Chapter 586. Eventually (7)

'Aaaaagh.'

My head feels like it's splitting open.

'What the hell are you doing—you b*stard—!'

I maintained a tight watch over the center of the island to prevent the Ancient Mage from pulling any more nonsense.

However, even though I was delicately controlling the flow of mana, my actual attention was constantly drawn to the helicopter that had appeared.

'Is Kang Changho planning to threaten me by killing them right in front of my eyes?'

Worry surged for a split second.

Contrary to that thought, however, the military helicopter surprisingly stopped in mid-air, keeping a proper distance from the island.

After waiting a few more seconds, there was no sign of it approaching further.

'L-let's just calm down for now.'

I steadied my breathing.

It was an absurd situation, but in this kind of combat environment, there was nothing to be gained by being swayed by bewilderment.

***

Splash.

Something with a massive physique poured down steeply from the sky.

The Original Species.

In truth, those angel-like monsters were structured like hollow gourds.

Perhaps they had giant balloons inside to stay afloat.

At any rate, those entities were somewhat light compared to their size, and they soon created a specific phenomenon.

—Splash!

The dead Original Species that had fallen into the sea gradually floated to the surface.

And their remains soon piled up to the point where the artificial island someone had created expanded by hectares.

The ground was already sufficient to accommodate the newly arrived hunters.

Slide.

Furthermore, once their strength was exhausted, the generated monsters closed their numerous eyes.

Thus, it was a situation where one no longer had to face those hideous gazes and could simply utilize this temporary island formed by the overlapping wings of the corpses.

'Well, would you look at that...'

Thud!

Hunters leap from the mobile helicopter in question.

Earthlings have limits to both their eyesight and their ability to sense mana, so they likely wouldn't know the state I'm in.

Conversely, I, who was perceiving every movement of the natives, soon gave a quiet nod.

'I was planning on putting him on display in the marketplace a bit later, but looking at this, I'll have to move up the execution schedule.'

For various reasons, the thoughts the enemy was harboring were perceived directly.

To explain simply, that Ancient Mage was just incredibly confused right now.

[Why on earth did the humans venture out to this dangerous sea?]

Alphaurins.

They still maintained the status of living beings despite undergoing all sorts of developments.

However, their brain structure was fundamentally different from the people here.

Unlike this genius who survived conveniently with martial force and intellect, other mages usually increased their survival rate by forgetting altruism...

[Ah, I see.]

[They've been manipulated as sacrifices.]

A serious distortion followed.

[Or, the probability is that the great Magic Master drove the mammals with fear and other emotions to move them like livestock.]

[Unless they were mentally deranged, a reason is required for such a large number to voluntarily enter the jaws of death.]

[But either way, there is no reason to care.]

[No reason at all.]

[Those, too, are nothing more than bait, just like the corpse hidden among the rocks...]

Additionally, if I had to be precise, this was also a matter of "Man proposes, God disposes."

I had done my best without resting for a single moment since I went on the exploration to the binary star system, and as a result, I had reduced the enemy to a moribund state once.

But a soul is usually bonded to the body to some degree—

Ultimately, the enemy had accumulated injuries, his judgment would surely be lower than usual.

'It seems the soul particles bonded to his body were completely ruined when he was first exposed to [Gaia]'s mana.'

Old age, soul damage, faulty evolution, and so on.

Taking everything into account, it was actually more natural for that Ancient Mage to be barking up the wrong tree.

[Live bait, huh.]

Well, anyway, since that side also doesn't seem to care at all about the winged monsters being gnawed away.

'In the end, we've both decided on the same priority.'

The released monsters can wait.

For now, erasing the existence of the Magic Master is the priority.

'Here it comes.'

Merceless magic immediately descended upon the mainland of the artificial island.

—Flash!

The invader now seemed to be sparing no strength to dispose of the Guardian.

Countless primordial mysteries took root on the ground.

But when a mage displays techniques brilliantly like this, the surroundings have no choice but to have mana temporarily concentrated...

Slide.

A sky-blue light created by the mana attached to the Ancient Mage's soul.

Reflected by the heavy snow, it created a picture as if a blue mist had settled in the center of the island.

On the other hand, it also felt as if a foam-filled wave had extended its tongue wide across the land.

***

Atop the artificial island that had turned into a scene from another world.

Standing in the center of this landscape were none other than the two great Magic Masters who had occupied most of the binary star system's civilization.

Thus, a great battle broke out immediately in that space without a moment's rest...

But unlike the beautified center of the island, the things that began to unfold there were nothing short of hideous.

'Ah, f*ck. Anyway, I really should have had my fortune read in advance to see what my luck would be like in my later years.'

It felt as though it would have had a shred of aesthetic merit if we had just grabbed each other's hair and fought.

Magic approaches, activation of nullification.

Magic approaches again, reactivation of nullification.

Of course, this was a dangerous game of catch where a single failure meant the loss of a life.

But regardless, wasn't it a bit negative for the final battle to take this shape?

'It wasn't intended at all, but somehow the magic we use has become similar!'

There was nothing to be seen with the naked eye.

The invader's side had already lost all of his steel body and was being perceived only faintly through mana.

But now I had to continue a scentless, tasteless fight while endlessly dismantling the dangerous magic the enemy spewed...

—Snap!

A pathetic sound echoes.

Just as the situation appeared, I had been dismantling various techniques fired by the Ancient Mage's spiritual form for a while now.

For the record, this wasn't much different from the missile defense Earthlings sometimes manage.

Deflecting incoming mystical techniques.

Analyzing and destroying magic circles in mid-air.

Or shaking the enemy's mind to obstruct the deployment of the incantations themselves.

Anyway, since the opponent had lost his body, he was engaging in acts of destruction with a do-or-die attitude.

Trapped in a mere body, I focused on removing the danger for a while.

'I'd be finished even if a stray shell just grazed me.'

And for the record, there was a harvest gained even in the midst of this colorless offense and defense.

'Save the alien!'