Chapter 282 |
"Damn it...!!"
She scratched at her shoulder furiously, but still whipped her head toward Walter.
"How long will it take?"
"Pardon?"
The Ibon family head bellowed.
"How long until the magic barrier opens and the ritual begins?!"
"Ten minutes will suffice."
Walter replied.
"The key is fooling the magic barrier's security, even if just for a moment. If we can send a signal through the relic site, we can call it a success."
"Indeed. One of the best ways to utilize these remnants of the Old World."
Walter smiled coldly, ignoring the glare from Ibon.
"In this sealed world, it's a faint crack—barely more than a whisper—but essentially a gateway for communication with the outside."
*
"Huff... huff...!!"
Sweat poured down her face, but Asui didn't stop.
The shadow spreading from her feet relentlessly climbed toward the sky, enveloping the towering eight-story Ibon mansion and shielding it from prying eyes.
The colorless waves emanating from Asui's small frame flickered ceaselessly, amplifying the incantation and regulating the flow of mana.
She didn't look well.
She had volunteered to help Renok, but in truth, she had contributed to evacuating the citadel residents alongside Oren during the proxy battle at the arena.
It had only been a day since then—a woefully insufficient time for her mana to fully recover.
Renok, who had been watching her silently, pulled something from his pocket.
A treatment ampoule he had received as compensation for aiding the agents in the past.
Inside, he had filled it with a potion dilution he had personally crafted—an augmentor.
"It'll sting."
"...Ugh!"
He jabbed the ampoule into Asui's arm and waited for the potion to inject.
Renok met her gaze steadily and said,
"It's something that heightens mental focus and boosts recovery."
"Huff... huff...."
Asui's ragged breathing began to steady.
Renok watched her for a moment before reaching into his coat again.
He placed a few pill packets and two ampoules at her feet, then stood.
"The pills will help with mana recovery, and the ampoules with stamina. They're not too harsh on the side effects. If it gets unbearable, give up and pull back."
Asui said nothing more.
With trembling hands, she reached behind her and handed Renok something.
A cloak shaped like crow wings—the insignia Oren, the Samyeong family head, had always worn.
"......"
Renok accepted it wordlessly and draped it over his shoulders.
The cloak reacted to his mana, seamlessly merging with his coat and shifting to a subdued black that absorbed all light.
Asui watched until the end, then finally bowed her head again.
In its place, the shadow pooling beneath her began to blanket the entire sky like a curtain.
Shoooo....!!
Renok stood as well, turning his head.
Among the eight families, Ibon boasted the greatest prestige and renown.
In this street crammed with tiled roofs of every shape, the eight-story mansion stood out, growing ever taller in Renok's view.
"Huuuu...."
Standing before the mansion's grand gate, Renok took a deep breath.
He stared at the tobacco in his mouth, then spat it out.
In its place, he drew a new one from his pocket—completely different from before.
The premium painkiller Defiler 3.0, sold at Plumber's Orchard.
Unlike the Defiler 2.0 he had used in the past, this was an off-the-shelf product from a newer version.
"Cough!!"
[Ugh, that looks gross....]
Dabi, peeking out from his pocket, grimaced, but Renok's hands didn't stop.
Unlike the ampoule he had given Asui, this one contained a green liquid. He jabbed it into his shoulder and injected.
Pshhh!!
For good measure, he chewed and swallowed his ever-present mana augmentor and mana sensitivity enhancer.
He administered a few more ampoules to fine-tune his physical condition.
Finally, he forced down two vials of elixirs the size of his finger, gagging a few times before standing.
"...No matter how many times, it always makes me want to puke."
[I don't remember it being this bad last time.]
"I experimented to keep the effects while reducing side effects."
Renok wiped his mouth with his coat sleeve and smiled faintly.
"Good medicine always tastes bitter."
[That's not in my database.]
Renok ignored Dabi and slowly drew up his mana.
It had been a while since he felt this heightened state, not since the battle with the cartel.
Renok generally avoided forcing his condition like this unless absolutely necessary.
He believed that if he couldn't fully compress his processes to deploy his innate domain with his own power, he would one day lose the chance to choose in a life-or-death moment.
But he still needed time, and fortunately, he had prepared extensively for a situation like today.
Whatever awaited in that mansion, Renok was confident he could return alive, no matter the opponent.
"Let's go."
He stretched his limbs to loosen up.
As he rolled his shoulders and circulated his mana, a fierce rumble like an engine revving echoed from within his body.
Whiiiiiing!!!!
Dabi muttered in dismay.
[Isn't this cheating?]
The mana flowing steadily through his body writhed powerfully at his will, slowly seeping out through his skin.
It drifted from his coat like smoke, soaking the street.
Shoooo....!!
With blue glow in his eyes and thick smoke billowing, he stepped forward—his presence far surpassing that of any human.
Everyone waiting in the Ibon main house swallowed hard.
"...He's coming."
Kwaaaang!!
The thick iron gate crumpled like paper and crashed into the corner of the courtyard.
Before they could react to the deafening crash, the flash from outside slowly advanced into the inner courtyard.
Woooooong...!!!
The mage in the thick black coat scanned the mansion silently and smirked.
An eight-story towering high-rise.
Hundreds of Ibon retainers perched on the broad tiled roofs and layers, looking down at Renok.
From swords and spears to blunt weapons, and even guns and cannons—firearms lined up, all muzzles trained on him.
A total mobilization of the family's forces to face a single mage.
"I haven't arrived too late, have I?"
