Chapter 660
Ian took a slow, steady breath—like a warrior praying to the gods before stepping into the flames. Then he turned his head and met the eyes of his doppelgänger, who was smiling gently.
Though identical in appearance, that smile was free of worry or fear—pure happiness. How could he smile like that, knowing what we face, knowing what’s to come?
“Wizard.”
“…Ugh.”
“Wizard who’s lost his soul.”
Ian’s voice was heavy with pity as he addressed his opponent.
“If you can hear me, pull yourself together. It seems the puppeteer who controlled you has run into trouble. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. If you see an opening, please—”
Ian trailed off and began tracing the Reh-rok (回祿) spell.
From his shoulder blades, massive fiery wings erupted, and then a woman-shaped figure of flame rose with regal grace—the Lady of Reh-rok, Ian’s devoted follower.
“Please, tear your way out of this.”
“Kraaah!”
Despite Ian’s plea, the forbidden wizards screamed in agony, their cries almost inhuman.
Ziiing! Ziiing!
「Peristalsis」
Thanks to the forbidden magic, they conjured spells instantly without any magic circles. Tentacles burst forth, slicing through the air—each tipped with monstrous forms.
Sharp snouts, massive fangs, bloodshot eyes hunting prey… It was as if the monsters that devoured the wizards were bursting through their flesh.
“…!”
It wasn’t over. Tentacles sprouted more tentacles, which in turn sprouted even more, endlessly growing in size.
The Lady of Reh-rok behind Ian crouched, ready to strike, but held back—Ian hadn’t given the order.
Ian’s mind raced as he watched the grotesque scene.
‘Peristalsis magic… is this really what I think it is?’
Then—
“Ian! No! You can’t attack!”
Nakina shouted, alarmed at the Lady of Reh-rok’s attack stance.
“This is a spell I’ve seen in ancient tomes! Its regenerative power is incredible—if you cut off a tentacle, it multiplies thousands of times in an instant! The right move is to take out the wizards in one blow. And there are two of them! If you hesitate, it’ll get really, really dangerous!”
‘Just as I thought.’
The enemy seemed to know their weakness, wrapping the wizards from head to toe in tentacles to hide them.
“Also, if you sever the tentacles, deadly poison will be released! Be careful!”
Nakina warned desperately. If she had any magic left, she could help, but now she was just a powerless human, stripped of divine power.
Shaaak!
Suddenly, something changed. The forbidden wizards began severing each other’s tentacles. The severed limbs fell in chunks, forming massive flesh masses that rapidly multiplied, swelling their size.
“Ian, that bastard—damn it! He’s insane!”
Ian nodded lightly. Understood. If the enemy doesn’t attack, they’ll cut themselves to multiply.
The tentacles swirled like clouds, raising their bloodshot eyes defiantly, shooting venom at Ian as if daring him to try something.
Shaaak!
But Ian didn’t counterattack. Instead, he raised a protective barrier and began drawing a magic circle.
“Ian! A shield won’t be enough!”
Nakina gasped, leaping up in alarm. There were too many tentacles, and these were born of forbidden magic. Their magical depth was extraordinary—no matter how strong Ian’s shield, it was dangerous.
Sure enough—
At Nakina’s cry, the shield melted away helplessly under the poison’s assault. Just in time, the Lady of Reh-rok intervened, wrapping Ian in flames.
Shaaak!
The poison evaporated as if dissolving.
The tentacles creeping forward stopped at a certain distance. Then Ian formed a massive sphere, large enough to engulf the entire area.
Ziiing. Ziiing.
A moment of tension.
But Ian remained calm. Through the tangle of tentacles blocking the sky, he spotted the faint sun rising.
‘Just a little more… just a little more…’
He kept one eye closed, carefully moving the magic circle, and finally—
“…Done.”
The center of the concentric circles aligned perfectly with the sun.
The golden edges of the magic circle shone brightly. Nakina, watching, suddenly realized something and glanced around.
‘Could it be… the doppelgänger too?’
