Chapter 151

Chapter 151

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 151: Overwhelming Power Gap

The three heads diligently chanted spells. Black mana bloomed above her hands. As befitting the Raven School, which observes omens of misfortune, her magic was related to fate. To be precise, it was related to twisting fate in an unfavorable way.

[Leluya uses Omen Explosion (SS)!]

[Leluya uses Raven’s Nightmare (SS)...]

If hit?

It would twist fate and bring about misfortune.

The twisted fates would overlap.

No matter how high the magical caliber of that banshee, this unique magic couldn’t be easily neutralized even with talent.

Iris also knew its danger. If she were hit by such magic?

Suddenly, terrible malignant tumors might sprout all over her body.

An unavoidable lightning bolt might strike from the sky.

She might even be transformed into a lowly beast. That’s what twisting fate meant. It was magic where neither the caster nor the target knew the outcome.

That’s why it was even more terrifying.

Not knowing meant not being able to predict how great the impact would be.

That’s why the Raven School was feared.

But...

—Still the same?

As if she knew the countermeasures, the banshee deflected the magic as if it were nothing.

Leluya frowned.

Even another Grand Witch, if encountering the Raven School’s magic for the first time, would need some time, even a brief moment, to analyze and dismantle it.

But this banshee had none of that.

‘She knows?’

‘Our Raven magic?’

‘How?’

Had she seen it somewhere?

Otherwise, it was impossible.

She tried a few more spells as a test, but the result was the same.

—What? Nothing’s changed at all.

“Where did you.”

“How did you.”

“Learn our magic?”

—I’m Merhen.

“...?”

The three heads tilted in confusion at the unexpected statement. Iris also frowned.

She asked how she knew, and the banshee responded with her name out of the blue.

It was a 4th dimensional answer that transcended the 3rd dimension.

—Huh? You don’t know me? I thought you would.

“Is she sick?”

“Attention seeker?”

“Delusions of grandeur?”

The three heads answered busily.

They cast general magic instead.

The Raven School’s magic didn’t work at all. So, they had no choice but to try throwing all sorts of general magic at her.

However, there was a problem.

If they cast ten spells, five of them were interrupted in the middle.

‘This is ridiculous.’

‘Even after taking the elixir, this is the level of difference.’

‘Just how big is the gap between us?’

Canceling magic was several times more difficult than casting it.

Moreover, Leluya’s casting speed was several times faster after taking the elixir.

But even then, half of them were interrupted.

It meant that without the elixir, she wouldn’t have been able to compete at all.

It was an absurd situation where her magic was being canceled even after her power had been amplified more than fivefold.

Still, the fact that she managed to cast half of them proved that she was indeed a talented witch.

—Wow, what a fascinating elixir, isn’t it?

Merhen also seemed to be enjoying herself, casting magic and deflecting Leluya’s spells.

Little by little,

Leluya was pushed back.

—It’s fun playing like this with each other. It’s like a puzzle game, isn’t it?

The apprentice witch, Iris, wasn’t just standing still either.

She cast her own magic, summoned familiars to attack, and even swung her whip. She was doing her best.

Despite these distractions, the banshee dodged and weaved, dealing with the full-fledged witch.

Although Iris was an apprentice, she was still a witch.

Born with a talent for magic,

She felt firsthand how absurd the scene unfolding before her eyes was.

Then,

—Huh?

The banshee tilted her head.

She then snapped her fingers.

At that moment,

Leluya and Iris’s bodies froze.

Basic actions like breathing in and out,

They couldn’t do anything else, as if they had become vegetables.

“Whaaat...”

“How...”

“This kind of...”

The effects of the drug that accelerated their bodies and brains also stopped working.

No, their minds were gradually turning blank.

The three heads barely managed to utter a sentence. Iris, whose level was much lower, could only roll her eyes.

It felt like every single cell in their bodies was out of control.

Merhen, who had landed on the ground, jumped up and down like an excited child.

—Amazing!

“What did you do...”

“Mana...”

“My control...”

—My power has returned! A little bit, but still! Isn’t it amazing?

“Pow...er...”

“You say...”

“...?”

—Yeah. It’s annoying to deal with each one individually. So, I made this. It automatically takes care of idiots who rely on magic.

“Wh...”

“At...”

“...?”

—Why don’t you know? I’ve caught so many witches with this.

Caught witches?

Leluya rolled her eyes.

She had never heard of such a thing. If witches had been wiped out by such a bizarre undead, there was no way she wouldn’t know.

—What was the name of the Grand Witch who survived back then... Ananke? She used magic like you, didn’t she?

The gate clear conditions were revealed as a bonus.

In addition to catching the original witch and the Ice Dragon,

‘I have to catch the ones who came later too.’

Ancient Dragon Ivelion.

