Chapter 394: Pruning (2)
“……This arrogant bastard, I’ve been patient enough!!!”
Ayoon exploded, unable to tolerate Lennok’s blatant disregard for him, right there in front of him.
“How dare you utter such nonsense in front of me!!!”
He pulled five talismans from his sleeve and threw them above his head.
[Drawing Fan]
At the same time, he swiftly unfurled and swung a fan pulled from his wide sleeve, and the talismans, agitated by the wind, plunged into the ground and transformed into something.
[Kwooooh!!]
Three humanoid beasts, as if sculpted directly from thick smoke.
As they charged at Lennok, emitting unknown roars, two other talismans transformed into a spear shaft and a spearhead, respectively, landing in Ayoon’s hands.
Holding the fan in one hand and the spear in the other, Ayoon used the beasts as a shield and charged straight at Lennok.
“Receive your punishment!!”
[Artful Cutting Halberd]
Swoosh!!
As if accustomed to dual-wielding, Ayoon’s movements had no openings whatsoever.
He expertly thrust his spear, shattering Lennok’s shield in one strike and aiming for a vital spot.
The rotating carapace shield within was pushed back by the fan’s wind, and the remaining space was filled by the summoned beasts, forming a siege as he poured down a fierce assault.
Considering that Ayoon’s spearhead was engraved with all sorts of unknown ancient characters, it was certainly no ordinary item.
Lennok, too, converted the mana he had raised directly into scorching lightning and wielded it.
Lightning and indigo mana, extending from the middle of the quiet street, began to swirl violently.
[Five Ghost Slayers]
[Ghost Gate Killing Talisman]
[Eight-Shot Thunder Rain]
[Sky-Piercing Shroud]
Szzzzzzzz!!
Amidst the fierce, ear-splitting noise, the mana of the two wizards resonated in different directions and collided, scattering their turbulent aftermath below the ground.
The spear shaft thrusting in over a dozen times in an instant, and the scorching winds of the fan blowing in between.
Each time the fan was swung, talismans endlessly poured from Ayoon’s body, painting the surroundings with countless piles of paper.
Rustle!!
A storm of talismans revolved around Ayoon. Some of them thickly adhered to the bodies of the three beasts, further amplifying their power.
Amidst it all, fragments of lightning in dozens of directions parried the constantly shifting spells and summoned creatures.
He pushed away the shield and carapace, inhaled the acrid scent of mana that rushed in, and unleashed the lightning flowing from his grasp.
[Legion Lightning]
[Axe-Cutting Fragments]
Kagagagak!!
Fragments of lightning, burst from Lennok’s fingertips, curved in different trajectories, drawing sharp scars in the air.
At the heart of the back-and-forth exchange, mana was wielded, with dozens of blows exchanged in an instant, a continuous ebb and flow of offense and defense.
Two streaks of blue and faded light flashed, intersecting, collapsing, twisting, bursting, and shattering in all directions.
Reacting after seeing was too slow, and even predicting and dodging was insufficient.
A high-speed battle where one had to move towards where the opponent couldn’t reach, in a realm of tactical calculation and prediction beyond the scope of senses and intuition, just to seize the initiative.
The very fact that Ayoon unhesitatingly initiated an attack in this space was a testament to his confidence in possessing powerful combat abilities, unlike a typical wizard.
However, precisely because of this, it was impossible for Ayoon to gain an advantage over Lennok in such a battle.
“Hoo…!!”
He forcibly exhaled the pressure deep within his stomach and leaned his body forward.
The first step, breaking the tense balance that had been maintained until now.
As if waiting, the cold touch of a talisman brushed past his nape, rising from behind his back.
He absorbed the aura of death that swept down his spine and disappeared with all his senses, then thrust a brilliant blue lightning bolt deep into Ayoon’s solar plexus.
At that moment, the talismans and mana surrounding Ayoon peeled away as if by promise, leaving his vital spot exposed with disheartening ease.
[Six Gates]
An explosion of lightning, a combination of six lightning bolts, erupted and slammed Ayoon’s body into a building dozens of meters away.
Kwaaaang!!
“Ugh…!!! Agh!!”
The balance of offense and defense collapsed in an instant. In the midst of its aftermath, Ayoon, unable to bear the pain, let out a desperate scream.
“I know you have experience, but you think too much.”
Lennok mumbled, lightly dusting his gloved hands.
