Book 4 Chapter 2

Chapter 76

"This is Lin Original."

He had deliberately provoked him with a relaxed attitude, but in his previous life, he realized that acting relaxed against a black mage meant death.

'From the start, I'll crush him with full power.'

The mudra devoutly formed is Ra (羅).

Two circles and two rhombuses, the runic property of the combination of these shapes is 'spreading'… But what is it?

'I don't feel any magic in the § of my palm?'

The mental barrier isn't being built.

For a moment, cold sweat ran down his spine. Did he form the mudra incorrectly? Is there a lack of magic?

No, everything is accurate?

"────!"

Just then, as he was looking at his palm, he saw Ribadine lower his stance and push off the ground.

At that moment, Rain's body had already entered a defensive posture. Srrrung, with the sound of iron scraping the wind, a massive stone staff came crashing down.

Fast… For a moment, he raised his staff to block it. And he skillfully parried the five consecutive strikes that followed.

But the problem was that the force of the blows was much stronger than expected.

Padeuk─── Padeudeuk───!

Under the immense counterattack of mass, even with perfect hardening, the staff screamed… and shattered into countless splinters the moment the sixth clash occurred.

'Is the entire stone staff made of iron, not just the tip?'

And the sharp part is glowing dark blue. It's shrouded in the abyss…

One hit and I'm done for.

All the fine hairs on his body stood on end.

'And this guy, he's using Osarius-style staff fighting.'

As countless splinters scattered, Rain pushed off the ground, did a flip in the air, and created distance.

'It was the same with that guy Libeni.'

And the moment he checked his body's condition, the corners of his mouth twisted involuntarily as if in a smile.

'Have the years of peace living in Rain's body been too long, making such a beginner's mistake…'

One, just one splinter had dug into the flesh of his left arm. He felt something warm slowly spreading through his body.

It wasn't the sensation of blood clotting. It was the sensation of death as dark poison spread.

"Field deployment."

As the magic circle shattered above Rain's palm, a colorless, transparent force field deployed, wrapping around the wound. It would temporarily prevent the poison from spreading.

'But it's only a stopgap measure…'

He needed to get the antidote procedure quickly. This time was different from before. Rem, Bart, and Sammy weren't here.

"Puhut, puhahahahahaha!"

Ribadine suddenly burst into mad laughter as if he would die laughing, and the expression on his face was pure ecstasy.

"Truly, every time I see that look of dismay, I can't stop doing this."

It was so similar to the look Libeni had when he looked down at the dying Rain.

"You little rats are too honest. The moment I unleash some power, you immediately cower and think of using 100% of your strength. So easy to read."

"What did you do?"

"I expected you to have a trump card. If I know it, I just have to prevent you from using it."

Clank… As Ribadine pulled his hand, dark blue glowing chains of magic made a squelching metallic sound and spread out long in the air.

His lips twitched.

That, no, such a thing, it's impossible. Countless questions crossed his mind, and his back was damp with cold sweat.

"Chains of Alert…?"

That, even he found it hard to believe, and still couldn't believe, was the 5-star magic Lin had developed as her trump card when she was eighteen.

"What, you know this too? You seem to have studied Lin quite a bit."

300 years ago, the closer they got to the source of the abyss, the exponentially higher the black mages' level became. It meant that blocking their attacks became too difficult.

It was based on this idea that those chains were developed. Rather than countering magic that had already been used, it was a method that prevented its activation from the start.

As 5-star magic, the required amount of magic was insanely high, so he hadn't even dared to use it since becoming Rain…

'If I use all the magic I have now, could I use it for about 5 seconds?'

Anyway, he couldn't believe it at all, so he concentrated magic in his eyes, opening his vision red.

┏ 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 ┓

ㆍThe magic circle of the spell is a combination of three octagons (steel) and two pentagons (electricity).

ㆍThe rune symbols used are the mathematical Rutichen:

'Je (制): suppress and'

'Seo (誓): guard and',

'Swai (鎖): lock and',

'Ran (攔): obstruct and',

'Yeon (鍊): refine'.

ㆍSize 88 axels, range 122 gimites.

