Chapter 421: New Magic System (1)

The ghost ship navigating the vast ocean was Madrich’s most powerful fundamental Mind Imprint, deeply held within his heart.

However, the ivory Soul Requiem Tower slumbering beneath this naval base was virtually a scene symbolizing the karma Madrich had accumulated.

How many lives had he sacrificed to turn into Military Spirits, all to enforce his thoughts and beliefs?

The echoing screams of the failed byproducts from that process intertwined, resounding across the quiet night sky where the rain had ceased.

“[Aaaaaaaah!!!]”

A disgrace that could never be called his own great achievement. Even as the screams of the vengeful spirits combined their power, it couldn’t have been welcome to him.

Madrich Onnion, never hiding or fearing, even offered his own body as a sacrifice to the Soul Requiem Tower, gazing down at Lennok from the tower’s summit.

“[At the end of this world, I will surely prove that my answer was correct. For that, I can even shake hands and swear an oath with an irreconcilable foe, or a mere young whelp…!!!]”

This was because he had become convinced that he must exert his full power, even if it meant risking everything he had built in this city until now to engage in this battle.

Perhaps it was because he had acknowledged Lennok, who had single-handedly breached the naval base and reached right before him, as an equal adversary, and resolved to do his utmost to kill and crush him.

However, Lennok, clearly understanding and guessing his intentions, merely scoffed.

“Irreconcilable foes, or mere young whelps… once their memories and spirits are erased, they’re just ethereal bodies.”

Gnaw!

As he bit the side of his wrist, brought to his mouth, bright red blood began to flow down his arm.

“Did you ever really have an opponent worthy of such hatred and ridicule?”

He grabbed the drops of blood flowing from his fingertips and drew concentric circles in the air. Following his gesture, a bright red, blood-colored ring appeared behind Lennok.

A trigger used by sorcerers to temporarily amplify their spellcasting capabilities.

He had thought he wouldn’t follow Grisha’s method, but at this moment, he was in no position to be choosy if it was necessary.

As if retracing the concentric blood-red circles behind Lennok, a golden light slowly began to overlay them.

Whooooom!!!

A golden kaleidoscope slowly began to move along the blood-red ring, like the hands of a clock.

It floated behind Lennok, as if a gigantic spiral ring was coiling around him.

Lennok, having raised a scene resembling a colossal snake biting its own tail with its head inverted, slowly lifted his head.

The colossal Soul Requiem Tower, piercing through the naval base and soaring upwards.

From its peak, Madrich Onnion, who had incarnated into a new body, and his four accompanying Military Spirits, looked down at Lennok.

All of them were Archmage-level or higher in strength, warriors and sorcerers.

A group battle where even Lennok, who had ravaged and trampled countless battlefields with his own hands, could not guarantee victory.

Yet, Lennok, knowing he was stepping into the opponent’s Domain, unhesitatingly advanced.

It had taken a long time.

How much pain and anguish had accompanied Lennok since the day he first resolved to survive?

Whether the loneliness and desperation that had always stayed with him through sleepless nights had finally borne meaningful fruit.

This new magic system would surely be that answer.

It was time to question and confirm it for no one else but Lennok himself.

“Let’s begin.”

The gigantic Soul Requiem Tower loomed in the night sky. In the midst of ghostly wails, as if thousands were screaming simultaneously.

Beyond it, shockwaves erupted, ceaselessly overlapping and reverberating, and then a dazzling flash of lightning struck the spire directly.

KABOOOM!!!

The impact was so powerful that the Soul Requiem Tower, rising obliquely towards the moon, swayed violently and even rotated for a moment.

As the screams of the vengeful spirits intensified, a five-pronged flash of light curved down from the spire and plunged into the sea.

POW-POW-POW-BANG!!

Explosions erupted successively on the sea surface and from below the ocean. Gigantic columns of water rose one after another, tracing elongated trajectories across the surface.

Stepping on the tips of the water columns, the four Military Spirits re-ascended to the bridge and charged relentlessly, stabbing Lennok’s back as he emerged amidst them.

Five streams of magical power clashed simultaneously in every space of the Soul Requiem Tower, without distinction between top and bottom.

Superhumans, naturally running across the sea surface, transformed into streaks of light and shot towards Lennok, aiming for his vital points from all directions.

CRASH!!

An explosion erupted in the middle of the spire with a thunderous roar, as if an entire building was collapsing.

It wasn’t enough to shatter the hardened shield, but the impact pushed the shield back, in turn pressing down on Lennok’s body and shoving him backward.

