“Ah, you must be the individual they call Van,”
Prior to replying, Lennok touched his earpiece, transmitting a signal to his comrades, Hina included, to verify Craig’s presence.
This signal also signaled Cheisha to enter the tunnel and provide support to the team.
If feasible, it would be advantageous for her to swiftly manage Jaun and contribute to his capture…
Nevertheless, Lennok opted to maintain realistic expectations regarding this matter.
“Are you familiar with me?”
“I’m acquainted with your reputation. Word has it that you’re the most tenacious nuisance meddling with my affairs.”
Adjusting his cloak, adorned with an intricate magic circle, he began to saunter to the side.
Was it a display of confidence or a touch of arrogance?
Craig, reclining slightly, gazed serenely at the tunnel’s ceiling, softly uttering,
“Shall we converse?”
Whooooom!!
Rather than responding, Lennok released a fireball above Craig’s head.
Evidently attempting to stall for time, yet Lennok wasn’t naive enough to permit such a tactic in this scenario.
If he couldn’t dispel the magic circle, he would just need to eliminate the spellcaster himself.
However, Craig’s voice emerged from the rising smoke behind him, remarkably composed—perhaps too composed for a mage under assault.
“Impatient, aren’t you? But it’s already too late.”
Vrooooom!!
As he spoke, the magic circle drawn around the tunnel commenced a rough vibration, slowly rotating.
“The ‘Self-Domain,’ a privilege reserved for only a select few with innate talent among wizards of level 6 or higher… This is an engineered emulation of that concept. Until the ritual is activated, both the caster and the magic circle remain safeguarded by potent security spells.”
Self-Domain, a crucial term noted.
Could this provide insight into the peculiar pressure experienced when confronting the dark wizards of the Practical and Enchantment faction?
Given the scarcity of information about the combat styles employed by wizards at such levels, Lennok hadn’t even had the opportunity to question Aris.
While Lennok gathered his thoughts, he made a mental note to inquire about this later.
“So the protection only holds until the ceremony is activated…?”
Meaning, once the ceremony commences, it loses its safeguarding?
It appeared to be a demanding condition, yet if one could secure potent security solely through this method, it would be a lucrative arrangement.
The temporal and resource investment required for establishing such a framework must have been substantial.
Lennok withdrew the mana he had conjured and shook his head.
‘…Should I provoke him further?’
No necessity existed to openly admit his complete unfamiliarity with this domain.
Here, in a manner that flowed naturally while also unsettling his composure,
“Do you find reassurance in your spatial security spell? I’m aware you’re plotting a countermeasure against Vulcan. Interestingly, I’ve devised a strategy tailored to that as well.”
Though the words left his lips, an internal urge to scoff accompanied them, a direct and crude provocation.
However, it was the sort of assertion one instinctively desires to challenge.
As anticipated, Craig’s response was swift.
“Is this the strategy you’re alluding to?”
Vroooooom!!
With those words, a form manifested behind Craig’s back.
A grotesquely contorted cadaver, impaled by a sizable hook through its limbs.
The shattered glasses and contorted visage depicted excruciating agony, its eyes bulging and lifeless.
A familiar countenance. The agent who had conversed with Lennok prior to the mission and subsequently vanished.
It was Niro Cohen.
“It appears he arrogantly believed he could evade my eyes. After passing through the labor camp, he attempted to sneak a glimpse into the tunnel.”
Craig remarked, tapping Niro’s head with his middle finger.
At the faint touch, Niro’s head swayed akin to a pendulum’s sway.
Coagulated blood dripped in synchrony with this pendular motion.
“Confident in his stealth, it seems, yet he erred by entering the sensory radius of a wizard with a domain. Pitiable soul.”
He persisted in nudging Niro’s head, then clenched his fist and drove it forward.
Kwoong!!
