Chapter 2199 – Dark Moon
I had become an angel, transcending the limitations of the flesh.
It was an indescribable joy. If I had to compare it, it felt like tasting true freedom.
However, when I focused my senses, I could still feel the sensations of my body. My current state was a paradox—having a body yet not having one.
Beliak stopped moving and stared at me, then looked around, as if searching for someone.
“Huh, Han-nam?”
Is he going on about Han-nam again? What an absurd guy. Before fully engaging in battle, I spoke to Orcia.
“Orcia, please protect the Invisible Blade from the aftermath of the battle.”
Orcia had suffered internal injuries, but she should be able to manage protecting it from the battle’s aftereffects.
Orcia looked at me with confused eyes.
“…Were you perhaps an angel from the start?”
Didn’t she recognize the 10th-grade magic, Absolute Polymorph? I understand. It’s such a high-level magic, and it’s not common sense that someone can use such magic easily.
“No. I’ll explain later.”
Fzzzt.
I spread blue wings made of lightning streaks. My body floated into the air. I instinctively knew how to use these wings. They weren’t so much organs for flying but rather a manifestation of power.
Using that power, I surged towards Beliak.
“You… creepy bastard…!”
Beliak was horrified and swung his fist at me. I also met his fist with my own. I am an angel now, after all. With the power of an angel, I figured I could easily withstand Beliak’s abnormal fist.
Crack!
I miscalculated. My fist was shattered. Beliak’s fist was also injured, but it was nothing compared to my completely broken fist.
From my horribly broken fist, a faint light flowed out like blood. It was divine mana, the power of an angel.
The moment I saw it, I realized. The heightened senses I had experienced as I became an angel, a higher being, calmed down in an instant.
‘Even if I become an angel, my essence doesn’t change. I’m not a warrior, but a mage.’
“Hehehe.”
Beliak grinned and opened his mouth wide. He was clearly intending to devour me.
Fzzzt!
My wings glowed and burst with energy. I quickly shook him off, retreated, and created some distance.
“Disgusting bastard…”
A sense of disgust towards Beliak surged within me. An emotion close to instinct. Perhaps it was because I was an angel now.
I glanced at my broken hand. Divine mana was still flowing out.
Divine mana.
Mana processed through faith. Divine mana is something that cannot be obtained unless one has faith or is born with a special lineage. In my case… it’s close to both. It goes without saying that an angel is special, and I trust myself.
“Heal.”
I used 3rd-grade divine magic. My broken arm returned to normal. It’s an incredibly useful-looking magic, but… in the case of heal, it doesn’t work on targets with severe injuries, and it has the drawback of consuming the target’s stamina.
‘I didn’t even create a proper incantation. Yet I used divine magic. …Can this be called magic if it’s used without an incantation?’
Is this how angels are? Or am I special? Either way, this power is a great help to me.
“You’re… creepy.”
Beliak put strength into his knees and jumped towards me, who was flying in the sky. I flapped my wings and dodged the attack. Immediately after, I was about to gather divine mana in my hand to manifest it as magic for a counterattack.
‘…I’m low on mana.’
It was inevitable. My mana was already at rock bottom even before I polymorphed into an angel. Although my mana was recovering quickly after becoming an angel… it was still insufficient.
‘Beliak devours living things to recover his strength and stamina. Is that impossible for me as an angel?’
The living things I could devour are… Orcia and the Invisible Blade. No matter how urgent the situation, there’s no way I would devour them.
‘Does the target to devour have to be a living thing?’
Then, my eyes caught the lightning wings that were constantly extending from my back. I looked up again. I could see the power lines in the broken wall. It was the power from Sebitseom that I used when I used [Thunder Break].
‘It seems like I can use it as energy.’
I controlled the flowing electricity.
I pulled the current from the power lines and absorbed it into my wings. Then, I suddenly realized one of the abilities I had.
Energy Absorption.
The ability to absorb the life force of a target to recover one’s own life force and mana.
‘It’s similar to Beliak’s ability to devour humans.’
Beliak didn’t give up his attack. He bounced off the floor, walls, and ceiling like a bouncy ball, rushing towards me.
I prioritized absorbing the current and dodged his attacks. For attacks I couldn’t avoid, I deployed a barrier to block them.
“Holy Barrier.”
The barrier deployed with divine mana blocked Beliak’s attacks.
“Beep! Electricity thief! Stop stealing immediately!”
“Shut up. I am a special Han-nam. I have the right to use Sebitseom’s electricity.”
“Beep! You are not a Han-nam, but an angel! Angel Eugenius! Stop stealing electricity!”
Ignoring the AI’s words, I continued to absorb electricity. The power generator somewhere in Sebitseom would keep running, so there was no chance of Sebitseom sinking into the sea due to a lack of electricity.
