Chapter 58
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Cheap
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< Cheap >
‘Uh…’
Cromwell, the black magician who had followed the society’s head into the sanctuary, was panting for breath.
He had fallen behind because the head had run off as if possessed.
Cromwell couldn’t turn his gaze toward the head.
Not when the knight who had closed the sanctuary gates was looking down at them.
The knight drew his sword and spoke.
“You lot are my share.”
Cromwell knew instinctively that this knight was their opponent.
“Attack!”
Cromwell quickly began to chant.
“Excellent!”
The knight let out a hearty laugh and drew his sword.
Aura blazed fiercely along the knight’s blade. It looked less like an aura and more like pure fire.
Cromwell swallowed dryly.
They had thirty black magicians.
No matter how skilled the knight was, he surely couldn’t win.
Still, the way he had closed the gates was so menacing that they couldn’t afford to be careless.
“My… my mana won’t gather!”
A few of them screamed. They were the ones who had not been chosen.
‘Useless fools.’
Cromwell clicked his tongue softly and uttered his incantation.
“Blazing Spear!”
A flaming spear shot toward the knight. As if on cue, a barrage of spells followed.
In an instant, a variety of spells flew at the knight, so many that they seemed to completely engulf him.
A question suddenly occurred to Cromwell.
A knight should have moved before the spells were even cast.
But this knight simply readjusted his grip on his sword, unmoving.
As if he were waiting.
“Come! O pain that shall be my nourishment!”
The knight let out a bizarre cry and thrust his sword forward.
Flames covered his blazing aura. It was magic. As the spells mixed in, the aura flared up even more intensely.
His sword looked like a colossal tongue of fire.
‘What in the world is that—’
The knight swung his sword in a long arc.
The aura detached from the blade and moved on its own, just like a spell.
As if it had been launched.
‘He can project his aura? What is this…’
Cromwell narrowed his eyes at the unprecedented sight.
The flame-wreathed aura tore through the air.
That massive, ferocious aura swallowed the downpour of spells.
No, it ripped them to shreds.
The flames that soared into the sky spread violently.
At the unbelievable display of power, everyone’s jaws dropped.
The raging flames parted, and the knight strode toward them.
“Hahaha! Excellent!”
To Cromwell, the sight of the knight charging at them with a smile was truly terrifying.
****
Thump!
Galahad’s heart pounded fiercely.
No, it was the Egg of Pain next to his heart, vibrating violently.
The Egg of Pain was revealing a greed more intense than ever before.
It was so strong that he could barely tell if the desire was his or the egg’s.
‘Tsk.’
Galahad clicked his tongue and steadied his mind.
Thump! Thump!
The Egg of Pain began spewing mana uncontrollably.
Galahad frowned at the unruly egg.
There was only one reason it was acting up like this.
‘An egg.’
It was because of the massive egg attached to the tip of the old man’s staff, who appeared to be the head of the society.
He hadn’t actually thought the Egg of Pain was such a precious item.
It had been in Korton’s possession, after all. If it were truly important, it never would have been in Korton’s hands.
‘Is Dawn distributing these?’
Since Korton had also received his from Dawn, that seemed highly probable.
Whatever the case…
‘The reward just got bigger.’
Galahad’s lips curled into a smile as he observed the old man.
Roots extending from the staff were embedded in the old man’s emaciated arm. The roots pulsed like a heartbeat.
It looked as though they were drinking the old man’s blood.
The old man stared at Galahad with eyes as red as blood, his body twitching incessantly.
He looked like a dog before a meal.
He seemed to be desperately trying to control the egg’s impulses.
‘A magician being dragged around by his tool.’
Galahad clicked his tongue and opened his water canteen.
The old man let out a ragged breath. For a moment, Galahad thought he could smell a foul stench.
“You look delicious.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
The instant the old man’s eyes narrowed slightly, Galahad flicked his fingers.
Something exploded in front of the old man. It was the ice awls Galahad had scattered.
“A cheap trick—”
“Think of it as a greeting.”
Normally, the ice awls should have pierced the old man’s body.
Galahad replayed what he had just seen. The old man’s reaction had clearly been slow. Yet the attack was blocked.
‘It wasn’t the old man who reacted. Was it the egg?’
That was the most likely possibility. It seemed to have more functions than his own egg.