“[Even the yearning for an answer is not granted without commensurate power.]”

Madrich muttered coldly and slowly raised his hand.

Simultaneously, a portion of the vengeful spirits flowing from the Soul Requiem Tower began to coalesce between his pale fingers, like powerful energy.

“[You, too, will forever be with me as part of this Soul Requiem Tower, which extends towards the ideal.]”

With the Military Spirit Sorcerer’s gesture, a barrage of vengeful spirits poured down from all sides of the Soul Requiem Tower, howling.

“[Auspicious Tears of Lamentation]”

A bombardment that poured down like rain, using vengeful spirits, already dead and mere souls, as energy.

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!!!

Simultaneously with the bombardment pouring from all sides of the Soul Requiem Tower, the four Military Spirits surged in from every direction.

As they tilted their bodies forward, stepping on the sea surface, splashes erupted, and immense magical power propelled them upright.

At the same time, lightning unleashed by Lennok erupted from the center of their attack range, generating enormous waves.

KWO-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!!!

The second clash occurred again. The impact alone turned the already collapsed naval base into ruins, and swept away the entire sandy beach.

The unbearable heat instantly evaporated the seawater, and a plasma sphere emerged at the base of the Soul Requiem Tower, brightly illuminating everything around.

KA-GA-GA-GAK!!

The first to rush in was a swordsman with a slender rapier, deploying his Miniature Universe.

As the shadow of the rapier, reflected by the moonlight, doubled, another invisible blade surged past Lennok’s shield.

Right beside that swordsman, a pugilist, clenching his fist, also simultaneously activated his Miniature Universe.

As he thrust a gauntlet shaped from vengeful spirits and then released his grip, the pugilist’s posture, having missed his target, rewound as if time was reversing.

The Military Spirit wielding a greatsword cut through space as if messily tearing it apart, and sharp resonance mingled with the arrowheads flying from behind.

DOO-DOO-DOO-DOO-DOO-DOO!!!!

A merciless onslaught, pounding space itself.

The Military Spirits’ offensive, extending the power of their Mind Imprints with full force beyond mere tactical maneuvering, was difficult even for Lennok to ignore.

“Ugh…!!”

Pain that shook his internal organs, powerful vibrations that simultaneously rattled his jaw and brain, and the sharp killing intent of pugilistic strikes that felt like his skin was burning.

Even amidst the fierce hand-to-hand combat, difficult to endure for even a moment, Lennok utilized everything he had to choose the best option.

He boldly evaded the first incoming rapier attack with a flicker.

He blocked the pugilist’s attacks, which pounded his back dozens of times, with an ice wall created by freezing seawater, and in the process, rotated the shattered ice fragments everywhere to create a blizzard.

Simultaneously, he flicked his fingers above his head, incanting five consecutive lightning strikes.

KWA-KWA-GWANG!!

He crushed the greatsword’s space-cutting attack with overwhelming force, then gathered the remaining electrodes to simultaneously deploy [Stepping Thunder] and [Six Gates].

At the same time, he leaped through space once more to embed a lightning-type unique magic, swirling around his fingertips, into the archer’s head, but…

As if waiting for that very moment, the pugilist instantly approached, kicked and twisted Lennok’s thigh, and then plunged his fist straight into his side.

CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH!!!

“……!!!”

A complete annihilation of a 10-layered shield. A fist, faster than the shield’s near-instantaneous regeneration speed, struck Lennok’s bare body.

KWAANG!!

Lennok was sent flying dozens of meters away, crashing into the sandy beach, before he could even register the paralyzing pain throughout his body.

Seizing that moment, the rapier-wielding swordsman burrowed beneath the sand and stabbed into Lennok’s lower back.

The greatsword-wielding Military Spirit, having run across the sea and reached the land, unleashed a cleaving strike.

KWO-KWA-KWA-KWA!!!

Shockwaves from Miniature Universes poured in from all directions—up, down, left, and right—with full force.

Lennok’s form, having lost its balance, swayed and was bounced around between cleaving strikes and blades.

“Gah…!!”

With his face buried in the sand from the terrible pain that even painkillers couldn’t hide, Lennok gagged.

‘Damn it, I expected it, but…!!’

No matter how perfectly one conducted tactical maneuvers and the combat process, facing multiple Miniature Universes that bent physical laws simultaneously was difficult.

