Chapter 412: Master of Military Spirits (2)

Past midnight, beyond dawn, nearing the pre-sunrise twilight.

Some individuals, having struggled up the bluish asphalt, were panting heavily.

“Haaah, haaah…”

Not all competitors in the race perished in Lennok’s solo rampage.

There were those who cleverly hid and escaped, or those who prioritized survival, even if it meant sacrificing their immediate ranking.

And a tiny minority of skilled individuals who successfully preserved themselves even after directly competing with Lennok.

These people were now belatedly gathering in front of the gang headquarters to finish the race.

“Damn it, why was there such a drug-crazed monster at the end of the race…!?”

“We should complain to the gang… This isn’t what was promised!”

Though grumbling and annoyed, they weren’t foolish enough to misunderstand the situation. Having been helplessly overwhelmed by a biker named Victor, whose name wasn’t even widely known, it would be difficult to claim the promised public supplies.

Still, to avoid the penalty openly declared by the gang, they were making the effort to gather at the finish line.

“…”

Among them, the bronze-skinned spearman at the forefront, carrying a wild-eyed leopard on his back, was also concentrating on walking with his lips tightly sealed.

That was, until the coppery scent of blood suddenly wafted to their noses.

“Wait, what is this…?”

No superhumans present were so low-level as to not sense such a clear sign of death.

Instantly exchanging glances, the participants rushed towards the gang headquarters.

And they lost their words, seeing the sea of blood overflowing from inside the headquarters, where bodies were displayed on the wall.

“Crazy… How could the Grimoire Gang…?”

The sight of countless gang members, riddled with holes and their tongues lolling out in death.

Their faces turned ghostly pale at the gruesome sight of the twitching bodies, unable to even let go of the tools they held.

Amidst this, only the spearman carrying the leopard shifted his gaze, following the traces of magic.

“…Indeed. If that monster was the opponent, it couldn’t be helped.”

“What?”

“Look there.”

As the bronze-skinned young man gestured with his chin, the others’ gazes turned to the battle unfolding deep inside the gang headquarters, in the courtyard.

“Aaaaaaah!!”

The boss of the Grimoire Gang, screaming at the top of his lungs, swung a thick greatsword.

And in front of that blade, sharp flashes of lightning constantly glittered.

Even the surviving gang members ceaselessly traversed the vortex of electrodes, piecing together fragments of light in the darkness.

Sparks erupted from the clashes of slashes and sword glints, their size suddenly growing rapidly, illuminating the surroundings brightly.

WHOOSH!!

And clearly revealed the face of the wizard nodding amidst it.

A black-haired young man in a rider’s jacket, a cigarette in his mouth.

His appearance was slightly different from what they’d heard ad nauseam, but everyone knew there couldn’t be two lightning wizards of that caliber in this area.

Low curses erupted one after another from behind the spearman carrying the leopard.

“Was that Adamant Thunder!!”

“Damn it, I was racing alongside that monstrous bastard…!”

“I knew his bike riding skills were unbelievable.”

“Why are they fighting? He won the race, didn’t he?”

“Quiet.”

The spearman said, without even turning to look at them.

“Adamant Thunder is fighting. Don’t you even understand what that means?”

“What does that…?”

If they didn’t even intend to understand, there was no need to pay them any more mind.

Instead of responding, the spearman focused on observing Lennok’s movements, fighting in the distance.

Even in the short time others were making a fuss, blades and magic tore through the air dozens of times, scattering desperate killing intent everywhere.

Amidst the waves of attacks that could easily rip his body apart, the wizard didn’t move a single finger carelessly.

He parried a spear thrust down from above with a shield, parried an axe blade striking his back with lightning.

The moment he caressed the blade that came right up to his face and twisted his head to snap it.

KAGAGAGAK!!

All those murderous assaults rushing towards Lennok lost their direction, scraped off and fell away.

Only bluish sparks continuously flew, showing that they hadn’t even grazed the wizard’s collar.

“Kaaack…!!”

“Don’t bother the boss!!”

“Time it! Watch his magic closely!!”

“Damn it, how is that even possible…!!”

Even as curses poured from their mouths and their words became tangled, the gang members knew what they had to do.

Whenever their boss, who was exchanging blows head-on, paused for a breath, they would interject with suppression and divert attention, supporting with firepower from all directions, hoping for a chance.

However, Lennok’s movements, reading all those intentions and the flow of attacks, were simply perfect and concise.

“As expected…”

Forgetting the weight of the leopard on his back, he watched Lennok’s movements as if entranced.

Without even turning his head, he parried attacks shot from behind his back.

Not just blocking and enduring with a shield, but reaching a level where he countered the attack with a lightning burst of his own firepower.

That was proof of his complete mastery over balance and power control, as much as parrying one spear tip with another.

The rumor that one of the top fighters in the outer districts of the mega-city was a lightning wizard was indeed no exaggeration.

Every time he meticulously observed Lennok’s concise yet terrifying movements, he gained something.

