Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 118

Chapter 118: Rift (2)

TL: Potato-tan

Proofreader: Asianpotato

 

Russell emerged from the crater and sprinted through the forest, his arm raised.

 

“Grrrrrr!”

 

A corrupted tree spirit, camouflaged as a tree, released its disguise and swung a massive fist.

 

Boom!

 

Despite the tremendous impact, Russell remained unscathed. Not only was his coat highly defensive, but the thin layer of mana covering it deflected all the force.

 

Crack!

 

A flash of blue light accompanied the split-in-half collapse of the corrupted tree spirit, which had raised its fist for another blow.

 

Russell hadn’t drawn Final Frost or Nahilnir. He had simply concentrated the mana in his hand and shaped it into a blade.

 

Russell extinguished the blazing mana above his raised hand.

 

It takes considerable willpower to manifest a non-physical form of mana. Without reaching a certain level, most practitioners can only project it as external energy.

 

Without proper enlightenment, mana shaping becomes difficult to solidify. Even experienced swordsmen cannot imbue their swords with sword energy without sufficient knowledge.

 

Orc Jadmu had the ability to wield sword energy made of dark mana, but his lack of knowledge eventually prevented him from maintaining it for long.

 

Encasing a body or weapon in mana consumes a significant amount of energy. It is like reinforcing an already enhanced body or weapon with mana.

 

As Russell felled one tree spirit, others began to rise from the ground.

 

The once pristine soil was becoming filled with mud and swamps, and the shape of the trees was warping strangely, merging with the surrounding trees.

 

Russell realized that a vast amount of magi had spread since he entered Mount Rahamurn, and the mountain range was gathering here, corrupting the entire forest.

 

It would normally take a considerable amount of time to gather such a massive amount of magi, and to corrupt countless spirits.

 

Of course, an unforeseen variable, Russell’s existence, was the reason.

 

With his bare body, Russell smirked as he faced the malice of the artificially created forest.

 

“Your welcome party is a bit late.”

 

But it’s not enough. Far from it.

 

Lightning, frost, and shockwaves ravaged the forest.

 

Dozens of vines wrapped around Russell, attempting to strangle him. However, the lightning exploded from within, electrocuting and burning them to cinders.

 

A swamp spirit spreading sticky tar and mud released poisonous fumes, but they were instantly frozen by the frost and fell to the ground.

 

His form, adorned with lightning and cold, was so overwhelming that it defied description.

 

The final blow came from the white axe he raised. As the axe swung up, a colorless wave erupted, and a massive blizzard turned one side of the forest white.

 

Everything froze.

 

In the landscape that seemed to have skipped a season, Russell sheathed his axe and resumed his journey.

 

His overwhelming power crushed countless spirits.

 

Russell approached the area surrounding the barrier. He could sense its presence as he drew closer. The pungent smell of blood and the stench of rotting flesh grew stronger.

 

Thud!

 

Intermittent earthquakes were also present. They were not particularly strong, but that was only by Russell’s standards. An ordinary person would have lost their balance and fallen.

 

Russell frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

 

“What trick are you trying to pull now. . .?”

 

He focused his concentration on mana to activate his magic eyes. His purple eyes scanned the surroundings, emitting a faint glow. The flow of magi, which had filled the battlefield, was converging toward the barrier.

 

Russell looked up at the sky. The sun was nearing noon. As dark clouds covered the sky, it was difficult to tell the time, but it was evident that enough time had passed.

 

He had been fighting without rest since the previous night. He had asked Calia to scout the area, and he immediately detected the movement of the orcs, leading to the current battle.

 

Calia had also asked for a ‘reward’ for a job well done. It seemed like she had been planning something since the last mountain lodge. . .

 

How quickly he could make her faint, or how much she could squeeze out of him. . .

 

Calia did not seem experienced, so he would have the advantage in a ‘fight’, but he could not ignore her race.

 

Since ancient times, vampires, like succubi or incubi, have been nobles of the night, capable of projecting pleasure in various ways.

 

Russell shook his head, dismissing his thoughts. He raised his hand and placed his palm on the black barrier in front of him.

 

He did not know magic. He knows nothing about spells, techniques, or chanting. Russell only possessed magic eyes that could pierce through the flow of mana.

 

His talent and eyes contributed to his ability to manipulate simple healing magic, telekinesis, and elemental attributes such as lightning and frost was due to his talent and his eyes.

 

Above all, he possessed a level of sensitivity and manipulation that far surpassed that of ordinary wizards. Magic is ultimately a distortion of the world, manifested through willpower and mana. Spells, incantations, and trigger words are mediums that help solidify willpower and declare it to the world.

 

If one adds a stronger will, determination, and delicate manipulation that surpasses all of these, magic is born.

 

Russell immediately began to trace the barrier’s structure. His mana flowed from his palm, seeping into the cracks of the barrier, exploring, eroding, and attempting to control it.

 

He could see the dark blue mana circuits that formed the barrier’s surface. They were straight lines that repeatedly turned and connected to countless branches.

 

Russell’s mana permeated these lines.

 

Pshh!

 

A strong resistance repelled Russell’s palm.

 

However, the structure itself had already entered Russell’s mind. Russell clenched his fist.

 

“Fine. I’ll just smash it with brute force.”

 

Mana began to gather in his fist, and its nature quickly transformed into lightning.

 

Crackle, crackle!

 

The lightning fist that had shattered the fleshy body of the warlock Luganes in one blow. That lightning began to shine from his fist once again.

 

Rumble!

 

Russell’s fist shot through the air with an ear-splitting sound. Only the two overlapping shockwaves hinted at the incredible speed of his punch.

