Chapter 699: The Witch and the Magic Tower (13)

Above her head, a faded, dazzling brilliance instantly rotated around Merlida, forming a massive hemisphere.

Fwoosh!

A unique light-attribute magic of the highest tier, boasting formidable power even among elemental spells.

Among them, “Unfolding Wheel of Holy Construction,” one of the supreme sealing techniques.

Merlida, who immediately recognized its true nature, gritted her teeth amidst the blinding light that threatened to steal her sight.

“What are you doing, Adamant Thunder…!”

Having served the Chairman of the Cartel for a long time, Merlida could not possibly fail to recognize this spell.

It was a unique magic her master had used for a very long time, though now half-abandoned.

What Lennok used against Merlida was one of the supreme sealing arts of luminous magic that Olivera had employed in the past.

“I told you.”

Whoosh!

Lennok smiled amidst the ceaselessly swirling light.

“I told you I had something I wanted to test.”

“…!!”

“It’ll take roughly 60 seconds for the chanting of Unfolding Wheel of Holy Construction to complete. Try to resist and escape as much as you can within that time. Otherwise…”

Only then did Merlida’s eyes, finally grasping Lennok’s intention, fill with an indignant killing intent.

Seeing her expression, Lennok simply dropped the scroll he held in his hand to the floor.

“I’ll imprison your existence in the upper heavens of the human world.”

“You bastard, you really…!”

Gritting her teeth, Merlida took a step forward, and her form transformed into a fluorescent lightning bolt, striking directly at Lennok.

KABOOM!!!

Immediately after a fierce shockwave erupted, the girl’s body soared into the air, using the recoil as leverage.

At the same time, Merlida, wielding a spear with both hands, began to spin wildly in mid-air.

Kagagak!!!

Though freely swinging a spear blade that exceeded her height, the trajectory of the rotating weapons in her hands did not tangle in the slightest.

Instantly tearing through Lennok’s shield, and using the recoil to spring back into the air to continue her furious assault.

Merlida’s feet, wielding two spearheads, did not touch the ground once they lifted.

If one were to relax even slightly at her speed and momentum, it felt as though their eyes would be ripped out.

But Lennok, abandoning the shield that had been torn to shreds like paper, was blocking Merlida’s offense head-on.

Bang!!

A golden ripple spread through the air like waves, deflecting Merlida’s attack head-on.

It felt like swinging a mana-charged spearhead into wet cotton—a frustrating sensation.

Yet, Lennok, on the other side, though sweating profusely, bore not a single scratch on his body.

Merlida gritted her teeth at the sight and lifted her halberd high.

“Here comes another one…!”

She grabbed a thick club from the weapons on the ground in an inverted stance and swung it.

DOONG!!

With a sound like a drum, a faint ripple spread, and the club bounced off, but Merlida paid no mind.

She simply retrieved the halberd she had thrown overhead and continued her fierce assault as if dancing through the air.

Tatata-tang!!!

In the blink of an eye, dozens of extreme attacks rained down.

The speed was so immense that it sounded like bullets being fired in the middle of the training ground.

Because of Merlida’s small human stature, the speed at which she rotated her axis and shifted her center of gravity was incredibly fast.

Combining the advantage of rapid weight shifting with monstrous strength unsuited for her frame, she was like a living pulverizer.

The agility and rhythm with which she threw one weapon and swapped in another long-handled weapon during her fierce rapid assault was an artistry beyond human explanation.

One might say it was closer to the instinctual intuition of a beast than a human.

KABOOM!!!

“40 seconds…!”

Each time Merlida flashed like lightning before Lennok’s eyes, the length and shape of the long-handled weapons in her hands also changed.

She swung the weapons lying on the ground, tossed them overhead, and in that fleeting moment, inserted new weapons.

As the weapon caught in the storm of rotating blades changed, its speed, trajectory, and even center of gravity shifted as it was launched.

The weapons rising above their heads continued to increase, until eventually all the long-handled weapons in the training ground floated, defying gravity.

Kuooooooo!!!!

The rotational speed of the airflow Merlida generated alone created the illusion of a massive storm rising in the sky.

