ALL NOVEL Chapter 256
Chapter 256: Full-scale Battle (5)
In a workshop renowned for producing countless legendary swords, it’s only fitting that materials of equal caliber exist there.
However, if an inexperienced blacksmith were to enter such a workshop, the chances of producing something even less than a kitchen knife from the market were high.
Yoo Ji-han had similar thoughts while looking at Desa before him.
He had obtained the finest materials or weapons in the form of Rank 1 Hero Yoon Do-ha.
Yet, the user’s ability, Desa, fell far short of that potential.
“If I remember Yoon Do-ha correctly, he wouldn’t leave such openings on the ground he stands on.”
“I told you to shut up…!”
“Not gonna happen.”
Desa glared at Yoo Ji-han and growled.
Once, he had even risen to the position of royal magician in Leron!
He was a person whom many mages in Kallem respected and admired.
A mere warrior who suddenly appeared one day was no one to take lightly.
“How can I compare to that person?”
“……!”
But Yoo Ji-han outright ignored Desa.
A great displeasure surged in Desa’s heart as he met Yoo Ji-han’s gaze.
There was no respect for the opponent, only a very uncomfortable and familiar stare!
“……Don’t look at me with those eyes.”
Those eyes were similar to what the people of the Leron royal family had shown him when he had ascended to the position of royal magician.
——Oh? You know how to handle puppets?
Desa, who loved playing with puppets since childhood.
By chance, he became a magician and was particularly adept at creating and handling puppets using materials imbued with magic.
Among them, the standout was the combat puppet.
The combat puppets he painstakingly crafted had a very high winning percentage even against Leron’s outstanding knights.
However, after becoming the new royal magician by recommendation from the previous royal magician, Desa could not gain recognition from the nobility based on his own abilities.
——Puppets? You became the royal magician with just that power?
——Your efforts are truly commendable.
——Just don’t tarnish the name of Leron.
——Tsk tsk! I wonder just how far our mages’ level will fall…….
Inside the royal palace where Desa resided, no one respected him.
Those who eyed him with subtle oppression and discontent.
The thrill and anticipation he felt upon first stepping into the palace disappeared in less than a month.
The reason he didn’t easily back down was.
Pride as a magician and his hometown, Leron.
He vowed to dedicate all his efforts to his beloved Leron.
But after retirement, when the former royal magician who had supported him suddenly passed away—
And following the untimely death of his mother in an accident, Desa’s condition quickly deteriorated.
During that time, the scrutiny from the nobility increased rapidly, putting his position in jeopardy.
——After much deliberation, they decided to replace the royal magician.
On the day the king declared that he would replace the royal magician due to unfavorable public opinion.
Desa’s last lingering attachment to Leron vanished completely.
Having lost his mentor, family, and honor, all that remained for him was.
A thirst for revenge against the Leron that had abandoned him.
“Don’t look at me with those eyes!”
Yoo Ji-han gazed at the shouting Desa with a fixed expression.
Desa recalled unpleasant memories and swung his staff from below upwards.
Kururururu!
The chaotic beings created by Desa rose from the ground.
Puppets sewn together from animals with pink and blue skin.
Those with claws the size of a human forearm emanated a dangerously ominous vibe.
Kirik!!
The creatures with bulging eyes leaped towards Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu.
‘Simple.’
To Yoo Ji-han, their movements seemed somewhat predictable.
He took two light steps back to evade the chaos beings’ attack.
Then, he slashed downwards at the bodies that had fallen to the ground.
Tudududuk!
The areas sewn together from different animal skins were smoothly ripped apart by Qudi.
The weak point Qudi conveyed was the left knee.
Stabbing the knee of the still-wriggling creature brought all its movements to a halt.
“I’ll take care of it!”
Kim Si-hu, who was keeping a young dwarf with him, raised his staff to handle the chaos beings.
Yoo Ji-han, meanwhile, searched for a path through the chaos beings blocking the way.
<—Path to reach Desa through the chaos>
The blurry remnants provided by the sampling zigzagged through the chaos.
Following that movement, Yoo Ji-han diligently moved his feet.
He chose the path that allowed him to leap off a wall midway and crashed down to the ground.
Bang!
Riding the wind, Yoo Ji-han flew diagonally towards Desa.
