Chapter 310: Gears (3)

Boom!!

There was no warning. Faint flashes flickered a few times in the air, and immediately after, Rundel’s body, which had appeared in front of Lennok, began to dance.

Thump-thump-thump-thump!!!

The attack speed was so rapid that it was difficult to catch with the naked eye.

Rundel’s movements spun erratically, slamming Lennok’s body, which was lodged between buildings, violently into the ground.

He quickly regained his balance with magic wires and struck back with a bolt of lightning above his head, but his counterattack was so easily thwarted that the nearby ground began to collapse.

“……!!”

It wasn’t a matter of being pushed back by the momentum of their clashing magic, or that the opponent’s level was overwhelmingly high.

Every time the magic wielded by Rundel and Lennok erupted in all directions, the ground near where Lennok stood simply gave way, causing him to fall endlessly downwards.

[Do you know that there’s an abandoned coal mine under this street?]

Rundel whispered from above Lennok.

[They say it was a facility used before this city was even built. I spent half a day giving it a quick once-over while waiting for you.]

Even as his whole body moved violently, a mechanical voice, unaffected by his breathing, calmly emanated.

[It won’t be bad for us to enjoy together.]

“So that’s what you meant by ‘preparation’…….!”

CRASH!!

The incessantly collapsing ground suddenly broke through a boundary point, forming a gigantic pit, and the two plunged into the vast underground coal mine created beneath it.

Darkness where not an inch ahead could be seen. But what was even more surprising was the vast underground space itself, impossible to properly measure even with the aid of magic perception.

[Alpha Light]

Lennok, who had conjured a blinding light source in his hand, immediately threw it up into the coal mine.

Whoosh!!

The small yet intensely shining light source slowly fell through the air, scattering light everywhere, and only then did the surroundings become clear to his eyes.

A colossal cylindrical underground cavity. Spiral stairs carved into its walls.

Considering the extremely simple and primitive means of movement, Rundel’s words certainly didn’t seem to be a lie.

What bothered him, however, was the sheer depth of the coal mine, whose bottom was still invisible even with such a bright light.

He had no intention of just falling without knowing what lay below.

Thwack!

A long spear shot out from Lennok’s sleeve and plunged directly into the coal mine wall.

The spear shaft was a trophy from the Bardiche Brotherhood. Although it had lost its artifact effectiveness, its durability was considerable, so Lennok had kept it.

He lodged the spear shaft into the wall, cast levitation magic on his coat to lift his body, and then hung from the spear shaft.

SWISH!!

Immediately after, Rundel’s body, which had descended rapidly, similarly clung to the wall like a spider and cast his gaze towards Lennok.

Hanging from opposite walls of the coal mine, the two simultaneously looked at each other and gathered their magic.

Other hand adjusting the cigarette in his mouth, Lennok muttered.

“It wasn’t just blindly replacing your whole body with machines. Is that what you meant by researching magic-engineering?”

He stepped onto the narrow stairs on the nearby wall.

“Physical enhancement to decipher spells. And coexistence with the human body to preserve the magic source, I presume.”

[They said you were the most talented sorcerer in Vulcan’s underworld, and they weren’t wrong.]

Rundel, whose limbs were embedded in the wall, asked with a slightly surprised tone.

[Did you figure out the nature of the spell I’m using in the midst of all that?]

“If something that shouldn’t have happened did, there’s no need to look for the cause elsewhere.”

Lennok inhaled deeply and replied.

“Spatial magic……. So you succeeded in manipulating it. Is that the essence of the magic-engineering you pursue?”

[Heh…….]

Lennok realized that Rundel was not merely using bizarre spells but was actually manipulating space, right after the combat began.

It was the moment his kick sent Lennok’s shield not shattering, but flying backward directly to the intended coal mine location.

Up until now, Lennok’s shield would shatter on impact if it exceeded its limit; it never pushed him back.

His continuously improved shield went beyond merely enveloping his body; it was adjusted to prevent any impact from affecting the caster’s body.

