Chapter 445

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 445: Faster Than Lightning (1)

Maxim’s world, "The Last Survivor," suppresses the use of mana and demonic energy for everyone.

Unless one wished to die, it was advantageous not to draw upon one’s inner energy within this realm.

Kwaaaa!

Silgrim, however, paid it no mind at all, showering the area with black demonic energy.

Though his legions densely packing the plains were gradually diminishing in its aftermath.

—This much should be just right.

Having finished grasping the nature of this world, Silgrim had begun by regulating the quantity of his demonic energy.

Because of that, the deaths he currently underwent were around five times per second.

In other words, if Silgrim maintained his current pace, the moment all the corpses would run out was…….

—About 24 minutes and 25 seconds from now, is it?

In a world where every single minute and every single second was desperate, that span of time felt like a distant future that would never arrive.

On the other hand, Maxim and Oscar each had only one life.

Raising a colossal aura like Silgrim was impossible.

As if fully aware of this, the opponent completed a high-tier spell for all to see.

As though saying: stop it if you can.

Ooooong.

A sorrowful, ghastly wailing resonated through the space.

Charrrrrrl!

As if a fan were unfolding amidst a heat haze, dozens of thick, elongated bones unfurled like wings.

That massive construct was continuously spewing an ominous aura of death.

‘High-tier magic of the Black Tower, Funeral March of Bones…….’

The moment Oscar recognized that spell formula.

Kwaaaaaaa!

Those colossal bones soared and surged toward Maxim.

“Keuk!”

Seeing this, Maxim hurriedly summoned the wind.

Though the heat of the wind grew fiercer from the backlash, there was no other choice.

“Wind Shield!”

Shwaaaa!

The dozens of bone pillars pouring down en masse slid across the surface of the barrier.

—Deflection, is it. It’s not a bad technique, but.

His absolute quantity of mana was insufficient to deflect every single attack.

Maxim himself realized this, and the moment he drew up mana to reinforce the shield.

“Keut!”

Along with a searing pain burning the inside of his throat.

The impacts, which had been accumulating bit by bit, produced a hairline fracture in the barrier.

Jjeojeojeok!

“……!”

The moment the barrier he trusted shattered, one of the pillars rushed straight at Maxim.

“Elder!!!”

“Keuk, I’m fine! So just focus on your end!”

Having barely rolled across the ground, Maxim shouted with a grimace.

He couldn’t afford to distract Oscar, who was facing a pincer attack from Radan and Magiro.

However, contrary to his answer, the wound on his left shoulder was so deep that the bone was plainly visible.

—Patience and perseverance, was it called?

Silgrim composedly raised one hand.

—Let us put that to the test.

Kwadeudededede!

Every single bone pillar rose into the air, aiming to kill just one man.

Swallowing his saliva, Maxim shot a glance toward the rear.

‘Is that fellow still not ready?’

The man Oscar had brought along was still merely standing still.

If there was anything different, it was that he had taken off the mask he always wore.

Of course, his face couldn't be seen because of his long, shaggy hair draping down.

‘Could it be that this is his first battlefield?’

Or had he frozen stiff like a mouse before a predator upon confronting a giant like Silgrim?

Whichever it was, it was not good.

Clenching his teeth, Maxim roared.

“How long do you intend to just stand there like that! Pull yourself together and move!”

At that shout, Oscar turned his head.

Just as Maxim had said, the Mad Fiend was doing nothing.

He was merely standing still, staring intently this way.

‘……That guy, when did he take off his mask?’

Yet Oscar’s eyes caught it.

The torso leaning slightly forward.

The tip of the foot pivoting obliquely inward.

And those movements matched Radan’s current movements to an astonishing degree.

‘Could it be…….’

Oscar hurriedly looked forward.

Sswe-aek!

After dodging a gust of wind aimed at his neck, this time Radan’s fist came flying in.

Relying on the gentle breeze, he lightly deflected it away with his palm and shouted.

“Just a little! Please hold out just a little longer!”

“What?”

Maxim’s gaze briefly shifted to the Mad Fiend.

Soon after, deflecting another incoming bone pillar, he gritted his teeth.

“……I can’t hold out for long!”

