Ch.385EP.80 – The Knight Makes a Vow Once More (3)

KWAAANG!

A strike that shook the earth and overturned waterfalls generated a terrifying gale.

It was undoubtedly a punch that would kill a person instantly upon impact, and the one who threw it had done so with the resolve to burst his own head in the process.

In reality, no human could survive such a blow.

Being completely torn to pieces would be expected.

However.

Crackle…!

“You’re quite sturdy for your age. I’m impressed, old witch doctor.”

“……”

His punch failed to dismantle the sorcerer.

Though he had clearly landed a solid hit, there was no satisfying impact.

Rather.

Swoosh.

“My hand hurts instead.”

His striking hand was in pain…

How long had it been since he felt such a sensation?

After mastering Diamond Body and reaching the realm of indestructibility, he had prided himself on achieving the highest level of defense, but as if to show that this was mere arrogance, Ihan’s hand was tingling.

As if…

“Young hero. I wouldn’t recommend facing an experienced sorcerer head-on. The stronger your power, the more it will simply return to you.”

As if his own power had been reflected back at him.

The blind sorcerer confirmed this sensation with his declaration, and Ihan nodded.

“Attack reflection, huh? Using annoying tricks as expected of a witch doctor.”

“It’s how sorcerers survive.”

“Hmm… But you can’t reflect everything completely, can you?”

“……”

“Wipe your blood, Mr. Witch Doctor.”

“……”

Drip…

Blind Sorcerer Amos.

Blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Though there were no external wounds, it was evidence that the impact had been transmitted internally.

It meant that while he had clearly reflected Ihan’s strike, he couldn’t reflect it completely, and some shock remained.

And this meant…

Swoosh.

“If you can’t reflect it completely, then if I just crudely endure my own attacks, I can eventually bring you down, right?”

“That’s a foolish approach. Your body would collapse first.”

“Well, I think I could withstand about a thousand hits. We can test it if you’d like.”

“……”

“If we’re going to do this, we should be serious.”

There wasn’t a trace of compassion in Ihan’s voice.

It was enough to make one’s skin crawl, showing that his words were no empty threat.

“…Frightening.”

Born with the talent of a sorcerer, said to appear only once in a thousand people, rarer than magicians, and among sorcerers, he was known as a Grand Sorcerer with power surpassing even Archmages.

Because of this, Amos had always viewed his opponents, whether Archmages or Champion-level knights, as inferior beings, and even the Mercenary King was merely an annoyance—he never thought he could lose.

…But why?

‘This young man is dangerous.’

He might be able to kill him.

Such a premonition came to him, and unfortunately, a sorcerer’s premonitions tend to be accurate!

For the first time in his life, Amos had a strong premonition that today might be the day of his death.

…As this unsettling feeling of standing at death’s door washed over him.

“…Well, I’ll let it slide this time. Though I’m displeased that you tried to deceive me with lies.”

Whoosh-

“…?”

In an instant, the fiercely rising aura subsided calmly as he shrugged his shoulders.

Amos was bewildered, but the words that followed made him widen his eyes for a different reason.

“You’re not the [Prophet], are you?”

“!!!”

“It seems like you did summon the Demon King, but also seems like you didn’t. I think you probably helped somehow… but you didn’t expect to actually summon him, did you?”

“……”

“I’m right.”

“…Does the young man practice mind reading?”

“Nothing like that.”

Tap tap.

“I just have sensitive ears and nose.”

He playfully tapped his nose and ears as he said this, but despite the joking manner, Amos couldn’t laugh at all.

He just thought…

‘Truly a terrifying young man.’

He felt afraid of him.

* * *

From the beginning, he knew the witch doctor’s words were lies.

He was just a bit confused because truth and lies were mixed together, which is why he threw that punch.

The presence of truth meant that the sorcerer had done something wrong too.

What would he have done if he couldn’t block it and died?

‘Who cares?’

The witch doctor was the one who provoked him first, and he was the one who tried to deceive him with lies.

So if he died, it would have been his own fault.

“How did you know?”

“?”

“That the sorcerer was lying? The man’s face looks like he’s seen a ghost, haha.”

Caesar was surprised, saying it was the first time he’d seen a sorcerer of that caliber lose his composure, and at the same time, he seemed curious about how Ihan knew the words were false.