“Even after seeing my last attack, you thought it was a feint and let your guard down, didn’t you?”
“Da-damn it…!!”
Blood streamed down Ayoon’s face as he writhed, unable to properly stand.
The power of [Six Gates] itself wasn’t particularly strong, but the aftereffects of the narrowly maintained balance of offense and defense being broken amplified its power tenfold.
“It seems like you’ve received systematic combat training of this kind. But have you never actually fought for this long?”
Ayoon’s skill itself was impeccable: he deployed three vanguards, distracted the opponent, and simultaneously engaged in close-quarters and ranged combat.
His ability to deal with sudden variables and irregular patterns was so calm it made one wonder if he was really the man rumored to have indulged in pleasure all this time.
It would probably be impossible unless he had received professional training or was well-educated by someone.
While he wondered which organization could possibly provide combat training to a 7-level wizard, it wasn’t immediately important.
That’s why Lennok, instead of deliberately complicating patterns to draw out the fight, simply threw a hint as if introducing a variable, then slammed his mana straight into Ayoon’s solar plexus.
The lightning-based unique magic [Six Gates], which he had just used, was the most intuitive unique magic, allowing him to grasp and utilize six fragments of lightning swirling in the air.
Ayoon failed to properly perceive and thus allowed that abnormal casting speed and intuitive move.
“Argh…!!”
The moment Ayoon, fallen to the ground, frantically formed hand seals, attempting a counterattack.
“Not a chance.”
A massive purple lock, slammed down from above his head, crushed Ayoon’s body, incapacitating him.
[Magnetic Gravity Lock]
Kwoooong!!
“Ughhhh…!!”
Lennok, with Ayoon’s gasping head beneath his foot, bent down and quietly asked.
“You know this demonstration is being watched by other Cartel employees, right?”
“U-ugh…”
“You can’t possibly not know why Virgil dumped this task specifically on you. That vampire has an incredible nose for those with dirty secrets.”
“Wh-what are you talking ab-”
“Asking for a day’s time? That was your doing, wasn’t it?”
Lennok smiled, watching Ayoon’s expression change moment by moment.
“So, if you’ve got something hidden, hurry up and reveal it before I kill you. That way, you might even grab the attention of our great Chairman, who’s watching us from afar, don’t you think?”
“It’s not…!! Over yet!!”
Ayoon, screaming like he was in agony while sprawled on the ground, slammed his blood-soaked hand into the dirt.
Thud!!
Immediately after, the four-lane road they were standing on split into two, and the ground began to tilt sharply.
Screeeech…!!
And from within, unknown mechanical devices revealed themselves.
Forming hand seals at the center of these devices, Ayoon let out a sharp laugh.
“You fool. To stand before me and accept this demonstration, even knowing that… You’ll pay dearly for granting me a day to prepare!!”
Ddddddrrrrrk!!!
The devices hidden beneath the road rapidly deployed, surrounding Ayoon, and unhesitatingly pierced into his entire body.
Thwip, Thwip!!
Needles attached to the sharp ends of the devices stabbed into Ayoon’s entire body, and as they began to inject their contents, Ayoon’s face crumpled horribly.
“Uh-heh…”
Regardless of Lennok’s grimace, Ayoon raised both hands, half-unconscious.
His pupils instantly dilated, drool dripped from his mouth. Hives covered his skin, and his hair began to fall out.
It was hard to guess the exact effects, but if such side effects appeared immediately after consumption, its identity was obvious.
“Drugs. And a cocktail made from combining several types, it seems. I wouldn’t think it’s something to take during a fight.”
“I feel like I could fly… This is exactly the feeling.”
Immediately after, contrary to Ayoon’s vacant expression, his hands moved with incredible speed, rapidly forming hand seals.
“With just this feeling, I can do anything.”
Paaaat!!
At the same time, a colorless wave erupted from beneath Ayoon’s feet, instantly encompassing both of them and swallowing the entire street.
Only then did Lennok realize what Ayoon was trying to do, and he chuckled with an incredulous expression.
“You’re an interesting fellow. You’re the second person to pull something like this in front of me.”
“Heh, hehet…!! How long can you stay so relaxed?!!”
He twisted his head around with a deranged expression, but conversely, the hand seals and incantations he formed with both hands didn’t miss a single beat.
