Hunting The Lich (2)

The information the Necronomicon had transmitted to me was not something like simple magic.

It was a kind of definition of a “concept,” and just as I was wondering what meaning this had for me right now, there was a part that matched the resonance I had realized, so I came to examine that part by overlapping it with resonance.

‘Does that mean mana can also be scattered according to will?’

In the end, it was a new way to use resonance, but the problem here was that the power used for resonance was not will, but mana itself.

It was a method of using power to cancel out and erase the power that was trying to exert influence on me by projecting a kind of power through it.

The interesting point was that it was not simply emitting mana. I had to draw a pattern with an opposite nature to match the opponent’s pattern, grasp it through resonance, finish the calculation in an instant, then additionally transform my mana and collide it with the opponent’s.

‘It sounds easy, but just pulling this off in a split second is an absurdly difficult technique. But right now, I have to do it.’

I felt like I understood the Necronomicon’s intention in accelerating my consciousness.

It needed me, and I was also using it out of necessity. As a result, the magic called Catastrophe Impact that had been used now was a great calamity spell, so even the Necronomicon did not seem able to be free from that aftermath.

In the end, it had passed this conceptual knowledge to me in order to survive, and I had taken it in well and understood it.

‘Now it’s time for practice?’

I concentrated in order to grasp the magic extending toward me, the black mana within it.

But it was a familiar pattern, and I pictured its form far too easily.

‘…The power I have absorbed until now was his power…. So maybe it was only natural?’

I could understand the cunning of the Necronomicon, which had deliberately suggested this method, and immediately stretched out my hand and induced resonance.

Between the layers of magic, I manifested my will near the black mana wearing his pattern and stirred up mana. Then I quickly transformed the pattern of the formed mana and collided with it.

Pajijik. As black and white dual sparks flashed and the magical influence in that area sharply decreased, I gained confidence and began expanding the resonance.

But the sensation that my head would burst grew worse and worse, and I felt that because this was not simply using will, but a form that consumed actual power, the fatigue was enormous.

However, I had to live, so I had to pull it off, and the Necronomicon also seemed unwilling to end like this as it took the action I wanted.

It had begun creating the standardized pattern exactly as I did.

Perhaps because of that, my mana consumption increased tremendously, but the magic was dispelled just as quickly. In the end, when I had dissolved enough of the spell’s aftermath to protect my own body, the mental acceleration returned to its original speed, and the entire world began to churn in a feast of destruction.

In the meantime, the Lich, whose eyes met mine, had an expression of disbelief, but before the aftermath returned, I used Blink to close the distance with the Lich. Then I dug into the chest of the bastard, who seemed defenseless for a moment and unable to respond to me, and stretched out my hand.

Crack. With that sound, several of the Lich’s ribs easily broke, and I gripped the core inside, which was settled there as if forming a small ring of power like a Dragon Heart, and said,

“It’s over.”

“H-how dare you put your hand there…!”

When I pulled with all my might, the bastard’s Life Vessel, which had been floating in the air connected by strands of mana, was dragged out. I widened the distance by two or three steps from the bastard, who looked flustered and confused, and put strength into my grip.

“If this core breaks, you and this dungeon will both be finished, right?”

“…Break it, if you can!”

His voice was filled with tension.

At that moment, the aftermath of the Catastrophe Impact that had spread out whirled and exerted its remaining force, and seeing the Lich try to approach without missing that chance, I used Blink to widen the distance once again.

Then I enchanted my hand with Strength, lightly put strength into my grip, made a cracking sound, and spoke.

“It must feel quite pleasant to have your lifeline held as collateral. So I’ll ask. Who else is there besides you?”

After the powerful miracle of destruction swept through the surroundings, there was a mighty power I had felt, even if only for a very brief moment. Since it was definitely not an illusion, I asked.

“Keuheuheu. Do you think knowing will change anything?”

“If I know, I can at least try something. At the very least, I can prepare the bare minimum, can’t I?”

“What an amusing bastard. Kahaha, I will wait. Die!!”

The bastard charged in as if going berserk. Thinking that there was no helping it, I put strength into the hand gripping the core and crushed it so it could no longer serve as the Life Vessel. At that moment, with a “paching” sound, the entire space cracked as if shattering.

Then the Lich dropped to his knees and trembled as he looked up at his own body, which was scattering into powder.

“How futile.”

“What do you mean, futile? At least you’ll become good fuel.”

“What… nonsense is that?”

“It’s not nonsense. Experiencing it will be the fastest way, so brace yourself.”

Then, as I emitted mana, I forcibly seized and pulled the Lich’s soul before it could scatter into mana now that the binding on his soul had been released.