As the others watched her martial arts technique with wide-open mouths, the steel weapons, infused with her breath, all turned their heads toward Lennok.

“Time’s up!”

The moment Merlida’s feet touched the ground for the first time since the spar began.

The storm of swirling weapons descended, pouring down on the spot where Lennok stood.

All those weapons were edged blades that Merlida had once held and swung, imbued entirely with her mana.

Responding to mana and will-thought, the weapons lined up in a spiral, simultaneously stabbing a single person.

And at the point where hundreds of blades overlapped simultaneously, golden concentric circles began to spread.

Kiiiiiiiiing!!!

With a magnificent sound that felt like senses were fully opening, time warped.

All the power flows that had been rotating around the golden circle were sucked in and disappeared.

Immediately after, an enormous recoil burst forth from the other side, striking right next to Merlida.

KWOOOOSH!!!

A golden pillar of light erupted from the point of impact, soaring high into the sky of the training ground.

A formless brilliance that could not be called mana, will-thought, or even a spell.

Dudududududu!!!

But just the mere eruption of that power utterly crushed the storm of weapons Merlida had wielded.

Spear shafts snapped, blades broke. Clubs shattered, sword blades crumbled.

It was an unrealistic recoil, taking all the power Merlida had gathered into a massive flow and, in one go, unleashing it back.

KWOOOOSH!!

In the fleeting moment the golden brilliance flickered and vanished, Merlida blankly dropped the spear she was holding.

And only then did Lennok, raising one hand, slowly walk forward.

“You did well. Let’s stop here for today.”

“…”

“I’ve secured the data I need, so you’re free to go. I’ll send you the operation start time and location through Jenny.”

Lennok rubbed his shoulders continuously, looking exhausted as if the pain hadn’t subsided.

Merlida, who had been silently watching Lennok, asked.

“The technique you showed at the end. Did you conduct this training to complete it?”

Merlida knew that what Lennok had just demonstrated was not a simple defensive magic or spell.

It was a Bantansul technique that forcibly adjusted the surrounding physical forces to automatically deflect attacks.

If this art could be used continuously, it would be akin to completing a system that automatically deflects and counters all attacks.

However, Lennok immediately shook his head at Merlida’s words.

“No, I haven’t completed it. Nor did I start it with the intention of completing it.”

“What?”

“I’ve only confirmed that this kind of usage is possible for now. Thank you for your cooperation.”

“What?!”

Merlida shrieked, stomping her foot hard.

At the sight of her pouting like a young girl, the training ground floor trembled again as if an earthquake had struck.

This was natural, given that despite her outwardly youthful appearance, her true form was that of a giant wolf.

“Van!”

Jenny, who had approached by her side, her eyes sparkling.

“Is that the application of the magic system you mentioned?”

“…”

A rare flicker of expectation seemed to cross Jenny’s face.

Perhaps because the circular concentric pattern Lennok had just shown resembled the techniques she had been teaching Jenny.

“You’re planning to fully unify your magic system before establishing a Magic Tower, aren’t you?”

“Magic Tower…? A Magic Tower?!”

“Establishing a Magic Tower?! Him? I haven’t heard anything about that!”

At Jenny’s words, the two company executives again started clamoring loudly.

It seemed they had arrived here without proper explanation from Olivera.

But instead of explaining to Anghel and Merlida, Lennok smiled and shook his head.

“It’s similar, but a different method. If anything, it’s a countermeasure to capture Peshia Grisbern.”

“This is a countermeasure to capture Peshia…?”

Lennok rubbed his shoulder, leaving Jenny tilting her head.

“Considering Deadrise’s actions, there’s a high probability they possess effective weapons or abilities against mages. So, we have to consider various methods as well.”

The way they grind mages into material to power satellites.

The indifference they showed, not even reacting to the death of a Flame Pillar.

Even their decisive action to push forward with the plan despite knowing Tatiana had escaped with the Phoenix Hall.

All of these actions would be impossible without confidence that they wouldn’t lose to mages like Tatiana.

Moreover, hadn’t Flame Pillar Halfman acquired mage-neutralizing devices like Achilles Corp.’s Spell Interception System as soon as he arrived in Vulcan?

This was evidence that the Deadrise organization itself possessed a deep understanding and knowledge of anti-mage combat.

