Chapter 339
**'What on earth is that creature!?'**
Harvey gritted his teeth fiercely. If he didn't, he felt like he would burst out screaming any second.
No matter how adept he was as a wizard, he couldn't accurately track the movements of an Aura wielder.
Yet, despite that, he was convinced he could face the Aura user alone.
The Cassel Magic Tower possessed spells that could activate by simply designating a target, and most of these spells could disturb and disassemble a person's mind with just a small amount of mana.
This mental magic was something he had effectively utilized even before he became a wizard, as its potency was enough to look down on other individuals who were not allies within the tower.
He had become so enamored by that power that he had neglected the other school of magic from the tower, the Conjuration Magic.
Furthermore, he was a prodigy who had demonstrated to the tower that one could become a wizard solely through mental magic.
He was self-assured, and yet...
"What in the world is that!"
The superhuman with the terrifying appearance shattered that confidence to bits.
Not only did he break the protective artifact 'Gellerhead's Mirror' bestowed upon him by the Tower Master with his initial strike, but he advanced and slaughtered knights as if he were impervious to any spell he cast.
'My, my magic...'
It seemed like the foundation of his power, which he had relied on his whole life, was crumbling.
That feeling of helplessness filled him with dread.
He wanted to escape immediately.
However, his pride as a wizard and the Tower Master's stern command prevented him from resorting to such a drastic measure.
– The relic of the progenitor. We must locate it.
He had only uncovered its whereabouts a few years ago.
Recently, they had reached a significant agreement with the Empire to seal off the nearby area containing the relic and mobilize a large force.
He was still puzzled as to how he garnered the support of both the Eastern Kingdom and the heir to the imperial throne.
There were only speculations that he had embarked on a grand adventure at the tower.
But to sabotage such an operation?
He couldn't even imagine the punishment awaiting him upon his return.
Dying might be a merciful sentence in comparison.
The worst-case scenario sent shivers down his spine.
'Absolutely not!'
He cared little about everyone associated with him being wiped out.
However, he could not bear being deprived of his soul's freedom and transformed into a puppet, suffering until his flesh expired.
Just the notion of his juniors in the tower controlling his body as a battle puppet made his blood boil with anger.
The excruciating fear overshadowed his fear of the unknown adversary.
"Yeah. Let's risk it all!"
With eyes bloodshot, Harvey extracted a single crimson gem from his chest.
Using it meant there was no turning back, but it was a thousand times better than becoming a battle puppet.
'The core of the magic circle can be reconstructed. There are many humans here.'
Harvey, his face contorted in fear, scanned the workers concealed in the vicinity, and he crushed the 'Essence of Life' in his hand.
Clang!
"Ouch!"
As the red energy leaked out and filled his body, his vision turned a bright crimson. Soon after, he felt an immense power surging through his veins.
It seemed like his physical strength had multiplied several times in an instant.
If he felt this way, then knights were certainly no match.
With eyes bloodshot, Harvey began to manipulate the red energy.
"Heh. I can... do... this."
The corrupted magical power flowed towards the 'Knights of the Empire' at his command.
It was sufficient.
With such power, there was no need to seek 'consent.'
"Darn it."
Yaksel couldn't help but utter a curse.
The despair clouding his mind compelled him to mutter to himself unconsciously.
And at that moment,
Boom!
"Ouch!"
Another intense shock hit him, causing blood to spurt from his mouth.
Boom!
His body was thrust back uncontrollably, spilling out against his will.
He didn't particularly want to commend himself for preserving his life against the assaults.
He had witnessed the pitiful sight of two of his subordinates perishing in the process.
A chilling premonition swept over him then.
'Stronger than Grit. Where did such a person come from...'
A being mightier than the imperial legion commander suddenly emerged. And irritatingly enough, he was now an adversary opposing the Empire.
Yaksel clenched his teeth and scrutinized the opposing ranks once more.
A sinister countenance, a silver aura.
'Wait, I feel like I've heard rumors about him somewhere...?'
Could it be an escape from reality?
The once valiant Yaksel now hesitated and fell into contemplation, unable to charge at the enemy.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, an unknown energy surged within him.
"Ouch!"
At that moment, he felt dizzy, and instinctively, he tried to expel that energy from his body, sensing its harmful nature.
But despite Yaksel's efforts, that alien energy spread rapidly through his body. Soon, he felt turbulent energy coursing through his veins.
Crackle!
He sensed all his bones resetting and his body transforming in real-time, yet the power felt too immense to resist.
'With this power, I can...!'
Suddenly, everything around him shrank, and confidence surged within him.
His subordinates also appeared to feel as though they had grown in stature.
**-Defeat the foe!**
Brimming with confidence, Yaksel attempted to shout.
However,
"Eek!"
With that final cry, a monstrous roar erupted from his throat, severing the last strand of his sanity.
Crash!
"Ouch, ouch!"
The knights were in a peculiar state.
The corpses of the vanquished enemies suddenly felt remarkably resistant for some reason.
But Logan found no reason to ponder that. There was no need to concern himself with foes that suddenly halted.
However, just as the silver Aura Blade began to shine brightly once more, the enemies' bodies began to flush red.
Then, boom!
"Ouch!"
The resistance from the slashed flesh intensified dramatically, and
"Eek!"
The screech that pierced one's eardrums, and a red monstrosity considerably larger than a typical human materialized before him.