But Rundel had just ignored all those adjustments and kicked Lennok away, shield and all.

Such a feat would be impossible without interfering with the space where the shield existed, beyond merely interfering with the spell itself.

[To be precise, I’m not directly manipulating space. I’m activating pre-modified spell factors to roughly manifest the form of a hypothetical dimension. The reproduction rate is about 5%.]

“……”

[By creating such a temporary space, I can physically ‘push’ other spaces. What do you think?]

Rundel asked.

[For an achievement made without spatial magic, isn’t it unbelievably great?]

“It’s great.”

Lennok agreed. Rundel’s explanation was complex, but it wasn’t difficult for Lennok, who had begun manipulating space himself, to understand.

Directly researching hypothetical dimensions, and as a result, materializing a non-existent space called a temporary space.

Even if such a temporary space didn’t function as a proper space, it could push other spaces.

Even if Rundel couldn’t directly manipulate space, he had been using it by creating a temporary space that was infinitely close to real, and then pushing other spaces with it.

It was like putting a balloon in water to push other water away.

It was something vastly different and simpler than what could be called real space, but nonetheless, its existence could push real space as a ripple effect.

His strange movements so far and the preemptive strike that completely blew away Lennok’s shield must have been part of that.

[Using this method, I can twist the laws of physics in ways you can’t predict and sever your neck.]

Rundel slowly stood up, drawing a blade back into his palm.

Like someone unaffected by gravity, he stood on the wall at a right angle, spreading his arms wide, and said:

[So, if you don’t want to die, show me your full power now. How long do you plan to keep hiding it?]

“You seem to be mistaken about something. What you just showed wasn’t a weapon that could kill me, but a curious parlor trick.”

Lennok, who threw the burnt-out cigarette into the darkness of the floor, let out a sharp laugh.

“If you want to extract my data, you’ll have to try much, much harder than this.”

[For an Archmage who has reached Level 7 to be so thickheaded…….]

Thump!

Rundel’s body, standing on the wall, plunged directly into the darkness of the coal mine.

At that moment, dozens of crimson glows simultaneously rose from the darkness beneath the coal mine, illuminating Lennok.

[I told you I had prepared.]

Immediately after, dozens of red laser beams were unleashed, sweeping through the coal mine.

Zzzzzzzzzz!!!

Dozens of dark-red laser beams, rising upside down from the coal mine’s depths, spun wildly, indiscriminately bombarding the interior walls of the coal mine.

The heat, clearly felt on the skin even without direct contact.

Under the immense heat and impact, the stairs carved into the coal mine walls instantly shattered, and countless rock debris fell to the bottom.

But all traces of that destruction were consumed by the barrage of lasers firing from all directions before they even reached the coal mine floor.

Amidst the dazzling light of the lasers, Lennok could finally see the true nature of something existing beneath the coal mine with his own eyes.

Dozens of thick mechanical tentacles, twisted long like snakes.

Their thickness was great enough to swallow an average car.

They writhed strangely and convulsed on the coal mine floor, then finally spat out intense lasers from their tips.

Hundreds, thousands of electrical wires were connected to the base supporting these tentacles, flowing somewhere across the coal mine floor.

Click!

Having confirmed this, Lennok immediately released the spear shaft he was holding.

At the same time, he released the levitation magic and threw himself upside down into the coal mine’s depths.

Dozens of laser beams simultaneously bent and rushed towards him as if they had been waiting.

But this time, instead of using his shield, Lennok clasped his hands together and quickly began forming the hand seals for a summoning spell.

Summoning magic, which he had gained some proficiency in through his research with Aris.

While summoning a full-fledged familiar was currently impossible, summoning an object he possessed to this location was entirely feasible.

C-c-c-crackle!!!

Around Lennok’s body, with a shimmering distortion of space, an unidentifiable mass of carapaces began to envelop him.

The laser bombardment fiercely struck the armor, but the destructive power felt so awkward and futile that it faded without penetrating the carapace.

The mass of carapaces, fallen from the air, landed directly in the depths of the coal mine.

WHOOOOSH!!!

