Chapter 130
A chilly tension lingered in the air.
The strength of the dead was determined by the number of their cores, but it also correlated to their power in life.
In that sense, for the Tower Master to have become a necromancer...
'This won't be easy.'
Suddenly, Erich felt a strange coldness.
It hadn't been long since Ceres had parted ways with Laurenti in terms of timing.
And yet, in that short span, the Tower Master had become a necromancer. The speed defied all logic.
'To be able to hastily create a necromancer this quickly...'
To Erich's knowledge, there was only one possible answer: the 'Lord of the Dead'.
Even after his regression, Erich had never been able to properly uncover that being's true identity.
But one thing was certain—the entity was a monstrous existence, more formidable than anything Erich had ever encountered.
And only such a monster would be able to create others with ten or more cores. Erich realized the ominous feeling from before had not been mere paranoia.
Soon after, Mikhail stepped forward, his face hardened.
"... That abomination won't be easy to deal with."
Mikhail seemed to sense it as well. As he said, handling such a monster would be extremely tricky.
First of all, even getting close enough to attack inside the enormous magic the creature wielded would not be easy.
Erich tightened his grip on his sword.
'Not only is its power tremendous, but the bigger problem is...'
When Laurenti, now a necromancer, appeared on the battlefield, the clouds in the sky began to shift in form.
Unlike before, when he only froze the area around him, now the sky was churning as if it would soon pour down snow.
A dead of that level could even freely manipulate the climate.
-....
Pale, Laurenti's blue lips parted.
"All... kneel."
― Paaaang!
A faint chill spread in a circle outward. Though the words came from Laurenti's mouth, somehow, he didn't feel like Laurenti anymore.
Immediately, the heat exuded by Ceres clashed with Laurenti's cold, causing steam to burst out everywhere.
But the team members struck by that steam...
"Ugh, aaaaaagh!"
Crumpled by the swirling forces, they could only scream. Ceres tried to suppress Laurenti's spreading frost with all her might.
But even just holding it back looked to be a great struggle for her.
A blue radiance surged at the edge of her vision. Then Laurenti spoke again.
"Ceres, my disciple, resistance is meaningless."
"... You are not my master."
Ceres clenched her teeth. With both hands, she sliced the air, spreading her power.
But it seemed as if some force was pushing strongly against her.
Laurenti's icy gaze, rimmed with frost, suddenly looked almost pitying. He extended both hands forward.
"Come to my embrace. No, let us go together to His embrace."
"My master is..."
Laurenti merely reached out, but the steam intensified. Soon, as Ceres's heat began to falter, cries of agony rose from the other team members.
Frozen soldiers appeared everywhere, collapsing en masse. Yet Ceres did not give up and mustered even more power. She shouted angrily,
"He never spoke like that!"
― Paang!
Laurenti's balance wavered for a moment, his body shaking. Ceres's scorching heat had slightly pushed back the cold. Laurenti shook his head.
"How pitiful. To witness the truth yet still not understand."
Then Erich slowly stepped forward. Even as he took the brunt of the frost, he didn't flinch at all. Even Mikhail couldn't fully defend against that frost with his aura.
However, Erich's unique aura, imbued with heat, gave him stronger resistance than others; it allowed him to move freely even amid Laurenti's bitter cold.
Erich raised his sword before him and summoned raging flames that completely neutralized the surrounding frost.
At that moment, Ceres spoke.
"I'll try to block the frost—please, handle the main body."
Erich nodded in her direction. Immediately, Laurenti's brows furrowed, and he let out a bizarre sound, as if multiple voices overlapped.
"How laughable. Who will slay whom?"
― Pit!
In a flash, Erich drew a line toward Laurenti—intending to attack swiftly using Mikhail's secret technique.
But Laurenti's hand moved just as fast as Erich. Intense cold whirled around him, creating explosive sounds.
― Paaaang!
In an instant, pillars of ice shot out, forming a wall between Laurenti and Erich.
Erich's blow crashed into the wall with a tremendous boom.
He managed to cut down a few ice pillars, but breaching Laurenti's magic with aura alone seemed exceedingly difficult.
But then, blue blood spattered from behind Laurenti.
― Chwaaaak!
Laurenti's white eyes turned back. There was Mikhail, sheathing the sword he'd just drawn.
As soon as Erich's attack was blocked, Mikhail had struck in quick succession.
However—
The next moment, Laurenti's lips curled upward.
― Kwadeudeuk.
Then, where Laurenti's back had cracked open, shards of ice spread and instantly regenerated the wound.
As if he'd never been harmed at all.
Immediately, frost gathered around Laurenti. Surging cold conjured ice fragments in the air with overwhelming power.
One, two—
As more and more ice spears filled the sky, the cores inside Laurenti's body flashed.
It didn't take long for ice spears to fill the sky completely. At the sight of this absurd spectacle, Mikhail said, speechless,
"... Damn it, to hell..."
