Chapter 70: You Are a Prophet (4)
Chapter 70: You Are a Prophet (4)
Meanwhile, at that time
Did they notice that Dilia's eyes had changed?
The two Abyss Worshippers who had been observing her let out a bloodcurdling laugh. As if it didn't matter.
Are you planning to fight us?"
"That's funny. Then let's play with you for a while."
The two snapped their fingers; as if to say, let's play a little game.
And at that moment, Dilia had already completed the spell. It was one of the fastest spells she could conjure, and one of the most lethal.
Soon, starlight mana poured out like a thunderbolt
Crackle! Boom!
with enough power to shake the ground and turn trees to charcoal. But when the smoke cleared, the Abyss Worshippers were nowhere to be seen.
'Did they dodge it?'
Where in the world? Dilia bit her lip. And she cast the lightning again.
Crackle! Boom!
The second, the third lightning soared through the air; but the result was the same.
The two mages dodged like minnows, as if they could anticipate where the lightning bolts would land.
Why won't it hit?!
As she was fidgeting with frustration
"......!"
her golden eyes widened.
It was because the Abyss Worshiper had approached too close; the mage whose missing nose.
"You're fast, but that's about it."
With a grotesque chuckle, he punched Dilia's stomach roughly.
Pwuck!
For a moment, her breath was caught in her throat; a dizzying pain coursing through her body.
The tiny body that floated into the air was soon smashed into a corner of the forest.
"Cough, cough! Ugh," Dilia, staggering, coughed violently. She couldn't adapt to the unfamiliar pain she was experiencing for the first time. However, the agony was far from over.
"Ugh! Aargh!"
Quinth, who had approached unnoticed, ruthlessly grabbed Dilia's hair. Then, he forced her to meet his eyes while chuckling, "You may be able to wield star constellation magic, but if you're inexperienced, you're no better than a child with a knife."
It was a sneer.
However, the insult did not deter Dilia. Even in the situation where her hair was being grabbed, she continued to draw in mana. To use a spell more powerful than Star Lightening.
But she couldn't.
Although she had barely completed the spell, the mana did not move.
"Why, why, the mana."
"It's not moving?" Quinth interrupted, "It's simple. Because I'm looking at you."
All the eyeballs hanging around his neck were looking at Dilia. And right after those eyes met hers, Dilia's eyes widened.
It was then that she realized.
The dozens of eyeballs hanging from his neck were all connected to Quinth. And she realized that every single one of them exuded power.
"Wha, what, that's, all of them!"
"I see you've finally realized, huh," Quinth laughed eerily, "Yes, these are all my creations, fashioned by processing the eyes of mages in a special way. I'm quite proud of these works of mine, the 'Magic Eyes.'"
A Magic Eye was an eye imbued with special powers. And right now, Quinth's magic eyes had the ability to suppress the flow of mana.
That's why she couldn't use magic. This fact shook Dilia's eyes as if they were shaken.
However, at that moment
"Huh?"
the complexion of the two Abyss Worshippers changed; as if they sensed something strange.
After a while, the two shouted in surprise.
"Qui, Quinth!"
"The forest has returned to normal!"
The magic that distorted the space throughout the forest. They felt that the magic had disappeared altogether. That means that something had happened to the caster who cast and maintained the spell.
Quinth's face hardened somewhat, "Nonus has been compromised."
"......!?"
"He's not the only one. Desem and Duode seem to have been taken out as well. Their presence is completely gone."
"All three of them at once?"
"By who in the world."
While the Abyss Worshipers were in disarray, Dilia's eyes sparkled. The moment she heard those words, a figure she suspected of appeared in her mind.
Ulan.
Only Ulan could do something like that.
In that case, she couldn't give up either.
Dilia bit her lip, expressing a determined gaze. And then, despite the unmoving mana, she forcibly stirred it.
Then Quinth's eyes narrowed.
"It's useless. As long as there are Magic Eyes... "
As long as the flow of mana was suppressed, Dilia's magic would not activate. That much was certain.
But then something amazing happened.
"......!"
The sight of the spell being infused with mana.
Quinth's expression changed. He realized that Dilia had drawn too much mana.
And a moment later
Dilia's spell was complete.
Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
A defensive spell that could block any attack, the Veil of Stars. At the same time, the price of using mana too much was triggered; crimson blood dripped from her nose.
But Dilia didn't care.
'I need a more definitive blow.'
She knew her opponent was tough. Therefore, she needed a strike so powerful that the Abyss Worshippers couldn't stop it.
That's why Dilia thought of the most powerful offensive magic she knew and currently had at her disposal.
A Rank-6 star constellation magic.
It was even classified as a tactical magic and required an enormous amount of mana.
However, as she forced myself to use mana too much, naturally, the overload came.
"Haa, haa!"
Vein popping out like they were going to burst. With ragged breathing, blood gushed from her mouth. Her whole body ached like it was going to break, but she didn't stop chanting.
"Now, wait! You can't......!"
