Ch.55Perpetual Motion Machine

“Don’t just stand there!”

Seo-rin shouted as soon as she recognized the two mages. Shave and Envy reacted immediately. They had directly confronted the massive doll-like figure charging through the darkness.

Thud-thud-thud-!

Taking a step back, Shave’s wand glowed with blue mana. Having completed his preparations to cast a spell, he swung his wand.

Fwooosh-!

It was a spell that required no incantation and had an extremely short preparation time. The “Light Whip”—a spell mages often used in close combat.

The glowing blue mana lashed out like a whip, wrapping around the giant doll’s body. Immediately after, Shave pulled the wand with both hands. It was an attempt to topple his opponent, but the doll didn’t fall.

It possessed far greater strength than the dolls they had encountered before.

“Damn it…!”

The middle-aged mage’s gaze quickly scanned the room. The solid floor and walls were made of the same material as the doll. That meant they had anti-magic properties. Magical alterations seemed impossible.

BOOM-!

Just as the giant doll was about to swing its massive arm at the two mages—

CLANG-!

A heavy weight cut through the pitch-black darkness. A blade that had pierced through the doll’s head and emerged from the other side glinted with a faint light. The two mages could see a small girl on top of the doll’s head.

It was Seo-rin.

“Sir Knight!”

“You…!”

“Where is the transmigrator?”

At Seo-rin’s question, both of them looked behind. They were looking at the passage they had escaped through. Seo-rin’s gaze also shifted to the side. But there was nothing there.

“Seems like the path has closed…”

Shriek-!

Seo-rin said as she pulled her sword from the doll’s head. The path had disappeared as soon as they entered the room. She had experienced the same thing when she first arrived in this room.

As she jumped down from the doll, the girl’s gaze swept over the two mages. They looked visibly tired but showed no major injuries. If it had been the transmigrator’s skill, he could have easily dealt with the two mages. But he hadn’t. Instead, he had deliberately spared them and driven them into this room.

‘Was his goal to have the dolls in the room dealt with?’

That was the only explanation. Feeling the heavy weight in her hand, Seo-rin kicked the doll away. With its head destroyed, the doll collapsed.

THUD-!

Seo-rin spoke.

“We don’t have the luxury of a long conversation. The dolls keep pouring in…”

“Are the dolls you’re referring to the same kind as the one that just fell…?”

“They may differ in size, shape, and weapons, but they all seem to be essentially the same type of doll.”

The two mages wore dismayed expressions at Seo-rin’s answer. As she tilted her head in confusion, Shave explained.

“That’s a big problem… Magic doesn’t work properly on these creatures. We won’t be of much help…”

“We can cast support spells at least…”

Seo-rin’s gaze turned to the two mages. Their previously confident demeanor was no longer visible. It seemed they had endured various hardships to get here. Magic not working properly—this was information unknown to Seo-rin as a knight. She hadn’t needed to know.

“Support spells are enough… And could you possibly transfer some mana to me?”

“Transfer mana…?”

Just as Envy questioned Seo-rin’s request, the massive wall that had been empty suddenly tore open, and five steel dolls walked out. It was the dungeon’s security mechanism to stop intruders.

Seo-rin had to rush forward without waiting for an answer. A moment’s hesitation would put the two mages in danger. It was better to charge ahead and draw all the dolls’ attention to herself.

“Envy!”

The moment Seo-rin called out Envy’s name, she cast a spell. Just like when they had first encountered the transmigrator, she used magic to enhance the knight’s sword.

Fwooosh-!

Seo-rin felt the unfamiliar mana enveloping her sword. However, the same phenomenon as before didn’t occur. If it had been the same spell, starlight mana should have wrapped around the blade.

It wasn’t a failure of the spell. Envy’s magic was successful. Her blessing ensured that her spells never failed. What had changed was the sword Seo-rin was holding.

Whooosh-

With a soft wind-like sound, the mana surrounding the blade was sucked inside. Seo-rin felt much more at ease. The mana draining from her body had significantly decreased. If this could be maintained, she could hold out for hours.

“Keep the spell going!”

Though initially confused by this unfamiliar phenomenon, Envy poured more mana into the spell after hearing Seo-rin’s words. The spell wasn’t wrong. What was special was the sword the young knight was wielding. The experienced mage’s eyes recognized the sword’s uniqueness.

