thought.
His condition had visibly worsened.
He'd stopped questioning, just breathing raggedly.
"Heh heh heh..."
Then suddenly, Terence laughed.
Focus returned to his vacant eyes.
I called Bear at once.
Something bad was brewing.
"Sir Bear!"
Right after I called his name.
Bear swung his sword, severing Terence's head.
Whatever amused him so, he died with a smile.
Then, amid the undead stench, a sour smell wafted.
Tracing it, I saw his right hand.
'Pottery?'
A clay jar in Terence's right hand.
The sour smell leaked from it.
The jar's mouth pointed down, its base wet and dripping.
While we approached, he'd dumped some unknown liquid out.
'What did he do?'
I wanted to ask, but Terence couldn't answer.
Already a headless corpse.
'Ugh, this feels off.'
Feeling uneasy, I turned to Bear.
The fight wasn't fully over, so I planned to send him to help Cornell with the remnants.
That instant.
"Raaarghhh-!"
A roar echoed from the forest near the battlefield.
Then thudding footsteps as something charged this way.
I couldn't identify it, but the source was strong—trees along its path toppled left and right.
"What the hell..."
Moments later.
A monster emerged from the roadside.
Dark green skin.
Towering height you had to crane your neck for.
Short lower body compared to its torso.
Thick build.
Only one monster fit all that.
"It's a troll!"
A mid-to-large monster: troll.