"Damn it! Quickly stop her!"
It was then that the two Abyss Worshippers realized the nature of Dilia's magic. But it was too late, her magic was already complete.
Meteor Fall
Instantly, the surroundings brightened and then, a moment later
Kwagaga!
a shard of starlight pierced through the dark clouds. Although it was just a single starlight, its power exceeded thirty times that of Star Lightening.
'So with this.......'
Dilia was confident that the Abyss Worshipers would not escape unscathed.
However, her confidence was quickly shattered.
Puuaaaaang!
The meteor exploded in the air; shards of starlight scattered in all directions. Someone had interfered with the magic, breaking the spell itself.
While she stared blankly at this
"This is futile."
Quinth suddenly extended his hand; easily breaking the Veil of Stars cluster, he whispered, his eyes flashing silver, "This Magic Eye is the best I've ever created. It can see up to five seconds into the future."
"......!"
"Which means I can see every spell you're going to cast and every thought you're going to have."
It was unbelievable; being able to see up to 5 seconds into the future.
That would make you nearly invincible in combat against a mage of similar skill.
Because if you knew what kind of magic would be used before the spell was completed, you could interfere with the spell itself, just like now.
"This is, what the hell...."
At the moment when the only remaining chance of victory was completely gone, despair appeared in Dilia's eyes.
At that time, something suddenly flew in.
It was Quinth's foot
Ptakkk!
and pain that would make one scream assault her. The defenseless kick sent her flying like a broken doll. Quinth spun around to see Dilia cowering in the corner.
"Kertah. Go."
"Hmm, I understand."
The man with sprouted tree roots on his arms, Kertah, stalked toward Dilia. Then, out of nowhere, he plucked a saccharine object from the shadows. It looked like a tadpole, but it was as big as a cat.
In fact, there were dozens of them.
They swam through the air, tails wagging, and soon swarmed around Dilia.
"These are Abyss monsters called Lakus. They gobble up their opponents' mana with terrifying speed."
"......."
"From now on, I will take all of your mana. It would be inconvenient if you resisted even while being taken away."
There was no response. Perhaps she had no strength left to answer. Maybe it was better this way. Keruta chuckled, "If you're sleepy, sleep comfortably. There won't be a second time you open your eyes, anyway."
He looked at Dilia wordlessly. As if waiting for her mana to run out.
In the meantime.
Dilia stared blankly into space.
......I can't move.
She couldn't lift a single finger.
Due to the impact of forcibly drawing in mana in the Magic Eyes influence, she was sent into shock. All she could do was watch helplessly as the mysterious creature drained her mana.
'No. My mana is.......'
Her mana was gradually revealing its limits; the looming shadow of death that followed.
Was it intuition about the end? Dew formed in her empty eyes.
......I hate it.
She didn't want it to end like this.
She wanted to do more with Ulan, experience much more. She hadn't even confirmed what her true feelings for him were. All kinds of regrets and lingering attachments tightly gripped her weakening body.
But it was only for a moment.
The feeling of wanting to live was replaced by resignation.
She realized something when she was younger.
She realized as a child that miracles don't happen the more you wish for them. And in a situation like this, wanting to live was close to a miracle.
So, one by one, she let go of my regrets.
If I knew it would end like this.......
She would have been more stubborn and stayed with him longer.
She would've been more proactive, not as shy. She would have had more conversations and made so many more memories.
If she had done that, she would have been able to accept it sooner.
With that belated regret, the world was getting darker and darker.
Her eyes were slowly closing. And then, suddenly, something appeared in my field of vision.
Flash!
An amulet glowing blue.
It was as bright as starlight, but unfortunately, she could not recognize what it was. Dilia's eyes were already completely blurred; as if shrouded in thick fog
"Huh? What is it?"
"What kind of fog is this, all of a sudden?"
when she heard the voices of the Abyss Worshippers.
It seems that it was not just her vision that was blurred, but that there was really fog in the forest.
Of course, that doesn't change anything.
As she was slowly losing consciousness and letting go of everything, there was a sound that suddenly struck her ears, which were starting to feel numb.
[Awoowoowoo!]
It was the sound of a wolf howling; and not just one wolf.
[Awoowoowoo! Awoowoowoo!]
The howls of countless wolves echoed through the forest; as if gathering their scattered kin.
Dilia wasn't the only one to notice the sudden change. The Abyss Worshippers, including Quinth, looked around with fierce eyes.
"What is it? A wolf?"
"But I've never seen one here before."
Since coming to the forest, the only beasts the Abyss Worshippers had seen were 2-star or lower monsters.
Moreover, wolves are intelligent animals; they do not live in forests where monsters inhabit.
Then what does this sound mean? The two Abyss Worshippers were scratching their heads when...
"Retreat! Something is coming!"
Quinth suddenly shouted in a panic; his silver eyes flashed, as if he'd read five seconds into the future.
And soon, the "something" came out.
[ROAR!]