The Egg of Pain throbbed.
Just then, a red light emerged from the old man’s stomach. The shape was quite familiar.
It was the magic circle left by the First Magician.
It was more intricate and larger than the ones engraved on the others.
‘So that’s the real one. No wonder the others looked a bit sloppy.’
He wasn’t particularly interested. The magic circle he had engraved was certain to be more effective.
“Crushing Claw.”
Just then, the old man swung his staff.
‘Crushing Claw. How absurd.’
Galahad narrowed his eyes at the foolish choice.
The advantage of Crushing Claw was its formlessness.
But to use Crushing Claw in the Miasmic Realm, which was filled with ash…
“Foolish.”
Galahad clicked his tongue openly.
The ash swirled, taking the form of a giant claw. The claw lunged at Galahad.
“Good speed.”
Galahad flicked his fingers.
A thick barrier materialized in front of him.
Thud. The barrier that blocked the claw shook violently, then crumbled in an instant.
‘Hmm.’
Galahad’s eyes gleamed. He twisted his body to the side. The spell grazed past him, tearing a long gash across the ground.
Screeeech. A sharp sound echoed as a long scar was carved into the earth.
“Good power, too.”
Galahad nodded, taking note of its length.
“Insolent brat—”
The old man’s face contorted. His wrinkles deepened. His eyes grew even redder.
The old man slammed his staff down.
Thump. A small shockwave spread through the area.
The ash in the air instantly thickened.
Once again, a claw flew toward him.
‘Give it to me.’
As if it had come to its senses, the Egg of Pain obediently drew out life force. The magic circle engraved on Galahad’s wrist glowed brilliantly.
He erected a barrier of compressed mana.
The claw struck the barrier. The barrier quickly collapsed.
He had compressed the mana quite a bit, yet it had been pushed back so easily.
‘This is unexpected.’
The spell, which he failed to completely dodge, grazed Galahad’s waist. He felt a searing pain.
The old man sniffed the air like a wolf catching the scent of blood. The sight was quite unpleasant.
“Are you laughing or crying? So many wrinkles, it’s hard to tell. Ah, I see now. You were laughing.”
Galahad nodded, replaying what he had just witnessed.
“You talk too much.”
The old man swung the staff, which had now become like an extension of his own hand.
Another formless claw shot out.
Galahad twisted his hand. The magic circle on his wrist flared with light. The Egg of Pain spat out life force.
He didn’t stop there, compressing the mana even further.
This time, instead of a barrier, he launched an identical claw.
The two claws collided in mid-air.
Galahad’s claw shattered.
There was no sound.
The old man’s claw slashed a long gash across Galahad’s shoulder.
He winced at the pain.
‘Strange.’
The old man and Galahad were similarly equipped.
Both had the magic circle left by the First Magician, and both possessed the egg of a high-ranking demon.
And yet, there was such a difference.
‘Is he more skilled in magic than me? Impossible.’
Galahad shook his head.
No matter how many wrinkles the old man had, he couldn’t possibly be more proficient in magic than Galahad.
If he were, he would be in the upper echelons of the Magic Tower, or perhaps even its master.
He wouldn’t be the head of the Black Magic Society, exiled to the North.
The cause wasn’t Galahad.
That left only one other variable.
‘So it was you.’
Galahad murmured, pressing a hand near his heart.
The Egg of Pain, which had been in a frenzy, suddenly stopped.
Silence was an admission of guilt.
Galahad assessed the situation.
‘The eggs have different grades.’
It seemed the egg on the old man’s staff was of a higher grade than Galahad’s Egg of Pain.
Considering it had been in Korton’s possession, it was, in a way, to be expected.
‘Is that why it needs to be fed blood?’
The roots on the old man’s staff were drinking his blood. Even for a magician, the mana contained in his blood couldn’t be greater than a demon’s.
Yet the old man’s magic was denser than Galahad’s, even though Galahad was consuming demon blood in real-time.
The gap between the two eggs seemed larger than he had thought.
‘You were a cheap one, weren’t you?’
The Egg of Pain gave his heart a little bite.
It seemed he was right.
No wonder there was such a significant difference in their sizes.
“Not smiling anymore?”
The old man sneered. His eyes were as red as burning embers. It was a rather menacing sight.
