Chapter 59: The End of the Third Floor, The Heartless Army (5)
“Stop provoking me. If we truly fought, both of us would suffer greatly, but you wouldn’t be able to leave this place alive either.”
Cedric struggled to contain his rage. It was infuriating to be provoked by such a fresh-faced youth just by the sound of his voice.
“Yeah, yeah. Elder. I get that you have a lot of undead troops and you’re well-prepared, so stop grinding your teeth. I’ve heard implants are pretty expensive these days.”
“You… you bastard! I’ll kill you!”
Cedric’s face turned beet red with anger. From the staff clenched in his hands, an immense magical power burst forth. Kukukuku!
[Cedric has activated his unique ability ‘Gravekeeper of the Black Tomb’!]
[Special skill ‘Guardian of the Pyramid’ has been activated!]
“Cedric, sir! If you use that here!”
“You will not have enough mana left to face the boss monster!”
The necromancers cried out in desperation, but it was too late. Cedric, filled only with the thought of tearing his opponent to pieces, could not hear any words of warning.
“Shut up and follow my orders!”
As long as he could kill this masked fool here, he’d have something to say to the Mage Association. There would be no problem. Now, all his focus had to be on killing this accursed being.
Kukukukuku!
It was then that the ground began to split open.
“Kraaah!”
“Kieek!”
New undead began to rise from beneath the ground. Mummies wrapped in bandages, their elaborate golden and jeweled armor gleamed alongside their distinct crescent-shaped swords.
“Huff! Huff! Huff…”
Cedric’s chest heaved with rapid breaths. His complexion turned pale from the massive consumption of mana, but his face was filled with a sense of accomplishment.
“An ability that summons the Pharaoh’s personal guard, huh…”
It was moments like these that made one feel all the solitary fretting was in vain. Necromancers and summoners just give orders from behind while their subordinates do all the work, right? Honestly, I’m jealous.
If only…
“If those subordinates were actually useful.”
Even if there were thousands of worthless ones, they’d still just be a rabble. No, it would be even worse. The mana required to maintain all these beings would be unimaginably immense.
“Still as arrogant as ever, I see. Fine, I’ll show you they’re not just numerous.”
Cedric gathered his magic once more.
Tsststssts! Tssts…
The staff glowed for a moment and then flickered.
The mana wasn’t gathering properly.
“Damn! Maybe I’ve pushed it too far.”
Cedric clicked his tongue, but it was only a momentary setback.
“Come closer. I’m terribly hungry right now.”
Cedric grabbed the throat of a necromancer standing by.
“Cedric, sir…? Aaargh!”
Zuuuk!
The vitality was being absorbed through his palm. The necromancer struggled desperately, trying to break free, but to no avail.
Once Cedric got hold of his prey, he never let go.
“Just be quiet… Struggling will only prolong the pain.”
Zuuuk! Zuuuuk!
The screams gradually subsided. Eventually, the husk of the necromancer crumbled to pieces.
“Disgusting. Weren’t you on the same side?”
Jinhyuk frowned.
“Hoho. Of course, we are. That’s why he dedicated his precious life for our victory, didn’t he?”
“You killed him without his consent, and yet you talk so smoothly.”
“Ha. Surely he would have consented. Ask him yourself when you meet him in the afterlife.”
With his mana replenished, Cedric stroked his staff.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The mummy soldiers joined the frontline. The battle, which had been decidedly one-sided due to the Moai statues, was completely turned around with the arrival of the new reinforcements.
Boom! Bang!
Golden spears punctured holes through the statues.
Their movements were precise and their power, overwhelming.
‘If ten of them unite, it would amount to a Death Knight.’
No matter how powerful the Moai statues were, capable of destroying dozens of undead in a single blow, they couldn’t bridge this gap in strength.
“So, can you still boast after seeing this?”
Cedric smiled triumphantly. In contrast, Jinhyuk bit his lip tightly.
“……”
Seeing this, Cedric jeered even more.
“Puahaha! Have you lost your words? That’s fine. It’s normal to be afraid!”
“Huh?”
Jinhyuk cocked his head. What on earth is this guy talking about?
“No, I was just astounded by how inadequate this is. Did you seriously think you could take on a boss monster with just this?”
Even at best, it would be annihilated within 5 minutes. And that’s me being overly cautious to not hurt their feelings. In reality, they would be eradicated even before reaching the boss monster.
Yet, despite Jinhyuk’s sincere advice, Cedric dismissed it all as mere bravado.
“You spew all this nonsense when cornered. Well, let’s end this boring conversation.”
Cedric signaled with his hand, issuing the command.
“Kieee!”
“Keek!”
The mummy soldiers roared savagely. Their jaws were split vertically, with black smoke seeping out.
“Kill.”
***
In a forest not far from the temple, two figures perched high upon the tallest tree, watching the battle – the agents of the Mage Association, Melena and Richao.
“Hmm. Isn’t this too reckless?”
Melena cocked her head, to which Richao responded.
“It was good intent to take down the base, but not fleeing afterwards was foolish.”