Something with its mouth wide open charged at them. It was a wolf, white as mist. The first one to charge tore apart the creature, Lakus, which had been devouring Dilia's mana.
And with that, it signaled
[Krkreeek! Crrrrrrunch!]
[Awoooooo!]
wolves poured in from all directions.
Ten, twenty, thirty.......
The wolves grew and grew until they finally reached a hundred. Then, they tore apart the Lakus, the creature devouring Dilia's magical power.
An unforeseen situation.
The Abyss Worshipers were bewildered.
"What, what are there so many of them?!"
"Damn it, Quinth! Let's retreat!"
The number of wolves continued to grow; definitely not ordinary wolves. Because they felt extraordinary mana from these wolves.
Quinth shouted in agreement, "Kertah! Take the target. We're withdrawing!"
"Understood!" Kertah replied, stretching a long arm that sprouted like tree roots and wrapped itself around Dilia's body
[Crunch! Crack!]
and the wolves frantically attacked her arms.
It looked like they were trying to stop him from taking Dilia away. Kertah laughed at the sight as if it were ridiculous.
"Attack all you want. It's useless."
The material of these tree roots was very special. So, it couldn't be cut through by ordinary means. Only with Rank-8 magic, or something on the level of an aura.
After bursting into laughter, he retrieved his arms.
Whirr!
With the retraction of his arms, Dilia's body was swiftly pulled along. As she was being dragged powerlessly
when there was a sudden sound of something being cut.
Swoosh!
The force that had tightly constricted her weakened and then, her body floated into the air.
Just now, what happened? When her vacant eyes blinked
"......Ah."
the scenery suddenly changed; first, a pitch-black night sky. A cool breeze brushed against her cheek, and she saw red hair fluttering.
The next thing she knew, she heard a familiar voice a voice she'd been dying to hear.
"I'm sorry I'm late."
Her blurred vision gradually cleared.
A pair of crimson eyes; a face as familiar as the voice.
The face she had wanted to see again, and the moment she saw it, Dilia's eyes widened.
"I'm here."
"......!"
Ulan. It was Ulan. Not an illusion, but the real Ulan.
The moment she realized it, strangely, her vision became even more blurred.
She tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come out, as all sorts of emotions choked her throat.
After a while, the indescribable emotion turned into tears.
"Uu, uuu, uuuu."
However, there was one clear emotion; it was a definite sense of relief.
Dilia, realizing that a miracle had happened, smiled with tears and laughter coexisting.
Meanwhile, around that time, Ulan's expression stiffened to an alarming degree.
It was a belated discovery; traces of blood on Dilia's lips and marks from being hit by someone.
At that realization, his crimson eyes changed ominously.
"Qui, Quinth! Kertah's been eliminated!"
That's when he heard the urgent cry. It was the noseless Abyss Worshipper.
The mage who was about to take Dilia away had been decapitated while his head and body were separated. It was undoubtedly Ulan's doing.
As he rescued Dilia, he had cut off the mans head. At that moment, the noseless mage suddenly opened his eyes wide. As if he had realized something, "You can't be the one who defeated Nonus......!"
But he couldn't finish the sentence.
Kwadduk! Swish!
The axe that had approached him faster than the sound cut off his head; it was a truly lightning-fast blow.
The mage was dead, unaware that his head had been severed.
Now, only one thing remained.
Ulan was about to turn around when
"......Careful."
Dilia's voice sounded in the distance. A voice that sounded so weak as if she could die at any moment.
Still, she seemed to have something important to convey, so she managed to convey the information.
"M-mage, see, the future."
"The future?" He repeated, his face expressionless when a grotesque voice sounded in the distance, "Yes, thats right!" The voice scratched like a griddle. It belonged to Quinth, who was now casting countless spells, snarling menacingly, "I am a Prophet! I can read your future, so you don't stand a chance......."
"I see."
But Ulan didn't argue. He just stepped forward; unconcerned that his future could be read.
Fool!
Seeing Ulan's attitude, Quinth sneered; then, the silver eyeballs flickered all of a sudden. In that moment, the future, five seconds from now, flashed through his mind at a rapid speed.
First, the man comes straight at me.
Axe in hand.
And then, he disappears.
"......what?"
What does he mean? Disappear?
But the confusion was just beginning.
A few moments after Ulan disappears, suddenly, every aspect of the scenery split in two before his eyes; the moon floating in the sky, the forest, and then Ulan's face, all split into two.
A future unknown to him. Quinth was perplexed, "Uh, why is the world in two......."
"I admit it."
That's when he heard Ulan's voice. And it was right in front of him. In the midst of Quinth's stunned attempt to avert his gaze, Ulan whispered as if muttering, "You are indeed a Prophet."
Then, a creepy sound followed.
Crack! Slash!
Along with the sound of a watermelon being cut in half, the world he saw was split in two just like that; a landscape that exactly matched what he had seen in the future.
And at that moment,
Quinth was split in half vertically.
(End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . . )
Translator's Notes:-
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