┗ 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 ┛

Even the inner workings observed with Bel Sidious were exactly the same as what he had created. It wasn't someone digging up history books and shabbily imitating it.

In that instant, he instantly understood why the special operations mages had been helplessly defeated.

On the other hand, another suspicion intensified uncontrollably. Libeni had the appearance he had when he was forcibly cross-dressed by Lista and Fride.

'And this guy has my ultimate move. Both of them also used my staff fighting.'

How is this even possible? Are there any books that record such things? If not, is there an enemy among old comrades?

'Impossible. They wouldn't do this, and it's been 300 years…'

Suddenly, as if a cold blade pierced his head, the face of his disciple, who had lived for 300 years and was now undergoing heresy examination, flashed through his mind.

He immediately shook his head to dispel that ominous and absurd delusion.

There's no way Thurein would do that. Yes, there's no way. Even though he was playful, how gentle he was… And he's already dead.

"…How are you using Lin's techniques?"

Ribadine grinned.

Then his smile twisted bitterly, and the next moment, he lowered his stone staff and took an aggressive stance for a charge.

"If you want the answer, you'll have to entertain me a bit more!"

He immediately raised his palm to form a magic circle.

But clank…

He felt cold chains of light wrapping around his body, specifically the main points of his scapula, and the magical light rising on his palm faded helplessly.

'As expected, it binds it right away…!'

The 'Chains of Alert' can block a total of three spells. Now that guy used the second power to seal the spell he was about to use.

Shweeeek!

At that moment, with a tearing sound, he dodged the stone staff that came crashing towards his face by tilting his head back, causing a crack in the ground.

"Your petty tricks are useless!"

Is he thinking of using the last one cautiously? First, I'll have to exhaust the power of the chains… Getting rid of them with Bel Qurias is out of the question. I'll have to use them in a different way.

"Rune engraving alteration."

Just as Ribadine was about to launch an additional attack, only the ground where he stood among the collapsing earth shook violently and instantly surged up enormously.

"This must be your last struggle!"

Rapidly calculated 1-star triangular magic circles, fireballs poured out along his predicted path, blocking his approach. They should have blocked it.

Clank…!

Once again, with a sense of powerlessness as an absolute sharpness enveloped his entire body, the magic circle being formed on his palm scattered into a halo of light.

"Oh no…!"

He intended to intercept with 1-star magic that wasn't even worth sealing, but was this the moment of 'kill' that he had anticipated?

Ribadine, skilled in combat, sealed the magic a half-beat late, fatally delaying Rain's response.

Ribadine, who had climbed the slope, was now thrusting his stone staff. This was an attack that couldn't be countered with magic or even with magic eyes.

"Fourth Form, Elephant!"

He took a stance with the half-broken staff. He injected magic into the staff to harden it, confronting the moment of certain death.

Pagagak───!

The staff, shattered in a single clash, spun through the air, and broken fragments dug deep into his arm, sending a sharp pain through him, and meanwhile, the stone staff aimed straight at his neck—

"…?!"

—At that moment, Ribadine, sensing immense killing intent, no, immense heat, hastily rolled to the side as if throwing his body.

────Hwarururuk!

And flames flew to the coordinates where he had just stood.

As a being with the majesty of fire fiercely cleaved through the air, an enormous heat wave raged, shaking the forest and asserting its presence.

Ribadine narrowed his eyes at the unexpected appearance of an enemy, while Rain muttered in uncontrollable joy.

"You always come just in time, Pipi."

Pipi, who had gathered the greatly spread flames and returned to its adorable state, landed on Rain's shoulder, and suddenly began pecking his cheek frantically with its beak.

"Ack! Sorry, sorry! It's not that I didn't trust Pipi, I just came alone because I thought it might be dangerous!"

Hmm, if that's the case…

Pipi nodded as if understanding and glared at Ribadine. Specifically, at the chains hovering around him.

"Amazing, amazing, that's Lin's technique. Pipi knows, it's Lin's technique."

"You remember?"

"So Pipi, that seems to be the real Lin. This is fake Lin."

For a moment, he had to be startled.

He immediately launched into an urgent defense.

"No, no! I'm the real one! Think about it, do you think I would have grown up so unsightly?"

