Chapter 243 – Question
The Wind Blows. A cold blizzard brushed Wolfgang’s face.
In the middle of the empty snowfield, there were countless enemies who stood in his way until just a moment ago, but now there is nothing left. It is a sight that makes you doubt that there was even a battle.
The last trace left in the world by the tracking team of the Scythian tribe, which disappeared as it converged to the black dot, remains only in Wolfgang’s memory.
‘The sequelae… It’s not as bad as I thought.’
I feel a slight dizziness. It wasn’t serious enough to impede his movement, but Wolfgang clenched his fists at the obvious sense of alienation and emptiness that he felt everywhere in his body.
Most of the warriors who have reached a certain level and possess imagery use combat methods that apply their own imagery rather than hand-to-hand combat focusing on box fighting and swordsmanship.
If the form of martial arts that exists in one’s mind can be realized in reality, then the image itself becomes a sharper blade than any weapon.
However, Wolfgang, despite possessing an image, fights mainly with the martial arts he learned from Arien in actual combat, and he himself prefers that one more.
It’s because you can’t properly control your own image.
It’s a bit of an odd case, but not that rare.
It happens because the achievement of the main body is relatively insignificant compared to the depth of the image that is cherished. In summary, it was a problem caused by the body not following the head. Unmanned people who have just awakened to their images often experience this phenomenon.
If you continue to use imagery while ignoring this problem, you will experience a mana runaway phenomenon and become a disabled person due to the mental and physical separation. Or, one’s own body is consumed by images and becomes a madman.
In this case, the only solution is to train hard until the image and the body are in harmony. Solutions that seem vague at first glance, or awakening the imagery in the first place means that you have outstanding talents, so even if you get confused at first, everyone will figure it out on their own after a few months at the longest.
In this way, it is to practice diligently as it is in a state where the mind and body are in harmony, and to accumulate experience to advance step by step toward a higher realm, such as the realm of imagery or the whole of thought.
But Wolfgang’s case was a little different.
Should I say that it was a little twisted from the start?
At the age of thirteen, the day I first awakened to imagery.
Wolfgang as a boy had lost his mind, and when he finally came to his senses, the only memory left was Arien’s face, looking at him with a puzzled look in the ruins where nothing was left.
‘Uh… Master?’
‘Tsk, it’s still too much power for you. If you don’t want to die, don’t use it at all.’
After that, he tried his best to deal with the image properly, using all his methods, but to no avail.
Suffering from inhuman training tailored to the strict standards of the transcendent, only the body is gradually trained to the level of a monster. Through adolescence and into adulthood, it was the same that I lost my mind every time I used imagery.
In the end, it was only after experiencing the greatest sense of loss in the fierce battlefield that Wolfgang was able to control his image, albeit clumsily.
Since then, Wolfgang has been through countless trials, such as suffering from countless threats to his life, as well as being half-dead and then coming back to life. It was just overflowing.
‘I thought it would be enough by now, but is it still impossible?’
Even though he has reached the height of his superiority to the point where it is difficult to find an opponent any more, Wolfgang still cannot perfectly handle his own image.
Still, I thought that due to the realization I gained from the battle with Astrid, I would be able to carry out the partial deployment of the entire event without difficulty. As expected, it seemed that it would be better to use the images only for auxiliary purposes in battle, as they have been doing until now.
Maybe this side effect appeared because the motive itself that made me show my sincerity was impure.
“Haha…”
Thinking such a foolish thought, Wolfgang smiled lightly.
Didn’t he give up his sincerity to the point where he didn’t match the level of his enemies just because he wanted to go back to the empire as soon as possible and do dirty things with Alicia? It was funny, even he thought.
When he starts to express imagery in earnest, various side effects appear, some of which are not of the kind that are easily displayed in front of others.
—A sway…
An ominous black wave emanating from the right hand.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Seeing this, Scarlett asked with a worried expression, and Wolfgang quickly shook his hand and pretended to be nothing. Then, like the water he washed his hands with, the black lumps that fell off in trivial ways began to burrow endlessly into the white snowdrift with a chirping sound.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
“Well, to say nothing is wrong with my eyes right now…”
“Ah.”