A colossal tremor shook the entire coal mine.

Due to the impact of the fall, some of the mechanical tentacles aimed at Lennok were directly damaged, and some, attempting to pierce the carapace, attacked other tentacles, causing self-inflicted wounds.

Rundel, finally realizing that something was going wrong, stopped the tentacles’ lasers.

Crrrack…!!

The mass of carapaces split open, and Lennok slowly walked out from within.

As Lennok stepped onto the wire-filled floor, a fresh cigarette was already between his lips.

Rundel, with dozens of tentacles behind him, spoke in a bored voice.

[You have a boring item. Thanks to it, the stage I so carefully prepared is now wasted.]

He wasn’t wrong.

Though he had only prepared for half a day, the capital Rundel had invested in this endeavor was truly immense.

The official name of the mechanical tentacles Rundel was using was ‘Juness’s Serpent.’

Outwardly bizarre and simple in appearance, they were in fact one of the parasitic magic-engineering artillery platforms that possessed autonomous will, recognized enemies, and fired automatically.

Their characteristic was to use the earth’s natural energy and nearby electricity as power to generate fission energy and fire it as lasers.

Even while firing lasers, the tentacles could move freely and change the laser’s direction at will, and their power was strong enough to be unbearable even for most military-grade physical ability users.

Dozens of these medium-to-large artillery engineering products, each considered sufficient to establish a position by itself, had been deliberately compressed into one space and had their lasers resonated. What then would their power be?

There was no need to explain how absurd the carapace that had perfectly withstood such laser bombardment was.

[I see why combat data isn’t collecting well. The database doesn’t even have information on the existence of such a shield……. I’ll have to completely re-examine the plan when I get back.]

“There’s no need for that.”

Whoosh!!

Lennok said as he un-summoned the mass of carapaces.

“You won’t find out much, even if you investigate this.”

The object Lennok had just brought out was a piece of armor acquired from the body of the Apostle Walter, which had not been incinerated even by the flames of the Domain.

Lennok had pondered how to use such an infinitely hard and heavy object. After gaining deep proficiency in summoning magic, he planned to inscribe a summoning circle on it and use it in this manner.

This was his first time using it in actual combat, but its effectiveness was undeniably remarkable.

The impact of the falling carapace mass had already twisted and shattered the entire underground area of the coal mine.

But even at Lennok’s words, Rundel merely shrugged nonchalantly.

[Well, for someone who says that, you look quite exhausted, don’t you?]

“……”

Lennok, with a cigarette in his mouth, had sweat dripping down his forehead.

Even though he had adjusted the surrounding temperature to a comfortable level using common magic, it was still like this.

It was as good as saying that the air in the area was abnormally hot and burning.

The massive amount of heat generated by the continuous barrage of lasers from within the coal mine.

The heat, trapped within the somewhat enclosed space, was circulating inside instead of escaping through the narrow crack in the ceiling.

If he lingered here much longer, it wouldn’t be strange if he suffocated from the intensifying heat and diminishing oxygen.

Considering Rundel’s meticulousness, he probably intended this all along and chose this coal mine as his stage.

It wasn’t surprising.

[Time limit. My victory, Wizard.]

Rundel murmured mockingly.

[A 900m deep coal mine. All the stairs on the walls have collapsed, and there’s no escape route for you. Even if you have a means of survival, you won’t be able to touch it until you kill me.]

Rundel began to walk briskly, gripping the blade he had drawn into his palm.

[All that’s left is to record every last one of your struggles into my memory until you die.]

“I keep thinking, are all those who replace their heads with machines such chatterboxes?”

CRACKLE!!

Lennok slowly stepped forward, drawing a long strand of electricity between his fingers.

A brilliant blue electric light illuminated Lennok’s face from below.

“If you replaced your tongue with a speaker because you wanted to talk a lot, I’d understand.”

[Yes, that’s more like it.]

Rundel also let out a rigid laugh.

[Our wizard’s last dance before death. I’ll gladly partake!!!]

CRASH-CRASH-CRASH!!

