Chapter 1290: Demonic Realm (13)
At the entrance of the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors.
The simultaneous deployment of Domains unfolds above the vast jungle as the Sun Ship traverses through.
Domain Deployment Connection Hierarchy, Image Actualization [Colored Mist Domain]
Domain Deployment Sacrifice Hierarchy, Image Actualization [Bloodlust Ecstasy]
Koo-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa!!!!!!!
A colossal sphere of smoke, pieced together from clouds and mist, wraps around the Sun Ship like a barrier.
Blood, falling like tears, stretches out long, flowing down both sides of the Sun Ship like crimson pillars.
The Yeonri Spell Master’s Domain, Colored Mist Domain. The 7th Apostle Lariata Armush’s Domain, Bloodlust Ecstasy.
The Root Mindscapes of the Transcendent beings, leading the Order Alliance and the Guido Cult, clashed as they unfolded around the Sun Ship. The moment Lennok brought his hands together in incantation.
Paaaat!!!!!
Lennok stopped, realizing that a vast, hazy altar of mist had already spread across the Sun Ship.
“……”
Kooooooooh…!!!
A thick, hazy barrier of clouds and mist, so dense that the scenery and ground around the Demonic Realm were completely obscured.
The entire cloud barrier, spread in all directions, was moving through the skies of the Demonic Realm in real-time along with the Sun Ship.
It was as if clouds and mist were wrapping around the Sun Ship, attempting to slow its speed. Was this an ability that combined Barrier Spellcraft with a Domain, like Lennok’s Heavenly Flower Myriad Fragrance?
‘Is that… incense?’
An altar stood at the center of the cloud barrier. Incense sticks burned upon it, emitting a thick fog and smoke.
By estimation, there were about eight of them. Among them, two incense sticks were already broken.
One was horribly burned and melted, the other sliced vertically as if cut by a sharp sword.
“……”
It was his first time seeing such incense sticks, yet their broken forms felt strangely familiar. As if he had seen that kind of ‘attack’ recently.
The moment Lennok took a step to get a closer look, he realized that a pool of blood had gathered at his feet.
Chalp-ak, chalp-ak…!!!
A constantly flowing, sticky pool of blood dripping and soaking the surroundings at his feet.
This must be the power of the 7th Apostle Lariata Armush’s Domain, [Bloodlust Ecstasy].
‘Aside from the pool of blood, I can’t sense any Spiritual Presence… Where is she?’
Unlike conventional Domains, Bloodlust Ecstasy had a four-character name and incantation.
That name, alien from other Domains, hinted at how twisted Lariata was.
Thus, Lennok sharpened his Magical Perception to find the unseen Spiritual Presence of the 7th Apostle, but—
As if anticipating Lennok’s thoughts, an indifferent voice echoed from beyond the thick mist.
“That mad vampire won’t be able to enter the barrier for a while.”
Whoosh—!
Amidst the faintly burning incense sticks, the Yeonri Spell Master, holding a pipe, stood watching Lennok.
“It’s absurd for an Apostle to be able to use a Domain, but it seems there are several conditions for deploying one. For instance, she has to ‘kill’ herself once…”
“……”
“Knowing that the abilities and powers of that half-breed were the kind I didn’t even want to associate with, I separated the space with a barrier before she could fulfill those conditions.”
The Spell Master looked up.
“It’s unpleasant, but her ability has similarities to mine. That’s why I knew there would be a moment when our powers would clash and cancel each other out the instant she deployed her Domain…”
“So, deploying the Domain was intended from the start to exclude the 7th Apostle from the battlefield.”
“To be precise, it was because there was something I wanted to ask an apostate like you.”
The Yeonri Spell Master stared at Lennok with an expressionless face.
“On this battlefield, my Domain and the vampire’s Domain coexist and cancel each other out. As a result, the unique abilities of our Domains are sealed, leaving only spellcraft effects and augmentations.”
“……”
“That’s possible because my Domain and that monster’s Domain are intertwined with your Sun Ship, being forcibly dragged along and moving. It truly is a peculiar flagship.”
Was it that the Grand Spell Master’s and the 7th Apostle’s Domains were deployed simultaneously, causing two different sceneries to momentarily coexist around the Sun Ship?
It was rare for abilities to cancel out due to clashing Domains, but in this case, it seemed to be the result of the similar effects of the Grand Spell Master’s and the 7th Apostle’s Domains.
“A summoned entity that creates the effect of a deployed Domain just by its existence, and a pioneering ship capable of manipulating heat flow across an entire area.”
