episode_0172

172. Meteor.

“Didn’t you stall long enough?”

“You’re quick on the uptake. But, why did you just stand still?”

“Didn’t I say? This is a ‘test’.”

Johann smiled faintly.

Thud thud thud thud thud thud-

Something small was falling toward the Colosseum. No, it only looked small because of the distance. It was by no means small.

The administrator’s eyes glowed white. His vision magnified as if he were using a magnifying glass.

‘Meteor.’

A lump of steel, heated red-hot, approached the ground. The administrator let out a hollow laugh.

“Double spell… no, to be exact, it would be triple.”

“Wrong.”

“Hmm?”

Johann breathed weakly. An intense feeling of weakness gnawed at his entire body.

The administrator closely examined the lump of steel. The previous crimson scene flashed through his mind.

“There was a reason you specifically chose a pillar of fire. You minimized the amount of magic power lost.”

The administrator smiled contentedly. He then spread both hands wide open. A huge white sphere swirled above his palms.

Whoooooooosh-

Johann’s eyes widened. The lump of steel was already quite close. Most of the Colosseum’s ceiling was swallowed by shadows.

Immediately after, Johann’s will enveloped the surroundings like a spiderweb.

“Hiss!”

A faint breeze fluttered in the path of the lump of steel. Soon, the wind took on the shape of a long cylinder. Its size exactly matched the diameter of the lump of steel.

Clap! Johann clasped his hands together. His hair fluttered incessantly.

Steel Creation.

Teleport.

Flame Seed.

Wind Road.

Whoosh- Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack!

Quadra Spell.

“Meteor.”

The super-heated meteor fell to the ground. Immediately after, Johann’s figure teleported to the back of the meteor. His head was soaked with sweat.

The administrator muttered.

“……Beyond imagination.”

Indeed, that guy must be a masterpiece.

The administrator put his palms together and stretched them out- horizontally. Then, a huge rectangular shield was created. The shield was shining brilliantly.

The administrator habitually fiddled with the tower-shaped necklace.

His instinct was screaming. Telling him to throw away the necklace right now. Telling him not to have any worthless pride.

The administrator smirked.

“I’ve put him through so much trouble, I should at least watch the ending.”

That was the administrator’s duty.

Crash! Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack-!

The meteor shattered the Colosseum’s ceiling in one go. The meteor’s speed didn’t change in the slightest.

Following that, the light shield and the mage’s meteor collided. At the same time, a translucent circular shockwave spread out.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!!

“Kuh-heuk!”

Thousands of seats in the Colosseum were completely destroyed. It was purely due to the shockwave.

The outer walls weren’t in good condition either. The outer walls were horribly gouged out as if they had been gnawed on by a giant rat.

If I were to pick a place that was relatively intact, it would be the area around the administrator.

“Kuh-euuuuuugh!”

The administrator clenched his teeth and held onto the light shield. An enormous mass pressed down on him. At the same time, the intense heat gnawed at his entire body.

Surely, the moment of impact was brief. However, that instant felt like an eternity to the administrator. The administrator’s whole body trembled.

“Hiss!”

But in the end, the administrator endured. The pressure weighing down on his whole body weakened slightly. The administrator didn’t miss the gap.

Hug of Light.

The light shield thinly spread out and enveloped the meteor. Johann, who was watching this from the air, was startled.

‘He endured this!’

The sight of his spell being extinguished flashed through Johann’s mind. Johann hurriedly pulled up magic power…

Peeing-

“Kugh!”

Johann grabbed his head. His body lost its balance and staggered. Johann had often felt a similar sensation.

‘Magic power exhaustion!’

Perhaps it was only natural. The spell from just now was a great spell that wasn’t easy even for Johann.

Swish swish swish-

In the brief moment when Johann’s concentration was broken, the meteor quickly disappeared. The administrator looked up at the clear sky. Johann was floating in the center of it.

The two men’s eyes met.

“……”

“……”

A moment of silence. Following that, the administrator said.

“Excellent. Shin Johann.”

The administrator’s condition wasn’t perfect either. His body was charred black in various places, and his legs were shaking slightly.

Johann had definitely crossed the ‘wall.’ But it was still not enough. The administrator coldly judged Johann. His finger pointed at Johann.

“It’s a shame… but you fail.”

Pshoo-

A pure white straight line pierced Johann’s chest. Johann’s eyes lost focus. He couldn’t hold on any longer. Johann helplessly fell to the ground.

Thud.

The administrator slowly approached Johann. Even though he had fallen from the Colosseum’s ceiling, his body was quite intact. That’s because he possessed the body of a superhuman.

The administrator kept walking.

The test was over.

