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Several hands lood above Gretel and the Giants heads.
These hands, stacked upon one another, sliced through the air with a brilliant whiteness and descended onto the heads of Gretel and the Giant.
Even amidst ntal domination, the Giants eyes widened, driven perhaps by the instinct of a living being. anwhile, Gretel, her face drained of color, attempted to escape after withdrawing her hands from the Giants head.
Yet, escape proved difficult.
The colossal palms, indescribably vast and impossible to dodge, constrained their movents with formidable pressure.
Constrained by this pressure, Gretel looked up once more, only to be t with a palm filling her vision.
A palm possessing enough power to obliterate anything in its path.
Arrgh!
Boom, crash, bang
The Giants palm descended, silencing Gretels scream.
The impact generated a shockwave that ripped through the air with blinding intensity, engulfing the entire sky above Ravel. One side of the Giants head shattered, and its neck broke under the force.
Despite the collision, the unstoppable palm crashed into the transford Zone 11, already altered by massive magic. A massive physical explosion followed, creating a colossal wave from the point of impact, warping the earth entirely.
The resulting dust was so potent that it could blanket all of Ravel.
To ordinary eyes, it seed like a disaster of the gods. However, rlin, a bit more than ordinary, observed the scene with numb eyes. He cleared the dust with magic and descended to the ground.
Gretels magic, rlins counterattack, and the Giants palm had turned Zone 11 into nothingness, erasing all artificial structures. All that remained were fragnts of buildings, twisted earth, and the shattered head and severed arm of the Giant Hecatoncheires, a creature from another world revered as a god.
Hmm.
rlin surveyed the devastated Ravel, triple-securing the Giants head and arm with security magic, then spoke.
Truly amazing. Truly.
Between the mountain-like body of the Giant and the dust soaring into the sky like smoke, rlin addressed Gretel.
She had narrowly escaped a direct hit from the Giants palm by casting a space spell at the last mont. However, she wasnt completely unscathed, with one limb completely crushed and the mana in her body severely twisted.
It wasnt surprising. A disrupted portal spell could lead to a collapse, twisting the mana within the body. Gretels survival indicated a high level of space magic proficiency.
Typical of a tower wizard, excellent at taunting.
Upon hearing rlins complint, Gretel clenched her teeth in anger. In the face of an inevitable apocalypse, their efforts seed futilely overturned.
Tick-tock. At the end of the world, a great hole opens, and the clock starts moving. A black sun rises from the earth, a monster that swallows everything is born in the western sea, a key is taken from the false gatekeeper, and the wandering child becos a boy.
rlin recited a passage from an apocalyptic text, reflecting on the unfolding events.
He hoped it wouldnt be like his ti, but it seed not.
rlin spoke again.
Not taunting. I genuinely reckon its admirable.
What exactly was that space magic? Gretel asked, trying to calm her excitent, likely buying ti to heal her crushed limb but genuinely curious.
It was a natural curiosity given the unique nature of rlins space magic, distinct from the commonly known portal and summoning magic.
rlin answered honestly.
Its a magic passed down from the previous Archivers.
rlin responded respectfully, but Gretel scoffed.
Ha Do I look like a fool? Thats just magic?
Just magic.
A phrase no wizard, for whom magic is almost a religion, would ever say, but rlin agreed.
The space magic rlin employed on Gretel was labeled as magic, but it transcended the conventional understanding of magic itself. Magic, governed by the rules set by the gods, paled in comparison to the ability to distort space and exert absolute influencea power closer to the divine than re magic.
Even rlin, a seasoned sorcerer, harbored a certain fear of such power, nodding in partial agreent with Gretels observation.
I understand your reaction. But its no lie. Its knowledge and power passed down from the previous Archivers, from the first Archiver.
The first Archiver? Gretel reacted, recognizing the significance of the Archiver who surpassed generations, a figure distinguished among all Archivers. The origin and beginning of the Archivers remained enigmatic, closest to the truth of the world.
Despite sounding absurd, even rlin, the current Archiver, and his predecessors didnt know the first Archivers na or face. Only the vast knowledge, infinite mana, and the truth of the world spoke of his existence.
How interesting. An Archiver unknown even to Archivers But are you allowed to speak of such things?
