Chapter 337: Debt, Debts, and More Debts (4)
C337 - Debt, Debts, and More Debts (4)
The mana gathered in the hands of the Specters was so swift that it seemed to have suddenly materialized within their reach.
However, the accumulated mana was so immense that it distorted the surrounding space.
Jin instinctively conjured a protective shield, suppressing a sigh of disbelief.
Whoosh!
If he had deployed the shield just a second later, he wouldn't have been able to face tomorrow morning's rising sun.
The mana beam emitted from the hands of the two Specters struck Jin's shield, composed of Shadow Energy and Mana.
Even with the shield in place, it felt like he was being pummeled by an unstoppable force.
Jin deflected the rays that penetrated the shield, but a thick splatter of blood rose up his throat.
Wheeing!
Jin coughed up a clot of blood and composed himself.
"Damn it, so this is what the Specters are capable of."
The fact that Jin could swiftly kill a Specter named Lokai was the result of a perfect ambush.
As demonstrated by his confusion, mistaking Lokai's mana for that of three individuals, the Specters were originally the most formidable group of magicians in the world. They were incomparable even with other magician units.
"...And you managed to block that? Twelfth Flagbearer Runcandel?"
"It seems what those guys said when they went to Lord Beradin's secret mansion was true after all. Maybe I was complacent, but it wasn't just luck that you killed Lokai."
"Indeed, hearing about it and experiencing it firsthand are entirely different things."
Jin observed the two men while regulating his breathing.
Both of them are on a similar level to the mage Lokai, whom I just killed."
They didn't belong to the intermediate or later stages of the 9 stars.
If they weren't from the 10 stars, it was unimaginable to explain this vast mana.
'No, it might be difficult to explain even with the 10 stars.'
There was a vast difference between the 9 and 10 stars, but it wasn't as if the mana level tripled.
Jin had already encountered several 9-star mages, and although he hadn't personally met a 10-star one, he could roughly estimate the level based on comparisons with knights and warriors.
Considering it from that perspective, there was certainly something unusual about the Specters' mana.
"What are you thinking, Jin Runcandel?"
Wheeing!
Once again, a mana beam shot out from the mages' hands.
Aaargh!
This time, Tess unleashed a wave of oppressive flames, distorting the trajectory of the beam, and Jin quickly erected a shield of shadowy force to protect himself.
"Do you plan to fight us instead of fleeing? How foolish."
"The Specters I encountered last time weren't as talkative. You guys sure like to chat."
In an instant, five curtains of Shadow Energy were deployed.
Jin continued to evade the attacks of the mages by concealing his body within the curtains.
At first glance, it appeared that Jin was effectively opposing the Specters, but there were no signs of a counterattack.
'I can't use my Shadow Energy properly due to the backlash. I wonder how long I can drag this out.'
The obvious choice Jin should have made when encountering the two remaining Specters was to immediately summon Shuri and flee.
However, the reason Jin didn't run when facing the new Specters was another.
If he fled now, the small insect-like beastmen who had just started emerging from the cave would undoubtedly be annihilated.
'I can't hold out much longer. Tess's summoning is also about to dissipate.'
Tess could only exist in the presence of Jin's mana.
As the mana backlash began, Tess's state became increasingly unstable.
Unlike when they faced Frosty Joe in the past, Tess couldn't directly intervene by borrowing Jin's power in the current situation.
Unlike before, Jin was on the brink of mana backlash, so if Tess mistakenly borrowed his power, it could endanger her life.
In the end, Tess had no choice but to return to the Fire dimension in a few seconds.
But there was one thing.
There was a way to salvage this situation.
Jin wanted to use the special technique of the Shadow Blade, the Black Light Call, to summon the Black Light Call.
Even an ordinary warrior, not just a battle king, could easily buy time against the two Specters.
But he wanted to save the Black Light Call for the worst-case scenario.
Zipple didn't know that Jin could summon the Legends, and if they found out, they would be even more cautious about facing Jin in the future.
A trump card should always be saved for when it's truly necessary.
In the future, there would be many decisive moments where Jin could outwit Zipple with the help of the Legend brothers.
Moreover, in Jin's opinion, the situation was not yet at its worst.
'Whichever side it is, hurry up and come!'
Either Runcandel or Kinzelo.
One of the two factions had to come to this cave.
Otherwise, not only the cave but the entire area would soon be destroyed in the ongoing battle.
There was a high possibility that Kinzelo would arrive first.
This land belonged to the beastmen.
Kwaang! Clang! Crash...!
The cave collapsed under the onslaught of the Specters' mana rays.
Jin was not aware of it, but the truth was that more than half of the vast labyrinth inside the cave had already been destroyed when the barrier broke.
The continuous shocks caused an incessant rain of falling rocks, and the rays had pierced the roof, exposing the sky.
At that moment, the Specters must have been extremely frustrated.
The Specters were annoyed that the Twelfth Flagbearer of Runcandel was resisting them for so long even though he had fallen into mana backlash, and his Phoenix had also returned.
