Chapter 172
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Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: In Front of Namaran's Barrier (3)
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Kieeeeng-!
Lloyd's hand gripped it tightly.
Inside his grasp, the gem Noctanium trembled violently.
It was rebellion. Resistance.
‘This isn't messing around.’
Lloyd flinched involuntarily.
The gem within the necklace worn by the black mage.
As expected, this gem was no pushover.
‘It’s bucking wild.’
One of Lloyd's eyebrows twitched.
It felt like riding an untamed wild horse.
Or like driving a truck with busted brakes down a steep hill.
But Lloyd didn't care.
Instead, he ramped up the rotation of his mana circle even more.
He absorbed the gem's resisting force and let it flow through him.
At the same time, he infiltrated some of his own mana into the gem.
It was possible only because he had the Asrahan Heart Method.
‘Let's see here.’
Lloyd closed his eyes.
His mana pushed into the gem.
He focused all his senses on that mana.
Then, the structure of the mana arrayed inside the gem began to feel like a landscape.
‘Complicated.’
It was like a maze.
Countless points, lines, and planes stretched out, crisscrossing and tangling.
Was this how a country bumpkin from the mountains would feel first time in Seoul's bustling streets?
Or like pulling out your license drawer permit on day one and driving into the Yeongdeungpo rotary during rush hour.
Overwhelming complexity.
Transcendent hopelessness and vastness.
Or like being trapped in a jungle in an instant.
But Lloyd didn't panic.
Instead, he hit himself with a rock-solid mindset.
‘This is a blueprint. A drawing. Just like the mess my group project teammates made. So what do I do? Fix it. Revise it. Gotta save my grades! And snag that scholarship!’
Missing the scholarship would be a disaster.
He could barely afford his coin motel with it.
Without it, even tuition?
He'd have to take a full year off and bust his ass in day labor.
No thanks.
Graduation delayed.
Entry into society pushed back.
That bottom-rung life extended.
‘Gotta get that engineer license! Fast!’
Lloyd recalled his desperation from back then and bellowed inwardly.
Mindset set. Success.
That was the turning point.
From then on, he kept his sanity amid the transcendently hopeless, complex mana circuits.
He didn't lose his cool.
He calmly grasped the entire space.
He coldly analyzed the points, lines, and planes.
Not rushed.
Step by step.
Like untangling a knotted ball of yarn.
He understood the mana structure arrayed in the gem.
Then, naturally, the path appeared.
Where to revise.
How to change it.
What the results would be.
The moment he grasped it all, a smile crept up.
‘You’re all done for now.’
Lloyd's full-on revision work began.
Revising once fully grasped was surprisingly easy.
It was familiar work.
‘Familiar? Try nauseatingly so!’
This was a blueprint.
Fixing a blueprint.
Thinking that way made it comfortable.
Lloyd revised and rearranged the mana array in the Noctanium—boldly at times, meticulously at others.
How much time passed?
Finally, the results of the revision emerged.
Tzzzzz!
Part of Namaran's sturdy barrier shook.
The color staining the sky shifted.
A black tinged with the deep purple of Noctanium.
That ominous hue faded, rippling into iridescent colors.
At the same time, the black mage's complexion changed.
“……Guh!”
The black mage unwittingly gasped.
His eyes bulged in shock.
Just surprise?
No.
‘Mana…… inside my body!’
It was draining out rapidly.
Being sucked into the barrier.
‘Guh, guhuk!’
The black mage's heart pounded irregularly.
Yet he couldn't respond.
He had already activated the Noctanium.
Protected by powerful defensive magic, but immobilized.
He couldn't even cancel the spell.
‘How…… how is this?’
The black mage couldn't comprehend.
Lloyd, who appeared before him moments ago.
When he smirked and spouted nonsense, he never imagined this.
Changing the barrier's mana absorption target?
That he could do it?
All bluster, he thought.
Of course.
It defied common sense.
Absolutely impossible.
But now? It wasn't.
Those words—all true!
‘How, how the—urk!’
He couldn't hold on.
Despair washed over the black mage.
But he couldn't even struggle.
Still standing with arms spread, mana stolen away.
Vision blurring, hair falling out in clumps, skin cracking.
Blood drying up in an instant.
Muscles wasting rapidly.
Liver and heart shriveling.
In other words, he mummified standing up.
Even his last drop of mana was greedily absorbed by the barrier.
Lloyd opened his eyes right after.
“……Whoa.”
First thing he saw: the black mage's near-mummified face.
He'd been close, gripping the necklace.
Had to take a full close-up of that gruesome mug.
“Eugh. For real.”
Lloyd shook off the chills and backed away hastily.
The black mage, dead on his feet.
Bittersweet on one hand, but that was it.
No pity or sorry.
Self-inflicted.
His own doing.
He'd tried to slaughter thousands, tens of thousands of citizens with that horrific barrier.
Payback in full—no tragedy there.
If anything, time to hurry.
“No time to zone out. Kkoming?”
“Kkoming!”
Kkoming flapped over with poof-poofs at the call.
Thankfully, much recovered from the shock.
“Can you fly?”
“Kkoming!”
“For real? You good? No need to push if you're hurting. I can just run harder.”
“Kkoming! Kkoming!”
Kkoming shook its big round head vigorously.
“Kkoming! Kkominng!”
“Hmm, so despite the situation, no sitting this out?”
“Kkoming!”
Then offered its back, hop on.
Lloyd mounted up.
His gaze already locked on the next target.
Another black mage on a distant cliff face.
That one also standing arms outstretched.
“Over there. Another one. Let's go!”
“Kkoming!”
Kkoming's wings spread powerfully.
Lloyd's eyes gleamed, fixed on the target.