That’s why Lennok had been contemplating new combat methods before seriously entering the operation.

‘I’ve understood the principle of the luminous magic Olivera conveyed. But…’

One magic Lennok had requested from Olivera at the end of their deal.

It was precisely the supreme sealing art of luminous magic, Unfolding Wheel of Holy Construction, which Olivera herself had used in the past.

Remembering the power of the sealing magic he faced in the restricted zone, he had asked her for that very spell.

Unfolding Wheel of Holy Construction was a top-tier spell that sealed a target by constructing a paradoxical space, defying logic, by superimposing the focal point of the barrier hundreds of times using diffuse reflection of light.

If this supreme sealing art could be successfully applied to Peshia, she could be captured without any cost during the operation.

Olivera had scoffed at Lennok’s arrogance in trying to imitate luminous magic without even learning it, but she had nevertheless conveyed the arcane formula through Merlida.

‘It’s not entirely unusable. But there are limits to this method after all.’

Unfolding Wheel of Holy Construction was a high-level spell Lennok had personally experienced from Olivera in the past.

By deploying Ouroboros and observing the principles of Unfolding Wheel of Holy Construction, it was possible to reproduce the result itself.

The problem was that it became difficult for Lennok to use other types of unique magic while employing the sealing art.

Since he was forcibly drawing out a top-tier sealing art from a lineage he was unfamiliar with, using the power of Ouroboros.

It became difficult to utilize other magic while Ouroboros was deployed.

‘Until the chanting of Unfolding Wheel of Holy Construction is complete, I have to withstand Peshia’s resistance with Ouroboros alone.’

And that method was impossible without Ouroboros’s ‘Palgyeong’ applied with Nine-Fold Dorye martial arts.

That’s why Lennok wanted to experiment if it was actually possible against a superhuman skilled in weapon techniques.

If he could endure until Unfolding Wheel of Holy Construction was complete against the Cartel executives, then attempting it against Peshia wouldn’t be impossible.

Therefore, during his battle with Merlida, he manipulated his body with mana threads, forcing himself to use Nine-Fold Dorye to endure—

‘The efficiency isn’t as good as I thought. It’s probably best to keep it in mind as just one of several options.’

Since he didn’t know how the situation would unfold when he faced Peshia, there was no need to insist on this idea.

If necessary, he would have to be prepared to quickly abandon Unfolding Wheel of Holy Construction and engage in combat when entering the operation.

As Lennok’s eyes grew cold in thought, Jenny lightly clapped her hands, changing the atmosphere.

“Alright, if you’re done, let’s go inside quickly. It’s so cold because of the rain!”

“It’s because of my unique ability…”

“It’s not that cold. Are you just too weak?”

Given that the superhumans gathered here were, well, superhumans, not many were sensitive to environmental changes.

Jenny shook her head at Merlida, who was picking her nose and even laughing.

“This is why talking to you for too long is just annoying.”

“Well, whatever. I’m leaving now. I’m going to sleep until the operation starts.”

Perhaps because she had exerted herself greatly during the training, Merlida yawned and turned to leave.

“Oh, and there’s one more thing I want to say.”

Merlida turned her head and pointed at Killeyan, who had been standing silently.

“That, he’s a werewolf, right?”

“…!!”

Killeyan flinched greatly the moment he received her gaze.

It was as if he had tried hard to ignore Merlida, only to badly misstep.

Merlida looked at Killeyan with a mischievous smile.

“Put him in my operation zone. Got it? I’ll be doing this operation with him.”

“Killeyan isn’t part of Jenny’s company or the Cartel,” Lennok replied.

“He’s only temporarily cooperating for prisoner interrogation in this matter.”

“So? Hey, are you going to do it or not?”

As Merlida said that, urging Killeyan, he gritted his teeth, his expression stiff.

“Damn it… fine. I’ll participate. But I’ll need to get separate approval from Panua.”

At Killeyan’s reluctant answer, Merlida abruptly turned her head.

“Satisfied? I’m leaving!”

“…”

Anghel bowed and left, following Merlida, and Jenny turned her gaze with a bewildered expression.

“Is it alright for him to participate in the operation like this? What were you so scared of?”