The doppelgänger standing a short distance away had already completed the same magic circle as Ian. When he smiled at Nakina, she paled and jabbed him sharply in the ribs.
“…Back, back off.”
“Kyuu?”
“I said back off, damn it! If you don’t want to die!”
Ziiing! Ziiing!
The magic circle grew enormous, covering the sky. The incantations composing it moved independently, forming the shape of a giant hand. This was—
「Divine Palm」.
The hand of a god.
A massive golden palm descended toward the forbidden wizards. At the same time, a slightly more translucent palm rose from the earth—that was the doppelgänger’s.
Kugugugung—! Kugung!
Between the two palms, a tremendous energy surged. The forbidden wizards and their tentacles thrashed, trying to break free, but they couldn’t withstand the divine grasp.
Kiiik!
Sshik! Sshiik!
Ian broke into a cold sweat, focusing to keep the hand’s form intact.
At a glance, the two hands seemed to cradle a butterfly delicately. But inside, venomous tentacles writhed. As poison dripped through the fingers, Ian and his doppelgänger slammed their palms together with a sharp clap.
Kwaaang!
The two Divine Palms collided with explosive force. A whirlwind swept across the area.
Nakina, clutching the dragon’s neck, and Beric, standing atop fallen soldiers, crouched low to avoid being swept away. Moments later, they stared, frozen, at the now-quiet epicenter.
Flash!
Leaving behind a blinding light as if the world itself was erased, the two poison-coated palms gradually faded and vanished completely.
Ian gasped for breath, staggering. Using several high-level spells in succession, layered one on top of another, made his head spin. Struggling to keep his balance, he finally let go and collapsed.
“Iaaan!”
“Ian!”
Both Nakina and Beric rushed to catch him, but the closest was the doppelgänger.
He wrapped Ian tightly, gently stroked his hair, then carefully laid him down before disappearing. Nakina and Beric hurried over to check on him.
“S-shall we? Ian, are you okay?”
“Why is he like this? Is he breathing? Ian!”
“…Shut up. Beric. My head hurts.”
“Whoa, he’s still conscious. Crazy. Just a headache? That’s a relief. Nakina, do something! Give him some magic!”
“I got hit by Idgal. Dummy.”
“Who’s the dummy after getting hit?”
“…Beric, please. My head’s pounding.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll zip it.”
Ian had no strength left. It felt like he’d used up all the magic he’d temporarily amplified.
Considering he’d just fought two forbidden wizards without serious injury, maybe this was still okay? Ian groaned, and Nakina looked concerned as she lifted his collar.
“…!”
Ian’s right arm was stiff and rigid. The skin had darkened, almost necrotic. It seemed the poison had seeped in while he was drawing the magic circle.
Nakina quickly tore her own clothes to bind his shoulder—a simple measure to stop the poison from spreading. But it was only temporary; they needed to get him somewhere safe for treatment immediately.
“…Beric, what’s the situation over there?”
“The Luswena soldiers? They all fled to the capital. The puppeteer seemed to have gone with them, but I couldn’t see clearly. Did you see anything?”
“Yeah. They looked like they melted away.”
“Huh? What? Their bodies?”
Nakina finished the first aid and nodded. Unlike Beric, who was limited by fighting soldiers, she had seen everything.
“Yeah. From the second one, something felt off. By the third, they just melted like they exploded.”
“Ugh, disgusting. Seriously.”
Suddenly, Ian’s left hand weakly grabbed Nakina’s arm.
“I-Ian?”
“…Third one?”
“Huh?”
Ian’s question made Nakina hesitate. He hadn’t realized a third forbidden wizard had appeared. He’d only expected two, which was why he’d made just one doppelgänger.
Kwaaang!
At that moment, the ground shook nearby—the commotion of the Magic Division fighting the third forbidden wizard.
Ian sprang up in shock, and something surged up inside him.
“Iaaan!”
“Ian!”
