Chapter 150: King of the Dead (2)
I really need to move soon.
What is it about this damn studio that makes it a hotspot for incidents?
“Damn.”
Grumble grumble.
I sensed something in the air before the “thing” that appeared in the sky even touched the ground.
It emanated such a bizarre magic that I couldn’t just ignore it.
Ssssss…….
Finally, a black shadow dropped from the sky.
It landed softly on the asphalt, as if it carried no weight.
Thud, thump.
A mysterious monster rose up from its crouched position after landing smoothly.
The sound of creaking bones was like rotting wood snapping.
But this wasn’t the time to enjoy such sound effects.
‘What the heck is that?’
I took a step back after seeing the bizarre creature that just fell from the sky.
‘Magic?’
Just then, the creature extended its arms forward and began to cast something that looked like a spell.
But I didn’t rush in.
What if that spell blows everything around it to smithereens? That would be a disaster.
‘Calm down. I packed a good arsenal of magic tools today. First, I’ll use [Surprise Box!] to knock it out and then find a way to escape…’
I analyzed the monster’s spell while reaching into my pocket.
‘Right. After stunning it, I can use [Hydra] to poke its eyes. That black stuff coming out of it seems to be some kind of fluid. Maybe it won’t be resistant to poison?’
But right after that.
Something utterly unexpected happened from the direction of the monster.
“Huh?”
Puff!
The magic energy gathering in one point suddenly scattered helplessly in all directions.
“……”
“……”
What, what is happening?
The situation continued to remain the same afterward.
The monster stood still, trying the same spell multiple times, but oddly enough, all its magic had vanished before it could complete the incantation.
Just like that.
‘Nothing is happening…….?’
Blink blink.
I observed the monster for a moment to grasp the situation. During this time, a short memory flashed in my mind.
‘Ah.’
Demirich!
This looked familiar! It was that monster I had seen on the internet before, right?
Not long after I learned how to use a mobile phone.
I searched for the word “soul” on a portal site and came across information about a monster called “Soul Strike” that used that technique on Earth.
‘Long live the information age.’
Even I, at the peak of magic studies, only barely interpreted that concept toward the end of my previous life.
But now that I’m here in person, I understand well.
Indeed, the Demirich’s technique isn’t about touching souls…
‘Oh!’
Seeing the monster fail repeatedly helped me grasp the true nature of its spell.
‘This is [Mana Burn]!’
What Earthlings referred to as Soul Strike was actually an attack completely unrelated to the spiritual concept.
[Mana Burn].
To be precise, it’s just a spell that evaporates the wizard’s magic power.
Thus, the Demirich’s attack couldn’t be blocked even with good armor.
The magic tools found in dungeons usually wrap the owner in strong protective barriers.
They withstand shock from outside, but they can’t stop what’s inside from getting out.
‘Phew, I almost thought shamans actually existed on Earth……’
King of the Dead, Soul Strike.
With all that grand terminology, I was unnerved for no reason.
But upon reflection, it wasn’t without reason to be concerned.
Mana Burn is indeed a particularly deadly technique for mages.
‘I used it often in my previous life too.’
Without mana, you can’t attack.
The barriers surrounding your body weaken.
Mana Burn could diminish both the attack and defense of an opponent in one shot.
Now, if we say that a Demirich burns 100 mana with one attack.
The total amount of a D-Class Hunter’s mana is only about 70 at best.
So, do you know what happens when a D-Class Hunter gets attacked by a Demirich?
Scream!
If they’ve awakened, their organs have already evolved to utilize mana.
‘If a mage runs out of mana, their organs stop and they die.’
A powerful spell that can incinerate even the minimal mana necessary for vital functions.
It’s understandable that Earthlings would mistake the Demirich for a soul manipulator. When that monster gestures, it must feel like life itself is being siphoned away.
‘The sensation of mana evaporating is completely different from the mana expenditure that occurs when one uses a spell.’
Primitive mages likely died without understanding what was happening.
But this time, the opponent wasn’t a good match.
I knew from personal experience how the spell worked. [Mana Burn] only works against wizards of far inferior rank…
In other words, it’s meant for small fries.
“Hmmm.”
Unfortunately, what I’m facing is a great mage.
The ability to control magic is on a different level; how could I let such a fundamentally unremarkable beast take possession of it?
“Gah…….?”
The Demirich’s technique didn’t work on me.
Unlike Earthlings, I had perfect control over all my mana.
Grrr…
Finally, the creature seemed to realize this. The Demirich started pouring black liquid from its eyes like cold sweat.
Gurrr…!
But at that moment.
The monster, shedding black tears, changed its posture.
Thud, it knelt before me, placing both hands on the ground.
Though its head was lowered as if in submission, it was actually preparing for an even stronger attack.
By touching the ground, it could pull more mana from the earth.
“Urrr…….!”
Rumble rumble. The Demirich groaned and activated its third Mana Burn.
Naturally, that was rendered null again this time.
Watching it struggle was oddly pitiful. With such a weak structure for the spell, it would yield the same result even after a hundred attempts.
“Hmph.”
Well, regardless.
I was briefly startled by the sudden attack, but it’s fortunate the story took this lackluster turn.
Swish.
I pulled the blade of Hydra from the sheath at my side and advanced confidently.
However, I had long since ignored the Demirich right in front of me.
Because it wasn’t a real creature but rather…
“Right.”
A minion of some mage.
“Let’s see what this loser looks like.”
Feeling the chilling weight of Hydra in my hand, I finished a brief warm-up and began to dash with full power.
*
Oh my god.
Oh my god.
Oh my god!
Sophia was shocked.
‘This can’t be!’
