Chapter 358

Chapter 358

After uttering something in an incomprehensible language, the giant outsider left while everyone else stayed behind. Elland became more anxious as the guy handling the lightning power and others remaining showed no sign that he was going to be let go. His anxiety mounted to the point where he had difficulty swallowing his saliva.

It was then...

"So eum gi. (Suppressor)"

The guy wielding the lightning received a small metal tool from a man in the back and affixed it to the end of his weapon.

Zing!

Electricity surged from the tips of his fingers, producing a stunning display of lightning bolts filling the air one by one. However, Elland's realization dawned when the bolts converged and formed a mesh-like pattern in the sky, revealing the man's true intention. He gasped.

He's trapped the entire area!

Despite the fact that the area enveloped by the lightning mesh was large enough to move around in, Elland found no gaps to escape. As he observed the man's skill over the electricity, Elland realized he was no match for him.

Elland said while holding a sword in his hand. "I gave you the treasure of Saint Cassian. D...do we really have to go this far?"

It wasn't that there was no way to get out. If he could defeat the man, then the enchanted lightning mesh would dissipate with him. It appeared that the man wanted to bring out Elland's full fighting potential as he made a gesture at him.

Is this really the end... This is how I die? Why me...

Elland noticed that he couldn't avoid death because even if he tried decapitating the man, the witch wouldn't just sit back and let him do so. Also, the giant outsider would be around and jump into him too!

Elland looked around, and the giant guy was actually staring at him from afar. His imposing figure appeared even more frightening, shrouded in darkness. Therefore, Elland noticed that begging for mercy on his knees wouldn't help at all.

The eyes of those from the continent who cooperated with the outsiders trembled, but they were all weak even if they were protected by the Lord's blessing. They would chicken out as soon as the giant guy roared.

Those from the continent who sided with the outsiders looked at Elland with quivering eyes, possibly out of guilt or pity for his predicament. Even with the Lord's protection, they were feeble and would cower at the sound of the giant guy's thunderous roar.

This must be the end...

No matter how many times he tried to devise an escape plan, Elland concluded that there was no possible way out. He completed his painful calculations and then channeled his Mana to its fullest potential.

Srrr.

His entire body and sword were immediately filled with warmth, and the sword turned a copper color. His blood coursed through his veins at an accelerated rate, leaving him feeling more alive than ever before. The beginning stage of his Sword User[1] had helped him survive multiple times in the past. Well... It was now guiding him to death.

Elland aimed his sword at the guy handling the lightning with a bitter taste in his mouth and a pounding heart.

"You may think it's simple to take my life, but I guarantee that you will lose at least one limb. If you don't exert yourself fully, then I will behead you right away."

Although they wouldn't understand what he was saying, he bolstered his own spirits. Then, he was able to shake off some of his fear of death by harnessing the power surging within him.

Right then, Elland's attention was drawn to the movement of the man's fingers, specifically the index finger inside the ring at the bottom of the weapon. He noticed that it moved slightly.

Snap!

He heard the sound of something colliding with each other.

What is he doing?

A sharp pain shot through his abdomen, quickly giving way to a burning sensation that radiated throughout the area. The sensation was familiar, and he had undoubtedly experienced it before.

"Ugh!"

Elland clenched his teeth and looked at where it hurt. Blood was flowing out from the cut. Despite the pain coursing through his abdomen, there was no indication that his body had been impaled by a sharp weapon or penetrated by a potent spell.

Ah, I let my guard down too much. What kind of artifact is that? I have never seen such a thing...

Elland regretted his initial belief that the man's weapon was merely a weapon, realizing too late that it held formidable power. He had been preparing to focus his Mana when the man's lightning power erupted. Although wizards used shields and swordsmen used barriers, both relied on the same fundamental principle of using Mana to create them.

As a result, people had to be careful in distributing their limited amount of Mana, but the opponent's weapon ability was unbelievable. In fact, Elland wasn't sure if the man's attack started from that weapon. The pain continued to ravage his body and caused him to lose his composure, and he knew that his death was imminent.

That was why he was determined to emit all his Mana. One fortunate thing was that the opponent didn't attack him again. The man watched Elland suffer with an indifferent gaze as though he was observing an experiment.

In a desperate bid, Elland channeled all of his Mana, risking his life. Then, a barrier enveloped his body while emitting a brilliant copper light as it materialized. Following that, additional layers with the same color light appeared and repeated the process.

In the past, Elland had always held tightly onto his sword when he led his expedition party into historic sites because of this. As much as he was driven by his desire to discover a relic imbued with the Lord's holiness, he wanted to be surrounded by a radiant silver light from his sword even more. However, he knew that this dream would remain unfulfilled.

Elland starred at the man with rage,

"Bo ho mak. (Barrier)."

When the man mumbled to himself, Elland saw the chance to attack him for the first time.

He screamed and charged toward the man, "What the hell are you talking about?!"

The warm glow of copper enveloped him as he lifted his sword as high as he could. The radiant light seemed to be urging him on, encouraging him to take down his opponent. Elland believed that if his assumption that the opponent was a powerful wizard with lightning attributes was correct, then he still had a chance to win because it was a close-range battle!

The sharp and searing pain overwhelmed his abdomen, but Elland focused solely on his goal and pushed himself forward. He moved faster than he ever had before, spurred on by his own determination and willpower.

At the moment of life and death, swordsmen were known to push beyond their limits, and Elland was no exception. Despite the danger he faced, he felt a newfound confidence in his abilities and moved with a speed he had never achieved before. As he ran, he couldn't help but wonder if this was what he felt like to reach the next level of Sword User.