Indeed, comparing what each of them possessed, Galahad’s situation was not favorable.
The old man had a larger, more distinct magic circle of the First Magician and a better egg than Galahad.
To be precise, the man’s output was higher.
Significantly so.
In magic, output was a crucial factor.
It was certainly a difficult situation.
However, Galahad enjoyed difficult problems.
Galahad calmly considered his options.
He had already clashed with the old man four times.
Four exchanges were more than enough for Galahad to take his measure.
He quickly formulated a plan.
It was what he always did.
*
The old man narrowed his eyes as he looked at him.
He must have felt the clear difference in power, yet the man’s lips were curled into a smile.
As if he found it amusing.
“So you’re a fool who can’t even feel the difference.”
The excitement he felt through the staff shook the old man’s mind violently.
He wanted to tear out the man’s heart right now.
The old man once again slammed his staff on the ground.
“Crushing Claw—”
As he chanted the spell, he felt a strange chill.
Before the old man could even realize it, his spell was cut short, and the staff moved on its own.
A formless barrier enveloped the old man.
Tap. A small impact came through.
The form was clearly that of a basic spell, a Mana Arrow.
But its power was not that of a simple Mana Arrow.
The old man narrowed his eyes as the barrier wavered.
“Of course I felt the difference. Do you take me for Sir Gilberton?”
The man spoke strangely and flicked his fingers.
He felt the chill again.
Thwack. It was another Mana Arrow.
The barrier shook slightly.
“Yes, your output is higher than mine. I admit it.”
The man said something incomprehensible and flicked his fingers again.
The barrier shook again.
His Mana Arrows were quite threatening, but they couldn’t break through the barrier.
So why was he smiling?
Tap. Another Mana Arrow struck.
The interval was shorter than before.
It was then that the old man felt something was wrong.
‘Why is his magic so fast?’
No matter how basic the spell, a Mana Arrow was still magic.
It required a formula and an incantation, yet the man was firing them continuously.
Simply by flicking his fingers.
The man intended to keep firing Mana Arrows, giving the old man no time to cast a spell of his own.
‘He’s certainly skilled in magical combat.’
However, this time was different.
The barrier was a spell cast by the staff.
The barrier existed even without the old man consciously maintaining it.
It made mana manipulation difficult, but not impossible.
In other words, he could cast spells while the barrier was up.
‘Foolish brat.’
The old man finished his calculations, a smirk playing on his lips.
‘There’s a gap between his spells, too.’
He would use that gap.
The old man focused his eyes, concentrating to his absolute limit.
The moment a Mana Arrow struck the barrier…
“Crushing Claw.”
The old man chanted the spell and slammed his staff down.
Crushing Claw was the fastest spell he could use.
Just then, the man’s Mana Arrow struck him. The barrier wavered slightly, but the old man’s concentration did not break.
“Crushing Claw!”
The claw shot toward the man.
Because of the barrier, the claw contained less mana than before, but the man had just used a Mana Arrow.
The difference was obvious.
‘My victory.’
The old man was certain of his victory.
Just then…
“Crushing Claw.”
The man calmly chanted the incantation.
‘His casting speed is truly monstrous.’
The old man was impressed, forgetting the situation for a moment.
But it didn’t matter.
The man had just been using Mana Arrows.
Furthermore, the difference between them was clear from their earlier clash.
His output was overwhelmingly superior.
The victor had already been decided.
Just then, the man’s claw and the old man’s claw collided.
The man’s claw held on longer than before, then disappeared.
The old man’s claw was deflected ever so slightly.
The claw tore a long gash right next to the man.
The man didn’t even blink.
‘He deflected it?’
Even seeing the result, it was hard to believe.
The old man’s output was higher than the man’s.
His power was weaker than before because he was maintaining the barrier, but the man had just been using Mana Arrows.
The man should have had even less leeway.
Yet the difference in their output had shrunk.
It wasn’t impossible.
If he had focused and compressed his mana, he could have increased the spell’s output.
However, that would require time to concentrate.
Just then, the old man’s barrier wavered. He felt a strange sense of unease.
The old man realized the source of his unease.
‘The Mana Arrows never stopped once.’
To compress mana in between them was impossible.
‘He’s using his egg, too.’
