Episode 218
EPISODE.109
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Shoot aaaaa-.
Water currents that churn violently and create whirlpools.
The long passage created by the whirlpool and the entrance to the underwater cave at the end.
After checking everything in a series, Russell took a light, deep breath instead of rushing right in.
It calmed my violently beating heart.
‘There’s no way it’ll end at this level.’
According to my experience so far, in these missions, there was a gateway to test or grow oneself.
But in this mission, I haven’t been able to face such a gateway yet.
However, the level was too low to use as a test to unlock magic patterns through reverse calculation.
‘Perhaps the real gateway is in that cave.’
It only took me a few seconds to breathe lightly, raise my mana, and get ready to go.
“Do you want Pepper to come back?”
Gyareuk.
After completing all preparations to send Pepper back to the spirit realm, Russell rushed into the vortex.
Kwagwagwagwa!
The sound of the water spinning violently hits my ears.
Meanwhile, the moment Russell steps inside the underwater cave!
Kwagwagwagwa!
The whirlpool narrowed in an instant, and the water that surrounded and rotated in all directions rushed toward Russell at once.
‘Kuk-!’
Dozens of vortices are created as if a ferocious water dragon is rampaging in the water, and the rotation of the water strikes Russell’s whole body like a claw.
The feeling of being thrown in the middle of dozens of strong currents!
If it were a normal human being, his body would have been pulverized and ground just by being swept away.
Even a strong person who has completed some training would not have been easy to maintain his balance.
Kwang Kkwa Kwang-!
Using staggered shields to block the flow of water and creating a gap between them, Russell corrected his balance.
Then, with sharp eyes, he chased the rushing flow of water.
Even breathing in deep water is not an easy environment, but I don’t care.
I didn’t even mind the chill that seemed to freeze me down to my bones.
While maintaining the underwater breathing magic and repeatedly creating and erasing shields to block the ever-changing flow of water, Russell’s eyes calmly read the flow.
‘It’s not ordinary water…’
No matter how powerful and unusual the ocean currents were, there was no way they could have such diverse patterns.
In addition, the faint reverberation of magical power felt from the flowing water.
‘Is this a real test or gateway…’
Breaking through this flow, you have to enter the depths of the underwater cave.
there-.
‘There’s no guarantee that this is the end.’
We had just entered the entrance, but there was still quite a distance to the end of the cave.
It wouldn’t be strange if the difficulty of the gateways increased in the middle.
As expected by Russell, Kwagwagwagwa!
‘ice?’
Despite the fact that it had not been long since digging inward, the current of the water had turned more violent.
Not only that, but there are even sharp-cut pieces of ice mixed in between the currents.
If it was an ordinary piece of ice, it would have been no different from a weapon in itself if it was speeding up and colliding with a current of this size.
‘It feels like hundreds of weapons are flying from all sides.’
It is literally killing water.
It was like facing a corner of Blizzard or Avalanche, one of the great magic.
Kagagagak-!
Russell’s eyes changed as he saw the ice shards scratching his shield sharply.
It is a piece of ice imbued with magical power, just like the current of water.
It’s okay right now, but if the shock continues to accumulate, it’s clear that the shield will break.
‘Increases strength and changes structure.’
As soon as I finished my thoughts, the magical energy reacted.
Hwaaak-.
Even more powerful magical power wrapped around the shield and then transformed into a hexagonal structure.
Finishing a series of actions in a moment that didn’t even take a breath, Russell glared at the inside of the underwater cave.
‘Now half.’
It was still unknown what was to come.
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‘—!?’
just as expected.
When the end of the underwater cave was quite near, a change occurred once again.
Shaaaaaah-!
Rapids and ice, as well as a group of sharks suddenly appeared.
A group of sharks appeared, breaking the current at high speed and exposing their sharp teeth at the same time.
Then, using his tough skin, he charged Russell with a meat bullet.
bang!
The staggeredly arranged shields swayed violently as if they were going to break due to the intense impact.
‘Kuh…!’
Russell gritted his teeth at the shockwave that surged over the magic barrier.
‘It’s not just a shark.’
Even sharp pieces of ice were not enough from the piercing chill of the fierce rapids.
There was no way an ordinary shark could live in a waterway like this.
What’s more, a shark that creates enough shockwaves to break through shields with just a simple physical charge!
Shaaaah-!
A school of sharks that have repeatedly collided turns in the current while riding the current.
The fish formed a huge wall and blocked Russell’s way.
‘Are you saying they won’t let go easily?’
Then…
‘I have no choice but to intercept.’
Quad Deuk-.
At the same time as he finished his thoughts, dozens of ice windows appeared around Russell.
It’s not just Ice Partisan, which is a simple form of ice, but a higher level of magic.
The Icicle Infantry of the Concentrated Lance.
Icicle Phalanx.
(Icicle Phalanx).
‘good-!’
At the same time as he flicked his hand, a cluster of icicles attacked the school of sharks.
Speed fast enough to break through the rushing rapids and leave your own trail!
In an instant, the current is tangled, and a school of sharks and a cluster of icicles collide.
Wedge juice pervert!
At the same time as some ice pierced the shark group, several shark groups crashed into the cluster of icicles from the side.
So-so-.
A large number of icicles are blown out by the resulting shock wave.
