Chapter 229
"......Such unnecessary worries." McQueen said with a stern expression as he swung the stone tablet he held.
Crack!
In the blink of an eye, Lennok's Thunderstrike Kill shattered the arm of the stone statue, only for it to regenerate instantly. This summoned creature possessed remarkable regenerative abilities, evident from Arjumartha's previous arm sacrifice.
Observing this, Lennok shifted the conversation, saying, "Skyscrapers are designed with a certain degree of flexibility and resilience in mind to not sway with the wind."
As he looked at the building trembling under McQueen's overflowing power, Lennok continued, "But at this rate, it won't last long."
McQueen retorted with intensity, "What are you so calmly blabbering about!!"
He swiftly completed his hand signs and stepped back. Leaping onto the statue's head, he glared at Lennok from a considerable height.
His body's tattoos swirled violently, and a bright yellow light of emotion, known as Spiritshine, emanated from both hands.
Whirrrr!
"You, too, took this job because you coveted the position of the boss... Stop pretending and speak your true intentions!!!"
With the statue's mouth wide open, McQueen directed the gathered Spiritshine into it. Arjumartha absorbed this massive energy source, circulated it within, and unleashed it towards Lennok.
[Column Dismissal Cannon (주상도해포, Jusangdo Haepo)]
The bright yellow beam emitted from Arjumartha's mouth pierced Lennok's location and descended toward the ground below the building.
Creakkkk!!!
This was the unmatched technique of Fallen Monk Parden McQueen—a high-level bombardment spell that temporarily unleashed Arjumartha's sealed power, converting it into raw firepower.
The devastating beam, capable of melting half of the skyscraper's rooftop, left an extensive scar on the ground, piercing straight through.
It was an unavoidable strike, especially with Arjumartha situated on the top floor, severely limiting Lennok's room to evade.
Wasn't this duel with Lennok chosen precisely for this technique, one that rivaled Lennok in destructive potential?
"Heugh, heugh...!!"
Sweat trickled down McQueen's wrinkled skin.
Decades had passed since his last genuine combat, especially against a formidable adversary demanding his utmost effort. His aging reflexes and clouded judgment made precise mana control challenging, and his aging body struggled with the strain of high-difficulty spells.
Yet, even while panting heavily, McQueen relentlessly directed power towards Lennok while propped against the stone tablet.
"Aaaaaah!!"
[Formula of Fine Line (식묘선, Sikmyoseon)]
[Simmering Light of Harm (돈해광, Donhaegwang)]
Boom and flash!
The barrage of spells, fired with screams and while clutching the stone tablet, rained down unrelentingly.
The building, already swaying and unstable, began to teeter under the excessive force.
Even in that critical moment, McQueen fought to maintain his focus.
"Where are you...!"
How much research and analysis had he conducted on the wizard named Van in preparation for this day's battle?
A wizard known for his mastery of the lightning series, boasting unmatched firepower, stood before him.
His expertise extended beyond the thermal series, encompassing ice and manipulation skills, and he displayed exceptional proficiency with firearms.
His razor-sharp intuition and unparalleled combat instincts allowed him to take on warriors in direct confrontations. How many had succumbed to his formidable abilities?
He had spent over a week gathering intelligence on his opponent's combat style and crafting countermeasures.
His devastating firepower and a multitude of attack strategies sharply contrasted with his predominantly shield-based defense spells.
If he could confine his adversary and unleash potent spells, he might pierce through the defenses.
However, McQueen remained vigilant even after executing his plan successfully.
His opponent was not one to be defeated so easily.
His talents and judgment had earned the admiration of Olivera Ron Maze.
Countless battles had honed his experience and instincts; this couldn't be the end.
McQueen understood this better than anyone, having been a wizard who had crossed countless life-and-death thresholds to attain his current status.
"It can't just end like this...!"
"Where are you?!"
In response to McQueen's urgent inquiry, the answer surprisingly emerged from a nearby location.