“Pfft! True, it’s courage not bravery that lacks there. But what was he thinking not running away?”
“Probably misjudged the power difference between them. He saw skeletons and Dullahan and thought it was manageable, but it was a complete miscalculation. Cedric’s unique ability is much more troublesome than that.”
Ancient necromancy has its uses, and that’s why Cedric was assigned to this raid. However…
The subject their superior has been so wary of seemed utterly unsophisticated.
“In that case, there’s no need for us to step in.”
Cedric should be able to handle it without their help.
That was their thought when suddenly…
Fwshshsh…!
A peculiar aura emanated from the masked man.
“Eh?”
“What is this?”
It wasn’t the cold attribute magic or the divine power shown before. It was a sinister and dense energy.
The dark power that shrouded the dagger made both Melena and Richao’s pupils dilate rapidly.
“Are you kidding? Where has such preposterous skill come from?”
Melena stood up in disbelief. Richao was equally astonished.
“Could it be…?”
Did he really believe he could win against such a force? It’s preposterous.
Even the most powerful of beings would hesitate to claim victory against such an army.
Gulp!
Richao swallowed nervously. With the statues tied up in battle and mana control points already destroyed, if all of these were traps laid by the adversary…
If being cornered in the heart of enemy territory was all part of his plan…
…then they might face the worst outcome imaginable.
***
[The Sword Grave is activated!]
A thrill ran through my body.
‘Yes, this is it.’
The corners of Jinhyuk’s mouth turned upward in a satisfied grin. The excitement permeated every crevice of his being.
‘Ice Sculpture’ and ‘Star’s Blessing’ were also great, but it was ‘Sword Grave,’ in particular, that he favored for this very sensation.
‘No common magic or holy ability can match this exhilarating feel.’
This power, that solely pursued offense without caring for defense, was truly a skill befitting a true master.
‘Hmm… Is this how it was?’
Jinhyuk waved his dark energy-charged dagger from side to side. Smooth traces transitioned from points to lines, and after several attempts…
‘Oh! There it is.’
The essence of ‘Chasing Soul Sword Dance’ which Cheon Yuseong had struggled to perfect, materialized before him.
[Your understanding of Chasing Soul Sword increases.]
Jinhyuk executed the sword dance with precision that would have made Cheon Yuseong foam at the mouth if he had witnessed it. After all, it utterly disregarded the years he had dedicated to his single sword.
But for Jinhyuk, who had now manifested the talent of the Sword Devil, such concerns were irrelevant.
Wooong! Woong!
The sound of the wind being cut became smoother.
Now I understand. How the maneuver named ‘Chasing Soul Sword’ came to be.
[Your understanding of Chasing Soul Sword reaches a high level.]
I grasped how to use the Chasing Soul Sword properly.
All of it.
[Your understanding of Chasing Soul Sword reaches a very high level!]
With the status windows popping up one after another, numerous memories flooded Jinhyuk’s mind.
And at that moment…
‘Chasing Soul Sword Dance.’
Black flames scattered in all directions.
‘The Fifth Style.’
The final position of the sword that even Cheon Yuseong had not mastered.
The realm of ‘Taming Demons’ that went beyond the end.
‘Chasing Soul Annihilate Heaven.’
The fifth form—the very essence of Chasing Soul Sword—was performed on the spot.
“What…”
Cedric’s pupils shook as if struck by an earthquake.
Simultaneously, the sword swept across horizontally.
Kwakwakwakwakwa!
The first thing to hit was the sword wind. More than just wind, these were blades charged with mana. That’s why the front row of mummies had no chance but to succumb helplessly.
“Kieeek!”
“Keek!”
Their bodies were slashed into tatters, their blackened flesh pouring out.
“Gah!”
A great shock was transmitted to Cedric’s shield.
Kukuku!
“Uuuuuh…!”
The triple-layer barrier shook wildly, but before he could even catch his breath, the real attack of ‘Chasing Soul Annihilate Heaven’ flew towards him.
This time, no intense pressure was felt on the shield.
Instead…
Sshkkk!
A chilling ripping sound filled the air.
Cedric’s head slowly looked downwards.
His arm, which should have been there, which was supposed to be there, was gone.
“Just a single swing of the sword, and the mummy soldiers are all cut to pieces?”
Even his shield was shattered, and his arm severed?
Shiver!
He trembled involuntarily.
Just moments ago, he had mocked his disciple, Alex, who died in vain to the undead, questioning his incompetence.
But now, faced with this situation, he finally understood why Alex had been defeated without putting up a fight.
This monster was unbeatable.
Fleeing was the only way to save his life.
“Death Knight… block that guy immediately!”
The Moai statue no longer mattered.
Even if he lost all the other undead and necromancers, he needed to escape now.
Cedric grabbed his severed arm. He whipped his body, on the verge of collapsing, toward the north gate.
Or rather, he tried to.
“If you want to exit the stage, you should have asked for permission first.”
The last thing he wanted to hear pierced through his ears.
That very moment.
[The Dark Moon Night is activated.]
A black moon cast its shadow over Cedric’s face.
