Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 176

Chapter 176: Gift (6)

 

‘How to buy time?’

 

Rictus thought about his lair, which he had built in the canyon for a long time.

 

Even an animal will eat half of its prey in its den. All the more so for a wizard who has lived in his dwelling for several months. The terror of a wizard lies in his meticulous preparation.

 

This time, he had suffered a setback due to his miscalculation of the hulking human’s brute strength, but things would be different from now on.

 

“Cough! Keuk. Phew.”

 

He spat out the last of the magic residue that had stabbed his entrails, along with the blood. Rictus felt much better, so he straightened his bent back and raised his head.

 

He gathered his magic power, cast a spell, and stretched out his left side, which had been crushed, as the scales fell off. Then, the crushed flesh quickly spread out, and hard scales covered it.

 

Thump.

 

“Is this where you ran away to?”

 

Rictus turned his head at the voice from behind. A long, scaly head turned, and a long blue tongue flickered from a triangular mouth.

 

“This will be your grave.”

 

“It’s not a very good burial place. I’ll let you have it. Make it your grave.”

 

Large rocks were scattered haphazardly in the wide canyon.

 

Rainwater flowed down the slightly sloping, bumpy path, creating several streams.

 

As he watched Russell walk far away on the slightly sloping ground, Rictus licked his lips.

 

“Those eyes. . . I thought they were a rare color for human irises. Are you a magic eye possessor?”

 

Russell and Rictus were on either side of the canyon, which had no light. The distance between them was over 300 meters, but it was just a meaningless gap for the two superhumans.

 

Russell appeared red to Rictus, who had a field of vision that allowed him to see heat distribution, movement, and flow. The raindrops falling from the sky were like ink, and the cliffs were a mixture of blue and black.

 

Only Russell’s two eyes emitted light in that darkness.

 

Rictus looked at Russell with interest and stepped back.

 

“Even with magical awakening, it’s extremely rare to acquire them, and a person needs an innate predisposition or a special environment for them to open. This is the first time I’ve seen a human with magic eyes.”

 

The fact that there was no abnormal reaction around his eyes proved that it was not acquired later in life or artificially, but rather something he was born with.

 

“The mana and magic power you froze earlier must have been the power of those magic eyes. It’s amazing. I can’t believe it’s all in one human. magic eyes, that brute strength, and a magic ax. Are you some kind of royal?”

 

“You talk too much. Do you plan to just talk until sunrise? If you’re ready, let’s get this over with.”

 

Rictus’s arrogant smile—if he was reading the lizard-headed expression correctly—turned cold.

 

“. . . . . .Insolent human.”

 

Flash!

 

Lightning flashed between the dark clouds, followed by a thunderous roar that shook the area.

 

When the flash of lightning came, Russell was no longer there.

 

Bang!

 

A huge rock stake was stuck in the spot where Russell had been, trembling. It was a stake that had been shot at the speed of a bullet, but Russell had dodged it by just one step.

 

Then, the surface of the trembling rock pillar cracked, and a strong flame shot out from the inside. As if that were the starting point, all of Russell’s rocks within 10 meters turned red and emitted flames.

 

The overwhelming heat from the fires of hell caused the stones to melt and flow like lava, and the raindrops vaporized into steam before they even fell from the clouds.

 

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

 

A bright flash of light was followed by a sudden chill that spread across the ground. Where Russell’s feet touched, the cold spread out in concentric circles.

 

Russell raised his head from the frozen lava remains and looked up at Rictus.

 

“I bet that’s not all you’ve got.”

 

“Of course, this isn’t all.”

 

Rictus, who had bought time with the fire spell, opened his palms. Magic power spread out from his palms, forming a concrete flame shape, and in an instant, it drew a red magic circle.

 

Then, when he slammed his palm with the magic circle spinning on it onto the ground, red magic power waves burst out from that point, darkening the canyon.

 

Waaaaaaaaaa!

 

The darkness had settled in the interior of the canyon. The raindrops that had been wetting his hair were gone, and even the wind had stopped.

 

Even the magic eyes, which had allowed him to see the flow of mana and magic power, could not see anything now.

