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HELHEIM SCANS
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Chapter 83: Poxxon (4)
Magic, in the end, is a study aimed merely at materializing phenomena and illusions.
The magic of the White Tower was no different.
If possible, controlling the wind already blowing was far more efficient than creating wind out of nothing.
“...So running around like a rat was just to summon the wind?”
“Don’t be so scared. I just needed a breeze since all that running got me sweaty.”
The 64 fans installed in the purification zone existed solely to purify the air.
When Moira Main spread the poisonous mist, the contamination level of the area spiked dramatically, triggering their activation.
Whoooosh!
The fierce wind that blew was strong enough to make clothes and hair whip wildly and create ripples in the water puddles.
For Oscar at that moment, those fans were more reliable than dozens of mercenaries.
“Tsk!”
Moira Main let out a dry laugh, surprised that her actions had led to such an outcome.
However, while it may have inconvenienced her, she didn’t think the situation had turned significantly against her favor.
‘The power of his magic has grown stronger... but that doesn’t mean I’ve gotten weaker.’
This place also contained a large amount of water.
In other words, it was an arena where both White Tower and Blue Tower mages could fully utilize their strengths.
‘If we can equally draw on the advantages of our surroundings...’
The magic of the Blue Tower was by no means inferior to that of the White Tower.
A Level 5 mage would never lose to a Level 3 mage.
By the simple and obvious logic of hierarchy, she wasn’t at a disadvantage compared to him.
Having made this judgment, Moira murmured softly.
“Rise.”
Kwaaaaah!
From the massive water puddle in the purification zone, four tentacles began to slowly rise.
Like sprouting bean sprouts, they grew until they were as thick as an adult’s torso and reached a height of 5 meters each.
The jellyfish-like tentacles swayed gently, surrounding Oscar on all sides.
“Sea God’s Whip.”
This was one of the top five most destructive intermediate spells boasted by the Blue Tower.
And Moira Main could control not one but four tentacles simultaneously.
“These tentacles can even destroy buildings. Imagine what they’d do to a feeble human body.”
“...”
“The answer is: it bursts. Like a water balloon hitting the ground, scattering its contents everywhere.”
Listening to her detailed explanation, Oscar muttered,
“You’re awfully specific. Almost like you’ve seen it often.”
“Tch, thanks to someone, I had to play janitor for months.”
Over the past few months, she’d been forced to do the dirtiest tasks as the Tower’s cleanup crew.
But now, those miserable days were about to end.
“If I kill you, the White Tower’s potion business won’t expand any further, at least not here.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
“So today, I’ll kill you and proudly request reinstatement from the Blue Tower’s master.”
“...How foolish.”
Even if she killed him today and went to the Blue Tower master, reinstatement would never happen.
On the contrary, they’d likely clean up this incident quickly and erase her existence entirely.
‘She used to be quick at reading situations, but now she’s blinded by her desire for reinstatement.’
When someone loses their focus, they only see what they want to see.
The thorny path ahead doesn’t even register.
“This conversation has gone on long enough.”
At her gesture, the four tentacles stretched like rubber.
Pointing toward the ceiling, they were poised to strike Oscar at any moment.
“Die. For my better future.”
Thwack!
The moment the four tentacles fell toward his head, Oscar slowly looked up at them.
He didn’t lift a single finger.
Instead, he simply smiled softly, like a senior amused by a junior’s antics.
“Steel Whip!”
Screeeech!
The sound of steel breaking the sound barrier shredded the air.
In a horizontal sweep, the whip’s trajectory obliterated the four tentacles, which burst into droplets of water with a loud pop!
“Huff, huff. Hey, you lunatic! Why didn’t you dodge that!?”
Appearing from the opposite side of the purification zone, Fran gasped for breath as he shouted angrily.
Oscar glanced at him and simply shrugged.
“I knew it’d turn out like this.”
“What if I’d messed up?”
“Then you’d just have to live with another lifelong trauma.”
How could he make even a single comment so infuriating?
Fran suppressed the urge to smack him on the head and glared at Moira.
“That’s the one? The one who messed with our potion business?”
“That’s right.”
“...Hah.”
Running a hand through her hair, Moira glanced between the two with an annoyed look.
“Are there any more reinforcements coming? If so, bring them out all at once.”
“This is it. If you try to run, mercenaries are waiting outside, but that’s about it.”
“Good. Not that it matters, since I’m not running.”
The number of targets to kill had simply increased from one to two.
Raising the four tentacles once more, Moira cast a glance at Fran.
‘Time to adjust the plan. I’ll kill that pesky one first.’
It was humiliating to admit, but she hadn’t even seen the enemy’s attack earlier.
Her magic had been destroyed before she could react, leaving her with only the sound afterward.
‘But the magic was severed by a single trajectory.’
This meant her opponent’s attack was something like a sword or whip.
In that case, adjusting her countermeasures would be simple.
“Attack.”
The four tentacles moved in perfect coordination, surging toward Fran.
Each one followed a different trajectory and was timed with deliberate gaps.
“Whoa!?”
As expected, Fran was visibly flustered as the attack bore down on him.
It seemed impossible to deal with all of them at once with a single swing of the whip, as before.
“You’ve got a long way to go.”
