I am not insane.
If I say it like this, it might sound like the hollow chant of someone trying to self-hypnotize a ruined mind—but that’s not quite the situation here...
If anything, it’s the opposite.
“Damn it, even like this, I’m scared.”
Not enough yet.
Unless I go a little madder, I can’t fight.
[System: The memory of “Ophidiophobia” is slowly eroding your reason.]
You don’t have to tell me.
Arms and legs trembling of their own accord.
I forced a hyped-up mood, but it’s not easy.
Even now I want to turn around and go back to that starving mansion.
Darkness.
I just closed my eyes for a moment.
[exhale]
A short sigh.
Light again.
“Ha... I’m going to lose it, seriously.”
A blood-red sun blazing above my head.
A desert sizzling as it reflects the sun’s heat and light.
A colossal pyramid flaunting the overwhelming presence of the desert.
And a full-rigged ship tearing across the sand toward that pyramid at a crazy speed—and the tentacled monster steering it.
“Still looks deranged the second time. And this really is Paju?”
Fine, if I’m going to go mad anyway...
[vibrating hum]
I roused my mana and swung the [Silver Bell of the Underworld].
[ding]
A clear, crystalline chime.
[The unique function “Sterling Domination” of S-grade magitech “Silver Bell of the Underworld” activates.
// Sterling Domination: Automatically casts the spell “Voice of Authority” on the designated target and increases the effects of “mental-type” spells by 100%.]
An artifact that holds power to dominate a target’s mind, to steer thought and action.
Target?
Obviously me.
All right, let’s ride the madness to the end.
[Euphoria]
[Lion’s Courage]
[Madman’s Laughter]
[Blessing of Dionysus]
[Spell Boost: Maximize]
“Ah- uhuhuhu—this—kh—this I like.”
Laughter spilling out on its own.
Dopamine and adrenaline surging in a rush. A lift so heady it feels like I could launch into the sky. Joy swelling, brimming. Colors around me snapping into an unnaturally vivid focus.
A fake omnipotence that makes you think you can do anything.
In a sense it’s just an extension of escapism.
But if I don’t do even this, I—
I can’t approach that place—
—where a cold-blooded, scaled, legless beast is lying in wait.
However.
Thanks to getting hit in advance last time, I know what the enemy can do—and what it wants to do.
And how I need to fight.
I lifted the big prosthetic fitted to my left arm and grinned. In place of fingers, the [Butcher’s Hook] mounted on my left arm was gleaming handsomely.
“Kekekeke... I’ll show you just how dogged and horrific I can be!”
[System: The penalty trait “Feast’s Offering” activates. Abyssal power manifests new objects in the terrain.]
[rumble]
The desert heaves and things hidden under the sand rear up.
Is that even possible?
An insane number. Massive presence.
Obelisks at least ten meters tall, and that many of them were buried here?
“They’re much bigger than last time! Very nice!”
At the same time, the giant scorpions and giant crocodiles swimming under the sand fall back behind the obelisks.
Ominous movement.
[high-pitched whine]
Violet beams emitted from the obelisks.
“Ah, I know what that is. Kiddo! Swing left!!”
“Going!” “Left!” “This way?” “Left!” “Going!” “This way!” “This way!” “Going!” “Left!” “Left!”
The [Child of Darkness] babbled with dozens of mouths at once.
[creak-grind]
The hull of the ship juddered as we changed heading.
It would be nice if we could strafe, but a ship that advances by tentacle power instead of manpower or wind can’t be expected to do everything.
The moment the ship barely finished turning—
[crackle-crackle-crack]
An enormous barrage of lightning crashed down along the tracks of the violet beams fired by the obelisks.
[boom] [KRA-BOOM!]
“Oh, that would kill me if it hits.”
It’s that friendly gimmick you see all the time in games.
Paint the path the player must avoid, then a few seconds later a lethal attack lands.
In games I just accepted it, but why attack like this?
[System: The penalty trait “Feast’s Offering” activates. Abyssal power strengthens the power of the obelisks.]
[whine] [whine] [whine]
“Ah, so it’s ‘dodge this if you can,’ is it?”
Beams poured from the obelisks, sketching a tight lattice that blanketed the whole desert.
On foot you might slip through, but at these spacings you can’t possibly avoid them in a ship.
But didn’t I say?
I came today to do a straight power fight.
“Open all batteries!”
[ratchet-clack] [clatter-grind]
At my command, bone golems serving as crew dashed back and forth over the deck to ready the attack.
[rumble]
Last night I used the [Ancients’ Blueprint] to craft a new artifact.
Nothing that impressive—about ten times the size of the weapons I’d been supplying to the alchemist. Roughly ten times the firepower. Let’s keep the name intuitive and call them [Mana-Stone Cannons].
