Chapter 963: The Prohibition (18)
RUMBLE!!!
An ice wall, several times taller than a human, rose along the temple’s exterior.
Ermont frantically scurried towards the barrier, which instantly sealed off the underground cavern.
“Something I’ve learned from living longer than most, you see…!!”
WHOOSH!!
A spear blade, fast as lightning, pierced his thigh, and Peshia’s foot slammed down on it.
Kicking Ermont’s back, who thrashed like a fish on a harpoon, she twisted the spear with a single kick, slicing his lower back. Just then—
CRUMBLE!!
Ermont’s body transformed into a pile of hard stone, and a new Ermont rolled out right beside him.
Rolling out and meeting Peshia’s gaze, Ermont gave a cringing laugh.
“I found it’s better to be alive, even if you’re rolling on a stone floor while being chased by a madwoman.”
“So what?”
“Still don’t get it?”
Ermont grinned at Peshia as he said that.
“You’re not Adamant Thunder.”
“……”
“That kind of crude spearmanship doesn’t hurt much, you see. So just give up quickly and go catch that ice wizard over there—ACK!!”
Peshia kicked Ermont’s jaw, sending his body snapping backward and slamming into the ice barrier.
“Then I just won’t kill you, you moron.”
Peshia, a cold smile on her face, reversed her grip on the spear and spoke.
“Instead, I’ll beat you until you beg to die.”
“Gui-hee. Narrow the scope. If you move too far within this temple…!!!”
BOOOOM!!!
“……!!”
On top of the ice barrier, Soryu was sprinting at high speed, evading Lennok’s magic.
Changing half his body into ice, he rode an ice pillar, putting distance between them.
That monstrous wizard was deliberately using ice-type spellcraft, just like his own, to provoke him.
Realizing this, Soryu had been meticulously avoiding engagement with Lennok from the start, instead of fighting.
Lennok, arms crossed, watched him and shook his head.
“Even though I set up a favorable stage, he still tries to avoid the fight.”
Lennok stepped onto the ice pillar, watching Soryu put distance between them, scattering sharp frost.
“Then I’ll have to make sure he can’t even think about escaping.”
[Vitality Rift]
WHOOSH!!
Lennok’s form, having ascended the ice pillar, accelerated with incredible speed.
He instantly caught up to the fleeing Soryu and seized him by the nape of his neck with one hand.
CRUNCH!
Soryu, shattering the seized part into ice, twisted his body to escape Lennok’s grasp, but—
Lennok ignored the ice fragments shooting through the air and drew forth more magic.
WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH!!
He dodged all the ice fragments accelerating faster than bullets, as if he had seen their trajectories in advance, and then stomped on Soryu’s shoulder.
A faint force, hardly even a kick. But the moment Soryu felt the immeasurable, immense will-thought contained within it, his complexion turned pale.
Property Reversal
[Melting Ice]
CRACKLE!!!
Soryu’s body, which had transformed into ice, began to forcibly revert to human form.
The power to create and melt ice, inherent in ice-type magic.
He realized that Lennok was forcibly reversing and applying this power to him, who wielded innate abilities.
Immediately after, Soryu’s body, reverted to human form, was driven vertically into the ground from dozens of meters in the air.
BOOOOM!!!
“Ugh…!!!”
The ice barrier Lennok had created shattered as if exploding, and Soryu, unable to withstand the impact, groaned.
Even fighting solely with ice magic, not even his main system, the disparity was this one-sided.
He knew from the start that he was no match, but facing him directly, it was even worse than he imagined.
Before he could even compare the superiority of their innate abilities and spellcraft, his basic output was overwhelmingly inferior.
“Perhaps because he possesses a bloodline ability, escaping seems to be a habit.”
THWACK!!
Lennok kicked Soryu’s wrist, then pressed his foot down on his forearm.
A weight unbelievably heavy for Lennok pressed down, threatening to snap his wrist.
“If you don’t want to die, do it properly.”
Soryu was a skilled individual, capable enough to have defeated Jebyuk Yanicus Barbaria, an 8th-level superhuman.
Lennok, having witnessed Soryu’s combat firsthand, did not underestimate his skill or judgment.
It was just that his attitude of meticulously avoiding a fight, rather than confronting Lennok, was not what Lennok wanted at the moment.
“You said it was an ice-type artifact with the highest degree of mystery, didn’t you?”
Lennok asked, looking at the ring on Soryu’s hand, the Ice Seal.
“Use it. Right now.”
“……!!!”
He was intentionally cornering Soryu to learn how to use the Ice Seal.
But what was truly terrifying was that Soryu, even knowing this, could not refuse Lennok’s command.
At Lennok’s chilling words, Soryu gritted his teeth and once again initiated ice transformation.
FLASH!!
As he poured magic forcefully into the ring, its gem unfolded into a circular shape, transforming into a seal.