The Yeonri Spell Master exhaled a puff of smoke, gazing down with a mechanical expression at his Domain intertwined with the Sun Ship.
“It must be an exploration vessel created to pioneer extreme environments like the Demonic Realm. It displeases me that such a divine object is allowed to an apostate who murdered Chapman.”
“It’s strange. I’ve never attempted apostasy against the Order Alliance until now.”
Lennok slowly separated his clasped hands as he retorted.
“Since meeting the Conjunction Spell Master at the First Gate until now, haven’t we consistently only tried to kill each other?”
“Any superhuman who has mastered spellcraft must join the great cause of the Order Alliance.”
The Spell Master, pipe in hand, brought it to his lips and said indifferently.
“The great will to connect all spells and move forward resides within the Alliance. For a spellcaster to obstruct the Alliance, that itself is no different from the most heinous apostasy.”
“……”
“Evan Martinez. Not only for the sins you’ve committed, but for all your actions and will as well.”
As Lennok slowly turned, the Yeonri Spell Master looked at him with a cold expression and spoke.
“You must have also deployed your Domain with me, yet I sense no Root Mindscape from you here. Every single one of your actions defies the laws and principles of spellcraft.”
Whoosh…!!
He brought the tip of his pipe to the rising incense sticks, drawing in smoke.
The Spell Master, who had waved smoke through the air as if painting, gazed at Lennok with a mechanical stare.
“What are you planning? Where is your Heavenly Flower Myriad Fragrance?”
He was surprisingly cautious for someone who had abruptly deployed his Domain. Was he wary of Lennok’s Heavenly Flower Myriad Fragrance?
An Order Alliance spellcaster would naturally be concerned about the Flame Flower that killed the Conjunction Spell Master at the First Gate.
It was also natural for him to assume that the Domain Lennok had deployed to match the Grand Spell Master’s and the 7th Apostle’s Domains was Heavenly Flower Myriad Fragrance.
But—
“You, too, aren’t revealing all your spellcraft’s capabilities and effects.”
Lennok’s gaze shifted to the colossal incense stick burning beside the Spell Master.
“Eight incense sticks within the Root Mindscape. One is melted as if burned, and one is cut as if by a slash. As if they were trying to kill and explode people, not incense sticks…”
“……”
“Considering your spellcraft, which manipulates smoke and mist, there are several possible abilities. Among them, the most likely is probably…”
Lennok slowly brushed his coat and said,
“A power that forcibly transfers and negates lethal damage to the Domain, is it?”
The Yeonri Spell Master could freely evade attacks using Cloud Transformation, but he couldn’t negate all power or spellcraft that transcended limits.
The reason he was only slightly scorched after being hit head-on by Megiddo’s bombardment was that he had entirely transferred the damage received to his Domain.
That was less of a unique Domain ability and more of a spellcraft effect he gained while mastering his Domain. Something akin to a passive ability.
That’s why, even now, with his unique abilities being canceled out by the 7th Apostle’s Domain, those incense sticks remained within his Domain.
“If your ability shares some common ground with the 7th Apostle’s, then I can also guess the vampire’s ability.”
“……”
“If she possesses a power or trait that allows her to be revived multiple times, never truly reaching death with a single strike…”
Lennok lifted his cold, sunken gaze and said,
“Is that why you two personally came down to the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors, which uses ‘death’ as its power source?”
“The Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors is a cyclical hell that draws power from death, a spacetime with extremely strong Yin properties.”
The Yeonri Spell Master slowly raised his hand.
“Here, there is no concept of day and night, and all living things function differently from the mundane world. Without an ‘aptitude’ for death, it’s impossible to even venture deep into the Demonic Realm.”
“……”
“Evan Martinez. If you tried to achieve something here with only natural talent, without any understanding or aptitude for this environment…”
The Spell Master’s voice turned cold.
“It would mean that killing Chapman was ultimately just a matter of chance.”
Swoosh…!!
With a sound of the Yeonri Spell Master drawing a breath through his pipe, the surrounding air began to converge towards him at an incredible speed.
His lung capacity was so immense that, for a moment, the entire surrounding atmosphere seemed to distort around him.
Could that long pipe the Spell Master held be a device that converts all surrounding air into smoke?
Before Lennok could finish his thought, the Spell Master took the pipe from his mouth and exhaled a huge breath.
Paaah!!!!
A tremendous volume of smoke poured from the Spell Master’s mouth, spreading over the Sun Ship’s hull and curling around in all directions.
It was as if a gigantic cloud mass was enveloping Megiddo’s hull like a barrier, attempting to suppress its speed.
