Chapter 171: For The Yet Unknown Tales (2) |
“Aaaargh!”
An undead howled with its tattered flesh flapping in the wind.
Unlike the ones Sophia controlled, this one seemed to have had its share of knife fights in its lifetime, given its unusually savage aura.
Of course, it wasn’t able to detect me, even with my stealth and undead assimilation potion in effect.
I plunged into a group of undead, shaking the ground with their numbers.
Driven by Iona’s immense vitality, I mixed among them like a moth to flame, tirelessly moving my legs.
Being undead, they wouldn’t tire. It was wise to dope up in advance.
How long did I weave through the undead, dodging Iona’s magic in a frenzy?
Suddenly, a monstrous figure fell from the sky.
With its upper body bare, its gray skin and muscular physique were clearly visible; it was easily over two meters tall.
It was so massive that it seemed inhuman, crashing down like a meteor and leaving a crater behind.
Naturally, the monsters nearby were annihilated.
But unlike the destroyed undead, this monstrous figure sustained no injuries whatsoever.
Not just unscathed, but…
“Aaaahhhhh!”
You’d think it would be demoralized from being flung so forcefully, but it roared with rage instead.
Unable to contain its fury, it emerged from the crater it created and began hurling nearby monsters.
Even now, its gaze fixed on Iona felt eerily familiar.
Rock Giant Vilfrit.
Known as the Archbishop of Reckless Roars, symbolic of rage, immensely strong and tough.
Its only weakness? Losing its rationality and easily falling into traps.
In an unprepared situation like this, it proved to be a tricky opponent.
It wasn’t the brightest, but with an unfortunately keen sense, I had to run away.
Though it was preoccupied with Iona for now, it would soon sense the discord and seek me out.
Heup!
I ducked, narrowly avoiding a thick arm that swept over my head.
A fisherman and a skeleton were compacted in its massive hand and shot towards Iona.
Naturally, hurling them from this distance didn’t achieve much.
Sssshhhhh…
The mass of flesh and bone slowed dramatically upon touching the blood-red mist surrounding Iona, then crumbled to the ground.
“Growl!”
The creature growled in dissatisfaction and, after several attempts to compact monsters into a ball,
“Arghhhh!”
Frustrated, it began pounding the ground, throwing monsters in all directions, not just towards Iona.
Swoosh! Swipe! Whoosh!
This insane creature with anger management issues…
If it couldn’t calm down, it should’ve just left quietly. Why make a scene here?
Cursing internally, I rolled on the ground to avoid a mass of monsters flying my way.
“Huff…!”
It was only because it was Iona that she could block it effortlessly. Had it been me, I’d have had to intercept it mid-air with all sorts of magic.
Since I couldn’t do that, I had no choice but to roll on the ground.
After several tumbles, the creature finally ceased its tantrum and charged towards Iona, puffing angrily.
Bang! Boom! Baaang…!
With each step, it left its footprints on the ground.
Only when I saw its figure swiftly moving away did I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Huff…”
Somehow, I managed to get through the crisis. Now, I just need to blend in with the monsters again to approach.
While shaking off the dirt and dust from my body, appreciating that minimizing unnecessary fights made the earlier struggles worthwhile…
“???”
It felt as if someone slid ice down the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.
Instinctively, I tightened my grip on my dagger and staff, focusing my senses to quickly identify the cause.
The scattered hostility around me had, at some point, concentrated on me.
Hoping it wasn’t true, I looked around only to find the monsters beyond the devastated area by Vilfrit staring at me in unison.
Then I realized the cool breeze brushing against my face.
In my dodging and rolling, my robe’s hood must have come off.
To them, it must look like my head was just floating around. Naturally, it drew their attention.
I quickly pulled my hood back on, but it was too late.
“Kyaaaaak!”
“Kumuua huyo jamaa!”
“Tick! Tick!”
Various types of monsters, with various cries, charged at me all at once.
A wave of monsters filled every direction.
Once I had been noticed, it seemed the invisibility couldn’t hide me anymore.
So much for moving stealthily from here on.
“Sigh… But making it this far isn’t too bad.”
I dispelled the robe’s invisibility, which was now just draining my mana for no reason.
After having stealthily covered half the distance, the rest could be breached by force.
Thump.
The overlapping buffs made my magical power within feel stronger than usual, resonating with the core that began to race crazily.
Gathering the overflowing mana at the tip of my staff, I chanted the incantation.
“Oh, sturdy one. Oh, sharp one. You shall be the cannonball shot from my hand… Rock Blast!”
A giant rock surged from the ground, splitting into half a dozen stakes.
Launching one towards the front, I followed suit, throwing myself into the fray.
Screaaak!
The spinning rock stake flattened a fisherman and its minions in a line.
Thud!
It was the signal for a melee.
Iona’s hands moved swiftly.
With one hand, she formed complex seals, while with the other, she smoothly deflected the punch of the charging grey monster.
Crack.
Perhaps due to its strength, although Iona sent the creature flying, a sound of something breaking came from her arm.
