episode_0062

62. The End of Design.

A quiet silence lingered between Johan and the middle-aged man’s team. It was a young man with a pure white cane who broke the silence.

He spoke with a voice that sounded somehow dejected.

“······Grandpa in one go?”

The young man recalled the old man’s movements in his usual state. His speed was the fastest among the team members.

It was thanks to the characteristic the old man possessed. He didn’t know the details, but he knew it was a characteristic that dramatically increased the speed of the body.

As the color drained from the young man’s face, the female archer next to him said cynically.

“Hey. Don’t be scared, and get your head on straight. That guy is tired. Even if it wouldn’t work normally, it might work now.”

“······! Wh, who said I was scared······.”

“You, you. You’re scared as hell, you little sissy.”

The female archer nocked an arrow on her great bow and stared straight at Johan. His complexion was very pale, and large beads of sweat were flowing on his forehead.

She didn’t know it, but it was a side effect of overuse of [Thought Acceleration]. The old man’s speed was definitely threatening, and Johan’s [Thought Acceleration] was overloaded.

If he pushed himself any further, he could faint. In the end, Johan consciously turned off the characteristic. It was something he didn’t usually do, but now it was dangerous.

“Huff, huff······.”

Johan glared at the enemies, breathing heavily. At that moment, the middle-aged man’s body swelled abnormally.

Crack, crackle!

His ribcage widened at least three times, and his waistline also became quite thick. His shoulder blades seemed to churn, and a pair of black wings sprouted. The ends of his limbs also changed to be pointed like those of a bird.

In an instant, the middle-aged man shed his human form. It was a ridiculous and disgusting sight. It was as if a crazy scientist had crossbred a bird and a human.

─However, what happened next was not funny at all.

Whoooaaaaaaang!

Peeeeeeeeeng-

The female archer’s bowstring had already returned to its position, and the middle-aged man took a running start and flew up. At the same time as the wind magician’s strange incantation began, the martial artist’s fist struck the air.

“······!”

An arrow from the front, an parrot human from the left diagonal, and an intangible fist from the sky slammed down on Johan. Johan’s head spun as if it would explode. He can’t block this.

Thud, Johan kicked off the tree and fell to the ground. But there was no paradise in the place he fled to. Already, numerous blades made of wind were approaching.

“Kuh-euuht!”

Still, one spell was much better than three people’s attacks. Johan recalled the trick from before and deployed the spell.

Dig.

Dududududu-

Johan felt as if he had become a mole. He dug into the ground at the same speed he was falling. Because he was falling in a Superman pose, the wind felt on the soles of his feet was chilling.

The wind magician’s curse could be heard from above.

“This mole bastard! Do you think I’ll let you get away! Ahhhhh!”

Tuquaqwaqwagwaqwa!!!

The surrounding land is being dug up in real time. Johan could realize what the young man had done.

‘He forcibly twisted the direction of the deployed spell! How ignorant!’

It was a very inefficient way to operate the spell. This is because magic power is consumed mercilessly. But it was quite effective in the current situation.

Tsk, Johan clicked his tongue.

‘I was trying to save as much magic power as possible······ I can’t help it.’

He had used quite a bit of magic power while searching for the team leader earlier. There wasn’t much magic power left. But now was not the time to be picky.

Dew.

Numerous water droplets are created around Johan. Then─

Rough Waves.

Minimize the power of the spell as much as possible. Johan’s life could be in danger if he’s not careful. Stimulate the water droplets that had no fluidity at all.

Kukwakwakwakwakwakwa!!!

The outstretched stream of water stirred up the underground, creating a hole. Johan entrusted his body to the torrent and swam through the loess-colored world. It was like riding a water slide.

Leaving behind the vaguely emerging nostalgia, he ran away to avoid the wind magician’s spell.

─Chase him!

The enemies were not standing still either. The wind magician created a path with his own spell, and the team members used it to sprint towards Johan.

The pure white cane pointed at Johan.

“Dieeeee!!!”

Wind Missile.

Peeeeeeeng- Jjeoeoeong!

A spell that was similar to and different from Johan’s Magic Missile was blocked by the shield. Clang, the shield didn’t last long. The wind bullet continued to stretch out without losing its power.

Kwaaang!

But Johan was no longer there. Seeing Johan barely dodging, the wind magician, who was angry, poured out spells.