"I have no great interest in the position of the boss. Working for the organization is the same."
Startled, McQueen turned to his rear, but a sharp object pierced through his abdomen with astonishing speed.
Pwook!!
"....!!!"
A body that had been trained through rigorous practice, a body that had vanquished numerous foes with its unique and potent technique, was now effortlessly penetrated.
McQueen's lips quivered as he recognized the object that had impaled him.
"Merilda's Fang... from Avid..."
Merilda's Fang, renowned for its exceptional magic resistance.
While it might not pierce a defense-focused spell, it was more than capable of piercing the mana-filled body of a sorcerer.
Perched atop the colossal statue Arjumartha's head, Lennok, who had materialized behind McQueen, calmly replied.
"But an empty title like that, I might not refuse. That's probably all she wants."
Crack!!
As he twisted the fang in his hand, blood began to flow from McQueen's side.
"Ugh...!!"
Despite the agonizing pain that tore through his mind, McQueen kept his gaze fixed on Lennok, even as his insides were being torn apart.
Despite selecting a high-rise rooftop with no escape route as their battleground, and continually unleashing thunderous bombardments, Lennok bore no wounds.
How had he managed to approach McQueen from behind, let alone withstand all those attacks?
Only when McQueen noticed Lennok's slowly rotating left Demonic eye did he grasp the truth, and his eyes widened in shock.
"Illusion magic... You've been deceiving me from the start!!!"
"Now you understand?"
Lennok's actions, which curiously often met McQueen's gaze.
And Lennok's seemingly passive counterattacks and responses.
The dazzling radiance from Thunderstrike Kill was so blinding, and the swirling electricity so thoroughly disrupted the surrounding mana and senses that McQueen had failed to perceive the hidden truth.
From the onset of the battle, Lennok had orchestrated a masterful deception against McQueen.
Utilizing the stolen demonic eye from Eolara as a catalyst, he employed potent illusion magic while concealing incantations and hand gestures.
Amidst the fierce combat and constricted field of view, infiltrating McQueen's heightened concentration wasn't overly challenging. The key lay in flawlessly deceiving his senses precisely when McQueen prepared to unleash the Column Dismissal Cannon.
Seizing that fleeting moment of sensory disarray, he slipped through the vacant abdominal space within Arjumartha, concealing his life signs with Nick's badge.
Just as he grasped McQueen from behind, he thrust Merilda's Fang deep into McQueen's side.
"Sharp, very sharp...!"
McQueen clenched his lip, comprehending the situation in its entirety.
Crimson frustration mingled with his freely-flowing blood.
"You, a master sorcerer... to engage in close combat, like this...!!"
"I've severely damaged your intestines. You won't last long."
Lennok remarked as he observed McQueen stagger and collapse.
From the moment he knew the duel would unfold on the rooftop of the skyscraper, Lennok had a general sense of McQueen's intentions.
Three days had been allotted to prepare for the duel, ample time for a sorcerer like McQueen to scrutinize his opponent's style.
It wouldn't be surprising if McQueen had unraveled Lennok's preferences and combat patterns, including his aversion to close combat.
McQueen had predicted there would be no close-quarters combat and had chosen a battlefield where they couldn't evade a head-on clash of firepower.
In response, Lennok had employed illusion magic as a gamble at a pivotal juncture, infiltrating McQueen's perception completely—engaging physically without relying on magic.
Coldly, Lennok observed McQueen's gradual stoop.
Once Merilda's Fang, resistant to magic, pierced his body, any movement would be arduous.
Yet, McQueen, clenching his teeth, once again seized the stone tablet he had dropped.
"I'm not done yet...!!!"
Sssshhhh!!
In that moment, McQueen, striving to remove the fang from his abdomen, rapidly distanced himself from Lennok.
Despite the blood pooling from his lacerated belly, his movement spell exhibited no flaws.
The wound inflicted by Merilda's Fang had already healed, and within the pool of blood, Lennok detected the familiar traces of magic, prompting a wry smile.
