Chapter 992
Episode 246: The Battle for the Mitra Great Desert (Part 2)
“…Magic!?”
“Since Zito is dead, it can’t be from the True Demon Realm. Could it be from that device the demon Kinzello used?”
Rooooar…!
The magical energy was rapidly intensifying. Even the Changsung couldn’t just ignore this level of mana. Jin carefully observed the atmosphere around Simat.
Though he showed no outward sign, it was clear Simat had also turned his attention to the surge of magic—it wasn’t something he wanted to see.
Simat and Jin exchanged glances, sharing the same thought. As they crossed swords, they naturally moved toward the source of the magical energy. Both wanted to confirm what exactly was happening.
As Jin and Simat approached the source, the density of the enemy’s red-brain waves began to thin across the area.
This was because, like the shockwave, the red-brain waves were being absorbed by the necromantic equipment left behind by Lanke as he fled.
The Red-Eyed Tribe, without any orders from Simat, tried to restore the thinning red-brain wave concentration, but the blow was unavoidable.
The red-brain wave was one of the Red-Eyed Tribe’s proudest assets. Even the two airborne fortresses spreading the waves directly were being affected by Lanke’s crude device.
“Graaah!”
“Who dares wake us?”
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed across the battlefield. By the time Jin and Simat reached the necromantic device, they could see the source of the voice.
“What is that? Ghosts…?”
“Demon souls!? That demon Lanke Halobiche was attempting necromancy!”
Ghosts, or spirits.
The beings summoned by the magic circle near the necromantic device had a pale, translucent form—like Orgal before he fully recovered.
This was the moment Lanke’s necromancy succeeded. It was a method no one from Kinzello’s faction had anticipated.
“I see now. The demon tried necromancy but lacked the power needed. They filled that gap by using the energy of our Red-Eyed Tribe and you, Jin Runkandel. I thought it was just a cheap trick to lure us and the Bamel Alliance out, but Kinzello actually has some brains…!”
Of course, Simat was mistaken.
The success of the necromancy was pure luck for Kinzello. While it’s true the ritual lacked sufficient power, Lanke had no idea why it failed before.
Moreover, the ancient necromantic ritual Lanke used was incomplete. It was precisely the flaws in the ritual that caused this accidental success.
The flaw caused the device to absorb “all kinds of power” nearby. The absorbed energy was then transferred directly to the summoned demons.
“I am Sribi, the Great Demon of Mount Tekan! Tell me, who woke me? We will fight for that worthy one!”
“I woke you.”
“Me too.”
Jin and Simat said simultaneously, inwardly scoffing at their own shameless lies.
“Always so many liars, then and now. I, Sribi, actually know the name of the one who pulled us from the abyss. It’s Lanke Halobiche. But I pretend not to know and search for the summoner out of tradition.”
“Hey Sribi, don’t you recognize these two? Lanke Halobiche begged us to kill those cursed ones—the warrior of the Red-Eyed Tribe and Jin Runkandel. They look just like those he cursed.”
“Then our task is clear: tear you apart!”
The Great Demon Sribi lunged at Simat.
His speed was fierce, but despite being in spirit form, his gaunt body wasn’t particularly threatening.
Simat raised a light sword wind to block Sribi’s approach. A red aura spread in a circle, engulfing Sribi.
But Sribi passed through the sword wind as if it were an illusion. Simat calmly swung again, slicing him in two, but Sribi remained unharmed.
Thunk!
Sribi’s fist slammed down on Simat’s face. Seeing that his sword couldn’t cut Sribi, Simat deliberately took the hit.
“Ouch! What’s so hard about you?”
The dull impact sounded, but it was Sribi who winced in pain.
“Strange. Your sword wind doesn’t cut me, like I’m a phantom, yet when you attack, you have mass.”
Simat didn’t dodge Sribi’s next strike. As the fist touched his body, he countered precisely.
But the result was the same. Simat’s sword slid through Sribi’s form, striking only empty air, while Sribi grabbed his own fist.
Jin recalled a past battle in the Black Sea with Mary against Ozdok, who also ignored physical attacks.
“But Sribi is different. As Simat just confirmed, Sribi doesn’t gain any weakness when attacking, unlike Ozdok.”
A being that completely defies physical laws.
All the summoned demons shared this trait.
“What the hell is this guy’s strength!? The one beside him seems just as strong. Lanke Halobiche, do you have any conscience? You’re being too harsh on these retired old men!”
Other demons summoned alongside Sribi charged at Jin and Simat.
Jin deliberately blocked with his spirit sword, but even that passed through the demons’ translucent bodies.
