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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 182
Ian frowned. The woman’s form was distinct, yet her presence felt faint.
Her attire and overall demeanor resembled that of a mercenary, yet she gave off the impression of an assassin.
‘A surviving follower?’
That was unlikely. Even while enduring the continuous drain of his mana, he had kept his surroundings within his domain, constantly detecting any presence.
When the followers took their own lives at Petel’s command, he had confirmed the exact number. None had survived.
‘Reinforcements?’
That didn’t seem plausible either. If she were reinforcements, she would have brought her own weapon.
Besides, that sword called Laniche was a weapon sufficient on its own. There was no reason for her to wield it unless necessary.
That was Ian’s judgment.
Of course, he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility of reinforcements. He took pride in his ability to detect mana, but it wasn’t flawless.
Artifacts, relics, special abilities—there were many ways to conceal oneself. However, Petel’s reaction made it clear that this was not the case.
Even he looked surprised.
“…Laniche.”
The woman’s name was called, and a flicker of life returned to her expression. One corner of her lips curled up as she gazed deeply at Petel, then spoke.
“Get a grip. Who just sits there, dazed, in front of an enemy?”
“…Laniche.”
“What am I going to do with this fool? He doesn’t even realize the image he’s created, doesn’t know how to use it, and just keeps calling my name.”
She let out a sigh and raised her sword.
Kieeeek!
At that moment, the domain materialized into reality. The monsters that had been feasting on the flesh of the dead paused and lifted their heads.
Their gaze fixed on Ian, revealing bloodstained fangs.
This was no coincidence. It was obvious—the woman could manipulate this space.
A sinister aura of mana coiled around his feet, crawling up his body.
It was affecting both his body and mind. This must be the power of this Unique Domain. The very environment had turned hostile.
“Laniche.”
“Focus before I lose my temper, Petel.”
Watching the two of them, Ian let out a small chuckle.
Just as the woman had pointed out, Petel seemed lost within the very image he had projected.
He was beginning to understand the situation.
It seemed the woman had died long ago, and Petel had subconsciously revived her within his domain.
The setting itself was merely an additional effect of the Unique Domain—the true anomaly was the woman herself.
Kieeeek!
Before the monsters could swarm, Ian intended to finish both Petel and Laniche in one swift move.
However, what unfolded before his eyes was something physically impossible.
In the brief instant he blinked—
“!?”
The scattered monsters had disappeared from their original positions, only to reappear much closer.
It wasn’t teleportation. There had been no signs at all—they had simply been summoned out of nowhere.
Even the monsters seemed bewildered at first, their eyes flashing with momentary confusion. But it was fleeting.
As if they had received an order, they all fixated on Ian and charged.
Kiaaaaah!!!
Their piercing screams threatened to rupture his eardrums.
They walked on two legs, but their forms were grotesquely inhuman—like a crude fusion of insects and beasts, haphazardly colored to match.
They were repulsive, moving in a disturbingly unnatural way.
Yet before any of them could take another step—
Ian’s sword swung.
Sssht!
A thin line sliced through the air. Even if this space was sapping both his body and mind, he wasn’t weak enough to fall so easily.
With a wet tear, the monster's body was split in half.
Shreeeek!
A flaming spear, fired from somewhere, traced a long tail in the sky as it fell in an arc.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The monsters surrounding Ian were instantly skewered and set ablaze. In that moment, dozens of burning stakes were created.
A strange light flickered in Petel’s eyes as he rushed in, but this wasn’t the arrival of reinforcements.
He hadn’t been idly watching like a fool. Instead, he had been expanding the remaining flames in the area, controlling them to use at will.
His opponent had revealed a hidden card, so he simply responded in kind.
“I’ll take the left.”
“Right.”
Petel and Laniche exchanged words. But it was nothing more than deception.
As if predetermined, the two moved in the exact opposite directions of what they had said.
Seeing them charge from both sides at once, Ian scattered the flames coiled around his left arm to obscure the woman’s vision, pretending to dash right before pulling back instantly.
Petel, who had lightly leaped forward, slammed his fist into the ground.
Boom!
The moment mana seeped into the earth, the ground split apart. The range was far wider than Ian had expected.
As if the terrain itself was collapsing, the unstable ground crumbled beneath him, throwing off his balance.
“!?”
Even with his ability to foresee movements, this wasn’t something he could predict.
He tried to recover his stance as quickly as possible, but the woman emerged from the left, cutting through the flames.
