Chapter 1483: Hunting the First Apostle (17)

FWOOOOOSH!!!!

An achromatic ripple burst out explosively, and three different Root Mindscapes manifested, centered on the Crystal Tower.

Even the spellcasters continuing the restoration ritual for the Great Connection at the tower’s core were swept up in the domains, their forms vanishing from sight.

Domain Deployed Sacrifice Hierarchy - Mindscape Manifestation [Evil Blood Frenzy]

SQUELCH!!

A sticky pool of blood formed in the staircase corridor, and from it, the Blood Princess, with the eerie presence of a ghost, revealed herself.

With her eyes rolled back, shedding tears of blood, the Blood Princess sent ripples through the pool of blood each time her pale hands fumbled within it.

It began to make the inside of the Second Apostle’s Domain pulsate slowly, like a giant heart.

Domain Deployed Consciousness Hierarchy - Mindscape Manifestation [Humanoid Facsimile]

CREAK, CREAK—

A giant baby, its body tangled in bizarre tentacles, gaped its mouth with its pure white eyes half-open.

Wherever the baby’s gaze fell, tentacles sprouted and clumped together, mutating into forms resembling living humans.

In the blink of an eye, puppets replicating the Alliance’s Spell Masters began to rise throughout the domain.

‘Evil Blood Frenzy. The Seventh Apostle’s…!’

Recognizing the Second Apostle’s Domain at once, Lennok leaped down the stairs, gathering his mana.

‘He can use not only the spellcraft of other Apostles but also their Domains? Then the other one must be—’

The domain of the Eighth Apostle, Camlodal, who wields Puppet Spellcraft.

He had seen the Eighth Apostle’s sanctuary in Torquepaz, but did he possess a separate Domain as well? It was likely related to his spellcraft, which involved creating human replicas.

Having confirmed that much, Lennok understood the reasoning behind the Second Apostle’s decision.

The Second Apostle had experienced Lennok’s Domain once before, but he didn’t know precisely what its ability was.

At the Duris Workshop, he had dodged the domain before Lennok could even project his Root Mindscape, so he hadn’t grasped the ability itself.

Nevertheless, he had judged that the very act of Lennok deploying a Domain was dangerous, and instead of recklessly countering with Apostle Spellcraft, he had decided to deploy his own domains in response.

The reason he had chosen to borrow the Domains of the Seventh and Eighth Apostles, of all the others, was undoubtedly—

‘No matter how I attack with my Domain, his plan is to absorb all the damage with Evil Blood Frenzy and then unload it onto the spellcasters in the Crystal Tower to kill them.’

The Domain of the Seventh Apostle, Lariata Armush, Evil Blood Frenzy, was the Root Mindscape that had been corrupted when she, once a True Blood, fell and became an Apostle.

While Evil Blood Frenzy was active, all damage inflicted upon the caster would be transferred to the summoned entity within the domain, the ‘Blood Princess’.

And as soon as the domain’s duration ended, the damage received by the Blood Princess would be forcibly inflicted upon every target within the domain.

Whatever ability Lennok’s Domain possessed, the Second Apostle intended to use even that power to annihilate every living being in the Crystal Tower.

KRUMBLE!!!

Dodging the blood that overflowed from the staircase corridor, he grabbed the inner wall with one hand and descended rapidly.

At the same time, seeing the puppets rising all over the Crystal Tower, Lennok’s expression darkened.

’He intends to use the Eighth Apostle’s domain to create puppets, increasing the ‘headcount’ within the area to amplify the damage from Evil Blood Frenzy. This way, no matter who wins, the descent ritual fails…!’

The Eighth Apostle’s Puppet Spellcraft was a power that created near-perfect duplicates of existing humans.

That was why the Second Apostle was replicating the living Spell Masters within the domain’s range and then relentlessly churning them out as puppets.

Since the Spell Master duplicates created by the Puppet Spellcraft and their original bodies were treated as the same individual within Evil Blood Frenzy, the damage output would be at least doubled.

And it wouldn’t stop at double; the damage would multiply endlessly with each new puppet created.

It was such a meticulous and elaborate combination that even Lennok, who grasped the Second Apostle’s objective the moment he saw the two domains, felt a chill.

