ALL NOVEL Chapter 21
“Strike!”
Before the Head Hyena’s command could fully register, shadows began to swarm from all directions.
Blades rained down in a flurry close to him, as lethal edges surged in like a storm, unhesitating.
However.
Woooom!!
Just before their blades could graze Johan’s body, they were caught by an invisible barrier.
The hyena’s swords quivered, seemingly trapped by something, unable to advance further.
Something unseen trembled as if it were about to be torn apart, yet ultimately did not touch Johan.
“What the—!?”
“How is this happening…!”
The hyenas were seized with shock. The tips of their swords dangled in the air, unmoving, as if ensnared in a spider’s web.
There were no mana barriers or shields commonly used by wizards. The hyenas were utterly perplexed as to why their attacks had ceased.
A smile danced on Johan’s lips.
“Surprised? But this is just the beginning.”
Johan’s eyes flickered with a chilling light as a powerful wave radiated from him, sending mana rippling like waves that crashed down upon the surrounding hyenas.
Boom!!
“Grah!”
“Ugh…!”
The hyenas were swept away into the air by the massive wave.
They crashed to the ground, shrieking as they scattered.
Johan looked down at them with a sense of disdain.
“What kind of magic is this…!”
The hyenas, thrown to the ground, trembled in fear. They appeared to be caught in an invisible trap.
It felt as though an invisible snare was tightening around their grasping blades.
“Fall back!”
“Maintain formation!”
As highly trained and accustomed to working together, the hyenas quickly regrouped after a brief assessment of the situation.
Johan spoke in a calm voice.
“Wondering why your attacks were stopped?”
No one answered, yet they awaited his explanation. Johan’s display of magic was both bizarre and unprecedented.
“It seems you’re curious, so allow me to enlighten you.”
With a flick of his finger, the mana in the air responded. Colorful mana shimmered as it formed glowing lines that intrigued.
“This is…!”
“Mana?”
The hyenas recoiled in horror.
It wasn’t merely a simple barrier. What he had created was a intricately woven web of mana.
Johan’s greatest abilities as a wizard were wielding magical power and mana affinity.
He interfered with the mana surrounding him to create invisible threads.
These threads seized incoming attacks, preventing them from reaching Johan.
“The mana swirling around listens to my command. Unless I allow it, not a single one of you can lay a finger on me.”
Johan swiped his finger through the air. The mana reacted once more, causing the invisible threads to ripple.
“Oh my god.”
“Is that even possible?”
The hyenas were engulfed by shock. An opponent impervious to physical attacks! Without a wizard on their side, they were up against an unbeatable foe.
“Do you understand why I’m the only one left?”
One of the three spells Johan had learned to reach Archmage status.
Shadow Flow Array.
The interfered mana flowed like shadows, entangling and holding back incoming attacks, immediately freezing them in place.
On the surface, it seemed an invincible defensive magic, but it contained a deadly weakness.
It was vulnerable to attacks made with Mana Blades, and if a powerful wave occurred that impacted the caster’s control, the mana manipulation could easily unravel.
Moreover, it could only block physical attacks.
However, Johan was not foolish enough to reveal such weaknesses.
“Time to wrap this up.”
Whoooosh!!
With each step Johan took, mana swirled around him.
A fierce wind erupted in all directions, vibrating the air.
With every step he took, an overwhelming suffusion of magical power trailed behind.
“Wha—…”
“I didn’t see this coming.”
The hyenas retreated in terror from the intensifying storm of mana before them.
The confidence that had sheltered them just moments ago crumbled like sandcastles.
They realized.
To eradicate Johan, not just simple attacks but a resolve to fight to extinction was necessary.
In that moment.
Sssssh!
A sharp presence slipped in swiftly from Johan’s back. A silent dagger streaked through the air, darting toward him like lightning.
An unguarded back.
A perfect opportunity for the hyenas to strike and end him in one blow while he let down his guard.
However—
Thud!
Just before the dagger could touch his back, it once again stilled in midair. As if frozen in time, the dagger wavered but advanced no further.
“An attack from behind!?”
“You can block attacks I wasn’t even aware of?!”
The eyes of the hyenas widened in horror. The dagger had targeted Johan’s back, yet it responded on its own to the invisible threads.
Johan turned his head to look at the floating dagger. A smirk graced his lips.
With a slight wave of his hand, the dagger fell harmlessly to the ground.
‘As expected, the combination of Shadow Flow Array and All-Flow Perception is overpowered.’
All-Flow Perception.
It meant sensing all flows in the world, merging the surrounding mana and sensations to perfectly convey them to the caster’s consciousness.
