79. The Last Piece
[Would you like to ＜Reflect＞?]
As always, a voice echoed in Joo-Heon’s mind.
He nodded as if it was obvious.
“Really? Then I shall allow you as well.”
“What are you talking about? What are you allowing……”
Kwaaang!
＜Reflect＞ caused the great sorcerer’s face to explode and sent his body flying.
It was the shock created as Joo-Heon, who had risen high into the sky, fell to the ground.
The bastard smashed into the stele and collapsed to the ground.
“Cough cough… You bastard……”
However, Joo-Heon’s eyes that looked at him were cold.
The great sorcerer had been sent flying, but he hadn’t met Joo-Heon’s expectations.
Even though it might have looked like he had taken quite a bit of damage to others, all Joo-Heon saw was a momentary shock and a bloody nose.
“That’s strange. It was an attack that wouldn’t have been strange if he had collapsed.”
The bastard had clearly let his guard down.
He had allowed the attack without any proper defense.
Yet he remained conscious.
‘Did he say full body? Did he absorb the power that the guy gave him?’
The red pillar he had seen earlier.
The Grand Sorcerer must have absorbed the energy that was heading toward the summit and grown stronger.
There was no other way he could be so unscathed.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. I was going to take him down anyway since he was after my stuff.”
“Don’t make me laugh! You bastard!!”
The Grand Sorcerer jumped to his feet.
“How did you get up here so quickly? This place should be crawling with traps!”
The Grand Sorcerer’s eyes flickered as he spoke.
Even he couldn’t believe it.
“And how did you cross the bridge! That place isn’t easy for even great warriors to cross!”
Even the Grand Sorcerer was wary of that place.
No matter what, that wasn’t a place that a mere child could easily pass through.
“And even if you did get through, it would have taken you a long time to get here….”
“I told you, I flew. Are you deaf?”
“……?!”
Joo-in’s nonchalant answer made the Grand Sorcerer feel uncomfortable.
Irritation welled up deep inside him.
But he managed to smile.
“I don’t know what tricks you used, little boy… But coming here alone without a Great Sword… That was your mistake!”
Great Swords are dangerous.
The feats of his past companions, the warriors, were known throughout the continent.
If he called out, the great heroes of the past might gather.
“Let me show you why this place is forbidden to our tribe!”
This place was not simply hidden from human eyes.
The revered spirits of generations of barbarians slumbered here.
They would never welcome intruders.
Oooooooooo.
As proof, vengeful spirits wailed from all sides.
In the darkness, there were countless pairs of malevolent eyes.
Swish!
Before Joo-in knew it, vines had approached him and wrapped themselves around his legs.
They didn’t just bind his feet.
Squish, squish.
The vines injected poison into Joo-in.
They sucked his life force.
[You have been infected with ＜Plant Poison＞]
[You cannot move your body – Status effect ＜Paralysis＞]
[Suffering damage every second – Abnormal Condition ＜Addiction＞]
[Life force is being absorbed – Abnormal Condition ＜Life Absorption＞]
[Leaving unattended for a long time can lead to death]
From all sides, ferocious beasts leapt forth and charged toward Joo-in.
Growl!
They were beasts with sharp teeth and claws, like wolves and bears.
Without exception, their eyes emitted bloodlust.
They lunged as if to kill him in one bite.
Insects carrying all kinds of germs also flew toward Joo-in.
[Contaminated by germs]
[Body fluids are being lost – Abnormal Condition ＜Dehydration＞]
[Mind becomes hazy – Abnormal Condition ＜Fever＞]
[Difficulty breathing – Abnormal Condition ＜Dyspnea＞]
[Stomach hurts like crazy – Abnormal Condition ＜Diarrhea＞, ＜Stomachache＞]
Before the Great Mage could move, Geum-ji moved first to eliminate the enemies.
“Before the great will of our ancestors, fall!”
Truly, the earth, the mountains, everything of Geum-ji’s was trying to eliminate Joo-in.
However, Joo-in simply walked.
“The great will of our ancestors. It’s too insignificant for something like that.”
[Would you like to ＜Reflect＞?
Joo-in extended a finger and snapped it lightly.
“I permit it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the reaction burst forth.
Snap!
The vines that had been injecting poison into Joo-in and stealing his life force withered away.
Their life force had been completely drained.
As if they had been poisoned, the entire vine turned green.
It wasn’t just the vines. The insects withered and fell, or simply stopped breathing.
“Keuheung!”
The ferocious beasts also had blood spurting from their wounds along with teeth marks. The bear that swung its foreleg toward his head collapsed, blood gushing from its head.
In a way, it was strange how it seemed to show where the bastards had tried to attack.
Literally, the enemies that had been targeting Joo-in fell silent in an instant.
Of course, their deaths were not in vain.
[＜Toxicologist (D)＞ proficiency has increased]
[Discovered a new type of poison]
[Acquired plant poison, insect poison]
[Available poison types have increased]
The enemies had left a lot for Joo-in.
In particular, the increase in the grade of Toxicologist, which had been only E-grade, was encouraging.
‘I hadn’t grown because I hadn’t been exposed to poison for a while. I guess I’m lucky.’
The more new poisons he created, the more advantageous it was for Joo-in.
The wider the range of poisons available, the more his enemies would suffer.
However, the Archmage seemed to be in shock.
“Wh-what in the world is this…”
He was unconsciously taking steps backward.
It was clear that he was shocked by something beyond his comprehension.
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However, he did not give up.
“His Majesty…is watching. You will never…never escape.”
“His Majesty?”
Joo-in tilted his head.
But instead of answering, the Archmage swung his staff with all his might.
