Chapter 106 – Labyrinth

I looked around in the cold, oppressive atmosphere.

Stella sat miserably in a corner.

“Yikes.”

The moment she saw me, she burst into tears, and even now she couldn’t stop crying.

No, maybe she already looked like that before I arrived. Most likely.

“Judging by that face, you pissed yourself again, huh?”

I said with a chuckle…

But I had already heard what that snake woman was saying, just who Stella really was.

I didn’t know what topic led to that statement, but it was shocking.

Akasha.

A being created for the sole purpose of completing it.

Stella Verheigen.

With the knowledge I have now, hearing that…

I couldn’t help but recall who might’ve created Stella, no matter how much I didn’t want to.

The one whose gaze I felt before coming here.

The greatest magician I knew.

The bastard who put a hole in my gut.

The ancestor of the Verheigen family.

Kaloso Verheigen.

But when I thought it over calmly again…

It didn’t make sense.

It’s not that I want to believe that bastard.

It’s not that I trust him, nor am I denying it without cause.

Kaloso isn’t that kind of man.

He’s prideful. Confident. His ego is as strong as mine. He always claimed no magician should surpass him, that only he stood closest to the pinnacle of magic.

That kind of man,

Would he really try to achieve what he couldn’t, through someone else?

No way.

I’m not denying it because I believe in Kaloso.

I’m denying it because I know him too well.

Then what the hell is it?

I’d probably find out once I beat that woman down.

“You’re a cheeky little brat, aren’t you?”

The snake woman’s eyes, staring down at Philaon’s severed head, remained calm. Despite her subordinate being killed, she showed no reaction.

Not that I was surprised either.

Black Magicians were always like that.

“I hear that a lot.”

I shifted my gaze to Pina, suspended in midair. She was still breathing. Her life force… didn’t seem drained, but I couldn’t be sure.

And the light radiating from her body.

That was Sparkle’s light.

It looked like she had somehow succeeded in performing the ritual to draw out the power of a spirit, something unheard of 400 years ago.

No telling when the ritual would end.

Leaving Pina like that didn’t feel right.

And Stella… she looked like she’d kill herself if left alone with her thoughts any longer.

I thought, I need to end this fast, and turned to face forward.

There stood a woman with pitch-black hair hanging down like a madwoman. Hair so long it touched the ground.

Each strand writhed like a snake.

And… she looked like Stella.

“Stella. Is that your mom?”

“N-no…”

Stella weakly shook her head.

The woman in front of us let out a soft chuckle.

“Not her mom. More like her aunt? Want to try calling me Aunt Samaela?”

“Don’t… call yourself that…!”

If she’s an aunt, then she must be Stella’s mother’s sister.

“Judging by the reaction, you’re not exactly close to your niece, huh.”

“Well, of course not. It’s the first time I’ve seen her in 14 years, since she was created.”

At the word created, Stella flinched and looked at me in shock.

I shrugged and looked at her.

“You’re not close with that woman, right?”

“Wh-why would I… snf… be…?”

“Then I guess I can beat her up?”

“…Huh?”

Stella let out a dumb noise.

The woman in front, Samaela, widened her eyes in mockery.

“Did I mishear that?”

“What?”

“Did you just say you’re going to beat me up?”

“You heard right.”

Samaela’s level? I couldn’t tell.

She felt like a blur hidden behind fog.

If I had to guess, late-stage 7th Circle.

Her magic? What I could sense right now was poison.

And those snake-shaped projections slithering throughout the room.

There was no sticky or obscene Magi.

She wasn’t using illusion-type spells.

The fingers visible through the wide sleeves were blackened at the tips. She’d coated poison under her nails. The shapes of her fingers were bizarre. Stealth technique? A kind of dark martial art?

For a Black Magician, she was well-prepared for close combat. But she didn’t seem to think I could reach her, as her fingers remained stiff.

I tightened my bandages. Gathered my loose hair and tied it back, taking off my outerwear.

Samaela. That Black Magician is strong.

If I had to face both Philaon and Samaela at once, I wouldn’t even be confident of winning.

“I may be cheeky, but I don’t go around hitting my friends’ families.”

But right now, she’s alone.

“Stella Verheigen.”

“Wh-what? H-hey, why,”

I grabbed Stella by the collar.

Her weak hands tried to push me off, but I didn’t care. I swung her over to Pina’s side.

As long as she’s next to Pina, who’s still undergoing the ritual, that Black Magician won’t be able to target her.

“That’s twice now you owe me your life.”

Can I win this?

“Think carefully about how you’re going to repay me.”

No more room for hesitation.

I bolted forward.

The snakes roaming the chamber opened their maws. Eight serpent-shaped projections.

Even if I crushed them, tore them, shattered them, if the caster’s will remained, they’d regenerate endlessly.

That’s how projections work.

I wouldn’t know their strength until I took a hit, but judging from the size of those fangs and the venom dripping off their tips, they were definitely nasty.

I’m not naïve enough to think I can win without taking a single hit.  

I’ll sacrifice flesh to take the bone.

Before the poison could kill me, I would kill her first.

The moment my foot landed from that long stride, the projected snakes lunged. They were faster than expected.

Clicking my tongue, I wrapped my entire body in Aura. At the same time, 

Crack.

…pain flared in my side. I ignored it and slammed my elbow down. My stride didn’t stop.

I had to close the distance.

Two steps in. Samaela lifted her arms, wide sleeves flaring. From her blackened fingertips, dozens of snakes shot out.

On the third step, I twisted my body. 

Boom! 

The ground I had just stood on caved in. Regaining balance just in time, I threw a punch.

