Eps 186
Infinite Mage
Eps 186 Reversal of the law (6)
The Whirlwind Serpent differentiated its shadow into dozens of strands and attacked Shirone.
Vulnerable to the tentacle attacks coming from all directions, Shirone was in a defenseless state.
At that moment, the lasers scattered, spreading into multiple streams.
The strategy of dispersing energy to destroy each target individually was an excellent choice. However, the damage per second inevitably decreased.
Shadows, thicker than a giant's thigh, pressed in close to Shirone.
The people watching screamed. It seemed like Shirone's body would be torn to shreds at any moment.
One of the tentacles couldn't withstand the accumulation of energy and exploded. Subsequently, all the tentacles exploded simultaneously.
A chain of explosions pushed through to the main body of the snake.
The Whirling Serpent stretched out a new tentacle, but now Shirone knew, that the time it takes for the tentacles to reach was slower than reaching an energy saturation state.
This is because as Shirone's energy was dispersed, the durability of the Whirling Serpent is also bound to be dispersed.
The ensuing battle was an exchange of light and darkness.
Like two fleets floating on the sea, keeping a distance and exchanging brutal bombardments, each time tens of tentacles caused afterimages, Shirone's flashes followed, detonating them.
The tempo of attack and defense was so rapid that the movement of the shadows couldn't be followed with the eyes.
Shirone relied on his Spirit Zone's Synesthesia for 70% of his senses, emitting Lasers.
There were dozens of discharge points, and the hyperdimensional run of lines dominated the space.
Now it was a matter of who would tire first.
Shirone sensed defeat. He felt like crying from the tension, but his mind, focused on the fight, did not permit even a change in expression.
As Shirone's consciousness began to fade, the Whirling Serpent let out a cry. It was exerting itself to its limits as well.
When he thought about it that way, he felt a sense of kinship.
The Whirling Serpent struggled as if it had sensed death, but there was no room left to absorb energy anywhere in the shadow.
The Laser's energy shook the entirety of the Whirling Serpent.
A powerful explosion blew the main body away, scattering fragments of the shadow.
The Laser, which gradually became thinner, disappeared like water droplets in front of Shirone.
Everyone watched the unfolding events without moving a muscle.
Shirone, too, gathered his will not to collapse immediately and stared at the Whirling Serpent's incarnation.
The light faded from the salamander-like body, returning it to its original jade-like material. Then, the saturation seemed to lighten, and it disappeared as if it had assimilated into the air.
"Is, is it dead?"
No one could answer Tess's question.
A creature that had lived here for as long as 10,000 years was analyzed by numerous divine subjects and heretics, but death remained an uncharted territory. No divine subjects had ever come close to killing the Whirling Serpent, let alone drive it into a corner.
Rian swiped at the place where the salamander had been with his sword.
Godlock examined the gap in the valley. The Rapport of light, having regained its strength, was reviving in a brilliant light.
Godlock said with confidence.
"It's definitely dead. No, at least, it's not here anymore."
Only then did Shirone sit down. The others were looking at him in a daze.
The humans of Earth erased the Law.
Canya, Lena, Godlock, and Clove knew what the current results meant.
That boy is dangerous.
It is a Law because it cannot be destroyed. Only a god can change the will of a god. No being is allowed to alter that inviolable realm, yet Shirone trespassed it.
“You… Just what is you? What is that magic? How did you learn such magic?"
The group remained silent.
The truth is, even they didn't know. Although the principles of magic are the same, Shirone's magic is impossible to imitate.
Unique magic created from Divine Particles has its pros and cons.
Lasers has the potential to subdue strong enemies but struggles against fast-moving targets. Photon Explosion requires precise timing, and Photon Cannon, though a basic magic, consumes a lot of mental energy.
However, Shirone compensated for these weaknesses with the diffusion of light, the nature of Indestructible Diamond, and the infinite mental energy drawn from the Immortal Function.
The current Shirone was in a unique position and could not be classified as a mage of any kind.
Canis realized why the Mage Society called Unlockers unique.
It didn't end with just opening the Immortal Function. It's about how well one can harmonize balance through their unique Omniscience.
In this sense, Shirone was becoming unique.
Clove looked at Shirone with complicated feelings.
Thanks to him, his life was saved, so he don't want to feel bad about him, but the problem was what would happen if he entered Nors society.
They must never allow themselves to be dominated by imitations.
But since they couldn't overpower him with strength, the only option left was to crush his spirit from the start.
"Don't get cocky with just that. If Master hadn't been injured, we could have escaped easily. Even for heretics, it is dangerous to carelessly remove the law. With the Whirlwind Serpent gone, a new law will emerge, and we can no longer act as guides here. It was dangerous this time, so let’s just say there is nothing we can do, but you'd better be careful about your actions from now on."
Shirone wasn't listening. He was intently observing something that had fallen from the sky.
It was a gemstone, glowing transparently like a water droplet.
"Hey! Can't you hear me? Are you ignoring me now?"
Only then did Shirone turn his head. Then he asked, pointing to the three gemstones that had fallen before him.
"Hey, what's this? It seems to have dropped when the Whirlwind Serpent exploded."
"Uh? This, this...!"
Clove's eyes widened upon discovering the gemstone.
It was White Elixir.
Clove's first encounter with White Elixir was in the 'Store of Nors' in the great community of the mainland.
At the time, an auction was held for a water droplet spirit, predicted to be the highest-priced item in the market, but an independent group of Nors not part of the community won it with 23 White Elixirs.
Unlike water spirits, droplet spirits were hard to come by. While Rapport frequently forms in static bodies of water like seas and rivers, droplets are not consistently created.
Yet, magically, they are weaker than water spirits.
