Episode 108
Chapter 35: The Tragedy of Colon (7)

“Damn it! You pests, block them!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Everyone, natives, gather close to us!”

Murakan and Kashimir were struggling to hold back the hailstorm of ice chunks pouring down from the sky. There had to be hundreds of them, and it was maddening that Jin couldn’t transform into a dragon to deal with them.

“Aaaah!”

“Ugh…”

The natives with intact throats screamed, while those who had lost their voices to Myuron barely managed low sounds. Many others were frozen stiff, like statues, unable to utter a word.

“Hey! Move! If you don’t want to die!”

Murakan cursed and grabbed the natives one by one, tossing them toward Kashimir’s side.

“I’ll send all the natives your way, so stay sharp and block those ice chunks!”

“Please throw them gently, Murakan-sama!”

As expected, Jin, caught in the newly activated magic trap, couldn’t join the rescue.

Buzzzz…!

Chains of magical energy rose from the glowing magic circle beneath Jin’s feet, binding his ankles.

Myuron’s face twisted with delight. As hundreds of ice chunks began to strike the ground in earnest, the earth trembled as if from an earthquake.

“Quite a… beautiful night, isn’t it, Jin Runkandel?”

Clang!

Jin swung his sword, Bradamante, slicing through the chains.

But no matter how many times he cut them, the chains reformed instantly.

“Kuhahaha! That’s the magic we pride ourselves on at the Seven Towers. Escaping is nearly impossible…”

Crack!

“…Not quite. Hah, was that too easy? Don’t glare at me like that. There are still plenty of traps left.”

No sooner had Myuron finished speaking than Jin dispelled the chains. Strengthening his spiritual energy, he sliced through the magic circle, shattering it.

Still, the area around him shimmered with magical energy, and many of the magic circles were unfamiliar to Jin, making it too risky to move freely.

‘This guy’s completely insane. How many traps did he set? I couldn’t even sense them because I couldn’t read the flow of magic.’

Colon was no longer an abandoned ruin with magic circles scattered about.

It was a kind of magical fortress. Jin had never fought in a place so heavily trapped.

Though it looked like Jin had easily cut through the chains, he had actually taken a hit. Having only recently mastered sword release, it wasn’t easy for him to explosively boost his spiritual energy.

‘If all his traps are like this, I’m in trouble. I can’t keep blasting my spiritual energy every time to break them. I’d be drained before I even reach Myuron.’

Murakan and Kashimir were too busy saving the natives to help. That meant no backup until the ice chunks stopped falling.

‘But… can even an 8-star mage control this much magic?’

Jin couldn’t read the flow of magic, so he couldn’t gauge the full scale.

But everything visible required immense magical power.

Just the hundreds of ice chunks raining down on the natives would consume over 60% of an average 8-star mage’s power.

‘Even if the traps were set in advance, maintaining such responsive magic requires a lot of power. And he’s casting three high-level spells at once…’

This was beyond the level of magic control Jin knew for an 8-star mage. So he must be a 9-star.

‘There’s a magic amplification artifact. I have to find and destroy it.’

“What are you thinking?”

Myuron swung his staff, triggering another trap.

This time, a beam of condensed magical energy shot from behind Jin. Just as he was about to dodge—

Suddenly, dozens of small magic circles appeared in Jin’s vision. And they were spells he knew well.

‘Land of Corrosion!?’

When dozens of these magic circles activate, anything inside is absorbed into the earth as nourishment—an 8-star earth magic of pure essence.

There were only two ways to stop it: break it with greater magic power or escape the area.

Naturally, Jin decided it was better to face the beam head-on than to throw himself into the Land of Corrosion.

Kraaaash!

Cutting through the beam, Bradamante’s spiritual energy and magic clashed, creating a swirling vortex. Some stray magic grazed Jin’s body, but it wasn’t enough to hinder him.

At the same time, the Land of Corrosion spread where Jin had planned to dodge. Seeing the dark red magic filling the air as if devouring it, Jin swallowed hard.

‘That was close.’

Jin could block an 8-star magic beam because his spiritual energy was one level above magic.

Myuron narrowed his eyes, watching.

‘Father always said Solderet was the god of swords. Indeed, if Jin Runkandel masters that power, he’ll be hard to beat with magic. And that guy… is he understanding my spells?’

At first, Myuron thought Jin’s initial dodge of the hellwind was pure luck.

But even after the traps activated, Jin remained calm. He didn’t avoid the Land of Corrosion either.

Jin’s actions fit too perfectly to be coincidence.

“You’re not… a magic swordsman, are you?”

Jin’s pupils dilated. Luckily, his helmet hid his expression. No one had ever figured out his abilities this quickly.

The head of the Seven Towers of Ziphl wasn’t a position handed out lightly, even to purebloods.