There were still unused secret moves left.
Wooooooosh.
The skulls on the staff wailed.
It was similar to the duel but a completely different spell.
“This place is our tribe’s sanctuary. Where all the spirits and wisdom of our ancestors gather.”
As the Archmage chanted, spirits emerged.
They were the spirits of the Barbarian tribe’s past sorcerers.
Normally, they were beings so ancient that even the Archmage could not summon them.
And yet, he was able to.
“His Majesty the Emperor’s will is with me.”
Among all the spirits, the one at the very top.
It was because the spirit of the Barbarian King, whom he called his predecessor, had chosen him.
Then, the mouths of the ancient spirits opened.
-By His Majesty’s will…
-Kill the intruder…
-Dispose of the wretch who trespassed the sanctuary.
In an instant, the air in the sanctuary became still.
As if all the energy was moving towards the spirits, gathering in one place.
Beings incomparable to any ghosts he had ever encountered.
Ancient sorcerers who wielded all kinds of spells began to mutter.
-Ukumatuaik Kanakumunga.
-Tokwitok Akiphau.
Spells soared above the spirits.
From forbidden spells that could drain the blood from one’s entire body with a single touch to spells that could rip out one’s heart. There were even diabolic spells that could dissolve all the bones in one’s body.
Even Joo-in was surprised.
“This isn’t…a joke, is it?”
It was an overwhelming spell that distorted the space itself.
All the magical power of the sanctuary was gathered in one place.
A force that even the Archmage would find difficult to control.
Ughhhhh.
The great sorcerer’s face twisted.
His eyes were bloodshot and his face looked like it would burst as his veins protruded.
“This place will be your grave.”
The great sorcerer raised his hand.
Screech!
The earth responded to the great sorcerer’s will.
Earth rose up like walls on all sides, covering Jooyeon completely.
Thud!
Jooyeon, who was now completely trapped, was bombarded with the vengeful spirits’ sorcery.
This was one of the great sorcerer’s secret techniques.
[Millennium Gu Poison (千年蠱毒)]
Gu refers to a technique of putting all sorts of bugs in a jar and using sorcery to create a single monster.
But this time, it was a little different.
“It’s a forbidden technique that infuses thousands of spells into a single sacrifice. You will be reborn there as my servant.”
The longer it matures, the more monstrous it becomes.
He had wanted to use Karas as a sacrifice, but there were too many guys to deal with, so he hadn’t been able to use it yet.
This was a great sorcery that he hadn’t even thought of using unless things had turned out this way.
“An ordinary sacrifice would have been reduced to rags by the force of the spell, but you will surely endure it.”
And Jooyeon would be reborn as a monster infused with all sorts of spells, helping him in his grand plan.
The great sorcerer couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from turning up.
No, he couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“hahahaha! You fool!”
Finally, he had gotten rid of the last annoying guy.
“Then, Your Majesty… shall we move? I will escort you to a new stronghold.”
But he soon had to stop.
[It’s not over yet.]
“What? What do you mean?”
That was the moment.
“You made a room out of dirt for a precious guest who should have run away barefoot? Isn’t that a bit insincere?”
Thump-thump.
The great sorcerer’s body froze.
He knew who it was without even having to check.
“You… how! I definitely locked you up in the Millennium Gu Poison!”
It was definitely Jooyeon standing before him.
And she looked perfectly fine.
There was no other reason.
[＜Hirowzen＞’s ability ＜Illusion＞ has been activated.]
[＜Hirowzen＞’s ability ＜Dream＞ has been activated.]
It was the ability of the heart of the demon tribe’s Hirowzen that Jooyeon held in her hand.
His heart could adjust the consciousness of the other party and show the desired illusion.
This time it was the same.
The Grand Warlock who noticed it shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it.
“That wasn’t an illusion! The spell was definitely poured into the medium…”
“That’s right. Thanks to that, a poor bear is suffering.”
“……!?”
One of the beasts that attacked Joo-yeon.
The bear, which had been bleeding and collapsed, was thrown into solitude.
Thanks to that, the bear was now a medium for the spell and was suffering.
Joo-yeon couldn’t help but laugh.
“Is it my turn to treat you now?”
The Grand Warlock’s eyes turned fierce.
“Noooooooo!”
But it was useless.
Joo-yeon disappeared from the Grand Warlock’s sight in an instant.
[＜Physical Enhancement＞ has been activated]
The time around him slows down.
[＜Super Speed＞ has been activated]
[＜Lightning Step＞ has been activated]
Joo-yeon is the only being moving in a stopped world.
His sword flashed in an instant.
The Grand Warlock didn’t even have time to react.
“Huh?”
Swish!
The Grand Warlock’s neck flew into the sky.
His gaze moved from the front to the void and to the ground, facing Joo-yeon.
“You die if you let your guard down.”
“Nnnngh…”
The Grand Warlock couldn’t understand what had happened to him.
He was the one who resurrected the Savage King and tried to conquer the world.
He was the one who once controlled the entire tribe by manipulating the chief he served.
He never thought he would die so easily.
In fact, Joo-yeon had no intention of killing him.
‘I had something to figure out from him.’
But he changed his mind.
Originally, he was a being that should have been indispensable, but now a Grand Warlock is no longer necessary.
Joo-yeon’s eyes turned to the red soul floating above the Grand Warlock’s body.
“Did you say you were the whole body? I think you said Your Majesty. What should I call you?”
[Call me His Majesty the Emperor. You lowly thing.]
“Yes, Your Majesty the Savage King. I was looking for you anyway.”
The mastermind who can grant Joo-Yeon the job she wants.
It was right before her eyes.