“I wasn’t scared, damn it…” Killeyan protested, but his demeanor clearly showed him as the weaker one, overwhelmed by a stronger beast.

Merlida was a giant wolf mythical beast hybrid, while Killeyan was a pure-blood werewolf superhuman.

Was it not simply a matter of Hierarchy, but a disparity between their species from the very origin?

Killeyan glanced around and said, “The werewolf side once owed a debt to that mythical beast species.”

“…Owed a debt?”

She had heard that werewolves lived in villages, but this was the first time she heard about them owing a debt to mythical beasts.

But Killeyan just smiled bitterly and shook his head as if he couldn’t properly explain.

“I can’t explain the circumstances. But I’m sincere about helping with the operation. Contact me when the place and location are set. I’ll be right there.”

With Killeyan also gone, only Lennok, Jenny, and Tatiana remained in the vast training ground.

Jenny, who had been on her phone, giving various instructions, ended the call and approached Lennok, saying,

“Van, I’ll prepare separately then. Call me immediately if you need anything. I can provide information right away.”

“Prepare?”

“You said you need land, buildings, and other things to build a Magic Tower, right?”

Jenny grinned.

“You have to secure these things in advance so you don’t waste unnecessary time.”

Jenny tapped the countless contacts displayed on her phone screen and said,

“I’m already running money laundering through the seafood industry. I’ll lobby the district office and city councilman for District 49, and talk to the Central Council in advance to send up the approval documents.”

“…”

“Once I contact Chen’s construction company from the Hexagonal Fortress and the security company to start laying the foundation, construction will begin immediately when formal approval comes through.”

“Ohh,” Tatiana exclaimed from beside them, listening.

“Since it’s in an outer district anyway, it doesn’t matter if we expedite the construction period. Then we’ll complete the tower within about a month, link it to this business, and seize control of the underground magic tool market…”

Tatiana looked at Jenny, who was ceaselessly calculating, with a slightly awestruck expression.

“Van, you have a very capable business partner, don’t you? She seems much more impressive than Magic Tower management consultants.”

“Indeed,” Lennok admitted honestly.

“I never knew she’d use the seafood market for money laundering. Wasn’t it just because she liked tuna?”

“What? What about tuna?”

“Ah, Tatiana!! You come too. You’re going to get some proper rest today, right?”

Jenny turned around with her phone and abruptly grabbed Tatiana by the scruff of her neck.

“Tell me all about that Magic Tower management consultant you just mentioned. Where do I find their names and resumes? Do I need to access that Magic Tower system?”

“W-wait a minute… I’ll explain, but first, let go…!”

Tatiana was dragged away, looking flustered.

Lennok watched the two receding figures before turning away.

It was fortunate that they seemed to get along better than expected, but Lennok couldn’t help them immediately.

There were simply too many things he needed to take care of before the operation officially began.

Among the various messages on his phone, one on a private line called out a particularly different name.

[Victor.]

A message from Hylaea, Pandemonium’s intermediary, who had informed Lennok of Tatiana’s situation.

[Prepare yourself. We will call you once the confirmation is complete.]

“…”

Having confirmed it, Lennok immediately left the training ground and headed to his company office.

The chairman’s office, prepared solely for Lennok himself, where even Jenny couldn’t enter alone.

The moment he sat in the office chair and took out the obsidian mask from his pocket, putting it on.

Kiiing!!

A strong sense of déjà vu, as if trying to pull Lennok’s consciousness somewhere, enveloped him.

“…”

Slowly releasing his resistance and letting his consciousness sink, a hallucination began to appear, as if his vision was being sucked into darkness.

Whoosh!!

“You’re here.”

A massive, endless void of darkness.

A dozen or so people sat quietly in chairs placed in the darkness.

As Lennok watched them with his mask on, the nun who stepped out beside him spoke.

“It was the first attempt, but it was more successful than I thought. The Doctor’s toys always have much potential for various uses.”

Hylaea said.

“Then, let’s begin the meeting now.”

Her eyes, surveying the surroundings, turned cold.

“The first agenda item is about Baegon, who betrayed Myeong and died at Adamant Thunder’s hands. Is that alright?”