Despite passing through the searing heat and fire, there wasn’t a single scorch mark on her.
She had shielded her entire body with mana. There should have been at least some hesitation, yet she moved without pause—it was astonishing.
Shing!
From a distance, Laniche swung her sword. The blade extended, stretching forward in a swift thrust.
It wasn’t an optical illusion. This was a slash formed of pure mana, sharpened through the medium of the blade.
Ian lowered his stance to evade, but Petel’s fist came straight for his abdomen.
Clang!
As fist and sword collided, the sound of metal striking metal rang out.
A rapid flurry of strikes followed—head, neck, chest, stomach, shoulders, ribs. In mere moments, each target was attacked in succession.
After deflecting them all, Ian attempted a counterattack, but this time, Laniche closed in from the side, pressing her blade forward.
An unrelenting combination assault. They covered each other’s weaknesses so seamlessly it was almost envy-inducing.
Ian was more focused than ever, constantly swinging his sword and shifting his footwork.
There was no time for proper thought—his body moved purely on instinct, reacting rather than strategizing.
“Incredible! How do you have such skill at your age!?”
Petel’s admiration was met with silence—Ian had no time to respond. Whether it mattered or not, Petel stepped back, now preparing a larger technique outright.
Ian saw the dark mana gathering in his hands, but Laniche’s relentless attacks slightly delayed his opportunity to intervene.
Woooom!!!
The condensed dark mana caused the very space around them to tremble.
Ian tried to shake off Laniche, but it wasn’t so easy.
Perhaps because she was a being created by this Unique Domain, she showed no fear of death, charging in without hesitation.
There was virtually no trace of his presence, so the moment he disappeared from sight, Ian had to rely on his Insight to block the attacks.
‘This is getting in my way…!’
Furthermore, perhaps because she shared a deep bond with Petel, her skills were nearly identical to his. No, it would be more accurate to say they were exactly the same.
The difference only seemed apparent due to their differing combat styles. This Unique Domain didn’t merely resurrect the dead—it elevated their abilities to match those of the caster.
In other words, Ian was fighting against two superhumans who had ascended the hierarchy.
If Petel were to grow stronger than he was now, or if he were to receive deeper attention from the Outer Gods and gain more blessings, that woman named Ranice might also be able to activate a Unique Domain of her own.
“Ranice!”
He had been calling the woman’s name repeatedly, yet it seemed that alone was enough for them to communicate. She widened the distance between them while swinging her sword, never ceasing her attacks to keep Ian pinned down.
Kakakakakakak!
As he desperately parried the strikes and turned his head, Ian caught sight of a thick purple beam hurtling toward him.
Kwooooooosh!
It carried such immense energy that the ground itself was pushed back as it came rushing in.
The safest option might be to create a barrier with the flames surrounding his body.
But if he chose to defend at this moment, he would only find himself in the same predicament again.
‘If that’s the case—’
Breaking through it with an attack would be the best choice. Ian’s eyes flashed as he raised his sword.
[Heaven-Piercing Rotation.]
A sword technique refined by a Hero was activated. A circular red line was drawn through the air.
Ranice’s slash curved as it was pulled into the red line.
Kakakakang!
The moment it touched the line, it was deflected outward.
An unbelievable effect. Though the amount of mana it consumed had increased significantly, there were countless ways to utilize it.
But this was no time to stop. Ian pulled back his sword and faced the incoming purple beam.
It had already reached right in front of him in an instant. He didn’t take his eyes off it. The power dwelling within his gaze found the technique’s focal point.
‘I see it.’
The platinum sword in his grasp became wreathed in flames. As he gripped the blade with his hand, the flame-covered sword transformed into a single spear.
He concentrated his mana into a single point at the spear’s tip, maximizing its piercing power.
[Crimson Claw Style: Sky-Piercing Thrust]
With explosive momentum, the spear shot forward at lightning speed, piercing straight into the center of the beam.
Kwooooosh!
The beam, tangled like a complex web of threads, unraveled and scattered apart.
A path opened, revealing Petel beyond it. His eyes were wide open, as if he hadn’t expected his attack to be dismantled this way.
Seeing that, Ian stepped forward with his right foot, spun his body once, and hurled the spear.
[Bane of Evil: Fourth Form—Flame Dragon Fang.]
The spear left his fingertips without giving his opponent a chance to react.
Paaang!
The air itself seemed to rip apart as a hole was punched through his enemy’s body.
“Petel!”
A near-scream burst from the woman’s throat.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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