LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 152
Chapter 152: Dragon Fang Corps (2)
“Keekkk!”
Theo scratched Umbra’s neck as it chuckled contentedly, narrowing his eyes.
‘I made it out for now, but… my magic power consumption is too severe.’
Having already used the eclipse technique twice, his magic reserves were nearly depleted. The eclipse’s destructive power came with an equally extreme drain on energy.
The real problem was that this wasn’t enough to deal with Ode or the Blue Crane Captain entirely.
The weaker opponents, like the Blue Crane Corps and the other swordsmen, might have been handled, but the true masters required a more concentrated power than he could currently muster.
And sure enough—
The pile of rubble buried in the dust cloud began to stir, and a barrage of sword energy shot out toward Theo.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Theo intercepted all of them with his aura, focusing his [Spiritual Essence]-infused eyes on the dust cloud.
Beyond it—
Ode and the Blue Crane Captain, their bodies covered in blood, were glaring in his direction.
“I’ll kill you…!”
Ode started to vent her fury, but then suddenly twisted her body in alarm as she sensed an attack from her blind spot below.
It was Death Beat.
They were creatures Theo had deliberately let loose before escaping to the sky.
In an instant, Death Beat transformed into a Thunder Dragon, its gaping jaws clamping down on Ode’s right arm.
Splat!
Her sword-wielding arm was flung helplessly into the air, while the Blue Crane Captain found himself in no position to aid her.
Three Thunder Dragons had latched onto him.
Empowered with the mysteries of Dragon Pearl Sun, the Thunder Dragons had become incomparably stronger than before. They ravaged the captain, sinking their fangs into his nape.
“Guh-hurk!”
The captain, his face twisted in resentment and frustration, opened and closed his lips wordlessly before collapsing backward, gasping for breath.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have gone down so easily. But he had been caught in the blast of the eclipse and sustained injuries before being blindsided by the ambush.
Still, there was one silver lining—or a frustrating irony—for him: one individual in their force remained completely unharmed.
“This is why you can’t entrust great endeavors to unbelievers who don’t believe in the Great God. Tsk!”
Theo, about to command the Thunder Dragons to finish Ode off, suddenly twisted his body.
Clanggg!
A blade, coated in crimson energy, blocked him mid-strike.
“The Sacred Demon Church… forces!”
“Indeed, unbeliever. You’ve caused enough havoc; now I’ll ensure you cause no more.”
As Kali, smirking coldly, stood before him, Theo quickly discerned that this was no ordinary opponent but one of bishop-level mastery. Without hesitation, he prepared to counterattack.
‘A bishop-level opponent isn’t someone I can handle in my current state. If so…!’
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The earth began to quake violently.
Theo felt his rapidly pounding heartbeat as he swung Drake’s blade downward with all his might.
Flash—BOOM!
The eclipse of
Theo felt dizzy, his energy core and heart momentarily emptied, but he managed to regain focus, drawing the Moon-White Sword with his left hand.
A brilliant flash struck vertically into the ground.
And then came the Dragon Slayer Sword.
Nibelung’s Fang detonated with overwhelming force.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
The ground quaked, rumbling with successive explosions.
“How dare an unbeliever…!”
Kali, who had barely landed on the ground, jerked his head up with a scowl.
He was enraged by Theo’s audacity to treat him as prey.
A crimson aura enveloped Kali, molding into the shape of a monstrous figure.
It was the “Blood Spirit,” a divine shadow visible only to those at the level of a bishop or higher.
Yellow flashes clashed against the crimson aura.
Deafening roars and thick smoke spread in all directions as—
CRASH!
Thud!
Theo had already dismounted from Umbra, landing on the ground. He charged at Kali, wielding the Dragon Slayer Sword and the Moon-White Sword in each hand.
Slash!
The Dragon Slayer Sword was blocked by the claw of the monster that the Blood Spirit had conjured.
Theo spun his body, slipping into Kali’s defenses, and thrust the Moon-White Sword toward his heart.
At that moment, Ode intervened.
Even with her right arm severed, she was undeterred. With the sword in her left hand, she parried the Moon-White Sword.
Her left-handed swordsmanship was just as agile as her right.
‘As expected, she truly is Ragnar’s rightful heir.’