Fifteen per side, thirty total.
“Once you’re ready, volley fire!”
[THOOM!]
Huge mana-stones flew in every direction.
Only high-purity, high-capacity mana-stones.
One shot costs a hundred million won.
[BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!]
A tremendous scale of explosions.
There goes three billion in a single salvo.
“Reload! Fire continuously from any battery that’s ready!”
Mana-stones raging off in no particular pattern.
[BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!]
Now six billion. Then nine. Now twelve.
Obelisks collapsing in tandem with my account balance.
Arcane flames geysering from the desert.
Kicking up mana, I leapt to the top of the tallest mast and whipped the [Butcher’s Hook] that stood in for my missing left hand, bursting into wild laughter.
“Ahahaha! Behold! This is the true power that rules this world—money power!”
The desert mana that [Scaled Stratagem] forcibly anchored to this land shuddered.
“Kyahaaargh!”
“Kieeeek!!”
Huge monsters heaved the sand as they approached.
Clacking pincers and venom-slick tails bursting from the grit—or thick, green hides.
The ones that had retreated to cover the obelisk attack.
“Ha, a standard screech-and-swarm this time?”
[deep roar from within the pyramid]
Huh? So not a screech-and-swarm?
[System: The penalty trait “Feast’s Offering” effect activates. Abyssal mana is released.]
[whooooosh]
A vast wave of heat blasted out of the pyramid.
A low pressure system swelling like a storm.
That low pressure siphoned in a colossal mass of mana.
“Ha. That bastard’s properly gone mad too.”
[whooooosh!!]
The abyssal mana eventually realized a whirlwind on a ridiculous scale.
The mountain of sand it sucked up—and huh?
“Kyahaaargh!!”
“Kieeeek!!”
Even the giant crocs and scorpions?
“A sand-scor-igator-nado?”
It’s a ridiculous word soup, but the disaster is no joke.
[rolling thunder]
A monstrous vortex charged us, flashing fangs, stingers, and pincers.
How arbitrary. Where’s it drawing that mana from?
Just because it’s a desert, you can do this?
“Well, fine. Then I’ll go madder!”
I raised the [Mask of the Thousand-Gold Captain] and pulled up my mana.
[The unique function “Goblin Frolic” of L-grade accessory “Mask of the Thousand-Gold Captain” activates.
// Goblin Frolic: Temporarily borrows the abilities of the Thousand-Gold Captain. The borrowed abilities vary according to your relationship with the Thousand-Gold Hall or the Captain.]
[doom-doom-doom-doom]
An unreal drumbeat pounded the air.
My heart thrashed to the jaunty rhythm. My fingertips tingled with heat. Ah—this is fun!
If the only goal—were to hit and—smash!
I wouldn’t have had—to dump this—much mana-stone!
[Sonic Shock]
“Since the Thousand-Gold Captain is away from his desk, this humble Mr. Kim will act in his stead! A foreign devil has conjured this atrocious low pressure! What shall we do about it!”
Amplified by magic, my voice rolled like thunder.
A reply came from far off.
“By the command of the World-Honored One who teaches and shows the way! The [Blood Demon Sect] is here!”
At the desert’s rim, cultists of the [Blood Demon Sect] rammed in their magnetic-needle lances charged with their esoteric arts.
“Fire becomes ash that nourishes earth—thus Fire engenders Earth!”
“Earth compacts to raise metal—thus Earth engenders Metal!”
“Metal forms the vessel that holds water—thus Metal engenders Water once more!”
Yes, that’s it!
[Scaled Stratagem] dragged in hellish heat (Fire) and turned this region into desert (Earth).
I shouted toward the [Blood Demon Sect].
“Good. By my order, you shall be the vessel that contains this spiritual land!”
[rumble]
The five-phases patter isn’t what matters.
The point is that the desert map favors that thing.
And the Blood Demon Sect is a cult specialized in geomancy that influences terrain on a grand scale.
[System: The followers “Blood Demon Sect” activate the cult’s unique sorcery, “Blood Demon Array.”]
[System: By the effect of “Blood Demon Array,” the property of this location changes.]
This desert is terrain formed by mana provided by an abyssal entity.
With no proper patron, the Blood Demon Sect alone can’t overwrite it.
“Olssu!”
But I also happen to have some abyssal mana.
Not because I’m an abyssal being—just that I possess mana that happens to pair obscenely well with the Sect’s arts!
I swung the hook and smashed a small cube.
Remember what this is?
A condensed cube of the mana and curse of the [Predator in the Mountains] that dominated [Paju Samneung], and of the poison-laden rain.
