Chapter 47
* * *
Fairies generally had low specs, and even if they had high specs, they had a cumbersome individual awakening step called ‘unseal’ that made them a pain to use. But aside from that, there was the biggest reason Cadel didn't even bother with them: their position.
Most of the fairy knights' positions were ‘Debuffer’. Characters that specialized in inflicting annoying debuffs on enemies. It didn't fit Cadel's strategy style. He pursued a play style that annihilated the enemy with the strongest attack skills possessed by the strongest knights.
Traditional fights were supposed to be chill, and there was no need to worry about enemy's temper, or scratchy debuffs since it wasn’t PVP, or so he thought.
‘F*ck! F*cking dog! How can he get such a crazy skill! We’re gonna die!’
Cadel was literally pouring fire magic on the frozen white ground.
[Great Frozen Land]. Even if you don't have information about the skill, you can roughly figure out what kind of ability it is when you encounter the horror that all the land you can see has become a pure white ice sheet.
‘How far did he freeze it? After dealing with Fire Butterfly Dream, he immediately deploys ice magic to this extent? What’s with the birth S-grade? Is it okay to be this fraudulent?’
Cadel realized that the more he dealt with him, the more he felt pressured. Cadel continued to draw out the flames and melt the ice to secure a non-slip escape route, and Lumen cut down the trees on either side, interrupting Lydon's path.
However, the situation was still unfavorable for Cadel. While Lydon could catch them whenever he wanted, Cadel was getting closer to his limit. Even though he had canceled the [Fire Butterfly Dream], he still maintained two things: fire magic to melt the ice and wind magic to increase the speed.
Even simple magic of this sort could be hard due to complicated formulas, making it difficult to utilize power efficiently. It was purely a battle of mana.
“Are you going to keep running away? I'm going to show you some fun magic like I did earlier! Do you know how hard I worked to trap those pretty butterflies? It was the best!”
Lydon raised his voice as he gracefully dodged a falling tree that blocked his path, and one might wonder if he was resentful of Cadel's haste to melt the road without looking back, or if he was seeking attention.
Of course, Cadel had no intention of paying attention to Lydon.
“Leader! I can see the outside!”
Cadel's eyes widened at Lumen's cry. Beyond the moving gaze, the bright outside scenery was revealed.
‘It's true. It's almost here!’
The distance to Lydon was close. If he performed another strange spell, there was a good chance they'd be captured, but the distance to the outside world was just as far as the naked eye could see.
There was a chance!
Cadel swallowed dryly. In his head, the most certain way to escape from this place, the remaining mana, and various variables including Lydon's counterattack were constantly swirling around.
And finally, Cadel came to one conclusion.
‘Just once. If only I could tie Lydon's feet down here just one more time.’
It was not a dream for all of them to escape safely. Cadel's eyes flashed solemnly.
After retrieving all the mana he was using, he turned his back to face Lydon.
‘I'll use every ounce of mana I have to stop him.’
This was the crossroads between victory and defeat. There was no room to distinguish between means and methods.
* * *
What other fun techniques should I show him? Lydon licked his lips briefly, and his eyes shone with anticipation.
The little human in front of him, whom he didn't yet know the name of, was full of venom and animosity toward him. Rather than being driven by a desperate need to survive, the negative emotions were more like ‘I want to rip that fairy to shreds right now, but I can't, so I'm going to hold back’, which made it all the more interesting.
‘I've been playing a lot, and they’re getting close to the exit. Well…… Although I can catch them anytime. Shall I play with them a little more?’
To the outside world, this was the Fairy Tribe territory. A forest protected by the legendary Great Spirit ‘Pinhai’.
As long as they were here, Lydon would never be defeated. It was not arrogance, but the truth.
Protected by the forest, he could taunt his opponents as much as he wished, and his whims would have the power to determine how many lives were lost. That favoritism was the cause of his prolonged freedom, but it was also an advantage that he found to his liking in the current situation.
“You're still trying to get out? Give it up already. I have no intention of letting you go.”
He smirked, and the little human snorted. The little human had an air of ease about it that belied his downtrodden appearance. As if he had the power to turn the tables at any moment.
“Grow up, you bastard. You can end your life in the most boring way in the world while only pursuing fun like that.”
The little human stopped running. It was the same with the cute act of thawing the frozen ground of [Great Frozen Land]. Instead, he sent his comrade to the back and put his hands together as if joining hands. Lydon's eyes narrowed as he watched.
‘That stance…….’
This was the stance Lydon used when casting [Great Frozen Land]. A stance to maximize the flow of mana. Was he doing it for no reason?
‘Well, don't tell me he’s following the Great Frozen Land.’
Even though he was a multi-attribute magician, it was unthinkable that he could use fire, wind, lightning, and even ice. Moreover, it consumed a lot of mana to use [Great Frozen Land].
Lydon had a good supply of mana, thanks to the protection of Pinhai, but the little human was different. Considering the magic he'd been using, he probably didn't have the strength to pull off such a range attack. With that judgment, Lydon stopped chasing and watched him as if he were watching an interesting play.
And, he was ecstatic.
“I want you to know. The frog in the well croaking with such arrogance…… is very ugly.”
The magic of fire, wind, and lightning surged through the small human’s body. The simultaneous casting of 3-attribute magic. A sight you never thought you'd see until the day you die.
Lydon's lips parted in a small smile.
The three spiraling streams of magic spread out in unison at the will of the small human. Riding the momentum of the wind, the flames wrapped around Lydon with unearthly speed. A speed that made it impossible for him to even attempt to get out of range. Feeling a sense of foreboding, Lydon tried to soar into the sky, but as if waiting for it, a thunderbolt struck from above.
Dozens of strands of lightning, derived from a single point in the air, locked lips with the circular flames. A shape reminiscent of a cage.
It was a giant cage of fire and lightning.
Lydon felt the blinding flash of the lightning, the intensity of the roaring flames, and the searing heat of the wind. He was perfectly trapped within the magic of the little human's creation.
“……The best.”
It was magic he had never seen before. It was a sight he had never even dreamed of being able to do. A restraint that no one had ever experienced, completed by the simultaneous casting of 3-attribute magic.
“You're the best, you……!”
Lydon stretched his arms out in this one-of-a-kind, perfect cage. It was ecstatic. The pain on his skin was pleasurable. He felt a sense of wonder at the human, at the ease with which he had dispelled his boredom.
He didn't want to accept the fact that he had to kill this human being like this.
‘……No. Do I really need to kill him?’
Lydon, shaken by the small human's abilities, paused.
In the beginning, the rules of the game only said that he had to capture the little man and his companions to keep them from leaving, not that he had to kill them.
If they die, it would be the will of the elders, not his. Then, he could move first before the elders move. Lock this interesting human in a secret place where no one can come, and have fun for years and decades. That was how he did it!
A sudden realization flashed across Lydon's red eyes.
‘Good. So if I can monopolize that human like that, then……. Umm?’
In an instant, his expression, which was amused by the new plan, twisted. A look of annoyance spread across his face, which had been full of laughter.
He slowly lowered his outstretched arms, sighing in displeasure.
“Looks like they've already arrived.”
Updat𝓮d from freew𝒆bnovel(.)com