Chapter 207
Chapter 207
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: Chapter 60. Centaurus King (7)
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18.
In his life, the skill El Pam had used the most was Fire Arrow.
So much that it was hard to remember.
Naturally, El Pam handled Fire Arrow better than anything else.
But after entering the blue-grade Mystic Gate, El Pam hadn't used Fire Arrow much.
He knew why.
Fire Arrow's power wasn't that impressive against blue-grade monsters.
Plus, El Pam's Fire Arrow only had meaning if it penetrated.
Without penetration, it was no different from a regular adventurer mage's Fire Arrow.
The same went for Centaurus.
He hadn't pulled out Fire Arrow against them.
“Fire Arrow.”
The reason he was using it now was simple.
Rrrrroar!
The Fire Arrow El Pam had just summoned was glowing blue.
‘It changed the moment I put on the helmet.’
It was the effect of Hyperion's Helmet.
Obviously, it wasn't just a color change.
Rrrrroar!
Its firepower was on a whole different level from when it was red.
The power was the same.
Pfoosh!
The blue Fire Arrow pierced through a Centaurus's head with astonishing ease.
Overwhelming power!
Even more astonishing was that this wasn't limited to just Fire Arrow.
‘The essence of my flames.’
The effect of Hyperion's Helmet changed the essence of every fire-attribute spell El Pam used.
Of course, it wasn't all good.
‘That much harder to handle.’
At this moment, El Pam felt like the Fire Arrow he was controlling with Telekinesis was a different entity altogether.
Even controlling just one shot had his whole body drenched in sweat.
‘Harder than controlling Blizzard magic with Telekinesis.’
Honestly, this was unexpected.
El Pam's Telekinesis had advanced far beyond what it was before returning to the past.
Yet handling a single Fire Arrow was this difficult?
It wasn't just Telekinesis that was strained.
Mana consumption was greater than any spell he'd ever cast. That's why El Pam couldn't even use Magic Acceleration right now.
Of course, he had no complaints.
‘The gamble was worth it.’
Quite the opposite.
‘I can get even stronger.’
For El Pam, having a higher limit was exactly what he'd hoped for.
The results right in front of him were proof.
Now, El Pam could take down Centaurus like they were Orange Mushrooms with just Fire Arrow.
“My God.”
Even Albi, the 6th Circle Battle Mage, couldn't hide her shock at the results.
“Albi.”
El Pam approached her and said,
“Good to see you're safe.”
Only then did Albi snap out of it.
“Thanks for the help. I'm finally giving you a proper thank you.”
But she still didn't seem fully composed.
“More than that, how is this even possible?”
Still, she didn't forget to question the impossible scene.
To her, El Pam said,
“I shortened my lifespan.”
“Pardon?”
A lie.
“Exactly that. It's the price of shortening my lifespan.”
It was certainly taxing, but Hyperion's Helmet didn't actually shorten El Pam's lifespan or anything like that.
Well, it might, but El Pam didn't know that.
The reason he said it anyway was simple.
“Can't use it easily.”
To hide his power.
Of course, El Pam trusted Albi.
He even trusted most of the Resistance members here.
‘The Resistance has eyes and ears inside.’
The problem was that their location wasn't trustworthy.
Black Wings. Their surveillance was far more thorough than the Resistance realized.
In the end, hiding it from everyone was the only way to truly hide it.
‘Knowing I have this won't do them any good.’
Plus, if the Black Mage's followers knew El Pam could use Hyperion's Helmet, they wouldn't sit idle.
Cards like this only shone when kept hidden.
And that made the lie even more convincing.
“I see.”
Compared to saying he used Hyperion's Helmet for this power, claiming he traded his lifespan for some force made more sense to Albi and the others.
No doubts.
“Please keep this a secret. If it gets out, my life could be in danger.”
Albi nodded at El Pam's words.
Magic that shortened lifespan wasn't ordinary.
Especially as a Battle Mage, Albi knew better than anyone.
Reaper!
Contracting with that terrifying being to cast magic, she knew exactly how dangerous trading life for power was.
Above all, she owed him her life.
“I won't tell a soul until I die.”
She had to grant that request.
“Thank you.”
That was the end of it.
“We need to hold out for four more days.”
What was left was what came next.
“Let's do our best in our roles.”
“Yes.”
El Pam and Albi didn't join forces there.
Nothing strange about it.
El Pam joining the Resistance wouldn't change the situation much.
Their goal now was survival, and everyone was running their roles for that.
His added firepower wouldn't create some dramatic reversal.
“Just like before.”
Crucially, the Resistance and El Pam had done better than expected, inflicting more damage than anticipated.
No reason to change plans in that situation.
“Let's get out alive in four days.”
“Yes. When we do, drinks are on me.”
El Pam watched Albi and her comrades leave.
Of course, El Pam knew.
‘We can't get out until we take down the Centaurus King.’
Waiting it out would bring despair, not hope.