[How arrogant, mage.]
The Ibon family head's voice echoed faintly from beyond the mansion.
[How far do you think your petty skills from the proxy battle will carry you?]
"......"
[Even the Samyeong family head, with her vaunted shadow incantation, knelt before me... If you thought your rampage would work here too, you're gravely mistaken.]
"Is that so?"
[I'll tear your limbs apart and toss your torso to the street's outcasts. Just to see your begging face, I'll grace you with my blood today.]
"Outcasts? You're really exaggerating."
Renok sneered.
"After offering your own body to the cult in search of youth, you still have assets to share with others?"
The Ibon family head fell silent for a long moment before replying coldly.
[Kill him.]
Wooooo!!
At her command, hundreds of warriors leaped from the roofs and charged at Renok.
Instead of reacting immediately, Renok watched them approach.
They were on par with Samyeong's warriors in skill. In numbers, they outnumbered all other eight families combined.
Among the charging warriors, some stood out in attire—clearly, Ibon had smoothly absorbed Ilwon's forces.
Figuring out the family head's scheme wasn't hard.
Each was a competent mana user.
Renok wouldn't lose to them, but he couldn't brush them aside lightly either.
Ibon was waiting for him to expend significant mana against them, just as Oren had, before facing her.
In battles between superhumans, depletion of mana and mental strength was crucial.
Without a weapon to swing, regardless of condition, it became a numbers game—and he'd lose.
'Or this could all just be a stalling tactic.'
For the Ibon family head, who had tried to sacrifice the entire citadel as ritual offerings, family prestige or citadel status meant nothing anymore.
If needed, she'd sacrifice everything to get what she wanted.
Both knew time was short.
The key was breaking through these obstacles as quickly as possible and uncovering Walter Martinez's goal.
He had to learn why the Gido Order was so fixated on that relic site—right here, right now.
Warriors crossed hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye, blades extended.
Behind them, rearguards with all manner of ranged firepower provided support.
Rat-a-tat-tat!!
A barrage blanketed the sky, aimed to erase one man entirely.
But Renok merely wiggled his fingers at the blades and gunpowder storm closing in.
"Shall we begin?"
[Ready.]
The Ibon family head had prepared extensively for this, but so had Renok.
Even knowing Dabi's help would be limited in this citadel—unlike other districts—he had scouted useful elements while moving through it.
[Sewer system overload. Full opening of central citadel conduits. Biased water flow acceleration.]
Kugugugugu!!
A massive rumble echoed from beneath Renok's feet.
Dabi's voice rang out like a declaration.
[89% rupture in eight main aqueducts confirmed. Backflow initiated. Brace for impact.]
Kwaaaaaang!!
Immediately after, the ground beneath the courtyard collapsed, and an enormous volume of water burst from underground.
Renok raised both hands toward the surging torrent and swiftly formed hand seals.
A large-scale incantation that even Renok, who skipped most chants, formed seals for manually.
The mana responding to his intense will and rules seized the erupting water, twisting it toward the mansion.
Water stream unique magic.
Attribute shift: multiple overlaps.
Flow manipulation: great water type.
[Myriad Azure Waves]
The essence of water stream manipulation magic, gained through research with Aris.
A colossal wave over ten meters high swallowed the parched ground without mercy.
Shwaaaaa!!
Not a mere wave, but a unique magic infused with mana, carrying clear intent and physical force to crush and burst space itself.
An overwhelming pressure no one could imagine as a natural phenomenon. The charging warriors were swept away without resistance.
"Uwaaaak!!"
"A tidal wave from the ground...?!"
"Where did all this water come from?!"
A few exceptional ones steadied themselves in the rushing current and began swimming, but
As Renok's revolver flashed, they sprayed blood and sank.
The courtyard, now a flood centered on the mansion. Renok walked casually over the churning water, precisely targeting those regaining their wits.
Bang, bang, bang!!
It wasn't about eliminating everyone showing hostility.
By picking off those trying to rally amid the chaos, the rest would be buried by the indiscriminate waves and crowd.
"He... hijacked and burst the citadel's sewer system...!!"
Finally understanding Renok's ploy, someone muttered while swimming frantically.
"He's insane... How could he pull this against the eight families...!!"
Crunch!!
"It's not that hard."
"Arrrgh!!"
Renok stomped the head of the swimming man underwater and said.
"The citadel's sewers operated autonomously within the barrier. Easier to access than the megacity's, which shared the city government's tight network security."
Renok had realized this right after the proxy battle, when Walter schemed to seize the citadel lord's designation authority.
If the citadel's incantation security was lax by comparison, its public facilities' security might be vulnerable too.
That's why Renok had spent the day hacking and manipulating the entire sewer system, turning it into a fountain right above Ibon's mansion.
No matter how many warriors or preparations the family head had made, it didn't matter.
Once he flipped the board as he wanted, Renok was confident he wouldn't lose control.
Whiiiiiing!!
Water stream unique magic.
[Turbulent Flow Grind]
Renok's mana plunged into the water at his feet, spinning violently.
The water manipulation that had ground Walter's possessed flesh replicated perfectly here, mercilessly twisting those still thrashing.
Crack-crack-crack!!
"......!!!"
Silent screams echoed everywhere, and red mist rose from the puddles.
Dividing the flow into streams, spinning them in opposing directions to create friction.
Even battle-hardened warriors struggled in the rootless waves.
Bodies went limp one by one, floating to the surface.
Renok calmly used their backs as stepping stones, walking toward the mansion.