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“…”
Norton casually watched Georg melting away.
Even without using any special techniques, within this Bongmajin, maintaining any form of life was impossible. Even for Georg.
Norton, shifting his gaze, began to radiate magic to draw a summoning circle on the ground.
It was a summoning circle to call upon a spirit. When the circle was halfway drawn.
“Uwahhh!”
A shadow loomed over his head. The melting Georg’s body swelled up massively and was about to engulf him.
Ting-a-ling!
Norton hurriedly plucked the harp. Transparent lines appeared, slashing at the bloated flesh.
However, all the lines vanished when they neared the flesh.
“!”
Norton’s eyes widened as the advancing flesh caught his attention. It was too late to play the harp. That was when confusion flashed across Norton’s face.
Ssshhh…
In an instant, the engulfing flesh turned to ashes and scattered. It was the crumbling of Georg’s physical form that couldn’t withstand the power of Bongmajin.
─I won’t forget, Noterone!
Watching the disappearing Georg turning to ashes, cold sweat trickled down Norton’s chin.
“…Is this all a mere avatar can do?”
What had just vanished was merely a projection of Georg. His lazy mind detested moving on its own. Even at such a crucial moment of obtaining the pearl of the sea god.
That laziness turned out to be a stroke of luck for Norton above all else.
If Georg had come in person instead of a projection, it would have been Norton himself disappearing, not Georg.
“Although I calculated and acted accordingly.”
Feeling it firsthand was more chilling than he had imagined.
Norton, tilting his head, completed the summoning circle of the spirit.
Of course, even if he completed the summoning circle, as a human, it was impossible for him to summon a natural being like a spirit. But it was possible now.
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Norton placed the pearl of the sea god in the center of the summoning circle.
Whoom!
The pure mana contained in the Sea God’s pearl seeped into the magic circle, causing it to resonate brightly.
“······.”
Norton quietly gazed at the shimmering magic circle.
Before long, a spirit drawn by the pure mana revealed itself above the circle.
Rising from the ground, it took the form of a girl shining like a star. However, her presence was short-lived.
─······.
The girl, who had been looking at Norton, vanished in a flash of light.
The spirit to contract with the Mage, it did not exist anywhere in this world. Norton was well aware of this fact. And.
─······!
The fading figure of the girl halted its collapse. A smirk formed on Norton’s lips.
“It’s the power of the Seal Magic. Spirit. Without my permission, you cannot leave this place.”
Whoosh!
The flames of the Seal Magic, maintained by the Sea God’s pearl, engulfed the spirit’s body.
“You must make a contract with me.”
Norton drew his sharp claws across his forearm. Crimson blood pierced through the flesh and flowed.
Splat!
As he swung his arm, blood splattered over the spirit. The areas touched by blood darkened as if tainted.
However, merely splattering blood did not mean the Mage could contract with the spirit.
“They say the purer the being, the easier they go mad.”
Step by step,
Norton, approaching the trembling spirit, picked up the Sea God’s pearl.
“I wonder how a spirit, considered the purest being, will react.”
Norton inserted the Sea God’s pearl into the spirit’s chest.
At that moment.
─Screaaam!
The spirit’s mouth opened, emitting a chilling scream.
The mana of the Sea God’s pearl spread infinitely, causing the spirit’s body to swell and contort uncontrollably.
The light burst forth, breaking the constraints of the Seal Magic. The spirit went wild, causing havoc in the banquet hall.
The ground, the walls, the tables, the stairs, the chandeliers… The spirit’s rampage shattered and tore everything around.
Norton, now distanced from the spirit, watched with eager eyes.
Eventually, as the destruction ceased, the banquet hall fell eerily silent.
─······.
The now calm spirit, stained with Norton’s blood, began to darken around the bloodied area.
“Indeed, I was right.”
[Receiving mana beyond its limits, the spirit, driven mad, will fall into corruption when touched by magic.]
It was just as Norton had read in the ancient texts at MacDowell’s library.
However, instead of risking the dangers of taking the Sea God’s pearl himself, Norton had substituted the spirit.
Norton’s eyes trembled as he looked at the darkened spirit.
‘What incredible power.’
The spirit who accepted the Sea God’s pearl emanated immense magic.
“If this is it······”
The image of a man flickered through his mind.
A fiend who callously took the lives of his beloved daughter and subordinates, living without remorse.
He exterminated those who turned into demons without seeking redemption.
However, Norton couldn’t seek revenge against him.
Because he lacked talent.
