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[Chapter 144]
[Phoenix's Flame (4)]
While it hadn't connected at all until now,
The pass has finally connected.
Eunha sensed another mana circuit linked to his own mana circuit.
The Phoenix's monster.
It was Fire Chicken's mana circuit.
"...If you were going to help, you should have helped sooner. Where do you get off trying to test someone?"
Perhaps because the mana circuits were connected,
Eunha could vaguely feel Fire Chicken's emotions.
So he was angry.
He had thought the reason he couldn't contract with Fire Chicken until now was because it was still young and couldn't properly handle its power.
So you were just quietly accepting the mana I gave you while pretending not to know until now?
In fact, Fire Chicken had been deliberately refusing the contract.
It had been testing him until now to see if he was suitable as its master.
Eunha was irritated by the fact that a mere monster had been testing him.
He had been played all this time.
Peeeep
The fact that he could sense the monster's emotions meant the monster could also sense his emotions.
As if begging not to be hit,
Fire Chicken cried mournfully.
Eunha snorted.
It was too late to apologize and act cute now.
If you had lent me your power sooner, I wouldn't have had to fight so hard, right?
You know you're going to be punished by me later.
There's no excuse.
Eunha conveyed his inner thoughts to the monster that had stuck to his shoulder and transformed like an artifact.
Flare
As the surroundings burn with fire,
Sparks scatter from behind Eunha's shoulders.
The sparks dancing in the air brush past his cheek.
But no trace of the fire remains,
He was wrapped in flames.
Monster Transformation
Phoenix's Cloak
In exchange for giving mana,
Eunha borrowed the monster's power.
Then the monster transformed into the form in which he could currently best handle its power.
Eunha, wearing the cloak of flames, soon stood up.
"...Not bad."
Eunha raised the corners of his mouth.
Flames bloom with every manifestation of his internal mana.
When he turns his gaze in the desired direction, the sparks already burning in the world catch fire.
It's truly the gift <Flame Manipulation>.
Of course, it's not as good as the pure <Flame Manipulation> gift, but still, this is something.
By the way, this is quite... The mana consumption is not insignificant.
Then Eunha frowned.
He was already in the middle of activating his gift.
A situation where internal mana was lacking.
In that situation, he consumed considerable mana to burn the area.
Peeeep
Fire Chicken cried as if it couldn't be helped.
It said it had no choice but to burn the area to save him from being surrounded by monsters.
But even so, Eunha thought he had consumed quite a bit of internal mana.
I've already cleared the area anyway.
I need to get rid of all the flames unnecessarily consuming mana.
Snap
Eunha snapped his fingers.
More than half of the flames covering the area died down.
That's how excessively Fire Chicken had used his internal mana.
The remaining fire was a physical phenomenon caused by magically bloomed flames.
Peeeep
It's no use protesting.
Eunha inwardly told Fire Chicken, who was disappointed when the flames went out.
Mana Drain
Anyway, he needs to recover mana.
Eunha decided to absorb the residual mana in the area while being wary of Kakgunbong watching him from up ahead.
It's thanks to Burst Counter's principle.
At some point, he became able to not only absorb mana from the opponent's magic, but also absorb mana from the opponent's mana.
At the same time, Eunha absorbed the mana dissolved in the atmosphere.
Of course─
─Shaaaak!!
It didn't quietly let him recover his strength.
At first, it seemed to be wary of him who had burned the world.
But when the fire dominating the area disappeared, it suddenly came to its senses.
Nevertheless, he didn't try to avoid it rushing at him.
He concentrates on recovering mana.
And as the distance between him and it gradually narrows─
─Blast Counter
Eunha had been waiting for this moment.
Due to the continued fierce battle,
Mana with someone's control remaining was heavily residual in the surroundings.
Eunha stimulated the residual mana in the atmosphere with Mana Drain.
As soon as it entered close range, he immediately activated Burst Counter.
By the time it noticed, it was too late.
Boom boom boom!!
Because he was borrowing the monster's power,
An explosion mediated by mana containing flames occurred.
Once again, flames draped the world.
☆
His body feels light.
A feeling that the distance he can advance in one step has increased.
It was a feeling that couldn't be explained by Ubbo.
Thousand Steps
Eunha ran excitedly.
Though his internal mana keeps dropping and giving warnings,
He couldn't control his body that was being activated by the gift.
Thump thump thump
His heart pounds violently.
Blood boils in his body.
Eunha felt the sensation of being alive.
It wasn't a bad feeling.
No, it's addictive.
Just a little more...!
He steps forward with his front foot with all his might.
His field of vision is instantly pushed back.
Without even needing to use Ubbo, he closes the distance with just normal steps and,
He swung Maengoshu containing flames with all his might.
Blaze Crasher
Flames ignite violently.