"What in the world...?"
Logan's gaze shifted to the mage in the distance, who was panting for breath.
Having delayed the attack with ineffective gray magic that had no impact,
'What are you doing?'
Yet there was no time to fret about him now; the imminent sense of doom looming right before him was far more urgent.
Just then,
Boom!
The monster, once a knight, slammed its fist into the ground, creating a crater many times larger than the fist itself.
Though rough, it felt as though that force and velocity were several times greater than before.
Thanks to his body enlargement, the armor barely clinging to him felt utterly absurd.
'What happened for it to turn out like this...?'
Logan found the sudden transformation baffling.
All that remained were five knights, yet they metamorphosed en masse into monsters.
And the most formidable among them was...
"Eek!"
Boom!
A blur darted swiftly, so swiftly that it overshadowed the other monsters and towered above them. It was none other than Yaksel.
Just moments before, he had observed the ground where he stood sinking, and Logan's expression hardened.
'This could be troublesome...'
Even while pondering, a fist hurtled towards him right before his eyes.
The silver aura cleaved through that fist at a sharp angle.
However,
Smack!
Boom!
"Ouch!"
The aura couldn't entirely sever the creature's arm.
Now with a severed wrist, the monster's remaining healthy arm thudded the ground fiercely with a roar.
In that brief moment, Logan witnessed the half-severed wrist reattach.
'Its tenacity and regeneration surpass human standards. Astounding...!'
As Logan felt the unease,
"Eek!"
"Eek!"
Other monsters charged at him from behind.
Lacking any semblance of order, their movements were distinctly swifter than when they were knights.
Just as Logan seemed to be coming to a decision, a surprising spectacle unfolded.
Boom!
The monster, once Yaksel, commenced striking down the small monsters rushing towards him.
"Eek!"
Bang!
Boom!
"What?"
It was an action that appeared solely intended to caution them not to touch his prey.
As the two creatures staggered after absorbing a blow from Yaksel, the remaining two retreated, wary of him.
"Grr!"
"Grr!"
The two power-exuding monsters bared their fangs, and at that moment,
Boom!
A gleaming silver aura blade impaled one of the monsters, piercing through its eyes and emerging from its skull.
"Thank you, you scoundrel."
"Grr..."
Fortunately, it seemed this monster couldn't even regenerate its head.
Observing the telltale red energy seeping out of the fallen creature, Logan grinned wickedly.
"Eek!"
As the remaining monsters, emboldened by their leader's downfall, began succumbing one by one to the ground.
"Stop! Don't come closer!"
With their frantic cries reverberating through the air, gray mist swirled around Logan's body, only to dissipate without a trace.
Caught in a fit of silent amusement, Logan approached the remaining enemies.
Then, the mage, whose legs had given out, crawled backward in desperation.
"Eek!"
"...Unbelievable."
"P-please! I'm merely a sorcerer in the employ of the Empire!"
"You call yourself a wizard, yet you behave like a coward. From your final performance, it appears you lack experience in combat once more."
"Y-yes! I'm worthless! So please..."
Logan pondered if someone so timid might still possess something valuable to offer.
He couldn't suppress a glimmer of hope and posed a query.
"Cassel Magic Tower?"
"…Huh?!"
Harvey's pupils dilated.
"H-how?"
"If you share valuable information, I'll spare you. What do you say?"
"I... I don't comprehend what you mean..."
A desperate expression clouded Harvey's face as he glanced around, peering at the workers hiding in the distance.
But...
"Refuse and perish."
Logan interjected bluntly, his expression unchanging.
"I-I'm not well-informed!"
"A wizard? Absurd. Speak about the ruins here."
Harvey's countenance turned mournful as he darted his gaze back and forth.
Eventually, his head drooped as he surrendered, and his voice dwindled to a murmur.
"Can I whisper?"
"Go ahead."
He leaned closer to Harvey, but just as Logan scowled in displeasure,
Harvey hesitated before suddenly releasing green mist from his mouth.
Swoosh!
They were engulfed in green mist, which began liquefying the ground beneath, creating a seemingly bottomless abyss.
Yet the sight before Harvey's eyes was dreadful. The aura he had unleashed was swiftly causing him to shrink back down as well.
Cough!
"Ouch, ouch! Curse you!"
With Logan looming behind him, the silver blade pierced through Harvey's heart, skewering through flawlessly.
The enemy's aura shattered Logan's barrier, preventing even the final explosion from occurring.
Now, his life was a bonus.
"I meant it when I said I would spare you."
"Ouch. Ouch."
What was intriguing was Harvey's expression, which bore a smile as if amused by something.
Yet from his expression alone, one thing became evident.
'Rather than betray the enemy, he would opt for death. A wizard, a superhuman, without hesitation.'
Whether it was loyalty or something else, it was truly chilling.
"Well then."
But now was not the time for deep contemplation.
"I suppose it's time to address the witnesses."
As Logan muttered as if thinking aloud, he surveyed the area around him.
– Eek!
– R-run!
– Flee!
From a distance, numerous voices reached his ears as bushes began to rustle.
The concealed workers were all fleeing collectively.
It wouldn't be long before word spread that a silver aura user had slaughtered the imperial knights.
'So, I must swiftly investigate the ruins.'
Logan's gaze shifted towards the tunnel, where he sensed a divine force beckoning to him.