Yet, with this power, perhaps the path to revenge might open.
“…Not much time left.”
Norton clenched his fist.
At that moment, the fallen spirit turned to look at Norton.
Startled by the eye contact, Norton then realized the spirit was waiting for orders and chuckled.
“hehehe, first, tidy up outside.”
─······.
The black girl silently turned and walked out of the banquet hall.
Soon after, sensing a commotion outside, Norton slowly began to walk away.
Just then.
“As expected, you’re here.”
“!”
Norton halted his steps at the familiar voice from behind.
Turning around, his eyes widened.
“You are······”
“Long time no see, Team Leader. Or should I address you differently?”
A woman emerged from the shadows of the stairs.
“Mine, Norton Macdowell.”
Her face, illuminated by the sunlight by the window, belonged to the leader of the Dawn’s Guardians 1st Team, Knight Seoharin.
***
Meanwhile, on a mountain not far from Haenam-ga.
Dozens of Kruts were passing below the sheer cliff.
Han Seyeon stood at the edge of the cliff, quietly watching the procession of Kruts.
Suddenly, she turned her head at the massive magical wave she felt.
The wave originated in the direction of Haenam-ga.
She recalled the words of Yi Haesol before she left.
─Don’t push yourself too hard. Once you handle things here, we’ll head out soon.
“Is there any other way than pushing myself too hard?”
She murmured softly, leaning her body towards the edge of the cliff.
Soon, her body began to plummet, shrouded in darkness.
***
Yoo Hyeok, the mid-tier Mine leading the Kruts, looked up.
A woman was falling from the sky.
“Suicide?”
Why would someone come all the way to this mountain and commit suicide? Is she crazy?
“Annoying.”
Yoo Hyuk, with a cold tongue, was about to pause his movements to avoid it.
“···Huh?”
The woman who suddenly fell was engulfed by darkness.
Startled, Yoo Hyuk blinked his eyes as he saw the woman who had landed in front of him.
“Who are you?”
Yoo Hyuk blurted out, then felt a chill. There was a strong scent of magic emanating from the woman in front of him, enough to make him certain she was undoubtedly a high-ranking mage he didn’t know. Just as Yoo Hyuk was carefully about to apologize, the moment he was considering his words.
Plop! Plop!
The heads of the four kruts on either side of him exploded simultaneously. Thud. Blood poured down.
“What······”
Yoo Hyuk was staring blankly at the kruts who lost their heads and fell.
“I’m sorry, but you have to die.”
She grinned.
The woman, Han Seyeon, forced a clear smile that didn’t match the situation.
***
Inside the banquet hall, Norton looked at Seoharin with an expression of disbelief.
“···How did you get into the Bongmajin?”
“Well, someone told me that if you wear this ring, you can enter.”
When Seoharin showed Norton the ring on his left index finger, Norton’s expression hardened.
Hidden in the ring Norton had given to the mages was a trap that would reject anyone who had been altered by Bongmajin.
Norton had gone to great lengths to plant that trap, avoiding Georg’s eyes.
However, the trap he had set was cleanly removed from that ring.
“Who gave you that ring?”
“Things change, don’t they?”
Seoharin drew his sword.
“Anyway, it’s over now.”
“···You’re right. Things don’t change.”
Norton raised his harp with a bitter smile. Seoharin, who briefly glanced at him, asked.
“Why did you kill Mileo?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“Fair enough.”
Swish!
A bright white blaze erupted from Seoharin’s sword like glory.
Norton’s expression subtly stiffened. The blaze he saw was nothing like the one he had seen Seoharin with ten years ago.
Soon Seoharin charged, and Norton’s harp played a wild melody.
Ting-ling-ling-ling!
Dozens, hundreds of melodies poured down like rain.
Seoharin’s blaze consumed all those melodies, burning them up and devouring them.
Shraaak!
Dodging Seharin’s moves, Norton grabbed her wrist with his five nails.
Blood poured like water, dyeing Haf’s lines red.
Blood lines flew at an incomparable speed.
Red lines overlapped, encircling Seharin’s body.
Phwak!
As Seharin’s body failed to react, it split, blood spurting.
“I got you!”
As Seharin stumbled, Norton’s eyes gleamed.
The “Black Line” aimed at Seharin with terrifying speed.
In that moment─
Kwaaang!
Seharin stumbled and hit the ground. In an instant, she vanished from Norton’s sight.
And.
“······What?”
Norton stood dumbfounded, gaping at the sword beneath his neck.
“So, you’ve become a Milestone too.”