It was a decision so sharp and astute it was hard to believe it had been made in the brief instant they both deployed their domains.

That was why—

Lennok sensed something unsettlingly familiar about the abilities the Second Apostle was using—they resembled his own.

A sense of freedom, unrestricted by anything, much like his Targeted Resistance.

The ability to borrow other spellcraft and domains, even if it was limited to the cult’s Apostles.

The combat experience to wield a variety of abilities freely, seamlessly shifting between close-quarters combat and battles of pure firepower.

It was as if someone, long ago, had tried to imitate the abilities Lennok possessed using their own power—

SWOOSH!!

Cutting off his thoughts, Lennok rapidly descended along the inner wall. The moment he landed, he spun around.

This was no time to hesitate while pondering the Second Apostle’s abilities or origins.

The sharpness and astuteness of the Second Apostle’s response made it clear that he was extremely wary of Lennok’s Domain.

Evil Blood Frenzy and Humanoid Facsimile. The very act of borrowing the Domains of the cult’s two highest-ranking Apostles at once was proof that he considered Lennok’s ability that dangerous.

No matter what ability Lennok’s Domain possessed, he intended to use even that power to kill all the spellcasters in the Crystal Tower and ensure the descent failed.

But—

From the very beginning, Lennok hadn’t deployed his Domain to kill the Second Apostle.

“I had a feeling your Domain was an extraordinary power in many ways, but…”

The Second Apostle, landing behind Lennok, spoke in an unprecedentedly cold voice.

“I never imagined you could deploy a Domain in such a manner.”

“…”

A massive black hemisphere had been deployed to envelop and protect the descent ritual taking place in the center of the Crystal Tower.

Lennok’s Domain, deployed as if to conceal and protect the area around the vat containing the Incarnation Body.

Lennok was standing outside the domain he had deployed, facing the Second Apostle.

As if he were a gatekeeper, protecting the domain he had cast from the outside.

“Realizing you couldn’t trap me with your Domain, you decided to surround the ritual site instead of me? How absurd.”

Realizing this, the Second Apostle narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

“To be able to construct such a stable domain without the caster himself being present within it… How is that possible? No, just what level has your proficiency as a wizard reached?”

A Domain was a power that overwrote reality by projecting the caster’s Root Mindscape into their will-thought space.

Therefore, a domain must always be deployed centered on the caster, and its range and area were determined with the caster at its core.

The very concept of a Domain was a power that existed entirely for the caster, so there was absolutely no reason for the caster to remain outside it.

And yet, Lennok had deployed his Domain centered on the ritual site and was standing outside of it, maintaining it.

A method of use that even the First Apostle, who had served the Pontiff for an immeasurably long time, had never even conceived of.

“A Domain is the pinnacle of reality alteration, but it is ultimately not Barrier Spellcraft. Even if you’re a monster who can place himself outside his own domain, you must have mixed in the principles of Barrier Spellcraft to protect a specific space.”

Walking forward slowly, the Second Apostle’s gaze swept over the surroundings and instantly found the answer.

“I see. The magic bullets you scattered on the floor when the engagement began… you used them as the domain’s boundary to surround the ritual site?”

The Mass Magic Bullets Lennok had scattered around right after discerning the Second Apostle’s abilities inside the Crystal Tower.

He hadn’t simply thrown them to activate the spellcraft imbued within them like traps.

He had positioned the Mass Magic Bullets scattered during the fight around the ritual site. Upon deploying his Domain, he had used them as the boundary line to envelop the area.

Since a Domain was not Barrier Spellcraft, one had to establish a boundary line in advance to use it as such.

The Second Apostle sensed that Lennok had planned this far ahead from the moment he scattered the magic bullets, and he couldn’t help but express his admiration.

“I thought it was just chaff or a bluff to draw my attention… Not a single action was meaningless. You were thinking this far ahead from the very beginning. It gives me chills.”

“Don’t you think your insight in figuring that out immediately is even more chilling?”

“I prepared thoroughly to counter your domain, yet you had no intention of clashing domains with me.”

A cold fury soon settled in the gaze of the Second Apostle, who had been unable to hide his continued admiration.

