Chapter 287: Apostle’s Advent (4)
“I heard the rumors, but he’s truly insane.”
“…”
Amidst the chaos, some warriors managed to maintain their balance and surface.
Clutching their weapons, they slowly began to close the distance towards Lennok.
“To think he’d burst the sewers to target the mansion so precisely. Even if he calculated the flow within the pipes and started work, it would have taken at least a week. What trick did you pull?”
“I merely cut down on unnecessary work.”
Lennok replied indifferently.
“Because I’m not a guest who uses the stairs honestly.”
Breaking common sense is always a wizard’s prerogative.
At the very least, the sewer overflow Lennok just unleashed was undoubtedly an unexpected move by the Ibon Family.
“…Even on the same water, it must be difficult for you, a sorcerer, to move. You’ve cut off your own escape routes, yet you’re full of composure.”
“Are you still saying that, even after seeing this sight?”
“…”
The speechless warriors quickly gripped their weapons.
“Attack, everyone…!! We must bind him as much as possible!!”
“For the Fortress Head!!”
The sewer overflow.
These are the ones who somehow survived the flood filling the mansion courtyard and still burn with fighting spirit.
They must be high-ranking combatants among the warriors under the Ibon Family.
Even as they charged across the surging water, their balance remained unwavering.
Now that the plan to overwhelm with numbers had collapsed from the start, there was no need to explain how skilled they were, having devised a way to carry out the Fortress Head’s orders regardless.
Shhhhhh!!
The trajectory of the blades cutting sharply through the air was precise, and the timed, successive attacks were incredibly meticulous.
Even in such a chaotic situation, the warriors’ coordinated assault, charging to target the wizard while somehow maintaining their rhythm, was excellent.
Swishhh!!
A six-hit combo simultaneously targeting the ribs, heart, shoulder, and carotid artery below the jaw.
Behind them, other survivors could be seen desperately aiming long-range firearms this way.
It was pure killing intent, far beyond merely executing the Fortress Head’s orders.
In response, Lennok immediately rotated his mana.
“Even with all this water, it’s still a distance to the top of the mansion.”
Whooshhh!!
“Shall we go up higher?”
He bent slightly, dipping one hand directly into the water at his feet.
The mana spread through his grasp, instantly extending beneath the impure water, seizing control of the incessantly gushing sewage.
Lennok, who had instantly assembled the desired mana array within his body, swung his hand.
Ice-elemental Unique Magic.
Property Transformation: Shaping.
[Ice White Pillar: Horned Radiance]
Kwooooshhh!!
As he swung his hand, which was immersed in water, towards the sky, the water gathered beneath Lennok’s feet rose like wildfire, forming waves.
The wave, rising diagonally above his head, instantly froze with mana condensation, transforming into a massive ice wall.
An ice wave that looked like dozens of horn-like pillars, easily exceeding ten meters, overlapped to create it.
“Gahhhhhh!!”
“Im-impossible…!!”
“An ice spell of this scale without any prior preparation!!”
Even the shouts of astonishment from all directions were buried and vanished by the momentum of the continuously surging ice wall, like waves.
The diagonally rising ice path pierced through the vicinity of the mansion’s fifth floor and halted.
Boom!!
Lennok did not hesitate and immediately stepped onto the ice path.
“Stop right there!!”
“We can’t let him interfere with the Fortress Head…!!”
“Stop him! Stall for even a little time!!”
The surviving warriors frantically pursued Lennok along the ice path.
It was an endlessly slippery and difficult footing to maintain balance on, but still much better than having to keep balance on water just moments before.
But Lennok silenced the warriors, who burned with fighting spirit despite stumbling, by putting a revolver bullet in each of their foreheads.
Tat-tat-tat-bang!!
As he descended from the ice path that pierced the fifth floor to the sixth floor of the mansion, dozens of warriors inside, as if waiting, threw themselves at Lennok.
“Uwaaaaaah!!”
“Die, monster!!”
The mana imbued in their blades and the ferocity of their momentum.