Lennok, covering his face with one arm amidst the pervasive smoke, stiffened his expression at its immense density.
‘Toxic… Did he mix something into the smoke?’
Chiii-iiik!!!
Not just the carbon dioxide produced by respiration, but some kind of lethal toxin to the human body was mixed into the smoke.
Given the Yeonri Spell Master’s ability to manipulate mist, he must be adept at mixing other properties or substances into the smoke to use them as a medium.
Whoosh!!
The Yeonri Spell Master rapidly closed the distance, piercing through the thick smoke.
He traversed the vast deck of the Sun Ship as if it were nothing, thrusting his pipe right in front of Lennok’s face.
Kaang!!!!
Without a moment to think, Lennok twisted the Array Device on his arm, barely deflecting the trajectory.
The pipe of the Array Device crumpled from the impact, and components shattered and flew off, but he paid them no mind.
Lennok’s and the Yeonri Spell Master’s arms clashed and intertwined dozens of times in the mist, pulling at each other.
Ka-ga-gang!!!!
The thick smoke cloud took shape, transforming into hundreds of weapons that poured down.
The Spell Master’s body shifted, grabbing the floating smoke-blades and smoke-swords with his other hand, stabbing at immense speed.
While simultaneously blocking that sharp and overwhelming offensive, Lennok and the Spell Master’s shadows were pushed all the way to the edge of the Sun Ship.
Ka-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-gak!!!!!
Hundreds of smoke pillars crashed down from all directions, lining up left and right.
Gigantic magical beasts and creatures, formed from manipulated mist, burst forth from the fog, shaking the ground before disappearing.
They lunged, baring teeth and claws as if alive, and upon direct impact, they would decompress and explode, leaving scars.
“Apostle-Slayer. Your reputation isn’t just for show.”
Kaaang!!
The Spell Master, gripping his pipe, closed the distance to breathing range, looking down at Lennok as he spoke.
“You possess such physical combat skills even without properly using magic.”
“It’s obvious what you’re aiming for, having spread the toxic mist.”
Lennok used the Array Device to block the pipe like a shield and laughed.
“You must have intended to detonate the toxic mist and inject it into my body if I used flames. That’s why you mixed some dust into the mist.”
If he could mix something other than poison into the smoke, it would be possible to secretly blend in tiny particles like dust.
Through this, if he could trigger a dust explosion precisely when Lennok used flames, he would likely create an opening.
Lennok had already figured this out the moment the Spell Master spread the toxic mist, and had refrained from using any magic until the Spell Master lured him into close combat.
“So, you can manipulate smoke to generate physical force on a massive scale, and even imbue gases with properties to induce inhalation?”
Lennok looked up at the Spell Master’s mechanical face and gave a chilling smile.
“Truly, an ability specialized in mass slaughter. I can clearly see why you were a famous figure in the war against the cult.”
The Yeonri Spell Master was a master of Property Transformation, so skilled that he could turn his own body into smoke.
Therefore, imbuing the smoke he created with specific properties or attributes would be no difficult task.
Just by scattering the toxic mist he exhaled at Lennok across the Central Front, he could instantly cause hundreds of casualties.
A Level 8 Grand Spell Master who can cumulatively inflict irreversible damage through diffusion and accumulation, while also hardening mist to use as weapons.
“No matter how skilled a superhuman, they cannot be completely free from the act of breathing.”
The Spell Master said calmly.
“My mist accumulates in the body not only through the respiratory organs but also through the skin and hair. Any living creature cannot avoid damage in combat with me.”
“Indeed, few people would last long if you use spellcraft that way… but even that wouldn’t be an ability without any conditions.”
However, Lennok, knowing this, smiled at the Spell Master, who was pressing his pipe towards Lennok’s throat.
“By turning your own body into smoke and scattering it, the range of your five senses and Magical Perception constantly changes. In that process, becoming insensitive to environmental changes would be unavoidable.”
Ka-deuk!!
The tip of the pipe, piercing through the Array Device’s pipe, twisted like a snake, aiming for Lennok’s Adam’s apple.
The moment the smoke-blade, hanging like a claw at the pipe’s end, unfolded sharply as if to tear flesh.
Lennok glanced sideways and said,
“So, your perception abilities weaken against Transcendent beings you’ve fought multiple times?”
“Khhh—”
Swa-ae-ek!!
Suddenly, the vampire burst through the thick toxic mist, cackling madly as she seized the Yeonri Spell Master’s side.