Not only that.
Wolfgang saw his own image reflected in Scarlett’s eyes, with his eyes still burning red. Then, an indescribable sense of shame welled up in his heart, and he felt like hiding in a mouse hole.
If it’s in battle, it doesn’t matter whether you emit the energy of the Black Flame Dragon from your right hand or the beam from your eyes, but if you do such a loud thing after the battle is over, isn’t it just a madman with a bluff?
It was Wolfgang who quickly turned his head away from his party, closed his eyes, and slowly operated mana breathing. After a few minutes, he was barely able to get back to normal.
And then, when Wolfgang opened his eyes.
“I’m really fine now. I’m in a hurry, so let’s get going.”
Scarlett was somehow looking at him with very suspicious eyes.
Even tears began to form in Ophelia’s eyes.
“Oh, brother…!”
“Huh?”
As he tilted his head wondering why, the overflowing wave of holy power suddenly attacked Wolfgang.
—Quaaagh!
“Exorcista! Demon, back away!”
A dazzling white light that would make you feel as if you would go blind. If exposed to ultra-high-density divine power that swept through the surroundings once, the unclean existence would probably disappear without leaving a trace.
However, for Wolfgang, it was just dumbfounded.
“…What kind of noise is this?”
“Oh, if you’re right, tell me how many moles I have on my ass!”
“What the hell are you talking about? Your ass is completely white.”
“Huh? Oppa, are you really an oppa?”
Why the hell did Ophelia use an exorcism spell on him?
“Then who is the person standing in front of you if not me?”
“That, but… Just a little while ago, he was emitting pitch-black energy, and his eyes were blushing. He looked like the ultimate devil.”
“…I’m begging you, please don’t mention that again.”
Wolfgang touched his forehead.
Ophelia’s words, which reminded her of her dark history, made her intestines twist. Until she can properly control her powers, she will never wear an image in front of her allies.
“Heh, hmmmm! Anyway, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Hey, boss. I just thought that was pretty cool. Could you show me one more time?”
Beside Ophelia, who was clearing her throat with her face reddened, Lazarus, who had suddenly returned to his boyish form, stimulated Wolfgang as if he was very interested.
“Shut up.”
“Keuhehe… What are you so shy about?”
When Wolfgang frowned and replied nervously, he only shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.
—Tuk-tuk
“Hey… Look at me for a second.”
Meanwhile, Scarlett would have been the first to tease Wolfgang normally.
For some reason, she had been strangely quiet until now, staring into Wolfgang’s eyes, holding onto his arm and heading towards a place about ten meters away from the others.
Seeing as she even set up a soundproofing barrier, I wondered how serious she was going to talk.
“What else? Why are you even here?”
“Hey, maybe…”
“If you have something to say, just do it coolly. Don’t waste your time.”
“No, I was just wondering if there were any injuries in the fight.”
“That’s a strange question. If you were injured, you wouldn’t have asked Ophelia to heal you earlier.”
“Yes? Then you didn’t shed a drop of blood?”
“Well, I think I got a scratch on my fingertip. I’m not sure if it bleeds.”
“…Give me your hand.”
Scarlett, who had been examining Wolfgang’s body for a while to check her condition, suddenly grabbed his hand and peered into it for a long time.
“Hey, here?”
Suddenly she stuck her tongue out towards Wolfgang’s index finger and began to lick her wound.
—Verobero
Wolfgang was frightened by her rather sudden action and quickly removed his finger.
“What are you doing all of a sudden and messy?”
“No no! I don’t mean anything. Minor wounds are usually healed with saliva, right?”
“Do you believe in folk remedies like that because you’re like an archmage?”
“What, what are you saying! I was worried about that…”
It only touched her briefly, but the inside of her Scarlett’s mouth was very hot and soft.
It felt like it would be very, very pleasant to put something other than her finger in it. For some reason, Wolfgang turned his head away from Scarlett, feeling strange and strange.
“Okay, if there’s nothing more to say, let’s leave. You’ve wasted too much time.”
Scarlett stares blankly at Wolfgang’s back.
She mumbled the inside of her mouth and tilted her head as if she was confused about something.
“Isn’t it real…? It seems right…”
