Chapter 585. Eventually (6)

Another ground was formed, piled high with the corpses of the white Original Species. In the center of the vast, forcibly expanded island, a black mass still exuded its formidable spirit.

—Flutter.

Thin skin flapped over the bones of the plastic surgery addict, making the opponent look like the flag of a defeated nation from afar.

—Flap.

But if you thought the messy situation ended there, you were wrong. After a split second, new guests appeared atop the invader's pathetic skin.

'Snow...'

To put it mildly. In reality, it was a blizzard.

'Because I live while adjusting my physical senses, I didn't realize the weather had turned this cold.'

Earth's weather anomalies were so bizarre they made even the wicked Alphaurians turn their heads for a moment. Soon, white particles fluttered down from the ceiling of the world.

'At this rate, it'll pile up on the ground in no time.'

But however beautiful the phenomenon was, the snow starting to fall from the sky was ultimately just trash. If that stuff piled up on the island, running would surely become increasingly difficult. Really, why did the situation just keep getting more bothersome?

'Is this a dueling ground or a landfill?'

I surveyed the island landscape, which had become a mess. Now that even the weather wasn't helping, I felt a sense of grievance. But I couldn't afford to be swayed by emotions with the enemy right in front of me.

'By the way, was he serious about becoming able to handle his own soul?'

Returning to the main point. I briefly retraced the words the Ancient Mage had spoken.

'Well, considering how old he is, it wouldn't be strange if he'd reached a higher scholarly level by now!'

Thinking it over, the statement the invader just made was quite credible. As an expert—myself—who has survived on this planet through all sorts of lies, I could judge. Somehow, I didn't sense any bluffing in the opponent's language or gestures.

'A master of scams can sense that sort of thing instinctively.'

However, to consider that old mage to be completely on my level...

If that bastard had handled his soul well above a certain level, we wouldn't have had a reason to face each other in this manner either. Especially since the opponent wouldn't have draped himself in such a hideous skin unless it was a dire crisis.

‘Sigh.’

Anyway, since there's plenty of evidence that the opponent isn't omnipotent, my worry from here on is how to dispose of him.

‘But it certainly seems that mage's soul-handling skill is at a level where he can only maintain his form for a short while, just as he said.’

To emphasize, this Archmage was not someone with a long-lasting grudge by nature. I wasn't so emotional that I would throw everything away just because I was blinded by revenge. Therefore, I soon thought primarily in terms of profit.

‘Besides, even though he's someone I have such deep ill-will toward that I'd want to strangle him the moment we meet...’

Calculative fantasies flickered by, as per my usual personality.

‘If there's a good enough reason, I can even take a wicked boss as a neighbor.’

This thought might appear positive at a glance.

‘If there truly is a proper justification, that is.’

But if interpreted in detail, this ultimately meant a refusal. That black mass of flesh still lacked consideration for other species even after all these years. If the natives were waivered by the word “coexistence,” I wanted to remind them of the first magic the invader used as soon as he landed.

Unfortunately, unless one had a twisted personality like mine or the engineer's, it was impossible for Alphaurians and Earthlings to live together. Even if I tried to make some sort of assumption in my head just in case, the result remained the same. Let's say that ancient being had settled on Earth before me.

First, perhaps he would have occupied the body of a celebrity that fit his aesthetics and integrated well into this society for a while. And perhaps he would have spent a long time in a daily routine, tasting winter snacks like bungeo-ppang or roasted sweet potatoes and evaluating them as “interesting.” But such peaceful antics would have lasted a year at most.

Because he would have uprooted the natives here immediately after enjoying Earth's culture for a short period.

‘An Alphaurin can gather sufficient information on a specific species in about a year.’

Extinction of pure humans. Furthermore, the method he usually chose was to later restore and release animals similar to the Earth's natives through magic. Therefore, as a Korean, I could no longer walk the same path as such a breed.

‘I didn't know the Magic Master who once commanded Alphauri would come to care about a mammal or two, let alone hundreds of millions.’

I closed my one injured eye. I reviewed my choices a few more times in this state, but the result still didn't change. This body would never negotiate with such selfish trash.

‘I'm the same Alphaurin as that ancient mage, but my thoughts have changed a lot because I settled and lived on Earth first.’

Is this also a modification of a living being caused by the environment in some sense? But unfortunately, it seems I won't be able to pass down the modified personality genes of a Magic Master to future generations.

'Since cloning genes without the party's consent is unethical, I basically didn't have offspring in mind anyway—.'

There was a reason beyond moral matters.

'Dammit. Anyway, this must be why the average citizen of Alphauri was like that.'