‘Use the remnants of the magic you’ve already used to rekindle the sparks of magic once again-.’
Right after that, he roughly grabbed the grip that Russell had spread out.
‘Connect magic to overlap firepower.’
It was reproduced as a test the method of mana management that he had learned through the magic recorded on the scroll he had seen right before entering the underwater cave.
Even the magical power to recreate the images and the magic that popped into my head.
The moment the three beats matched, magicians who stretched out like a spider’s web touched the fragments of the broken icicle.
Pieces of ice so small that it is difficult to even call them icicles.
The moment the intention is conveyed, the ice transforms into a completely new kind of magic and is reborn.
‘Group Dance Of Thin Ice!’
A huge ice storm amidst a school of sharks hit by a cluster of icicles.
Kaga gagak-!
Large and small pieces of ice run amok and spawn a school of sharks.
Kyaaaaaagh!
In the aftermath of that moment, a gap opens between them!
‘now!’
bang!
Russell accelerated the new model. While protecting her body with a shield wrapped in layers, she crossed between them while creating splashes of water.
Then, at the end of the underwater cave, it soared toward the surface of the water where the light came in.
Fuhuaak!
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“Whoa…”
Russell let out a long breath after stepping out of the water. My wet clothes hang down like wet cotton and hold on to my steps.
“dry.”
Using simple magic to dry his wet clothes and body, Russell looked around.
The first thing I saw was a tall stalactite and a glowing glowstone.
Even though they came out of the water, they are still inside the underwater cave.
Perhaps the light I saw right before soaring above the water was flowing through that glowstone.
Thinking so, Russell followed the light of the glowstone.
A long row of cave glowstones were embedded at certain distances into the inside, emitting light.
‘Am I asking you to come inside?’
It was the moment when Russell, an artificial structure that must have been touched by someone, finally broke through the gate and stepped into the dragon’s nest.
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I thought it would be okay because I got out of the cold water.
‘Somehow the temperature seems to get lower as you go inside?’
It was so cold that even lightly exhaled breaths would freeze white and disperse.
Russell, who had driven away the chill that penetrated his body with a light swing of his mana, glared at the depths of the cave, where there was still quite a distance left.
‘Perhaps there is something inside that cave that creates this chill.’
dragon’s nest. And when it came to chills, there was only one thing to think about.
Bingryong (氷龍).
A subspecies of the water dragon, also called Mr. Dali Serpent. Of course, it was impossible to guarantee that there would be a real Bingryong.
But at least something related to Bingryong would remain.
‘…If it’s not a living dragon, it must be horns.’
It was a conclusion based on previous experiences.
As if to prove that Russell’s reasoning is not false, a huge horn appears as he enters the depths of the cave.
It’s a horn with a beautiful appearance, as if it were carved from a huge piece of ice.
At that moment, a notification sound was heard.
[You have completed the mission.]
[Bingryong’s horn is given as a reward.]
‘As expected.’
Leaving behind the beep, Russell took a step toward the horn.
Awesomely-.
Perhaps because of the chill that flowed from Bingryong’s horn, the thin ice on the frozen floor shattered little by little.
‘Ugh-!’
The moment your fingertips touched, intense magic power flowed into your body.
Perhaps because it is Bingryong’s horn, it is so cold that it gives the illusion that the entire body freezes to death in an instant!
‘It’ll be a big deal if I accept it as it is.’
The mana load, as well as the muscles and veins of the whole body, would probably freeze. Russell, who judged that, stimulated the circle of his heart.
Woo woo woo-.
The seven circles react in unison and begin to vomit magical power like flames.
Then, the hot magic and the cold magic collided inside the body.
bang!
Russell’s chest rises and falls repeatedly due to the repulsive force caused by the collision of different attributes of magic.
‘Ugh…’
Russell gritted his teeth in pain as his eyes flashed and his head turned white for an instant.
You shouldn’t let go of your consciousness like this.
In order to fully accept the mana of Bingryong, who was rampaging like a wild horse, it was necessary to reinforce and neutralize the opposite mana.
With one hand attached to Bingryong’s horn, Russell hurriedly took his stance.
Then, he closed his eyes and quickly performed a circle.
[Absorb Bingryong’s horn.]
[The magical power that exceeds the absorbable limit will dwell in your potential.]
[Your skills are currently very high. It can absorb many of Bingryong’s horns.]
Maybe it’s because he’s on the 7th circle.
One more line was added that was different from the previous one. However, Russell couldn’t pay attention to the notice.
It was because the magic of flame and the magic of Bingryong had already begun to collide violently inside his body.
Kwalung!
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In the midst of such a fight happening inside Russell’s body.
It wasn’t just Russell’s body that changed.
As the magical energy in Bingryong’s horn was gradually absorbed by Russell, the chill around him was also rapidly fading away.
The temperature rose and the surrounding ice melted little by little.
and after a while
Koo Goo Goong -.
The ice wall blocking one side of the cave collapsed and a certain space appeared beyond it.
And what was sitting in that space was a huge blue egg….
Pounding-.
As if responding to Russell’s magical power, something within the egg glowing with blue magical light transmitted its heartbeat.
Of course, it was something that Russell, who was concentrating on absorbing mana, didn’t notice.
dragon-swallowed wizard