A bizarre symphony of machinery. Amidst the bundles of wires overseen by dozens of tentacles, two flashes of light split and flickered through the cavity.

Rundel, who moved as if freely traversing space, changing his offensive dozens of times in the air, and Lennok, who countered by striking dozens of lightning bolts in all directions.

Around the wizard with a cigarette in his mouth, sharp blades and projectiles constantly flashed and erupted, forming a hot storm within the cavity.

Tat-tat-tat-tatang!!

Rundel incessantly changed his position without a moment’s rest, and Lennok absorbed every attack and defense from his standing position.

Behind the two, unrefined magic ceaselessly burst forth, relentlessly incinerating the dark coal mine.

Kagagagang!!

Showers of dirt and hot air debris rained down from above like a storm.

Ignoring the thick dust that spread so much that one couldn’t see an inch ahead, they continued to fiercely swing their hands.

[Hahahahat!! This is truly absurd!]

Rundel’s body, split into several afterimages, shouted in unison.

[Even after all this, almost no data is being collected! I don’t know how far the spell structure has been modified that it’s invisible!!]

Rundel had come here today to directly extract Lennok’s data, which could not be analyzed even with spell bias analysis.

But even after being pushed to such an extent and exchanging such fierce blows, he couldn’t discern anything about the spells Lennok was using.

The magic patterns twisted endlessly complexly. The more he delved to perceive and interpret these patterns, the more they constantly twisted internally, forming complex clusters of chaos.

It was truly bizarre, as if woven from disorder containing no order at all.

Only simple facts, obvious even to a child, such as a preference for lightning and ice spells without any habits or preferred patterns or breathing, flowed into Rundel’s database.

Fighting an opponent so complexly twisted before him, yet being able to read only tiny fragments.

CRASH!!

Rundel, who had formed a temporary space and kicked Lennok once more into the corner of the coal mine, said:

[If you keep being so uninteresting, I can’t help it.]

Shhhhhhhhhh!!

At the same time, dozens of mechanical tentacles rising from his feet glowed dark red and swayed behind Rundel.

[I’ll have no choice but to impale your limbs with disintegration beams, then cut off your flesh while you’re still alive and begin analysis at the cellular level.]

“……”

[This is your own doing. We have no intention of adding unnecessary variables by coming all this way.]

“Indeed.”

Lennok’s voice echoed from the dark corner of the coal mine.

“I think the same.”

At that moment, the mechanical tentacles that had been swaying behind Rundel suddenly all twisted and began to slam their heads into one spot.

And the direction the tentacles were heading was precisely where Rundel had been standing.

Shhhhhhhhhh!!

[…….!!!!!]

A horrified Rundel pushed space away and dodged the mechanical tentacles, but it was already too late.

The tentacles instantly changed their positions, widening the distance from Rundel, as if their owner had changed in an instant. Lennok slowly walked out onto the countless bundles of wires.

Rundel’s suppressed voice, finally realizing what was happening, leaked out.

[Damn it, no way……!!]

“You called it Juness’s Serpent, didn’t you?”

Lennok brushed off his coat and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke.

“The idea of knowing about the coal mine beforehand and trying to suffocate me was good.”

[How on earth!!]

“But then you should have paid attention to their security too. It was much sloppier than I thought.”

[Control hacking attempted, but it was less than 5 minutes……!! Even assuming a sorcerer’s computational ability, it would have been impossible in such a short time!!]

“Handling machines well isn’t something only you guys can do.”

The magic-engineering research group, Gearsight. Their technology, powerful firepower, thorough preparation capabilities, and high intelligence were undoubtedly all highly threatening.

However, the presence of the Cyber-Electronic Spirit accompanying Lennok rendered all those barriers meaningless, possessing enough capability to blindside Gearsight.

WHOOSHING!!

The concentrated laser beams shining from the tips of the tentacles simultaneously turned their ‘heads’ towards Rundel and began to warm up.

Lennok smiled, watching Rundel slowly backing away.

“Then it’s my turn now.”