Chapter 268

Boom!!

As he smashed through the gate, Manson and Chen rushed inside without hesitation.

Following them slowly, Lennok gathered his hands and wielded his mana.

Crackle!!

Grasping dozens of thick currents leaking between his fingers, he compressed and exploded them.

The dazzling electric light bursting between his horizontally held palms swept and spun around the front yard of the Paldoon estate.

The art of compressive explosion resonating and dispersing dozens of shots of the common magic [Bolt] and [Chain Lightning] at once.

Electrical creation magic: Multiple Synthesis.

[Theory of Thunder Dispersion]

Zzzzzz!!!

The electric light bursting from his palms turned into a massive plasma mass, embodying tremendous heat.

"Aaaaargh!!"

"It's an enemy attack!!"

"Is it war! Evacuate the lord at once!!"

Bang bang bang!!

Electric lights flash from all directions, and the lightning that jumps around starts to burn and destroy the mansion on all sides.

The technique of changing the nature of space to one's advantage without deploying a Domain.

Lennok silently watched them, as if he could grab the clusters of electricity filled all around and throw them nearby.

Considering Lennok's past actions, this behavior is quite strange.

Manson, leisurely watching from behind, asked.

[Weren't you planning to kill them all?]

"Really?"

Lennok replied.

"What we're doing now isn't about how quickly we can finish it. The purpose is rather to leave aftereffects and cause disturbance on their side."

Gido Order's bishop and missionary, Walter Martinez.

For an outsider like him to receive high-level treatment in the fortress, it's highly likely he chose the role of a proxy like Lennok.

Then, the family he chose to infiltrate as a proxy would be?

Though the possibility of it being Paldoon, which was pushed out even among the federated families centered on the Union, is low, Lennok's actions are enough to alarm the families.

"By stirring up the other families one by one, the outline will roughly be drawn."

As Lennok said this, something jumped out of the mansion's window and fell to the ground.

Boom!!

"That's enough!!!"

A slender, white-haired middle-aged man.

An elderly man with a height close to 2 meters harshly yelled as he approached the garden.

"What a disgrace to face just one wizard!!"

The power contained in that resounding voice was significant.

Hard to believe it's from a family most despised among the eight families.

"They haven't even shown the intention to fight properly yet......!! It seems I need to retrain you all from the beginning!!"

Chen turned his gaze away indifferently to the old man's continuous scolding.

"......Come to think of it, no one has died yet. Did you deliberately control your power?"

"A show of force is enough for now."

Lennok said leisurely.

"This should serve as a proper greeting for us to have a rational conversation, shouldn't it?"

"Well, that's..."

There was hardly a need to mention how twisted the mindset of a wizard who has spent nearly three years in the shadows of Vulcan can be.

However, contrary to Chen's thoughts, the elder who claimed to be the head of the Paldoon family quickly managed the situation and called the three into the front yard of Paldoon.

Perhaps he intended to stall for time until his warriors regained their senses, knowing that the three had the will and capability to confront a family.

"......"

Of course, casting a cold glance at the ruffian who smashed the gate and messed up the front yard was inevitable.

"I heard that two proxies had come, thinking perhaps the Union or Yibon had sent a message... Turns out it was a messenger of the losers."

A faint smile appeared on the lips of the family head as he looked down at Lennok and Manson.

It was a thin emotion, but it contained nothing but mockery.

"What do you think the Paldoon, no different from the foot mats of the other four families, and the fallen Oryun plan to do? If the Samyoung had started to make their move, I would have personally had a word, but this is truly ridiculous."

"......"

"I appreciate that will, so I'll specially forgive you this time. Speak your piece quickly and get lost."

Lennok looked up at the family head sitting on the porch of the mansion.

Forgiveness. It's not an easy word to permit to the person who smashed the gate and stirred up the mansion's courtyard.

He might be hiding his inner strength with a strong demeanor, but he probably wants to avoid any further trouble caused by Lennok here.

However, Lennok had no intention of backing down without even seeing Paldoon's proxy in person.

"I want to take over the authority of the proxy you have."

"......What?"

"If you're not planning to participate in the game, then hand over the justification you hold."

Lennok said, "I'll create a plausible game before it dries up."

"You're out of your mind."

The family head scoffed at Lennok's words.

"Why should I listen to you?"

In the seat of power within the fortress, a proxy represents the will of the family.

Handing over that qualification to the Oryun would render Paldoon nothing more than a spectator until the head is decided.

Naturally, Paldoon would never entertain such a request.

Boom!!!

That was what everyone thought until lightning from a clear sky struck the mansion's spire.

Everyone gaped at the precise control of power that targeted only the attic of the five-story mansion, reducing it to ashes.

Lennok asked, "May I ask again?"

"......"

Silence ensued.

The family head's inability to respond easily.

Could he have elicited such a reaction had Lennok requested a polite conversation instead of showing his power from the start?

As much as he entered the fortress bearing the name of the faction, there's a need to push through where necessary.

Lennok was very aware of that fact.

The family head, deep in thought and seemingly catching onto something, forced a weary smile.

"The duel between proxies is strictly forbidden until before the selection of the head. You're not suggesting breaking the fortress's rules here now, are you?"

"I know."

"If you're thinking of defying and forcing your way..."

"What?"

Lennok said this and patted Chen, who was standing next to him, on the shoulder.

"So, instead of me, this friend will face your proxy."

"......Wait a minute."

Chen, whose face turned pale, stiffly turned his head.

"I'm hearing this for the first time here."

"Hozer!!"

The head of Paldoon, who had been listening closely to their conversation, quickly shouted.

Boom!!

