Chapter 242

Chapter 242. Scheme (4)

“Wow… It might be quite the insulting comment, but I’ll let it slide. Even if they wake up, uncle will handle it, right?”

“Hmm…”

“What’s with that reluctance on your face?”

“I’m reluctant, that’s why. If they wake up, that’s your fault in the first place, then why should I suffer again?”

“Well… even if it seems like I’m about to die, you won’t help me?”

“Hmm…”

“Is that really something you need to ponder over so seriously?”

“But you’re noisy. If I save you, you’ll just make a fuss again…”

The nonsensical conversation between Kim Yul and Horfe left one speechless.

The stack of general-rank corpses piled up next to Kim Yul was enough to form a small hill.

‘There must be about 10 of them.’

If that had been all, it wouldn’t have been too surprising.

Since they were already dead, they wouldn’t provide mana, nor would they yield any additional attribute mana stones.

However, the ones Horfe was sitting on were different.

‘One, two, three… Nine.’

Nine stars were hanging above the heads of these corpses.

‘And two of them at that.’

Moreover, the bodies of those two were slightly twitching.

‘Two of the living nemesis-rank.’

I couldn’t help but gulp at the sight.

“Oh, K.”

At the right moment, Horfe noticed me and waved a hand.

“I caught them since it’s been a while since some robust ones appeared amidst all the killings.”

I swallowed another gulp, tightening my grip on the spear.

「Seizing the target’s status.」

「The title Sprout of Divinity grows a little more.」

「Seizing the target’s status.」

「The title Sprout of Divinity grows a little more.」

The comfort of taking a long-awaited bus ride was excellent.

*

Thunk, thud!

Intense impacts powerful enough to shake the very ground continued one after another.

Each tremor felt like an earthquake had hit, causing the proud steep cliffs and rocks of the Orkal Canyon to collapse.

What was left was barely recognizable as a canyon, now a field of rubble where black and blue mists clashed violently as if devouring each other.

The magic soaring at intervals couldn’t be ignored either.

The result of the confrontation between the nemesis-rank and mages brought hurriedly against Horfe.

Someone was observing their battle from a distant, lone rocky mountain that was unreachable to the naked human eye.

“That beast is just as unhelpful as past and present.”

The voice emanating from the observer was a pleasant soprano.

Mid-length blonde hair.

Bright blue eyes.

Distinct and finely-drawn facial features.

She possessed such a striking appearance that anyone passing by would likely do a double-take; the woman was Eril Jesiar.

Once considered a prodigious mage destined to become the new owner of the Ferrell Tower.

Although that title vanished after she deserted the demi-human race with her mentor.

There wouldn’t be anyone denying that Eril was a genius.

The water mirror she crafted was good enough to reflect the events happening hundreds of meters away.

But this genius had her fingernails in her mouth as she watched the scene reflected in the water mirror.

Gnaw, gnaw.

‘I didn’t expect the beastfolk to intervene.’

The situation began to seem strange when those sent to retrieve the divinity did not return.

Things were turning out to be a spectacle.

‘What reason does Horfe have to personally assist the outsiders so actively?’

‘What a mess this is, thanks to those beasts.’

Gnawing, biting.

Eril remained gnawed by the situation that was irritating in several ways.

They should have finished the retrieval and returned by now, according to the plan.

‘It would have been simple to capture him on the spot when we met in Santorna.’

A mistake made from being blinded by the mana of blooming white flowers.

She was consumed by the thought of extracting the core, forgetting everything else.

The habit of getting engrossed in something and losing track of everything around her was one reason she was hailed as a genius.

But knowing she missed an opportunity left her sighing.

‘No, what’s the point in regretting?’

Past mistakes are rectified with efforts in the present.

‘I just need to capture him this time around.’

For that, she had to separate Horfe from the target.

Despite being a lauded genius, facing Horfe alone was no simple task for Eril.

Facing Horfe in person, having her magic breached, and getting caught up in close combat would be troublesome.

‘He can see right through any array I build, so there’s no other choice.’

Hence why she had dispatched four nemesis-level creatures to bound Horfe.

Fortunately, things were progressing according to her plan until now.

The problem was the outsider, the target, was nowhere to be seen…

“Where on earth is he?”

Just an hour ago, she had seen Horfe with him.

The other outsiders accompanying him were still at their positions.

So why was the primary target invisible?

Eril furrowed her search across the canyon with water mirrors to find any trace of the outsider.

Despite even employing detection magic, the distinct red mana of the outsider was elusive.

Whether he had soared into the sky or plunged underground…

“Wait a minute.”

Yes, the target, with mana interwoven with all elements, might have hidden underground.

Eril hastily expanded the detection range.

Swish!

Simultaneously, there came the sound of something slicing through the air.

While she was whirling around to ascertain the direction of this progressively nearing sound.

Eril sensed an alien mana moving—not hers.

She encased herself with layers of various defense magics.

In a split second, an electric-type mana encircled her, creating menacing sparks.

Crackle, crack.

Rope-like structured mana ensnared the water barrier she had conjured.

Witnessing this, Eril narrowed her brows slightly.

‘It’s not magic.’

No array existed.

Yet, here the attribute mana deviated from its natural form to take such an abnormal shape.

‘I was skeptical when I heard the report.’

It signified the owner of this mana was indeed capable of mana domination.

Thus, the shattering of her magic was unavoidable.

Indeed, the outermost transparent ice wall began losing form, melting away.

Albeit slower than the dominators she knew.

Still, to have an ordinary person being able to shatter magic.

‘This peculiar being seems remarkable.’

Eril, frowning, swiftly dispersed the mana that had begun coalescing toward the heart due to the shattering.

She implemented a new magic faster than the opponent could shatter the magic.

At the core of all defensive magic, she crafted a solid dome mixing mud and rocks.

Securing safety was a priority for mages.

She hesitated not to utilize the mana stored within the accumulated magic tools.

Although it entirely cut off her view, there was no issue for Eril.

“Just have to unfold water mirror within the dome, what’s the problem?”

The previously severed view was restored through magic.

Eril, observing through the multitude of water mirrors, traced the target’s mana.

Since the target presented himself, she aimed to seize this opportunity.

As she scrutinized, her gaze slowly turned upward.

Above her head, a silhouette barely visible to the naked eye—the mana’s owner stood a considerable distance away.

Reflected in the water mirrors, the outsider standing on a red-shaded barrier in midair emerged.

So, he hadn’t burrowed underground but had soared into the sky.

‘He descended from beyond detection range, it seems.’

As she focused on the outsider, a small smile curled the corner of Eril’s mouth.

A being capable of mana domination opting to support himself with a magical barrier?

“What does this guy think he’s doing?”

A capability to split and utilize barriers as needed, it seemed?

How dare he flaunt his ability before her?

Eril licked her lips, contemplating.

‘Should I toy with him a little?’

A sadistic impulse that arose momentarily.

Recalling her earlier blunders, no reason existed for a repeat of such folly.

‘That’s a fool’s errand.’

It was a narrative unrelated to the world of a genius like her.

‘Toying can wait until after capture.’

Snorting, Eril breached the barrier on which the outsider stood.

Though the distance made it take a touch longer than usual, it was far from impossible.

As the outsider began falling without much reaction, he was laughing.

Seeing his expression vividly through the water mirrors made Eril’s cheek twitch.

‘Arrogant child.’

Even last time, he had the nerve to wag his tongue recklessly.

‘He seems to have quite some guts.’

Watching this guy’s nonchalance being utterly crushed might not be a bad sight.

With a contemptuous smirk mirroring the outsider’s, Eril began crafting offensive magics.

A jet of water surged skyward toward the falling outsider.

Eril planned to encase him within her water and sever the tendons in his limbs.

“Tch.”

But she had to click her tongue the moment the barrage began.

Hiss-!

The flames spread outward, evaporating all water jets, generating a massive vapor cloud.

‘Not a shatter but a neutralization?’

It wasn’t merely a failed attack attempt to be brushed off.

That guy surely knew how to shatter magic.

But he opted for neutralization, using fire—an opposing element to water—rather than the stronger earth element.

‘Does he know about the water mirror and me?’

Water mirror materializes the image reflected on the water surface.

More reflections would naturally decrease precision.

The outsider aimed for that weakness.

Indeed, it was hard to clearly view the outsider amidst the thick cloud of steam.

By the time the steam was cleared to regain sight.

Several fireballs commenced their descent.

He would know a simple magic like that wouldn’t affect her.

‘He must have some trick…’

She halted midway through her thought as Eril’s smile widened further.

Having a tactical mind match against a mutant daring to covet noble mana.

Eril’s eyes gleamed as she generated a water veil, enveloping the airspace.

She intended to crush the haughty spirit of the outsider.

Even though the distance between the airborne outsider and herself had considerably lessened, her magic had only been breached or neutralized.

Yet, she continuously failed to hold the outsider down.

Even then.

“This!”

The outsider wielded his spear, thrusting deeply into the array of her ice prison.

He didn’t halt there; a series of bursts erupted at the feet of the falling man.

Further accelerating what was already a rapidly descending trajectory under gravity.

‘Surely adept in close combat as well.’

A typical trait among outsiders.

Assuming roles both of knights wielding weapons and mages casting magic.

Not excelling particularly in either but managing to handle both.

Most often caught between the two, being neither here nor there.

But among them, there were those who could become troublesome if left alone.

‘Like that one.’

Feeling a faint sense of urgency, Eril unleashed an enormous amount of mana.

Adding to it the frost mana stored in her magic tools.

About a hundred ice lances surged sequentially into the air.

In the face of large-scale magic, the outsider swung lightning-induced mana, unleashing those sparks.

Clang, clang!

The electric-type mana directed by the outsider deflected the ice lances.

At this, a grin appeared upon Eril’s lips.

Without delay, she executed teleportation magic using spatial mana stored in the magic tools.

The resituated ice lances now falling from above the outsider.

Rising from below and falling from above.

While the outsider swung mana to fend off the ice lances, Eril prepared three different magics simultaneously.

But she hadn’t executed them yet.

‘A little more.’

Eril patiently anticipated the outsider drawing a little closer, licking her lips.