Ihan responded as if it were nothing special.

“He seems to have manipulated his breathing, heartbeat, and even body odor with sorcery, but my ears and nose are sensitive. I mean I can detect artificial sounds and smells like a ghost.”

“…An amazing ability.”

“It’s not really an ability, just a bit of sensitivity.”

“It seems more than just a bit sensitive…”

Caesar looked dumbfounded, but Ihan was sincere.

After all, this sensitivity in smell and hearing was the result of effort refined over many years.

If he couldn’t believe in his own efforts…

‘What would be the point?’

Therefore…

“Hey, fake Prophet. I’m curious—did you come here because the real Prophet wanted to meet me? Or because you wanted to find something out?”

“……”

“…Hmm, it seems you didn’t particularly want to meet me. But it seems the Prophet himself is interested in me.”

Ihan was no fool who didn’t know how to fully utilize his abilities, nor was he an idiot who would miss an opportunity to extract information.

Twitch…

The blind sorcerer’s fingertips twitched.

“Next question. Did you come up this mountain to kill me? Or to recruit me?”

“……”

“Both, huh. You had thoughts of killing me, but also of recruiting me. Though it seems the desire to kill was stronger.”

“…Stop.”

“Seeing the combination of a sorcerer and a spellcaster, you must be from that place called Torn Wings. Then you must be acquainted with the Prophet. Since Torn Wings is said to be the brain of the organization.”

“I said stop!!”

The blind sorcerer shouted.

As if telling him to stop reading his mind.

But Ihan didn’t stop.

After all, wasn’t he just a person who couldn’t properly use his power because he was mindful of Vulcan?

Ihan didn’t care whether his opponent was angry or not.

And the more angry his opponent became, the luckier it was for Ihan.

“Do you know why I think you’re not the Prophet? There are three reasons. First, the Prophet is someone who gave me a sense of defeat. An enemy, but someone I can acknowledge as remarkable. But you don’t seem threatening to me at all. You seem to have considerable power as a Grand Sorcerer, but you don’t appear threatening. Second, from what I’ve seen, the Prophet wouldn’t stupidly come to enemy territory like this. Would a strategist who has outwitted all the kingdom’s geniuses do something so foolish? Third, and this is just my personal opinion, I think the Prophet might not be someone with magic or sorcery, or any mystical powers. The reason I think this? There was something in that person’s strategies—empathy for the powerless, resentment, anger… Seeing that, I think the Prophet might be an ordinary person. Perhaps even someone who once served the kingdom loyally…”

KWANG!!

“…perhaps a civil servant.”

“…Dangerous, you are too dangerous.”

Was this the power of a sorcerer’s curse?

A cursed energy tried to envelop Ihan, but Ihan’s will-indestructibility precisely deflected it, and the moment the sorcerer showed his power…

CRASH!!!

Lightning filled with Vulcan’s anger struck down, attacking the sorcerer.

“Kuuugh!?”

“…See, I told you it was stupid.”

Ihan spoke as if mocking his opponent, but Caesar, who was watching, knew the opponent was definitely not stupid.

How could a Grand Sorcerer be unintelligent?

So this was simply…

‘…What a natural predator.’

He had lost his composure due to a sense of crisis.

A natural predator of magicians and sorcerers…!

At least in Caesar’s eyes, Ihan currently held an overwhelming advantage against the sorcerer and magician.

He demonstrated that their sorcery and magic had no effect on him, and he exposed everything they tried to hide.

Deception and arrogance, manipulating the laws of the world—that was what magicians and sorcerers were about, but Ihan’s ability to shatter their deceptions would be a terror to every magician and sorcerer in this world.

One wondered how many magicians he must have slaughtered to acquire such skills and experience.

And this natural predator of magicians and sorcerers spoke:

“If you want to kill me, you can leave Vulcan. I don’t want to damage Vulcan if possible. But remember this: if we fight today, either you or I will have to say a complete farewell to this world.”

“……”

“If you’re not prepared for that, then leave. Fortune doesn’t come twice.”

If you want to live, get out of my sight.

Clap clap!

Caesar found himself applauding without realizing it.

Even he wouldn’t dare to act so boldly against a Grand Sorcerer…

‘Those Pendragon idiots, what were they thinking when they drove away such a talent?’

…He wondered what kind of fools they must have been to drive away someone like him.