The distortion of physical laws unleashed by Archmage-level physical abilities, combined with Madrich’s Military Spirit magic, was enough to faintly manipulate space-time.

What then, if he also had to avoid and withstand the barrages of Military Spirit spells fired by Madrich from the rear?

In this situation, where he was overwhelmingly outnumbered, to continue the battle, he had no choice but to allow himself to be hit at some point.

The pugilist’s blow Lennok had just allowed was the result of choosing the most survivable hit among all the attacks unleashed by the Military Spirits and Madrich himself.

Despite that, not only were some of his internal organs completely ruptured, but even with the aid of painkillers, he couldn’t feel his legs.

Four 7-level front-line combatants leading the charge, with an 8-level Military Spirit Sorcerer providing fire support from the rear.

This was the full power of Military Spirit magic unleashed by Madrich Onnion.

“[You seem to be struggling just to hold on.]”

From behind Lennok, who struggled to his feet, someone whispered in a young man’s voice.

“[You acted as if you’d show me something, but is this all there is?]”

“……!!”

KWAANG!!

Lennok’s body was slammed from the sandy beach directly into the naval base, to the very spot where the Soul Requiem Tower soared.

“[If the result of your self-important anguish is merely this sight, then let us end it here.]”

Scoffing, close to mockery. But even as Madrich spoke, he never let down his guard.

The blood-red ring Lennok had raised just before starting the final battle.

The golden light, which began at its end, had already almost completely covered the blood-red ring and started rotating.

Even at the moment he was thrown into the ruins of the base like a broken toy, the beautiful sight continued to slowly rotate behind Lennok.

It was undoubtedly a technique that required a certain amount of time to be completed.

“[Go.]”

He had no intention of foolishly waiting for the fool’s vision to be completed.

Time never waits for man’s answers.

If what Adamant Thunder had chosen was a grand ideal that couldn’t properly align with time, Madrich had no intention of continuing any further conversation.

Whoosh!!

With the Military Spirit Sorcerer’s gesture, the four Military Spirits kicked off the ground and vanished.

The four Military Spirits who had sworn loyalty, dedicating their minds, bodies, souls, and flesh to Madrich Onnion.

His most powerful subordinates, gathered decades ago during a war as executioners of criminals.

Perhaps it was because they instinctively sensed that the wizard they were now facing might be the fifth.

The movements of the Military Spirits, who uttered not a single word, were swifter than ever.

The blade of the rapier-wielding swordsman, who arrived first, darting like the wind, instantly split into two as if to divide, stabbing into Lennok’s heart and carotid artery.

The greatsword-wielding Military Spirit then followed with a cleaving strike aimed at the top of his head, and the pugilist struck the ground, causing the impact to erupt from beneath his feet.

Amidst all those attacks and defenses, three sharp arrows permeated, flying towards Lennok’s eyes and brow.

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-GWANG!!!

Lennok’s body was helplessly tossed in all directions amidst the consecutive explosions and shockwaves.

Lennok’s appearance was pale, as if he might die and collapse at any moment, yet he struggled to counter the Military Spirits’ offensive as he began to ascend the Soul Requiem Tower.

Madrich watched the battle and tried to gather vengeful spirits once more to bring Lennok down, but then felt a strange incongruity and paused his hand.

“[His magic power…?]”

Even at this moment, the disparity between the two was clear; Lennok was struggling just to survive against the Military Spirits, let alone touch Madrich’s true body.

The golden concentric circles that floated behind him were still not fully complete.

Yet, despite all this disadvantage and being pushed to his limits, Lennok’s magical power was, conversely, increasing.

In contrast to his body becoming battered and bruised from the Military Spirits’ onslaught, the magical power and momentum flowing from his body swelled with increasing strength.

Whoooooooom!!!

The moment the sound of magical power rotating within his body grew as loud as an airplane engine, causing the entire coast to tremble and resonate.

“[Everyone, step back and sto—!!]”

“It’s not that it’s incomplete.”

Before Madrich could finish speaking, Lennok raised his hand.

“It’s that I haven’t completed it.”

At that moment, all the attacks unleashed by the Military Spirits were buried and vanished in ripples that appeared in the air.

Piiing…!!

Ripples formed as if tapping the surface of water, pushing away physical laws and, conversely, trapping and nullifying them.

Lennok extended his hand towards the swordsman, who stood frozen, unable to believe that his own attack had completely vanished in an instant.

“[Enduring Thunder]”

The swordsman tried to counter using his Miniature Universe, but stopped in horror as his Mind Imprint, unbelievably, failed to deploy.