***

It’s hazy.

Eyes, head, hands, feet. None of them move. No, am I moving? My vision is blurry so I can’t tell.

Johann closed his eyes and opened them.

Splash-!

Waves surged and white foam rose. I could see a huge ocean. To be precise, Johann himself existed solely as the ocean.

Johann reached a new realm through the battle with Hwageom Jin-in. There was no longer a place for Johann in the inner world.

Johann thought. What exactly is lacking in me? How can I move on to the next realm?

I definitely felt it through the duel with the administrator.

‘Fail… was it?’

That was right. The administrator is in a situation where he cannot fully exert his power. Even in that situation, Johann was defeated.

Splash-ooo-ck!

A bigger wave than before crashed. This is because Johann’s heart was shaken. The inner world and Johann are one. The world changes according to his emotions and thoughts.

Splash-ooo-ck!

The waves continued to raise and crash their huge bodies. The world fluctuated unstably.

Johann clenched his teeth. He didn’t actually have any teeth, but that’s how it felt.

Splash!

Then, the intensity of the waves gradually weakened. Nothing changes by getting angry. Johann knew that fact better than anyone else.

Johann just kept thinking. What is lacking in his inner world. How can he move forward?

‘Is the form the problem?’

Thud thud thud thud thud thud-

The ocean turned upside down and the terrain changed in an instant. Crash! Crimson flames erupted from the dark red earth.

Volcano.

Johann’s inner world transformed into a vigorously active volcano zone. The reason why it usually takes the form of a blue sea was simple.

It was because it was in a similar form when I first entered the inner world. If Johann is determined, it can change into any form.

Rustle rustle-

A jungle full of lush vegetation.

Whoosh-

A khaki-colored sandstorm sweeps through the desert area.

Whoooooosh-

A snow-covered mountain covered in pure white snow.

The inner world was turned upside down dozens of times after that. After a while, Johann felt a hot heat.

Whirrrl-!

The world that settled after going around and around was a volcanic zone. Why is it, Johann was most pleased with the current scenery.

It felt like wearing clothes that fit perfectly.

‘……Ah.’

Kwaaaang! The floor wriggled and a pillar of crimson fire soared up. If I were to fight the administrator again in my current state, would I be able to win?

Johann laughed in vain.

‘No way.’

Of course, it is true that it has become easier to operate magic power than before. It is inevitable as he has found an inner world that perfectly matches his tendencies.

But that wasn’t enough. To be precise, there was still a huge ‘wall’ in front of Johann. If he can’t get over that, he will never be able to reach the administrator.

Johann wriggled his body. At the same time, the dark red earth shook violently. He felt frustrated. What exactly is lacking?

Johann’s perception didn’t give him a clue. I’d rather show it. To drag the administrator into the inner world.

Johann smiled faintly. A long flame soared up.

‘There’s no way that’s possible.’

Inviting other people to the inner world. That is an unrealistic assumption. In that case, taking the inner world out to the outside would be…

‘Huh?’

The earth, which had been shaking violently until just now, suddenly became calm. A sudden inspiration came. Johann’s brain was spinning violently.

Something.

‘The inner world is the source of magic power within the body.’

Something.

‘Is there a need to keep the inner world inside?’

Something.

‘Rather, what if I realize it in the world?’

Something.

‘Magic is engraving one’s will in reality. The inner world is no different.’

Something.

‘I will engrave my inner self into reality!’

Johann realized ‘something.’ And the name something doesn’t suit what he realized.

Flash, Johann opened his eyes.

“……What!”

The administrator’s voice sounded panicked. Johann slowly stood up.

The administrator’s face, hardened with an expression, was visible in Johann’s ‘right’ field of vision.

On the other hand, his ‘left’ field of vision was seeing something else. Dark red earth, and pillars of fire that occasionally soared up. He recognized reality and the inner world at the same time.

And the fact that he recognized both worlds meant…

‘Collide the worlds.’

Whirrrl, his left eyeball blazed.

The flame that burned only the eyeball slowly fell to the ground. The size of the flame was the same as the size of the eyeball.

Soon, it touched the ground.

Tap, Woooooooong- Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack!

Heaven and earth are being recreated. The ocher-colored stadium was destroyed as if pushed away by something.

Whirrrl!

Following that, a thick pillar of fire soared up. The dark red earth containing lava reveals its appearance.

Johann’s hair fluttered wildly. A magnificent magic power swirled around him.

“……What on earth is this? Shin Johann.”

Kwaaaang! A huge flame soared from near Johann’s heels. Johann chanted with the flames behind him.

“Demarcation of Magic (De-magic).”

The inner world is the source of magic. Johann took his magic out into reality.