Creaaaak…
Creaaaaaaaak!
“Wouldn’t you agree… that stuffing a troll into this tiny dinghy is a huge risk?”
“I don’t want to be in such a cramped place either,” retorted Jamad. “But I have no choice because Master ordered me to.”
Jamad was on one side of the boat.
And on the other side were Seol and a few other individuals, cramped together.
“This won’t sink, right?”
“I’ve noticed water splashing in here and there…”
“What are you doing then?! Get the water out!”
Seol laughed after watching them argue."Master, if you have the luxury to laugh, help us get the water out of the boat too!"
There was no real reason for them to be cramped on this boat.
It was simply because Seol had told them to.
However, it was also a necessary step for Seol’s plans.
“Stop staring and start rowing.”
“Hmph.”
Creaaaaaak…
“Stop rowing! Water’s coming in!”
“What the hell do you want me to do, elf?”
“Just… Let’s just… do nothing.”
Seol quietly observed them until Jamad spoke to him.
“What are you going to do if we sink?”
“Haha… That won’t happen.”
Seol then brought out a small, round pill from his inventory before biting into it.
[Buoyancy Pill activates.]
[You will not sink, but you cannot walk on water.]
It was an item Seol had purchased from the Madness Shop, just in case.
Seol had multiple measures to ensure that drowning wouldn't be the cause of his death. He had prepared consumables to give him buoyancy and help him breathe, as well as others to ward off monsters and animals.
He had also prepared a few dishes through Monster Cooking to help him.
Seol was probably the hardest transferee to kill at sea in Pandea right now.
The dinghy continued to float at sea.
“You know… this feels weird.”
“Weird? Why?”
“Just… the Adventures we went on already feel so distant.”
“Whatever.”
Seol had already gone through 30 Adventures. It was now nearing the point where his first Adventure was just a faint memory.
Karen then patted Seol’s head.
“I get it…” said Karen. “You could definitely feel like that if it’s your first time visiting the sea. I also…”
“This isn’t my first time visiting the sea, though,” said Seol.
“What the hell is it then?”
“I don’t know either. Are we going properly, though?”
“If you’re asking about the boat, we’re properly sinking. Karuna, get the water out,” ordered Karen.
“Yeah.”
Splash…
Splash…
The waves continued to splash against the boat.
The weather wasn't particularly good either.
Wooosh!
“The waves are… getting stronger?”
A small dinghy was definitely too weak to wade through the fierce waves.
However, surprisingly, it never sank.
It was almost as if the waves themselves were acknowledging their strength.
Seol saw the small boat he was riding on as a symbol of the path he had taken so far and the path he would take from now on—challenging the impossible.
That was Seol’s life.
“It’s good to be in your feelings like that, but I think they’re coming soon.”
Woooooosh…
Their ship faltered against the waves as they saw large boats approaching them.
Glow!
Glow!
All of the ships were emitting a bright light. It was a strange sight to encounter a bunch of brightly lit vessels this late at night.
Seol then spotted a familiar face at the bow of the largest ship. Though they were still a distance away, he could see his face clearly.
“I… really am so sick of seeing you.”
Shuro began to shout excitedly.
“Miss Bria, it’s him!”
“Good work, Shuro.”
Fwoooosh…
In an instant, the ship shot out spiderweb-like shadows, enclosing the entire area.
[Bria, the Venomous Spider, used Exceptional Skill: Cobweb.]
[Those who come into contact with the webs have their mana continuously drained.]
Drip.
Drip.
The rain continued to pour.
“So you were the child…” said Bria. “The child that fearlessly got in the way of the Church of Eternal Life.”
It was clear that Bria didn’t recognize Seol with the crow mask on.
Though she had seen Seol’s face before through the medium after he killed Zeri, it made sense that she had a difficult time recognizing him, as she had only seen him once.
“Did you really come all this way to get revenge like a petty child?” mocked Seol.
“There’s only one way you’ll make it out of this alive,” Bria smiled. “Hand over the statue.”
“I don’t have it, though.”
“Really?”
“Nope. I lied.”
Grab…
Seol pulled out the Joy of the Fallen.
Bria’s eyes widened with shock before continuing.
“Hand over that statue to us. If you do, we’ll let you go safely.”
“...And the princess?”
“...If you hand it over, we’ll let her go as well. What do you think? This will be a win for both of us, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Nope.”
Stand…
Seol stood up.
“It would be a loss for me.”
“...What?”
“Is the statue really only worth that much to you?”
“...What are you talking about?”
“Ah, I guess it’s true. A statue like this wouldn’t be worth that much in the market.”
“Yes, that’s…”
“Yeah, the ‘statue’, at least.”
“...You.”
Seol then placed both hands on the statue.
“Did you know? This statue… can move.”
“Stop…”
The statue was of a blindfolded woman tightly holding herself.
Click.
“If you press down on her foot here… it goes in like this, see?”
“Stop it!”
Click…
“Oh, would you look at that! Her arm moved!”