With a sickening crunch, the swarm of snakes in front of me exploded. The remains that scattered were poison. I burst the Aura cloaking my body.

Boom!

The remnants of the [Aura] scattered like cherry blossoms, sweeping the poison away. But the poison that remained still touched my skin. A searing heat and tingling pain dug into my bones.

Gritting my teeth, I lunged again. The gap between us narrowed in an instant. Samaela didn’t panic and simply stepped back once.

Still, she was within arm’s reach.

I aimed to grab her by the collar. But the moment I reached out, a chill shot down my spine. I withdrew my hand and rolled across the floor to evade.

At the same time, boom!

A pitch-black explosion erupted from where Samaela had just stood.

Poison.

“Aha! Good instincts.”

The poison shot into the air, congealing midair.

It became a poison cloud and began swirling around Samaela. 

Drip,drip.

Every drop that fell melted the ground and emitted a foul stench.

Just the smell alone… made my insides churn.

I steadied my breath. I had to charge into that mess.

I had to fend off the projected snakes, dodge the poison rain, defend against Samaela’s own attacks, and strike all at once.

Were there more tricks up her sleeve? Definitely. Samaela hadn’t even used a proper spell yet.

Still… could I pull it off?

I could.

I spread Mana throughout my body. The mana rushing wildly through my blood vessels now seeped outside, wrapping my form in a softly glowing pink hue.

It wasn’t Aura of Protection.

It was something more focused purely on offense.

The [Martial Spirit], the technique that earned me the name Ominous Star.

‘You goddamn idiot, that’s always your problem. You do everything right and then shout out the technique name at the end like a moron.’

For some reason, I could hear Luna nagging in my ear… but I ignored it.

I spent three days thinking of that name.

I think… it’s pretty cool, actually.

I raised my tightly clenched fists. Loosened every muscle in my body. The explosive flow of mana grew even more violent.

Samaela’s eyes narrowed.

“…That form is…”

At the same time,

A flash of light.

Crunch.

A burst of red blood scattered through the air. My fist slammed into Samaela’s face. But the blood didn’t come from her.

It came from my arm.

The moment I landed the punch, a projected snake guarding Samaela bit into my arm.

Doesn’t matter.

What matters is that I hit her, and she couldn’t react.

I didn’t stop moving.

“What was that just…?”

I threw another punch.

Samaela’s eyes followed my fist. Her sleeve flared, another snake shot out. The poison cloud swelled and spewed out more venom. The snakes lunged.

Everything launched to stop my punch.

Then, another flash of light.

Crash.

My fist slammed into Samaela’s gut. I didn’t let up. I whipped my arm like a chain, smashing her jaw. Extended my leg and kicked her shin.

With every strike, Samaela tried to react, to move, to defend.

She couldn’t.

That’s what the [Martial Spirit] was for.

If I had a weapon, even just a short dagger, this woman would’ve already been turned into a pincushion.

Clicking my tongue, I twisted my body.

A vicious light gleamed.

First punch hit the solar plexus. Second kick crushed her foot. Third elbow slammed up into her carotid artery. Fourth jab pierced her abdomen. Fifth knee slammed into her spine.

One step, two steps, three steps. With every strike, Samaela retreated, but when the sixth spinning blow crushed her solar plexus,

“Guh, huff…!”

She let out her first ragged breath.

And in that moment, her eyes changed. From her fluttering sleeve, her nails gleamed with a sinister light.

I quickly twisted my body. 

Spin! 

As I spun, a brutal slicing sound followed.

Her nails. They slashed through my clothes. And in midair, they split into dozens of threads, soaked in poison and incinerated into ash.

“Do snakes have claws now?”

“Your tongue’s awfully long.”

“Longer than a snake’s, maybe?”

At my mocking jab, Samaela’s teeth ground together with a sharp sound. I didn’t miss the opportunity. I grabbed a handful of the hair that shot at me. Twisted it tighter around my arm.

The hair slithered like it was alive, digging into my flesh. Crushing muscle, tearing nerves and gnawing my bone. It was just what I wanted. I gripped tighter.

A hint of confusion appeared on Samaela’s face.

Even as my muscles were crushed, nerves torn, and bones ground away, I tightened my grip with my hand. How?

By Mana. Delicately maneuvering the mana inside my body made this possible.

Of course, not everyone could do this.

Only me. Only Ronan Lujarak.

I took a breath in that state.

Stepped forward slightly with one foot, shifted my weight onto the rear leg. Turned my torso to the side, extended my arm. Almost fully stretched, with a slight bend.

Didn’t clench my fist. Let my hand remain open, aiming at the opponent with the tips of my fingers.

Would it work? Could I pull it off?

I remembered Arisa’s movements. I knew their power. I’d been beaten by them plenty during our sparring sessions.

So I could do it too.

Even a chimp could pull it off, there’s no way I couldn’t.

I clenched my fist. Samaela, sensing the danger, made her next move.

The projected snakes surrounding the area lunged at me. Her ice-cold claws slashed toward my throat. The poison cloud belched venom, and countless strands of hair came crashing down.

At that moment, my fingertips were already aimed at Samaela’s heart.

I shifted my weight forward. The force from my toes surged through my body. I twisted my waist and shoulder simultaneously. Exploded Mana, adding even more violent rotation.

The gathered force converged in my right arm. Mana surged through my meridians, collecting in my arm. The overflowed mana formed Aura that wrapped tightly around my right hand.

And just like that,everything focused into a single point.

The open hand became a fist, striking Samaela’s chest.

The punch detonated.

[Inch Punch].

Boom!

Samaela’s body slammed into the wall.