This meant the summoned demons could attack unilaterally.
“Jin Runkandel, I had you rated highly, but you’re even more impressive… to remain so intact after facing the Witch’s Abyss.”
Suddenly, Jin remembered what Zito had said.
“Sribi said he was summoned from the abyss. Being from the Witch’s domain, he must have abilities that defy the world’s order. But there must be some limits—like spatial constraints or weak combat power, as we see now.”
The necromantic device continued absorbing the red-brain waves.
It had transformed beyond what could be called a mere device. The metals and components were completely melted and mixed into the magic circle.
Even the magic circle had become translucent like the demons, making it impossible to dispel or break.
“Bakarun comrades, retrieve the red-brain waves spreading on my side.”
This was to prevent the demons from absorbing more red-brain energy. Each absorption made the demons stronger.
Fzzt!
Meanwhile, Jin raised his brain energy.
“Interesting fellows, aren’t they? Right, Simat? Maybe we should let these guys join our fight.”
“True. From your perspective, having such variables might make facing me less burdensome, Jin Runkandel.”
“Graaah! Killing me!”
The demons roared as they absorbed the brain energy.
“Even if we retrieve the red-brain waves, the demons are pulling energy from far away. They might be absorbing the entire desert’s power.”
Such a vast energy absorption was beyond even the Red-Eyed Tribe’s technology.
Simat felt uneasy about this unexpected variable. He had a bad feeling the demons would cause serious trouble.
Zzzt!
Jin’s light-speed thrust struck Simat’s chest. Simat raised Tetalon to block and simultaneously fired support shots from Pibil.
Jin sliced the shots in half, and the scattered red-brain fragments were absorbed by the demons’ souls.
Now, even when Sribi struck Simat, he no longer winced in pain. Though still unable to leave a scratch, Sribi had grown stronger.
“These demons seem to attack me way more than Jin Runkandel does.”
In fact, that was true.
Jin noticed the demons were more favorable toward him than Simat.
“Could it be because I killed Zito?”
Just then, Sribi winked at Jin.
“You don’t know, but we’re old acquaintances. When the abyss opened in the True Demon Realm, I saw you. So after I kill this Simat, I’ll kill you.”
“I don’t know whether to thank you or be outraged.”
“There’s no harm to you, so you should thank me! But the other two haven’t seen you before, so they’ll do as they please.”
As he said, the other two demons were wildly attacking Jin and Simat.
These demons were a new kind of enemy for both Changsung—annoying like mosquitoes but impossible to kill or block.
Dodging the blue brain energy, aura, magic, and red brain energy flying everywhere, the Changsung moved frantically, while the demons laughed and boldly ran through explosions.
They even had the ability to float, never falling into pits formed by the collapsing ground. They constantly exploited openings to irritate the Changsung.
“Did you know, Simat? No matter how strong you are, you’re not infinite. Like water droplets eventually wearing down a rock, I’ll pierce through you. Like this, like this!”
Bang! Bang! Sribi’s fists repeatedly struck the back of Simat’s head. He was perched on Simat’s back.
And Simat couldn’t shake him off. Sribi neither grabbed him nor could be shaken loose.
Jin watched Simat’s expression crumple in real time and thought to himself: I absolutely can’t get caught.
No matter how strong Changsung was, if someone clung to your back and kept landing punches, your focus would inevitably scatter. Jin pressed Simat even harder.
“…You go through the strangest ordeals.”
Gritting his teeth, Simat suddenly took off running wildly across the great desert, hoping the demons had some kind of ‘distance limitation.’
“Bakarun! Open a small dimensional gate at my location leading outside the Mitra Great Desert.”
Moments later, the portal opened. Simat slipped through it, but Jin didn’t follow—instead, he moved to avoid the remaining demons.
Eventually, he found himself back where the initial summoning circle had been. Sribi was waiting there. The demons were programmed to return to their starting point if they left the desert.
[Damn it, our weakness’s been exposed way too easily. At this rate, we can’t kill you. Jin Runkandel, are you planning to run now?]
For the demons, if Simat or Jin left the desert, they were powerless. But the Bamel Alliance and the Jeokmyeong tribe couldn’t afford to abandon or leave the desert.
About three minutes later, Simat reappeared on the battlefield, and Sribi grinned.
“What’s this? You managed to shake me off, only to come back here? So you’ve got some business in this desert after all?”
Simat said nothing. Somewhere beneath his blank expression, a deep anger seemed to simmer.
“Whatever it is, you won’t succeed. Sribi and my dear friends from the Abyss will keep interfering with you until the very end! Hahaha!”