Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 168

Episode 168: Grim Reaper (1)

Cheeeeek… … .

In the place where the screams of the last horse disappeared, only undiminished heat and blackened ashes remained.

Viola of the White Bone.

It was the end of the black magician who had committed massacre in the parish. Verden, who confirmed that her magic power had completely disappeared, went down to the ground.

“Phew.”

Verden took a small breath.

The beginning and end of the magic war.

Verden held a slight upper hand throughout, and suffered no significant damage other than broken equipment and minor scratches.

Of course, that doesn't mean it's free.

The vast amount of magical power possessed by Verden.

Although there is still plenty of magic left, it has consumed a considerable amount of magic power even by Verden's standards.

In addition, my head was hot because I had calculated dozens of magic spells. My body was also stressed because I had used <Physical Amplification> during close combat.

'And the opponent was a magician.'

A magic that deviates from some of the rules.

And the unique magic born from such magic does not belong to the normal hierarchy.

That's why Verden calmly analyzed Viola's magic.

Because it would have been a bad idea to rashly reveal one's full power to a magician with unique magic.

A desperate measure is not something you show to your opponent when he is in perfect condition, but something you use when you are sure that he is unable to respond.

I don't know about others, but at least that's how it was for Verden.

This is my first ever magical battle with a wizard.

It was natural to feel tired, both psychologically and physically.

But in the end, one thing was important.

'I won.'

Verden's magic destroyed the magic island.

Of course, magic varies from person to person, so even among magicians, there are vast differences, but no matter what, Viola was a magician.

In other words, Verden's power is comparable to that of a sorcerer, not a wizard.

'What would happen if we were to pioneer the magic in the current state?'

It's almost unimaginable.

What kind of magic will be developed, and how strong will its power be?

A sense of belated victory and anticipation for the future filled Verden's heart.

“……?”

At that moment, something caught Berden's eye.

As we walked forward, we saw a blackened bag in Viola's ashes. It felt similar to the bag Verden had, so it must be some kind of space bag.

It seems that he was lucky that he didn't turn to ash thanks to Viola's shield.

I wonder if there's something in here.

I want to check right now… …but now is not the time.

Verden turned his gaze and headed down the hallway.

The ominous waves that had been felt continuously before were no longer felt. However, a thick aura of death was detected in the air.

If we have to compare, it is far superior to the Elder Lich we encountered in the cave where no light enters.

Verden packed Viola's space bag.

He headed downstairs without hesitation.

* * *

Two corpse eaters lie on the ground.

It was a natural result, as subduing the lieutenant undead was not a difficult task for Gloss and Kalia, as it only took a little time.

But that wasn't the problem.

“Ugh, ugh…….”

Gloss, one shoulder slumped, let out a sharp breath.

The shoulder was shattered and bruised, revealing the wound. The bone was broken, so it was an injury that could not be immediately treated with miracle healing.

In front of that gloss, Kalia was kneeling on one knee.

She was just as miserable as Gloss.

The internal organs were shaken by the tremendous impact. The pain was oppressive to the nerves as the greatly warped armor pressed down on the abdomen.

Kalia clenched her teeth tightly and grabbed the gap in her armor with her hand.

“Ugh……!”

───Crackle!

Pieces of broken armor rolled across the ground far away.

With her breathing slightly easier, Kalia used her sword as a cane to get up. She looked ahead, unable to hide her exhaustion.

“You managed to hold your own against the Grim Reaper I made a contract with. You’re more skilled than I’ve heard.”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The workers and management applauded and exclaimed in admiration.

In front of him, a giant god of death was staring at the two.

Kalia put strength into the hand holding the sword.

‘There are undead like that in the world… …!’

Grim Reaper.

The scythe he was holding, which was nearly three meters long, contained a power that was overwhelming to both of them, and the moment I approached the undead, an indescribable fear came over me.

Even though there was a miracle that protected the mind, it didn't work properly.

Just two attacks.

That alone was enough for Kalia and Gloss to realize that this was a being beyond the higher undead, the Death Knight.

Cold sweat ran down my face and formed beads on my chin.

“Why is your face so stiff? Where did all that spirit you had just shown go?”

“…….”

“Tsk tsk, you must be regretting it now. Why didn’t you just stay quiet? If you hadn’t interfered, we would have already left the kingdom. Why are you meddling and making trouble?”

Nosa clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Despite such sarcasm, the two showed no reaction. They simply took a deep breath and focused their energies on thinking of a way to defeat the Grim Reaper.

and.

“Chief Gloss.”

Kalia called Gloss.

I knew what it meant without you having to explain it.

They both raised their swords at the same time.

Without anyone needing to give a signal, they simultaneously ran towards the front. The old man and woman laughed at their behavior, like moths flying to a blazing flame.

“Kill him.”

The Grim Reaper pulled out his scythe.