 

“Feather Walk, Devil’s Claw.”

 

Three spells were cast in quick succession, and two of them possessed Rictus’s flesh. A faint red light glimmered over the scales, creating a transparent aura.

 

The lizard’s yellow eyes flashed, and he completed the last spell.

 

“Gravity enhancement.”

 

Groooooooooan-

 

Russell’s feet sank into the ground. The pressure was pressing down on him from his head to his shoulders. A spiderweb-like magic circuit, centered on Rictus, spread throughout the canyon.

 

“Magic eye possessors are extremely rare.I can’t even imagine how valuable those eyes are. I’ll use your strong body and those weapons properly. I promise to use them for something far more valuable than your little brain can comprehend.”

 

“I’ll decide what’s valuable, Lizard Head.”

 

Now, Rictus’s eyes as he looked at Russell were like those of a walking gold mine.

 

It would be strange if there was no desire or emotion involved in the pursuit of high magic power and magical realms.

 

Whether it’s longing or hope, the earnest desire to obtain something can be a great source of motivation for building strength.

 

Greed, naked and ugly, craves what it lacks and is willing to kill for it.

 

It was no longer surprising that a wizard would not hide his greed for his own body.

 

Russell raised his middle finger under strong gravity.

 

“Come on, lizard head.”

 

“Haha, you insolent bastard. . . . .!”

 

Thud!

 

Rictus, who had twisted his waist on the spot, disappeared like smoke. Russell’s eyes narrowed.

 

It appeared that his comments about the domain were not nonsense, as his movements were three times faster than when he had been in the village earlier.

 

Rictus appeared behind Russell on the right. He was already in position.

 

As evidence of his proficiency in controlling and handling not only magic but also his own body, it was impressive that he could endure a speed that was three times faster without any difficulty.

 

Rictus bent his back, twisted his shoulder, and then extended his fist. A blow with added rotation hit Russell directly.

 

The movement that began with the tip of his fist, followed by a three-fold shock wave and a flash of light, created a circular ring and struck Russell’s right back.

 

Paaaaaaaaaaaang!

 

The solid rock path that the two warriors and fighters were standing on was smashed to pieces in an instant, turning into dust and scattering in all directions.

 

Before the shock waves could dissipate, Rictus and Russell clashed again.

 

He had trained his magic enough to be able to unfold a localized area, even though it was limited to his lair, and he had not neglected his physical training either.

 

Dragonkin are born with a high level of magical talent, as well as a body organ that can store magic power separately. Furthermore, their physical strength is comparable to that of ogres; their regenerative power is greater than that of trolls; and their lifespan is long enough to live for hundreds of years.

 

If it weren’t for the low birth rate, which is inversely proportional to their long lifespan, and the spawning period, which only occurs three or four times in a lifetime, they would have already driven out all humans and other intelligent beings and become the rulers of the continent.

 

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!

 

There was a clash between the power of magic and the strength of fists. It was so close that it was difficult to even take out the weapons in his coat.

 

Bang!

 

Within the domain, the lizard giant’s physical abilities leaped to another level, and all of his techniques had a speed and attack power that were three or four times higher than normal.

 

Rictus had now unleashed all of the magic attributes he had shown Russell alone so far.

 

Chains of gravity pulled Russell to the ground, and Cold gathered in one place and flew like a sharp spear.

 

Thanks to the rapidly falling temperature, the heat that had risen upwards became a fireball the size of a house that fell from a higher place, and a sphere of compressed sound and light exploded behind Russell’s back.

 

And with all these attacks coming from the left and right and the rear, Rictus, with his claws raised in front, slashed out with a large swing.

 

The magic power that had been in his palm became the shape of a large dragon’s claw and was cut into Russell’s chest.

 

Waaaaaaaaaa!

 

He attacked relentlessly, but Russell, who had been cold since the moment the lizard giant had slammed his palm onto the ground, countered.

 

“Huff. . .”

 

The intense heat and shock were causing the fist, which was thicker and larger than an adult’s head, to burn and scatter its hard scales.

 

“You must be struggling to move, how. . .?”

 

“Compared to Calia’s domain of blood, it’s a bit lacking.”

