The Mad Sorcerer and the Broken Ones
It might have been a bit premature, but it was a decisive move. I could feel it in the clash just now—I was certain I had the upper hand over Mavolo.
Still, he was the first to reveal his hidden card. Everything had gone according to plan so far, but it felt like walking on thin ice. One small mistake from either side, and it would all be over.
‘What about the clan members…?’
I was about to turn my head, worried they might be panicking from the sudden turn of events.
Ping!
A faint sound sliced through the air. I quickly raised my sword to deflect a small magical arrow that had been shot my way.
“Whoa there, don’t turn your head, friend.”
“Who said I’m your friend?”
“Haha. If you’re someone with power beyond the norm, you should know. Revealing this kind of power takes a huge toll on the body. I’ve shown it despite the burden, so focus all your attention on me, just like you have been.”
“You’re insane.”
Even as I insulted him, Mavolo laughed heartily, genuinely pleased. The more power he unleashed, the more his initially gentle expression shifted rapidly. From soft to sharp, from joyful to furious. He was the very picture of madness.
‘Well, it’s hard to believe anyone could stay sane for nearly 300 years.’
I decided to stop thinking about it. Behind Mavolo, who was floating in the air, the space rippled like water. Soon, a brilliant light flickered from the staff in his right hand, and a glowing orb floated up. But that wasn’t the end.
“I’m not usually one for overwhelming force, but…”
With each shake of his staff, numerous magic circles responded. Like crafting a formula, each circle he arranged caused the ripples to grow and multiply simultaneously.
“This seems to be the only way to bring you down. Alright… it’s ready.”
Flash! Wooooom!
As Mavolo finished speaking, the ripples in the air began to spew out orbs of light one by one. In an instant, they multiplied into dozens, then hundreds, filling the sky so densely that it was hard to see anything else. It was an overwhelming display of power. Mavolo looked up at the sky with satisfaction.
“I’ve mixed ancient magic amplification, duplication, and division. Think you can stop it?”
”…”
“No answer? I wouldn’t try dodging if I were you. Otherwise, these orbs of light might just crash into your comrades fighting so hard back there. Heh heh!”
With a chilling laugh, Mavolo swung his staff down with all his might. That was the signal for hundreds of flashing lights to rain down from all directions, targeting precisely where I stood.
‘This brings back memories.’
They descended slowly at first, but as they passed through the magic circles suspended in the air, they accelerated. It was like a torrential downpour, a meteor shower of blazing speed, countless droplets of light hurtling toward me.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
I took a deep breath to steady myself. Planting my feet firmly on the ground, I held my sword in my right hand and the Sun and Moon Sword in my left. I had to predict the trajectory of each one and deflect as many as possible. Honestly, it was impossible to block them all. I could only deflect as many as I could and rely on my anti-magic resistance for the rest.
“Haha!”
Ignoring the old man’s mocking laughter, I bent my body slightly. As the flashes closed in, I opened my eyes wide and swung both swords with all my might.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
I swung the swords like a windmill, blocking the approaching flashes. The blades flashed in all directions, forming a precise barrier of light. The more the blades flashed, the more the explosions increased, but only for a moment. Occasionally, I felt a faint vibration in my body, and the sun’s glory felt hotter than necessary. It was proof that a few had slipped through and were testing my anti-magic resistance.
“Possessed, truly possessed. What an incredible sight.”
I heard the mocking voice again, but I had no time to pay attention. If even one orb broke through my last line of defense and struck my body directly, it would shake me to my core. That would naturally disrupt my swordplay and create openings. I could feel the occasional intense vibration in the hand holding the Sun and Moon Sword. The vibrations coursing through my body felt like they were resonating in my arms and even my head. But I gritted my teeth and endured.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
How much time had passed? As Mavolo had said, it felt like I had been dancing in a trance for a while. And just as the onslaught seemed to ease a bit, I sensed something was off.
‘Why is he so quiet?’
With a sliver of newfound composure, I managed to lift my head, only to meet Mavolo’s gaze. He was watching me with a disturbingly pleased, maniacal smile, muttering incantations without pause. It meant he was preparing a follow-up attack.
“Neither of us thought it would end with just this, did we?”
”…”
“Heh heh heh! That was just a distraction. The real deal is this…!”
The orbs of light had only slightly diminished, but Mavolo had already finished his incantation and aimed his staff at me. Without giving me a moment’s respite, the light from his staff burst forth, and I felt opposing energies rising on either side of me.
It was a magic circle. That’s all I could discern. One side exuded a chilling cold that seemed to freeze my entire body, while the other radiated a searing heat.
“This spell was quite a challenge for me. Summoning and merging. Now, let’s see you handle this and end up groveling for your life.”
Snap!
With Mavolo’s oily voice, the magic circles surged from both sides. The speed was so fast that they pierced through my anti-magic resistance in the blink of an eye.
‘This is… dangerous.’
Realizing the threat, I unleashed the power dormant in my heart without hesitation, stomping the ground with force. As the earth trembled, I saw a blinding light explode before my eyes.