The woman’s arms had moved, stretching outward as if she were reaching out for a hug.
“Stop him!”
“Try to hurt me, and this statue will go for a swim,” smirked Seol.
“Krgh… You…”
“Now, here! If you do that, her blindfold comes off. Huh? She looks so angry… Did you also know this?”
Seol’s smile grew larger.
“If you take off her blindfold… it disassembles the statue.”
Crumble crumble…
The woman’s body slowly broke down, revealing a black pill inside.
“What do you think would happen if someone ate this?” Seol asked.
Bria’s expression grew cold.
“You’ll get sick if you keep putting everything you see into your mouth,” she mocked.
Seol steeled his expression as he looked directly at Bria.
“Do you know how the Church of Eternal Life was birthed?”
“......”
“As dragons boast their mighty scales and tails, as elves dance through the forest with swift feet and ears attuned to distant whispers, and as dwarves craft wonders with their skill and strength... in the absence of such innate gifts, how strong could humans become? The Church of Eternal Life began with that question.”
Bria began to sweat.
Bria had been taught about the birth of the Church of Eternal Life before, but she had only heard about such ideals through her teachers.
It was extremely clear that the man in front of her knew a lot about the Church of Eternal Life.
“What are you trying to say?” asked Bria.
“What I want to say… is that the Church of Eternal Life wasn’t born through someone’s ill intent. So why…”
Glow…
Seol’s golden eyes began to exude pressure.
“Are you trampling on someone’s pure heart and mocking it?”
“Who… are you?”
Fwip.
Seol swallowed the black pill.
“No one for you to know.”
Clench…
Black veins began to grow all over Seol’s body. As his body began to twist and contort, he gave an order.
“Ur, I’m ready!”
Fwiiiirl…
All of the shadows on Seol’s boat returned to him.
And then…
[Ur, the Sealed’s Maverick activates.]
[Ur, the Sealed, gains Karen's stats as her summoning has been canceled.]
[Ur, the Sealed, gains Karuna's stats as his summoning has been canceled.]
[Ur, the Sealed, gains Jamad's stats as his summoning has been canceled.]
A giant spirit appeared, crossing its arms.
A spirit much bigger than even the ships.
Seol then recalled the explanation Ur had given about his skills before.
- This is all because I’ve become your summon. When I last checked, this body’s limits were deciphering, dismantling, and condensing.
- What do you mean?
- It's simple. I can decipher mana-related items and mana itself and break it down to its core: pure mana.
- And condensing?
- I could then condense the dismantled mana into a large mass.
- What would you use that for?
- Isn’t that obvious? To kill my enemies.
[Ur, the Sealed’s Wizardry activates.]
“I’ll begin condensing it.”
[Condensing in progress.]
[High-Speed Processing activates.]
Fwoooooosh…
A storm began to form.
* * *
Zodiac was comprised of the gathering of 12 Magic Towers. Among them, the one nearest to Frion was... the Libra Tower.
The magicians of this tower observed events throughout the continent with great interest, a trait likely shared by all magic towers.
There were multiple reasons for their vigilance, and one of the biggest ones was to monitor the growing evil and to prevent indiscriminate murders.
However, it was extremely rare for an incident to be caught by their web of detection.
Humans were inherently envious and prone to jealousy, leading to frequent conflicts. This reality was virtually ingrained from birth. And though the strong often abused the weak, it was extremely rare for two strong individuals to face each other.
After all, those situations likely meant war.
As such, if an individual were to harness or gather a significant amount of energy, all eyes on the continent would inevitably turn toward them.
It was especially the case for Zodiac, the ones who researched mana.
Knock knock knock knock!
“What the hell are you doing right now?!” a voice asked angrily.
“S-Sir Frannan!”
“Tell me what it is. My ears haven’t gone bad yet.”
“Haah… Haah… Right… Right now…”
“...What is it?”
An intermediate-class magician, the one responsible for monitoring mana wavelengths across the continent that day, had hurried up the stairs to meet Frannan.
"An unknown source of mana had condensed in the southern sea of Frion. It was near the vicinity of the great sea near Laven.”
“...How large was it?”
“Well…”
The magician fixed their glasses before answering Frannan.
“It would be a Disaster-Class amount of mana.”
“Was it done by a person?”
“W-We’re not sure yet.”
“If it was done by a person, and not naturally…”
Frannan gulped.
If a weapon had managed to gather that much mana, it would be on the level where it could affect entire battlefields.
Run…
Frannan quickly ran downstairs to confirm the situation himself before ordering the magicians there.
“Contact Frion’s Palace immediately and tell them to evacuate Laven! Also… get ready to dispatch the investigation team.”
“Who will be in charge of…”
“I will go myself,” answered Frannan.
* * *
“Th-that…”
“How pointless! How dare you look down on the Church of Eternal Life like this…”
“Please give us your orders, Miss Bria.”
“Destroy it.”
Hummmmm…
Hummmmmm…
Dozens of magic circles appeared in the air.