Ayoon instantly completed his incantation, unleashing the overflowing Mind Imprint boiling within him onto the spot, and loudly shouted.
“Domain deployment…!!”
Warrrrrrr!!
At the same time, the entire landscape of the street flipped, and the reflected scenery began to change.
Walls and various devices appearing throughout the street. Qimen Dunjia, which arbitrarily sets directions and content, and draws certain rules.
Ayoon, who had assumed the position of Cartel’s Third Director, was a Taoist sorcerer who freely wielded all sorts of Taoist arts and Qimen Dunjia.
[Filthy Accumulation Binding Array]
Kugugugugu!!!
The entire street where the two stood reassembled and transformed.
Gears and pumps protruded from the inverted pavement blocks, and immense pressure erupted from between cylinders that filled the walls.
Fshoooosh!!
Sharp blades sprung up from various spots beneath their feet, and bluish flames raged incessantly from the building’s ceiling.
The ears were filled with the noise of metal and blades, and gunpowder colliding and exploding.
Along with hundreds and thousands of talismans plastered everywhere on the street, as if thickly painted.
Before long, Ayoon’s figure was nowhere to be seen, and Lennok was left alone in the empty street.
This place, transformed by the Mind Imprint and will of a single Taoist sorcerer, was the sum total of a mechanical array, mixing life gates and death gates, from which one could never escape alone.
Carried by the chilling wind blowing through the street, only Ayoon’s drug-addled voice echoed.
[I’ll play with you until you beg me to kill you…!! Hahahaha!!!]
“I suppose waiting this long is enough for a demonstration?”
[…What?]
“Let’s go.”
Lennok nodded without hesitation and began to walk forward.
“It won’t take long.”
“Damn it…!!”
Virgil, who had been watching everything from the satellite screen, shot up from his seat.
Olivera Ron Maize, watching from beside him, leisurely waved a hand.
[Virgil. It’s distracting, so sit still. It’s hard to concentrate at my age.]
“Chairman, but the information that Ayoon is a wizard who uses this level of Qimen Dunjia…!”
Virgil wasn’t reacting like this for no reason.
Indeed, a Domain using Qimen Dunjia was a fatal weapon against other wizards, among the spells a wizard could use.
For a wizard, a Domain, which projects their Mind Imprint, is fundamentally an Archmage-level grand spell designed to adapt the environment to themselves.
However, no one can guarantee whether that Mind Imprint will be projected and imprinted in a way that aids in combat.
Therefore, a Domain is not necessarily a powerful weapon for a wizard.
In that regard, the complex compatibility between Domains often becomes the true test of skill between wizards.
However, a wizard who uses Qimen Dunjia possesses an overwhelming advantage: the ability to flexibly alter their Domain to their liking, more so than other wizards.
Although it requires thorough preparation and time investment beforehand, once the Domain is activated, it’s possible to adjust its direction and power to one’s liking using Qimen Dunjia.
Furthermore, Ayoon had injected something heavily and deployed his spell right before activating his Domain.
It went without saying that Ayoon had come fully prepared for the deployment of his Domain from the very beginning.
“No matter how talented Adamant Thunder is as a wizard, if his weaknesses are relentlessly exploited within the Qimen Dunjia, we can’t guarantee victory. I will contact the Undeveloped District officials immediately and have the demonstration stopped.”
Even if Lennok was a high-level wizard nearing the 8th level, there would certainly be aspects that could be exploited depending on the spells he wielded and his magical lineage.
Ayoon intends to observe how Lennok deals with the mechanical array within his Domain, and then exploit any moment he shows weakness.
The Domain [Filthy Accumulation Binding Array] could be expressed completely differently depending on the preparations and array placements made beforehand.
Precisely for this reason, Ayoon activated his Domain immediately at the start, flipping the entire situation, without caring that his Domain would be exposed to all Cartel employees.
For now, he had only prepared to face Lennok, but if he maintained the form of Qimen Dunjia, he could reconstruct the array to his liking at any time.
In that sense, granting Ayoon and Lennok each a day of preparation time was undoubtedly Virgil’s mistake.
Unlike Lennok, who spent the time without any special preparations, Ayoon, having been informed of the place and time in advance, had used the power of his director position to prepare to operate the Qimen Dunjia all night.
But Olivera Ron Maize shook her head leisurely, despite Virgil’s words.
[No, it’s rather perfect.]