Noble Soul (17)

The absolute invincible Chelven.

He was indeed a unique dark mage. Among the countless characters in 'Aether World Online,' he was perhaps the most distinctive.

Once upon a time, players couldn't categorize characters' abilities simply by their gender, class, or danger level, so they humorously divided their combat power into numerical values among themselves.

Combat power, including details like attack power, defense power, speed, and utility, was recorded based on the subjective thoughts of the players... 

But, as always, the most important aspects were 'magic attack power' and 'defense power.'

For a class 9 mage, the average combat power was around 100. For example, Elthman Elwin had an attack power of 120 and a defense power of 80, while Florin had an attack power of 90 and a defense power of 130.

Most players found these combat power calculations reasonably accurate. However, there were, of course, dissenting opinions.

After all, they were merely subjective opinions. However, there was a combat power everyone agreed upon.

[Chelven]

Danger Level 9 Dark Mage

Magic Attack Power: 10

Magic Defense Power: 300

That was Chelven.

Looking at the numbers alone, one might call it quite strange. His attack power was only at the level of a novice mage, but his defense power was the strongest in the land.

In short, it meant that purely in terms of 'attack power,' it would take at least two or three class 9 mages to break through Chelven's defense.

Wasn't that overpowered?

Not necessarily.

Special Ability [Reality Manipulation]:

A power that seized and controlled the opponent's magic, turning it into his own.

Skill [Blessing of the Dusk Soil Moon]:

A power that perfectly defended against and countered all kinds of attacks.

The two abilities possessed by Chelven might as well belong to his opponents rather than himself.

In other words, it meant that even if Chelven decided to kill someone, if the opponent only focused on defense without fighting back, the battle would remain unresolved.

But what if…

What if all of Chelven's defensive abilities disappeared? If, in an extreme example, a situation arose where he had to face two class 9 mages at the same time, causing a crack in his absolute defense?

"Oh my. Even the absolutely invincible Chelven seems to get hurt if all his shields are stripped away, doesn't he?"

At Soya's mocking tone, Chelven wiped the blood trickling from down his mouth with his sleeve.

"A divine slayer, huh..."

Unlike when he had previously faced Aryumon and Florin, Chelven's eyes turned cold and fierce.

However, Soya continued to smile with her eyes. She was indifferent to his rage.

The Chelven in front of her… was nothing more than a toothless tiger.

'What the kid said was true.'

Baek Yu-Seol had mentioned that Chelven's weakness was quite simple. It wasn't about hitting his vulnerable points or trauma, but rather his personality itself was his weakness.

'He fights with all his might and sincerity, no matter who the opponent is…'

If someone with a power level of 100 only needed to use about 15 to defeat an opponent with a power level of 10, that would be sufficient.

But for Chelven, such a strategy is impossible. Absolute defense wasn't such a convenient function.

Even if he faced an enemy that posed a threat of only 1, he fought with all 300 of his strength.

And if that opponent were two class 9 mages?

"How does it feel to have your cherished shield broken? Hmm?"

As Soya smirked and spoke, Chelven secretly clenched and unclenched his fists, checking his mana.

'So that's it... She's been waiting for an opportunity.'

Until now, he had been chasing the divine slayer to kill her, but he had never considered the possibility of the prey turning around to attack him.

Given that dark mages would know about his supposedly invincible body.

But if she had expected Aryumon and Florin to approach him?

Even if he didn't know how they got the information... it wouldn't be too far-fetched to think they'd turn around and attack. In fact, he was currently so low on mana that it was difficult to activate his abilities, let alone enjoy blessing of the Dusk Soil Moon.

'Their information gathering is fast, and their judgment is good.'

It was strange.

Soya, the divine slayer.

At first glance, she might seem like an impressive dark mage... But according to Chelven's insight, she didn't possess great intelligence.

Plans? Strategy?

She was a foolish woman who would throw away her life just to seize immediate pleasure, so such things were beyond her capability.

"Who is behind you?"

When Chelven asked in a low voice, Soya's eyebrows twitched.

For a moment, she was overwhelmed by his intimidation.

"Behind me? Hmph, do you think I have something like that? I move purely by my own will!"

"Really…"

"Putting on airs when you don't even have strength left!"

Chuk!

Soya spread her arms wide upward. A dark magic circle tinged with red shimmered unpleasantly.

It was completely different from the magic commonly used by mages.

The magic of dark mages originated through contracts with the 'otherworld,' and an original ability fused with witches' magic.

[Reality Manipulation]

Soya subtly raised the corners of her mouth.

"No problem. I can do it."

In a distant past that she could barely remember, it was the power that had even brought down the divine spirit Leafanel.

Although at that time, Leafanel was in a completely defenseless state just before transforming from a familiar into a divine spirit... 

Nevertheless, wasn't it true that she had won?

"I can corrupt even a divine spirit!"

Crack! Crackle!

Soya's dark magic spread everywhere, slowly engulfing everything.

Rock, tree, grass, flower, butterfly, pigeon, cicada, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide.

There were so many things around her, both visible and invisible. As a result, the people of the world decided to collectively refer to them all as all things.

Her ability was to interfere with everything that existed in this world.

She could manipulate living humans and turn them into puppets, corpses into replicas, and even disrupt divine spirits to steal their hearts.

"I am the only one in this world who has combined the magic of the otherworld with witch magic!"

Even if she wanted to lose, it was impossible.

Although she had to sacrifice an overwhelming amount of lifespan as the cost of using her magic, as long as she could deal with Chelven, it might be possible to perfectly absorb the 'heart of a divine spirit.'

She might even obtain an immortal body without the limitation of lifespan.

"As long as the limitation of lifespan disappears, I am invincible!"

Boom! Rumble!!