The sticky spirit of the spirit gathered on the blade, and soon, when he swung it, countless life-sucking, death-dealing blows poured down.

Someone has to stop it.

As Kalia took the lead and tried to deflect the blow, Gloss, engulfed in light, blocked Kalia's path.

“Haaaaaap!”

Gloss, who had released his power, cut through the slaughter.

One to two, two to three, three to four… … The Commander’s blade, which he could not block in time, cut through Gloss, but he did not stop.

Gloss, who managed to escape the Grim Reaper's attack, jumped.

“Oh, Luas!”

Hwaaaaah!

He gathered all the divine power he had and focused it into his sword. The power of light that destroys the undead. Gloss stretched out his sword with all his might, shining with divine light.

At that moment, the Grim Reaper became blurred.

“What?!”

<Astralization>.

The Grim Reaper's abilities that Gloss didn't know about.

No material effect can harm the Grim Reaper once he enters the immaterial realm, no matter how powerful the magic or how strong the sword energy.

In other words, a state close to invincibility.

The gloss passed through the bastard's body.

The blow that took all his strength was in vain. A huge scythe flew towards him as he fell to the ground.

Choaack!

Scattered blood.

One arm holding the sword rose into the air, and Gloss, unable to withstand the impact, rolled on the ground several times.

“Ugh…….”

I tried to get up again, but I didn't have the strength.

As blood leaked out of his severed arm, his mind grew increasingly hazy. Gloss's sword sank into a pool of blood. On the other hand, Grim Reaper showed his presence completely intact.

But Gloss' sacrifice was not meaningless.

'please…….'

A slowly closing field of vision.

Because inside it was Kalia, who was approaching Nosa beyond the Grim Reaper.

* * *

Baekyoung.

Kalia, who had left an afterimage, rushed towards Nosa at top speed.

If you can't deal with the Grim Reaper, deal with the one who summoned it.

That was the only solution that Kalia and Gloss could think of. It was an opportunity that arose thanks to the attention of the Knight Commander Gloss.

'Absolutely not to be missed.'

He held the sword with both hands and spun his body at the same speed as he was running.

The rotational power is stored in the sword, amplifying its power. In an instant, Kalia, who had reached Nosa's immediate vicinity, released white energy.

Baekilgyeong.

The strongest skill that Kalia possesses.

The final blow, which poured all of one's energy into, was so fast that it was impossible to follow with one's eyes.

───Whoaaaaah!

A single white line of black energy cut the old man and woman horizontally in two.

In the blink of an eye, Kalia's sword, which had been on the left, stopped on the right. There wasn't even blood on the blade. Only the afterimage of the sword energy remained, proving that she had cut down Nosa.

'Got it.'

Kalia was convinced.

Then the severed body of the old man fell to the ground. Since he killed the contractor, it was clear that the Grim Reaper had also been affected.

“But you are wrong.”

“……?!”

The old man's head, lying on the floor, spoke.

As Kalia hesitated in bewilderment, Nosa smirked.

“The Grim Reaper’s contractor becomes a part of the Grim Reaper. Unfortunately, that means I am not the main body.”

Nosa's body turned into black smoke.

And was reborn from the shadow of the Grim Reaper. Without a single scratch.

“The main body is the Grim Reaper. So, as long as the Grim Reaper doesn’t disappear, I will have an immortal body that cannot be hurt or die.”

Before summoning the Grim Reaper.

Kalia had definitely pierced Nosa's heart. And after the Grim Reaper showed up, the fatal wound disappeared without a trace.

‘Surely that was permanent… …!’

An immortal who can do anything without dying. I've never even heard of such a thing.

“It’s only natural that you don’t understand. It’s only natural that the knowledge of a daughter of a nobleman is worthless. That’s why you came here without fear. And judging from the fact that you passed by my undead, you must have brought along your beloved Knights of the White Knights and Paladins.”

Knights of the White Knights.

Kalia flinched at the word.

“After I kill you two, it’s time for your subordinates. I’ll chop them alive in front of my comrades and feed them to the ghouls. It’ll make a pretty picture, right?”

“You bastard……!”

“Are you angry? But that’s the reality. And it’s all your fault. If you hadn’t interfered with us, or if you hadn’t come here, you could have lived. Oh, I can’t wait. What on earth would the knights say when they face death and blame you?”

That's a provocation.

A plain and vulgar whisper.

But even knowing that, Callia's mind couldn't help but waver. The power of the Grim Reaper was more than enough to annihilate the punitive force above.

In the end, there was only one thing Kalia could do.

“Shut up!”

Kalia flashed her white sword.

He rushed at the Grim Reaper and swung his sword desperately, but it was useless against the Grim Reaper who had used <Astralization>.

The Grim Reaper takes on a physical form again.

As he swung his scythe, the stick, not the blade, struck Kalia in the side.

────Kwaang!

“Huh?!”

Kalia fell and hit the wall.