Just as the old man’s egg was maintaining the barrier, the man’s egg must be firing the Mana Arrows.
Was that even possible?
He had his doubts, but it was the only explanation that made sense.
There was the possibility of dual casting, but that was the stuff of fantasy.
He had to be using the egg.
‘Even so…’
The old man instinctively felt that his egg was stronger.
The man’s Mana Arrows couldn’t penetrate his barrier.
And his claw had only managed to deflect the attack.
In the end, this was a battle the old man would win.
It was nothing more than a desperate struggle.
The old man clicked his tongue and once again timed his attack.
When the Mana Arrow strikes…
Just then, he felt something strange.
A Mana Arrow should have struck by now…
“Crushing Claw.”
He heard the man’s incantation.
To think a preemptive strike was all he could come up with.
The old man clicked his tongue softly and chanted his own spell.
He was already prepared, so the incantation was fast.
“Crushing Claw—”
The two claws collided at the center.
It was then that the old man realized.
There were no Mana Arrows.
An egg was not something that could be controlled.
Just as the old man couldn’t control the mana flowing into his barrier.
And yet, he had stopped the Mana Arrows.
‘What…’
The old man’s left hand rolled on the floor.
Just then, his eyes met the man’s.
The man’s eyes were calm.
Like a hunter’s.
“A magician shouldn’t be dragged around by his tools.”
The old man’s claw was pushed back.
The meaning was clear.
‘It was dual casting?’
Just then, the delayed pain hit him, and the old man let out a small scream.
“Now, let’s go again.”
The man’s calm voice was filled with excited laughter.
*
“Is this all you’ve got?”
Galahad looked down at the old man and clicked his tongue.
The old man wept tears of blood as he looked up at Galahad. His body trembled uncontrollably.
His already thin body had withered even further, making him look like a mummy.
The staff was lodged in the ground as if it had lost all its energy. The egg at its tip pulsed rhythmically. It seemed to be drinking the old man’s blood.
Even as his own blood was being drained, the old man couldn’t let go of the staff.
Because he was a magician.
Of course, he was probably already caught by the staff and couldn’t let go even if he wanted to.
“Ughhhh…”
A suppressed groan escaped the old man’s lips.
“You can do a little more, can’t you?”
At Galahad’s question, the old man’s body trembled violently.
The egg the old man possessed was certainly superior to Galahad’s egg.
That directly translated to higher output.
In magic, output was a significant factor, but…
“It’s not everything.”
Galahad crouched down in front of the old man.
The old man looked more like a monster than a person.
‘A side effect of the egg?’
Galahad observed the old man with interest.
The Egg of Pain throbbed violently. It urged him to take what was in the staff and devour it immediately.
‘A bottom-tier egg should stay quiet.’
At Galahad’s sharp remark, the Egg of Pain vibrated softly. His chest felt like it was churning. It seemed the Egg of Pain had turned its back on him.
“Tell me about Dawn.”
Galahad placed a hand on the old man’s head and whispered.
Using mental interference on the highly agitated old man was remarkably easy.
“Dawn is—”
The old man’s mouth slowly opened. His missing teeth, mixed with red blood, fell out with a clatter.
The old man’s mouth moved on its own. Galahad focused on his words. A moment later, the withered old man’s head lolled to the side.
‘The Demon Race.’
For the head of the society, he didn’t have much information about Dawn.
He knew that the one who came from Dawn was a powerful demon, that he had received the egg as a token from that demon, and…
‘That someone from Dawn appears periodically.’
That was the most crucial piece of information.
He needed to keep the Black Magic Society running.
Of course, he had already planned to put them to work as diligent laborers in the magic stone quarry.
If he waited for the right time, he would be able to capture the one who came from Dawn.
Thump!
At the renewed throbbing of the Egg of Pain, Galahad clicked his tongue softly and grabbed the staff.
The staff vibrated violently. He could feel its pulse. It whispered to him. That it was superior.
The Egg of Pain desperately tried to make its presence known. It pressed against his heart repeatedly. As if giving him a massage.
‘Good. Keep it up.’
The Egg of Pain diligently pressed on. Galahad smiled faintly and grabbed the egg.
“Sorry, but you’re a bit too big.”
Galahad took a fork and knife out of his pocket.
< Cheap > End