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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 110
"You do it. That darkness thing, or whatever it is."
As I spat those words out, Dercion furrowed his brow.
But only for a moment.
Soon, he regained his composure and said in a low voice,
"Yes, this is only natural. You've never experienced true darkness, after all. Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Thud!
Letting out an unpleasant laugh, he stomped on the ground.
"It's alright. I'll show you myself. The overwhelming power of one who walks the path of darkness!"
Goooo-
The surrounding demonic energy instantly intensified.
And at the same time...
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Dercion's body began to contort grotesquely.
His skeleton enlarged as if his bones were being rearranged, two long horns sprouted from his forehead, and something indescribably hideous grew between his ribs.
It looked as if he had six arms.
Of course, I had experienced a similar situation before, but it felt different from the transformation of the red-haired demon contractor of Valefor.
If that guy had completely transformed from a human into a different being, Dercion felt like he was maintaining his original form while adding a demonic appearance.
This was the first time I had seen such a case, but it wasn't difficult to guess the cause.
'It's Baal's power.'
It must be related to the new ability Baal had acquired.
I came to that conclusion and raised my guard.
Since this was a power I was experiencing for the first time, I didn't know what kind of variables might arise.
"...Yuhan. You will soon be fascinated by this power. Uhahahaha!"
Dercion looked down at his palms and spoke, seemingly pleased with his appearance.
He even twitched as if he couldn't control his power.
I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.
To think that the man who had devoted himself to his aspirations would end up like this.
Dercion Pygma, Magic Tower Head of the Aldeon School of Light Magic.
"He wasn't much to begin with..."
Now he looked even more pathetic.
So much so that I didn't want to see him become any more unsightly.
"Let's end this here."
Whooosh!
I channeled my mana, determined to end his wretched existence.
Of course, despite my bold words, it was impossible for me to face Dercion alone.
As I channeled my mana, I glanced to the side.
'Good.'
There was Elbert Tyron, nodding with a determined look, his eyes meeting mine.
It felt as if he were saying,
"You can go in anytime."
It was reassuring to have the Knight Commander by my side.
Shing!
Pzzzt!
I materialized a sword of light in my right hand and enveloped my body with lightning magic.
I had only one thought in mind.
'As safely as possible.'
Maintaining a somewhat aggressive stance while prioritizing safety.
Buying as much time as possible was the primary goal.
With that judgment...
Fwoosh!
I launched myself forward.
My body reached right in front of Dercion in an instant.
It wasn't as fast as when I was enveloped in light magic, but it was still a surprising speed for a mage.
Dercion seemed surprised by that.
"...Closing in?"
He muttered to himself, looking flustered.
A mage should always be above the opponent's head.
That was the reason for this approach in the first place.
Dercion wouldn't have expected me, a mage, to close in like this.
Shwaaaak!
The sword of light swung with a menacing whoosh.
This sword of light was also a variable for Dercion.
It was the first time I had drawn a sword in front of him.
When I was living in the Aldeon Magic Tower, I was closer to a pure mage build.
However, my opponent was an 8th Circle mage with the added power of a demon.
He wasn't going to go down easily.
Clang!
Dercion deflected the sword with a demonic energy-clad hand, twisting its trajectory, and let out a hearty laugh.
"Uhahaha, this is quite interesting! Is this the path you've chosen, Yuhan!"
Dercion seemed to find this situation amusing.
"You don't have the leisure for that, do you?"
As soon as I said that...
Shwaaaak!
Elbert, who had somehow gotten behind Dercion, thrust his sword.
Even to me, with my swordsmanship greatly enhanced by the [The Former Master of Swordsmanship] engraving, it was a flawless thrust.
"Yikes!"
Tap-
Dercion, reacting as if startled, lightly kicked the ground.
His magic and demonic energy reacted with the ground beneath his feet, and Dercion's body floated up.
Despite his old age, he had quite the reaction speed.
Was it because his physical age had become younger due to the demon's power?
Shwaak!
Elbert's thrust, which had been quite sharp, stabbed empty air without any result, and Dercion's counterattack followed immediately.
Crackle!
The hideous arms protruding from between Dercion's ribs transformed into thorns and stretched out.
I immediately created distance, and the thorn-like arms barely grazed the ground in front of my feet.
Thud! Thud!
It was just a simple thrust, but the force was so strong.
When his arms retracted, a deep pit was left in the ground.
If I had been stabbed by that, my body would have been pierced without any resistance.
Dercion's attack didn't end there.
As he extended his arm, the demonic energy that had been spewing from his staff shot out in the form of a laser.
Dercion's signature move, which I had often seen in Aldeon.
A ray of light.
Well, could that blackened thing be called a ray of light now?
Ching!
The dark ray that Dercion shot towards us came at us with the force to pierce through Elbert and me.
Elbert, who had been prepared, swung his sword diagonally to deflect the ray, and I...
Fwoosh!
I timed my own ray of light and intercepted Dercion's.
