novelraw Chapter 49
Chapter 49
Chapter 49
-Clang! Kachang!
The sharp sound of clashing blades echoed through the underground. Isaac blocked the Death Knight's swing and stepped back.
A Death Knight at near Rank 4 level, and another at roughly Rank 3.
Individually, neither would pose much of a threat to Isaac, but their coordinated attacks were a nuisance.
And.
"Why won't these bastards die?"
They wouldn't stay down.
He'd clearly split one in half moments ago, yet it instantly regenerated and came charging back.
-Shreeek!
Isaac clicked his tongue and twisted his body slightly, evading the mindless, all-out assault. They kept up their relentless offensive, giving him no chance to counterattack.
That's when a voice rang out in Isaac's head.
[Death Knights, huh?]
A clear female voice. Yet there was no one around him.
William and Oliver were busy dealing with the swarm of magic beasts in the distance, and Henrik was occupied with Nebiross.
Isaac naturally glanced at the sword in his hand and said.
"These things have no feel to them at all."
[Hurry up and finish so we can go take a bath. You got covered in blood just the other day, and all you did was wipe it off with a rag.]
The voice sounded somewhat bratty.
Surprisingly, the voice belonged to the sword Isaac held.
A talking sword-an Ego Sword.
An artifact-class weapon with self-awareness and tremendous power.
Isaac, who possessed genius-level talent in swordsmanship, had perfect compatibility with the Ego Sword. He had the ability to execute every technique the sword desired.
"Huu..."
Isaac wore a serious expression as he took a deep breath.
He focused his mind and sensed the minute mana particles around him.
The foundation of necromancy was the 'Link'-extending mana like threads to supply and control one's undead soldiers.
Therefore, the most important thing when facing a necromancer was to sever these Links.
However, this was something difficult to perceive unless one had reached a certain level of mastery.
[That village last time was crawling with undead, and this place is the same. Has your country gone a bit crazy lately?]
"Shut up. I can't concentrate because of you."
The two Death Knights lunged at Isaac.
But Isaac sheathed his sword, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.
-Vwooom!
Just as the Death Knight's longsword swung toward Isaac's head,
Isaac's eyes snapped open.
-Clang! Kaga-ga-ga-ga-gak!
The blade was drawn and sliced through the air with blinding speed.
Sharp sword wind swept through the surrounding area, and the Death Knight's blade stopped dead right in front of Isaac's nose.
He'd merely sliced through empty air with his Quick Draw, yet somehow all the magic beasts and Death Knights in the vicinity froze like puppets.
"What the?"
Startled by the magic beasts' sudden halt, Oliver looked toward the Sword Emperor with a shocked expression.
Nebiross was glaring at Isaac with murderous eyes.
"How did you sever the Links...?"
The reason the magic beasts stopped moving was because Isaac had severed all the Links in the surrounding area with his Quick Draw. The invisible, extremely fine web-like network of mana Links had been cut in a single blow.
"Ah, my head's spinning."
[You overdid it. Not worth it.]
"Can't help it in this situation."
Isaac took a swig of liquor and gripped the gleaming Ego Sword, aiming at the frozen Death Knight.
"Hendel! Toben!"
At Nebiross's urgent cry, the Death Knights stirred and moved. Unlike the magic beasts, Death Knights were soldiers unaffected by Link disruption.
"Ah, these guys are really annoying."
-Clang! Clang! Clang!
Isaac blocked the attacks and-shwik!-swung his sword at the Death Knight's opening.
Pang!
With a tremendous impact, the Death Knight's arm flew off. But the severed arm clattered and returned to its place, reattaching to the Death Knight's body.
Isaac grimaced as he exchanged blows with the Death Knights.
Meanwhile, as the Sword Emperor's efforts created an opening, Henrik-who stood before Nebiross-raised his silver hammer and struck at her waist.
-Thwak!
"Kugh!"
Nebiross groaned.
But Henrik didn't stop, continuing to pummel Nebiross with his hammer. He struck mercilessly with the hammer from head to waist, hitting every part of her body.