Unfortunately, the wind magician continued to fail. It was true that Johan had no magic power. But his delicate magic power operation was still showing off its power.

The wind magician wasn’t stupid either, so he realized something after seeing Johan’s skills. His eyes were bloodshot red.

“Wa, wait a minute······ don’t tell me?”

Johan was lucky enough to hear that question and glanced back slightly. Johan’s indifferent voice echoed through the underground. Strangely, he seemed to have plenty of room to spare.

“Did you finally realize it? You’re slow on the uptake.”

“No, no way! That was intentional?”

The wind magician was currently on the martial artist’s shoulder. This was because his mobility was terrible. The martial artist spoke in a bellicose voice.

“What’s wrong!”

“No, it’s nothing. Haha, I was mistaken for a moment······.”

Suddenly, Johan’s voice burrowed into the wind magician’s ear. The young man wanted to cover his ears. He couldn’t accept reality.

“Thanks to you, I have less work to do. Your help was effective in reducing the number of those guys.”

“······.”

“What? What does that mean?”

The martial artist had a bewildered expression. What kind of riddle is this?

Unlike the easygoing martial artist, the wind magician’s head felt like it was about to explode.

Suddenly, the situation of killing the man in black flashed through his mind like a panorama.

The sight of a giant wind and a waterfall-like wave colliding. The winner was the giant wind. Although it was a ‘subtle difference’.

Was it because he barely managed to break through Johan’s spell? Each other’s spells caused significant damage to each camp. The water stream covered the people. The wind, torn to shreds, severed the limbs of many people.

‘He intended all of that? No way. No way!’

He suddenly felt his magic power moving on its own.

He didn’t know it yet, but it was a sign of entering demonic influence. The boiling inferiority complex was disturbing his inner world.

Johan also realized that the young man’s energy had changed, and his eyes lit up.

‘What is it? The magic power in his body is taking on a bizarre form?’

He was intrigued, but the situation was not favorable.

At that moment, a giant arrow flew towards Johan. He hurriedly twisted his body.

Kwaaaaaang!!

“Kuh-euuuuk!”

Johan flew away to one place like a balloon that was deflating in real time.

He looked at his abdomen. A dark black arrow was embedded around his navel.

Tadat-

Immediately after, a total of 4 humans landed near Johan. The martial artist looked around in amazement.

Whether it was a coincidence or not, they had arrived at a cavity with a width and length of at least 10M.

“Wow, we finally caught him. But where is this? It’s very wide.”

“Don’t say useless things, and kill that guy quickly.”

It was the female archer’s sharp remark. She already had a new arrow on the bowstring. At that moment, Johan murmured lowly.

“······It’s done.”

Peeeeeeeng-

The arrow was shot as soon as Johan’s words were heard. This was reality, not a cartoon. There was no need to listen to the last words of a human who would soon be eliminated.

‘Above all, that guy is a magician. He might say a strange incantation.’

The female archer was a colleague of the wind magician and knew about incantations. She also knew how powerful it was.

She was relieved when Johan didn’t react much. Whew, finally killing hi······

Crack!

The female archer’s eyes widened. The arrow was embedded not in Johan’s heart, but in the wrong place. That is, in the ice that popped out from under his feet.

‘What is it? There were definitely no water droplets around······.’

Soon, her complexion turned blue. They had somewhat grasped Johan’s spells through the parrot human.

They didn’t know the exact name of the spell, but they were able to find out what the prerequisites were for the spell that summons waves and the spell that creates ice.

But there was a task that had to be done in advance to activate that spell. That was the creation of water droplets. The wind magician said it was called the [Dew] spell.

In other words, although they couldn’t see it, there were water droplets around Johan.

She shouted as if screaming. Her eyes quickly scanned the shape of the cavity. It’s dangerous. I have to get out of here right now!

“Eve, everyone! Quickly to the surfac······.”

But it was already too late.

Rough Waves.

Tuquaqwaqwa- Puwhaaaaaaaak!!!

It seemed as if cracks were forming on the walls of the cavity surrounding them, and soon a strong stream of water burst out.

That’s right. While searching for the team leader, Johan continued to cast Dig and Dew spells towards the underground. This was also why Johan lacked magic power.

From the beginning, Johan was not trying to kill the middle-aged man on the spot. His goal was luring, and they were properly caught. Now, it was time to bring the long, long battle to an end.