Desa appeared to be waiting for this moment, positioning Yoon Do-ha ahead.
Kwah—!!
Qudi’s blade sliced through the hardened earth pillar that had soared from the ground like pudding and collided with Yoon Do-ha’s palm wrapped in magic.
‘Not a scratch!’
Yoo Ji-han marveled at Yoon Do-ha’s ability to block Qudi with his bare hands while also attempting to attack again by surrounding his blade with the wind aura.
Since it was a mysterious aura capable of sapping the opponent’s magic, there was no way Yoon Do-ha could keep blocking forever.
“What a peculiar aura!”
With his eyes closed, only focusing on Yoon Do-ha’s gaze, Desa understood that if the exchange continued, he would be at a disadvantage.
Snap!
Controlled Yoon Do-ha slightly retreated while clapping his hands together.
Simultaneously, the ground beneath Yoo Ji-han’s feet began to rise, and the ceiling quickly descended.
They aimed to pin him between the ground and ceiling.
“Merge!”
Yoo Ji-han quickly cut the earth that rose beneath him with Qudi, escaping from the spot.
Then he jumped sideways to avoid the threatening, churning ground.
Kaggagagaga!
A sharp, conical pillar shot up from the spot he had just been standing.
This was no simple mound of dirt.
It was a cone imbued with the magic of a Rank 1 Hero.
If it merely grazed his body, he’d have to brace for serious damage to his equipment or risking being torn apart.
“Kneel before great power!”
Desa extended the palm controlled by Yoon Do-ha forward.
Kaggagagak!
Kaggagagagaga—!
Cones erupted from the ground, walls, and ceiling at various angles.
All of them targeted Yoo Ji-han as a single objective.
“Huuh!”
But the tips of the cones merely stabbed at the place where Yoo Ji-han had already passed.
His body skillfully dodged the endlessly appearing cones.
He moved as if he knew precisely from where the attack would come and where it was aimed.
<—Method to evade Yoon Do-ha’s attacks>
And of course.
The sampling told him how to evade the attacks.
“Mmmmmm!!”
At that moment, Mumu, who was assisting Kim Si-hu, whisked away all the cones that had appeared.
Timing his counterattack perfectly, Yoo Ji-han utilized a charge technique and hurled his body forward.
[Air Rush]
Yoo Ji-han pierced through the dust-filled air and advanced in a straight line.
However, just before he got extremely close to Yoon Do-ha.
Yoo Ji-han abruptly turned his body to head toward Desa, who was hiding behind.
“……!”
Desa, who had been so focused on Yoon Do-ha’s sight, opened his eyes in a hurry.
Yoo Ji-han, having already closed the distance, was about to swing his sword in front of him!
Desa urgently attempted to move his feet, but…….
‘Where did the binding come from?!’
His feet were stuck to the ground, unable to break free.
While Desa was absorbed in controlling his puppets.
Yoo Ji-han had bound his feet to the ground.
“Tsk!”
The binding was so subtle that he felt no sensation in his legs.
With no way to escape, Desa concentrated his magic on his necklace.
Kaaang!!
The translucent barrier created around the bracelet deflected Yoo Ji-han’s attack.
Yoo Ji-han gazed at Desa’s softly glowing necklace.
It was clear that a considerable level of defensive magic was embedded within this artifact.
‘But it won’t hold forever.’
This defensive magic was firm enough to repel attacks filled with intense aura.
Unless materials of the mysterious tree Florun or Drimium grade were used in abundance, an artifact with such magic had conditions for use and limitations on the number of times it could be activated.
The consumed magic power was also substantial, so it wouldn’t last long.
[Invisibility]
Finishing his thoughts, Yoo Ji-han hid his body with magic.
He circled around the expanded protective barrier surrounding Desa, continuing his offensive.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Kaang!!
An extremely threatening barrage of sword strikes struck Desa’s protective barrier at irregular intervals.
Every time the attacks deflected, sparks flew, and the entire barrier vibrated rapidly.
Amidst that onslaught, Desa calmly controlled Yoon Do-ha to face off against Yoo Ji-han.
Even with invisibility, Yoon Do-ha could easily detect him.
“Oh no!”
However, Desa couldn’t overwhelm or stop Yoo Ji-han.
