Chapter 108 : Chapter 108

Chapter 108 - Divine Conversion (2)

Powerful skills show significant signs before they are used.

Commonly, the skin tingles, and in the case of weapons, one naturally assumes a stance that uses all muscles to gather power.

So, activating an ultimate skill in a one-on-one fight was a difficult thing to do. It should have been.

[Ropa uses a skill.]

[Black Sign: Shadow Pierce (Lv.2): Attacks all beings with a shadow within range. The caster is also included.]

‘How?’

Artier felt a chilling energy instantly engulf his surroundings.

From the fear that rose up to his chin, he could tell for sure. The skill was already complete.

“I can discern your intentions just by looking at your eyes.”

Shwaaak!

A jet-black hand shot up from Ropa’s shadow.

As soon as the hand emerged, it quickly circled the area and then elongated its fingers, shooting them out into the surroundings.

“Trying to have a direct confrontation here is a foolish act.”

Kaang!

Artier hurriedly ran toward his comrades who were nearby.

[Perfect Counter is activated!]

With the flash of light, five shadows were severed.

But the severed fingers became new hands. And they immediately extended their fingers toward the surroundings again.

“Keuk!”

[Perfect Counter is activated!]

Even when he swung his sword again, it was the same.

The black fingers kept multiplying.

After cutting them down about five times, it became impossible to handle even with Perfect Counter.

‘I was… wrong.’

As the entire area filled with black hands, Artier had to admit it.

His thinking had been wrong from the start.

A game is just a game.

Reality doesn't need to care about balance like a game does.

Why did he ever think an assassin would use an ultimate skill in such a flashy way?

‘It’s my mistake, so I have to make up for it.’

His grip on the sword tightened.

His eyes were still tracking the trajectory of the fingers.

[Perfect Counter is activated!]

The sword struck down ten of them.

But twenty still remained.

Stab!

“Keuk!”

Two of them grazed his shoulder and thigh.

‘I have to block them.’

Thwack!

‘Otherwise, the people who are tied up will die…!’

Stab! Stab!

His left leg rattled.

An excruciating pain he had never experienced in his life seized his entire body.

When his sword could no longer keep up, Artier reached out his hand without hesitation.

Even though he knew what price it would exact.

“Por! Fire Storm to the front!”

[Por uses Fire Storm (Lv.1).]

Kwaaaaaang!

Perhaps it read Artier’s desperate heart.

Por appeared and, without a word, charged forward and unleashed a torrent of flames.

The surging flames clashed with the shadow hands.

Darkness swallowed the light, and light illuminated the darkness.

The two forces, which could never coexist, did not spare any power to annihilate each other.

Gulp!

Artier shoved the mana pill Tersion had given him and all the potions he had into his mouth.

‘I’ll make up for the level gap with consumables!’

Artier said so as he caught his breath, but it was truly an unbearable act.

His mana repeatedly hit rock bottom and then recovered. His mind was hazy as if he had been drinking, and his whole body felt like it was on fire.

Screeech!

In the end, the long battle concluded with the mutual destruction of both sides.

As the shadow and the flame died down simultaneously, Artier, who had been barely holding on, fell to his knees.

“Ugh… I have no strength left…”

Por disappeared with a regretful voice.

It seemed he didn't even have enough mana left to maintain the summon.

“So you held on by force.”

Ropa slowly approached. Blood was flowing from his entire body, but his voice was calm.

“But the result won’t change.”

Shadow Pierce also inflicts damage on the caster.

But in the current situation, all he had to do was cut down Artier and then heal. He was a man accustomed to straddling the line between life and death like this.

‘……Move.’

Artier barely held onto his fading consciousness.

If he closed his eyes here, truly nothing would be left.

But it wasn’t easy.

‘Mana is the power to think. So concentrate. As long as I can keep thinking, even if only a speck of mana remains, I can move.’

Visually, Artier had fewer wounds.

So, if he could just move, it would be fine.

Rattle.

His sword was shaking slightly, but…

“I acknowledge your mental strength.”

Ropa was already right in front of him.

He trampled on the sword that was slowly rising and lightly swung down his dagger.

‘Ah.’

He was angry.

Why couldn't he block such an obvious attack?

He had come here, speaking confidently to everyone.

There was no death more futile and insignificant than dying like this.

‘Move!’

Artier repeated the thought until his head felt like it would explode. He forcefully pulled up his consciousness, which was continuously trying to sink.

Then, the Divine Power that had been dormant deep within his body began to stir.

Thump!

It started with a small tremor. A tremor so small that even Ropa, who was right in front of him, would have had difficulty noticing, but the Divine Power had fully awakened and spread to Artier’s right arm.

Clang!

Ropa looked bewildered as his foot and dagger were sent flying by Artier’s sword.

“Were you hiding your strength?”

As Ropa leaped back, Artier slowly rose to his feet.

A golden light flickered all over his body, and his torn skin was knitting back together.

[Your power of thought transcends your existing mana.]

[Your abnormal mental strength has caught the world’s attention.]

‘What just happened?’

[You are the protagonist who shapes the destiny of the world.]

[The will of the world is your will.]

[You have learned Holy Magic: Divine Conversion.]

Artier didn’t try to understand the information windows that kept popping up before his eyes.

The detailed circumstances and reasons could be checked later.