A vast quantity of purified water I refined for a long time with help from the [Smiling One].
As it burst free, it explosively released the water energy that once blanketed a whole mountain.
[Torrential Downpour]
[Surging Waves]
[Rapid]
[rolling thunder]
Churning waves and whirlpools. An immense mass of water.
Condition achieved.
Without stopping, I cast large-scale, zone-wide enchantments.
[Phase Shift: Sea]
[Weather Shift: Downpour]
[splash!!] [rumble!!] [rolling thunder!!!]
The desert is gone.
Right—what’s a desert doing in a corner of Paju? A sea would make more sense.
Same for that ridiculous sand-scor-igator-nado.
If it were a natural phenomenon it would have lasted longer, but it was an artificial miracle shaped by the desert and abyssal power.
The moment its power source was cut off, it faltered and vanished.
At the same time, scorpions and crocodiles plummeted into the sea I’d made.
“Kyahaaargh!”
[POOMF!] [SPLASH!] [rumble!]
Didn’t I say?
This is a sea!
Well—freshwater, so maybe call it a lake? Eh, whatever!
Again: this is a summer event. Let’s stick to the bit.
“Wahahaha—stupid crocodile! I’ll be taking the terrain bonus!”
I’ve destroyed the obelisks as symbols, and I’ve wiped out the desert.
Turning the place into a sea doesn’t particularly favor me—but it will definitely sour the mood of that croc with its desert fixation.
“Damp.” “Damp.” “Damp.” “Damp.” “Damp.” “Damp.” “Damp.” “Damp.” “Damp.”
The kid grumbled, displeased at getting wet.
“Yeah, congratulations to you too! Now get aboard!”
[slither]
The [Child of Darkness] slid up onto the deck.
[rolling thunder]
“Kyahaaargh!”
Even soaked, the giant scorpions and crocodiles drove in with dogged persistence.
I can guess the enemy’s operational plan now.
If it’s moving by preset game logic, there’s nothing to say but...
“Looks like the pyramid is working up to something after all.”
We’ve traded some massive blows, but unlike me forcing a frontal fight, the enemy’s plan is attrition and delay.
Meaning it’s kept its main force back to prepare something.
“No doubt it’s using Hyuna to set up some ritual.”
Then I can’t waste time and resources on trash mobs.
[Sonic Shock]
I shouted toward the stern.
“Assault team, handle the adds!”
[BOOM!]
An abrupt explosion from the fore.
Ah, so they’d already been moving.
A giant crocodile that had been barring the ship’s path blasted skyward with a tower of water.
This isn’t a flying-croc attack. Call it the moment when all that relationship management pays off?
“Grururuk!”
Having swatted the croc with merciless [Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms], the lion-roaring martial master bellowed like a storm:
“Golden Frog King!! Guard him!!”
At his lead, the frog monks of Sangbul Temple shouted in chorus:
“The [Golden Frog King] who bestowed on us a new haven and doctrine seeks our aid!”
“Follow the Lion Demon Monk! Open the way for the [Golden Frog King]!”
“Those who destroy the environment—Sangbul Temple will not forgive!”
Clad in heat-shield coats, the hidden adepts flashed dazzling water-walking lightness and sprinted over the surface!
[splatter-splatter-splatter-splatter-splatter!]
Frog monks with their signature glossy, varicolored skin.
[System: The followers “Sangbul Temple” activate the sect’s unique ultimate, “One Hundred Eight Arhats Formation.”]
Delightful.
At last the swimsuit characters have entered the scene?
No one can deny now that this is a perfect summer event.
“Good! Time to go secure the last hit! Unfurl the sails!”
[skreek-skreek-skreek]
Bone golems serving as crew moved in tight discipline to spread the sails—and without pausing, I whipped the [Butcher’s Hook] and stirred my mana.
[The unique function “Proof of Slaughter” of S-grade weapon “Butcher’s Hook” activates.
// Proof of Slaughter: The power of necromancy-line spells increases by 100%.]
[Winds of Desolation]
[Spell Boost: Power Amplification]
[WHOOMPH!]
The sail, stuffed with the sorcerous wind laden with necromancy’s arcana, screamed with a tremendous roar and drove the ship forward.
The pyramid rushed close in an instant!
[System: The penalty trait “Feast’s Offering” is—]
Shut up! It’s still my turn!
A massive magic circle formed around the ship. Radiance blazed so bright it hurt to keep my eyes open.
[Surge of Power]
[hiiiiiiiiiiiii—]
The Dragon King’s ship, plundered from Fisherfolk Village—
rammed the gigantic pyramid with a ram made of a colossal mass of mana.
[KA-THOOOOOOOOOOOM!!]