“Fire!”
Spells began to rain down on Ur.
However…
Hummm…
Hummm…
Hummmmmm…
Ur devoured all of their spells. It was as if they had thrown pebbles into a large lake.
A chill ran down Zakun’s spine.
“Miss Bria…”
Ur then opened his mouth.
“Whirl and rage on…”
Fwoooooooosh!
With a flick of Ur’s finger, mana began to rage.
“What do you think you’re doing!”
[Bria, the Venomous Spider, used Exceptional Skill: Shadow Mountain.]
[A large amount of venom covers you.]
Fssssss…
Hummm…
“Take this too!”
[Bria, the Venomous Spider, used Exceptional Skill: Shadow Spirit.]
[The Shadow Spirit rips and tears into your target.]
Kraaaaaaaaah!
A horrifying existence, birthed through the shadows binding multiple vengeful spirits together, began flying toward Ur.
Bria was a witch who had used these vengeful spirits in a variety of ways.
However…
Hummmmm…
Even that was devoured by Ur’s mana.
“You insignificant bugs… For you do not have wings, you cannot understand the sky.”
While the portly Kezin struggled to grasp the situation, Zakun swiftly discerned what had happened.
“I-It was him… He was… Miss Bria! W-We need to turn back our ships…”
“Ahhhhhhhh!”
Fwooosh!
Fwooosh!
Bria continued to pour every last drop of her mana through her hands.
Even so, Zakun knew the truth.
Turning their ships around now… wouldn’t do anything to alleviate the situation.
“Ahhhhhhh! Abandon the ships and swim away!”
Splash…
Zakun jumped into the sea and began swimming. He was desperately struggling to go as far away from here as possible.
This was all part of Seol's plan. He had lured them here to ensnare them at sea and to not harm anyone else.
Ur continued his chant.
“You poor, pitiful bugs. You are unable to grow wings, condemned to face the storm and be swept away."
Fwoooooooosh…
Ur condensed even more mana.
“I am the master of all. Though I have given you fire, you have forgotten me.”
The mana began to sing.
More mana began to envelop it, overlaid by an even greater variety of mana.
It was like a symphony.
Ur slowly continued.
“Listen carefully to the teachings of the butterfly whose wing flaps bring storms. From these lofty wings…”
“Khrghhhhhhhh…”
Seol’s face had turned white.
Ur had sucked out every last drop of mana from Seol’s body to condense it into that.
Not only that, but he had also taken the very foundation necessary for Seol to generate mana. This method wouldn't merely result in mana deficiency, it would be fatal.
Hummmmmmm…
Ur then pointed at Bria and the others, extending a single finger.
Bria met its gaze unflinchingly.
“...learn powerlessness,” finished Ur.
Hummmmmm…
The air around them quivered and trembled in anticipation of the attack. With a violent rumble, something shot out from Ur's finger.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
“Miss Bria!”
“Block ittttttttt! Protect her!”
Dozens, no, hundreds of believers rushed together to form a barrier of mana.
Craaaaaack…
However, it was insignificant against Ur’s flames.
The believers struck by Ur’s attack didn’t burn. They were disintegrated.
They had died.
A hideous, disgusting power swallowed everything there.
Baaaaaaaaaam!
Five entire ships disappeared in its entirety.
“Miss Bria!”
Kezin stepped in front of Bria while covering himself in mana.
“Ah… Ahhhhhhhhh…”
Fwoooooosh!
Death.
“No, Miss Bria!”
Then what would happen to Shuro, who now believed himself to be immortal?
Shuro quickly and gladly leaped into the fire that was devouring everything.
Ripple!
Shuro released the shadows inside of him, enlarging his back.
He placed his black, sturdy back in the way to protect Bria.
“Sh-shuro…” stammered Bria.
“Ahhhhhhhh! I am immortallllll! Miss Bria, don’t w-worry! I’ll block it all!”
Bria’s expression quickly changed to joy.
As everyone around her perished, her lone knight stood steadfastly between her and adversity, unwaveringly reliable.
“Khrgh… Krghhhh… Argh…”
Fwooooooooosh…
Shuro’s body began to tremble.
“Miss… Bria…”
“Shuro…”
“I’m sorry… I lied…”
“Shuroooooooooo!”
Fwooooooooooosh!
After completely enveloping Shuro, the fires reached Bria.
Fwoooooosh!
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
Bria jumped into the water as flames enveloped her body.
Burnnnnn…
Fwoooooosh!
Whiiiiiirl…
A whirlpool formed where the ships had vanished, the waves rising high as if attempting to cleanse the entire incident.
Faaaaade…
Ur's summoning was beginning to be canceled after he had completed his task.
He rode into the wind, floating toward where Seol was drifting away.
Woosh…
Seol was being pushed by the waves into the open sea, his face turned upward.
Though there were more messages than ever before, there was no way for Seol to know.
[You have died.]
[Pill of Eternal Life activates.]
……
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