While inwardly admiring Ode’s skill, Theo shifted his stance, aiming the Dragon Slayer Sword at her neck.
Ode leaned her neck back just in time, while Kali attacked Theo’s flank.
Theo dropped the Moon-White Sword to intercept the blow, narrowly blocking it.
Clang! Clang-clang-clang!
The three of them—Theo, Kali, and Ode—relentlessly exchanged blows, their attacks and counters growing ever more ferocious.
Swords collided countless times, and their auras flashed, tearing through the ground with raw power.
Despite facing two masters simultaneously, Theo’s swordsmanship never faltered.
‘I can see it.’
The image of the Resolution Squad captain ■■■ from his visions had given Theo significant inspiration.
Coupled with the effects of the Sword Sphere, Theo’s insight now rivaled the best in Ragnar, short of the Nine Dragons.
‘It’s all too clear.’
Theo could vividly predict the direction of Kali’s and Ode’s swords, the steps they would take, and how their attacks would flow. Everything was so apparent that he could preemptively block every move they made.
Even though his magic power was depleted, Theo still had plenty of stamina left.
[You have allocated 10 bonus stats to Stamina.]
[Stamina: 50 → 60]
[You have allocated 30 bonus stats to Stamina.]
[Stamina: 60 → 90]
Theo not only used the 10 bonus stats he had saved up but also poured all the bonus stats he gained from advancing six levels after mastering Dragon Pearl Sun into [Stamina].
Naturally, this reinforced stamina improved Theo’s focus, enabling him to maintain his swordsmanship with even greater precision.
[You are displaying extraordinary focus under the All Buff state. You have achieved a state of ecstasy.]
[You are battling formidable masters and gaining immense experience.]
.
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[You have allocated 10 bonus stats to Stamina.]
[Stamina: 90 → 100]
Theo ultimately reached Level 47 and successfully unlocked a special ability for [Stamina].
[Your Stamina coefficient has exceeded 100.]
[A hidden function has been unlocked. Stamina vitality will now increase exponentially.]
+
[Vitality Amplification]
· Type: Special Ability
· Effect: Rapidly restores depleted stamina. If exceptional focus is maintained for more than 10 minutes, stamina temporarily surges explosively.
+
BOOM!
Even with his magic running low, Theo now demonstrated the ability to maintain his swordsmanship purely through physical prowess.
Naturally, this left Kali and Ode, confident in their own skills, visibly shaken and filled with confusion.
‘Now!’
Swish—!
Theo seized on the opening the two had left, swiftly crossing the Moon-White Sword and the Dragon Slayer Sword in an X-pattern.
Slash! Slash!
The Moon-White Sword slashed across Ode’s neck, while the Dragon Slayer Sword tore through Kali’s left chest with fierce precision.
At that moment, the Sword Sphere infused Theo’s vision with a flood of new inspiration.
A countless number of trajectories emerged—thousands, if not tens of thousands—all capable of cornering the two and delivering fatal strikes.
It was as though Theo had grasped the very essence of divine authority, an omnipotence that filled him with overwhelming confidence.
White Heat.
His crown burned with searing intensity.
The wide-open Brain Gate was inundating Theo with an abundance of information.
Completely entrusting himself to this heightened sense, Theo placed both swords on the killing line without a shred of doubt.
Though the process seemed long in thought, the time from decision to action was instantaneous.
Swish! Swish—!
Both Ode and Kali turned pale as they realized the danger of their predicament.
At that very moment,
“Kill… I’ll kill you… Theo Ragnarrrrr!”
Suddenly, an intense wave of energy surged toward Theo’s side in a frenzied rush.
A reckless physical assault, completely indifferent to the notion of death.
It was the Blue Crane Corps’ Captain, whom Theo had presumed dead.
‘Damn it!’
Whether it was due to some latent power surge or sheer desperation, his face and bloodshot eyes made him look anything but sane.
He was driven by one singular will—to kill Theo at all costs.
A hand, extended straight forward, aimed for Theo’s neck.
‘What should I do?’
At that moment, Theo was forced to weigh his options.
Should he ignore the Blue Crane Corps’ Captain and kill Ode and Kali, or should he retreat momentarily for safety?
But he didn’t ponder for long.
‘I’ll retreat.’
There were still numerous ways to capture them.