The invisible air gripped Chelven tightly, and carbon shot up from the ground, grabbing his ankles with a diamond-like hardness, binding him so he couldn't move.

Whoosh!!

The wind was artificially stirred up.

The clouds in the sky began to slowly gather above Chelven's head.

Although she couldn't control the climate...

Crackle! Boom!!!

Bringing down lightning was a very easy task for her.

Rumble-!

The ground shook like a whirlpool and began to pull Chelven underground. Interfering with all things means controlling the elements themselves.

Truly…

"It's no different from the power of a god, is it? Don't you think so?"

Soya shouted with all her might as she drew up her dark magic.

"If only there were no limitation of lifespan, I...!"

She could become truly invincible.

Suddenly.

… Until time abruptly stopped, that's what she thought.

"Uh..."

The swirling air and leaves, the swirling ground, and the writhing clouds.

Everything had come to a grinding stop.

"What... Is this?"

Had time stopped?

No.

It was an illusion.

Time had not stopped.

All the things she had interfered with... had escaped her control and were halted by someone else's will.

"What the...?"

Her pupils shook violently.

As she took a step back, the sound of the rustling grass echoed clearly.

If time had truly stopped, there would be no sound.

So, in other words, this was…

"As if time itself had stopped... Reality Manipulation...?"

Reality Manipulation.

A superior ability that surpassed even her own great power to control all things.

[Mind Control]

Swoosh!

The whirlwind of earth that had soared with the intent to reach the sky settled down, and the violent struggle of the air calmed. And there stood Chelven.

With a weary expression, he reached out and touched a leaf suspended in mid-air. 

"Did you know?" 

"What…"

Chelven flicked the leaf with his finger. With that simple motion, the leaf split in half. 

"What…"

What on earth was he trying to do?

The moment that thought crossed her mind—

"Uh, ugh… Ahhhhh!!" 

A choking pain gripped Soya as she clutched her throat and collapsed. 

Her throat? Was the source of pain her throat? 

Wrist? Waist? Thighs? Head? 

She couldn't understand. 

She was certainly in pain, but figuring out exactly where it hurt... It was impossible to pinpoint the source of the pain.

"In order to disrupt all things, you must inevitably imbue your soul into it..." 

Chelven's voice was soft and almost lethargic. 

"That's the limit of 'manipulation.'"

'What is he talking about? That bastard.'

She wanted to speak, but she couldn't. When Chelven lifted his foot and crushed a small stone, the pain spread throughout her body, engulfing her. It felt as if her heart had burst.

"Guh..."

Soya drooled and writhed on the ground. 

"Ugh, gah...!"

She needed to cancel her Reality Manipulation quickly. She had to withdraw all her dark magic.

But.

She couldn't.

"… Sorry, but I've already taken complete control. It's best to abandon any futile thoughts." 

Abilities that interfere with something else were rare. However, if two such magic users met... They must judge wisely. 

If the opponent's ability was a superior counterpart, their own abilities could be completely sealed.

Of course, it wouldn't be entirely accurate to say Chelven's ability was a superior version compared to Soya's. 

It was simply a difference in 'experience.'

At first, he could only control a single leaf. Even if it was a trash-like ability, since it was all he had, Chelven honed his Reality Manipulation to its extreme.

With the sole desire to survive, he trained continuously.

As a result, Chelven pushed his reality Manipulation to its limits.

Could Soya possibly overcome such a man?

Absolutely impossible.

It was a pure difference in experience and proficiency. Despite having an edge from that one simple difference, Soya was having all her abilities trampled upon.

Crunch!

By breaking a tree, dispersing air, and crushing stones, Soya convulsed and trembled all over. 

Even losing consciousness was impossible.

He knew precisely when a dark mage would die, or when they would lose consciousness. A dark mage surpassed human limits and gained superhuman physical abilities, and they would never easily succumb to such pain. 

Knowing this, he painstakingly gnawed away at Soya's soul over a long period of time.

"To kill a divine spirit… It's a truly heinous act. Isn't it?" 

'But you're a dark mage.'

'Why are you siding with the divine spirits?'

Soya wanted to ask, but her mouth wouldn't open. The sensation she assumed to be her mouth was synchronized with the stone at Chelven's feet and shattered into pieces.

"Divine spirits are beings you shouldn't dare to touch. I've been chasing you for a very long time. And finally, as if desired by fate, we meet today."

Finally reaching Soya, Chelven looked down at her with eyes filled with disgust, as if looking at a bug. 

"Isn't it ironic? I never knew. Who would've thought that my ability would overlap with yours..."

Both Soya and Chelven. 

They had thoroughly hidden the true names of their abilities. 

"But this... This feels so strange. It doesn't feel good. Even after capturing you. I keep thinking someone who knows us both very well has intentionally created this situation."

Soya, who knew how to protect her own life, was able to survive as a fugitive for so long. 

But for her to suddenly attack him? Clearly, someone had disrupted Soya's sanity. 

And seduced her with sweet words.

"… Don't you think so? You are someone who has been hiding and watching from the beginning." 

Chelven lifted his head and looked somewhere.

Although it couldn't be sensed with conventional magic detection, he was able to clearly perceive it thanks to his Mind Control.

"You tried to control the entire area. But there was just one part—only the space where you are standing—that couldn't be controlled."

That was something Chelven had never experienced before—a puzzling event.

At those words, from a considerable distance away, a boy revealed himself.

The uniform of Stella Academy.

Even after living in seclusion from the world for many years, he could easily recognize it. 

And also, his identity.

"Baek Yu-Seol, huh. I've heard rumors, but..." 

Looking at the boy's darkened, sunken face, Chelven smiled for the first time in a long while. 

"It turns out, you're more dangerous than I thought."