― Kwagwagwang!
Each and every one of those ice spears, capable of ripping people apart, shot out in all directions.
Erich's sword moved swiftly, batting away those flying toward him.
However, several ice spears landed in the formation where the soldiers were.
― Kwajik!
"Urgh!"
A soldier impaled by an ice spear let out a groan of pain. But that wasn't the end.
― Kwajangchang!
The ice spears shattered, sending shards flying in all directions. Any soldier struck, even slightly, was instantly encased in ice.
Regardless of whether they were under Ceres's protection or not, the force turned Erich's formation into chaos instantly.
This happened even though Erich and Mikhail had managed to neutralize most of the spears.
But atop Laurenti's head, new spears continued to form.
Ceres shouted,
"Laurenti...!"
Her blue radiance blazed even more intensely. Her gaze darted to the newly forming ice spears.
With that, explosive sounds rang out in the air where the spears formed.
― Paaaang!
The unformed spears exploded under Ceres's power. She kept chasing the newly forming spears and detonating them.
Meanwhile, Erich's unit quickly regrouped. Frederick shouted,
"All units! Fall back!"
The organized force moved backward rapidly. Staying near Laurenti could only end in their annihilation, whatever the outcome.
At the very least, any force that couldn't withstand the cold had to be pulled back. It would be critical if those people died.
Just then, a massive barbarian let out a roar and leaped into the sky.
[Uraaaaaah—!]
Ice spears began to form, aiming at Hrung-ga, but Ceres caused another explosion in midair. Fragments scattered, bouncing off Hrung-ga.
― Pssssht!
But they all vaporized in the heat from the aura surrounding Hrung-ga. Then, Hrung-ga's club barreled toward Laurenti's head.
― Kaaaaang!
But Laurenti didn't even look back. He raised an ice wall from the ground, blocking Hrung-ga's attack.
Two Swordmasters' sword energy followed, slicing through the air.
― Kwagagagagak!
Laurenti flinched slightly as their sword energy dug into his body. The Swordmasters had capitalized perfectly on the opening Hrung-ga created.
Still, Mikhail's sword aura made little more than a scratch before fading quickly. And the wound healed in an instant.
But the burning strike Erich landed left a scar on Laurenti's body. The skin around it wriggled, trying to regenerate, but healing did not come easily.
Laurenti shot Erich a piercing look. Clearly, he now regarded Erich as the most dangerous.
He stretched out his withered, skeletal hand.
― Kwadededeuk!
Erich dodged instinctively. From where he'd just stood, a sharp pillar of ice shot up.
Immediately, Erich surged forward, radiating golden brilliance. From the spot he started, the afterimage in the snowy air left a golden line.
Shards of ice sprouted around Laurenti like tentacles, forming into whips and lashing indiscriminately at Erich as he charged.
― Kwaung! Kwaaaung!
Air split.
The sound of sonic booms was chilling. Using the killing intent connecting him to Laurenti, Erich batted away all the ice whips.
Nevertheless, when the whips shattered, flying shards struck Erich's skin, drawing droplets of blood.
― Kwagagagak!
Erich swung so fast his sword was invisible—his treasured blade, Dragon Fang, leaving a wavering patterned afterimage with its aura-might.
At that moment, Mikhail, who'd been biding his time, rushed Laurenti as well.
Any ice magic flying at him was shattered by Mikhail's skills, leaving not a scratch.
Laurenti received the combined assault of Erich, Mikhail, and Hrung-ga without breaking a sweat.
Even as he fought the three of them at once, he scattered deadly magic everywhere—magic that meant instant death if even one connected.
― Kwadededeuk!
Ice pillars erupted.
Ice spears crashed down.
Ice whips hemmed in the three, trapping them in their movements.
Yet even then, Erich's golden, blazing sword tip grazed Laurenti's shoulder.
― Chwaaaak!
Laurenti's brow furrowed; even he apparently felt pain from Erich's aura.
But then—
Erich noticed a cold smile form on Laurenti's lips. With that chilling smile, the frozen sky groaned above them.
― Kwarurururung!
As the clouds parted, the magic Laurenti had prepared revealed itself.
Countless shards of ice decorating the air glittered, poised to engulf all three at any moment.
Then, Laurenti slowly opened his mouth.
"All of you, become vessels for Him."
Erich, Mikhail, and Hrung-ga quickly pulled away. But the reach of Laurenti's magic was too wide.
It was impossible for all of them to evade, so each took a defensive stance. Erich thought that someone might actually die in this situation.
But then—
A massive presence surged from behind. It was Ceres, her entire body now radiating blue power.
Her force transformed into vivid, radiant magic.
Seeing this, Erich's lips curled into a smile. The magic she was preparing was every bit as powerful as the one Laurenti had set into motion.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Damn, they're having trouble with Laurenti now, how will they face the Lord of the Dead?
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】