A valid point. Gretel, the younger sister of the Finger of the Black Hand, had a dark past as a butcher of human flesh. Despite being subdued by rlin, she remained a formidable warlock and sorceress, having absorbed a small amount of the essence of hell. Sharing stories of the Archiver seed inappropriate.
Yet, rlin answered, defying the expectation of discretion.
I speak because I pity you all.
Gretels expression, calm in her recovery, noticeably convulsed at the word pity. The term struck a nerve, understandable given that those who attain great power, especially warlocks, often harbor profound deficiencies.
Do not misunderstand. Its not just you I pity.
.
I pity all humans, including myself. We are all victims and perpetrators of a vast and cruel fate Thats why its even sadder.
rlin spoke an enigmatic truth about all humans being both victims and perpetrators, emphasizing the shared burden of a vast and cruel destiny.
Shielded by his impenetrable magical barrier, rlins emotions remained unreadable. However, Gretel, with centuries of experience, sensed the sincerity behind his words.
He genuinely pitied her, a re centenarian wizard born without significant hardships. It stung as an insult, a terrible one.
Do not insult . Novice.
Overwheld with emotion, Gretel staggered to her feet, refusing to admit defeat. She still held unrevealed power gained from the abyss of hell.
I didnt insult you.
No, your attitude is an insult. Im a witch who has lived for centuries, Ive consud the sorcerer king of the desert lands, and over the centuries, many renowned wizards as well! And now I even hold the power of hell!! Dont lump with ordinary humans!
Gretel shouted passionately, determined to uphold her promise to her brother amidst the impending apocalypse. However, rlins face, marked by ti, reflected only pitya gaze that possessed knowledge beyond that of others, a curse of knowledge.
Im sorry, Gretel But a re creature donning great power doesnt beco great. Its like a cheap imitation stealing ancient authority and draping it over itself, futile and dangerous.
Then Ill show you the power this re creature holds!!
Gretel summoned not her mana but the pure power of hell absorbed into her body. The energy she obtained by sacrificing the entirety of Ravel.
Chanting with an inhuman voice, Gretel unleashed [Hell Summon], causing unstable hellish power to explode from her recovering body. Black energy twisted space, creating a foreboding rupture sensed even by those ignorant of magic.
rlin, having faced this power before, swiftly responded. Aligning with Gretels chanting, he ford a magic circle in the air, intertwining magical threads of indescribable colors to bind the gates of hell she sought to summon.
How, how did you?!
An astonished Gretel received no answer. rlin, instead, tore out a page from a book he conjured and threw it toward her. Recognizing her as too dangerous to be left alive, he aid to stop her.
As rlins paper sailed through the air, the space around Gretel distorted, creating a perception of slowed ti. Through this distortion, a massive portal cracked open, and an enormous reptilian arm, covered in iron-like scales, erged with a deafening roar.
Kwaahhhhhhhhh!!!
Upon collision with rlins paper, the reptilian arm echoed a sound of steel clashing, followed by a monstrous roar that shook and even crumbled city walls.
There was only one kind of beast capable of making such a noise.
A dragon.
rlin calmly noted, observing the ergence of the dragon from the giant portal.
This colossal dragon, appearing to be twice the size of a giant, was adorned with various black magics.
While a dragon utilizing black magic was noteworthy, what truly captured attention was its condition.
Dragons were beings with magical, life energy, and formidable physical bodies. However, the dragon erging from the portal was unmistakably in a dire state.
Deep puncture wounds covered its body, hosting various diseases and weakening-type black magics. Severe inflammation caused scales to peel off, malignant tumors bubbled up, and there were mushrooms draining life force and mana, along with malignant fungi eating into its flesh.
It presented a captivating anomaly.
Dragons boasted not only physical strength but also robust magic resistance and immunity. Yet, here was one afflicted with disease and weakening black magica feat achievable only through skill and the right materials.
rlin discerned the identity of this dragon and who had subjected it to such a condition.
Human-at Chef?
At rlins call, the wounded dragon roared and emitted a dense wave of fla with a red glow under its scales on its chest and neck.
Fwooooooshhhhhhh!!!