Boom! Kwooooooo!
“It’s over. Haha. Hmm, did I overdo it?”
A massive explosion erupted with a deafening roar. Mavolo watched the scene with delight, then clicked his tongue. It would be a shame if such a promising talent he had found after so long were to die. But he shook his head, muttering to himself.
“No, no. To break through that monstrous resistance, this was necessary.”
The spell Mavolo used forced opposing energies to merge, harnessing the resulting explosive power. Moreover, the energies summoned this time were from another world, where such forces didn’t exist in balance. Even separately, they were immensely powerful, and forcing them together meant the result was predictably devastating.
Mavolo stretched, feeling the strain on his body.
“Ugh, I’ve been feeling unwell lately, and I overexerted myself. Let’s check the results and dispel this…”
Thick black smoke billowed from where Kim Su-hyun had been. Mavolo grumbled lightly, about to wave his staff to clear it. But just as he was about to—
Fwoosh, fwoosh!
The sound of flames crackling made Mavolo tilt his head slightly. According to his calculations, the two energies should have canceled each other out upon collision. But if there was still the sound of fire, it meant Mavolo had miscalculated. It had been a while since he had used his powers, and the realization of a slight error brought a bitter expression to the archmage’s face.
“Age is hard to hide… Hm?”
It was then.
Fwoosh, fwoosh!
Through the thick smoke, a single sword, burning brightly, emerged. As they pierced through the smoke, they shot toward Mavolo like arrows.
Faced with dozens of fiery swords filling the air, Mavolo’s eyes widened in surprise. Yet, his experience didn’t fail him. With the seasoned reflexes he had honed over the years, he raised his staff, and in response, dozens of magic circles began to stack up in front of him. Mavolo felt a moment of relief. But just as he was about to lower his gaze to assess the situation—
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Oh…”
As he looked at the blazing swords embedded in his body, Marvolo let out a reflexive groan. His gaze drifted blankly forward. The layers of magic circles that had been meticulously constructed were now melting away, riddled with holes. A fleeting thought crossed Marvolo’s mind, and despite his will, the ground seemed to draw closer.
“No way…”
Thud!
“Aaaaargh!”
The fire that had infiltrated his body exploded, tearing him apart from the inside. The pain hit him belatedly, and Marvolo screamed in agony, rolling on the ground. He tried desperately to summon his magic to extinguish the flames, but they refused to die out. Instead, his magic was consumed, fueling the fire even more.
“Damn it.”
At that moment, through the smoke and debris from the explosion of the magic circle, a man slowly emerged. It was none other than Kim Su-hyun. He walked forward, swords in both hands, his expression one of frustration. His appearance was far from unscathed; his clothes were torn and singed, evidence of the damage he had endured.
“This bastard really knows how to piss someone off. I was genuinely surprised. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see the Sixth Hellfire and the Eternal Snow here. Damn it.”
Gone was the calm voice from before, replaced by a growl filled with anger. Normally, Marvolo would have been pleased to have finally provoked him, but there was no room for such thoughts now. For the first time in ages, the great wizard felt the fear of death.
“How… how did you… No, how did you even get there…?”
“How, you ask? I had to reveal my hand.”
“You! You were hiding such power…!”
“You knew. I told you when I tore through the barrier.”
Despite the searing pain, Marvolo managed to stand. His abilities were still intact. As a great wizard, he couldn’t simply accept death without a fight. With great effort, he aimed his magic at Su-hyun. But—
“Put that down.”
Whoosh, whoosh!
With Su-hyun’s cold command, dozens of bright flames surged toward him again. Marvolo gritted his teeth and summoned his magic.
Boom! Crash!
The flames clashed with Marvolo’s magic circles, which appeared in an instant only to melt away just as quickly. Marvolo could do nothing but watch helplessly as the fiery swords closed in.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Aaah! Aaaah!”
Even with the burning swords embedded in his body, Marvolo somehow remained standing. Clutching his staff with his remaining hand, he cried out like a child. Su-hyun watched silently, then suddenly leaped lightly into the air.
Thump!
Marvolo instinctively took a step back, then another. His mind screamed at him to dodge, to flee, but his body refused to obey. The newly embedded fiery swords spewed fresh flames, engulfing him. All he could do was grit his teeth and lift his staff with superhuman willpower.
In a flash, Su-hyun closed the distance and struck with the flat of his sword before the light of Marvolo’s staff could flare.
“Ugh!”
With a dull thud, the staff spun into the air, and Marvolo’s body was sent flying.
Crash, thud!
“Cough!”
As he lay on the ground, Marvolo coughed up a mouthful of blood. Kim Su-hyun staggered toward him, step by step.
Thud, thud.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Marvolo finally felt the creeping tendrils of fear.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
I stayed up all night. ㅜ.ㅠ I’ll post this first and then get some sleep. I’ll combine the replies in the next update! I’m so exhausted. Sob. But if you pat my head, maybe I’ll do a continuous update tomorrow… Hehe.