“But apart from that phenomenal skill… you’ve made a reckless decision. Did you really think you could stop me with a measure like that?”

“…”

“The collision of different Domains doesn’t mean their abilities are nullified or disappear. Unless the effects of the domains are polar opposites, the effects of both will coexist.”

The Second Apostle gathered his mana, pushing up the sleeves of his blood-soaked holy robes.

“Even if you try to protect the ritual site with your Domain, the effects of Evil Blood Frenzy will continue to affect this Crystal Tower. You might be safe, but you can’t protect the Alliance’s Spell Masters—”

“You’ve certainly become more talkative.”

Lennok sneered, sweeping his hair back.

“Are you shaken? Because you couldn’t immediately read my intentions, even after we both deployed our domains?”

“…”

“I know you’ll do whatever it takes to kill all the spellcasters here. I don’t think I can stop everything at this point.”

Gathering his mana, Lennok rubbed his neck with one hand and said.

“Besides, the Alliance’s Spell Masters must have stood here prepared for death… That’s why I simply reset my priorities.”

“I see. You’ve given up on stopping me directly and decided to somehow protect only the spellcasters participating in the descent ritual?”

The Second Apostle turned to Lennok and declared coldly.

“No… that can’t be it. If that were all, you wouldn’t have made such a decisive move, going so far as to bring out your Domain first.”

“…”

“There’s another reason. Something more than protecting the spellcasters or the Incarnation Body… something to break through my ability itself.”

“Trying to gauge my reaction isn’t a bad move, but are you sure you have time for that?”

Lennok smiled coldly and beckoned with his finger.

“You’re the one on a time attack. How much time is left until the ritual is complete?”

“I am counting the remaining time precisely, so don’t you worry.”

CRACK…!!

Extending one arm and clenching his fist, veins bulged on the Second Apostle’s forearm.

“From now on, I’m going all out, holding nothing back.”

[Aaaaaaaah….!!!!]

The Blood Princess slumped behind the Second Apostle and shrieked, shedding tears of blood.

Above her, the tentacled baby giggled, relentlessly creating more puppets.

BOOM!!!

Amidst the scattered screams and laughter, the Second Apostle clashed with Lennok. They collided and raced past the ritual site, which was enclosed by the domain.

With no way of knowing what ability Lennok’s domain possessed, it was too risky for the Second Apostle to enter it directly.

However, if he didn’t try to find out what was inside, he would be playing right into Lennok’s hands.

Therefore—

‘Adamant Thunder deployed his Domain before I deployed mine. He didn’t use his Domain to counter Evil Blood Frenzy, at least.’

Chronologically, Lennok had deployed his domain before the Second Apostle had even used Evil Blood Frenzy.

Therefore, Lennok’s gambit was not aimed at Evil Blood Frenzy itself but was meticulously designed to break through the Second Apostle’s own abilities.

He was probably preparing a spellcraft or special technique that required time to activate after the domain’s deployment.

Protecting the ritual site with his domain was a way to buy time while he prepared that ‘method’.

It was to prevent the Second Apostle from killing all the spellcasters in the Crystal Tower and forcibly terminating the ritual.

‘But conversely, if I can kill all the spellcasters within the remaining time, that condition becomes irrelevant.’

With a cold expression, the Second Apostle gathered his mana and began to indiscriminately fire his Libra Spellcraft, killing spellcasters across space.

‘If I slaughter every living spellcaster in the ritual site before Evil Blood Frenzy ends, there will be no variables…!!’

BOOM!!

As if reading that judgment, Lennok’s body flickered and intercepted the Second Apostle.

Their shoulders collided, their hands tangled in a complex exchange, and lightning and spellcraft erupted.

The outer wall of the Crystal Tower collapsed explosively, and from outside, the Iron Lion leaped in, wielding fragments of iron.

“Die, you cultist…!!!”

CRUNCH!!

While clashing head-on with Lennok, he parried the Iron Lion charging from the side.

He blocked the iron fragments with his forearm, broke through the man’s defense in just two exchanges, and kicked the Iron Lion’s shoulder.

The impact shattered his entire shoulder blade, twisting the Iron Lion’s arm in a grotesque direction.

