Bab 176: Chapter 176
"You alright, Jubal?" Ian asked.
After trapping Karenne's group in a block of ice, Ian took a moment to catch his breath and check on his companions.
He prioritized assessing Jubal, who had acted as the tank in this battle.
"Kuk, I'm fine," Jubal grinned, his face troll-like.
From afar, he had looked seriously injured. But up close, Jubal was surprisingly unscathed. His skin was a bit scraped and bleeding slightly, but nothing was broken or severed.
Considering he had tanked against a spider monster over 3 meters tall, his condition was remarkably good.
'Well, he's quite the monster himself.'
Jubal possessed both the physique and the brain of a beast.
In terms of physical prowess, he wouldn't lose to most monsters.
Thanks to Jubal's tanking, the rest of the team escaped without a scratch.
"Hey, Ian," Anton called out.
"What?"
"You saw my magic, right?"
"???"
Ian wondered why Anton was suddenly acting like this. Did he want money for his efforts?
"I saw it... but why?"
"'Why?' you say?" Anton frowned, displeased. "After witnessing my skilled, clean, and flawless technique... you say 'why?'"
"..."
Sh*t. It was that.
Ian stared at Anton in disbelief, but Anton wasn't joking around.
This guy... He was actually bragging about his magic to Ian!
"You probably don't know this, but to commune with mystery at this level, you need to spend at least 10 years..." Anton prattled on about how exceptional his technique was.
Ian felt like he was going to die of annoyance.
Krysus approached and whispered, "Just play along and move on."
"Why is he acting like this?"
"Who knows? Maybe he's still sore about being dismissed by you at the tavern before."
Ian fully embraced Krysus's advice. Soon, Anton was bombarded with mindless praise.
"Wow, that's amazing! Anton!"
"Hm. Now you understand?"
"As expected of water magic! It's stronger than ice magic!"
"Huhuhuhuh..."
"Damn! Why am I a dark wizard? If I'm reborn, I want to be a water wizard!"
"Huhuhuhuh... Hahahaha!"
Anton patted Ian's shoulder, grinning broadly. "Now you see the greatness of water magic?"
"Ah... yes."
"Good. Then let's go see Inglan."
Having gorged on Ian's praise, Anton strode forward, his robes fluttering. From behind, he looked the very image of a cool wizard.
Krysus snickered beside Ian. "That senior is quite exhausting, isn't he?"
"You're not much better yourself..."
"What?! I'm not that bad!"
Ian smirked, remembering who had made him shout 'Ice magic is the best~' in that ice cave.
Wizards, honestly. They all had such big egos, always thinking their magic was the best.
'I wonder if Inglan is safe.'
Thanks to Karenne's rampage, the place had practically turned into a dungeon. The atmosphere was so horror-like that finding Inglan as a corpse wouldn't be surprising.
'I hope this isn't a waste of time.'
Ian's group passed through the inner castle and headed towards a tower deep in the courtyard. It served as both a watchtower and a prison.
As they walked, Herta apologized to Ian several times.
"I'm sorry, Ian."
The reason for her apologies wasn't particularly clear.
"I... I haven't been much help..."
"It's fine."
Herta was an air wizard. Air magic became more powerful in open spaces, especially where the wind blew strongly. Earlier, the fight had taken place indoors, so there wasn't much Herta could do.
"There's someone who isn't even here, you know."
"... Do you think Carl is safe?"
"We can only hope so."
While it was disappointing that Carl couldn't join them, Ian just hoped he was alive at this point.
[Ian! Be careful!]
[There are bad guys over there!]
"...?"
Ian paused at the whispered voices brushing his ears. The only mystery that could whisper so quietly was the mystery of darkness.
"...!"
"What's that?"
As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Ian's group was startled, every single one of them.
"The sky..."
The sky was covered in pitch-black clouds, looking gloomy. It seemed like it might rain at any moment, but no raindrops actually fell.
The courtyard was shrouded in darkness.
'The vanished sun.'
Ian looked up at the black sky.
The sun was a sacred symbol of Heaven's Faith. It was the eye of the sky that watched over the evil on earth and looked down upon the people.
But...
Now the sun had disappeared.
In the darkness created by its absence, something wicked was breathing.
"... Demons."
"What?"
"Everyone be careful. There are demons here."
Ian was certain that the black clouds in the sky were the demons' handiwork. After all, the only ones who would deliberately want to erase the sun were those demon bastards.
The mystery of darkness sent Ian a warning.
Ian drew Anor-lsil and aimed it at the darkened courtyard.
"Kekeke... What's that toy?" a voice sneered from the darkness.
"Isn't that the power of the sun? Disgusting... kukukuk!"
"But it's pathetic! A small and weak sun!"
Red-skinned demons crawled out of the darkness one by one. Short horns, pointed tails. Even hooves resembling those of a mountain goat.
"Imps!" Anton shouted.
They were imps, residents of hell and lesser demons.
Anton shuddered at the sight of the swarming lesser demons. "Those black wizards... Have they now allied with demons?"
Needless to say, summoning demons was the most forbidden of taboos. If the priests of Heaven's Faith found out, they would be beyond furious, and would immediately report to the Pope to unleash an indiscriminate excommunication beam.