“Krrr…”
Beliak gnashed his teeth, unable to inflict any meaningful damage on me. Then, suddenly, his gaze shifted from me to Orcia. Beliak smacked his lips.
‘He’s targeting them? No way.’
I stopped absorbing power and pointed at Beliak.
“Holy Thunder.”
The golden lightning that shot out from my fingertip struck Beliak. In terms of pure power, it was not as strong as Thunder Bolt. However, this lightning was made of divine mana.
“Kuaaaaaa!”
Beliak writhed on the floor in agony.
I flew towards him at high speed. I wrapped my whole body in divine mana and swung my fist at him. My body was strengthened with divine mana. It wouldn’t break as easily as before.
“Holy Thunder! Holy Punch! Holy Kick!”
I unleashed holy attacks on the demon. The attacks were effective. The once-powerful Beliak was as weak as a mouse against divine mana.
Occasionally, Beliak’s magic bounced off and attacked me, but the frequency was low.
‘Just as divine mana is the nemesis of demons, magic is a dangerous power for angels.’
Still, I had the advantage. Beliak wasn’t intelligent enough to use his power effectively.
Thwack! Thump! Thwack!
I released my stress by beating him unilaterally.
‘Shall I finish him off now?’
Fzzzt, fzzzzzt.
Golden lightning gathered in my hand, taking the form of a spear. A lightning spear created using a lot of divine mana. This holy lightning spear should be enough to kill Beliak.
I was about to grab the completed spear and plunge it into his heart when, bang! Magic exploded from his body, pushing me away. I balanced myself in the air with my wings and swung the lightning spear, but he jumped upwards and escaped through the ceiling.
‘That guy who was rushing at me suddenly ran away?’
Did he suddenly gain reason as death approached? Leaving my doubts behind, I soared upwards to chase him. Orcia and the Invisible Blade would be safer here.
Coming out above, I saw the ruined Sebitseom.
Collapsed buildings, roads filled with debris, and a scorched, gray park.
A scene of a destroyed city was here.
‘Where did he go?’
Fzzzt.
My lightning wings flapped once. Electromagnetic waves spread in all directions, scanning Sebitseom.
I detected Beliak. And what was detected was not just him.
On the outskirts of Sebitseom, I detected the presence of thousands of people rushing towards this way.
‘The corporation’s forces that the black mage mentioned.’
Beliak hadn’t run away. He had moved to devour humans to recover his stamina and gain power.
“It won’t go as you planned.”
I flew towards where Beliak was.
• • •
The total number of corporate forces dispatched to Sebitseom was 1,783. They weren’t soldiers dispatched from a single corporation. They had formed a temporary alliance to obtain the ancient ruins of Great Korea. Their goal was to annihilate the enemies and gain control of Sebitseom.
Five airships with their identification numbers removed landed on the outskirts of Sebitseom.
“They poured in a round of missiles. Is there anything left?”
“It’s a floating island. According to the report, it’s called Sebitseom. Just obtaining this island is a profit.”
“The advance team was annihilated. The enemy is estimated to be a 7th-grade space-type mage. His companions are a 6th-grade mage and a 6th-grade mercenary warrior. They must be exhausted from the continuous battles, but don’t let your guard down.”
“There’s talk that the 7th-grade space-type mage is affiliated with the Hitel School?”
“So what? They’re going to die here anyway. Besides, this place is too far from Neo London. Neo London won’t be able to conduct a proper investigation. Advance. We just need to do what we have to do.”
What stood in their way was a horned demon. It rushed at them without warning, grabbing and devouring the soldiers.
“Demon appearance!!”
“Maintain formation! Even a demon can’t withstand a large army! Moreover, the demon is currently injured!”
“Airships! Prepare for bombardment! It’s estimated to be at least an 8th-grade demon! We must kill it, even if we have to blow up part of the island!”
“What is the demon’s type and name? Can we at least know which archdemon’s subordinate it is?!”
“We don’t know! There’s no information! We have no choice but to respond physically!”
They unleashed heavy equipment, including special weapons, on the demon. There were soldiers around the demon who couldn’t escape, but the situation was too urgent to care about them one by one.
“Damn it. It’s not working. What about the airships?!”
“Airships are switching to bombardment mode! It will take 70 seconds!”
“70 seconds… We can hold out. Deploy the force field! Layer a barrier and build a steel wall!”
Rumble! Bang! Bang!
Lightning struck from the sky, sweeping through the troops. Over 30 soldiers were reduced to ashes without being able to do anything. Bang! Bang! The lightning continued to strike. They identified the being that had appeared with the lightning.
The being wearing a coat had a hood on, but the space under the hood was empty. The most striking thing was the lightning wings that were flashing on its back. Also, a white halo was emitting a faint light and rotating above the hood.
“A faceless angel…?”
