Chapter 1915 – 1915. Dark Moon
Professor Hemmington and Cliff gather the exploration team and Jin.
Having heard that the ancient language on the door had been deciphered, the exploration team members gathered with curiosity instead of suspicion. Jin, the escort, approached them cautiously, as it was his duty to do so.
Professor Hemmington glanced at me and Cliff, then opened his mouth.
“We need five to open that door.”
“Five? Is that some kind of metaphor? What kind of metaphor is it?”
“It’s not a metaphor. It’s literally five. You five, I mean.”
Cliff throws a magic engineering bomb between them. I open my astral and use a barrier spell that I had prepared in advance to envelop Professor Hemmington and Cliff.
The exploration team members stared at the bomb. Their expressions showed curiosity instead of shock, as they did not realize the nature of the magic engineering bomb.
The only one who reacted was Jin. As soon as the bomb appeared, he quickly turned around and tried to flee the scene.
KWA-AAAAANG!
The bomb explodes. Its firepower was several times stronger than that of a normal grenade. Ordinary people were torn apart, reduced to chunks of meat, and even mercenaries who had lived a rough life fell to the ground with fatal injuries.
‘He’s not dead. I need to finish him off….’
Just as I was about to finish off the fallen Jin with magic, I sensed something. I used telekinesis to deflect it. It was a bullet. I glanced behind me and saw Josh pointing a pistol at my head. Then, he put away the pistol and took out a long rifle from behind his back. He must be disappointed that his surprise attack didn’t work.
‘He’s quick to grasp the situation.’
To be honest, I had underestimated Josh. In this world where physical enhancement and magic coexist, the limitations of firearms are clear.
Josh bends his waist and knees, taking a half-seated position, and pulls the trigger of the rifle.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets fly with heavy gunshots. I could feel mana from the bullets. They were magic bullets.
[Magnetic]
I cast a level 3 electric application magic. Using magnetic force, I naturally change the direction of the metal bullets. The bullets, having made a turn in the air, return to Josh.
Josh immediately rolls on the ground to avoid the bullets and counterattacks with his pistol.
‘He’s wasting his time. As long as I have Magnetic, he can’t kill me with bullets.’
I was about to use Magnetic but stopped. The bullets flying towards me were not metal. What was cutting through the air was something silver.
‘…Mana bullets? No, he compressed wind and shot it as bullets.’
Even so, it’s impossible to control wind with magnetic force. I used a barrier.
KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!
The bullets exploded the moment they hit the barrier. The barrier couldn’t withstand the impact and shattered. Then, magic bullets and wind bullets mixed and flew towards me.
‘If I use a split second, it’s possible to calculate and deploy the barrier’s formula. But….’
If I focus on defense, I’ll keep getting hit. The advantage of a gunner is that as long as they have bullets, they can attack without stopping.
‘I need to kill Josh as quickly as possible because I also have to worry about Professor Hemmington and Cliff.’
[Ice Wall]
I erect a wall of ice instead of a barrier. KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG! The ice wall, like the barrier, began to shatter quickly. I used telekinesis to float my body into the air and pointed at Josh with my index finger.
[Lightning Spear]
A long spear of lightning, created in the air, flies towards Josh. Josh quickly moves away, checking with his pistol while pulling the trigger. His reflexes and judgment were commendable.
‘My Lightning Spear is a bit special.’
The lightning spear caused an explosion the moment it hit the ground. Electricity spread in all directions, and the current touched Josh’s feet. Josh, electrocuted, fell to the ground in a pathetic state.
If it were a normal person, they would have died instantly from the electrocution, but Josh only ended up unable to move. I had to finish him off before he could move again.
“How long are you going to lie there?”
Josh spoke. He wasn’t talking to me. I reflexively glanced at Jin, who had suffered fatal injuries.
“Tsk. Did you know about me?”
Jin, who had suffered fatal injuries, staggered to his feet. His left arm was dangling, and his intestines were spilling out from his torn abdomen. No matter how you looked at it, it wouldn’t be strange if he died right away.
“Zombie mercenary Jin Xtum. I’ve heard that name once.”
“Don’t call me a zombie mercenary. I’m a living person!”
Jin recovered in an instant.
‘Did he use a recovery artifact? I didn’t feel any magic. Is it an ability? Or is there another secret?’
As a mage, my curiosity was piqued, but I suppressed it. Now is not the time. The number of mercenaries I have to deal with has increased. I need to deal with even one of them quickly.
“There’s someone we need to deal with before that mage.”
Jin, gripping a greatsword in both hands, swung it at Cliff and Professor Hemmington. Professor Hemmington, who was at a distance, barely managed to avoid the attack, but Cliff was split into upper and lower halves.
“Kkyaaaak! Pro, Professor! Please help me!”
Cliff reached out to Professor Hemmington, but she coldly retreated and created distance.
“Eugene Meyer! What are you doing! Qu, quickly help me! Stop these guys!”