Ian already knew how these demons were summoned. The black wizard Karenne had paid for blood and corpses. These beings were summoned to the mortal realm using those as sacrifices.
"Kekeke... So that's the wizard we've heard about!"
"The humans who open summoning gates!"
"If we subdue him as a slave, we can go to the mortal realm whenever we want, right?"
The imps slowly approached the wizards. The demons' eyes glinted with greed. If they could corrupt a wizard into a black wizard, they'd secure a foothold to enter the mortal realm at will.
That's why many demons desired wizard slaves. Someone who would kill people and open summoning gates for demons at any time.
"I like that black-haired man!"
"Kukuku... Then I'll take that red-haired b*tch!"
"I don't care who! I'll take whoever I catch first!"
The demons whispered ominously. Their eyes were like those of buyers choosing slaves at a market. That inhuman and eerie gaze made fear grow in the wizards' hearts.
"Ian..." Kira slowly moved closer to Ian.
Ian took her hand. Her trembling subsided.
'F*cking demon bastards.'
Ian's blood boiled as he watched the demons snickering and muttering among themselves.
What? They were going to capture and enslave the wizards now? Ian and his companions?
The demons were f*cking disgusting, and the black wizards who summoned such creatures were equally disgusting.
His killing intent was rising.
Magic was absolutely not learned to conveniently serve such demon bastards.
Ian realized once again that demon wizards were the worst sons of b*tches in the world. No wonder they kept company with personality-deficient demon bastards!
Right at that moment.
"Shut up!" A thunderous shout echoed through the courtyard.
Belenka, wielding a longsword, strode towards the demons. "Don't pollute the air with your disgusting tongues! You demons!"
Knights protect the weak, defend the bells of heaven, and guard the lives of their lords. That is the [Code of Chivalry].
There were many knights who treated chivalry as a vulgar pastime. But Belenka, at least, was not one of them.
Once she swore an oath to heaven and the holy scriptures, she would protect Ian's life until their contract ended.
"Heaven knows all of your vile deeds! In the name of the radiant sun! I shall offer your heads to the Lord of Heaven!"
Belenka shouted fiercely, pointing her longsword.
But the demons mocked her.
"Kekeke... What an amusing knight!"
"The radiant sun? Look at the sky! Where exactly is this sun you speak of?"
"..."
Belenka gritted her teeth. The demons had hidden the eye of heaven with their vile tricks. At least for now, they couldn't expect God's mercy.
But Belenka didn't lose her fighting spirit. Even if the sun wasn't watching, God always existed in her heart!
Right then.
"Belenka!"
"... Ian?"
Ian walked up and stood beside Belenka. "Belenka. If we wipe out these demon bastards, do you think we'll gain some good karma?"
At Ian's joke-like words, Belenka smirked. "Of course."
Knights were always thirsty for good deeds. Though they were killers, they wanted to pass through the gates to heaven.
"Then let's rack up some good karma."
Ian aimed Anor-lsil at the demons. "You demon bastards."
This was a magic sword imbued with the power of the sun and moon.
"The sun you're looking for, it's right here!"
A warm energy flowed through the handle.
'... Hm?'
He had felt a similar sensation before. It was the same feeling he had when fighting the vampire in Baron Damon's domain.
'This is...'
Ian was slightly taken aback. Anor-lsil was resonating with Ian's will.
Woong, woong...
The previous Anor-lsil had emitted sunlight to face vampires. Now, Anor-lsil was resonating much more strongly with Ian's will than before.
'... Is it receiving an enhancement effect?'
The materials invested to create the true Anor-lsil must have definitely boosted its performance.
Ian instinctively raised the sword to the sky. It felt like Anor-lsil would move according to Ian's will now.
'The power of the sun!'
The demons hid in the artificial darkness, avoiding the sunlight. They feared the sun, the eye of heaven.
"[Power of the Sun!]" Ian shouted.
At that moment, a brilliant beam of light poured down from the sky, brightly illuminating Ian and Anor-lsil! A flash of light, like a single ray, pierced straight through the clouds hanging in the sky.
"W-What... is that."
"Holy magic?! Is that holy magic?"
"No... Ian used up his holy magic healing Anton. That's... a slightly different power."
"Then what is it?!"
"I... I don't know..."
The wizards couldn't grasp what was happening before their eyes. But it didn't matter.
Under the shower of pouring light, Ian and Belenka advanced side by side. Belenka's golden hair sparkled exceptionally. She looked like a warrior born from light.
"Kieeeeek?!"
"Th-The sun...! The sun!"
"Great Pentagon! H-Help us!"
They had been arrogant in the darkness. But when the sunlight poured down, the demons screamed and scrambled backwards.
Ian swung Anor-lsil without a moment's hesitation. Simultaneously, Ian summoned the mystery of fire.
"[Burn! Demons of hell!]"
"Kiaaaaaah!"
Flames shot from the magic sword, hideously scorching the demons.
Belenka chased after the fleeing demons, slaughtering them one by one.
"Ian! I'll help!" Kira called out.
"I-I'll help too!" Herta added.
Kira and Herta each used their magic.
"[Flames!]"
"[Wind!]"
The demons were helplessly overwhelmed. All they could do was scream.
"Lord Pentagon! Help us!"
"Lord Pentagon!"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone