Chapter 83: Living Grimoire (3)

What should I do now?

Wolfgang let out a deep sigh.

She was struggling in this trap because of the damn seal.

She didn’t like it one bit, but she couldn’t just release the seal right away.

The moment the seal was released, Wolfgang could hold out for about an hour.

Before that, she could crush everything, so it didn’t matter.

But the problem was what came after.

Once the seal was released and the power was unleashed, the aftermath would remain.

It was like a severe illness, and for Wolfgang, the symptoms were particularly harsh.

Her body would ache as if it were breaking apart.

Moreover, she wouldn’t be able to use her flames for a while.

That’s why she couldn’t just release the seal recklessly.

When she fought Hyde or Monica, she knew she was facing only one opponent.

That’s why she had used it immediately.

But in truth, it wasn’t a technique she could use so casually.

Besides, the situation here was different from when she fought Hyde and Monica.

This was the temple—enemy territory.

And it wasn’t just one hero she was up against. If she released the seal now, she would have to resolve everything within an hour.

‘I wanted to confirm at least one hero before using it. I didn’t think it would get this complicated.’

It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered releasing the seal and attacking the temple from the start.

But doing so could result in innocent casualties, and what if the temple remained unscathed even after the attack?

Was there any guarantee that her power would work?

Sure, her flames had never been blocked before, but she couldn’t afford to be overconfident.

In a life-or-death battle, you only get one chance.

And while Wolfgang wasn’t the type to hold back her trump card, she also wasn’t reckless enough to use it carelessly.

Enough regrets.

Even if she could turn back time, she probably wouldn’t act differently.

Instead of dwelling on regrets, she decided to focus on solving the problem at hand.

That was Wolfgang’s judgment.

“What kind of magic does Gellion mainly use?”

[Gellion is magic itself. He uses spells suited to the situation to save his allies from danger. That’s why I can’t even begin to predict what he’ll do.]

“In other words, that’s not helpful.”

[That’s harsh! But… you’re not wrong.]

Wolfgang, who had dismissed Milena’s explanation in one sentence, raised another wall of flames.

But it was instantly extinguished by the white flames Gellion had summoned. Wolfgang clicked her tongue.

‘This is so annoying. It feels like I’m fighting the Wendigos all over again.’

Hyde was one thing, and Monica had given her a tough time too. But this was on a whole different level.

Gellion truly lived up to his grandiose title.

He was cornering her with spells she had never seen or heard of, and Wolfgang had only one means to counter him—a means that had already been completely figured out.

‘I have no choice. I didn’t want to use this, but…’

Wolfgang began to ignite a massive wave of flames across her entire body.

Sensing the sudden rise in temperature, Gellion quickly used his white flames to restrain her.

But the moment the white flames touched Wolfgang, they were absorbed into her as if they had never existed.

Gellion, caught off guard by the unexpected situation, froze. Wolfgang spoke.

“The reason I sealed this power is that it’s a burden even to me.”

“Yes, that’s right. Excessive power is worse than insufficient power.”

“Then let me ask you this. Do you really think this power of mine can be completely sealed by a mere eyepatch?”

“You should know better than anyone. This isn’t that kind of power.”

The eyepatch was like a lid—a lid meant to keep the overflowing power in check.

It suppressed and calmed the force within, preventing it from running wild.

But what if that wasn’t the case?

What if the power, which had been forcibly calmed, was reignited and brought to a boil?

Could the lid holding it back endure? It might hold for a while, but not forever.

Moreover, after facing the heroes, her power had grown even stronger, making it easier to push through.

Soon, the flames began to boil like lava.

Boom!!

A loud explosion echoed.

The eyepatch, unable to withstand the force, exploded and fell off. Wolfgang grimaced.

An excruciating pain shot through her eye. Pushing the eyepatch off with sheer force naturally came with side effects.

Normally, after releasing the seal, she would use her power gradually, allowing the damage to accumulate slowly.

But this method was different.

Unlike the standard approach, forcibly pushing the seal open was akin to heresy.

Stability was thrown out the window, and the heated flames grew even hotter, accumulating damage rapidly.

In other words, she was starting with significant damage from the get-go.

And there was no way Gellion wouldn’t notice.

Seeing Wolfgang stagger, Gellion spoke.

“I see. You forcibly broke the seal.”

“You catch on quick.”

“The backlash must be considerable.”

“Aren’t heroes supposed to fight fair and square?”

“Do you really think that’s a valid excuse, even in your own mind?”

Damn it, this bastard.

Of course, he wouldn’t fall for that. Wolfgang clicked her tongue as she watched Gellion casually ignore her and prepare his spells.

It would be nice if he fought honorably, like the heroes in fairy tales.

The moment Gellion gestured, a giant hand made of rock, sand, and even ice burst from the ground and tightly gripped Wolfgang’s body.

It was a hand specifically designed to suppress flames.

Seeing this as his chance while Wolfgang was still disoriented, Gellion used every means at his disposal.

First, the data he had gathered from Monica and Hyde.

Using that, he deployed heat-resistant magic.

On top of that, he summoned weapons and inorganic golems made of elements that could block flames.

It was no exaggeration to call this the ultimate anti-flame combat magic.

‘At this level, even a Red Dragon or the Flame King of Hell could be restrained. But…’

“You’re trying too hard.”

Boom!!

‘Of course, it would come to this.’

Even the flames of hell, which could devour everything, were no match for the golden flames.

Gellion had bound her with magic close to that of a god, but the golden flames devoured even that.

What Wolfgang wielded was no longer something that could be categorized as mere “flames.” It was something else entirely, something that merely took the form and properties of flames.

Fighting without knowing this, Gellion was doomed to lose pathetically.

If he had known about this flame-like entity, neither Hyde nor Monica would have been defeated so easily.

But alas, that moment had already passed.

‘I just need to fulfill my mission here.’

“You’ve been thinking hard, haven’t you?”

“Kuh!!”

“Isn’t the time for thinking already over?”

Using the momentum, Wolfgang soared into the air and swung a golden flame-engulfed fist, striking Gellion’s face with full force.

Gellion’s defenses, fortified with various protective spells and shields, were akin to a fortress.

But even that fortress couldn’t withstand Wolfgang’s golden flames and crumbled.

Gellion, now slammed into the ground, clicked his tongue and replied.

“Life is a series of thoughts. No matter how unfavorable or irrational the situation, you must never stop thinking.”

“You can still talk after taking a hit like that?”

“For example, why aren’t you using Muspelheim or Lævateinn?”

“Let me guess. Is it because further amplifying your power would burden you?”

Muspelheim, which was akin to creating another world, and Lævateinn, a weapon capable of slaying even gods—if Wolfgang used these, Gellion wouldn’t last long.

But for some reason, Wolfgang wasn’t using them.

It wasn’t impossible that she was conserving her strength, but to Gellion, Wolfgang didn’t seem like the type to hold back.

Moreover, the fact that she had forcibly amplified her power to break the seal was obvious to anyone who wasn’t a fool.

In other words, Wolfgang didn’t have the luxury to go that far.

“This is turning out to be a more interesting fight than I thought. Don’t you agree, Wolfgang Leonhardt?”

“I’m not in the best condition right now, but that won’t change the outcome.”

“You never know until you try.”

With his fighting spirit ignited, Gellion gladly faced Wolfgang’s flames head-on.