An ordinary human wouldn’t be able to withstand the charge of those superhumans for even a moment and would be turned into unrecognizable chunks of flesh.
A vivid blue electric flash sparked from between Lennok’s sleeves as he lightly shook his hand.
[Chain Lightning]
[8-Stack Repulsion]
[Six-Directional Concentrated Fire]
Fzzzzzzzt!!!
Dozens of currents, racing through his grasp, intertwined and burst forth, creating dazzling flashes.
Each flash fiercely flowed over human skin, burning veins and melting flesh.
Kwaga-gagak!!
“Arghhh!!”
“Damnnn ittt!!”
“It hurts!! Help meeee!!”
A wave of electricity flowing down the long wooden corridor.
Lennok advanced, wielding that intense radiance fearlessly in both hands.
The battle situation after ascending to the seventh floor was no different.
Those who blocked his path were mercilessly battered and burned, and those who tried to tie him down were simply trampled and crushed.
Every time Lennok’s hand brushed his sleeve, a modified double-barreled shotgun and a sniper rifle would switch, pushing back approaching enemies and intercepting those trying to create distance.
With every flick of his fingers, storms of lightning and ice swept through the surroundings, and fiery masses erupted from beneath his feet, clearing his path.
Kwo-gwah-gwah-gwah-gwah!!!
Against one of Palgung Fortress’s most formidable families, the violence unleashed by a single wizard caused desperate screams to echo from all directions.
“Aaaaaaaahhh!!”
“H-he’s not a wizard…!! How can that be a wizard!!!”
“Were the people outside dealing with a monster like that…!”
Heat and impact that no living human could possibly create.
No one present could even fathom the extent of the firepower that a single individual wielded to grind down hundreds of mana users.
Even fearless warriors hesitated to advance due to his utterly brutal actions.
But Lennok, even as he noticed their hesitation, did not stop manipulating his mana.
He knew well that the most effective way for an individual to deal with a group was to stir up fear.
These were individuals who, while somewhat aware of the horrors their Fortress Head was committing, still risked danger to get their share of the spoils.
There was no reason to hesitate.
Only after firing a shotgun round into the chest of the warrior who clung on desperately until the very end did the deafening noise that filled his ears subside, and silence descended upon the surroundings.
“Gasp, cough…”
“Ugh… hahaa…”
“Cough…!!”
“Ughhh…”
Those still groaning in pain, their breaths not yet severed.
And those who had completely lost the will to fight and dropped their weapons.
“…”
As Lennok took a step forward, the remaining survivors silently retreated.
People parted in the wide wooden corridor, opening a path for Lennok.
No trace of ambition or will was visible in their eyes anymore.
Lennok briefly gazed at them before immediately stepping onto the stairs leading to the eighth floor.
Among the fortress, with its myriad styles of tiled roofs, the high-rise tiled mansion clearly stood out.
The uppermost floor of the eight-story mansion.
“Welcome.”
In the inner quarters, accessible only to the Fortress Head, the Ibon Family Head, dressed in fluttering priestly robes, smiled at Lennok.
“I, myself, was waiting for you.”
Though the origin of her attire was unknown, it was obvious considering who she had allied with.
Lennok, staring at the Ibon Family Head, let out a scoff.
“You’re not even trying to hide it anymore. Are you planning to boast to the entire city that you’ve devoted yourself to the Guido Cult?”
“Why would I?”
Ibon replied leisurely.
Skin without a single wrinkle, and jet-black hair.
Her face, looking even youthful, appeared younger than Lennok’s.
She casually brushed her hair back with a relaxed gesture and said,
“Since he granted me what I desired, I am merely paying the appropriate price in return.”
“…”
“What does it matter if I can halt the passage of time by offering my faith to the cult? Rather, I regret not having recommended this method to others sooner.”
“That level of lying is a sickness. You never had any intention of sharing that secret with others.”
Lennok let out a cold scoff.
“…”
“The price you paid wasn’t solely yours. Didn’t you obtain this illusion only after resolving to sacrifice all life and property of the fortress entirely?”
If she had truly obtained everything she desired, there would be no reason for the Ibon Family Head to remain in this fortress.