He coughed up hot blood. He covered his mouth with his hand, but the blood kept pouring out. The sudden movement had spread the poison rapidly.
Ian stared down at his palm, stained deep red, his face twisting into an expression beyond words. The divine golden palm that once shone and turned the world upside down had vanished without a trace—only a small, blood-soaked hand remained.
For the first time, Hale felt powerless. No matter how much of his strongest magic he summoned, no matter how many mages poured their mana into him, he couldn’t even scratch the forbidden mage who stood there like an immovable statue.
Whoosh!
“Captain!”
Hale was flung back by the opponent’s overwhelming magic, landing on one knee as he gasped for breath.
This is maddening. Just how deep is the forbidden magic to feel like such an insurmountable wall? And Ian, who faced these beings head-on, truly…
‘…is awe-inspiring.’
Hale felt keenly that even this was an understatement.
As he wiped the sweat from his brow, the mages spread out widely around the forbidden mage at the center. Without hesitation, they pooled their power to cast a binding spell.
Boom! Thud!
A magic designed to restrict movement and even imprison the target. Because so many joined forces, massive pillars of light shot out in all directions—something none had ever seen before.
Crash!
“Grrrgh!”
But the forbidden mage simply struck down the pillars with a single punch, shattering them effortlessly. It wasn’t even magic—just a fist infused with mana.
The mages screamed as they dodged flying shards, and in that moment, a tremendous roar shook the earth behind them.
Rumble! Boom!
It was Ian’s magic. Golden palms rising and falling—an exquisite display of high-level magic, from clones and chains to memory seals and now the divine palm.
The mages were so stunned they fixed their gaze on him, and the forbidden mage seized the opportunity.
Ziiing! Ziiing!
“E-everyone—!”
“Focus! Incoming!”
The forbidden mage summoned sharp flames to attack the mages.
Though protective shields sprang up quickly, they were useless—shattered in an instant. Several mages had their shoulders, cheeks, and waists slashed.
“No!”
And the assault continued.
Before the forbidden magic, everyone was helpless. What point was there in fighting an enemy that nothing could touch?
“Arghhh!”
“Watch out! Please!”
“Another one’s coming!”
“Ugh, damn it…”
“Are you okay? Injured, fall back!”
Hale bit his lower lip as he watched his comrades fall helplessly. Even Ian had layered four high-level magics to face the forbidden mage. Could he, could any of them, hope to win without sacrifice?
“Captain Hale?”
Ian had already taken on two opponents and done his part, yet here was the captain beneath him…
“Captain! Wait!”
“No, we can’t!”
Hale dropped to the ground and began drawing a forbidden magic circle. The startled mages tried to approach, but Hale flashed a sharp glare, refusing their help.
“Everyone, keep going!”
“Captain! Absolutely not!”
“If we don’t stop this, we’re all dead.”
Our deaths would mean Bariel’s downfall, and with it, the denial of Ian’s past and future. Are we really going to bury Gaia’s pride here?
No. Never.
“Hale—!”
Ziiing! Ziiing!
The forbidden magic circle took shape at Hale’s fingertips. Just seeing it was terrifying, but now it hovered vividly before his eyes. He let out a brief sigh and then drew a cross on his palm with a knife.
Slash!
All that was left was to mix his blood into the circle.
Looking at his comrades, Hale whispered softly, “I’m sorry. And thank you.”
Now, I will take this burden and forge your future with my own hands. Just as he resolved this, ready to mix his blood into the magic circle—
Snap!
Someone grabbed his hand. Small but firm, stained with blood. Like the golden divine palm that once shook heaven and earth, two red hands met in midair.
“…Hale. The abyss is a world you don’t have to see.”
It was Ian. Gritting his teeth, standing firm. Sweat dripped down his jaw.
Instinctively, Hale turned to check the forbidden mage—and realized it was trapped by Idgalo. It wouldn’t last long, but the enemy’s feet were bound in a single strike.
Ian gave the order.
“We’ll pull back for now. Everyone, stay alert and get up.”