Double

Double

“Monster? That’s a bit harsh.”

Even though it was a difficult spell, it was still something that could be imitated with enough effort.

Isn’t it too much to call someone a monster just for copying a spell?

I thought that the Heaven God Cult people were exaggerating as usual and said.

“Well, in any case, I suppose you’ve lost your value now.”

Having taken away his main ability, time distortion, there was no need to keep him alive anymore.

Of course, capturing him and using him as a hostage would be ideal.

‘But it doesn’t seem like I can capture him, so it’s better to give up.’

Even if I tried to capture him, the moment I confined him, he would keep reverting it with ‘Time Distortion’.

It would be better to kill him than to try to keep him captive.

‘Even I can’t keep paying attention to this guy forever.’

So I decided to proceed safely rather than creating unnecessary variables and turned my eyes away.

‘… Then what’s left is to create a magic that will instantly kill that guy.’

The magic formula is almost complete.

Now I just need to stall for a little more time, as I continue to complete the connection structure and modification formula of the magic in my head.

While I was keeping the Archbishop in check as he was screaming in front,

The Archbishop seemed to have decided that this wouldn’t do.

He plunged the giant sword he was holding into his own body and shouted.

“Light has never defeated darkness, darkness shall swallow all light.”

With those words, the whole world was suddenly dyed in a dark red light.

A powerful magical energy begins to boil from all directions.

I realized that the real battle had just begun and slightly moved my body.

‘He definitely had abilities related to time distortion and necromancy.

If I had to add more, judging from the sword he was holding, he also had abilities as a warrior.

I’m somewhat looking forward to seeing how he’ll attack, and as I watch this,

The numerous corpses scattered around start to rise and begin to transform into the form of the ‘Archbishop’.

In fact, if you only look at this, it was not a particularly special situation, just imitating the Archbishop with corpses.

‘But the amount of magical energy contained in each corpse is excessive.’

It’s noticeable that each and every one of them boasts an overwhelming amount of magical energy comparable to… no, equal to the Archbishop.

‘… Maybe this is that guy’s real ability.’

I’m not sure exactly how this magic is structured.

Thinking that whatever it is, if I destroy everything completely, the result will be the same, I scattered lightning bolts.

Thunder and lightning struck all around, shattering everything in the vicinity.

However, seeing that the targeted undead were still alive without much issue after being struck by lightning.

I laughed, realizing that these weren’t just scarecrows they had set up.

‘So each one is real, huh.’

Since magic, in any case, must be manifested within the limits of one’s own mana or magical energy.

Despite it being virtually impossible to create ‘beings with magical energy comparable to oneself’ en masse.

This guy is creating them as if it’s natural and pressuring me.

While I was dodging the countless undead rushing at me and blasting them with point explosions.

I could perceive that ‘time distortions’ were continuously occurring around me.

‘The problem is… it’s not just one time distortion, but hundreds… no, thousands occurring simultaneously.’

As if the time distortions had a will of their own.

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly seeing them each moving chaotically in their own way.

‘In other words, just by reaching out my hand towards that side.’

It meant that my body could be torn apart by countless mixed timelines.

Realizing that I could collapse entirely if I made even a slight move, I briefly said.

“You’re doing quite an interesting thing.”

“… Anyone who obstructs the Heaven God Cult must be eliminated.”

Looking at the undead who were muttering about elimination as if brainwashed.

Around when I was using reverse time distortion to protect my body.

I see the undead in front strongly gripping their greatswords and lunging to stab me.

‘Normally this would have been an action without much problem.’

But time is partially distorted.

Strange phenomena keep occurring and start pressuring me, like the blade appearing before the sword is even thrust, or the blade continuing to exist in the same place even after being deflected by the barrier.

“……”

Along with that, as intense magi kept trying to cling to me and tried to grab my ankles.

I had no choice but to counter by manifesting more mana and using more time distortion.

“… It’s meaningless. It’s meaningless.”

The archbishop, who was mixing a child’s and an elderly person’s way of speaking.

While crying and laughing simultaneously, shouted at me with a somewhat eerie expression.

“No matter how… monstrous you are. You’re still human… everything will flow according to the Celestial God’s will, so why, why do you resist?”

This time an elderly person’s and young girl’s way of speaking.

Thinking that probably due to using time distortion excessively.

The archbishop too seems to have been caught in the flow of time, I briefly answered.

“Resistance, you say. Isn’t resistance a word used when the weak face the strong?”

At those words, she lets out a laugh and answers as if it’s obvious.

“You understand exactly. When you can’t even beat me, how could you possibly win against the Celestial God? How foolish! How foolish.”

At that one word suggesting victory was already decided, I let out a laugh and briefly spoke.

“Who said I couldn’t win?”

“… What?”

Before the Archbishop could finish his brief question.

I activated the new magic I had created earlier.

As soon as I activated the magic, all the undead and time distortions surrounding me evaporated instantly.

As I watched everything around me turn pure white, I spoke to the astonished Archbishop in front of me.

“Who said they couldn’t defeat someone like you?”

With those final words, all the mana around us collapsed and turned white.

I slowly turned my gaze as I watched everything that had been surrounding us literally disintegrate.

‘This level of power should work even on those above the Archbishop.’

However, the mana consumption is too high to use it recklessly.

Feeling the need to modify this magic, I slowly turned my gaze to look down at the Archbishop, who was left with only a bit of flesh.

‘How miserable.’

It seemed he was able to maintain some form due to his unique regenerative abilities and time distortions.

But the power of the magic was too strong, which seemed to have worked against him.

I looked at the still-twitching flesh and slowly stepped on it while thinking.

‘Well, at least he’s alive. I should be able to extract information or memories.’

Thinking that this would make quite a good trophy, I smiled and.

After sealing the flesh with magic, I threw it into my mace.

‘Now, what remains is to figure out what he was trying to do in the clock tower.’

I folded my arms and pondered, looking at the clock tower that had disappeared without a trace, and.

Soon, I decided to give up thinking and turned my gaze away.

‘If I extract the memories, I’ll probably learn something.’

I decided to use the magic I had created earlier in a place with as few important items as possible, and headed towards the Illusion Library.

* * *

“What? The Archbishop? Whaaaat?!”

When I showed Ember the flesh of the Archbishop, she was startled and hid behind the wall.

I found it somewhat amusing to see Ember, who was usually quite composed, behaving like this, and I briefly said.

“Stop that and let’s extract the information.”

“… But that’s really dangerous, isn’t it? Unlike the bishops, an Archbishop could destroy this whole place.”

“You don’t think I can handle it?”

“……”

At those words, Ember sighed and approached, extracting information from the Archbishop’s flesh while speaking.

“But how did you manage to capture him? Even for you, Hero… you seem excessively strong.”

“It’s probably thanks to the hard work of my first-cycle self.”

“… I suppose so.”

I’m not sure exactly how I had worked hard.

Most of the strength I possess was completed and carried over from the first cycle, so I had nothing else to say.

‘Of course, I’ve put in some effort myself.’

Even considering that, the influence of the first cycle must be significant.

As I was thinking about this, watching Ember refine the information and inject it into me.

Ember seemed to ponder something, then slowly began to speak.

“Now that you’ve captured even an Archbishop… there’s not much left, is there?”

Not much left.

Certainly, there aren’t many left after the Archbishop, so if we follow a bit more, it’ll be like that.

I was nodding in agreement when Amber thought for a moment and said to me.

“So, are you going to return to your original body, Hero? Or will you continue to live in that body…?”

Faced with that difficult question, I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut.

Well, emotionally speaking, returning to the original body would be right.

‘Is it right to return to the original body where eating jjajangmyeon makes me feel bloated?’

Of course, it’s a body in the mid-20s, so there’s not much difference from Deren’s body…

Still, wouldn’t it be better to remain in Deren’s healthier body?

While I was thinking that I should consider this more, Luna laughed and said.

[If there are two masters… we can mate twice as much!]