He was then caught in the explosion Lennok unleashed and burst apart.

KWAANG!!

Leaving the explosion that occurred at the base of the Soul Requiem Tower behind, Lennok walked with blood dripping from him.

He weakly raised his hand towards the pugilist rushing in from behind.

“[Piercing Path]”

Evading the incoming electrodes, he extended his fist and tried to counter by deploying his Miniature Universe again, but at that moment, the pugilist, whose Mind Imprint had become empty, gasped in shock.

Whoosh!!

The Military Spirit, whose upper neck had completely evaporated, trembled and fell.

“[……!!]”

The moment Madrich shot up from his seat at that absurd outcome, the warrior with the greatsword instantly turned into a handful of blood.

The wave that rose beneath the archer’s feet transformed into sharp ice spears, piercing through his limbs.

KA-GA-GA-GAK!!

A series of attacks and defenses that ended in an instant, as if the desperate battle that had just taken place was a lie.

In the midst of it all, only one wizard in a coat stood swaying.

Only the golden kaleidoscope slowly rotating behind Lennok reflected the scene of the Soul Requiem Tower.

Madrich, instantly realizing what Lennok had done, spoke with a trembling voice.

“[No way… no way…!!]”

“It took much longer than I thought. You were right, Madrich.”

Lennok, running his hand through his blood-soaked hair, muttered.

“If I don’t quickly switch the magic system’s deployment speed, I might actually get beaten to death.”

“[Did you usurp fate…!! This is impossible…!!! How can a human forcibly…!!!]”

Until the moment the four Military Spirits died in vain, not a single Military Spirit had properly deployed their Miniature Universe.

Conversely, the way Lennok killed the Military Spirits would have been impossible without knowing that their Miniature Universes had suddenly vanished.

He couldn’t believe it even seeing it with his own eyes, but there was only one answer.

Just now, Lennok had entirely seized the power of the Mind Imprints possessed by his Military Spirits, and used it directly to kill them.

“Fate, you say… No need to speak so grandly.”

CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH!!!

At the same time as he spoke, Lennok’s battered body slowly began to recover.

“It’s just that I acknowledged it’s impossible to perfectly complete the concept of a new magic system.”

Nearly two months had passed since he returned from the Hanghasa Labyrinth and resolved to complete a new magic system.

During that time, what Lennok faced was not the future of becoming a Grandmaster, but a realistically impossible and immense task.

Even organizing and refining the power he currently possessed would require decades, yet the power he understood and acquired only continued to grow.

If only he had the time to hole up in a lab and organize his achievements, but the reality surrounding him didn’t wait for him at all.

At this rate, he wouldn’t even create a turning point to reach Level 8; he’d be struggling just to contain his overflowing power.

That’s why Lennok, instead of perfectly completing a new magic system right away, had been searching for a way to become complete in an incomplete state.

“If it can’t be completed, then don’t complete it. Instead, I decided to make that perpetually striving drive towards perfection the foundation of my new magic system.”

Lennok smiled.

“If I can understand, analyze, and convert all the power in this world, then couldn’t the act of perpetually moving towards perfection itself be called completion?”

“[That… that’s something a living being can say?]”

Madrich mumbled blankly, but a corner of his mind found himself understanding those words, and he trembled.

Even the opponent’s magical power, spiritual power, ethereal power, and their fundamental Mind Imprint and existence.

To understand, analyze, dismantle, and absorb all of it to use as a power source.

What was needed was time to sufficiently confront, understand, and accept that power, and the existence of a transcendent cognitive ability to fully analyze and comprehend all power.

A circulation of near-infinite power. The manifestation of a perpetual motion machine that converts all existing power sources into the wielder’s power and returns it.

The essence of the dominion that only Lennok could fully embody and wield was precisely the concept of this new magic system.

Only then did Madrich realize that what was floating behind Lennok was not merely a golden ring, and slowly stepped back.

“[I see… that’s it… It wasn’t rotating… it was just biting its head and tail…!!]”

Unilaterally seizing and absorbing the opponent’s power without permission, responsibility, inheritance, or succession, and converting it into his own.

A serpent of infinity that never fully completes, but forever advances towards perfection.

The second power for the single answer Lennok vaguely envisioned in his mind.

“Magic System Ouroboros.”

As Lennok muttered that and gestured in the air, the four Mind Imprints he had seized from the Military Spirits all began to disintegrate.

“It’s the final key for me to ascend to Level 8.”