episode_0159

159. Thief.

Just before the short sword pierced John’s carotid artery, John’s thoughts accelerated rapidly.

“─────.”

In the slowed world, John thought while looking at the blade of the black short sword.

‘Escape with a Dig spell? No, it’s too late. Rebuilding the shield is even more out of the question······.’

Tsk, he underestimated the opponent’s power too much. John regretted his mistake and poured all his attention into his right finger.

[Balance of Magic Power]

At that moment, a fan with a dark red design popped out of the inventory. It was the Bloodletter Fan that had been stolen from Samahan.

Among the spells John possessed, there was no spell that could affect reality as quickly as the inventory.

John grabbed the Bloodletter Fan with his right hand and raised it as it was. Due to the ‘Balance,’ John’s physical stats already surpassed those of most players.

Clanggggg!

“······What!”

Muyeong’s eyes widened as if they would tear. How could such strength come from a magician’s body?

‘What is this again!’

Thanks to the grand fight in the waiting room, Muyeong was greatly wary of John’s spells.

And the better the magic skills, the more confident Muyeong became.

‘The stronger the spell, the weaker the physical abilities!’

This proposition had never been wrong. At least, that’s how Muyeong had lived so far.

No one can be perfect. But······

“What the hell are you!”

Muyeong gritted his teeth and wielded two short swords. Each short sword with a different grip pressured John with strange movements.

Chae chae chae chae chaeng!

John unfolded the fan with a whoosh. And he used the wide surface of the Bloodletter Fan to block Muyeong’s offensive.

Even though he was blocking the attack of a close-range assassin, John’s fan did not shake greatly.

The spectators who watched this were simultaneously astonished.

“No, no way······. He’s good at close combat too?”

“What is that······. Scary.”

On the other hand, there were players who realized something after seeing John’s movements.

“That monster magician. He learned martial arts.”

“But even so, it’ll be difficult to close the gap in absolute stats, right?”

That’s right. Giving a knife to a baby won’t allow them to beat an adult. The same goes for martial arts.

Only when a certain amount of physical strength is supported can martial arts shine.

Then someone muttered quietly.

“Ha, ha. I told you. That assassin’s compatibility isn’t good with that monster magician, see?”

“Bullshit. You predicted that?”

“Ahem, ahem.”

The players chattered noisily. Originally, life is a tragedy up close, and a comedy from afar.

They put aside the assumption that they would meet John someday and simply enjoyed the game in progress.

‘Damn it!’

In contrast, Muyeong couldn’t enjoy the current situation.

Chae chae chaeng- Clanggggg!

Muyeong swung the two short swords greatly, then quickly took a step back.

He shouted, letting out a rough breath.

“What kind of trick did you use! Magician!”

“Well, from my perspective, I’m more curious about the technique you just used. To pass through the shield, what kind of trick did you use?”

Muyeong’s face contorted as John returned the words he had said.

Right, he didn’t expect to hear a proper answer anyway. He was just talking to buy time.

And John was the same.

“To create distance, have you forgotten who I am?”

John stepped heavily. Crackle- Frost began to form from his feet as a starting point.

“······!”

Fire magic and earth magic weren’t the end?

Muyeong let out a hollow laugh.

‘Right, nothing will surprise me now.’

Rumble rumble rumble-!

As frost gathered on the ground, ice spikes rained down on Muyeong in the form of spikes.

“Hup!”

Muyeong threw the short sword in his right hand at John as it was.

The short sword that flew with a whoosh hit John’s shield and bounced off. The short sword stuck into the frosty floor with a thud.

John didn’t let his guard down anymore. There was a faint frost on his shield.

But what Muyeong was aiming for was a momentary gap. As his shadow flickered, Muyeong’s figure disappeared from the colosseum.

“Oh, it’s starting again.”

The audience was looking forward to it. Would the assassin be able to aim for the magician’s neck this time as well?

Although the first attempt failed, it was quite an impressive surprise attack. The audience wanted an underdog’s rebellion.

‘Where will it be this time?’

John scattered magic power thinly to search the surroundings. As expected, Muyeong’s presence was not felt. Still, it was better than doing nothing.

At that moment, John felt a strange sensation. A complex and subtle feeling, as if dust had entered his nostril.

John stretched his right palm to the side.

Phew- Kwakwakwakwang!

“Kueeeuk!”

The air where the Magic Missile exploded rippled.

Soon, Muyeong, who was dyed black, popped out of the air.