 

The overwhelming surge of mana easily shattered the barrier’s defenses.

 

As if the air itself had cracked, fragments of the barrier rained down. Inside was a magic circle made of reversed Pentagrams, five stone towers.

 

And a rift that was beginning to close, an orc standing in the center of the magic circle.

 

Russell immediately recognized the orc at the center as Kelpag.

 

A shaman orc wears a cloak adorned with strange bird feathers and carries a large, curved staff made from an ancient tree.

 

And around him, dozens of orcs lay dead(?).

 

“You bastard. . . . . .!”

 

Russell narrowed his eyes as he scanned his surroundings. The vibrations that had been echoing until now had stopped. And he could not sense the presence of any devils within the barrier.

 

“Die!”

 

Kelpag’s staff pointed at Russell. At its tip, intense heat gathered, creating a fireball the size of a house.

 

The scorching heat instantly enveloped the surrounding area. He did not care about his comrades’ corpses.

 

The fireball was launched, and Russell seemed about to be consumed by it and reduced to ashes.

 

But that did not happen. The fireball, which had been flying at incredible speed, gradually slowed down and came to a complete stop. Then, with a pop, it shattered into countless pieces.

 

Russell stood there with his hand extended, dispersing the countless sparks and heat into the void. Russell, whose faint purple eyes emitted a faint glow, flicked his wrist.

 

Surprisingly, the magic formation that formed the fireball was completely destroyed as the mana arrangement scattered at his gesture.

 

“Impossible. . . . . .!”

 

Kelpag was astonished, but he did not waste time on surprise. He straightened his staff, formed hand seals, and began to cast the next spell with an incantation.

 

But none of his magic reached Russell.

 

The tree roots that pierced the ground were shattered by the shockwaves from Russell’s feet shattered the tree roots, and the acidic liquid was frozen by the white axe he had drawn from somewhere and fell to the ground.

 

During the short distance he covered to approach Kelpag, dozens of spells and enchantments flew towards Russell.

 

However, they were useless against Russell, who could see the incantations woven into the spells with his naked eyes and destroy them with mana.

 

“Ugh!”

 

Russell approached Kelpag and grabbed his neck with one hand, lifting him up.

 

“What have you done?”

 

“Ha, ha, ha. I summoned a. . . monster.”

 

“What kind of monster?”

 

Kelpag only laughed in response to Russell’s question.

 

Bang!

 

“Crack!”

 

Russell slammed Kelpag to the ground, holding his neck still. The impact distorted the magic circle and shattered the stone towers.

 

“What kind of monster?”

 

“Cough, heh. Kill me.”

 

Russell raised his other hand at the word ‘kill’. He extended only his index finger, bringing it close to Kelpag’s forehead. A purple spark formed at the tip of his finger.

 

“Gr-gr-gr-gr-gr-!”

 

Kelpag’s body convulsed. But it was futile, as Russell’s large hand tightly gripped his windpipe.

 

“Open your eyes.”

 

Kelpag tried to keep his eyes closed, as if he sensed something, despite his nerves and muscles melting away from the electrocution.

 

However, the restraint on his neck and the electricity coursing through his body made it impossible.

 

Eventually, Kelpag’s rolling white eyes returned, and he met Russell’s magical eyes. The purple eyes flashed and began to penetrate Kelpag’s pupils.

 

“Kyaaaaaaaaaah!”

 

Unbearable pain assaulted Kelpag’s mind, making the electrocution seem insignificant. Meanwhile, Russell had successfully infiltrated Kelpag’s crumbling mental defenses. In truth, Russell himself was unsure if it would work.

 

Moreover, Russell’s mind could not predict the impact of scrutinizing the thoughts of an entirely distinct species. Therefore, Russell did not look carefully into Kelpag’s passing life.

 

The most recent thing Kelpag had done was all he needed.

 

“Uuuuuuuu. . . . . “

 

Kelpag’s breath hitched as thousands—tens of thousands—of red-hot needles seemed to pierce his brain and body. The sensation was horrific, as if someone had split open his skull and directly pierced his brain.

 

“S, Stop. . . . . ., stop. . . .!”

 

Soon, the light in Russell’s eyes faded. He let go of his grip and stood up. Kelpag remained on the ground, unable to move, even though Russell’s hand had left his neck and the electricity had disappeared.

 

There was nothing left in Kelpag’s mind. Only darkness and a pair of purple eyes flickered in the center of that darkness.

 

“You sacrificed so many of your comrades to satisfy your petty desire for revenge. It seems you cannot endure your own suffering.”

 

Kelpag’s mind was beyond responding. Russell looked at him coldly and raised his axe.

 

Crack!

 

Kelpag’s entire body froze and shattered as the white trajectory flashed dozens of times.

 

Russell glanced around after observing Kelpag’s corpse and found traces of the magic circle’s connection.

 

The magic circle drawn on the ground had bound his vision through the barrier and lured him in. Somewhere else, the true gathering of dark mana was in the process of transfer and creation.

 

Russell stomped on the ground. If the seed that Kelpag received from the being in the rift had sprouted, there was no time to waste.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

After the sudden earthquake, blood rose, defying gravity. And beneath a darkening sky, mana swirled with evil intent.

 

The floating blood droplets soon turned into a reddish gas and seeped into the corpses. The corpses then began to float and gather near a single point.

 

Clack, clack!

 

The vaporized blood and flesh permeated the corpses, whether they were monsters, humans, or orcs, and they gathered together to form a shape.

 

Someone muttered.

 

“Egg?”

 

It was indeed egg-like in shape. But it was only in appearance. It was something terrifying, a horrible fusion of blood and flesh.

 

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