He knew.

Just how heavy this request was.

Unlike his words claiming he was fine, he had also seen the blood gushing from Maxim’s shoulder.

Even so, he couldn't bring himself to wake that fellow right now.

‘The Mad Fiend, no, Gilliot is recalling something while looking at Radan right now.’

He did not yet know what would be waiting at the end of that realization.

However, there was one thing he seemed to understand.

‘Gilli…….’

Even if the battlefield was different.

That fellow, too, was in the midst of a fierce battle.

* * *

Hwooooong!

Between tree and tree, along a path cut through the forest, a small body shot forward.

The wind coiled around his slender ankles and waist pushed powerfully against the boy’s back.

‘Fast! Truly fast!’

A pleasant breeze lashed against his face, and the forest scenery was pushed backward in an instant.

The boy loved this sensation of speed.

Because whenever he ran without a single thought, he felt as if nothing in the world could ever stop him.

“Phew, huff.”

Flopping down by a brook for a moment, the boy drank the flowing water and sprawled flat on his back.

The blue sky was visible through the leaves.

Cooling off his sweat, the boy blinked his eyes.

‘Once I go back, senior brother will nag me again.’

His senior brother was always nagging him to wear his clothes cleanly.

Laundry soap existed precisely to be used when clothes got dirty, yet…….

Maybe he wouldn’t even let him eat snacks after the meal.

If so, he would secretly ask Sasha for just one bite.

Lost in all sorts of thoughts, the boy stretched out one hand.

Sarararak.

A gentle breeze slipped through the gaps between his fingers.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Forming a pleasant smile at the corners of his lips, the boy suddenly recalled a certain mage.

Pajik!

The man who moved while wrapping lightning around his body.

Vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye, movements as swift as a beam of light.

“……Mm.”

Recalling him, his own speed, which had felt so satisfying until just a moment ago, now seemed a bit lackluster.

“Still a long way to go.”

Springing to his feet, the boy roughly brushed the dirt off his pants and stood upon the trail once more.

‘I’ll try it one more time. The wind…… at maximum intensity.’

The boy swallowed hard.

Last time, he couldn't control the speed and tumbled while running.

He was heavily injured from that incident and was even scolded by Master.

He had even been warned never to run that fast again.

‘This time is different. I’ve already failed several times, haven't I.’

It was about time he got the hang of it.

Just as Master said, he was a genius after all.

Jjak!

Slapping both cheeks with his palms, the boy assumed a stance with a focused expression.

The moment the wind coiling around his ankles flattened the surrounding blades of grass.

Huuup!

Taking a deep breath, the boy kicked off the ground just like that.

Ssweeeeeeek!

“……!”

It was a speed distinctly different from before.

The trees stretched out long like strands of taffy as they moved backward.

‘All right!’

Faster than before.

Without a doubt, this was a new top speed record.

The moment a full smile was about to spread across the boy’s face.

The trail that had stretched out straight abruptly curved to the right.

“Uh?”

To make matters worse, a thick tree approached right in front of his line of sight.

Though he hastily turned his feet, the wind pushing his back remained fierce.

‘To the side……!’

In order to turn his direction, the boy reflexively erupted wind near his flank.

Due to that impact, his upper body bent sharply, and his body floated high into midair.

“Uh, I'm screw—uwaaaah!”

Cheolpudeok!

His body, having flown for a good distance, crashed into the bushes and rolled at length over the thickly piled fallen leaves.

“Uuu…….”

His knees stung and his palms burned hot.

His pants were torn all over, riddled with gaping holes.

Seeing this, the boy’s face crumpled into tears.

‘Even soap won't fix this…… and I think I'm gonna get scolded by Master too…….’

His mind knew it.

That he could have dodged it if he had reduced his speed more; however, he could not be satisfied with merely that level of speed.

He hated stopping every time and running anew even more.

Because that mage of the Yellow Tower hadn't done it that way.

“That guy moved so well with a pabat, even at right angles…….”

It was the moment the tearful boy was looking down at his tattered pants.

“Haha! You fell again?”

At the familiar voice, the boy raised his head.

Atop a tree branch sat a muscular man wearing the mask of a white lion.