Simultaneously, the Young Master of the Twilight Veil, drenched in blood, unleashed a spellcraft at the Second Apostle from the side.

KIIIIIIING—

FWOOM-FWOOM-FWOOM!!!!

Black spheres rained down upon the Second Apostle.

While dodging every single one, the Second Apostle took a bolt of Lennok’s lightning to the stomach and accelerated toward the Young Master.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the Young Master, hammering him with a one-sided barrage of spellcraft.

“Hah, keuhk…!!”

Instantly riddled with holes, the Young Master tumbled to the ground, streaming blood.

“So it was true that he was a promising genius from an old family. To think he could trade blows with me, even for a moment.”

Just now, despite being unable to keep up with the Second Apostle’s speed, the Young Master had managed to exchange blows purely through intuition.

He had only managed to avoid fatal blows, but the very fact that he could do so against the Second Apostle was proof of his immense talent.

He wasn’t on the level of the lightning wizard rampaging before him, but he was undoubtedly one of the geniuses who would be remembered in history.

“This is no time to be looking away.”

CRACKLE, CRACKLE…!!!!

At that moment, a brilliant azure flash of lightning, so bright it stung the eyes, exploded right in front of the Second Apostle.

The output was so immense that even the Second Apostle, who had ignored most of Lennok’s magic until now, reacted instinctively.

The instant the Second Apostle turned his gaze, an immeasurable tide of lightning swept over the spot.

[Thunderous Deluge]

KRAKOOOOOOM!!!

It was one of the ultimate arts of lightning magic, unleashed by Lennok after a brief incantation, who had already been overwhelming the Second Apostle in a direct clash of firepower.

The same tide of lightning that had annihilated Amrita Fraubel now engulfed the Crystal Tower, inside and out, sweeping away everything without a trace.

“Keuk, ugh…!!!”

“Uwaaaack!!!!”

The half-dead bodies of the Iron Lion and the Young Master were sent flying by the mere prelude of the attack, even before the tide of lightning hit them.

Immediately after, the tide of azure light descended, swallowing the Crystal Tower whole as it poured down upon the Second Apostle.

Its immense firepower swept away both the inner and outer walls of the Crystal Tower, incinerating even the debris and corpses scattered about.

But even amidst the furiously raging tide of lightning, the Second Apostle’s eyes glinted with a chilling light.

‘He plans to forcibly shatter my domains by brute-forcing the output. He’s getting desperate…!’

The output of Thunderous Deluge was undoubtedly of a transcendent class, more than enough to completely shatter the Domains.

However, that also meant that everything and everyone besides the Second Apostle and Lennok would be unable to withstand its firepower.

Did he intend to shatter Evil Blood Frenzy to prevent its effect from activating, even if it meant annihilating every living being within the domain?

That judgment in itself was proof that the domain Adamant Thunder had deployed was not the kind of ability that could prevent Evil Blood Frenzy’s effect from activating.

“You’ve done surprisingly well, but you’ve misjudged in the end—”

FWOOM!!!!

At that moment, the Second Apostle clapped his hands together and simultaneously released his own Apostle Spellcraft.

As his body was exposed to the Thunderous Deluge, the Evil Blood Frenzy and Humanoid Facsimile domains deployed around the Crystal Tower were dispelled.

At the same time, the tide of the Thunderous Deluge surged past where the Second Apostle’s domains had been and crashed down vertically onto Lennok’s domain at the tower’s center.

KRAKOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!

In the furiously exploding tide of the Thunderous Deluge, Lennok’s Domain was swept away, vanishing without a trace.

Simultaneously, the Second Apostle snatched Lennok by the collar in mid-air and slammed him into the tower floor with incredible speed.

KABOOOOM!!!!

“It’s already over. The moment you used a spell of such high firepower, your own domain was swept away. Regardless of the remaining spellcasters, the ritual is now guaranteed to fail.”

“…”

“If the ritual’s failure is certain, there’s no need to kill more spellcasters or maintain my Domains. You were so fixated on the domain battle that you lost sight of what truly mattered.”

The instant Lennok used the ultimate art of lightning magic, the Second Apostle had dispelled both Evil Blood Frenzy and Humanoid Facsimile and targeted Lennok instead.

He showed no attachment to the board he had set up just moments before, ignoring Lennok’s domain to target the caster himself.

The First Apostle hadn’t missed the fact that once the fight reached this point, felling each other would render all other premises meaningless.

“After I stop the restoration of the Great Connection, it’s your turn. That talent… it’s surprisingly similar to the Pontiff’s, and yet, that one aspect is somehow different.”

The Second Apostle looked down at Lennok with an unprecedentedly chilling gaze and slowly reached out his hand.

“By looking inside your body, I’m sure I’ll learn your secrets. Still, I’m glad I can leave behind a gift for the Pontiff.”

“…No.”

At that moment, Lennok caught the Second Apostle’s outstretched hand, stopping it, and replied in a low voice.

His voice was calm, as if he felt no pain whatsoever from the battle.

“The reason I used Thunderous Deluge… wasn’t to break through your Apostle Spellcraft or your domains’ abilities.”

“What do you mean?”

“The descent ritual, which is proceeding simultaneously with the restoration of the Great Connection… and the calculation of the time required for it.”

Lennok raised his gaze.

“It was to deceive, even for just a moment, the sense of time that must be running flawlessly inside your head.”

“…Deceive?”

Tick…!

At that moment, the Second Apostle felt as if he heard the sound of a clock winding from beyond the now-concealed domain.

As if waiting for that sound, Lennok’s Domain dissipated, and the scene within was revealed.

There was the vat containing the Incarnation Body, surrounded by an intricate and complex spell formation.

However, even though not a single spellcaster remained, the spell formation was still active.

It wasn’t just being maintained; it looked as if the spellcraft was on the verge of completion.

But the moment the Second Apostle saw it, he realized what had changed inside the domain.

From the beginning, Lennok hadn’t deployed his Domain to protect the ritual site.

Lennok had wrapped his domain around the ritual site and—

“Don’t tell me, you accelerated time…!!!”

“The time within a domain and the time in reality don’t necessarily have to align…”

Lennok said.

“As long as the Miniature Garden is complete… he will already be prepared.”

Domain Deployed Ideology Hierarchy - Mindscape Manifestation [Locking the Leaf of Calamitous Change]

CH-R-R-R-R-R-R-K!!!!!

It artificially accelerated the time within the Domain, forcibly completing the ritual that had been delayed by the Second Apostle’s interference.

Supplied with immense energy from the heat of the Thunderous Deluge, the Locking the Leaf of Calamitous Change activated normally, triggering the Celestial Spellcraft.

Once again, this time for real, it transformed the spacetime inside and outside the Crystal Tower into something akin to the Glass Garden—

[Celestial Spellcraft Activated: Miniature Garden Deployed]

[Glass Garden Synchronization: Ideal Mindscape Manifested]

[Ritual Resonance]

But even in that urgent situation, the Second Apostle couldn’t take his eyes off Lennok.

“Unbelievable. How in the world…!”

“It would have been possible to fight you here and now with all my strength and see this to the end. But…”

Lennok said, slowly getting to his feet.

“I didn’t work this hard in this war just to do a favor for someone else.”

“That’s not the issue. This isn’t simply a matter of possessing a high-level domain—”

“From now on, I’ll leave dealing with you to ‘someone else’.”

[Descent Initiated]

RUMBLE…!!!!

As he spoke, the dark clouds parted, revealing a night sky as transparent as glass.

It was the image of a dark garden where immeasurably beautiful glass flowers bloomed.

The moment he felt someone standing upside down beyond it, watching from within the shadows.

At the same time the ‘Incarnation Body’ sleeping in the vat opened its eyes, the entire world was engulfed in light.

FWOOOOOSH!!!!!!

The moment they saw the intense pillar of light descend into the heart of the Crystal Canyon, everyone on the battlefield realized it simultaneously.

The final goal the Alliance had so desperately craved. The worst-case scenario the Guido Cult had fought so desperately to prevent.

That in a situation where the front line had been breached and the Crystal Tower had fallen, a result no one had anticipated had been born.

The being who would bring the final act to this uncontrollably chaotic war.

The Order Alliance Leader had descended upon reality.