When the Mana that he distributed throughout his body reached its maximum, it made his movements more precise than ever. He could feel himself slicing through the air like a blade. The pain that twisted his abdomen vanished instantly. Elland had actually shattered the wall to reach the intermediate level of Sword User. At last, he had achieved the same rank as Malus!

Nevertheless, things were going weird. Elland attempted to absorb the energy of Mother Nature into his body as more spaces were made due to the increased Mana. He believed that even the smallest amount he could manage would be beneficial in a moment of crisis. However, he was unable to sense any Mana flowing into him from Mother Nature.

What is going on?

Mother Nature had no Mana.

Is there something wrong with my body?

Nonetheless, he wasn't in a situation where he could ponder about the situation. Because he was rushing in, Elland could see the guy's face zooming in and that his neck was completely exposed. As he threw himself forward, his Mana flowed from his sword in an arc heading down.

I will strike him with a vertical blow, cleaving his skull from crown to groin. I will for sure witness his inner organs with my own eyes!

Elland raised his sword high. Next, the sound of his stomach being pierced drilled into his ears, and it continued unabated, with a sequence of explosive noises occurring one after another.

Tadadadadada-

Prior to that moment, Elland had solely been focused on defeating the man. As his vision became blurry, the sound seemed to taunt him, as if a malevolent entity were cackling at his impending death. The evil emitted a stench and expelled its saliva, which was coated with iron, in all directions.

***

Tadadadadada-

My firearm's barrel had become heated, permeating the air with the scent of burning charcoal, while the pungent smell of gunpowder lingered in the atmosphere.

The guy crashed on his way toward me. He was rushing in at quite a fast pace. Seong-Il said he would be around the bronze section if he was Awakened, but his speed was equivalent to those in the silver section when he ricocheted back.

If I had been standing closer to him, his sword would have fallen on my head. Well, of course, it wouldn't have been able to even touch my hair anyway.

At that moment, he rose from the ground directly in front of me. The additional bullets had left him unscathed as I had stopped firing the trigger once I observed his shield beginning to shatter.

I checked his whole body again, but there was no item on him. He was holding a sword, yet it lacked the strength to withstand a defensive barrier. This indicated that the F-class shield he had just possessed was his own creation.

Slam!

I kicked him away, then asked Yeon-Hee telepathically.

- Seon-Hu: Are there many people like him here?

- Yeon-Hee: No, he is actually one of the strongest in that world.

- Seon-Hu: He made a shield by himself.

It was more than just a shield. Despite possessing physical abilities more akin to a civilian, his capabilities had surged instantaneously.

- Yeon-Hee: That's why I said you will figure it out when you see them in person. What do you think?

- Seon-Hu: It's interesting. So you are saying that he is on another level in this world.

- Yeon-Hee: If you consider those who can handle Mana as Awakened, it's similar to our world. Most soldiers here can't control Mana.

- Seon-Hu: Our firearms will work to a certain extent.

Of course, I needed to ascertain whether firearms were operational in that realm and whether the Old One's influence extended here. Yet, the shields they forged resembled the ones we used. The only distinction was that these individuals could craft them independently, whereas we required 'items' to use it. In terms of superiority, their capabilities extended beyond merely acquiring items.

When I turned my head, I made eye contact with Yeon-Hee. She appeared to be thinking the same thing that I did. Yeon-Hee's eyes narrowed as she contemplated deeply.

"Ugh..." the man groaned.

The man took a lengthier amount of time to writhe on the ground while clutching his bullet wound.

- Yeon-Hee: Not here. I am unable to perceive the existence of what they refer to as Mana.

As expected, Yeon-Hee was thinking the same thing as me. She was devising a way to create our own shield without using items by gathering information from the guy's memory.

- Yeon-Hee: Seon-Hu.

I knew what Yeon-Hee was expecting.

- Seon-Hu: No.

- Yeon-Hee: It's not just the shield. This is merely my assumption, but if Mana, as they call it, and the power bestowed upon us by the Old One are identical, it stands to reason that the power to create shields lies dormant within us. If we can feel and use it as much as they can, then our abilities will not be limited to items and skills.

Yeon-Hee was hoping that the Awakened could advance to this world. Although she knew that my Life Vessel was within her, she seemed to have decided that it was worth taking such an adventure.

However, my reason for stopping her wasn't only because my resurrection depended on her. This was a battlefield where nothing was known yet. All we knew was that there were Holy Knights. Since we didn't know anything about the Old One's other troops, we couldn't jeopardize her life as a bargaining chip.

- Yeon-Hee: Listen to me carefully. There is a Holy Knight family that created the Great Wizard, and their wealth of knowledge is likely substantial. There must be someone among them who has expertise not only in magic, but also in the truth of this realm. Whether we capture or visit them, we must investigate them at least once. You are not going to be under Doom Kaos forever, right?

- Seon-Hu: Let's think about it a little more. There is no need to hurry.

- Yeon-Hee: Then what are you keeping the returning stone for? Seon-Hu, it's me. Mary, the Bitch. Do you think I won't be able to pull myself out during an emergency?

Yeon-Hee added.

- Yeon-Hee: You were looking for a way to use your Power as well. Magic must be the answer. Trust your teacher, Seon-Hu. I will be the Grand Wizard.

1. A sword user in a world with Mana can channel their magical power through their sword, imbuing their strikes with magical energy and casting spells through their sword to increase their combat effectiveness. ☜