Chapter 120: Decisive Battle (1)
The storm didn’t seem like it would end anytime soon. The slaughter and screams of agony in the distance seems to be dying down. In the moment when the Seafolk are about to successfully claim ownership of their new capital, our journey to escape is also nearing its end.
The Nine-headed Dragon before us opens his mouth and the remaining seven dragon heads vomit seven-colored dragon’s blood. At the same time, different types of magic are gathered together and under the careful control of the Nine-headed Dragon, the seven Dragon Breaths form a colorful floating ball. The result is a lethal Ball of Elements.
This is the specialty of multi-headed Dragons. When multiple Elemental Magics are combined into one body and the seven-colored ball of light becomes pure, a light that can destroy everything will be born.
That is the way of the battle for a top-tier Magic Beast. Abandoning all of the useless flowery tricks and instead, try their best to strengthen their physical body and Race Talent. From the looks of it, the Dragon Breath which combines multiple attributes will eventually become an attribute-less shockwave.
Given the strength of the Nine-headed Dragon, even though he is without two heads at the moment, the might of this attack can rival even that of Forbidden Spells.
A powerful physical body and a simple, yet powerful, Race Talent attack—this is the basis for top-tier beings, like giant Dragons, in suppressing everything else. When fighting with such unreasonable beings, one’s strength is required to do the talking.
From the look of those ripples of magic, if he were to successfully cast it, forget about the others, even the entire pier will be eradicated.
“Hmph, did you think that I would allow you to do as you please? Harloys, plan C! Give him a big one!”
“Niang niang, I am afraid that this concubine is unable to do so.”TL: Niang niang -> How concubines in China address the queen.
“What?”
“Reporting to the queen, this concubine would like to blast a big one as well, but do you think that it takes no time to prepare? I need at least five minutes! Can’t you spare some thoughts for the rescue troops who need to arrive late? How can rescue troops arrive at the crucial period for a hero, so do it yourself! Don’t hold expectations for supporting roles like us, I believe in you!”
Listening to her retort, which has the flavor of modern times, I decided to never say such messy stuff to the darned cat anymore. On the other hand, I am really put into a helpless position.
I could understand the lack of time for Harloys to prepare sufficiently. However, if this Dragon Breath were to really shoot out, then I wouldn’t need any more plans because nothing would be left.
“Darn it! Giant fellow, look at this!”
Taking a deep breath, I don’t intend to charge at the Hydra. I fly towards the stone cliff in the opposite direction from Krose and the rest. I won’t need wings for what I’m about to do.
“Sinful Devil God.”
Folding in my wings, the fatigue from releasing the War Angel form embraces me. However, I didn’t have the time to complain about it. Light of Chaos shrouds me and turns me into another form——Sinful Devil God.
The angle of view increases by quite a bit due to the enlargement of my physical body. My breathing carries along the smell of sulfur. That is the mark of a Demon.
My white and smooth skin assume a layer of ugly, light-blue lava. Along with the rhythm of my breathing, my bizarre magic tattoos start to shine, reminiscent to the Elemental lifeforms.
The Chaos Bloodline causes the blue lightning in my veins to explode, before pouring out from the magic tattoos. The emitted power can make the rain in the air evaporate. Lightning shines in both of my eyes. When my form has been fixed, it looks as though a Devil God has descended onto the mortal world.
I don’t like this transformation at all. Other than the fact that the Power of Chaos brings about trouble just from its bad reputation, this form which looks like the boss of the villainous faction is really ugly. It reminds me of my dark history back when I was the Lich when I scared myself just looking into the mirror in the middle of the night.
However, at this moment, I need this ugly transformation. Although this form is hideous, the strength it provides me isn’t at all cozy.
“The spirits of the snow, the snowstorms of the extreme lands, listen to my command…
If the War Angel Form is a form which allows me to move at great speed, making it suited for close-combat battle, then the Sinful Devil God Form would be one that boosts my control over magic, my will, intelligence and several attributes and stats that are related to magic, making it a typical magic-based transformation.
“…Under my will, the old era of decay and the end of the terminal will arrive…”
The long incantation carries along with it the ripples of a destructive magic. The spirits of the snow are singing along in the air. The top-tier Ice Forbidden Spell—Ice Aeon, is about to descend on the battlefield.
It’s different from Magaret’s pirated version, while the copied Ice Aeon probably doesn’t even hold a third of the original’s strength, I, as the original creator of the Forbidden Spell, am able to raise its power to 200%.
The concept behind this Forbidden Spell is simple. Crystallizing the purest Power of Ice and Snow and after compressing it multiple times, blast it outwards. This is no different from the concept of a Fireball.
However, Harloys once made an evaluation on it. Due to its simplicity, it is pure and suits the very nature of ice and snow, thus making it powerful.
【SemiGod Equipment, the Dark God’s Breath of Death: Soul Conversion: Siphon the souls of the dead and convert it into pure Power of Death】
The Power of Death passes through me and converts into the purest ice mana. Should I be thankful for the great slaughter that Carlohin carried out and his years of accumulation? Countless souls have created a massive mana vault in this SemiGod Equipment, and this happens to be what I lack the most at this moment.