Oscar murmured as he arrived beside Fran.
“Swing.”
“W-where? Which trajectory?”
“I’ll handle that. Just swing.”
It was a calm and composed voice, entirely out of place in this dire situation.
But that only made it more trustworthy.
That was because it was Oscar who had said those words.
'If it’s him, he’ll find a way to keep his word, no matter what.'
Hadn’t it always been like that?
So this time would be no different.
In short, all he had to do now was trust Oscar’s words and focus on what he himself needed to do.
“...Steel Dance.”
Once again, the whip of steel howled fiercely.
At the same time, Oscar’s mana guided the trajectory of the whip naturally.
“...!”
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Fran’s eyes widened.
The whip, which had shifted its course three times in midair, precisely intercepted four of the tendrils.
“How is that possible?”
“Swinging a whip isn’t the end—it's just the beginning. Use the wind and your mana to carve a path.”
If you create a path, the whip can rampage like this.
“Ugh! Water Veil!”
Panicked by the destruction of all her tendrils, Moira Main hastily cast a spell.
But the whip tore through the veil and struck her mercilessly.
“Guwaaagh!”
Hit squarely, Moira Main was flung backward and crashed into the wall.
Collapsed at the bottom of the filthy sewer, she coughed up clotted blood.
‘Dizzy…’
Her vision spun.
Even though she had conjured the thickest Water Veil possible to reduce the speed, the destructive power was still overwhelming.
For a brief moment, a thought crossed her mind: this place might become her grave.
‘Damn it…’
A 5th-level mage—no, a mage of the Blue Tower—losing to someone from the White Tower?
Unthinkable.
It couldn’t and shouldn’t happen.
With eyes gleaming with murderous intent, she reached into her robe and pulled out a small wooden box.
Opening it revealed a single pill inside, emitting a delicate fragrance.
‘Neil Brion sent this.’
It was the drug handed over by one of his subordinates who had proposed this job.
He had instructed her to take it in case of injury during battle.
‘Newtech’s latest creation.’
It was said to heal internal injuries and physical damage rapidly while temporarily boosting mana.
She didn’t fully believe the claims, but even if half of it was true, it would be a significant aid in this fight.
Gulping the pill down, Moira Main slowly rose to her feet.
“Huh?”
At the same time, she let out a pleased gasp.
As the pill slid down her throat, she felt her damaged organs begin to mend.
But that wasn’t all.
‘Strength is surging through me.’
Every nerve and sense sharpened to a razor’s edge.
In this state, she felt as if she could control her mana to its absolute limits.
‘Water Spear.’
The moment she thought of it, the spell was complete.
It felt as if she had opened her eyes to a new world.
She even had the illusion that she had ascended to a high-ranking mage mid-battle.
‘What on earth has Newtech created?’
A resolve formed in her mind: once this was over, she must secure an exclusive contract with Newtech.
This drug was bound to make a fortune.
“...Huh?”
The strangeness began a little later.
What had felt like overflowing vigor and heightened senses began to exceed their limits.
“Agh, Aaaaaah!”
Her senses, sharpened to the extreme, became unbearable.
Even the breeze brushing against her skin felt like blades slicing her flesh.
“Grahhh! Gaaah!”
Her vision turned red.
Voices echoed in her head.
—Kill.
Kill, kill, kill the mage.
That was Moira Main’s final memory as herself.
“...Hey, something’s off with her, isn’t it?”
Watching Moira Main standing motionless after the Water Veil dissipated, Fran murmured.
Just as he said, her state seemed a little strange.
“Hm.”
How to describe it?
It was eerie.
She stood on her tiptoes, with only her toes touching the ground, her back unnaturally straight, and her shoulders raised.
Meanwhile, her head hung low, giving her the appearance of a corpse dangling from somewhere.
“...”
The instincts honed through countless brushes with death screamed within him.
That thing in front of him was no longer normal.
‘What on earth happened in that brief moment?’
He had seen her take something earlier—some kind of pill—but could it really be connected to this?
Uneasy, Oscar spoke up.
“Fran, attack.”
“Are you kidding? This’ll be my third one. You know my arms are shaking already.”
“I know. Just try.”
Fran nodded reluctantly and began his final dance.
Whiiish!
The wind-breaking whip, moving at supersonic speed, flew straight for Moira’s neck.
“...!”
But just before the whip reached her throat, the water moved as if alive, catching the whip.
“Damn it, so she’s still a 5th-level mage after all?”
“...No.”
Hearing Fran’s muttering, Oscar shook his head.
He had said it time and again: the “Steel Dance” Fran wielded was fast and destructive enough to overwhelm most 5th-level mages.
Hadn’t Moira just coughed up blood earlier after being hit by the whip?
“...”
Oscar slowly lifted his gaze to meet Moira’s eyes.
Red.
Her once-brown eyes had turned blood-red, like the color of freshly spilled blood.
It was as if she had manifested demonic energy, like a being from the underworld.
“What the hell is this…”
Feeling the prickling aura on his skin, Oscar’s expression turned icy.
He had encountered it countless times in his past life and couldn’t be mistaken.
The energy Moira Main was exuding now was unmistakably the aura of demons:
Demonic Energy.
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HELHEIM SCANS
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