It felt like if Yoon Do-ha just extended his hand once, he would be caught.
Yet this godly movement kept eluding that grasp.
‘The barrier is about to break!’
The artifact’s defensive magic had difficulty holding for an extended period.
In that moment, a surge of regret entered Desa’s heart.
He thought he had approached the rulers far too early.
‘……Must I?’
With his barrier on the verge of disappearing, Desa steeled his expression.
It was time to take a gamble, even at great risk.
Soon, he pulled out a small brush from his robes.
A dedicated brush used for creating puppets.
Swish!
He revealed his left arm, which had been concealed within his robe.
Upon seeing that left arm, Yoo Ji-han couldn’t help but pause for a moment.
Countless symbols representing the royal house of Leron were drawn all over that left arm.
Swish, swish.
Desa completed the unfinished wrist symbols with the brush.
At that moment, the barrier encasing him vanished, and his head drooped down.
‘Now!’
Yoo Ji-han seized the moment and charged toward Desa.
Due to his overly reckless movement, his invisibility was disrupted, but it didn’t matter.
He was confident that he could bring him down with this attack.
Bam!
However, Desa, who had lowered his head, caught Qudi’s blade with his hand.
The instant Yoo Ji-han tried to retrieve Qudi, he was wide-eyed, unable to budge the blade.
It felt like pulling something deeply embedded in the earth.
“It’s complete.”
Then when Desa lifted his head again.
His face had transformed into Yoon Do-ha’s.
‘This is a puppet!’
Chills ran down Yoo Ji-han’s entire body at that moment.
He realized that the puppeteer Desa had turned himself into a puppet.
And above all, the aura radiating from the newly-formed puppet was.
On a different level from the fake Yoon Do-ha, infinitely closer to the true Yoon Do-ha.
“Ha……! This is what I wanted! Behold this magnificent magic! Hahahaha!”
Desa, intoxicated by the magic enveloping him, let out a cheerful laugh.
The magic of Yoon Do-ha, incomparable to that of an ordinary person or an average magician!
There was an addictive quality that made one want to plunge into it.
If he had possessed such power in the past, he would never have faced the fate of being chased out of Leron.
Puff!
At that moment, a pillar made of dirt shot up from the ground without warning.
It struck Yoo Ji-han’s upper body, which was slightly stiffened.
“Ugh……!”
—Ji-han!
Yoo Ji-han’s body, blocked by both arms, flew briefly into the sky in the direction the pillar had risen.
Having regained his posture with the help of the Sylph, he quickly looked at the place where Desa had been.
However, he couldn’t see him.
“Was it a power that doesn’t match your station?”
“……!”
Bam!
Desa appeared at Yoo Ji-han’s feet.
With only his face and one arm exposed above the ground, he tried to grab Yoo Ji-han’s ankle and drag him down.
“Stop.”
Kugugugung!
However, Mumu, who had been with Kim Si-hu, pushed Desa away from Yoo Ji-han.
Desa, wearing the face of Yoon Do-ha and a grim smile at the corners of his mouth, spoke.
“Indeed, a spirit of the earth. If I could have you too, everything would have been much easier……”
“Mmmmmm! Get lost.”
“But just this is enough to topple Maz.”
Desa once again buried his body into the ground.
Yoo Ji-han focused his nerves on his toes while keenly observing Desa’s unseen movements.
His body was rapidly moving away from this place.
‘Is he heading to the rulers?!’
Desa, who had discarded Yoon Do-ha’s true self, moved toward the shelter where the rulers were hiding.
His ultimate goal was the destruction of the three major forces controlling Kallem!
He likely reasoned that it was better to topple Maz first than to battle heroes.
Thanks to the significant increase in magic power, he seemed to effortlessly locate the hidden rulers.
‘I must move immediately.’
Just as Yoo Ji-han grasped Desa’s intentions and prepared to follow Kim Si-hu.
Kim Si-hu called out to him first.
“Hyung!”
“Huh?”
“Here, Do-ha is…….”
Kim Si-hu supported Yoon Do-ha’s body with both hands.
“Hey, Ji-han.”
“……!”
And from Yoon Do-ha’s tightly closed lips.
A voice cracked as if coming from the dry ground.