Pipi narrowed its eyes.

Rain immediately bowed his head and spoke in a regretful voice.

"I'm sorry I sacrificed you yesterday. I'll repay you with a hundred corn."

Only then did Pipi sway its head and rump as if pleased.

"I'll let it slide once, Pipi will let it slide once."

Such laughter and playful teasing lasted only for a moment; both Rain and Pipi were combat professionals, so they soon regained their tension.

"Seeing you chat so merrily with a beast, were you a rat by nature after all?"

Therefore, as soon as Ribadine finished his reconnaissance and charged again, the two immediately switched to combat stances and displayed excellent teamwork.

As Pipi flew around, wildly scattering trails of flame, heat rose from various parts of the forest, and raging hot winds shook the forest.

Because Ribadine also had to deal with Pipi's interception, his offensive aimed at Rain was suppressed to the point where it lost its sharpness.

'Tsk, every time I think I've got an opening for a strike, that bird keeps interfering…'

Ribadine frowned.

Truly annoying.

This isn't the skill of someone who's fought one or two human opponents… Compared to that, it's fortunate that the owner is so pathetic.

'He's only using low-level magic at best, being wary of his magic being bound by the Chains of Alert again.'

The Chains of Alert can be activated a total of three times. After that, they enter a standby state and recharge the power of the runes on their own.

'But that brat wouldn't know that. That's why he's being so cautious.'

Ribadine judged so, but even such an easygoing judgment was flowing according to Rain's intention.

'Well, the runes engraved on the chains have lost all their light, but they are slowly regaining it.'

He glanced at the Chains of Alert, gaining information, while narrowly dodging Ribadine's staff fighting.

'If the light returns, the number of uses is recharged, so the moment that light recharges would be the right time to end it.'

As Ribadine swung his stone staff widely, Rain dodged by throwing his body sideways, and Ribadine spat on the ground.

"Tsk, you're really as nimble as a rat."

His tone was annoyed, but his face was full of composure. He must have thought of Rain as prey already cornered.

"Tell me how you killed Libeni. I'll kill you the same way."

Composure is inherently a double-edged sword.

While it can certainly lead to complacency, it also allows for calm judgment, making the opponent quite troublesome.

So, I must first overturn that composure.

"It sickens me that a pathetic one like you claims to be my reincarnation, I can't even speak."

"?"

"If you had sealed my magic and then unleashed high-level magic over a wide area, I would have died, but you didn't do that, did you? Doesn't that mean you're not confident in long-range magic combat?"

He raised his index and ring fingers to the sky. It was a signal to Pipi to cease attack and maintain standby.

"Pathetic fellow, if you were like that, you should have joined the Seven Swords of the First Star, not been a mage. Ah, with that skill, they wouldn't have accepted you there either."

For a moment, it sounded as if a blood vessel in his face had burst.

"I'll rip that mouth of yours apart!"

And as his body rushed forward with all its might, leaving footprints on the ground.

"Bel Qurias."

Crimson blood.

For a moment, a delusion arose that the entire world was covered in crimson blood due to the ripple of magic spreading around Rain.

And it pierced Ribadine's body.

Overwhelming insight of unknown origin, an terrifyingly beautiful silvery-white flower blooming from his fiery red eyes.

He knew what it was.

'Bel Sidious.'

The absolute power possessed by the Ludwig clan, a bloodline limit that stole all of others' magic, earning them the moniker 'Thieving Mages'.

But that was the story of Bel Qurias; the inferior version, Bel Sidious, only read the structure of others' magic. That was all it did.

But aren't those eyes a bit strange? When he saw them in the Dragon Blood Chamber, they were clearly the Star of Death, so why the Star of Seven…

Charrrrring───!

In that chaotic moment, the magic chains that were spread long in the air and sealing the boy's power pierced Ribadine's chest.

"What… did you say…?"

The five powers engraved on the chains stripped all supernatural abilities from Ribadine's body.

"I told you, I'm Lin Original."

The spell that dramatically enhanced his physical abilities, the magic that made the 70kg stone staff feel light, and the power of human alchemy that maintained his body.

"If you use my magic in front of me, wouldn't it be too easy to steal?"