“…the winter’s hibernation is destruction as well as rebirth…”
With me at the very core, while mana frenziedly surges out from the raised black staff, and as the chanting grew louder, the blue magic inscriptions that represent ice and snow extend on the ground while the snow spirits sing in chorus.
Even before the spell is released, the entire cliff turns into a land of frost. The rainwater falling from the sky freezes into snow. The humid and warm summer wind blowing over becomes a bone-chilling storm of the extreme lands.
Even more so, due to the rapid fall in temperature, a thin layer of ice starts to form over the flood, and so the endless flood seems to have met its nemesis for the first time.
In the end, the two newly-regenerated dragon heads raise themselves upwards and stare fixedly at me, their giant eyes about the size of an adult man emitting a furious red light. That is truly a bare intent to kill.
In the short distance between us, the snow is insufficient to block his sight. He is measuring whether my magic could threaten him.
In the mind of the Nine-headed Dragon, as long as he is able to destroy the Dragon Slayer and the hateful chains in one blow, what does getting struck by a Forbidden Spell count as? Anyway, it isn’t the first time the Hydra has been struck by a Forbidden Spell. Since it’s resilient and wouldn’t die from it, he would fully regenerate in just a few days.
However, taking just one look, he knows that this is a situation unlike any he has undergone.
His regeneration ability is a Race Talent as well as an extension of his Water Magic. Fioros is confident that as long as there’s water, he would not die. However, what if his supply of water were to be stopped.
Water Mages often cultivates Ice Magic to strengthen their own magic’s destructive power and adaptability. However, this doesn’t mean that these two types of magic don’t contradict one another. On the other hand, the most hated opponents of pure Water Mages are Ice Mages.
Water Magic often presents itself in the form of water arrows and giant waves. Basically, it is the control over the shape and use of fluid. Thus, it has two nemeses. The high-temperature Fire Magic, which evaporates fluid, and Ice Magic, which freezes water into a solid form.
Regardless of whether the water is evaporated or frozen, when it is no longer in its fluid form, it doesn’t fulfill the concept of ‘water’, thus destroying the Mage’s basic ability to control it.
Nine-headed Dragon Fioras is contemplating, but the more he thinks about it, the more he feels that something is amiss with the situation.
The magic before him is obviously an Ice Magic Forbidden Spell. From the looks of the natural phenomenon and the resonance with the elemental spirits, it is obviously an extremely powerful Forbidden Spell.
Although there is no magic ripple coming from the caster before him (Bronze-rank Magic means nothing in his eyes), the black stick is releasing an unlimited amount of magic. Furthermore, the Ice Mage who just froze him has proven his extraordinary talent in Ice Magic. If this Forbidden Magic were to successfully freeze him…
Enjoying his life in an ice cube that would never melt? His regeneration abilities wouldn’t be useful under such circumstances.
“A Hydra who went into a refrigerator and forgot to come out? We can still earn a bit of money from selling the tickets to this exhibit.” This joke isn’t funny to him at all.
If Roland were to be allowed to go a step further and freeze all the river water, rainwater, and his bodily fluids, his regeneration abilities would be annulled. It’s quite possible for him to freeze into an ice cube and die upon breaking into ice fragments.
Usually, the Nine-headed Emperor Fioras doesn’t think anything of the Forbidden Spells of humans. However, at this moment, he didn’t have the confidence to face it head on.
“Pah!”
Beneath the feet of the Mage, the frozen earth cleaves apart and the boundary between illusion and reality disintegrates. A large hole opens.
After which, a giant, black skeletal hand reaches out from the hole, its claws stabbing into the firm ground. Every single finger of it is as though the size of a grown man and this is only the beginning. The true nightmare is returning back to the surface.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
As that pitch-black giant skeleton head returns to the mortal world from the Underworld and the crowned skeleton head releases a peculiar ‘kakaka’ laughter, all life that sets its gaze upon it instinctively screams, as though they have caught sight of the grim reaper who reaps all souls.
“…We will bring about equal end and death to all life…”
The incantation continues on. On top of the laughing skeleton king’s head, the Mage who is standing on the ice crown continues to chant as the ice crystal crown becomes his throne.
The mountains have already been converted into snow lands. On top of the snow, the king of ice laughs maniacally. Just his very existence is sufficient to bring termination to all lifeforms.
On top of the cliff, the endless ice has started to freeze the flood. Even the air is starting to freeze. Upon the descent of the king of eternal night, all life will face its end.
Even though the ice has yet to creep onto the Nine-headed Dragon, fear appears in its blood-red eyes.
Under the gaze of the skeleton king, the Nine-headed Dragon Fioras has never felt so close to death. Even though his Seven-colored Dragon Breath is in the midst of gathering, his instinctive fear of death causes the ancient, vile beast to shiver uncontrollably.
This isn’t determined by the difference in strength, but the fear that results from the hierarchy of the food chain. The one before him is the black skeleton king, the hunter of all lives.