It hadn't been that long, just a few minutes.
"I wanted to take you in good shape, but I guess I'll have to force it."
Whish, whish! Swiiiish...!
A new magical spell began to intertwine in the hands of the Specters.
Each of them was forming two 9-star destruction spells.
It was Zipple's vision magic, something Jin had never seen before.
Both of them were performing simultaneous casts.
"Judging by your appearance, it seems you'll survive even if you take this hit."
"Is that so? It seems you've overestimated me."
Jin smiled as he dodged the attack.
"No, if anything, we've underestimated you all along. And it doesn't matter if you die."
With a determined expression, Jin gritted his teeth.
It seemed that, after all, he would have to summon the Plutonian brothers.
"Let me propose one last deal. When my brothers arrive, there's a chance you won't make it out of here alive. What do you say? Let's end it at this point. This, after all, could turn into an all-out battle with one wrong move."
It was nothing more than idle talk to gain a few more seconds, until the end.
"By the time the Flagbearers of Runcandel arrive, you'll already be in the Lutero Magical Federation. I didn't know you had a talent for jokes."
The Flagbearers weren't really his brothers, but there was no need to correct them.
"You should work on your sense of humor if you want to endure jokes. What's the use of being powerful in magic if you can't do anything else? It's inhumane."
"Don't be so arrogant. Ah, and let me tell you something in advance."
The Specter shrugged and continued with his remark.
"The only reason you're holding out here is probably to save the little beastmen, right? Well, that doesn't matter much. At this point, others have probably gone to capture those damn cosmetics peddlers."
"The barrier of the Cat Tribe was quite interesting. Things are more troublesome than you think."
A total of five Specters attacked the Cat Tribe's barrier.
However, the reason Jin decided to face these three Specters was that Lulu had informed him that she had stopped the other two just before leaving.
"The other two are trapped in our labyrinth and can't get out. They'll be trapped for at least three days," Lulu had clearly said.
But the "Specters" were stronger than the Cat Tribe had anticipated.
They had unleashed their unique magic of link casting, erasing the entire barrier and entering this place.
In the process, there had been a problem with the barrier, and the other two had entered the land of the beastmen outside the cave directly.
"Darn it, if the barrier has collapsed... Is the Cat Tribe safe? It's not the time to save the Black Light Call."
Jin let out a frustrated sigh.
And just as he was about to unleash the Black Light Call.
Bam...!
Unexpectedly, a large steel door formed between Jin and the Specters.
The sound of the steel door hitting the ground was so beautiful that there would never be another moment like it in Jin's life.
"Hello, everyone!"
The first voice that sounded was cheerful and lively.
To Jin's knowledge, the most "eccentric" woman.
It was Margiella Iveliano.
She was seated in a wheelchair, as always, and wearing a whimsical cat-face-shaped mask.
'Does she really think she can hide her identity with that? Everyone knows there's a disabled woman in the Iveliano clan.'
Surprisingly, the Specters didn't recognize Margiella.
"Who are these guys?"
The Specters looked at Margiella with strange expressions.
They didn't attack immediately, but it seemed that Margiella's arrival through the "steel door" was quite perplexing to them.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Mariella*. In short, I'm the owner of these lands." (Note: Yes, she's using an alias)
And by her side was another familiar face.
"Eh, Specters? There might be some old acquaintances among them. How's Lokai doing, that piece of trash?"
Joe the Cold.
He chuckled with a mocking smile as he looked at the Specters.
Although Jin had personally fought against Joe and knew he was at a level where he couldn't dare to underestimate the Specters, there was another reason why Joe was so confident.
"Joe, shut up. I'm sure I've warned you several times not to support me and act tough. Damn trash, try to at least be half as good as the vice leader. I feel like killing you several times a day."
Berakt Sidricker.
The great warrior of the White Wolf Tribe and one of Kinzelo's key members.
The reason Joe could smile at the Specters despite facing them.
"Boy."
"Yes?"
"That guy is pretty strong. Not even the safety of your older sister would be guaranteed against him."
A conversation between Murakan and Jin when they saw Berakt, who came to pay his respects to the Holy King during the Holy Kingdom incident.
True to those words, Berakt was the strongest warrior among the beastmen and truly lived up to his title of "great warrior."
"No need for a long conversation, human mages. I'm not in a very good mood right now, so if you don't disappear in three seconds, I'll swallow you whole and poop you out after 20 minutes. One, two, three."
Kwaaang!
With no chance to react, after counting what seemed like one second instead of three, Berakt unsheathed the large sword on his back and swung it.
The entire cave disintegrated in a single blow, and the Specters staggered backward.
Jin thought that Murakan's evaluation might have been somewhat lacking.
While Berakt launched his attack, Margiella wheeled her wheelchair up to Jin.
"Retreat quickly. And remember, this debt must not be forgotten, understand?"
Margiella winked at Jin and smiled.
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