Soryu, holding the Ice Seal which scattered cold, plunged it into his own heart without hesitation. The moment he did—
[Frigid Dominion Armor]
CRACKLE!!!
A powerful explosion of frigid energy erupted, instantly engulfing Soryu’s entire body.
Lennok, who had stepped back to observe, watched Soryu slowly rise and smiled.
“A blessing that artificially changes the body’s properties to ice-type….”
His skin bleached white like ice, and even his clothes froze, losing their material form and shimmering.
His entire body couldn’t maintain its form, scattering, collapsing, and regenerating repeatedly.
With chilling cold coating him like an armor, he became a being resembling an ice spirit.
“It wasn’t meant for humans in the first place. Don’t you think it’s dangerous?”
The moment he saw Soryu’s form, Lennok understood what kind of ability the Ice Seal’s blessing was.
A property transformation of the body activated by deploying ice-type innate abilities to their extreme.
It was a power that converted the entire body into ice-attribute magic, aligning one’s mind and body to that system to the extreme.
Strictly speaking, its principle was similar to the Residual Thunder Body that Lennok had cast on Peshia Grisbern during the decisive battle with Anathema.
Thus, Lennok also knew how the side effects of that ability would manifest.
“If you can’t properly recall your body’s form, you won’t be able to return to normal.”
[The royalty of Kabahim possesses strong resistance to ice-type blessings or curses from birth.]
Soryu exhaled a cold breath, his frozen gaze fixed on Lennok.
[That’s why the Ice Seal is called the royal seal and a national treasure. It’s an item unsuited for you.]
“You don’t decide that.”
Lennok smiled.
“Do you still think you can walk away from this place alive with that item?”
[The nun who designed this operation is quite capable, even within Pandemonium.]
Soryu answered obligingly.
[She must have observed the outside movements right after the operation began, and she’ll know that you’ve moved.]
“……”
[All that’s needed is for us to respond in a timely manner and set the stage.]
“Is that so?”
The moment Lennok replied and snapped his fingers—
ZAP!!
A fist-sized bolt of lightning flashed into existence before Soryu’s eyes and plummeted down.
A rotating body of thunderbolts formed from countless lightning currents intertwined.
Lightning-type Unique Magic
Starfall: Ultimate Refinement
CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACKLE……!!!!
The moment Soryu realized that the spell, which fell without even a prelude, was a high-level lightning spell that Lennok had unleashed for the first time—
The thunderous star, exploding right before the ice spirit, swept over Soryu’s entire body, completely vaporizing the ice particles.
[First Glimpse: Sky-Piercing Thunderbreak]
BOOOOM!!!!
A lightning explosion so intense and virulent that it could not be withstood head-on for even a single moment.
Soryu’s body, transformed into an ice spirit, evaporated in real-time, spewing out powerful electrical essence.
[…!!!!!]
Even a brief fight blurred his vision and made him dizzy, but losing consciousness would mean the end.
He instinctively knew that if he fainted here, the Grand Wizard would instantly kill him.
Biting his lip, Soryu desperately regained his senses, gathering the scattering ice fragments and reconstructing his body dozens of meters behind.
Drawing moisture scattered beneath the underground cavern, he instantly swelled his body, increasing its size.
[Glacial Spirit Progenitor]
BOOOOM!!
Soryu, instantly transformed into a giant ice golem tens of meters tall, looked down at Lennok with a face dripping with frost.
“You lowered your density and increased your size, did you?”
Lennok asked with a bored expression.
“What’s the point of that?”
He was only dealing with Soryu now to precisely understand how to use the Ice Seal.
It was clear he had stolen Anathema’s item, so shouldn’t he retrieve it first?
However, even after transforming into an ice giant, Soryu did not raise his magic to attack Lennok.
Instead, he raised his greatly enlarged arm and slammed it down with all his might, as if throwing something.
Soryu’s arm, made of ice, stretched out, instantly reaching the fleeing Ermont far away.
BOOOOM!!
Lennok, reacting immediately, scattered lightning, bursting Soryu’s upper right body, but something had already been shot out through the shattered ice fragments.
The moment Lennok frowned, having seen the Curse-Eating Ghoul sliding and flying up using the ice arm as a foothold—
“Damn it, I thought my neck would break waiting for you!!”
Ermont, who had been running frantically, leaped up and embraced the toad.
As he rolled on the floor, clutching the croaking toad, Peshia’s spear plunged through them like a shower of rain.
THUD-THUD-THUD!!!
Naturally, rolling alone couldn’t avoid all the spear blades, and the spear blades furiously stabbed into Ermont’s flesh.
“OW-OW-OW-OW-OW!!!!”
Even as his entire body was mercilessly butchered, Ermont screamed and protected the toad.
Ermont, covered in wounds that should have made him a corpse long ago, quickly shoved his hand into the toad’s mouth.
“Alright, quick quick quick quick!!!!! Hurry up and take any curse, and give me some magic power!!”