A sea of flas surged toward rlin. He swiftly wrapped himself in Dragon Skin, a spell providing absolute resistance to flas, countering the dragons breath incomparable to ordinary fire magic.
The dragons breath, displaying orange and red hues, attempted to engulf rlin, who remained focused on Human-at Chef charging from beyond the fire, cleverly using the powerful flas as cover to approach.
It was a shrewd tactic.
The true potency of a dragon resided not in its flas but in its physical form.
Whoom!!
Human-at Chef, with his elongated and sleek neck, burst through the wave of flas, opening his massive maw filled with dozens of teeth, aiming directly for rlin.
Seeking to deliver a fatal blow after cornering rlin with flas, Chef, with impressive agility given his size, snapped his jaws shut to counter an attack. However, this proved to be a poor decision.
The power and spell woven into the paper rlin threw exploded, unleashing a white and blue cold blast.
A venomous cold.
!!
As anticipated, the attack proved effective. A dragon, typically breathing fire, found vulnerability in the face of cold. The cold blast not only quelled the Chefs internal flas but also spread to his heart, inflicting a fatal wound.
Human-at Chef hesitated, wracked by extre pain as if an awl had pierced his heart. Yet, spurred by urgency, he gritted his teeth and swung his enormous wings like blades, launching an attack on rlin.
Boom!!
The colossal wings, spanning the sky, cleaved the spreading flas, and rlin effortlessly evaded them. However, the onslaught persisted.
Imdiately after the wing assault, Human-at Chef swiftly contorted his body like a wolf, lashing his long tail with the speed of a sonic boom. Crafted from scales, muscles, and bones tougher than steel, the dragons tail struck rlin with a forceful impact, sending him flying.
Though rlin managed to deploy a shield just in ti to escape injury, Human-at Chef considered the outco satisfactory. His true intent wasnt to engage rlin in combat.
Huuuuuuup!
Drawing a deep breath, Human-at Chefs chest and throat emitted a dark, blood-red glow beneath the scales.
Kwaraaararaararararang!!!!
As Human-at Chef opened his massive jaws, a torrent of flas poured forth once again, this ti infused with black magica dark crimson fire. The flas carried various diseases, weakening black magic, obsession, and malice, clinging to the ground and spreading nurous afflictions.
A toxic fla.
Even the Archiver struggled against the dragons potent breath, diseases, and sticky residue, as his feet were bound. Satisfied, Human-at Chef turned his injured body towards his sister, his only family.
Brother?
Gretel questioned her brother, fully awakened in his dragon form. Though he had consud a dragon and absorbed its power, he hadnt transford into a complete dragon. Sothing was amiss.
[Its Are you okay?]
Responding through telepathy, Human-at Chef conveyed to Gretel that he had indeed transford into a complete dragon. Yet, he urged her to run, expressing urgency and fear.
What?
But sothing was off. Why was her fully awakened brother in such a battered state? Why did he seem anxious and terrified? She couldnt understand.
Then her brother spoke.
[We need to run Hurry! Hes more than we thought!! Ill open a portal, you need to escape!! You, at least!!!]
What do you an?
Confused by her brothers words, Gretel felt an ominous energy from above, similar to when facing rlin. She and Human-at Chef looked up and witnessed a celestial swirl over Ravel.
Realization struck as a black lightning flash emanated from the swirl, engulfing the world in darkness. In the blackout, a bolt of lightning struck directly above Gretels head.
!
Intense heat and shock descended, and Gretel montarily lost consciousness. Upon regaining her senses, she found herself collapsed, with Dave standing over her, a foot on her, holding a quarterstaff and a checkered dagger. The quarterstaff pierced sothing.
Her heart.
!!??!
The sudden realization struck Gretel like a thunderbolt. She looked at Dave in shock, who, with a nearly artificial expression, gazed at her brother, Hansel, not her, the one he had impaled.
In that chilling mont, Gretel understood sothingshe felt a pervasive sense of malice and terror.
(To be Continued)
CH 424-433 (Vs Human-at Chef Part4) $3CH 434-443 (Dave Vs 100 Druids) $3CH 444-453 (Adventure in New Continent) $3CH 454-463 (eting with Joanna) $3454~ $1/chapter
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