The only remaining dragon was resisting fiercely.

Tough hide befitting an ancient dragon. Dozens of powerful magic spells. Breath attacks and monstrous physical stats.

The undead dragon crashed under the dragon’s breath, and the Dullahan riding it melted. Every time the sharp dragon claws grazed him, even Dolswe was shattered in an instant before he could self-destruct.

Ivelion’s tail narrowly missed the young dragon Cedric was riding.

Cedric performed acrobatic maneuvers as if they were one.

The pouring magic shattered every time the spear swung.

Bang!

With a sound that ripped through the air, another hole was pierced in Ivelion’s body.

Ivelion screamed.

Breath attacks, magic,

Tough hide,

Powerful strength,

None of it meant anything to that tiny skeleton.

He couldn’t understand how this was possible.

It was pure skill.

And overwhelming technique.

—This can’t be... This can’t be happening!

With holes all over his body,

Ivelion, sensing defeat, spoke in a trembling voice.

Regardless,

Kim Minwoo watched the scene leisurely.

‘It must be because they’re natural enemies.’

Merhen devoured mages.

It wasn’t just a matter of levels.

No matter the difference, she thrived against her natural enemies. This was evident from the previous preliminaries.

The intermediate boss, the dark mage Mortan.

He charged in, only to have his magic canceled and be sent to the afterlife with a single sword strike. But his score was similar to that of the Vampire Duke. This meant he was a being close to level 1,000.

The witch?

Around level 1,500.

In reality, they were two peas in a pod.

That’s why Merhen could handle the two witches alone.

The same principle applied to Cedric.

His title alone was enough to intimidate dragons.

It meant he was the natural enemy of dragons.

‘Of course, it would have been difficult if Unwavering Will hadn’t activated.’

Legion Commander Enhancement.

The core skills that formed the foundation jumped from SS to SSS. The difference couldn’t be measured by a single letter S.

‘Even within the same grade, the levels are all different.’

Were all S-rank Awakeners the same level?

No.

Even among S-rank Awakeners, some could defeat ten of their peers. That was the difference in talent and skill.

The same was true for Merhen and Cedric. Although Seo Yerim and Park Siwoo were also SSS-rank, the two Legion Commanders and the guild members had lived completely different lives.

Experience, veteran status, talent.

The top tier among SSS-ranks.

The two Legion Commanders were at least at that level. That’s why a single summoned creature could tear apart a high-level monster described as a calamity.

[‘Witch Leluya’ has entered eternal rest...]

[Part of the gate clear conditions...]

Just like now.

Then,

Merhen approached.

With a companion in tow.

—Minwoo, I’m here. But what’s Cedric doing? Why hasn’t he finished?

“He’ll finish soon. But who’s this?”

“I brought her because I was curious about the Witches’ Coven. I originally wanted to bring the three-headed one, but she used magic and died on her own. Sorry.

“It’s better this way. Good job.”

He patted Merhen’s head.

Keeping the boss alive was never part of the plan anyway.

Even with Unwavering Will activated, he thought they would struggle to defeat the bosses, but he never imagined they would hunt them down this easily.

He was dumbfounded by the overwhelming ease of the situation.

If he had known it would be this easy, he would have ordered them to keep one boss alive.

‘Otherwise, the gate won’t be cleared.’

Most gates were structured so that after defeating the boss and clearing the gate, players would be immediately expelled, or forcibly expelled after a certain amount of time.

And if they were expelled like that?

Since this was a hidden gate, re-entry would become impossible.

‘That would be a shame.’

There was still a lot to gain here.

Five fortresses in total, including east, west, south, north, and center.

They had destroyed the north, leaving four fortresses. He needed to feed Hayang the Winter Fragment there.

And that wasn’t all.

‘All the monsters here are free experience points...’

Elven alchemy.

Dwarven crafting techniques.

He had them trained in everything here.

Were there any other skills?

What he needed was time to explore this place.

He looked at the witch, Iris.

The terror etched in her eyes, as she meekly followed Merhen, was like a brand.

She didn’t seem like she would cause any trouble.

‘I need to keep her alive for now.’

If he was going to keep someone alive, it was best to keep a boss like her.

An ancient dragon or a full-fledged witch would have some tricks up their sleeves.

Keeping them alive could create variables.

In that sense, Merhen had brought back the perfect one.

[Ancient Dragon ‘Ivelion’ has entered eternal rest...]

A message popped up.

‘My level is rising a lot.’

It was 293 before.

After hunting them all, his level jumped to 330.

Considering that it hadn’t even been a week since he entered the gate, it was an absurd speed.

Moreover,

‘I haven’t even taken the items yet.’

The full-fledged witch and the ancient dragon.

And the Ice Dragon as well.

There was still loot to be obtained from the bosses.

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]