Chapter 67: A Sudden Turn (9)
“Hu….”
Breathing deeply, I tried hard to calm my trembling limbs.
Right now, I am thoroughly in a jam, just like the introduction of some famous novel.
I had been living using the knowledge of how to play H&A and an abundance of gold, but this situation was fundamentally different.
If it couldn’t be solved safely anyway, I had no choice but to choose a method that involved taking risks.
I had to put myself out there as much as the opponent did.
I’d thrown away the plan to run away and buy time.
I was going to take down Edmerek.
With that resolve, I firmly gripped a dagger and a staff in each hand.
Ready to jump out at any time.
And to thrust magic and a dagger into his head.
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Pachang-!
Not long after, the water barrier broke, and I dashed to the ground at the sound of its shattering.
Not to the side but forward.
“Don’t think anything will change because you’ve recovered! If I bite you again, it’s over!”
Edmerek’s Air Devour came flying as if he had been waiting for it, with wide-open translucent jaws and sharp teeth.
Looking directly at it, I recited the incantation for the magic I had prepared in such a short time.
“Shield!”
Originally, a shield was a transparent protective layer that would surround all directions. Naturally, it would protect my body automatically in an emergency.
But ultimately, magic was based on imagination.
This naturally applied to me, who could implement magic to standard values thanks to the system correction.
The shield changed its form, led by a strong image.
It looked like an H turned sideways.
A counterforce started to work to keep that translucent beast from closing its mouth.
Crack.
It was the unpleasant sound of the shield crumbling. But it didn’t break in one go as before.
That was it.
I imbued a lot of magic power and manifested a basic magic spell.
“Terra!”
A large clump of earth rose at my feet. Using this as a stepping stone, I jumped high.
As soon as I got out of the range of the Air Devour, I recited the chant for the next magic and rushed to Edmerek again.
Edmerek, seemingly infuriated for some reason, shouted with his eyes, spewing real venom.
“Even knights can’t escape from His mouth! Do you think it’s possible for a mere mage!”
And then there was continuous Air Devour.
Even though there were still jaws intact behind me, new teeth were coming at me from both sides.
I could only block one with a shield, and even if I made a stepping stone, my speed of jumping couldn’t be faster than running, so I would be caught in the air.
But it didn’t matter. After all, the spell I was chanting was different.
“…Become an unseen hand! Force Grab!”
It was one of the psychokinesis spells, Force Grab.
Usually, it was a spell used to pull or bind the enemy, but…I used it a little differently this time.
Kuak.
“Kehuk!”
Every joint in my body made a gruesome noise, and a scream slipped from my mouth.
A transparent hand that manifested far in front was roughly pulling my body.
It was suffocating, but the effect was definite.
My body, floating in the air, accelerated quickly and got out of Edmerek’s range.
“What…?”
Edmerek was taken aback by my changed demeanor, which was clearly different from before when I was skittishly running away, now acting recklessly without caring about my own body.
But it was too early for him to be shocked.
Because even in the shock of Force Grab, I had the next spell ready, firmly chanted.
“Blazing flame, sharp arrow, be the flash that pierces my enemy.”
Fire Arrow.
Three fire arrows, like elongated skewers, appeared above my head.
“Fire Arrow!”
With the command, the fire arrows swiftly shot.
It was somewhat weak for a fire spell, but it allowed me to shoot three at the same time, and their projection speed was fast.
Additionally, the flames would stick to the body, causing continuous damage.
In simple terms, it was a hassle to get hit by it, and it was a difficult spell to avoid.
Normally, one would have to block it… but Edmerek, who just used a chain of Air Devour, clearly had no defensive means.
I knew it would be like this.
“Oh, God of Tainted Unity! I offer my body! In return, bestow your breath upon me!”
Pak!
With a short prayer, one of Edmerek’s eyes burst.
Perhaps it was a self-sacrifice spell.
Right. An Archbishop of an evil God was still a priest.
This was also a pattern not found in H&A, but it was too late to be surprised by it now.
The miracle was invoked by someone equivalent to an Archbishop, who sacrificed a part of his body. The effect was simpler than expected.
Suddenly, a small hole appeared in the air. A powerful suction force was generated around it.
Hwoong.
And then, excluding Edmerek himself, it pulled in everything around it, swallowing them all.
It was like a small black hole.
My fired arrows couldn’t escape it either.
The trajectory of the fire arrows flying towards Edmerek abruptly shifted and was sucked into the hole.
Probably any other magic I would use would be sucked in too.
But it didn’t matter.
If he sacrificed one of his eyes, I should also be prepared to do the same.
Instead of resisting the force that could be felt even from a distance, I threw my body towards it.
The speed was incomparable if I ran with my own strength.
Maybe Edmerek didn’t like the fact that I was using the power of the God of Tainted Unity against him. He manifested his power with a twisted face.
“How dare…?!”
This time, translucent mouths were coming from the front and both of my sides at the same time, as if not leaving any route to escape.
The pain of being pierced on the side vividly came to mind, and I tried to stop my steps.
I shook my head lightly, shook it off, and cast Force Grab one more time.
Kyeuk.
“Kkeuyuk….”
Maybe because the situation was urgent, it manifested stronger than before.
Even though it just grabbed my body, several ribs began to scream in intense pain.
However, I forced it through.
Hwoong.
It was as if my body was thrown into the air. The recoil made every bone in my body squeak and scream.
My ribs were not in good condition since earlier, and pain as if my brain were being pricked arose.
They were probably broken.
“Kreuuk.”