Her arm bent in a direction it shouldn’t have, but it regenerated in less than a second.
Such regenerative power was befitting of a Lord-level vampire. Witnessing this, Ayla, her opponent, furrowed her brow in frustration.
“That’s what I hated about you, sis. You cut off my arm, yet yours is fine? Why? Why do I have to be the only one in pain? Why do I have to suffer alone? Why are you always unharmed?”
“So you killed my family for that reason, Ayla?”
“You are my family, not those insane vampires!”
Grinding her teeth, her eyeball-filled arm started to shine in various colors.
The Eye of Disintegration, the Eye of Petrification, the Eye of Distortion, and the Eye of Explosion.
Four Eyes manifested simultaneously, launching towards Iona.
Each one was powerful enough to be beyond the response of an average magician.
They could disassemble magic power, petrify the body, distort the surrounding space to block any escape, and cause an explosion near the heart.
A combination filled with the anguish of wanting to kill Iona.
Just as Iona wished to kill Ayla, Ayla wished for Iona’s death, evident in this single, concentrated attack.
Of course, Iona wouldn’t just let it happen.
Before the space closed, I blinked away. The magic I had been preparing was thrown as bait into the beam emitted by the Eye of Disintegration.
Then, I passed my petrification to the blood mist, and finally, with my heart thoroughly shielded, I charged at Ayla.
Boom!
Iona broke through the blistering heat.
Her pale skin reddened and blistered, but by the time she reached Ayla, it had already regenerated.
“Haah!”
Throwing magic with one hand and swinging something with the other, Iona forged and swung a great sword from her own blood in that brief moment.
This was a form of blood magic, specifically blood forging, capable of creating something out of blood.
Though the system itself was fast, Iona’s speed was on another level.
The perfectly formed blood sword aimed at Ayla’s grotesque shoulder swung down.
Losing her arm again would mean Ayla losing most of her Eyes, significantly weakening her.
But Iona wasn’t only fighting Ayla.
“This is why I hate women.”
A beautiful woman with purple hair, a pair of horns, wings, and a typical succubus tail, blocked Iona’s path.
Swoosh…
Iona’s blood sword lost its form rapidly, as if deflating, upon the succubus stretching her hand in front of it.
“Tsk.”
Iona, clicking her tongue, blinked away to create distance.
The succubus’s energy drain had similarities to a vampire’s bloodsucking. Blood, being full of life essence traditionally, inevitably loses form in front of energy drain, especially blood magic.
Of course, in a one-on-one fight with Iona, the succubus would have been decapitated before she could respond.
The succubus, knowing this, smirked annoyingly while wiping her blood-stained hand.
“Ah! But I make exceptions for lesbians. Do you like women, Sister Iona?”
“…Don’t call me that!”
Iona, infuriated, waved her hand, sending swirling droplets of blood in all directions, each with unextinguishable flames, forming a rather threatening magic.
“Don’t talk nonsense during a fight…”
A languid-voiced boy flicked his finger, creating a translucent barrier that bounced Iona’s magic away.
“See? A barrier is reliable, isn’t it? How about it? Should I step back after this is over?”
“Annoying… Just fight already…”
“Right. It didn’t even stand up last time.”
The giggling succubus and the boy sighing in annoyance looked on, along with a grumpy old man, a fat middle-aged woman oozing grease, and a man with ornate decorations and a curled mustache.
Finally, the grey-skinned monster returned with heavy steps to block Iona’s path, facing the six archbishops.
Iona growled, baring her sharp fangs.
“None of you would be a match on your own…”
“Wow… It’s been a while! Didn’t you say something similar back then, sister? Let’s see… ‘If only my body were intact, none of you would be a match’… was it?”
“……”
Ayla, smirking, taunted Iona.
Knowing it was mockery but unable to restrain herself, Iona clenched her teeth in frustration but soon relaxed her jaw.
“…No. Things are different now.”
It wasn’t about someone dying unnecessarily for her or someone sacrificing themselves for her sake.
Rather, it was Iona fighting to save others.
Personal revenge was a factor, but thinking of her students charging in hesitantly made her feel lighter.
It felt like correcting a mistake from long ago.
Iona smiled faintly, feeling liberated, and hoped to drag her damned sister along on her last journey as she gathered her magic again.
Bang!
“???”
Suddenly, an explosion sounded, and both Iona and the cultists turned their heads.
“You idiot! Why did you come back?!”
Iona was flustered enough to revert to her habitual tone.
Recognizable despite wearing a strange mask, it was Yandel, whom she thought had fled.
Yandel, talented and skilled, had somewhat surpassed the limits of a lower magician. He was actually fighting well.
But for Yandel, this act was tantamount to suicide.
It was impossible to go against the horde of monsters, and even if he somehow broke through, six archbishops and a cardinal awaited.
Even if Iona managed to hold some of them off, not all could be detained.
Surely, Yandel couldn’t handle it.
This reminded Iona of the past, of a former lord who had thrown himself in harm’s way for her.
The sight of Yandel, with his ghostly eyes tearing through a swarm of monsters, began to overlap with her memory.