However, making a contract with a droplet spirit would smooth the skin, prevent aging, and slightly enhance healing abilities, making it popular among women.
At the time, he knew the value of a droplet spirit was around 4,600 Red Elixirs or 670 Green Elixirs.
It was considered valuable enough to be exchanged for just 23 White Elixirs, which would require hunting approximately 7,000 Thornback creatures to obtain.
"White! It's White Elixir!"
Clove leaped like a squirrel, reaching out his hand.
Just as he was about to grasp the Elixir, Shirone scooped it up from the ground.
Feeling the despair of the ground crumbling beneath him, Clove frowned and turned away with a grimace.
Of course, since it was something that Shirone caught, it belongs to Shirone. However, envy often makes others' possessions seem larger, making it hard to give up.
In particular, doesn't Shirone didn't even know the value of the White Elixir?
"Ahem, why are you staring like that? I just wanted to take a look for a moment."
"What is this?"
"Just... nothing much. It's an Elixir, something heretics use to trade goods. I need to look closely to determine its value. Can you show me a little bit?”
"Yes, good. Here you go."
Shirone readily handed over the elixir. Clove quickly snatched it, fearing Shirone might change his mind.
Canya, who understood the situation, approached with anger blazing in her eyes.
"Hey! Why are you taking that? Even heretics have their rules, you know. Don’t you know that the elixir belongs to the person who hunted it?”
“Wha- What did I do? And we hunted it together."
"What have you done exactly? Shirone is the only one entitled to have this elixir here. Give it back now."
“Tsk! Fighting one moment and suddenly acting all friendly? Is there no distinction between heretics and divine subjects in front of an Elixir? Trying to get a share of the loot, huh? Think I don't see that?" (“쳇! 아까는 싸우더니 갑자기 친한 척이야? 엘릭서 앞에서는 모조인이고 신민이고 없나 보지? 잘 보여서 떡고물이라도 얻어먹으려는 심보를 모를 줄 알아?”)
"Laughable! Divine subjects don't need something like an elixir! And Shirone, if you plan to live among the Nors, remember this well! Elixirs are food, water, air, and life itself. Especially, White Elixir is incredibly valuable! You shouldn't just hand it over lightly."
"It's okay. He just wanted to take a look."
"What if he runs away with it? What will you do then?"
Shirone leaned back, resting on the ground.
"Haha! How would he run away?"
"How? Obviously by..."
Canya stopped mid-sentence and blinked.
Now that she think about it, what would someone without any skills do with a White Elixir, even if they did snatch it?
Shirone's friends standing behind him were also watching Godlock's every move, but they showed no signs of tension.
They knew that if Shirone decided to, subduing Clove wouldn't take even a second.
Realizing this too, Clove's embarrassment was evident. Blinded by greed, it seems that his judgment had been clouded. At least he hadn't exposed his true intentions, which was fortunate if anything.
Godlock looked at him pitifully and said.
"Clove, give it back. It's not something you can handle."
Clove, with a flushed face, handed over the elixir.
"I just wanted to take a look. Here you go. It was nice to see."
Shirone took the elixir, tossing it in his palm and examining how it reflected the sunlight, then asked Godlock.
"But what is this used for? You said it's an Elixir, right?"
Godlock checked how much the Rapport had recovered. Judging by the intensity of the light growing stronger at a rapid rate, it seemed like they would be able to depart in 5 minutes.
“If you want to survive in Purgatory, human strength alone is not enough. The environment is harsh, and food is scarce. In some places, diseases spread, and in others, unquenchable sulfur fires burn the air, making it impossible to breathe. Elixir is an item that allows humans to live in such an environment. There are five colors, but there is really no superiority or inferiority. Any color is absolutely necessary. However, they are graded based on their rarity. White Elixir is the second most rare item. Thanks to its regeneration and purification properties, it is an indispensable ingredient in devices that create air or medicines that heal wounds."
"I see. Can it be used to buy something?"
"Of course. There are merchants in the Nors Shelter we're heading to, so it might be good to buy something you want. But for a White Elixir, you should go to Nors Store. It's the most active market in the mainland."
Shirone had one question in mind.
3 elixirs obtained from Whirlwind Serpent.
However, the fact that these items were being traded casually meant that someone was hunting a creature of a similar level to the Whirlwind Serpent.
After hearing Shirone's question, Godlock obediently agreed.
"Purgatory is vast. Incredibly vast. The Nors established their own society, but there were countless communities before that. The place we're heading to is just the closest to Heaven. I can't even think of escaping from the world beyond that. White Elixirs come from beyond those boundaries. From those who can travel much farther than us."
Shirone tucked the elixir in his arms, thinking that it would be nice if there were many merchants in Nors Shelter.
As in the original world, if it can't be exchanged for goods, even gold is just a mineral. As precious as White Elixirs are, if there's no plan to settle in Purgatory, it's best to directly buy what's needed with it.
As people gathered at the gap in the valley, Godlock grasped the Rapport. His body shone as the ancient magic, Elizer, was activated, and a white glow spread along the gap in the valley.
The edge of the light, scattered like a blade, weakened, revealing the original landscape again.
The sound of the wind seeped into the place where the people had disappeared.
Nors Shelter (1)
The plains were buried with the remnants of ruins. A shallow stream flowed, with wildflowers blooming along its banks.
The ancient site, aged with time, felt more comforting than desolate. Butterflies were flying between the tilted arches and three or four people were taking a rest.
Shirone arrived at Nors Shelter and looked at the arrival point.
Light was coming down like a spotlight. When he looked more closely, he saw a beam of light flying around the pillar of light.
It seemed that the ancient magic Elizer allowed for travel from light to light.
|Note
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