The sword fell from my hand and rolled on the ground. I tried to grab the sword again, but my body wouldn't move properly. All I could do was hold on to my dizzying mind.

“It’s over.”

Kalia and Gloss were easily neutralized.

There are no more variables.

The fact made both sides feel relieved, but at the same time, they were also annoyed.

'It wasn't the Third Prince who made the contract with the Grim Reaper, but me. Damn it.'

The Grim Reaper grants its contractors immense power.

But that power comes with two costs.

First, soul-stealing.

The more the contractor borrows the power of the Grim Reaper, the more his soul is slowly taken away.

There was no particular effect on the body itself, but because of that, I couldn't feel how many souls were taken. It was a situation where I didn't know when I would die suddenly.

And second, the seal.

While the contract is in effect, the powers of the contractor are sealed. This includes the magic that the old man has learned and the magic that he has developed.

It's not like the created undead disappeared or anything, but since I couldn't use my dominion, I couldn't control the undead as I wanted.

The power that Nossa currently possesses is merely that of an ordinary person, except for the power of immortality.

I don't know about anything else, but the feeling of not being able to use the magic I'd been working on my whole life was indescribably frustrating and unpleasant.

“Phew…….”

The old man sighed and suppressed his anger.

Yeah, I couldn't help it.

Because it was a situation where consciousness could not be restored at all, and this was the best way to deal with the variable.

'If this wasn't the Grim Reaper's ritual site, there wouldn't be a problem.'

If it were another high-ranking undead, they would have captured a villager and forced him into a contract. After confirming that the contract was complete, they would just kill him and that would be it.

However, the Grim Reaper's contractors gain immortality.

This means that you won't die unless you destroy the Grim Reaper. If the townspeople were to run wild with the Grim Reaper's power, things would get very difficult.

'Okay, let's hold on. Magic isn't sealed forever.'

If you borrow the power of the 'Third Servant', you may be able to terminate your contract with the Grim Reaper. I doubt he'll grant your request, though.

By comforting myself like that, I was barely able to understand and move on from the current situation.

Anyway, I finished checking that the ritual room was functioning properly.

Now that all your missions have been completed, it's time to return.

It was at that moment that Nosa was trying to move the Grim Reaper to finish the job.

Phage, phage, phage!

"hmm?!

Three spears of lightning flying from the darkness.

While the startled Nosa was hesitating, an electric explosion engulfed Nosa and the Grim Reaper.

'no way.'

There is only one person who can use lightning magic inside the ritual hall.

Kalia's voice was strained.

“Hey…… Sher……!”

Verden emerged from the darkness.

* * *

Verden, who entered the innermost part of the ceremony hall, quickly assessed the situation.

Gloss, who had fallen with one arm cut off, and Kalia, who was leaning against the wall. Both were badly injured, but they still looked alive.

Verden approached Kalia, who was still conscious.

“Are you okay?”

“As you can see……”

Kalia smiled weakly.

At that moment, she grabbed Verden's wrist and whispered softly.

“Asher… that’s dangerous….”

The contractor, Nosa, is an immortal being who will not die even if his body is cut in half, and the powerful undead Grim Reaper deflects all attacks by becoming incorporeal except when attacking.

It is a particularly difficult opponent for wizards.

No magic will work unless you approach him, no matter how powerful the wizard is.

So run away right now.

Hurry up and bring the punitive force above before it's too late.

Kalia's hands shook slightly.

Verden narrowed his eyes at the sight.

An undead that can instill fear in Kalia.

It didn't seem to be a high-level undead like an elder lich or a death knight.

“What are you doing now?”

The center of the ceremony.

As the explosion subsided, Nosa and Grim Reaper appeared. Despite being hit by a fifth-tier lightning spell, they were unscathed.

immortality.

The word flashed through my mind.

“Asher……?”

Verden approached Gloss, who was nearby.

I sprayed him with the highest-grade potion to stop the bleeding, then grabbed him by the nape of his neck and carried him next to Kalia.

Kalia blinked blankly.

“What now…….”

“I’ll take care of it right away.”

Verden stepped forward.

Kalia said something behind him, but he paid no attention.

Soon, Verden entered the ceremonial hall.

The old man next to the Grim Reaper laughed in vain.

“I wonder what you’re doing when you suddenly appear… This is ridiculous. You suddenly appear and act like a savior. Shouldn’t you be aware of the time and place when you’re bluffing?”

Verden looked at Nosa.

His black eyes were filled with arrogance. It must have been because of his belief in immortality and the undead holding the scythe, that no matter what happened, he would not die.

“That’s funny.”

Gluttony's Fang, Ruppel.

In the past, Verden fought an immortal being. In the space called Gluttony's stomach, the being had eyes similar to that old man's. He referred to himself as immortal, immortal, and a god.

And died to Verden.

In the end, longing for life.

This time it will be no different.

Activated magic circuit.

Magical power swirled around Verden.