The summoned Demirich definitely used [Soul Strike]!
No matter how strong a hunter is, they should have been affected by that horrific technique that breaks the spirit!
‘M-my lich’s attack was ignored…?’
That cold-blooded blond man didn’t even flinch when hit by the Demirich’s skill.
He stood tall, coldly staring down at the monster.
‘Was the summoning wrong? No, my skill was perfect. Just like always!’
Sophia couldn’t believe the reality and commanded her summoned creature again.
With every ounce of power she had left, she signaled for it to attack him.
But what followed was an even more shocking situation.
Thud.
The moment the summoner’s command was transmitted, the Demirich knelt right before Kim Gi-ryeo.
‘What the heck!’
The King of the Dead, who crushed every hunter with despair regardless of their rank.
Yet, how could this transcendent being that manipulates souls behave so meekly?
‘That person is just standing there!’
Sophia urged her fallen servant.
‘What are you doing, Demirich! Attack, attack, attack harder!’
But the more she commanded, the more the summoned creature adopted a submissive position, almost closeness to the ground.
Gurrr…
In truth, the summoning spell included no features to enable empathy with the summoned monster.
So, Sophia couldn’t understand her minion’s actions.
From the Demirich’s perspective, it was simply fulfilling its master’s command to attack.
To humans, though, that posture looked like a defeated soldier completely submitted to the enemy.
‘W-what is happening?’
Sophia had gone through a lot to retrieve the mana gemstone.
She stared at the now useless summoned creature, unable to close her mouth.
“Hmm?”
But then.
The blond man, who had previously been seen through binoculars, suddenly turned and looked straight at her.
It was as if he had noticed the binoculars, staring directly into the lens’ center.
‘Huh?’
How strange.
He was using a stealth item all along, meaning the binoculars should have also been rendered invisible, so how could he see it?
‘Am I imagining things?’
Just as she was about to shrug it off.
Suddenly, Kim Gi-ryeo started running fiercely toward her.
It was aimed directly at the direction where Sophia was located!
An archmage may not know much, but when it comes to sensing mana, they are second to none.
As soon as he picked up on the Demirich as a summoner, he immediately recognized the existence of the mage connected to it.
‘Oh? Oh? Oh no!’
Sophia panicked.
How could she not be terrified?
She had seen very clearly what that fourth S-Class had done.
Kim Gi-ryeo was the one who neutralized even the King of the Dead, who had led countless hunters to their doom in an instant.
That Demirich just bowed its head to the ground before that man.
But here she was, provoking such a monster…
‘Am I going to get killed?’
Damn it! What the hell! God!
Sophia turned and fled. A scream almost escaped her throat as she ran.
‘Aaaah! What should I do? Brooklyn, that damn bitch! It’s all her fault!’
The fear she felt now was akin to being dealt a pair that barely made it through a $10 million bet at a poker table.
Sophia ran for her life.
However, her speed was inexplicably slow for an A-Class Hunter. This was because her ability came with an unavoidable price.
Ggghhh!
Regrettably, [Summon] is a skill that consumes an enormous amount of mana.
In simple terms, it was highly inefficient.
The difficulty of retrieving the mana gemstone was secondary; creating a minion equal to her own tier drained so much of her resources that her body was naturally slowing down.
This is what the words of one who mimics creation meant.
Sophia, hindered by a fate she couldn’t escape, finally came to a stop.
“Cough, cough! Hcch…!”
Breathless and heart racing.
But what terrified her the most was the trait of the Eastern S-Class.
Presence!
There’s truly no sign of him!
From what she heard, Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter from Korea always kept his magic power restrained.
So much so that Enzo described it as feeling like he was facing an F-Class fish.
Unlike the other S-Classes, that man was able to approach without anyone sensing a thing.
His hunting style was different.
Kim Gi-ryeo could come close like a silent assassin and kill his enemies without a trace.
‘Grrr…’
How close was he now? Maybe he was already behind her?
Sophia whimpered as she managed to turn around.
Then, what entered her sight was…
“Huh?”
She widened her eyes in shock.
The blond man stood calmly at the far end of the alley.
He was just standing there, staring quietly at her. For some reason, he didn’t seem to have any intention of moving.
‘What is going on?’
Sophia was taken aback.
But there wasn’t time to think it through. The hunter suddenly began running as soon as their eyes met.
‘God!’
As he chased after her, her mind went blank, and she started running forward without thinking.
“Haah, heh!”
What she needed most at that moment was a high-speed movement artifact like Hayangsae.
But a broke gambler who sold even her gear for debts would have no such items!
This was it since that S-Class had seen through her stealth!
“Cough…..”
Stumble, stumble.
Sophia finally came to a stop.
And like a cow led to the slaughter, with teary eyes, she looked back one last time.
Having run this slowly, her opponent must have already reached her, but she still wanted to see where the knife would land.
‘Huh?’
Wait, what’s happening?
As she turned back, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
“……”
The gap between her and Kim Gi-ryeo was exactly the same as before.
He strangely stood there, hands on his hips, quietly gazing at her from the alley’s exit.
‘No way?’
Only after locking eyes with Sophia did Kim Gi-ryeo start running again.
Of course, Sophia also reacted and tried to move her legs somehow.
But at this point, something felt wrong about the whole situation.
‘No, no, no……!’
A few seconds later.
Sophia suddenly turned back to confirm the growing suspicion in her mind.
What she saw was the hunter who had just stopped running stealthily.
As she witnessed this, her expression hardened in an instant.
‘Kyaaaaaaaaah!’
It seems I need to retract that earlier comparison.
Even in my wildest dreams, I had never experienced such fear on a gambling table that crosses between heaven and hell!