In short, there were no blind spots in his perception.
If both Shadow Flow Array and All-Flow Perception were activated simultaneously, no ambush could succeed.
For Johan, who had excellent mana affinity and manipulation, the synergy of All-Flow Perception and Shadow Flow Array was akin to having a unique item in magic.
However, even this exceptional combination was a lesser-known magic among Archmage spells due to the many requirements needed to master them.
Of course, such concerns didn’t apply to Johan, whose mana manipulation and affinity were practically unparalleled.
“It’s my turn now.”
Johan slowly raised his index finger. A dark, flickering orb materialized from his fingertip.
Whoooom!!
A collection of pure magical power, it was the spell that compressed his absurd magical energy into a sphere to unleash.
Point of Rupture.
His fingertip aimed at the heart of the hyena swarm. As the compressed mana reached its peak, a sharp vibration distorted the very fabric of space.
And in that instant, the black orb shot forth explosively—moving faster than the eye could follow. The relentless pressure surged toward the center of the hyenas.
“Run, evade—”
Boom!!!
A colossal explosion erupted from where the hyenas had gathered, accompanied by a resounding blast.
The ground seemed to howl as the shockwave radiated in all directions.
Dust flew into the sky, shrouding the area in darkness.
“Gah….”
“Ugh…!”
The hyenas crawled on the ground, moaning in pain. The formation they had established disintegrated instantly. With a single attack, their balance and order had been thoroughly shattered.
Johan smiled as he tilted his head. The residual heat of his fingertips faded away as the mana around him slowly dissipated.
‘I won’t even need to use Spiral Break.’
Among the Archmage spells he had mastered, the strongest and the only offensive spell was Spiral Break.
A tremendously powerful magic capable of ripping the body of an Archdemon in half, though using it now seemed unnecessary.
Simply managing the absorbing sphere and the erupting sphere was sufficient.
‘But where is the head?’
Johan’s gaze sharpened. The leader, who seemed ready to charge in their earlier conversation, had suddenly vanished without a trace.
‘Did he flee knowing there was no chance?’
Johan sighed briefly. While the black knights led by Kasys might be different, the hyenas valued their lives and money above all.
Even if they had sworn loyalty to the House of Lenokhnen, their essence would remain unchanged. Life is far more precious to those immersed in the underworld.
But he could not let down his guard. Johan tightened his senses. Mana enveloped him, heightening his vigilance to the extreme.
In that moment.
Swoosh!
“…!”
Suddenly, a hostile presence shot toward Johan from behind. The resonance of All-Flow Perception sounded an alarm. The trace of a dangerously charged blade shot out like lightning.
Ssssh!
Without hesitation, Johan threw himself forward, rolling across the ground.
The curved blade encased in red mana sliced the air above him.
The lingering waves of mana barely grazed his back.
“Cough.”
A sharp voice emanated from behind him.
“Looks like Mana Blades are your weak point.”
The Head Hyena loomed over Johan, a sinister grin spread across his face.
He appeared relaxed, as if he already considered himself the victor.
“Seeing you force yourself into the dirt to dodge an attack you could’ve warded off while standing still, I guess it’s true.”
The snake-like venom in his words coiled around Johan.
“…….”
Johan quietly rose to his feet. A coldness draped over his face.
The weakness of Shadow Flow Array lies in attacks infused with mana, yet if the caster’s magical density is higher than their opponent’s, it can still block attacks to some extent.
However—the mana blade swung by the Head Hyena had a density beyond the average.
‘Not quite special-grade, but at least first-grade.’
Due to the gap in levels, he could block it if he wanted, but Johan had only just reached the Archmage level and wasn’t yet adept at magic.
With his life on the line, there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
“Is that a hit? Nothing to say? Ha.”
He raised the curved blade again, lowering his center of gravity. He was likely preparing to spring forward for a surprise attack.
“Well, I suppose I’ll just have to find out if that’s a hit or not.”
Whoooom!!
Mana swirled around Johan, creating a fierce gust.
‘I don’t need to use the Book of Calamities.’
Using that magic, which brings about disaster, would cause issues for him as well. It would become bothersome if someone discovered any traces.
The Head Hyena chuckled, a sardonic grin plastered on his face.
“Don’t hold it against me too much, noble sir. I’m just following orders. Hehe.”
Whoosh!
The form of the Head Hyena before Johan vanished, leaving behind a faint afterimage.
Johan pushed All-Flow Perception to its limits, expanding his senses.
‘Where could he be?’
Although he couldn’t detect an exact location, it was clear he was darting about to create confusion.