With those words, a well-built young man emerged from the shadows behind the porch.

The youth named Hozer, with his upper body completely bare, towered over 2 meters tall.

His broad shoulders and the solid mass of muscle on either side suggested his formidable strength.

Hozer, wielding a massive club larger than himself, stepped forward and began to glare at the two.

The family head, stroking his beard from behind, spoke with a satisfied face.

"The proxy of the Oryun wouldn't go back on his word, would he?"

"......"

"However, if we win, you must take responsibility for the safety of our family as well. Do you agree?"

As Lennok nodded, Hozer stepped forward.

"Come forward, vermin."

Hozer, snorting fiercely, sneered.

"I'll kill here the bastard who shivers behind the asses of dogs."

With those words, as he slammed his massive club to the ground, the courtyard trembled with a heavy boom.

Chen, with an anxious face, grabbed Lennok's arm.

"Van. Of course, I plan to do my best in this matter... but do we stand a chance?"

The aura of mana emanating from Hozer's impressively bulky body was on a level incomparable to Chen's.

In the shadowy world of Vulcan, Eightfold Fortress gathers some of the highest-level warriors.

Hozer, a direct descendant of one of the eight families and claiming to be Paldoon's proxy, has reached level 6.

A hierarchy capable of displaying military-grade performance on his own.

Even if Chen had rolled around the back alleys a few times, his real combat experience couldn't compare.

If Chen were to lose here, not only would they fail to snatch away Paldoon's proxy rights, but Lennok's reputation would plummet without any reward for their bold strategy.

However, despite Chen's reaction, Lennok smiled leisurely.

"Don't worry. Although I put you forward due to the rules of proxy warfare, you're not the one who will actually fight."

"What, what?"

Before Chen could say more, Lennok had already started to gather his mana.

His left eye began to flash and rotate with a purple hue, and at the same time, he channeled a streak of lightning into the crown of Chen's head.

[Surplus Thunder Body]

Crackle......!!

It might be mistaken for a simple physical enhancement magic, but its principle is much more complex.

It's not an ordinary augmentation magic found in common magic but enhances all sensory organs without going against the flow of bioelectricity in the body.

As a result, the amount of information flooding into the user endowed with Surplus Thunder Body increases, leading directly to diversified judgment and intuition.

Before Chen could fully realize its effect, magical threads extending from Lennok's hand quickly wrapped around his limbs and began to move them on their own.

"Looking at that spider made me rethink control magic. Today will be a good opportunity."

"What kind of nonsense is thiiiiis?!!"

As Chen let out a strange scream, his limbs moved on their own, pulling out two curved blades from his waist and starting to dash.

The duel began in an instant.

Gliding past Manson and Lennok, Chen plunged the blades into Hozer, who had landed in the courtyard, without hesitation.

Hozer, having slammed his club into the ground, twisted his back and waist to catch the blade.

Clang!!!

"Ho."

It's said that a high-level warrior can gauge an opponent's skill with just one exchange.

Chen's initial attack was not only fast, but the way he breached Hozer's guard and the timing were nearly perfect.

Had Hozer attempted to block with the club in a standard manner, he would've likely been injured.

Only then did Hozer, turning his gaze to Chen, wear a murderous smile on his thick face.

"It seems the so-called wizard has brought some decent warriors. Good, let's test our skills to the fullest!!"

"F*ck......"

Chen's muttered curse spread as if he had given up on everything.

Hozer, gripping his club with both hands and lowering his stance, and Lennok, holding onto the magical threads, moved at the same time.

The two warriors twisted their bodies on the shattered ground.

Boom!!!

The flash of light that sparked in front of them crisscrossed and spun wildly in the air, dropping long cuts and heavy debris all around.

"Uaaaah!!"

"Good spirit!!"

Hozer, unaware of Chen's feelings, spiritedly responded to the curved blades.

In the midst of this vast courtyard, Lennok was the only one who fully grasped the entire situation.

'This is going much better than I thought.'

Lennok had only witnessed Agneta's manipulation technique briefly, but he was deeply shocked to see her use magic threads like spiderwebs, interfering even with human consciousness.

He knew manipulation magic was a unique category among spells, but it was his first time seeing such precise control over magic threads.

The strange rhythm felt because he had some experience handling magic threads.

The liveliness as if the magic threads themselves were alive. A skill that couldn't even be imitated by human emotion and senses.

Even though he realized it was impossible to reach there immediately, Lennok could perceive the potential contained within magic threads.

'It's not just about physical contact and manipulation. If the advantages of capturing and manipulating according to will and thought are maximized to the extreme....'

Someday, it might even be possible to grasp and manipulate concepts that are invisible to the eye.

Even if Lennok's knowledge and reason couldn't be sure, if his senses and intuition were faintly looking towards it.

He needed to invest time in magic threads now, to look further ahead.

The puppet play in Paldoon's courtyard was, after all, to aim higher and move forward.

"Good. I've roughly figured it out."

Muttering, Lennok's eyes shone clearly, and his ten fingers began to dance like playing a piano.

It's not the movement of the fingers that's important. He was implementing the movement of the magic threads he visualized in his mind, tightening and pulling the threads connected to Chen's limbs and muscles, delicately adjusting the movements.

Crack!

Chen's joints bent exquisitely to their limit, operating in directions unknown even to him.

Accordingly, the two curved blades in his hands bent in directions vastly different from his body's orientation.

They shot towards Hozer's chin and knee simultaneously.

Desperately retreating and swatting away the blades coming towards his face,

Slash!!

Surprisingly, the blood didn't come from the chin or knee but from a spot near the side.

(To be Continued)