Chapter 159
Chapter 159
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: The Blood Barrier
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Those silenced by Loan's strike were now stunned by the appearance of a new party.
A stature exceptionally tall for a woman.
Prominent cheekbones, smooth skin, and heavy makeup.
A flamboyant outfit that stood in stark contrast to the standard Union uniform.
And the meteoric iron badge that began to spread a mystical light throughout the vast space.
Whether a mage or a warlock, no one initiated into the magical arts could fail to recognize her.
Someone whispered among the deputy commanders.
“Magda… why is she here?”
“That’s the Eternal Witch…”
A nickname earned for her unchanging, wax-doll-like appearance.
But she wasn't known merely for her peculiar looks. She would never have become so famous without immense power to back it up.
She was considered at least an equal to Werner, the Tower Master of Manifestation.
And it was such a figure who had appeared. Furthermore.
“Those four, too…”
“Yes. They’re the Tower Masters.”
The four pillars supporting Schwerin: Phenomenon, Perception, Sensation, and Concept.
They were all said to be just a notch below the Tower Master of Manifestation, so they had to be of a similar level.
And what's more.
“Then the four behind them.”
“Companions of the Tower Masters. They can’t be pushovers.”
Stiepe, Josef, and the other two had been rigid with tension since entering the shipping yard.
Their faces were deathly pale.
They were in deep shock, feeling as if they had blindly followed along only to stumble into a chaotic situation far beyond their ability to handle.
But to the Brien members, their dazed expressions were interpreted differently.
“Indeed… their faces are completely blank. They seem even colder than us.”
“An absence of emotional fluctuation must mean they’re highly skilled.”
And finally.
There was the boy who had just turned their comrades into a pile of bloody pulp with unbelievable power.
“That level of martial prowess at his age. That must be Loan.”
“Isn’t he the suspect who destroyed Scion’s research facility?”
“Given the power he just showed, that seems plausible.”
“Well, well… by that logic, we have a whole slew of Brien’s primary assassination targets right here.”
In an instant, the greatest or most noteworthy mages on the continent had gathered in this very space.
They had set a trap, and it had worked far too well.
One might wonder if the Brien members could handle it.
Their reaction was unexpected.
The deputy commanders looked at each other and chattered excitedly.
“What a joyous occasion. Isn’t this a bountiful harvest?”
“Ah, what is this? I’m getting goosebumps.”
They were actually delighted. Incredibly excited.
What could they possibly be relying on?
Their leader, Karl, also laughed boisterously, showing his emotions freely.
“Haha, I never expected this. This is perfect. It’s always better to have more people for a good occasion. Isn’t it convenient, having so many who deserve to die all in one place?”
An utterly relaxed demeanor.
Loan’s eyes were filled with displeasure as he watched him.
He had something to tell his companions.
-Can everyone hear me?
A flicker of reaction went through all his allies.
It was a group telepathic message sent only to his companions.
Those who unexpectedly received Loan’s thought were inwardly startled.
They were even more surprised that they had all heard the same mental message.
It was a feat possible only for those who had reached a considerable level of mastery.
He had managed it thanks to having observed the complex and intricate waves when the Guardian of Sensation sent a group message to the mages.
-Before coming to the tower, I destroyed Brien facilities at the Scion and Schwerin border.
Magda, who had already received the report, was also marveling at Loan’s achievement.
-Brien had set up facilities in Scion to create corrupt monks. It was a place they called a research lab, and according to a journal I found, there seem to be several others. The name of the final person in charge written in that journal is Karl.
The waves of thought knocked on everyone’s minds.
The meaning was conveyed rapidly in a short time. That was enough.
Werner replied via telepathy.
-The one in charge of research and production for Brien. I need to find out what he’s researching and producing. I will take him and capture him alive.
-Then, if you’ll excuse me for a moment.
Loan first asked for their indulgence and immediately reached out his hand again.
His Convection flowed not toward Karl, but above him, toward the mages hanging from the ceiling.
Gently enveloping their dead bodies, he lifted them off the skewers and brought them behind his party.
He only regretted that he could do nothing for the dismembered corpses scattered on the floor.
“Hoh…”
Karl tilted his head back and let out a sharp breath.
He and the other Brien members just watched, not lifting a finger.
They had missed their chance to react while admiring the display.
It was because the control was too gentle and delicate to be simple telekinesis.
“Wow…”
A sound of admiration even escaped.
As mages, they couldn't help it.
*Swish, swish…*
One by one.
The bodies of a dozen or so mages were laid neatly behind them.
After Loan had finished his work, Stiepe’s group took off their robes and covered the mages’ bodies.
Only then.
Karl burst into laughter again.
“Haha, you certainly bother with troublesome things. Life in the Union must be exhausting.”
“...”
“Thanks to you, I got to see something interesting. I’ve never seen someone use magic so delicately. As expected of a famous figure. I’m dying to cut you open.”
After spitting out the gruesome words, Karl licked his lips as his eyes scanned Loan’s body.
Magda shivered in disgust and opened her mouth.
“Such filth spewing from such a hideous mouth. If not for Werner’s declaration, I would have torn you to shreds already.”
Killing intent glinted in her eyes.
Every breath she exhaled seemed to be laced with needle-sharp magic.
Karl remained unfazed.
“Ah, was there some sort of agreement? Then there’s no need for us to waste time. What do you say, Deputy Chief?”
He turned his head as he finished speaking.
A man among the deputies gave a short nod.