 

Russell shook his hand, recalling Calia’s mental space, where he could have really died. His hand was not unscathed, either, as the veins were bulging and bursting from the excessive use of magic power, causing blood to flow.

 

However, Russell flicked the blood on the back of his hand and palm, treating those wounds as if they were nothing. The drops of blood that were scattered on the floor could not withstand the heat of the hot floor and quickly dried up and hardened.

 

The lizard giant deployed his magic power, concentrating it on his left arm.

 

Whiiiiiiiiiing. . . . . . . . . . .!

 

Heavy magic whirled around his arm, forming a drill-like shape. Not magic or spells, but a method of shaping one’s own magic. The same principle as the knights’ sword wave was now contained in the lizard giant’s left hand.

 

Seeing that, Russell also channeled his magic. His breath was light, his fingertips and toes were light.

 

Since he had first felt mana and started to build up magic power in his body, his sixth sense had been constantly sharpened.

 

Furthermore, the existence of the eyes, which had allowed him to see the world from a different perspective since birth, helped him advance to an area that other people could not even imagine.

 

Now it was time to see something else.

 

The light emitted from Russell’s pupils grew stronger and stronger, and at one point, it turned off the light instead. However, behind his pupils, a small flame still flickered, ready to burst into flames.

 

Boom!

 

He lightly rolled his foot, and Rictus’s body shot out like an arrow from that spot. Russell also extended his fist towards the lizard giant, who was approaching in an instant.

 

The gravity pressure, which had been strengthened by Rictus’s magic, pulled Russell down like sandbags tied to his body, but he shook off the pressure with astonishing brute force.

 

Crackle, crackle!

 

The magic power, which the lizard giant had clenched and thrust forth, took the shape of sharp cold and attacked Russell.

 

At the same time, flames, lightning, and solid rocks shot up and shot from all directions.

 

This was not the first time Russell had faced this kind of enemy, who was both a wizard and a warrior.

 

He had already fought against a strong enemy named Iscalia, and before that, he had also fought against Drakan Karugon and the devil Logos.

 

Each of them possessed a unique combination of blood magic, black magic, or natural elements infused into their magic power, showcasing a diverse range of attack methods.

 

Fighting against a warrior who was skilled in both magic and martial arts was no longer unfamiliar to Russell.

 

It was a process that helped him to know the limits of his skills and to glimpse the horizon beyond them.

 

Woooooooooooooong-!

 

In that moment, the spells that had been aimed at Russell melted away like ice in the strong sunlight.

 

The gravity that had been crushing him and the pressure that had been pushing him out were unable to overcome the wave that had burst out from Russell’s center.

 

Rictus’s expression turned grim.

 

“No, what the. . .! What are you. . .!”

 

The embers that had been burning in the backs of Russell’s pupils began to blaze as if oil had been poured on them.

 

In the space where the flow of magic power had stopped, the ability to interfere with magic power began to amplify dramatically.

 

“No!”

 

Rictus shouted and rushed forward, but the light from Russell’s eyes was getting stronger and faster.

 

“Can an illusion that has exceeded its limits distort even localized laws of physics or phenomena? I’ve learned something good.”

 

A wave of magic power that burst out from Russell’s center spread out along the dark space and beyond the horizon.

 

Cracks began to appear on the ceiling, and then it collapsed with a roar that could not be described in words.

 

The invisible shackles that had been constantly pressing down on Russell until just now broke and scattered into pieces. And what was visible was the night sky, still full of dark clouds, and the canyon that had collapsed greatly to the left and right.

 

And inside it, there was a large cave with a big black mouth wide open.

 

Russell picked up his left arm, which had been torn from the spot where Rictus had slammed the red magic circle.

 

His arm, from which all the blood seemed to have been sucked out, had lost all its muscles and was now in the shape of a mummy. When Russell applied a little force, it broke into pieces with a snap.

 

Woooooooooooooong. . . . . . .

 

Russell’s sharp gaze turned to the deep cave. The illusion he had prepared had been broken, and his magic eyes were looking at a new horizon.

 

It was time to see what the lizard giant had been researching in the canyon.

 

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