But in a situation where enemy reinforcements could appear from anywhere, Theo couldn’t afford to be injured.
He released the grip on both swords in his hands.
Instead, twisting his body toward the Blue Crane Corps’ Captain, Theo extended his hand forward.
With a spark of telekinesis, Drake’s blade, which had been embedded in the ground, shot into Theo’s right hand.
And then—
Flash!
He swung it.
Boom!
The Blue Crane Corps’ Captain spewed blood and was violently flung backward.
Ode and Kali, narrowly escaping with their lives, barely managed to regain their footing.
Whooosh!
A desolate wind blew between Theo and the three others.
A standoff at one versus three.
It was a situation where Theo should have been at an overwhelming disadvantage.
But the aura emanating from Theo had already completely dominated the battlefield.
“The ancestors… created a monster.”
Ode ground her teeth as she stared at Theo.
The emptiness in her right shoulder caused far less pain than the suffocating sense of loss.
How could a mere thief exude such confidence and power?
It was infuriating that the position he stood in was one she believed should have been hers.
Kali seethed with anger, realizing that the heretic’s legacy, which had once prevented a god’s descent, had reemerged in this land.
Meanwhile, the Blue Crane Corps’ Captain, now entirely consumed by Demonic Obsession, burned with nothing but bestial rage.
Grrrrrr!
‘There’s about a minute left. Can I take them all down within that time?’
Theo used telekinesis to draw up the Moon-White Sword and the Dragon Slayer Sword, setting them spinning around his upper body.
Whirrrrr—
The Upper Dantian flared open even wider.
The sensation of White Heat now filled his mind entirely.
He wondered if his mental world might be completely incinerated at this rate.
But thanks to this surge, countless afterimages flashed before his eyes before vanishing.
Predictions of various possibilities.
In a way, it was not too dissimilar from Cassandra’s ability to foresee the future.
Facing just two of them seemed manageable.
But three?
The only conclusion was that it would be difficult to overcome.
That left only one option.
‘I have no choice but to add another to my side.’
Though he had wanted to avoid it as much as possible, it was an unavoidable decision.
Fwoosh—
Theo moved, and through telekinesis, the Moon-White Sword and the Dragon Slayer Sword shot toward the Blue Crane Corps’ Captain and Kali, respectively.
He himself headed toward Ode.
“Do you think losing an arm will make it easy for you to take me down?”
Ode, thinking Theo had categorized her as a weakling, summoned even more Aura to amplify her strength.
Her sword flashed, and without answering, Theo brought down Drake’s blade in a fierce downward strike.
Boom!
Drake’s blade clashed with Ode’s sword in a fierce struggle of force.
Crunch, crunch—
Theo applied more strength to his legs.
Maintaining their tense standoff, he gradually pushed Ode outward.
What are you trying to do!?
Ode wanted to shout in anger, but Theo’s sheer Mighty Strength made it impossible to speak freely.
And it wasn’t just her.
Both the Blue Crane Corps’ Captain and Kali were relentlessly pressured by the Moon-White Sword and the Dragon Slayer Sword, unable to hold their ground.
‘What is he planning?!’
Only then did the three of them realize that Theo had another objective.
They tried to deflect the attacks and move to the side to evade, but—
Fwoosh!
It was already too late.
The air shifted dramatically.
The pungent smell of grease and grime filled their noses.
Ode instinctively looked up.
Countless magic circles had appeared in the sky, on the ground, and in midair, interlocking like gears in a massive mechanism.
“Magic Square? How can you…?”
A Magic Square refers to a complex combination of magic circles constructed by mages.
The more intricate the system of magic circles and the greater their number, the exponentially stronger the Magic Square becomes, until it ultimately creates an entirely new domain.
This was a Mental Domain, a conceptual realm that only mages who had mastered the rank of Archmage—a 9-star mage or higher—could create.
And now, it had materialized before their very eyes!
Creak, screech—
Tick, tick, tick!
Where the magic circles had vanished, countless large and small clockwork gears filled the space, rotating steadily.
The ground beneath their feet transformed into what resembled a giant clock face, with an hour hand, minute hand, and second hand moving at different speeds across the white surface.
It was Clockwork Array—the Mental Domain of Cassandra, the Archmage Empress.
Her greatest creation, and the symbol of her might, had transcended time and reappeared here.