The corpse impaled on the hook collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Merely hours ago, the individual engaged in a seemingly ordinary conversation had now transformed into nothing more than a lifeless form. Yet, Lennok remained unflinching, refusing to display even a trace of unease.
In this moment, he couldn’t afford to betray any hint of vulnerability.
“What do you seek to accomplish? Will you persist until you possess Reisen’s illicit wealth and witness the city’s downfall?”
“Persist? What an absurd notion.”
Craig’s gaze bore down on Lennok with intense gravity.
“We never intended to accept that elderly man’s money!”
“…”
“Bearing the mantle of the city’s herald, he couldn’t even ascertain the inspection date set by the senator. Who was it that delivered us the bribe to conceal, only to feign innocence later? This was not my intention!”
His voice reverberated within the room, resonating with a deep intensity.
Beneath his weighty countenance, a seething fury lurked, evident as his voice surged with tumultuous agitation.
Concurrently, the shadowy aura emanating from the magic circle enveloped the space in an instant.
“Huff, huff…!”
Amidst the now dimly lit room, Craig, gasping heavily from the room’s center, spoke softly.
“I might tolerate crumbling in pursuit of an unattainable objective. But I won’t yield and vanish due to an old man’s avarice.”
Woo woo woong!!
Mana twirled about, while the magic circle simultaneously began to emit a dark luminance, its vibrations setting in slowly.
“I was simply striving for improvement.”
To his impassioned plea, Lennok retorted.
“By turning innocent people into sacrifices?”
The two wizards locked eyes, their gazes piercing through the tension.
Kwaahahaaang!!
A detonation resounded, the cacophony accompanied by Craig’s declaration.
“I believe I can.”
Without need for grandiose self-conviction, Lennok comprehended Craig’s standpoint.
To fight for survival against the avarice of others is instinctual.
Irrespective of the sacrifices endured, and the lives innocently lost in the process.
Lennok deemed Craig’s actions warranted, understanding the motives behind them.
This locale wasn’t a solemn court enacting justice.
It boiled down to two individuals, pursuing their own gains and losses, finally confronting one another on the city’s outskirts.
For this reason, while Lennok absorbed every shouted sentiment of Craig’s, he simultaneously sensed their futility.
Despite aligning deeply with Craig’s ideology, their present circumstances remained unaltered.
Here, good and evil were irrelevant.
Desires were candid, veiled by rationale.
The ultimate victor atop this magic circle would decide the outcome.
No further words were requisite.
[Lightning Vortex]
Wiiiiing!!
From Lennok’s left arm surged a swirling torrent of azure lightning, directed towards the tide of shadowy magic.
Peurrrrrung!!
Intense focused force concentrated at a single point pierced through the magical onslaught, nullifying Craig’s initial assault.
Paat!!
Beyond the dissipating magical currents, Craig’s silhouette surged forward.
A visage etched with anger, and salt-and-pepper hair framing his features.
Yet, his motions exhibited an elegance that captured Lennok’s attention.
Despite his own status as a dark wizard, his appearance undeniably resembled that of a highly trained martial artist.
His punch, brimming with surging mana, shattered Lennok’s shield and swiftly advanced toward his vulnerable points.
Kwajijijik!!
Lennok, unruffled, promptly retrieved a revolver from his waistband.
[Loading Acceleration]
[Aim Adjustment]
[Rapid Firing]
Tatatatang!!
He squeezed the trigger, firing four rounds without pause.
Simultaneously, in sync with his deft maneuver, precisely directed flames erupted, striking the target Lennok intended.
While auxiliary magic assisted, these aspects paled compared to the might of his marksmanship.
Boom!!
Upon impact, Craig’s body was forcefully propelled backward as if struck by a colossal shockwave head-on.
The shock-enhanced magic imbued into the bullet propelled Craig at a velocity even greater than the spell’s own power.
Swiftly reloading, Lennok began to retreat cautiously.
“I hadn’t anticipated a direct charge from you.”