Just as Jin was about to approach to kill Professor Hemmington, Josh suddenly stood up and shouted.
“Stop! If you kill Professor Hemmington, you won’t be able to get the legacy of the ancient ruins! Do you plan to go back empty-handed?!”
“Ah, that’s right. I can’t go back empty-handed after coming all this way. Then, shall we deal with our mage first?”
Jin’s murderous intent turns towards me. I looked at his abdomen. A black light and a familiar mana property flashed between his intestines.
“…I see. You’ve received dark magic surgery.”
Dark magic-style human modification. I can guarantee it. Dark magic must be engraved in his intestines and bones.
“Oh, what? You noticed it right away? Even dark mages couldn’t recognize it.”
If I hadn’t studied dark magic, I wouldn’t have recognized it.
‘What level do you have to be to modify a human like that?’
It was certain that he was at least a master level.
I have an urge to capture Jin and dissect him. Observing the intricate magic and its byproducts would be a great help to me.
“Well, do you guys want the treasure too? Go, good. We’ll divide the treasure into three. Quickly kill that mage!”
Professor Hemmington’s reaction was not surprising.
“Shut up, Professor. Keep your mouth shut before I cut off one of your arms.”
Professor Hemmington shut her mouth tightly as Jin glared at her fiercely. He swung his greatsword in the air and approached me.
“You bastard, mage. I didn’t like you from the first time I saw you. A guy with no morals, blinded by wealth, backstabbing a fellow mercenary? If this gets out, your reputation will be ruined. Well, you’ll die before that. Even after you die, I’ll tarnish your reputation.”
“I don’t like you either. And did you think I’d just stand by and watch? Giving a mage time is the same as asking to be killed. Did you call yourself a zombie mercenary? Let’s see if you survive this. Die, Jin Xtum!”
A blue magic circle appears above my head, in the highest place. Intense sparks flew from the magic circle, which was several tens of meters in diameter. At the center of the magic circle, compressed lightning roared with a thunderous sound.
I looked at Jin, raised my hand, and then lowered it. Jin frowned and tried to defend with his greatsword.
[Thunder Bolt]
The huge lightning bolt fell not on Jin, but on Josh.
The feint worked perfectly. Josh, who was aiming his rifle at me, waiting for an opening, had to take the Thunder Bolt without any preparation.
The sound of the impact covered the space, and electromagnetism filled the air. If you inhaled, your lungs would tingle. It was giving me strength, even if it didn’t for others. Was it because I was an electric mage? That too, but it was because my ability was lightning.
‘Besides, there’s even a waterfall flowing. As an electric mage, no, as a thunder-cold mage, there is no better environment than this.’
The conditions were met.
The next Thunder Bolt I use will be even more powerful.
“Oh, oh! Mage! I believed in you!”
Professor Hemmington made a fuss. I ignored her. I’ll kill that woman in the end.
“You bastard…!”
Jin’s muscles swelled. He knew that the battle situation was unfavorable because Josh was dead, so he was using a hidden technique.
‘It’s a kind of dark magic. Is it to temporarily strengthen the body?’
It seems he wants to settle things quickly. But it was natural that things in the world don’t go as one wishes.
KUGUGUGUGUGUGUNG!
The entire ancient ruins vibrated. I floated my body into the air with telekinesis.
“Are you running away?!”
“You fool. Look behind you. The door is opening.”
With Josh’s death, five sacrifices were offered. The vicious prank of a certain archmage was now coming to an end.
“Fi, finally, the treasure is revealing itself!”
Five doors open simultaneously. The inside of the doors was a pitch-black space. Professor Hemmington shined a flashlight she took out of her pocket into the door, but the darkness did not disappear. Rather, it felt like it was absorbing the light.
A red dragon appeared from the open door.
“A dragon?!”
Jin was shocked, but soon let out a sigh of relief.
“What, it’s a young one. And it’s not even in a normal state.”
The red dragon was small. Even if it was about 2 to 3 times larger than a human, it was a very young hatchling by dragon standards. Moreover, there were wounds all over its body. Its wings were torn, its legs and tail were rotten, and blood and pus were flowing from its eyes and mouth.
“Shit. I’m swearing because I hit the jackpot. Even if it’s in bad condition, a dragon is a dragon. Just selling its corpse would be enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life! Hahahaha!”
Jin laughs. It was a sound he could make because the dragon’s condition was so bad. Professor Hemmington next to him also had her eyes shining. Judging by her looking at the dragon’s chest, it was clear that she was aiming for the dragon’s heart.
I stretched out my hand wearing the golden bracelet towards the dragon.
“Recovery.”
The golden bracelet shattered and turned into golden dust. The golden dust seeped into the dragon. The dragon’s torn wings were restored, and the rotten flesh returned to normal. Life returned to its dying eyes.
“KRAAAAAAAAH!”
The dragon let out a hostile roar.
“You crazy son of a bitch!!! Are you really out of your mind, mage!!!”