Under the moonlight, the dark afterimage slipped like a ghost between the sky and the ground.
He was likely trying to cut through with a Mana Blade the moment Johan’s perception dulled.
“Now now, noble sir—you’re overthinking things!”
In that moment, the Head Hyena revealed himself from behind Johan. Responding instinctively, Johan conjured the erupting sphere, Point of Rupture, from his fingertips.
But.
“…?!”
The Head Hyena had already vanished. What happened? There were no traces to detect.
Johan swiftly craned his neck, searching for him. He couldn’t see him. All-Flow Perception failed to capture him as well.
‘This is infuriating.’
Johan clicked his tongue and withdrew his Point of Rupture. The waves of energy from this magic, which influenced the surroundings, placed a burden on the caster if not released quickly, making it unsustainable over time.
Ssssh!
Just then, a dagger shot straight toward him, cleaving through the air. Johan accurately sensed the dagger’s trajectory with All-Flow Perception, stopping the blade with Shadow Flow Array.
“Cough!”
He heard a mocking laugh from behind. His focus had momentarily faltered due to his cunning movements.
‘What!’
In that split-second, Johan intervened with mana. A sphere absorbing the surrounding mana began to rotate, drawing him in.
Shuk!
The burning-red Mana Blade scythed through the air.
‘Though my level seems to be that of a first-grade Public Affairs Officer, his combat prowess is extraordinary.’
Johan bit his lip. As expected of the hyena—their experience in any dirty battle clearly showed.
“Ha! You’re cornered! What will you do!?”
The Head Hyena surged forward, activating his Mana Blade. The blade trailed red mana like flames off the ground.
In that fleeting moment, Johan braced himself, already covered in dust, snapping his senses to attention.
“This is my first time handling this technique, but I have no choice.”
From his fingertips, he formed the erupting sphere. The Point of Rupture swirled violently, revealing its form before beginning to tremor ominously.
An intense wave enveloped the surroundings, distorting space itself.
“Ha-ha, noble sir! You’re too late to respond!”
But the hyena’s speed was startlingly rapid. The blade barreled toward Johan like lightning.
“Really think so?”
Nevertheless, Johan smiled nonchalantly as he aimed the writhing Point of Rupture at the hyena.
Boom!!!
A powerful surge of magical energy erupted from a single point, fanning out in a conical shape. The overwhelming shockwave tore through the air.
The direction of the Head Hyena was consumed by the explosion of the Point of Rupture, leaving nothing but scorched remains.
Johan looked at the remnants as he slowly lowered his hand.
‘That connected perfectly.’
He had narrowed the explosion range of the erupting sphere, guiding it in a specific direction.
It was his first attempt, but with his exceptionally fine-tuned mana manipulation, it turned out to be a resounding success.
‘Now, let’s see what happened.’
Johan brushed the dirt from his body and slowly surveyed the site of destruction.
It looked as though a massive wave had swept through, leaving only the remnants of ruin behind.
“Cough…!”
The Head Hyena lay mangled, bleeding from his wounds.
Having directly taken the Point of Rupture, his lower body had entirely vanished without a trace.
“Ugh…”
He clawed at the air with shaking hands, mixing dirt and blood.
Johan approached him silently, standing before him.
Each of his footsteps weighed heavily on the atmosphere.
“This… maniac…”
The hyena grit his teeth and exerted the last of his strength to speak. His voice mingled defeat with contempt, spilling forth with blood.
“You won’t tell me who’s backing you, will you?”
“Of course not…”
“I already know.”
“…What?”
From Johan’s fingertip, a small Point of Rupture shot forth. POOF! The Head Hyena’s head exploded, flying apart.
“……”
It was a sight that could easily turn one’s stomach.
Though it was his first time killing a person, no special sentiments stirred within him. After all, they had aimed for his life.
If they were innocents, he might have felt something, but against the hyenas, who embodied the underworld, he felt no emotions at all.
In the realm of combat, it’s kill or be killed. In this world, that’s simply the nature of things. Johan understood the laws of this world well.
Living as a noble, traversing a treacherous path for 21 years, one inevitably becomes desensitized.
“Anyone still alive?”
As Johan turned his gaze, his piercing blue eyes glowed threateningly, causing the remaining hyenas to recoil in fear.
“Eek…!”
“A monster…”
He strode toward them slowly. With a cold expression solidified, Johan opened his mouth.
“Relay this to your master, Kasys Lenokhnen. Tricks like this won’t work no matter how many times you try.”
His icy blue gaze burned fiercely.
“If you continue to target Fransia like this, someday, Kasys Lenokhnen, your life will also be snuffed out like this.”