Each concise flash of light amidst the chaotic and noisy exchanges of the gang members steadily reduced their numbers.

It didn’t take long to realize that what the wizard held in his hand was a handful of screw fragments.

WHIZZ!!

“Aaaaargh!!”

One by one, gang members who had exhausted their strength and power began to have wind-holes drilled between their eyebrows.

Sticky blood splattered under the feet of the survivors who moved ceaselessly.

The heavy bodies that snagged their legs with every step only sharpened the minds of the others.

THUDUDUDUDU!!

Each time dozens of superhumans unleashed their magic against a single wizard, the entire area shook as if under bombardment, heating up intensely.

Amidst it, the scattered flesh and corpses of already dead members flew chaotically.

Those who survived Lennok’s initial assault mercilessly rolled through the pools of blood, using the bodies of their dead comrades as shields and obstacles.

A gruesome battlefield where survivors abused the dead just to live a little longer.

The other participants stood with dumbfounded expressions, mouths agape at the catastrophe unfolding at their destination.

“The gang… They’re wiped out. They’ll be annihilated.”

“That guy, rumored to be the greatest berserker in the outer district… What a futile end.”

“Then is this race a victory for us, the survivors?”

Behind a screaming gang member, a brilliant blue lightning flashed.

[Great Silk Lightning]

[Azure Cloud Thunder]

The blue radiance, rising amidst the dark night sky, rotated and scattered like flower petals, extending its destructive power in eight directions and pounding the ground.

CRASHHH!!

In response, armored vehicle parts scattered everywhere became electrified, amplifying the range and destructive power of the lightning.

A vast electric field covered the entire area, crushing and bursting everything that resisted within it.

ZZZZT!!

A horrifying sound of flesh not just burning, but being pulverized and crunched.

As Lennok wielded his magic, the screaming voices faded, their echoes merely lingering in the ears of the survivors like hallucinations.

Amidst the trance-like continuous exchange of blows, gang members died off one by one, struck by sharp counterattacks they didn’t even notice.

The man’s wildly swinging greatsword came to a sudden halt only after he realized there were no longer any gang members standing beside him.

Lennok looked up at the man’s face and spoke.

“I wondered what it means to become a military order.”

“Huff, huff…!!”

“It’s not just entrusting one’s existence to the rules of military order magic. It’s a much more spiritual concept, I believe.”

“Ughhh…!!”

The man, whose movements had ceased, now had hundreds of screw parts hammered into his skin like studs, hindering muscle movement.

Hot blood flowed over the studded skin and skull, covering his entire body in crimson.

Lennok nodded, watching him, fixed in place by the screw fragments and unable to move properly.

“If you haven’t used your Miniature Universe even in this state, perhaps it’s because your master didn’t allow it. If that’s the case, military order magic must be a power that begins with dedicating one’s Mind Imprint to the sorcerer.”

It would be strange if the boss of the Grimoire Gang, the leader of an organization occupying two outer districts of the mega-city, wasn’t an Archmage-level practitioner.

But the man swinging the greatsword before Lennok hadn’t deployed his Miniature Universe, not even at this moment, with screw fragments lodged all over his body.

It wasn’t due to a pathetic desire to conceal his vision even when his life was in danger.

Undoubtedly, someone who held his Mind Imprint didn’t allow him to use his Miniature Universe.

This meant that the military order sorcerer Lennok was targeting was certainly aware of the series of battles that had just occurred in this plaza.

“So, if you’re watching, won’t you come out now?”

Lennok asked, looking at the man who stood trembling and frozen.

“Before I find all your military orders hidden throughout this city and embalm them just the same.”

[That’s difficult.]

At that moment, a chilling telepathic message erupted from the mouth of a gang member lying by Lennok’s feet.

Simultaneously, another distant gang member picked up the message.

[It’s too barbaric and violent a way to convey a message. It’s not my preferred method.]

A hollow voice, laced with a faint hint of mockery.

“…”

[However, it has been a long time since someone so desperately sought me, even in this manner. If so, I shall respond.]

CRACKLE…!!

Slowly, the morning sky dawned.

Beneath it, dozens of corpses stood up like Jangseung totems, beginning to wander around Lennok.

Lennok glanced around and let out a faint laugh.

“Not a good time for ghosts to appear. The sun is rising.”

[Oh, do you enjoy being bound by such superstitions?]

Each time the voice responded, one by one, the corpses wandering around Lennok lost their power and plunged their heads back into the ground.

A cruel nature that used and discarded even already dead humans as a means to convey their will.

It was entirely contradictory to what he had just said, but neither of them bothered to point it out.

It was only natural that the moral compass and standards of violence of an old monster who had lived for over a hundred years were severely warped compared to ordinary people.

[I heard the stories long ago. About a bloodthirsty wizard roaming the outer districts of the city… I dismissed them as common ghost stories.]

The voice paused briefly, then asked in an amused tone.

[Now I see it wasn’t just exaggerated rumors, it seems.]