‘You’re all dead meat.’
Today, he'd flip every mana absorption target on their barrier.
Then?
Gulp down all their other gems too.
His heart pounded at the thought.
♣
Meanwhile, this was Namaran city's public hall.
Originally a public building owned by the count's family, open for citizens' gatherings, assemblies, lectures, and such.
Today was no different.
The hall bustled as usual.
Local artists' works on display.
Crowds enjoying the exhibition.
Laughter, gasps of awe, warm concessions, daily chatter flowing.
Just 30 minutes ago, that's exactly how it was.
“That's why life is ironic. You never know what's around the corner. Right?”
Cannavaro smiled brightly.
Namaran's celebrity, kindly philanthropist.
Beloved and respected by all citizens.
Famous for his ever-present smile.
Never lost it, no matter the bad news.
A smile that warmed hearts just to see.
Pure, without ulterior motive.
His smile was his trademark.
Today too.
When he appeared at the hall 30 minutes back, most citizens beamed at him.
Thanks for coming despite your busy schedule.
Thrilled to see you.
He returned their bright faces with a pleased smile.
Then Namaran's barrier activated.
“Life's not the only irony—true feelings too. Everyone saw me as the philanthropist. Said they respected me. But all? Nah. Some probably cursed the arrogant prick tossing money around. Smiled slyly to my face, hoping for scraps. Eh, I get it. Humans are like that.”
Cannavaro's kindly smile twisted.
One corner of his mouth curled up.
His gaze fixed on a man collapsed on the exhibition floor.
A burly guy in his early thirties.
A knight under Namaran Count.
“Urgh…… mmph……!”
Unlike surrounding citizens, the knight hadn't passed out.
Twitching from mana draining massively from his body, but clinging to fading consciousness, holding on desperately.
One reason.
Protecting the little daughter in his arms.
“Why…… are you…… doing this……?!”
The knight spat the words through bloodied heart.
Couldn't understand.
Why this was happening.
Why mana was fleeing his body so fast.
Why he, everyone around, his daughter—dying so pointlessly.
He'd just been enjoying his day off.
Out for a rare outing with his daughter.
Why this?
No way to save her?
Incomprehensible situation brought injustice, fear surging.
And Cannavaro before him?
Untouched amid this unprecedented crisis.
No, not helping—seemed to enjoy it.
That chilled and terrified even more.
“Why, you ask.”
Cannavaro's thin lips smirked.
“Sacrifices should just vanish quietly.”
“What…….”
Crack!
Cannavaro's foot smashed the knight's head.
The barely holding knight blacked out instantly.
Once philanthropist.
Now black mage revealing dark heart.
Cannavaro hummed as he walked.
Stepping on fallen bodies, kicking them aside like trash.
Toward the stage at one end of the exhibition hall, where the largest statue stood.
“Ha.”
Seeing the statue, Cannavaro scoffed.
“Fallen Angel.”
Wings lost, crashed angel slumped on the ground.
But head held stiffly skyward.
Eyes too.
Glaring at the sky, resenting who stole its wings.
Or vowing revenge from a grudge-filled chest.
Gloomy, venomous gaze piercing the heavens—a fallen angel.
“Fits today's grand undertaking perfectly.”
His smile deepened pleasurably.
Hand to his mouth.
Crunch, bit down.
Finger tore, blood flowing.
With that hand, he caressed the fallen angel's form.
Carved bizarre runes everywhere.
His smile grew thicker.
Preparations to summon Hellknight complete.
Just wait.
‘Till midnight.’
Mana would accumulate plenty.
Hell's knight would descend.
Turn this kingdom into living hell.
As Cannavaro swelled with emotion.
“Ugh……!”
A groan from behind.
Cannavaro turned instinctively.
Witnessed the unexpected.
“Cannavaro…… are you insane?”
The knight who'd passed out earlier was coming to.
Still clutching his daughter protectively, forcing open weary eyes, glaring resentfully.
“Hah.”
Cannavaro let out a hollow laugh.
‘What the?’
A guy he knocked out waking again.
Normally no big deal, but now?
Barrier active.
‘He barely held on using mana heart before, but after passing out? Shouldn't have. Mana sucked dry defenseless, never wake. So how?’
Incomprehensible.
But Cannavaro didn't hesitate.
Awake again? Stomp him out again.
Turning toward the knight—
“Urgh……!”
“Mommy…… Mommy…….”
Groans echoed everywhere.
Citizens collapsed throughout the hall.
Muttering weakly, twitching faintly, eyes opening one by one.
Coming to. Looking around in confusion and pain, heads lifting.
‘What the hell?’
Cannavaro's smile wavered.
Impossible happening.
Not just mana heart knight—ordinary folk waking too?
‘Is this possible?’
Or barrier malfunction.
Cannavaro turned, sinking feeling.
Something wrong.
People losing mana coming to?
Only he should be fine inside barrier.
Blessed by Noctanium.
Exempt from barrier's curse.
‘Then why? How?’
These vermin civilians waking one by one?
Daring send pleas for help his way?
‘Check!’
Urgency hit.
Bolted out of public hall. To barrier. Eyes bulged in horror.
“The barrier…….”
Changed.
Should be purple near black.
But now?
Shimmering iridescent.
People on streets around hall stirring, coming to.
“…….”
Clear now.
Barrier broken.
Mana drain on citizens stopped.
Despair didn't end there.
Among awakening people.
A silver-haired man approaching straight toward him.
Shing.
Silver-haired man, Haviel Asrahan, drew sword wordlessly upon seeing him.
Eyes met.
Cannavaro felt inexplicable icy terror.
For the first time, his smile vanished without trace.