At Seharin’s mumble, Norton’s eyes widened.
“You, knew ······!”
“Yes, I knew that in advance.”
Norton’s head floated in the air. His body, now headless, collapsed to the ground.
“······.”
Seharin, stretching her body, gazed quietly at the ceiling.
***
······Just before Seharin beheaded Norton, outside the banquet hall.
“You’re out, Berserker.”
Muttering to myself as I saw the black-clad girl emerging from the banquet hall.
An elemental gone mad, tainted by the blood of a Milestone, surpassing its limits. The “Berserker.”
The eerie aura emanating from her made people flee in terror.
Observing quietly, the Berserker rose into the air.
─aaah···
Her body glowed ominously. Unprecedented magic gathered, as if to destroy everything around.
“Kyaah!”
“Get, get out of the way!”
“It’s a demon!”
The garden plunged into chaos in an instant. Helplessly fleeing from the Berserker.
Just as the Berserker’s dark magic was about to rain down on the chaos, someone flew towards her. With a kick, they disrupted the Berserker who was about to unleash her magic.
Kwaaang!
The Berserker flew into the sky. Black magic scattered like fireworks in the air.
“Sir!”
“Are you alright?”
The warriors of the Silver Sword Clan rushed towards Eunhoseong as he descended.
“I’m fine. Just step back behind me.”
“Huh!”
Eunhoseong pushed back the approaching warriors. They staggered back. In an instant, a black ray struck the spot where they had been.
Kwaaang!
The ground caved in deeply. Eunhoseong looked up at the sky, clicking his tongue.
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“Phew, something ridiculously strong has emerged.”
A berserker in perfect condition was descending.
Despite the fierce aura, it had exploded without taking any hits.
Eunhoseong briefly showed a puzzled expression.
“This is quite a challenging task.”
The conversation he had with Yihaesol the day before flashed through his mind.
─ A black spirit will appear at the banquet. All you need to do is hold it back for about 10 minutes.
‘Ten minutes…’
Eunhoseong’s eyes, looking at the berserker, sank silently.
He calmly assessed the power gap between himself and the berserker.
‘No chance of winning.’
The berserker, infused with the power of the Sea God’s Pearl, was immeasurable.
As the Sea God’s Pearl absorbed surrounding magic with each decrease, it could be considered infinite.
An immense gap in magical power that even victory or defeat aside, he wasn’t sure how long he could hold out.
Ten minutes?
No, impossible.
Maybe if it were one minute.
“Heh, this will be interesting.”
However, despite his puzzled expression, Eunhoseong was smiling.
He couldn’t even remember the last time he fought from a disadvantaged position.
A blue current surged like waves from Eunhoseong’s body.
***
“Incredible.”
Watching Eunhoseong facing off against the rampaging black spirit, the berserker, I was left speechless.
In truth, everyone in the garden was watching in awe. There was nothing they could do to help or intervene.
In short, it was a different dimension.
Becoming one flow, Eunhoseong released the bursting black magic of the berserker.
Swish!
Just by waving his sword lightly, the fearsome black magic changed direction and shot up into the sky.
It was on a completely different level from the Blue Stream Eunsoebaek had displayed in the previous year’s inter-class competition.
Eunhoseong was not just surpassing the opponent’s strength but warping space itself.
The magic that Noah displayed during the Creation Festival. Eunhoseong might have unknowingly grasped the clue.
Of course, Eunhoseong himself seemed overwhelmed with power now.
“How long will this take?”
I narrowed my eyes, scanning the banquet hall.
Eunhoseong was at his limit, and the Berserker, unable to rampage as it pleased, was in a frenzied state.
To resolve this, we had to eliminate Norton, the one who cursed the Berserker.
Only then could I calm the Berserker, even if only slightly, by easing its anger.
“aaah!”
At that moment, the Berserker, thrashing wildly, suddenly stopped in the garden, screaming.
“It seems to be over.”
The thick link, the “Line of the Covenant,” forcibly connecting the Berserker and Norton, was severed.
“Where are you going?”
As I rose from my seat, Amelia asked. Without a moment to respond, I dashed towards the Berserker. I had to resolve this before it started rampaging again.
“aaah!”
The screams filled with dark magic instilled a profound fear in the people.
Eunhoseong, too, was breathless and unable to approach. But I approached the Berserker, who no one else dared to, and the spirit screaming alone.
There was only one way to restore the spirit back to sanity.
I walked towards him and infused my Gram’s magic, speaking his “True Name.”