He couldn't give her time.
'Is it Isaac's doing after all?'
Now that the Links to the magic beasts were severed, if he gave her time, she'd immediately restore them.
Taking advantage of the window before she could restore the Links, Oliver and William quickly cleaned up the magic beasts.
"Grr... How dare a mere human...! So insolent!!!"
-Kwaga-ga-gang!
Nebiross shoved Henrik away and began thrashing about, her serpentine body writhing wildly. The floor cracked from her violent thrashing and-crash!-shattered like a breaking window, creating a hole.
'A Gate!'
Squeezing out her power, Nebiross created a massive Gate. Immediately, more magic beasts erupted from below the Gate like a fountain.
"Henrik!"
As William and Oliver, having cleared the surrounding magic beasts, tried to join Henrik, Nebiross-whirl!-used her long tail to coil around Henrik's body.
"Kuk!"
Henrik struggled with all his might to break free from Nebiross, but she held tight to his waist until the very end and dragged him straight into the Gate.
-Whooooosh!
What unfolded before Henrik's eyes as he was sucked into the swirling Gate was pitch-black darkness.
Nebiross's Gate was an alternate space-a void dimension where she created and stored magic beasts.
Writhing masses of magic beasts swam through the emptiness, escaping toward the vortex connected to the outside of the Gate.
That seemed to be the entrance.
-Bang!
Using the hammer, Henrik struck down hard on Nebiross's tail. She broke free from his grip and glared at him. Taking advantage of the opening, Henrik quickly pulled out the last remaining awakening potion from the pouch at his waist and drank it.
The muscles that had bulked up began writhing again, transforming his body.
Second Awakening.
'I've used all the awakening potions.'
The second awakening potion.
Awakening potions inevitably demand a price. One is manageable, but from two onward, the penalty becomes significantly severe.
It was a boost in combat power with his life as collateral.
'If I drag this out, I'll die here.'
At that moment, Nebiross deployed a magic circle.
"I need to deal with you properly."
Masses of red flame formed in the air. An enemy that not only commanded magic beasts but also launched offensive spells was far too troublesome.
-Bang! Bang!
He swung the hammer to block her attacks, but the silver warhammer struggled to deal any real damage to Nebiross.
-Crash! Boom!
No matter how many times he struck, Nebiross quickly recovered and mocked Henrik. Once inside the alternate space, her resistance to silver seemed to have increased dramatically.
In an instant-
-Crack!
Nebiross's magic rippled ominously, and the warhammer, unable to withstand the shock, split in half.
"Now you're out of weapons?"
As she flicked her tongue and muttered coldly-
[Henrik! Here's what you ordered!]
From the vortex connected to the Gate, someone shouted at the top of their lungs, and whoosh! something was thrown.
A purple leather bag.
Nebiross sneered and unleashed a torrent of fire magic.
It was a critical moment, but Henrik instead charged straight toward the magic. There, the purple leather bag someone had thrown was falling.
That familiar male voice from just moments ago.
'Ted!'
He had personally brought the Sephirum down to the underground.
Henrik snatched the leather bag.
Crackle-
Searing heat poured from all directions.
The fireballs scorched Henrik's shoulders and back.
-Crunch! Grind!
The magic beasts writhing nearby also bit into Henrik's arms and legs.
Henrik endured all this pain while moving both hands frantically.
-Thud!
Even hidden in the leather bag, it couldn't completely conceal its radiance.
Pure white light filled the entire alternate space.
What emerged was a massive hammer-head forged from a whole piece of Sephirum.
The head was large and blunt, looking as if it would crush anything it touched, and a sharp blade extended from the back of the head, allowing it to be used like an axe depending on the situation.
True to Master Craftsman Grayson's reputation, it was designed with various situations in mind, incorporating multiple variations to handle different scenarios.
As the Sephirum fully revealed itself, the magic beasts biting Henrik screamed and retreated.
This was one of the characteristics of Sephirum ore.
Weak magic beasts naturally feared and avoided Sephirum.