“…”

Lennok remained silent, tired of explaining why he didn’t bring a vanguard, or how a sorcerer could possess combat abilities surpassing a warrior.

But perhaps his indifferent attitude pleased him even more, as a faint laugh echoed among the corpses.

[Yes. One must be of that caliber to even dare to speak of conversing with me. This will not be a regrettable encounter. Shall we have a discussion?]

“GRRROAAARRR…!!”

The corpses screamed in agony and collapsed even after death.

But even their utterly repulsive appearance was nothing compared to the calm tone that seemed to rise from beyond the shadows.

The man, who had been the head of Vulcan’s judicial institution, judging countless outlaws hundreds, thousands of times, asked:

[Young wizard of Dyke Corp. Do you know that many are truly tired of your insolence?]

“That wouldn’t have happened if you had just shown up sooner and solved the problem.”

Only then did Lennok take out a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and light it, smiling.

“Nice to meet you, Madrich Onnion. This is our first direct meeting.”

Military orders. The act of binding the power of spirits, which do not exist in the physical body, and making it the foundation of a spell.

While using a different power source than mana, their roots are the same, but it is a distinct system from other spells like magic or sorcery.

Even among those who handle military orders, there are vast differences in their spells and styles.

Because those who handle military orders are so diverse, didn’t they come together to create an ancient city called Yorta?

It is a type of primitive yet sophisticated traditional discipline that stands at the forefront of handling spirits, representing them, and boasts a history as ancient as magic itself.

And Madrich Onnion was one of the Peak of Extremes practitioners who had mastered military order magic for decades, establishing his own school.

“For a person of your power to choose a race involving gangs as a way to replenish your military orders, it’s incredibly crude.”

Lennok smiled in front of Madrich, who looked down at him without a single tremor.

“Anyone who has heard even a little about the concept of the Hundred Demons’ Night Parade wouldn’t find it difficult to uncover the secret hidden in this race. Is there a situation that requires you to replenish military orders to that extent?”

A race hosted by the Grimoire Gang, offering public resources from the city government as a reward.

No one could fail to question the fact that it starts at midnight and continues until just before dawn, with participants strictly determined beforehand.

However, the very fact that such a race has been maintained until now is proof that those who caught on, like Lennok, were thoroughly dealt with.

It goes without saying whose hands the secretly eliminated individuals fell into.

But Madrich, even after hearing Lennok’s words, replied without any change in his tone.

[On the contrary, one must possess such insight and intelligence to be deemed qualified.]

“What did you say?”

[It’s one of the common misconceptions among those ignorant of military order magic.]

Madrich chuckled through the man’s body, which slowly wandered through the air.

[Squeezing the spirits of unruly children will only yield dirty residue. Oily spirits and flesh that cling to reality are only useful in forbidden human sacrifice rituals.]

“…”

[To be subservient as a spirit to a sorcerer means that the individual also touches the sorcerer’s origin and shares their desires. It means fully entrusting one’s very existence to the military order. Even if the act itself is not entirely voluntary, it’s only natural to prioritize quality over quantity.]

Only then did Lennok understand what Madrich was saying, and he let out a scoffing laugh.

“You intentionally structured the race to resemble the Hundred Demons’ Night Parade and waited for those who noticed the anomaly. And then you selected only those relatively superior individuals to be your military orders?”

Madrich said,

[Completing the Night Parade itself is tantamount to performing the ritual to become a military order. Among them, those who possess the acumen and courage to notice the anomaly and challenge the gang can be said to meet the minimum conditions.]

[In this land, where spiritual aptitude is relatively lacking, this was the only way to replenish military orders. My power was limitless back when I gathered and judged criminals during the long wars… But nothing ever goes exactly as one wishes, does it?]

As he spoke, the man’s arm creaked and lifted.

The direction of that gesture was towards the other race participants watching the entire situation from the back of the plaza.

Before Lennok could notice his intent and react, Madrich, possessing the man’s body, clenched his fist.

WHOOSH!!

A gray gale erupted from all directions, grabbing the participants by their shoulders and snapping their necks.

“Ugh…!!”

CRACK!!

The sight of individuals dying instantly, unable to resist, their limbs gripped.

Madrich, who had instantly claimed the lives of dozens of onlookers, brushed his hands and clicked his tongue.

[See? Dirty and worthless. The spirits of the others you killed are no different. They merely scream their resentment at living beings.]

“…”

He had merely gathered the malevolent spirits of the gang members Lennok had just killed and unleashed them like a wave.

Simply by falling into the hands of a high-level military order sorcerer, the malevolent spirits instinctively attacked living beings, strangling and twisting them to death.

[A life like a consumable, used once and discarded… Is it not lamentable? The value of existence is determined from birth, like an inescapable cycle. Military order magic is a sublime ritual that grants even such pathetic beings a certain meaning.]

Turning his gaze back to the silent Lennok, he said:

[I will grant you the chance to break free from that cycle. Would you not like to learn military order magic under my domain?]