Because the Archmage was likely going to see this through to the end today.

'It is the structure of the universe where altruistic animals have no choice but to perish early.'

I will not join hands with such a foul-tempered mass murderer. Since I've even been recognized as a [Guardian], I will live up to the expectations of the mystical resources and preserve Earth's cultures. Having reached a firm conclusion, I began to construct a new spell behind the invader's back.

[Are you contemplating?]

If I'd known it would come to this, I shouldn't have bothered developing that thing called a soul separator. Since I'm going to kick the bucket in battle

'Is that why the engineer looked down on his boss so much in our past lives?'

But no matter how rotten, an Alphaurin is still an Alphaurin. As long as his soul doesn't shatter into pieces, the opponent will use his remaining memories and cognitive abilities to incessantly bring about disaster.

[So you walk such a path after all.]

By the way, what was this unexpected lament?

[Your accumulated anger must have been great.]

[Just how massive was the desire to kill your enemy that an arrogant person like you would fight even while putting your own life in danger...]

[Or have you already completely transcended the concept of death?]

[Is that why you are willingly accepting a situation where mutual destruction is certain?]

Let me state clearly. Surprisingly, I made all these choices solely for the noble reason of wanting to protect the mammals. It's the truth.

'What is that guy talking about right now.'

But to think the Ancient Mage would misread someone's heart this badly.

'Uh, well. At least thanks to that, the fact that the mammals are my weakness has been hidden.'

I interpreted the situation positively somehow.

'Now then, let's get busy disposing of that ominous Alphaurin!'

Immediately after, I turned my focus back to the enemy. Regardless, the opponent was a half-corpse that would die even if just left alone. But unfortunately, I didn't yet know the enemy's soul-maintaining skill at all. If he could only preserve his ego for a few seconds at most, that would be a great relief. But it would be a disaster if that fellow could roam around in the state of a spirit for several minutes.

'Once that side throws off the mass of skin, then it'll be ridiculously difficult even to find a way to attack!'

I firmly gripped the staff-shaped artifact.

'There is no way to physically beat a soul.'

My head was already hurting, but what was important right now was creating time.

'From now on, I have no choice but to leave it to the environment of this world somehow and wait until the opponent decomposes.'

Then, since damage would accumulate more quickly the sooner I got the enemy out of his body.

—Fwaaaah.

I drew in the seawater near the island. Subsequently, I used this water to aim for the enemy's heart.

'Will he react?'

Of course, this cheap strike utilizing the surrounding environment was naturally not the important part. This was merely a feint, and in reality, I prepared a more precise magic hidden within the surging waves.

'Let's eliminate the remaining cells all at once.'

I was now going to completely defeat the Alphaurin from another world. Cerebrum, heart, lungs. If those three major organs were removed, the Magic Master before me could no longer be called a living creature.

—Flash!

The magic was soon completed.

'Ah! This b*stard dares!'

However, right around the time I attacked the massive heart.

[...]

I thought the technique the enemy entity had been preparing all this time was a defensive one. But the action the Ancient Mage took after drawing up his mana was none other than merciless destruction.

'Aaaaaagh.'

The spare corpse I had hidden beneath this island just exploded.

'I heard he wasn't exactly a saintly S-rank, but anyway, I'm sorry. You poor mammal corpse.'

Now, the reincarnated ones on Earth had only one vessel left to switch into. There was no one left to rely on except the Asian S-rank body that Kang Changho had kept separately at home.

'Kang Changho did tell me belatedly that I could use that reserve second-string body freely instead of giving him all the dangerous tasks...'

Honestly, what good is having another vessel? The surroundings of this island were already full of mana that had followed the quality of the [Guardian]. To leave here safely, I first had to deactivate the strict security system, but doing so would allow the enemy to roam across the entire world without restriction.

It was truly a troublesome situation...

—Crumble!

A few seconds later. Separate from the cold sweat occupying my spine, progress was made in the battle.

'It's done.'

The Ancient Mage finally died as every part of his body was destroyed.

—Bubble, bubble, bubble...

His black skin swelled up greatly as if taking a final breath, and then subsequently shrank in volume and stuck to the earthen floor.

Plop.

The opponent had survived for over ten thousand years just like me, but for such a mage, his end was pathetic.

Pshhhhh.

However, for those who realized the composition of the [Soul], death was practically another beginning. Therefore, the next problem immediately crashed in.

'It's one thing after another.'

Something bloomed atop the flattened black skin. Trillions of won from the mammals were concentrated on this island, and the atmospheric mana concentration was even thicker due to the power of various artifacts. But for those peripheral energies on standby to be forcibly drawn toward the center...