When I guided the soul that slipped out of the skull bowl not into a Magic Stone but into the Necronomicon, the scream of the Lich’s soul, which had finally understood what I intended to do, rang out, but that was all.

The Necronomicon swallowed the soul in an instant and spoke as if satisfied.

-I will consider the price settled with this. -

It was probably referring to the knowledge it had transmitted to me in advance. However, I had no intention of letting it pass like this.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Hand over something new. What you gave me earlier was knowledge you handed over because you wanted to survive too. If you talk nonsense with something we both desperately did in order to live, contract or whatever, I’ll never call you again.”

-How petty. Surely you do not know the value of the knowledge I transmitted? -

“I do. But measure the value of that bastard’s soul. It’s the soul of someone who reached the 8th Circle Master level. And in black magic, at that. You can’t possibly say its value is low, can you?”

In some ways, it possessed a far superior value compared to Kasim’s soul. That was my thought, and I expected the Necronomicon to judge its value similarly.

And now, after absorbing the entire soul, the Necronomicon gave off a faint light and answered.

-Very well. It was of a higher grade than expected…. -

Soon, alien sensations and information burrowed into my head and lined up.

It was not organized knowledge and information, but there were many things I needed, and it seemed it would take quite some time to make them mine.

“Good. Now I need to finish this.”

Hearing my words, the Necronomicon asked back.

-Is it not already over? -

“Where else could I get this much black mana?”

-What an insane human. Are you saying you will endure that dreadful pain? -

“If I can make the mana scattered here mine, I judged that I can aim for the next stage. It’s an opportunity I can’t miss, isn’t it?”

The Necronomicon answered as if it could not understand, and soon I confirmed that it had returned to the form of a book again and put it into my Sub-space.

After that, I stirred up my will around me and began absorbing the black mana that had fallen into chaos in the air after losing its master.

‘I should absorb as much as possible before the Gate closes.’

All the Undead collapsed in an instant.

Go Yu-jin sank down as if exhausted at the sight of even the high-ranking Undead losing their will and crumbling.

The others were the same.

The Undead that had appeared here were more powerful and terrifying than any Undead they had experienced until now.

Thanks to the Saintesses, no one had died, but everyone was physically exhausted, and because of wounds large and small, they were no longer in any condition to fight. If Go Yu-jin and the hero party had not been handling all the Undead with the feeling of enduring until the very end, they would have ended up in a hopeless situation.

‘We won, right?’

The enormous black mana was still swirling, and since Go Yu-jin felt that the Gate was trying to close, she thought it was true that they had won, but on the other hand, worry came first.

“We must have won.”

At Han Sang-gil’s voice from behind, she turned her head and met his gaze.

His pale complexion looked as if he might collapse at any moment.

“Are you all right?”

“Do not worry. This much will not kill me.”

Han Sang-gil had faced two Liches alone.

She had confirmed that countless magical exchanges during the battle, and there had actually been many situations where he had nearly died.

“It must be certain that Seong-chan won. And seeing the black mana swirling over there steadily heading somewhere, he may even be absorbing it.”

“…He must be attempting it because its master is gone, right?”

“Probably….”

But at that moment, Ruth Bones, who had been listening in on their conversation, cut in.

“Is that possible?”

“It is not impossible. However… he would have to endure unimaginable agony.”

At Han Sang-gil’s words, Ruth Bones pulled in the surrounding black mana, but the moment he tried to absorb it into his body, he flinched and let go of the black mana just like that.

“He’s doing this ignorant thing?”

“He is doing it because it is him. No one else would do such a reckless thing.”

At that, Go Yu-jin stood up and began moving her feet.

Everyone could predict where she was heading, and amid the silence, there was one more person who rose from his seat.

It was Ben Smith.

“Shouldn’t you receive treatment for your injuries first?”

“I’m fine. I’m used to wounds of this level.”

“Then… let us go together.”

The two moved their feet like that.

The remaining people also were not in a situation where they could leisurely receive healing.

It had already become clear that there would be no particular monsters left inside, so, led by those who had received treatment from the Saintesses and were relatively free to move, they stood up and spoke.

“We will… search for survivors, or the remains of the dead. After all… we cannot leave our comrades’ bodies behind.”

“If any of you know where your comrades were sacrificed, tell us the direction.”

Each of them began walking around busily in order to move.

It was clear that searching across the vast field would not be easy, but since it was estimated that roughly more than 20 hours remained until the Gate closed, the members of the Sea Sun Brigade had no intention of simply lying down.

It was a situation where all outsiders could realize that their bond was deeper and stronger than expected.