Especially someone like Myuron, whose personality was a huge problem. Given Ziphl’s emphasis on propriety, only the most skilled could become tower heads.

“Heh heh. No answer? I’m sure of it—you’re a magic swordsman.”

For the first time, Myuron closed the distance with Jin, who had kept him at bay until now.

It was unusual for a mage like Myuron to engage in close combat with a sword-released opponent like Jin. He had no reason to get close, especially with his traps working well.

Jin knew why.

‘He’s planning to forcibly reverse my magic flow by injecting his own magic!’

For magic users, the most devastating moment is when magic reflux begins.

That’s why battles between mages are easier to judge than those between warriors—if the stronger mage can trigger reflux in the opponent, it’s over.

The situation was grim.

Trapped among countless glowing magic circles, Jin was cramped and couldn’t move freely.

Meanwhile, Myuron, the trap’s master, was barely affected, negating most of Jin’s physical advantages.

“Magic reflux is the most humiliating defeat for a magic user… kuhaha—ugh!”

But Jin’s advantage in close combat wasn’t just swordsmanship and martial arts.

Just as Myuron tried to stab Jin with a magic-infused staff tip—

Pat!

In moments of crisis, always, without fail!

The ancient light magic, Chenmi’s Flash Cannon, erupted between them like a blazing sun.

Jin smiled triumphantly, while Myuron squeezed his eyes shut and stumbled backward.

“What are you babbling about now?”

As Myuron’s focus wavered for a split second—

The traps briefly dimmed. Some of the ice chunks hanging in the sky shattered into fragments, and Bradamante scattered sparks of sword energy.

Shhhhk!

Black particles of spiritual energy traced the sword’s path.

The unmistakable sensation of cutting through flesh and bone tingled at Jin’s fingertips.

‘Left arm… a shame.’

He had aimed to sever both arms, but only Myuron’s left arm was cut off. Myuron had used magic to momentarily compress the air, twisting Bradamante’s trajectory.

‘Not very mage-like reflexes—almost beastly. He may be weaker than Andrei in magic, but in some ways, he’s a more troublesome opponent.’

Without certainty of a kill, Jin held back from further attacks and instead decided to escape the trap-laden ground.

After all, Colon was riddled with magic traps, but the most dangerous ones were concentrated here.

Thud.

Myuron’s severed left arm fell to the ground, spiritual energy swirling around the wound. His shoulder was the same, the remaining energy slowly corroding bone and flesh.

“Wow… impressive! Light magic and shadow power combined. I want it, really.”

Ugh!

Myuron grunted softly, forming a small magic blade to cut away the corroded flesh, smiling.

He showed no sign of distress over losing his arm. It wasn’t bravado.

He was enjoying this fight.

“You probably think I’m crazy, huh? But Jin Runkandel, even if you can’t see it under your helmet… I bet you’re wearing a pretty good expression too. You’re the same kind of person as me. You love to fight.”

Of course, that was Myuron’s misconception.

“Think whatever you want. I won’t grant you that freedom until I kill you.”

“That’s quite generous. But do you really think you can kill me? Our uncivilized friends… will protect me. Let’s see, I’ve already used three of them.”

“What are you talking about?”

Jin mulled over those words, sighing inwardly.

“Myuron Ziphl… you don’t mean…”

“No way! It’s exactly what you think! I’m using our so-called ‘primitive’ friends as magic amplifiers.”

“You mean you’re using humans as catalysts?”

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you.” He smirked.

Bang!

Suddenly, Myuron fired a magic cannon, blowing an entire small building next to them to rubble. The building was already half-collapsed from the falling ice chunks.

This was the place Dino had called the ‘basement where the natives were taken.’

As the dust settled, what was revealed were the natives, piled up like heaps of garbage, their bodies covered in rune markings. Not all were visible, but it seemed every native who had been taken was there.

Kashimir and even Murakan shook their heads in horror at the gruesome sight.

Dino collapsed, his face blank and defeated.

“Why would I willingly show you my weakness? You look like you don’t understand.”

“You bastard…”

“I’m showing you because I want you to understand how precious the natives’ lives are. So precious that the three of you didn’t attack together, and instead, Rune Kandel, you’re the only one facing me.”

Myuron clicked his tongue, savoring the moment.

“If you want to finish me off, then get rid of those bugs turned magic batteries right now. They’re still alive. And the three of you attack together. It’s simple, isn’t it? Forget about your so-called goodwill or conscience—let’s just go all out, heh heh.”

Phew.

Just as Jin let out a low sigh—

“Lies!”

A woman’s voice shouted from somewhere.

“It’s a lie! It’s not those kin over there who are strengthening his magic—it’s our sacred relic!”