'Is that his soul?'

For the record, this body does not have the [Dragon's Eye]. But even though there was no help from artifacts at all, new information soon entered my naked eye.

Sparkle, sparkle.

Since a certain invader was still decent at performing sorcery, the soul particles themselves instinctively gathered energy. Therefore, I could estimate the opponent's form by observing the blue light gathered at his soul. Two main tentacles. Four auxiliary tentacles. And no organs that could be called eyes were visible; it was just a transparent and simple form.

'So that's the self-image of the one who swapped his body's shape so much...'

Truly, he was just an ordinary Alphaurin. But while seeing the opponent's soul form was quite fascinating, there was no time to be admiring it.

'Ah, dammit!'

Rustle.

At first, I thought the trees in the far distance had made a sound. But the bizarre sound just now was proof of the miracle completed by the mage who had become a soul.

‘That b*stard is at it again!’

The last person from the binary star system performed a large-scale [Creation] magic simultaneously with his death. If he had done such a thing five minutes ago, his body would not have been able to withstand it and would have shattered. But now that the opponent had completely escaped from the measly limits of an animal, the Ancient Mage staged a sprawling disaster with a single prayer.

‘It’s like a Dungeon Break...’

This was the picture the target had planned in advance.

Certainly, this was enough for even resilient humanity to be driven to extinction by a single disaster.

‘No, in this case, it might be more accurate to say that mage himself became a Red Gate.’

Flap!

Flap, flap!

The air turned hazy. And the spherical things that were suddenly born in the atmosphere spread their respective wings wide by the second.

—Flap!

Listening via the radio, it seemed Earthlings had given those beasts the name Original Species.

‘Each and every one of those masses is far exceeding the average range of an S-rank.’

Well, since they have a name now, I’ll use it for ease of explanation. No fewer than 60 of the S-rank monsters called Original Species appeared in the sky. Furthermore, even this was far less than the originally planned amount.

[...... ]

The Ancient Mage is no longer using linguistic expression, but what he’s thinking now is obvious.

‘Since he’s ruined anyway, he’s determined to vent his anger on the humans until the very end!’

What a hopeless fellow. I drew up my mana and poured Earth’s energy into the spot where the enemy’s soul was located. At that, the opponent could no longer create monsters as he was busy escaping the danger zone.

If I continue to disrupt his concentration like this, he won't be able to recklessly use complex techniques like [Creation]. In other words, while I successfully blocked additional attacks, the situation was still suffocating.

‘It’s the worst.’

A magic circle that decomposes golems lies dormant on the artificial island. Furthermore, now that the primary target has lost his body, I can turn the full effect of the magic circle toward the grunts. However, the sorcery to kill the golems required some charging time to be activated again.

‘Should I step forward personally and stop that even now?’

Chapter 585. Eventually (6)

Another ground was formed, piled high with the corpses of the white Original Species. In the center of the vast, forcibly expanded island, a black mass still exuded its formidable spirit.

—Flutter.

Thin skin flapped over the bones of the plastic surgery addict, making the opponent look like the flag of a defeated nation from afar.

—Flap.

But if you thought the messy situation ended there, you were wrong. After a split second, new guests appeared atop the invader's pathetic skin.

‘Snow...’

To put it mildly. In reality, it was a blizzard.

'Is this a dueling ground or a landfill?'

Thinking it over, the statement the invader just made was quite credible. As an expert—who has survived on this planet through all sorts of lies, I could judge. Somehow, I didn't sense any bluffing in the opponent's language or gestures.

'A master of scams can sense that sort of thing instinctively.'

However, to consider that old mage to be completely on my level...

That damn mass of greed still hasn't formally migrated to Earth.

If that bastard had handled his soul well above a certain level, we wouldn't have had a reason to face each other in this manner either. Especially since the opponent wouldn't have draped himself in such a hideous skin unless it was a dire crisis.

'Sigh.'

Anyway, since there's plenty of evidence that the opponent isn't omnipotent, my worry from here on is how to dispose of him.

'But it certainly seems that mage's soul-handling skill is at a level where he can only maintain his form for a short while, just as he said.'

To emphasize, this Archmage was not someone with a long-lasting grudge by nature. I wasn't so emotional that I would throw everything away just because I was blinded by revenge. Therefore, I soon thought primarily in terms of profit.

'Besides, even though he's someone I have such deep ill-will toward that I'd want to strangle him the moment we meet...'

Calculative fantasies flickered by, as per my usual personality.