Was it not because there was still an unpaid price, and Walter Martinez’s wish was also part of that transaction, that she struggled to buy time, even anticipating Lennok’s visit?
Ibon’s eyes gleamed coldly.
“…If you know that much, there’s no need for further words. The Samyeong Family Head has spilled an unnecessary amount of information to a young one.”
“Where is the Bishop who was with you?”
“Do you think I’d tell you?”
“I suppose not. He’s probably busy doing something in the secret place you’ve hidden him.”
“…”
Lennok, pulling out another cigarette from his pocket, said,
“I’ve suspected there’s a reason the cult is targeting the ruins. But not knowing the exact reason has bothered me.”
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“If you faced the same truth, yet your answer is completely different… then there must be more secrets you’re hiding.”
Lennok exhaled smoke with a sigh, then lifted his head, and an eerie light streamed from his eyes.
“I will confirm the truth of the matter here today.”
“Hah.”
Ibon scoffed, drawing forth her mana.
“Try if you can, whelp!!”
Kwoooooom!!!
At that moment, the vicinity of the mansion’s eighth floor burst open as if exploding, and two figures plummeted towards the ground.
The two superhumans landed on the diagonally sloped massive ice wall, simultaneously regaining their balance and clashing.
Kwooom!!!
What followed was Ibon’s preemptive charge.
Even with bare hands, the way she fearlessly slashed through the air was filled with arrogant confidence.
A single powerful strike, drawing up mana.
Following her gesture, thick tree roots erupted from the ground and instantly gathered, transforming into the shape of a colossal hammer.
Lennok, observing her movements, also raised his mana to full power and deployed a shield.
This was not an impact that could be blocked while considering mana efficiency.
He compressed and overlapped seven shield layers, then rotated them to deflect the point of impact and lessen the shock.
Kuguguguugu!!
The shockwave that erupted immediately after the clash reverberated loudly through the massive ice wall.
As a result, the diagonally extending ice wall shook violently, scattering ice crystals everywhere.
“You came all this way alone without fear, so you must have something you trust, right?”
Crack!!
Ibon, gripping Lennok’s shield and peeking her head through the gap, wore a menacing smile.
“Bring out your Domain, wizard.”
Ibon screamed, struggling to force open Lennok’s shield by prying and swinging the tree roots.
“I want to see for myself what incredible power you possess to act so arrogantly–!!”
Bang-bang!!
At that moment, ice spikes shot up from beneath the ice wall where Ibon was standing, piercing directly through her body.
“Kughhh!!”
The speed was too fast to react to.
But her reaction wasn’t slow enough to fail to avoid the counterattack.
It was the fleeting gap in her consciousness, like a passing light, just as she exerted force to force open the shield head-on.
Lennok, even as he faced that killing intent directly, precisely struck the gap between her body’s full exertion and her thoughts.
With that single counterattack, Lennok instantly grasped the Ibon Family Head’s full power and said,
“Your momentum is fierce, but you lack substance, and your reactions are slow. It seems you’re not in prime condition either, are you?”
The blue-and-white eye glow rotated, and his left pupil shone with a clear violet light.
“There’s no need to play along when I clearly know you’re trying to stall for time.”
Kiiing…!!
The ice horns that pierced her body began to emit a brilliant radiance.
Not stopping there, the surging mana spread throughout the entire massive ice wall, dozens of meters in diameter.
Only then did Ibon realize what Lennok was attempting, and her face hardened.
“You-you madman… You mean you’re still maintaining the mana of this ice wall…!!”
This wasn’t merely utilizing magical remnants.
It was a mana density impossible unless he had maintained the residual power from the moment he cast the spell.
Lennok had intended to use this colossal ice wall as a bomb from the moment he burst the sewers.
“Too late.”
Ice-elemental Unique Magic.
Property Combination: Crystal Resonance.
[Glacial Devastation]
Kwoooooooommmmm!!!!
The entire ice wall, on which both of them stood, exploded, painting the sky above the Ibon Family’s mansion pure white.