He muttered, assessing the situation with rapid cogitation.
Craig, a master of dark magic, surely comprehended this. Then why the swift assault?
‘Likely due to his intolerance for any disruption, no matter how minor.’
Upon recognizing this, the environment took on a subtly altered complexion.
Craig sought to personally engage Lennok and preempt any interference in this offensive maneuver.
“I’m already aware of the breadth of your capabilities. I surmise your scope extends far beyond a conventional wizard’s imagination.”
Craig asserted as energy surged within his grasp.
Whooosh!!
Emerging from his hands, magical flames gradually enshrouded Craig’s form, transforming him into a living inferno.
“Your distinctive combat style, balancing close quarters combat with shield magic, and capitalizing on openings in spellcasting through precise marksmanship. The paradoxical strength you maintain stems not from innate magical aptitude, but an exceptionally composed and calculated decision-making capacity.”
“…”
“However, if I can negate your shield in close proximity, the equilibrium of your combat style will crumble.”
Instead of a verbal rejoinder, Lennok merely elevated his revolver.
No room for wavering existed. His adversary was a seasoned dark wizard, well-versed in countless battles.
If there was indeed a method to pierce his shield, taking action now, rather than being caught off guard, would prove more effective.
Craig’s preemptive speech was likely aimed at establishing psychological dominance over Lennok.
Strategically evaluating based on the unfolding assault, irrespective of the truth behind Craig’s words, was the correct course.
‘Even if I observe and make a decision, it’s not too late.’
Unbeknownst to him, he was gradually transcending the dichotomy of offense and defense.
This capability emanated entirely from his intellect and experience, distinct from inherent magical prowess or temperament.
Within him, who continually balanced the battlefield with a blend of cool composure and audacity, an ability to gauge battle gaps was crystallizing.
This vantage, exclusive to one who dances through every moment of combat, eluded common wizards and even adept warriors…
In the convergence of Lennok’s resolute determination and steadfast judgment, his eyes ignited with a brilliant blue blaze, emitting a profound inner radiance.
Sensing that gaze, Craig’s body surged forth akin to a lightning bolt.
Breakthrough.
Then collision.
Kaboom!!
Dense shockwaves rippled through the quarry’s dust, transforming it into a gray tempest propelled in all directions.
The shield, impervious even to the might of neutralizers, instantaneously shattered, swiftly narrowing the gap between them.
Ample time for reaction existed. Countless countermeasures flooded his mind.
Hence, Lennok meticulously observed Craig’s assault until the very last instant, mobilizing only once his shield had utterly fragmented and Craig lay exposed.
In a mere breath, he expedited the reconstitution of his shattered shield.
Kaboom!!
The magic he had earlier projected above him was promptly recaptured, its flames directed downward,
Crackle!!
And through manipulation of spiraling air currents, he constrained Craig’s lower limbs.
He employed the shield to arrest the spurting blood, implanted a compacted magical sphere into the wound, and initiated an ear-popping release of compressed air, shrouding his vision in darkness as he executed shock-enhanced magic.
Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump!!
“…”
An unceasing onslaught.
Not only did he pilfer sensory perceptions, he seized them at his discretion, subjecting every sensation of agony to his command.
Swiftly reacting to incoming assaults, he struck from unexpected angles, exploiting any exposed vulnerability.
An intense, frenzied exchange of blows to vanquish each other was underway. Yet, in this process, Craig’s physical form was tossed about akin to a marionette in a dance.
Despite purple blood spraying in all directions, the sole entity becoming drenched in crimson was him.
He maintained vigilant vigilance, evading any semblance of complacency.
For this fleeting juncture, he had tirelessly traversed the city’s outskirts, identifying the locations of dark wizards, forestalling crimes that jeopardized the city.
Just like handling an exceptionally delicate glass artwork, Lennok deftly manipulated an array of magical threads stemming from his hands, his concentration unwavering throughout.
(To be Continued)
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