CLANG-!

When the dark-colored sword collided with the steel doll’s arm, a tremendous sound and shockwave erupted. It was the steel doll that was pushed back. Its massive fist crumpled and was pathetically repelled.

‘I can’t use the Taebaek Snow Dragon Sword…’

The sword was heavy. Even with her body enhanced by mana, it was still too much. The Taebaek Snow Dragon Sword, which focused on swift strikes, couldn’t be used. But there was one sword technique suitable for this situation.

A violent and destructive technique, created solely to crush opponents.

The Lightning Mountain-Breaking Sword.

The sound of the swinging sword was like thunder, and the power imbued in it was said to be capable of shattering mountains. The ability to use various sword techniques appropriate to the situation was Seo-rin’s greatest strength.

With no one to be concerned about, she didn’t hesitate to use it. As her stance changed, the nature of the mana she was using also transformed. A fierce smile appeared on Seo-rin’s face as her hair billowed up from the energy emanating from her body.

“Die!”

Her language, rougher than usual, burst out. It was due to the Lightning Mountain-Breaking Sword’s influence on her temperament.

A series of direct, power-dependent attacks followed. The dark-colored sword, swinging with a whooshing sound, occasionally read its owner’s intentions and changed its size. The blade widened and lengthened. With its increased size came enhanced spatial control, allowing her to send two dolls flying with a single swing.

CRASH-!

Shave and Envy watched from a distance. She was swinging her sword as if she had become a different person. It was an unfamiliar sight, but they didn’t find it particularly strange.

This was because the two were mages, not knights. Instead, they focused on something else. Their gazes turned to the sword Seo-rin was using.

“That sword… it’s absorbing mana.”

“And its size changes at will… The material is similar to the dolls here. It’s truly a sword made to kill mages…”

“A mage killer…”

As the battle continued, the situation began to stabilize. The two mages compensated for Seo-rin’s lack of mana, and the continuously pouring dolls were no match for her.

Whenever the massive dark greatsword was swung, the giant dolls were swept away without resistance. No special technique was needed. In the face of overwhelming power, even a mass assault lost its meaning.

As time passed, Seo-rin became more accustomed to the Lightning Mountain-Breaking Sword. Her sword path found stability, and the initially violent energy gradually became more controlled.

‘I just need to concentrate my power at the crucial moment, that instant…’

Knowing something and being proficient at using it are two different things. Even with the memories of an exceptional swordsman, it took time to become familiar with the sword technique.

The number of dolls falling at Seo-rin’s feet continued to increase. From ten to fifteen, from fifteen to twenty. She had piled up a small mountain of dolls.

As the number of defeated steel dolls grew, the condition of the three people deteriorated. Seo-rin was breathing heavily due to depleted stamina and dwindling mana, and the two mages who had been supplying her with mana were also exhausted and had to lie on the ground.

It was around the time when the appearance of dolls began to wane.

Light gathered around the dungeon’s massive power mechanism. The three people present couldn’t miss this phenomenon. Seo-rin, Shave, and Envy all reacted sensitively to the flow of mana.

Flash-!

What appeared with the light was the transmigrator. He was holding a massive staff made of metal, and as he descended onto the power mechanism, he thrust it deep inside.

Click-!

[Thank you! Thanks to you all, I’ve obtained the key!]

It was an incomprehensible language. But it didn’t feel good. The tone made listeners uncomfortable. Seo-rin, dragging her tired body, lunged toward the transmigrator.

As she charged, she calculated her chances against him. His swordsmanship wasn’t that impressive, and the magic he used could be nullified by her sword. Even without the support of the two mages, he was an opponent she could defeat now.

‘I can win.’

At that moment—

RUMBLE-!

The entire dungeon shook. As if a massive earthquake had struck. The floor split, and walls and ceiling collapsed. What emerged from below was a colossal steel body.

“What…!”

“T-this can’t be…!”

The power mechanism suddenly surged upward, and proportionally, the floor began to sink, making further approach impossible. Seo-rin, Shave, and Envy stared helplessly at the steel giant that had revealed itself from the darkness.

‘I can’t win.’