The Nine-headed Dragon understands that the skeleton king before him, who is taller than him, is just an illusion, that it’s just a divine apparition similar to a Soul World upon releasing the Forbidden Spell. Although this is the unique privilege of experts who had once approached the realm of true Gods and are rarities in this era, it all means nothing to him, who is ancient himself.
However, the divine apparition that is projected is that person, that God’s true form. He has seen before the divine apparition of the Queen of Storms, the furious projection of the God who creates storms that can destroy cities. Yet, her might is lacking too far behind this black skeleton. The only one who can compare to it would probably be the Ancient Death God Ayer’s apparition.
“Ayer? God of Death… That same skeletal body and a black SemiGod staff, could he really be that person from the legends? I have heard of rumors that he has appeared in the Underground World and destroyed a Demon Count. Is it possible that it is the legendary… The ultimate Forbidden Spell, one which destroyed countless Elf Kingdoms——Ice Aeon!”
“…Under my will, the aeon of frost will return back to the mortal world and the world belonging to the dead will once again…”
At this point, the Forbidden Spell cannot be stopped at one’s whim anymore. Even if the spellcaster stops the incantation, the snow spirits in midair will still continue the incantation.
At this moment, the bizarre choral incantation echoes throughout the entire battlefield. Even though this is the language of a foreign world, everyone can comprehend the true meaning behind this bizarre language.
It isn’t like some malevolent curse. Rather, it sounds just like a historian recounting the history he has compiled. There is a possibility that the spellcaster is illustrating the future which he thinks would happen——When the Ice Aeon descends and all life freezes, the Gods and the living beings will either die or go into a long slumber. Then, the Undead who do not fear the cold will become the conquerors of the new era.
Although this is just a simple description, it carries with it endless death and despair. This is Emperor Yongye’s doomsday poem——Ice Aeon.
It’s a kind of inconceivable distortion, but based on natural history, it’s definitely a plausible doomsday that could happen in the future.
In order to bring this doomsday to the living, the Emperor Yongye of back then created history’s most dangerous and lunatic Forbidden Spell. The most ludicrous part about it is that he succeeded. From the day this Forbidden Spell was created, ‘Ice Aeon’ was fated to become the nightmare of all living beings.
Upon realizing that his opponent could be that person, Fioras feels despair.
When he was at his pinnacle, even a 2nd-tier God would have to avoid his path. His army had once hunted countless existences of his level and was well-known in the circle of top-tier Magic Beasts. His memory of him is very distinct. It would be too foolish of him to be unable to recognize him when the incantation has gotten to such a point.
“Emperor Yongye!!”
The terrified Nine-headed Dragon Emperor shouts that forbidden name and his roar tremors the entire village. Countless eyes dart over and the entire world shakes in fear.
At this moment, Fioras doesn’t doubt in the least that this Forbidden Spell would take his life. If the complete Ice Aeon were to be released, the one who should be worried on whether an entire corpse would be left behind is this city, not himself.
In reality, it would be like that too. If the complete version of Ice Aeon were to be released, the effects of the City of Rain could be disregarded. Within a century, this land would become an extreme land of only ice and nothing else.
At the final countdown of the Seven-colored Dragon Breath, knowing his nemesis who views slaughtering Dragons as his ultimate goal is before him, he chooses not to exact vengeance when his life is ticking away before him.
“AH!” “Kacha!”
The two newly regenerated Dragon heads bite away the other six Dragon heads. The pitiful terminal lifeform Nine-headed Dragon Emperor becomes a three-headed snake. Losing six of the energy source, the remaining head is finally able to freely control the rampaging ball of Dragon Breath.
Thus, he releases the Dragon Breath with his full strength towards Emperor Yongye without any hesitation.
At this moment, I may look impressive, but in reality, I am already on the verge of tears.
I am just a Bronze-rank rookie Ice Mage and the entire mana that my body contains is not even sufficient to put together a hailstorm. Ice Aeon or whatever, it’s just a faraway dream for me.
However, just like how I re-‘comprehended’ Blade Storm, given how I am aware of the theory behind it, re-comprehending the ‘Ice Aeon’ that I have created isn’t a difficult task. However, without the foundations to support it, there is no way I would be able to release it.
【Ding, congratulations for comprehending the SemiGod-tier destructive Forbidden Spell Ice Aeon. ——System Tip: What? You want further explanations? Since you can’t possibly execute it, why bother wasting my saliva. Besides, if you were to really release it, remember to buy a coffin beforehand. What? You think that you should use this rare luck to buy a lottery ticket? Are you dumb? How can the dead buy lottery tickets? Right, you can try to bet on soccer and I can earn some money meanwhile. Un, it is a definite win as long as I stand on the side opposite to you.】
As usual, I ignore the retort of the noisy system. At this moment, in order to distract the Nine-headed Dragon who is disregarding me, I intend to take out Ice Aeon to scare him, even using the mana stored in ‘Dark God’s Breath of Death’ just for it.
However, the moment it speaks, I know that the situation is dire. I have gonetoo far again.
“Darn it! Stop!!”