“You bastard, that’s disgusting…!!”
Peshia was not so naive a warrior as to foolishly watch her opponent prepare something.
Sensing something amiss, Peshia twisted her spear without hesitation and plunged its blade into Ermont’s neck.
“Die!!”
“Urk!!”
As she rotated the spear shaft once, Ermont’s neck muscles were smoothly severed, and his head sprang into the air like a coiled spring.
SWISH!
The moment Ermont’s head, eyes and mouth agape, shot up, Felix’s shoulder, which had slid over Peshia’s back, rotated at immense speed.
A heavy hammer swung in a semicircular arc, striking Ermont’s head.
THWACK!!
Beneath Felix’s arm, whose upper body was arched back like a baseball player hitting a home run, Peshia, with lowered head, was about to ruthlessly sever Ermont’s limbs. Just then—
From inside the mouth of the toad, the Curse-Eating Ghoul, into which Ermont had inserted his hand, black magic flowed copiously.
WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH!!
The black magic, fluttering out like acrid smoke, solidified into a black ring above Ermont’s corpse.
The empty space within the black ring filled with pitch-black darkness, transforming into a mirror of absolute darkness, impossible to see through for even an inch. The moment it did—
CRASH!!
The mirror of darkness shattered into pieces, and two figures plummeted down at high speed.
“Hehehehe…!!!”
With a bizarre laugh, he struck Peshia’s spear, which was stabbing Ermont’s corpse, with his sword.
As sword light, stained with blood, streaked across the air, a powerful shockwave simultaneously pushed Peshia’s body back.
“What the f*** is that?”
“Not a swordsman, then….”
An old man in shabby attire. A vacant expression, and an eerie aura scattering red light from his eyes.
He looked no different from a vagrant, but the sword in his hand shimmered with an icy cold.
While Peshia cursed at the appearance of an opponent who looked unsettling at first glance—
“Blood Elder. Welcome!!”
Ermont, holding his severed head in his hand, shouted.
A headless corpse, holding a toad in one hand and its deeply dented head tucked under its arm.
At this bizarre, almost comical sight, not only Felix but even Peshia grimaced, while Ermont abruptly stood up.
“It’s very dangerous right now. Just roughly take care of that spear user!!”
As Ermont said that and charged at Felix, a black mist enveloped the two, surging towards one side of the temple at immense speed.
“Black magic, then…!!”
Felix also gritted his teeth, shaking off the black magic, and powerfully kicked the toad and head Ermont was holding.
“URRGGGHH!! I’m dizzy!!”
As the toad and severed head tumbled across the temple floor, Ermont couldn’t hold back his vomit.
Instead of his head, his body heaved and writhed on the floor, spewing its contents.
“What a mess. An absolute disaster.”
In the midst of chaos that threatened to drive her insane, Peshia clicked her tongue and averted her gaze.
“Are all the idiots from Pandemonium originally just these kinds of lunatics?”
“You’re not a swordsman….”
The Blood Elder, who had been blankly staring at Peshia, then grinned and slung his sword over his shoulder.
“Still, if you’re a spear user, that’s good. An easy opponent….”
“Is this piss-smelling old geezer itching to die?”
Peshia, muttering coldly, adjusted her grip on the spear and advanced.
“A swordsman dares to challenge a spear user? I’ll teach you some manners.”
“Which weapon is the correct answer….”
The Blood Elder slowly nodded, grasping the sword from his shoulder with both hands.
“A question with a predetermined answer. Hehehehe….”
Peshia, twisting her foot to strike down powerfully, and the Blood Elder, leaning forward as if to fall, clashed.
The chilling glint of blades mingled in the dark center of the temple, and the moment they slid, spun, and collided—
The shadows of the swordsman and spear user began to accelerate at incredible speed, moving along the temple walls.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!!!
The sudden intrusion of a new superhuman, appearing in the temple through the black magic used by Ermont.
Peshia and Felix each engaged in combat, and Soryu, transformed into an ice giant, scattered a rain of sharp frost from the temple ceiling.
The entire temple was engulfed in a storm of ice and magic, and the headless Ermont rampaged through it like a madman.
And, in the middle of a collapsed corridor intersection, Lennok, who had been watching the entire situation, raised his gaze.
Pandemonium’s new reinforcement, who had appeared using Ermont’s black magic.
Another person, not the Blood Elder, had landed directly in front of Lennok from the start, blocking his path.
As she rose from her kneeling position, her short bobbed hair swayed with her head.
An impression sharp as a keen blade. A poker face that seemed to shut off all emotions.
“Long time no see, Adamant Thunder.”
“……Maiya Lonsdale.”
Lennok, recalling that face, opened his mouth with a wry smile.
A monster among the superhumans affiliated with Pandemonium, ranked at the very top in combat experience and skill.
The Machine City’s finest enforcer had joined the battle to tie Lennok down.