Then I vomited blood.
It hurts. Have I ever experienced such pain in my life?
Moreover, this was just the beginning.
Edmerek continued to prepare to manifest his next ability with his reddened eyes, amidst the breath of the evil God still sucking everything around it.
Any small mistake could lead straight to death.
A delicate feeling as if balancing on a blade’s edge.
However, as long as I didn’t make any mistakes, it would be fine.
Whether it was thanks to system correction, I was confident in the control of my physical body and mana.
I met Edmerek’s gaze at a height close to the ceiling of the tunnel.
His expression was infused with irritation, inconvenience and a hint of tediousness.
No matter if he was fighting under his God’s command, letting a caught prey escape twice must be frustrating.
So, I smirked and threw the staff I was holding.
To drink a potion while suspended in mid-air, one hand must be free. I could use magic even without the staff.
Naturally, a staff without any supporting spells posed no real threat.
Knowing this, Edmerek just reached out his hand and opened it like a mouth, without any special response.
Tuk.
It couldn’t be helped if it would hurt when it hit his head.
I drank a healing potion with the hand that held the staff, chuckling, while Edmerek growled like an enraged beast.
“…Now be his meal!”
The area was covered in sharp teeth.
Unlike how he was using several Air Devour before, either consecutively or simultaneously, it felt like he insanely enlarged one of them.
Provoking him was useless, after all.
He forced the worst-case scenario I had considered, having earned his Archbishop position not by chance.
I couldn’t prepare the next spell while drinking the potion nor jump to avoid it in mid-air.
But there was a way.
Mana explosion.
It was faster than any magic to cause an unformed mana to explode.
Because it wasn’t magic. There were no protective features for the caster, and it was a skill used in emergencies due to poor efficiency.
Wasn’t this exactly for such times?
Peong!
“Heuk!”
The intense explosion from behind pushed my body forward.
My view was spinning, and the pain in my back increased, but the direction was right.
Eujeok. Kung!
There was a distant heavy thud, and the sound of something breaking that was left behind by my fast-flying body that was heading towards Edmerek.
“Do you think you can break his miracle just by attacking… with that body? Just die as you are!”
Edmerek, with a sword-like red aura in his twisted hand, watched me crash above his head like a meteor.
There was no special technique. He just shaped the sacred power of the God of Tainted Unity sharply like a sword.
It would be a fatal attack to me, who was already seriously injured…
Due to his inherently unstable main body, the swinging speed was too slow.
I forcibly cleared my blurred consciousness that was caused by the extreme pain and carefully watched the trajectory of his swing.
And with the falling speed and weight, I struck the Shining Lion Dagger I had been tightly holding onto.
“AAAAAAAA!!”
The strike clashed with Edmerek’s hand with a scream. And then…
Kwaaang!
A white flash gleamed dazzlingly, and Edmerek’s hand was cut in half.
The sacred power of the God of Tainted Unity, which was threatening me a moment ago, disappeared without a trace.
“What…?”
Edmerek wore an expression of disbelief.
Yes. This was what I aimed for from the start.
Though it was growing rapidly, my magic was still immature, and it could never land an effective blow on Edmerek.
However, the Shining Lion Dagger, known as the early-mid level spear, was different.
A pure white dagger engraved with a roaring lion in Pomel.
The blade, which is more bone-like than metallic, occasionally emits a warm light.
The dagger enveloped in holy radiance will be sharper than usual.
…And the radiance will shine brightest in the darkness.
-10% chance to add light attribute damage when attacking.
-Critical damage increased by 30%.
-Against the Sacristans, the chance for additional and critical hits is fixed at 100%.
The dagger, already known for high critical hits, amplified the light attribute damage, which was a weakness of the evil Gods.
Plus, the protection of the Sun God made the light attribute damage even stronger.
If he was skilled in melee combat, it might have been different, but Edmerek, specialized in using abilities, so he couldn’t withstand it.
I used mana explosion against Edmerek as he hurriedly aimed at my side with his other hand.
Kwang!
“Kuaak!”
His already very thin arms snapped and bent in a weird direction.
As the explosion occurred at close range, a chunk of flesh from my side was also torn off.
A wound similar to when I was first hit by Edmerek’s Air Devour.
But the situation now was the exact opposite of then.
Edmerek, not giving up yet, tried to pray again.
“God of Tainted Unity…”
I blocked his mouth with one hand and shouted.
“Tinder!”
Fire Arrow.
“Keueuk!”
He, who usually ate animals and monsters without hesitation, seemed to find this unbearable and moaned in agony.
But it wouldn’t end in one go.
“Tinder. Tinder. Tinder. Tinder.”
I continuously burned his face with fire and raised the dagger again.
Watching his eyes turn resentful at the sight of the shining blade…
Puak.
I stabbed the Shining Lion Dagger right into Edmerek’s chest.
There was a momentary flash, and then his body slumped.
Seeing the last remaining eye of Edmerek lose its focus, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Haha.”
My body hurt incredibly, and my mind was hazy.
But I won.
Maybe because the tension was released, my view started to spin as soon as I realized it.
I couldn’t stop the dizziness, even with the loud notification sound and the system window blurring my view.
After all this chaos, hoping for everything to be fine was a luxury.
I pulled out a few potions from my inventory with the last of my strength.
Clang.
I didn’t even have the strength to drink them, but someone would take care of it, right?
Now, with my eyes completely closed…
…Next time, wherever I go, I will definitely bring Carla along.
Before losing consciousness, this was the last thought that came to my mind in the darkness.
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