The important thing was that his entire body was overflowing with power.

[Holy Magic: Divine Conversion (Lv.1): Divine Power can be converted into health and mana. Holy Magic can be cast without Holy Light.]

The amount of Divine Power Artier had accumulated in his body until now was quite substantial.

This was because Artier rarely used even the common Holy Light. And the Divine Power gathered in this way was converted into mana, filling Artier’s insides to the brim.

[Flame Cleave is used.]

Boom!

Ropa’s body was pushed back as he blocked the flame.

“Keuk!”

Even a lightly swung sword was imbued with flames.

No matter how much mana he used, his Divine Power would stir and convert into mana again.

At least at this moment, it was to the point where it could be considered an infinite power.

“How do you still have such power……. Did you go berserk at the cost of your life?”

“Who knows.”

He said so, but he wasn’t actually sure.

That’s how overwhelming the power that had suddenly appeared was.

‘Don’t tell me.’

Artier checked his body’s condition once more, just in case.

Fortunately, there was no pain, nor did he feel like he couldn’t endure. On the contrary, it would be harder to find a better condition than his current one.

“I cannot fail the mission.”

With those words, Ropa disappeared from sight once again.

Even in his heavily injured state, his stealth was perfect, to the point where even the falling blood was barely visible.

“Are you planning to use that skill again?”

Artier looked around and lightly spun his sword.

It seemed the level difference was absolute, as it was impossible for his senses to detect the stealth first.

However, that didn’t mean he was out of options.

If he couldn’t find him, then he just wouldn’t look, right?

“……!”

Ropa, who was hiding and waiting for an opportunity, hastily looked around when Artier suddenly disappeared as well.

‘Did he have a stealth skill too?’

Even when he heightened his senses, Artier’s presence could not be felt.

It was natural. He wasn’t there in the first place.

[Ichi Summon is activated.]

After arriving next to Collie, Artier immediately rushed towards Tersion and Ruta, who were fighting fiercely nearby.

“Oh my?”

Ruta, who had been relentlessly firing necromantic attacks made of skulls, was not flustered even upon seeing the suddenly appeared Artier.

‘As expected, Tersion was being pushed back a little.’

Tersion had no particular injuries, but it was visible that she was a bit tired.

It was due to frantically dodging Ruta’s relentless magic attacks.

[Ruta is currently using a skill.]

[Black Sign: Master of Necromancy (Lv.2): Sacrifices life force to temporarily become an avatar of necromancy. Black magic-type skills do not consume mana, and their power is enhanced.]

With a single gesture of her hand, fifteen skull-shaped spirit bullets were created. And with two gestures, they all flew towards Artier.

While the spirit bullets were flying, she was already in the process of creating more.

“Be careful.”

“Don’t worry.”

That endlessly cast magic didn’t even consume mana. In a hopeless war of attrition like this, it was understandable that she would be pushed back.

But Artier was different.

‘If I knew it was this type of skill, I should have fought her myself.’

[Flame Cleave is used.]

Boom! Boom!

“Ah……?”

Ruta couldn’t comprehend Artier, who had instantly shattered all the spirit bullets and approached right in front of her.

She immediately fired off spirit bullets and retreated, but the distance didn’t widen.

‘As expected, imbuing Divine Power directly into a weapon is highly effective against black magic.’

Glittering golden powder was falling from Artier’s sword.

The Divine Power, which had always been as unmoving as a stone, now felt as if it had become one with his body.

Crumble!

“Ah……”

Until the moment her body was split in half, Ruta couldn’t understand why she was dying.

Clang!

It was after that that Ropa’s dagger fell.

Artier looked at Ropa, who was sent flying helplessly.

The meteor shower disappeared, and Collie approached his side.

The people who had been knocked down were also getting up one by one.

“Your mission has failed.”

“……Is that so.”

Ropa staggered to his feet and dropped his dagger.

“To fail just like this……”

“That plan was doomed to fail from the start.”

The count said.

“Isn’t it strange? Sending you to kill me, who is trapped in a den of monsters?”

“……”

“You were all used. Originally, both you and I were supposed to die here, and then be used as temporary identities for the doppelgangers.”

“Is that so.”

Ropa bowed his head and replied.

He looked as if he had given up on everything.

But a moment later, Ropa’s eyes, when he lifted his head, were still filled with a chilling murderous intent.

“None of that matters. I am merely a tool that follows orders. A soldier has no need for questions.”

Thrust!

Ropa thrust his hand into the ground.

[Ropa uses Black Sign: Shadow Pierce (Lv.2).]

“You crazy son of a……!”

“Stop! You’ll die too!”

The surrounding shadows began to tremble.

He didn’t flinch at Gerard’s and Jeina’s shouts.

“Glory to the Empire.”

“……Everyone, step back.”

Artier had the party move back and stepped forward.

He gripped his sword with both hands and took a stance.

Crack! Crunch!

Ropa was being mercilessly stabbed by the shadow hands he had created.

He was becoming covered in blood, but his eyes were calm.

‘According to Ropin, all offensive Holy Magic skills use the same incantation at first. From there, the appearance and effect change according to the user’s will.’

He hadn’t been able to try it until now, but attempting an offensive Holy Magic skill now was well worth the try.

“……”

Fwaaat!

As he gathered his mind and concentrated, a bright light began to swirl around Artier.

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