"Using the blood mage's serum for doping... Yes, it should be this powerful!"
"......!!!"
McQueen gritted his teeth as Lennok swiftly discerned his ploy to augment overall physical prowess and regeneration through Avid's serum.
Creating hand signs with one arm, McQueen forcefully slammed down the stone tablet he held, prompting Arjumartha to shift.
Lennok swiftly adjusted his shield and summoned mana, but the stone statue's arm was directed in an entirely different direction.
Boom!
The section of the building that had been supporting the weight was violently struck, causing the already trembling upper portion to break away and crumble.
Creak!
In an instant, the colossal stone statue, measuring over ten meters in height, tilted to one side, sending both wizards on its head hurtling downward.
The giant statue and the two sorcerers plummeted a staggering 800 meters, confronting the fierce winds.
Recognizing the error in selecting such a confined battleground, McQueen wasted no time in altering the fight's location by obliterating the upper structure of the building.
Whoosh!
Amidst the rushing wind, Lennok swiftly turned his gaze towards McQueen. As he descended alongside his summoned creature towards the ground, not a hint of agitation marred his composed countenance. Instead, he sat serenely in the center of the falling statue's chest, eyes closed, clutching the stone tablet.
His hand signs flowed seamlessly, and Arjumartha's arms gracefully traced an arc.
A dual incantation performed in harmony by master and summon.
Roar!!!
The secrets of a summoning spell that exponentially amplified the scale and potency of the technique left little to the imagination.
McQueen's blood, heightened by Avid's serum, enveloped both the statue and the sorcerer, forming an immense blood barrier against external threats.
The Level 6 blood mage's serum, wrought at the cost of his subordinates' lives, heightened McQueen's awareness while enhancing his spellcasting abilities.
Even as they descended upside down, Lennok observed with a grin.
It was far too late to disrupt the spell.
Moreover, he had no intention to do so from the outset.
An aged, wearied Level 7 Sorcerer.
Forced into this condition by the serum, McQueen's dulled combat instincts couldn't fully unlock Lennok's potential.
He fell victim to sophisticated psychological warfare and bewildering spellcraft, and the moment he succumbed to Lennok's illusion, the battle was decided.
When McQueen had clutched the stone tablet in resistance, Lennok had over twenty methods to end his life.
But why hadn't he done it?
Ruthless, meticulous, never wasting an opportunity for carelessness—why hadn't he executed and concluded all his schemes flawlessly?
Lennok knew the answer.
'Such an opportunity will not arise again.'
If not now, he would never have the chance to engage in a high-level wizard's duel.
No matter how keen and nimble the insight acquired, its true power could only be fully grasped by wielding it directly.
Hence, Lennok had to test it now, not in a life-or-death moment, but in this controlled environment—a one-on-one wizard's duel without any external interference.
How far could his chosen path take him?
Gripping the magical core that emerged from his sleeve, McQueen's incantation reached its culmination, and he opened his eyes wide.
In a state of intense concentration, only the whites of his eyes were visible as he bellowed with his entire mana.
"Aaaaaaah!!!"
A formidable determination coursed through the space, initiating a transformation in the surroundings.
[Domain Deployment]
[Imprinted Imagery]
[White Mountain Temple (백나찰포사)]
Thud Thud Thud!!!
A whirlwind of white gusts.
The air brushing against his cheek carried an icy chill, mercilessly slicing through his earlobes.
His nasal passages cleared instantly, and his ears experienced a peculiar sensation of pressure change.
Yet, what unfolded before Lennok's eyes transcended the surreal physical sensations.
A snow-clad mountain adorned with glistening white.
Nestled amidst the towering mountain peaks, far from any trace of human civilization, a colossal temple painted a vibrant crimson stood in magnificent isolation.
In the secluded snowfield, encircled by lofty mountains.
Before the grand entrance of the ancient temple.
A man knelt, head bowed, obscured by the snow.