Flames exceeding the blade fly towards Kakgunbong.
Whoosh
It raised its arm to defend.
Eunha immediately changed direction.
──!!
It loses balance.
The characteristic of Winter That Creeps Like Snow.
The ability to use the mana coated on the blade like a whip.
Eunha pulled Maengoshu and tricked it just like that.
Shaaaak!!
Following the direction Eunha runs,
It is dragged along.
Now Eunha turned direction and rushed at it.
At the same time, he threw Winter That Creeps Like Snow, making its arm go back diagonally.
Blaze Dance
He jumps diagonally.
He cuts its side with Winter That Blooms Coldly containing flames.
The wound is shallow.
But that's fine.
He steps on the ground forcefully with the opposite foot, connecting the sword path.
Flare!
It retreats backwards.
Eunha dug in a little deeper and swung his sword.
Sparks scatter.
The sparks spread into flames, blocking its view.
It jumps into the sky to avoid the attack stabbing down from above.
The flames gathered at the sword tip surge up and brush past it.
Shaaaaaaaaak!!!!
It roars at the sensation of intense heat sweeping by.
It goes berserk.
When it drives its fist down, the ground collapses and debris rushes at Eunha.
It quickly follows as he retreats and stretches out its arm.
Ubbo
As soon as his left foot touches the ground,
Eunha entrusted his body to the flow of mana and avoided its attack.
He sees its back.
Eunha swung his sword down towards the clearly visible back.
Clang
A movement close to instinct.
Kakgunbong deflected the sword with its tail attached to the end of its head.
The tail moved once more in midair, pushing Eunha away.
The tail digs into his abdomen.
"...Cough...!"
As if trying to suck,
The tail stuck to his abdomen wouldn't detach.
It seized that opening and opened its mouth to spew magic.
He can't avoid with Ubbo.
There was a high possibility of failing Ubbo in a situation where he was caught by it.
Having quickly judged in his head, he flicked his left hand.
Maengoshu stuck nearby reacted.
Though it had fallen from his hand─
─The mana is still connected.
Controlling swords with qi.
He uses quite a lot of mana to call Winter That Creeps Like Snow to his left hand.
And blocks the magic that was only being blocked by Winter That Blooms Coldly.
Mana Drain
Winter That Creeps Like Snow
It's not just blocking.
He was confident in his control.
While controlling the monster's power,
Eunha deployed Winter That Creeps Like Snow's magic along with Mana Drain's principle.
Kuoooo!
The sword trembles.
A sound like a dragon roaring.
A black snake floating above the white blade devours the magic.
Eventually, the blade containing intense light. And flames swirling around that blade like a vortex.
Pop pop pop!
Now it's his turn.
Eunha swung Winter That Creeps Like Snow with all his might.
A dragon containing flames surges up.
Magic larger than it roars.
The flame dragon crawls on the ground and swallows it.
He breaks free in that gap and catches his breath at a distance.
Mana Drain
While Kakgunbong is unable to escape from the flames,
He recovers internal mana.
The gift breathes vitality into his body in exchange for consuming mana.
Flare flare flare!
The cloak of flames flutters greatly as if multiplying its forces.
His surroundings are enveloped in flames.
Shaaaaaaak!!
Just then,
It bit through the flame dragon and came out.
Plop
The armor that couldn't even be properly pierced by swords can no longer withstand the heat and falls to the ground.
It flows down.
It was definitely losing strength.
Nevertheless, as if to show it was still intact,
Growl!
It rushes in bleeding.
The ground splits.
The world vibrates.
Ground rising like a mountain stretches towards him.
Flare flare!
Whoosh
But Eunha didn't avoid.
He just swung Maengoshu.
As if to respond to the rising ground, the flames surrounding Eunha rush out like wolves.
The flames can't burn the rock face.
But the sword strike he unleashed afterwards cuts the rock face.
And─
─It's finally done.
Once, twice, and thrice.
This was the limit while pouring control into other aspects in this situation.
Eunha inwardly sighed.
His right hand trembled.
Eunha let go of Maengoshu held in his left hand.
He grips Winter That Blooms Coldly with both hands.
─This is the end.
The coordinates had been excitedly marked while fighting it until now.
There's no way it can avoid this.
Eunha smiled his best smile.
Invisible Tracker
Blast Cross
A blade shining platinum.
High-temperature flames wrapping that blade.
Eunha, holding the sword at middle level, gently swung it down.
Flare! Fwoooosh!
Boom boom boom─!!!
Flames make a path.
The platinum sword strike advances.
Flames, light, heat, flash, explosion.
Every time he tries to perceive the world, the world changes moment by moment.
Magic spreading in a cross shape colors the world like that.
And so─
"─Making a person work so hard..."
Thud
The world regains its color.
The giant monster finally couldn't withstand its own body weight and collapsed.