Before the Spell Master could react, she slammed his face into the Sun Ship at immense speed, grinding him into a pulp as she slid across it.
Kwa-deu-deu-deu-deuk!!!!
“……!!!”
“Kya-hahaha-hat!!! Ahahaha-ha-hat!!!!”
Lariata, covered in blood, flailed her arms, laughing maniacally as her half-torn bat wings thrashed uncontrollably.
The Yeonri Spell Master’s body, held in the vampire’s hand, was repeatedly smashed onto the ground like a toy before transforming into smoke and scattering explosively.
The Spell Master, who had instantly reconstituted his body and landed at the edge of the Sun Ship, staggered and glared at the 7th Apostle.
“You half-breed, I’ll tear you apart—”
Despite receiving a blow that should have mangled his entire body like chunks of flesh, he merely coughed briefly, appearing almost unharmed.
Had he once again forcibly transferred the damage to the incense stick within his Domain?
But the sudden appearance of the 7th Apostle was even more bizarre.
“Hahahaha-hat!!! Ah~ So fun!! Now it’s finally fun, isn’t it??”
Cheol-peok, cheol-peok…!!
A gruesome sight: her left skull seemed caved in and melting, with skin and muscle mixed together.
Her entire body melted like a candle, then she continuously reformed her flesh in real-time as blood, falling like tears from the sky, rained upon her.
A bizarre scene, as if she was constantly ‘sculpting’ new bodies from a pool of blood.
‘That’s why the Spell Master said the 7th Apostle’s ability was similar to his own.’
The Yeonri Spell Master, who transfers lethal damage to his Domain multiple times.
The 7th Apostle, who can create a new body from scratch using blood as a material.
Though their methods differed, both clearly possessed abilities akin to having spare lives.
It was surely no coincidence that Transcendent beings with such powers were attempting to conquer the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors.
But Lariata, in her disheveled state, stared wide-eyed at the Spell Master and Lennok.
“Khi-hi-hit, this really reminds me of the old days… During the Holy War, I had to fight all sorts of infidels like this all day long.”
“…”
“The Grand Spell Master of the Order Alliance and the successor of Jindun. Yes, this is the level of opponent that makes fighting truly invigorating, wouldn’t you agree? Tearing apart insects and small fries is fun, but it’s just a light pastime.”
Bwooong…!!
Lariata reached out her hand, catching a double-bladed greatsword that flew from somewhere, and cackled.
As she swept back her disheveled hair, the vampire, her caved-in skull perfectly restored, glared with wide eyes.
“The Priestess threw me back into the mundane world for this very purpose, didn’t she? Then I’ll just kill and kill until I’m broken again~ Ahahaha-hat!!!!”
“Apoaa From earlier, you’ve been needlessly noisy. Can’t you speak without laughing like a ghost?”
“I will eradicate all of you here and now.”
Kuoooooo!!!
Above the Demonic Realm, on the rapidly moving Sun Ship, three Transcendent beings simultaneously drew upon their mana.
Fire, smoke, and blood echoed explosively on the warship, clashing in different directions amidst scattering flames.
Kwaaa-aaang!!!!
In the thick smoke, Lariata, eyes wide, swung her greatsword, her body bathed in crimson light.
The Yeonri Spell Master, pipe in mouth, puffed out smoke to create walls in all directions, his Spiritual Presence swelling like a balloon.
The movements of the Transcendent beings, wildly raging and colliding across the Sun Ship, exceeding the speed of sound, changed direction erratically.
Each time, mana exploded and smoke scattered above Megiddo, and the monsters’ bodies were repeatedly flung out of the Sun Ship.
At the center, Lennok summoned spell-formation inscribed metal pillars to block the furious onslaught of the Apostle and the Spell Master.
Whenever he wielded the muzzle-less flamethrower, which had an Ignition Device embedded in its front and rotated, tremendous shockwaves erupted, and fire flames danced.
Combustion Domain Property Transformation Fire-Heat Sculpting Gunpowder Alchemy [Combustion Armament #88: Falling Fire-Petal Flight] [Blazing Bullet Armor] [Flame Jade Piercing Star]
Each time he pulled the Ignition Device and activated it, heat burst from the exhaust vents on his left arm, regulating his body temperature.
This was a weaponized spellcraft of fire-heat magic, created by combining Jindun’s Barrier Spellcraft.
The diffusion and amplification, which fire-heat magic uses as its unique characteristic, were contained within the barrier spell formation engraved on the Ignition Device, compressing firepower to its extreme.
Thousands of rounds of Combustion Armament, exploding on the Sun Ship, instantly pushed Lariata and the Yeonri Spell Master back head-on.