“Uncle Radan?”

“Looks like you failed again.”

The boy’s lips pouted.

“Yeah. Every time I try to change direction, I always fall.”

“Why do you want to do that so badly?”

“The Yellow Tower bastards did it! Super fast, and completely free direction changes!”

“The Yellow Tower, is it…… indeed.”

It seemed the child, who lived crazy for speed, had gotten fixated on something again after seeing the magic of the Yellow Tower.

He gave a single nod, then kooong! leaped down in one go and stepped onto the ground.

“So that’s why you were ramping up your speed so recklessly.”

“Yeah, if you do that, it gets insanely fast. You try it too, Uncle.”

Teuk. Sseuk-sseuk.

Stroking the chattering boy’s head with his large hand, Radan opened his mouth.

“Listen well, Gilliot. Running fast is something anyone can do.”

“Sasha can’t do it, though.”

“That’s…… that child chooses not to do it, it’s not that she can’t.”

“Nuh-uh. She’s really a scaredy-cat, so she can’t.”

“…….”

Wonder whose child this is, he really doesn't listen.

Teuk-teuk.

Quietly patting his head, Radan continued speaking.

“In other words, you want to solve the problem of not being able to change direction?”

“Yeah! I want to go pabak! at a right angle. Do you know how, Uncle?”

“You just have to stop, then turn.”

“That makes you slow, though.”

At the prompt reply, the corners of Radan’s mouth curled upward.

“Do you want to know the solution?”

“Yeah! Master won’t teach me because he says it's dangerous.”

“……Hmm.”

Radan pondered for a moment.

He was a child who would continue this perilous running behind his master Oscar’s back anyway.

If so, it might actually be better to teach him the proper method under his own supervision.

Having finished his deliberations, Radan held out his thick pinky finger.

“Then let’s make a promise. What I teach you from now on is a secret between just the two of us.”

“A secret……!”

His two eyes sparkling brightly, the boy nodded his head furiously.

“I’m great at keeping secrets! Even that Sasha peed in her sleep the other day, I haven’t told anyone…… hup!”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. At any rate, you must not tell anyone that you learned something from me. Especially not Oscar.”

“Okay!”

Pleased with that answer, Radan slowly stood up.

“Watch this movement closely from now on, Gilli.”

Hwoong.

Radan’s massive frame shot forward.

At its end stood a tree of massive girth.

“Uh.”

The moment the boy noticed this and was about to warn him.

A fierce gust of wind blocked Radan’s path ahead.

‘He has to dodge it!’

Contrary to the boy’s worry, Radan did not dodge that gust.

Rather, he leaned his upper body deeply and thrust his body into the violent current.

Hwooooong!

Riding the gust, the trajectory of his massive frame bent sharply.

The moment his shoulder grazed past the tree trunk by a hair’s breadth.

Pang!

Along with the wind that shoved his back, Radan’s form shot out sideways.

To the boy’s eyes, it looked as though he had snapped at a right angle.

Yet far from slowing down, his speed had become twice as fast as before.

“……!”

Jaws dropping wide open, the boy hurriedly ran over to Radan.

“W-What! What is this? How did you do that?”

Taking a light breath, Radan smirked.

“It is a spell called Wind Wheel.”

“Wind Wheel……!”

“It’s a difficult spell to master right away. Still, make sure to remember well the movement you just saw.”

Teuk-teuk.

His large hand patted the head of the boy, Gilliot Dominic.

Regardless, the boy, shooting sparkling gazes, asked.

“W-What happens if you master it completely?”

“Hmph. If you master this spell completely…… is it?”

His deliberation did not last long.

Because if that day were to arrive, the little boy before his eyes would no longer yearn for the Yellow Tower.

“Then you, one day, will be able to become faster than lightning.”

“……What if I fall again while doing that?”

“It’s fine.”

Radan spoke in a heavy voice.

It was a voice that made whoever heard it feel an inexplicable sense of reassurance.

“At your age, you can fall as many times as you like. Because all you have to do is get back up.”

You can fall to your heart's content.

Even until this moment, he had not known just how reassuring those words were.

Because realizing the true meaning of those words was something that would happen more than ten years later.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]