-Clank, clank, clank!
Henrik unfolded the hammer handle and immediately inserted the end of the shaft and twisted.
-Click, clack!
A sound like something locking into place rang out, and the warhammer gleamed.
"Not bad."
Henrik grinned-a rare expression of satisfaction-and glared at Nebiross. Seeing Henrik holding the Sephirum, Nebiross's complexion grew deathly pale.
The creature trembled and took one step back, then another.
Vrrrmmm-!
The moment the new weapon was completed, a dazzling light began flowing from Henrik's body.
Letters emerged, piercing through his skin.
"You... How do you have that?!"
Nebiross's face turned black as death.
* * *
Meanwhile, outside the Gate, Isaac, who had been fighting the Death Knights, sensed something unusual. The energy pouring from inside the Gate was far from ordinary.
[Isaac! Something's wrong inside the Gate! Is that Hunter really okay?]
"Not my problem."
-Clang!
Isaac deflected the Death Knights' attacks and looked toward the Gate.
In front of the Gate, Ted, William, and Oliver were working together to prevent the magic beasts from reaching the surface as much as possible.
-Boom!
A Death Knight swung its sword, attacking Isaac.
Then suddenly, the Death Knight's sword stopped dead.
And then-whoosh!-it spun around and began running toward the Gate.
"What the hell?!"
[The Death Knight must have judged the Hunter inside more dangerous than you! Chase it, quick!]
"Ha, these things are ignoring me?"
The Sword Emperor shook his head and pursued the Death Knight.
* * *
Nebiross's face shattered like glass.
The moment she grasped the energy emanating from Henrik's body, she frantically deployed magic circles and launched a massive barrage of fireballs at Henrik.
The fireballs incinerated even the surrounding magic beasts, radiating scorching heat.
Henrik's body began to boil. Not because of the fireballs.
The effects of the second awakening potion had started circulating through his body.
Gritting his teeth, Henrik gripped the Sephirum warhammer tightly and charged at Nebiross.
-Flash!
With a brilliant light, Henrik swung the massive hammer with both hands, and bang! the fireball collided with the hammer's divine power and exploded.
-Bang! Boom! Bang!
Nebiross kept launching fireballs, but with the second awakening and the power of the marks combined, Henrik no longer felt afraid.
-Crack.
His muscles coiled as Henrik gathered his strength and kicked off the empty air with ferocious force, shooting toward Nebiross like an arrow.
-Swoooosh!
Cutting through the air, the massive hammer struck Nebiross's head. Nebiross desperately swung his severed tail to create distance.
As the marks all over Henrik's body blazed with light, Nebiross saw the inscription and cried out as if convulsing.
"Those marks......! Why do you have his marks?! Don't come closer! Please don't come closer!"
Just then.
-Flare!
The marks engraved on Henrik's body glowed, and a new form of mark was inscribed on his arm.
'The marks have increased. A new power?'
Soon the mark on his arm began to resonate with the Sephirum, humming and vibrating as it sparkled.
With this new weapon obtained, changes occurred in his body.
-Clench.
Henrik gripped the hammer tight.
Then flames burst from the inscription and began wrapping around the hammer.
As the aura and flames intertwined around the hammer, the light of divine power shone even brighter. The light emanating from the Sephirum painted the pitch-black alternate space of Nebiross pure white.
"Hi, hiiiik!"
Nebiross's face was dyed with terror.
-Crash!
As the massive hammer smashed down on Nebiross's head, his body melted away like butter touching hot flames.
"......."
Not even a scream could be heard.
Nebiross stood there with half his head blown away. Every function in his body seemed to have stopped.
Soon the creature's mouth trembled as he muttered.
"H-how...... the Ancient Sacred Mark....... that inscription lost in the distant past......."
"Ancient Sacred Mark......?"
Even at Henrik's question, she ground her teeth and murmured.
"This can't be happening...... this shouldn't be happening......."
-Collapse!
Nebiross's body crumpled to the ground.
Along with the flames, the vessel was extinguished.