Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 86

Episode 86: Interference (3)

Pain felt in the side.

Dukel's eyes widened at the burning pain. It was a surprise attack he had not expected at all, and he was completely defenseless.

Then, as Jeron twisted the blade, Dukel fell back, sweating profusely.

“J, Jerron. Why on earth did you……!”

Boom!

Instead of answering, Jerón struck Dukel in the jaw. Then, Merk slammed his shield down on Dukel’s face. The impact caused Dukel’s head to half-burrow into the ground.

Of course, he didn't die, but only suffered bruises.

Since Dukel was so strong, there was no way to completely cut off his consciousness.

The soldiers and knights stared blankly at the situation, completely incomprehensible.

Jeron said.

“Clean it up.”

Then, several soldiers who had been lying down until just now suddenly jumped up and attacked them. The knights reacted quickly, but the enemy showed movements that were clearly not those of ordinary soldiers.

In an instant, more than half of them were subdued and fell to the ground, and the knights stood with their swords raised, protecting each other's backs.

“Why did the Central Knights suddenly betray……!”

I don't understand.

Whatever it is, we must get out of here. We must hurry to the city and report this fact.

The knights exchanged glances.

The young knight ran forward to clear the way. The target was Zeron. If he could just get past him, the way would be open.

But I couldn't take a single step forward.

Jeron grabbed the knight's sword with his bare hands and crushed it, then grabbed his neck and cut off his consciousness in one fell swoop. The rest of the knights were also subdued one after another, helpless.

Merc with his shield removed.

He snatched the shadow from the dead Harold's hand and smirked at the people who were passed out.

“I think these materials will be enough.”

The Gluttonies who had infiltrated beforehand.

They have been infiltrating the duchy for a long time, and only today have they come to the surface. For Gluttony's grand plan.

Jeron turned his gaze into the forest.

Then, the crimson red hat that had been watching them disappeared into the darkness.

“……That red hat is starting to get on my nerves.”

“Even so, Fang Tooth told me to clean up the Red Hats once we’re ready. Those kinds of aliens are worse than the old humans.”

In the world Gluttony wanted, such a being was unnecessary.

They were just chess pieces that were raised, used, and thrown away. That was the extent of their value, and they should be grateful that they even had that kind of value.

Jeron nodded and gestured to the Gluttony members who were disguised as soldiers.

Then, all of the men began to drag away the people lying on the floor.

That moment.

────Quajajajak!

A huge piece of stone flew in from somewhere and fell on us.

The swept Gluttonys were immediately torn apart, and Jerone, who was at the end of them, reflexively twisted his body. Part of his upper body split open, and a fountain of blood gushed out.

“……?”

It's a situation I never expected.

When they all turned their heads in the direction from which the stone shards had come flying, a wizard wearing dark green robes, who had not been there until just now, was standing alone.

Verden. He looked at the compass of the black hour.

The needle, which should have been moving back and forth, was pointing straight at Gluttony, who was right in front of his eyes.

“It has to be this close for it to work properly.”

I learned one thing.

Verden, who had put the compass in his space bag, picked up the staff.

* * *

Gluttony, who was hiding between the central knights and the soldiers.

As expected, it was just as Verden had expected.

Wood thud thud.

With a strange sound, Merk's body rose greatly. And Jerone also began to take on a shape that could not be called human, and his wounds healed.

'Two transplants. Nine more.'

No force adjustment required.

Even if we caught it, we wouldn't be able to extract any information because of the Gluttony fragments.

“Catch him alive.”

Gluttony all rushed at Verden.

There was a shaking sensation around them, a few flashes of light, and a scream of pain. In an instant, the battle was on and the end was near.

Members of Gluttony scattered everywhere, their forms even in ruins.

The two transplants were still alive. Only then did Jerón, coughing up blood mixed with foam, ask Verden.

“You, are you the owner of the ark? How did you get here so quickly…….”

“I’m sick of hearing that now.”

Every time we meet, ark, ark.

Even if you say no, it gets annoying when they ask you again later.

Verden snapped his fingers.

A cold, dark wind enveloped the transplants. The ice magic had been transformed into the Ring of Cold. The transplants' bodies froze in the cold, and at the same time, the energy they had was frozen.

The transplants that had shown abnormal vitality could not endure and froze to death. Soon, the ice shattered and the corpses were scattered into thousands of pieces.

'Not bad.'

Considering it's a counterfeit, it's quite effective. This is less than 10% of the original's performance. It's hard to imagine what the original would be like.

Well, it's safe to say that there's no chance of it falling into Verden's hands.

Verden quickly collected the fallen soldiers, knights, and Dukel.

The Central Knights used the potions they had to heal Dukel, then created a space under the ground to hide them.

There's no chance of being killed by a passing race of Ainz. I've made a hole for him to breathe through, so he'll come to his senses later and escape on his own.

'And I have to take this with me.'

The shadow behind.

Without this, Gluttony would have no way of finding traces of Verden. He immediately put it in his space bag.