“Gaaaaaaaaah!!!!”
“Hoo—”
The Apostle and the Spell Master, laughing as if screaming, collided at the edge of the hull, then were flung away as if exploding.
They used their half-remaining wings to balance, and transformed their bodies into smoke to accelerate, tearing at each other’s flesh and spellcraft.
Kwajik!! Oo-deu-deuk!!!!
Lariata kicked Lennok’s Combustion Armament and struck the Spell Master with the side of her greatsword.
The Spell Master scraped Lariata’s eye with the tip of his pipe and blew smoke towards Lennok.
The Apostle and the Spell Master, rolling on the Sun Ship, continued to swing their weapons and unleash spellcraft as if to kill each other.
A breathless three-way battle, where even a momentary lapse would result in a fatal wound. If they let go of their opponent, they would surely suffer a deadly blow.
But even amidst this, the powers and spellcraft of the two monsters continued to shift, not towards each other, but relentlessly towards Lennok.
‘Take it out!!!!’
‘What are you hiding?’
A Domain is a miracle granted only to an Attainer who has completed the seven Self-Transformation Stages.
Upon deploying a Domain based on their Root Mindscape, the spellcaster gains an explosive increase in power and can wield the Domain’s unique abilities.
But against the Yeonri Spell Master and the 7th Apostle, whose powers had surged from deploying their Domains, Lennok was fighting on equal terms without revealing his own Domain.
He couldn’t have lied about his incantation. A spellcaster’s incantation is not something that can be uttered so casually.
But if so, they needed to know why Lennok had deployed his Domain yet still hadn’t revealed its scenery and abilities.
The two Transcendent beings, sensing this intuitively and instinctively, focused their offensive on Lennok simultaneously amidst the intense three-way battle.
“Kya-hahaha-ha-hat!!!! Ahahaha-ha-hat!!!!”
“Let’s end this here, Cheonbeon—”
Kwaaa-aaang!!!
Deu-reu-reuk!!!
Lariata, eyes rolled back, swung her greatsword, cutting and tearing open the barrier.
Cloud hammers and mist blades ground against the wall of flames, pounding Lennok’s side.
At arm’s length, the offensives of the 7th Apostle and the Grand Spell Master directly struck Lennok’s internal organs from both sides.
Lennok crossed his arms, bowing his head deeply, simultaneously blocking and stopping the attacks of the two Transcendent beings.
Kwaaa-aaang!!!!!
The explosively radiating flames canceled out the shock and recoil, suppressing kinetic energy to its extreme.
Even the Grand Spell Master and the 7th Apostle were about to immediately draw upon their mana and weave spellcraft in the face of that overwhelming firepower.
“I saw the technique he used at the First Gate and remembered how to do it.”
Lennok said, without even looking at his opponents pressing in explosively from both sides.
“I learned that the power of Trait-type abilities, which interfere with concepts, could be a means to deal with things that don’t die.”
“Nonsense—”
“It’s difficult. I had to use a Domain incantation to raise my Mind Imprint to grasp the sensation… but this should be enough.”
Pu-beo-beo-beo-bong!!!!
He caught and deflected the successive shockwaves with the flames in his hands, lowering his stance deeply.
“Because I put in a lot of effort to ‘break’ both of you in one go.”
“Nooooo—!!! Too late!!!!”
The blood-soaked 7th Apostle stuck out her tongue, cackling like a ghost, and lunged forward, sliding.
The Yeonri Spell Master threw his pipe above his head, formed hand seals with both hands, and inhaled deeply.
Just as the Spell Master and the Apostle, having closed the distance too quickly to react, were about to burst Lennok’s heart and head with a single strike.
“Conjunction Spellcraft activated.”
“—Ah?”
Cheol-keok!!!
Above Lennok’s head, spacetime itself distorted and violently rotated.
The altar of mist and the temple of blood, spread around the Sun Ship, began to lose their form and ‘conjoin’.
The Domains of Colored Mist Domain and Bloodlust Ecstasy were forcibly brought into contact, overlapping, and then clashing and shattering.
Originally distinct Root Mindscapes that could never merge or connect were forcibly conjoined, collapsing and running wild—
“Domain Conjunction.”
Kwaaa-aaang—!!!
The two Domains, spread over the Sun Ship, shattered into countless fragments like glass, revealing the murky skies of the Demonic Realm once more.
Almost simultaneously, with the sound of their hierarchies shattering within the Grand Spell Master and the 7th Apostle, they convulsively vomited black, dead blood.