The ray of light containing pure light and the ray containing demonic energy collided and dissipated in mid-air.
And then, silence fell.
It was Dercion who spoke first.
"...My disciple, you have grown much."
Dercion's gaze, with a hint of admiration, rested on my right hand.
"Is that the light containing purity?"
As it was something he had yearned for so much, it seemed he was fascinated to witness the Myth-grade light for the first time.
"Yes. Thanks to you, I'm using it very well. I don't know how to express my gratitude."
"...Amazing."
Despite my somewhat sarcastic tone, Dercion just said that and then closed his mouth.
His face had darkened.
It was clear that he wasn't in the mood for jokes.
What was he feeling?
Awe? Regret? Lingering attachment? Or fear?
I didn't know what he was feeling, but I quickly dismissed the thought.
No matter what emotion it was, there was nothing he could do anymore.
Those who accepted the power of demons had to bear the consequences.
Whether it was something they desired or not.
"Commander."
"...Understood."
Elbert, understanding my signal, lunged at Dercion, who was standing there blankly.
Perhaps sensing the killing intent despite being caught off guard, Dercion immediately reacted.
Clang!
Sword and arm clashed.
Elbert emitted aura, while Dercion emitted magic and demonic energy.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As I had expected, Elbert relentlessly pressured Dercion.
If Dercion hadn't received the demon's power, Elbert's skill was enough to overwhelm him, even as an 8th Circle mage.
Indeed, it meant that he hadn't risen to the position of commander solely through excellent strategy or luck.
After a brief moment of admiration, I closed my eyes and concentrated on channeling my mana.
Crackle! Crackle!
I could hear the few remaining magic-related artifacts losing their power and fading into gray ash.
My mana amplified rapidly.
- Maximum mana increased by 50%.
- Casting time for magic reduced by 30% for 1 minute.
- The next magic spell ignores 10% of resistance.
...... (Omitted) ......
The power of various artifacts was added to the magic I was currently casting.
I was going to pour everything into this one strike.
The type of magic I was casting was simple.
A large-scale casting magic, the Light Sword Wave.
Like the large-scale flashbang, I had practiced this madly with Ani Persson's help. Although it contained the light attribute, it was magic that focused on destructive power rather than incapacitation.
And with the added effect of the [The Former Master of Swordsmanship] trait...
Shudder!
The sword of light in my hand vibrated violently as if it were about to explode.
Feeling that I had reached my limit, I shouted with all my might and swung the sword of light.
"Dodge!"
Whoosh!
And then...
Shwaaaaak!
The mana concentrated in the sword was released in the shape of a crescent moon.
[Aura Blade], a technique used by knights who had mastered aura.
This was my own version of that technique.
Of course, as it was something my zombie swordsman often used, the technique was highly refined.
Fwoosh!
Elbert, who had been waiting for my signal, immediately reacted and created distance.
"...!!"
Dercion, who had been focusing all his attention on Elbert, turned around and placed his hand on the ground.
Then, a mixture of mana and demonic energy surged from the spot where Elbert had been standing.
Kwaaaa!
Although it was different from before, its essence remained the same.
It was the [Light Barrier] that the elders of Aldeon often used.
The sword wave and the barrier collided, and a tremendous roar and shockwave washed over us.
Rumble...
It was a powerful shock, enough to push me back slightly even though I was far away.
I struggled to maintain my balance and focused on the scene before me.
Gulp.
I couldn't help but swallow hard.
Since I had poured all my strength into it, it was only natural to have high expectations.
But unfortunately...
Sizzle...
The sword wave I had unleashed ultimately failed to penetrate Dercion's barrier and vanished into thin air.
"...Tsk."
It was disappointing, but there was no need to dwell on it.
In fact, having such high expectations was my own fault.
It just made me realize Dercion's level once again.
However, it seemed to have surprised Dercion.
"..."
He hardened his expression, which was quite different from before.
I could tell that the attack had been threatening without even asking.
Dercion, who had been momentarily still, slowly opened his mouth.
"...I'll ask one last time. Do you really not want to join me?"
As if that were even a question.
"I don't think there's any need for that. If that's all you've got, I'm honestly disappointed."
"...Is that so?"
Dercion, with a look of regret, regained his stance.
At the same time, two faint figures began to form beside him.
Tsssss!
Soon, they took on a familiar form, and at that moment, neither Elbert nor I could help but flinch.
The number of people emitting the same energy as Dercion had increased to three.
"...Can mages normally do that?"
Elbert, who had come to my side, asked, and I nodded.
"It's possible if their main attribute is light."
What Dercion had deployed was none other than high-level light attribute magic.
Simply put, it was a technique that used the power of light to create clones that were identical to himself.
Of course, they were just illusions, so it was a technique that had no effect other than confusing the opponent.
However.
"...But not like that."
What Dercion had deployed now was different.
Thud, thud, thud...
The two clones slowly approached us.
They moved as if they were truly alive.
The situation, where we had been pushing them back with our numbers, was instantly reversed.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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