'Then this side is finished… … .'

But it didn't end there.

There was still a deformed red hat watching this place just now, so there was a good chance that Gluttony was hiding in the other squad as well.

Where could it be hiding?

There was a way to find the clue.

A tracking magic circle that Verden engraved on the back of a soldier in the first squad.

Because the aftertaste still lingered. Now that Gluttony had moved, it was clear that something would happen in the other squads as well.

Gluttony.

They were completely in Verden's hands. And not only here, but everywhere else.

Once again Verden moved.

* * *

Theon.

He lived as an orphan in the back alleys during his childhood, but was kidnapped and ended up living as a member of Gluttony.

Those harsh days were such that it wouldn't be strange if anyone died. In fact, many children died. And their bodies were used as experimental materials in Gluttony.

Even death was not free here.

That is why Theon lived desperately to survive and became Gluttony's assassin. Even if he died at any moment, he would be just a part that could be replaced in an instant.

But I survived.

It's still like that now.

Theon had to move to survive.

'But this isn't it.'

Theon, who wore Gluttony's front teeth around his neck.

He chewed his lips and took heavy steps forward.

I've been wondering how I'm going to survive since I was captured by the Ark, but I never thought they'd ask me to do something like this.

“Fuck…….”

Theon walked away, swearing softly.

So I entered a building in the city.

A large old man and a man with glasses who saw Theon. They were members of Gluttony disguised as ordinary citizens.

Theon, who had gone to Gluttony's lair on his own two feet, showed them the necklace. Their eyes were wide open and they quickly showed Theon the way.

The place we arrived at after passing through several underground passages.

Judging from the distance and direction they had walked, they were clearly far outside the city.

In the tense atmosphere, someone walked towards Theon.

It was a transplant with a heteromorphic eye in the middle of its neck, he said to Theon.

“You’re alive.”

It was just one word, but the pressure was suffocating.

I was alive. So, why am I alive?

The Gluttony who were moving with Theon are all dead, so why are they still alive? That must be what it means.

A situation where even the slightest slip of the tongue could lead to death.

Theon took out the front teeth of the Gluttony hanging around his neck, as if to say that he didn't know what was going on inside.

“The doctor is looking for a tooth.”

“…….”

The transplanter's gaze was fixed on the front teeth.

After several seconds that felt like days had passed, the transplanter finally opened his mouth.

“Follow me.”

The transplanter turned his back and disappeared into the darkness.

Theon sighed in relief and soon followed him out of sight.

The bait sent by Verden slowly dug into Gluttony's interior.

* * *

Verden traced the echoes of the magic circle.

The scenery passed by quickly, moment by moment. Berden arrived at the location and looked around.

"……doesn't exist?"

There was nothing around.

There was only a forest and a cliff. Even though I spread my magic detection wide, I couldn't catch anything.

Clearly, the echoes ended here… … . Surely they wouldn’t have noticed and removed the entire magic circle and placed it here.

Verden's head turned quickly.

Verden's senses, enhanced by the Rune Ring Exceed. If he were to hide it so well… … Excluding the special abilities of some heteromorphs, there was only one.

Magical concealment, illusion.

'Then is it a cliff?'

It's the perfect terrain to hide an entrance to somewhere.

Verden, who had descended to the ground, slowly advanced forward, holding on to the cliff with his hand. And after a while, Verden's hand went deep into the cliff.

At the same time, I felt the lingering scent of the magic circle that Verden had created, and the familiar magical power.

'Lukenan.'

It was clear that this illusion was created by the missing Ruknan.

<Implication>

Verden stepped into the darkness.

The air was humid and the smell was musty. As we entered the cave, the stone coffin we had seen before was placed in the center of the cave.

This time I turned my gaze to the corner.

The corpse of Count Dabirk, who had lost one arm, and the bodies of soldiers and knights belonging to the first squad and members of the Third Central Knights were lined up in order.

Beneath it was a long groove leading to a stone coffin.

Finally, Lukenen.

He just kept his eyes closed and kept the illusion alive. Was he being mind controlled?

'Fortunately, it doesn't seem too late… … .'

The second squad, led by Rupel, is not visible.

It seems like he hasn't been attacked by Gluttony yet. Or maybe he was attacked by Gluttony and dragged here.

But that's probably not it.

Because there were so many hidden sounds in this space.

Kuung.

A crimson red hat fell from the ceiling. Along with it, the other red hats. Along with it, the Gluttonys that had been hiding inside appeared.

Among them, there was a transplant with a face similar to Red Hat. Above the mouth, there was only a red, squashed mouth, without eyes or nose.

Of all the transplants I've ever met, this one was the most inhumane.

The guy asked.

“Who are you?”

A dull, scratchy voice.

Dozens of monsters surrounded Verden. It was a disadvantageous situation where he had to protect the unconscious people while fighting enemies that were dozens of times more numerous.

But Verden had experience.

Instead of answering, Verden slammed his staff to the ground.

<Terrain Manipulation>

And then the world started to move.