Logically, joining the Resistance here to hunt the Centaurus King made sense.
But El Pam didn't choose that.
Simple reason.
‘No problem taking it down.’
Hyperion's Helmet didn't just change Fire Arrow.
Changing the essence meant every fire-attribute spell El Pam used would turn blue, with power on another level.
‘With that.’
And El Pam was prepared.
‘That spell will take down the Centaurus King.’
19.
Dibo.
The moment El Pam's party disbanded, the first person he sought was none other than the Phantom Thief Phantom.
Of course, it was a daunting task.
Finding Phantom Thief Phantom was practically impossible.
Especially in Edelstein, where unlike Victoria Island or Ossyria Continent, even breathing outside required caution.
But Dibo's dilemma didn't last long.
“Hey.”
Phantom Thief Phantom was waiting for him.
As if he'd known Dibo was coming.
“Get in.”
Phantom even loaded Dibo onto his waiting airship, the Crystal Garden.
And there was someone waiting for Dibo.
“Nice to see you again. I've been wanting to meet.”
“The Polearm Hero?”
Aran. It was her.
At that point, Dibo was certain.
“Sir Phantom, by any chance?”
“Yeah, your leader told me. Said the party's breaking up soon.”
El Pam had predicted this far.
“Amazing! As expected of the boss!”
Dibo smiled at that fact.
“And you waiting means Lady Aran will train me from now on, right?”
For Dibo, no need to worry about convincing Aran to take him under her wing.
Aran said,
“Of course. Can't just let someone who can use my item slip away.”
Dibo's smile deepened.
Recognized by Aran.
“If I leave you like this, you'll die, and I'll get blamed later.”
“What?”
But hearing what came next crumpled Dibo's expression.
“Exactly that. Leave you as is, and you'll drop dead from exhaustion.”
The Polearm Hero Aran stated clearly.
“You're rampaging too much for your power. Nicely put, that's it. Bluntly, you're clueless and thrashing about.”
Hearing that utterly obvious statement, Dibo bristled.
“That's harsh. Instead of words, let's spar.”
“Fine.”
In the duel that followed, Dibo realized.
“Ah.”
He'd been a frog in a well.
“Alright, now that you know your place, let's start training.”
When Aran's training began after that, he realized something else.
“……To think there's someone even tougher than the boss.”
Everything he'd learned under El Pam was child's play.
Precisely, the depth was different.
What El Pam had taught was adventurer's wisdom.
How to hunt monsters, survive, handle other adventurers—that kind of thing.
Aran was different.
Her teaching was purely mastering the polearm, mostly through spars.
Life-or-death spars!
Aran's training ground Dibo's teeth on edge; he worried for his life every day.
Of course, the results were just as good.
Dibo grew stronger by the day.
Leaving circle-ups aside, his raw skill started growing rapidly.
Then it happened.
“C-Circle-up!”
6th Circle!
Dibo finally broke through the wall, and confidence flooded his chest.
‘At this level.’
He soon thought,
‘Maybe as strong as the boss?’
Perhaps he'd reached a strength comparable to El Pam.
“Oh, heard you circle-upped?”
That's when Phantom Thief Phantom visited him.
“Congrats. Faster than I thought.”
Phantom smiled and said,
“But you'd better not think that way.”
“Pardon?”
“Thinking you can match your boss.”
Dibo looked shocked.
“C-Can you read minds too?”
“As if. If I could, would I be suffering here?”
“Th-Then?”
“It's written all over your face. 'I'm the best right now.' That cocky look. But seriously, don't even think about matching your boss.”
At Phantom's explanation, Dibo pouted.
Repeated low evaluations soured his mood.
“No, sure, I'm not quite at the boss's level, but I don't feel lacking compared to him anymore?”
Dibo wasn't one to hide his complaints behind a smile.
To him, Phantom said,
“It's different.”
“Talent?”
“Yours is exceptional too. Top hundred among adventurers I've seen.”
That was high praise.
The people Phantom had seen weren't ordinary—they were heroes who'd fought the Black Mage!
Even including them, Dibo's talent ranked in the top hundred. No ordinary talent.
So the question remained.
“Then what's the difference between me and the boss?”
“Not talent. Money.”
“Money?”
The next words only deepened the mystery.
“Yeah, I know the boss is rich, but…… I've saved up plenty traveling with him?”
Dibo had amassed wealth that most rich folks couldn't touch.
El Pam divided party earnings fairly, without skimping or overgiving.
No way El Pam had vastly more saved than him.
“No, not what you have.”
Phantom smiled at the question.
“What you've spent.”
“Spent?”
“El Pam's got not a penny left now. Probably in debt too.”
Dibo freaked out.
“N-No way, debt? What did he buy?”
“Everything. Bought whatever he could.”
“Even so, the boss made a fortune!”
Phantom smiled at the question.
“Yeah, so he bought something enormous.”
He recalled.
“The ancient magic Fire Demon, which you can't even get anymore.”