His eyes seemed to be asking ‘How?’

“Once was enough. Did you think I’d fall for it a second time?”

John chuckled and stepped heavily.

Rumble rumble-!

Waves of ice surged from all directions, pressing down on Muyeong.

‘I’ll be trapped at this rate!’

At that moment, Muyeong rolled his eyes to check John’s location. Not far from the short sword he had just thrown.

Thud! The sphere of ice that had finally swallowed Muyeong began to tighten.

The audience watched Muyeong’s figure disappearing into the ice with interest.

[Shadow Somersault]

Swish-

Although it was invisible to John and the audience, Muyeong’s figure, which had been trapped in the ice sphere, disappeared as if melting.

John felt it. He concentrated and searched his surroundings.

Swish-

Immediately after, Muyeong’s figure grew from the spot where the short sword was stuck.

“Huh!”

The short sword wasn’t very far away. To exaggerate a little, it was within reach if he tripped. The close-range assassin kicked off the ground and thrust out the short sword.

John unfolded the Bloodletter Fan with a relaxed expression. He had already activated the Balance of Magic Power.

There was almost no possibility of being pushed back in close combat.

“Huuuup!”

The moment Muyeong shouted a large cheer and tried to stab John-

Swish-

“······!”

Muyeong’s figure melted into the air once again.

Almost simultaneously, Muyeong, who appeared behind John’s head, held short swords in both hands and struck down.

“Kueeeeuk!”

Clanggggggggg!

But it was blocked. Muyeong gave strength to the short swords with bloodshot eyes.

But no matter how hard he tried, the magician’s shield would not break. Rather, the frost on the shield permeated Muyeong through the short swords.

Saaaaaaaaa-

Muyeong’s muscles began to stiffen from the chill that reached his bones.

“Aaaaaaaaaa!”

Crack-

Was it because of his sincerity, Muyeong barely succeeded in making a scratch on the shield.

Of course, nothing changed.

Poooooooook!

“Keuk, Kehek!”

An ice spike that sprouted from the shield pierced Muyeong’s neck. Muyeong put all his strength into the short swords until the moment he died.

John was sincerely impressed.

“Amazing.”

Clench, John clenched his right hand tightly.

Pooooooong!

Muyeong’s flesh burst out in all directions.

***

After the game with Muyeong ended, John continued what he was doing.

Flash- Flash- Flash-

That is, the act of going back and forth between this stadium and that stadium.

“Monster magician······. Indeed, is it necessary to commit such bizarre acts to become strong?”

“Literary and military skills, no. Martial and magic skills······.”

Perhaps because he had seen Muyeong’s abilities, the tickling sensation became clearer than before.

John quickly finished the games when it was his turn in between and devoted himself to teleport research.

In the meantime, John witnessed an interesting sight.

“The monster magician’s lover and the magician who was beaten by the monster magician! The match is too obvious!”

“Khahahahahahaha!”

That’s because Sarah and Alex’s game was concluded.

Until then, John had a nonchalant face. Alex was quite skilled, but he was no match for Sarah.

‘No, in the first place, there aren’t many skilled people who can be compared to Sarah, except for a few.’

Alex wasn’t at that level. Anyway, Sarah and Alex’s game began.

***

“Please be gentle. I think I’m going to lose anyway, so I hope you’ll end it in one strike if possible.”

“······.”

Sarah glared at Alex, who was bowing politely.

‘The magician who dueled with John.’

That was the one-line comment on Alex. Sarah picked up her sword with a largely indifferent face.

She didn’t intend to harass him anyway.

‘He said he learned a new magic while dueling with that man? He’s a good person.’

[The game begins.]

Soon, a blue window popped up, and Sarah kicked off the ground as if crushing it and rushed towards Alex.

Alex flicked his fingers with a gloomy face. Then, rumble rumble- A steel palm rose from the ground.

Seogeogeogeok-

“Hup!”

Sarah’s sword strike spread out in five directions, cutting off the steel fingers.

Sarah, who had deciphered the spell in an instant, got close to Alex.

Whoong-!

And the moment her sword blade was about to touch Alex’s neck-

“Oh, come on.”

Drrrrrrrrr-!

A shield with rocks stuck all over it was created, blocking her strike.

“······!”

Sarah’s eyes widened. It was a spell that was too familiar to her.

‘How?’

Alex smiled bitterly as if his gloomy expression was a lie.

“As expected, other people’s cookies always look more delicious. Hehe.”