“Deputy Chief Zieg. I await the Chief’s command.”
Zieg took a small step forward.
And then, a sudden development.
*Vwoom—*
From where Zieg’s foot touched the ground, the blood splattered across the floor began to glow.
Like a phosphorescent stone, the faint light spread out across the entire space, drawing complex lines.
They had already laid out a magic circle using the blood, and it was now being activated by Zieg’s mana.
Yet, no one reacted. A similar thought crossed many of their minds.
‘It’s not that impressive.’
The more brilliant the magic, the more beautiful the magic circle.
It appears complex, yet simple.
Elegant curves and clean straight lines meet only where necessary to create an intricate pattern.
The fewer the superfluous elements, the more purely the mana is released. It manifests as an unforeseen phenomenon, stirring the heart.
In that respect, Deputy Research Chief Zieg’s magic circle was disappointing.
The first reason they let the magic manifest was that they all had a keen enough eye to discern that.
And the second reason.
It was the same reason the Brien members had stood by and watched Loan’s telekinesis.
They were curious. What kind of magic circle was it, what effect would it produce, and how should they respond when faced with it?
Curiosity was the very essence of a mage.
They waited.
*Vwoooom?*
Soon, the glow reached its peak, and the magic circle was fully realized.
The mages calmly observed the changed environment.
Their vision was stained crimson. To the sides and behind, everything had turned a deep red.
Mutilated corpses littered the floor everywhere. A truly gruesome place.
‘Isolation?’
Loan confirmed that he was alone in the space.
Werner, Magda, and the other Tower Masters were gone.
‘It’s not an illusion. The space wasn’t divided, either. A physical space has been constructed within this space. A sub-space?’
It was large enough to be considered as such.
It shared some similarities with the barrier magic Werner had constructed and then dispelled himself.
That magic, too, had been a concept of extending space within space by creating a labyrinth within a short distance.
So, what was this magic for?
Loan crossed his arms and observed the flow of mana constituting the space more deeply.
The first change was that the mana concentration in the space had become considerably denser, and a red, fog-like radiance was constantly drawing mana from the floor.
From Loan’s perspective, this was a welcome development.
His mana had already been sufficient, but the level of supply was now comparable to that of the ‘Forgotten Wheat Field’ in Rhodos.
Loan briefly examined the new mana path he had been steadily carving out since his time at the Tower of Sensation.
Thanks to his consistent training even while on the move, it was now circulating, albeit faintly.
It was a precious route that would become the foundation for a new Circle. He drew the abundant mana deep inside.
Just then.
“What do you think of the blood barrier created by Deputy Chief Zieg? It seems to have a particularly good synergy with this place, being made from the blood of the mages here. It is sturdy and beautiful.”
Karl’s voice echoed off the walls.
The eeriness of his appearance was palpable in his voice, making it extremely unpleasant.
“You will all have to endure in there until your mana is depleted. Of course, that time is scheduled to be very short. The children I’ve prepared will make sure of it.”
After he finished speaking.
Something began to twitch and move amidst the glowing red light.
The scattered corpses on the floor were stitched together by sticky blood, reforged into strange new forms.
It was a hideous sight.
Mana beasts that had the musculoskeletal structure of humans but were twisted and bent, now resembling wolves or dogs.
Their skin and flesh, neither stitched nor properly joined, flapped loosely.
“Kieeeeek!”
The creations of research and production charged toward Loan.
Their movements were quite fast, but that was by their standards.
To Loan, who had awakened his five senses and enhanced the efficacy of his ocular arts through the new circulatory path, their charge was incredibly slow.
He didn't wait, but thrust his fist toward them.
*Kwa-bang?!*
It was the same magic he had used against the warlocks moments ago, but as the amount and speed of mana drawn and emitted increased, its destructive power grew even greater.
In any case, the blood barrier was also a physical space.
It was only natural that the mana beasts were reduced to bloody pulp between the Convection and the wall.
“Hmm?”
What was baffling was that new creations were being generated from the ones that had been flattened beyond recognition.
This time, since there were no pieces or organs to speak of, they materialized into slimy, slime-like forms.
‘So this was it. His words about having to endure until our mana runs out.’
Karl intended to keep producing mana beasts until the mages’ mana was depleted.
This was different from necromancy.
It could be seen as shaping the mana beasts based on the dense mana spread throughout this place. In many ways.
‘How crude.’
There was no need to play along any further.
There was no need to watch them be annihilated and then regenerate.
What if he just kept pushing them to the edge of the barrier so they couldn't regenerate anymore?
No.
He had already confirmed that the barrier was a physical space, so was there any need to remain within it?
What would happen if a space with stronger pressure was generated from within?
“Kieeeeeee!”
The subsequent thoughts formed a concrete image in his mind in an instant.
Just in time, the mana beasts, heavily armed with sharp tentacles, charged at him.
“That’s enough.”
Looking at the creatures, who had gone beyond grotesque and hideous to become pitiful, Loan unleashed the mana he had gathered all at once.
First Form of the Infinite Void: [Sphere of the Void]
A tributary of mana formed a perfect sphere, enveloping Loan.
And from there.
Loan decided to test a question he’d had since developing his second Circle.
What would happen if he manifested the [Sphere of the Void] with the maximum amount of mana he could wield?
*Crack— Craaack?*
The blood barrier that constituted the space began to shatter under the pressure of the expanding sphere.
It was not a nullification, but a destruction.