The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 90

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#090. 100th Floor

‘Regeneration? No, you can’t grant life-based regeneration effects to undead. Then is it restoration?’

Seeing Karcerion’s body, which had been crumbling into powder after exceeding its durability limit, instantly return to its original state, Sung-jun looked toward where Argen was.

Then Argen smiled and turned his head to gaze into the distance.

Following Argen’s gaze, Sung-jun could see an Achritch in the distance crumbling into powder.

“All pieces except the King can be restored to their original state by sacrificing pawns. Of course, normally this would require the master’s permission, but I thought you would understand given the emergency situation.”

It was the right judgment without needing to ask.

Comparing the value of the 7 remaining Achritches, excluding the one that had just turned to powder and disappeared, with the sole Karcerion, Argen’s decision could be called extremely rational.

However, the fact that Argen, being a piece, had arbitrarily performed a restoration process that normally required the master’s permission meant that Argen, who had been following his orders without question, was not in complete submission but moving with autonomous will.

Therefore, Sung-jun had no choice but to consider whether to convert Argen to complete submission right here.

If he were to be betrayed at a crucial moment, an uncontrollable situation could arise.

“You need not worry about Argen. Great master. As long as I am here, even if he betrays you, no dangerous situation will occur.”

Karcerion, who had returned to his original form, spoke to Sung-jun.

“Why are you so certain?”

“Because it is one of my authorities. While I am manifested in response to my master’s call, pieces of the same rank as me cannot betray their master.”

“Pieces of the same rank would be the Rook and Bishop? So while you’re summoned, the Rook will also follow my commands?”

“Unfortunately, the certification test is separate, but with the master’s power that defeated me, you could easily defeat a Rook.”

Hearing Karcerion’s words, Sung-jun considered summoning the Rook as well to complete the certification test, but gave up on taking consecutive promotion tests.

He thought it wouldn’t be a good decision to fight the Rook as well when he had consumed a large amount of authority to defeat Karcerion just moments ago.

Unlike regular spells that could use virtually infinite mana, recovering the authority consumed in casting authority spells required time.

“I’ll take the Rook’s certification test next time. Right now, eliminating the Corrosion Entity waiting for me on the 100th Floor takes priority. Annihilation Knight and Argen, help me defeat the enemy.”

“Glory to the path you walk.”

Watching his two subordinates, who possessed combat power that wouldn’t lose to any Awakened in Japan, bow their heads respectfully, Sung-jun felt satisfaction rising in his chest.

He didn’t know how strong the Corrosion Entity waiting for him on the 100th floor would be, but he thought he at least wouldn’t be easily overwhelmed.

Sung-jun sat cross-legged and rested, recovering some of the authority consumed in the certification test with Karcerion, then commanded his subordinates.

“Let’s go. Today I will eliminate the second Corrosion Entity and recover Pandora’s Box, Teacher’s legacy.”

“Yes, sir.”

With an armored knight on horseback on one side and a nobleman in a gleaming black suit on the other, Sung-jun in mage robes quickened his pace.

Strangely, the sight was an odd yet well-matched scene that seemed to blend medieval, modern, and fantasy elements.

***

“I’ve been waiting for you, mage. I thought it strange when you suddenly fought with your summon, but seeing you come together, it must have been the type of summon where you gain control by fighting and winning.”

“Do you not intend to reveal your form even in this situation?”

The appearance of the Corrosion Entity waiting for Sung-jun on the 100th floor was quite peculiar.

An ordinary human male appearance wearing black training clothes.

However, Sung-jun already knew that the man standing before him was not the Corrosion Entity’s main body.

“You can tell this isn’t my main body?”

“Mages see the mana waves inside the body instead of the outward appearance. Right now, I can’t sense either the life waves characteristic of Corrosion Entities or the life waves from a human body. Is it a doll made from some kind of mana clay material?”

Sung-jun immediately began interfering with the mana waves he sensed from the opponent’s body.

If the ability the opponent was using was the same one used to control golems, it would be possible to directly steal control with superior mana waves.

That’s why summoning golems to fight when mages battled each other wasn’t a very good method.

If the opponent was a mage with a higher circle than oneself, there was the risk of having control of a painstakingly created golem stolen in an instant.

The moment Sung-jun began analyzing the opponent’s mana waves in earnest, sparks flew in the air and Sung-jun’s mana interference was forcibly canceled.

‘Not a simple spell but a unique ability imbued with authority. Like the monsters that appeared in the dungeon, it seems the Japanese Corrosion Entity’s ability is to manifest desired monster forms using mana clay.’

If the ability the opponent used was authority rather than a spell, it couldn’t be interfered with by magic.

It wouldn’t be impossible if he used new authority magic that could neutralize unique authorities entirely, but it would consume more authority than the opponent’s ability, so it wasn’t a very good method.

“Just like a mage to try hacking the moment you see something? Sorry, but this is my unique authority. It’s not an ability that a mere mage can interfere with.”

“There’s no harm in trying, right? Thanks to that, I was able to figure out what your unique ability is.”

Sung-jun extended his hand and took a combat stance.

At the same time, Argen and Karcerion beside Sung-jun also entered combat readiness.

“Now that greetings are finished, let’s fight right away. Consider it an honor to become the second Corrosion Entity to fall by my hand after Yeojiggwi.”

“Do you think you can defeat me, the master of this world, with a force of only three?”

Sung-jun spoke to the man looking at him with a mocking expression.

“When I defeated Yeojiggwi, I was alone. And you’re not stronger than Yeojiggwi.”

“Don’t evaluate my strength by the standards of a pathetic mortal!”

A roar loud enough to shake the entire dungeon burst from the tracksuit-wearing man’s entire body, and the man’s body exploded.

The man’s flesh, torn into countless pieces, was soon regenerated into the forms of thousands of giant monsters.

‘I guess this is what you’d expect from a final boss.’

Blocking Karcerion’s path with his arm as he seemed ready to leap forward in Sung-jun’s place, Sung-jun said.

“Wait. Let’s clean up the small fry first.”

As Sung-jun began chanting while swinging both hands, dozens of magic circles appeared beside him and an intense storm of mana began swirling throughout the entire 100th floor.

Not a simple flow of energy, but a storm containing strange waves that would cause flesh to collapse just by contact.

It was a storm of mana containing special wavelengths that disrupted the bonding of the ‘mana clay’ that Sung-jun had identified through the brief exchange moments ago.

“Graaaaaaaaaah!!!!”

The bodies of the giant monsters charging from all directions while roaring turned back into gray clay and poured onto the floor the moment they touched the mana wavelengths.

Then the Dungeon Master’s furious roar echoed through the dungeon upon seeing this.

“Forced dissolution of mana bonding? You completed a unique spell instantly from that brief exchange? That’s impossible!”

“Making the impossible possible is what mages do!”

Seeing Sung-jun’s mana whirlwind, the Dungeon Master immediately strengthened the authority composing the clay monsters to counter Sung-jun’s magic.

Then the monsters that had been shattering at the slightest touch began reconstructing their collapsed bodies and charging toward Sung-jun.

“Karcerion.”

“I have been awaiting your command!”

The moment Sung-jun called his name, Karcerion on horseback charged forward.

Then his body holding a massive spear instantly appeared on the opposite side of the dungeon, creating huge holes in the bodies of all monsters in his path.

“Argen.”

“Is it my turn now?”

Argen disappeared from his position and began inflicting wounds while passing between enemies at invisible speed.

He didn’t have the destructive power to create huge holes in one strike like Karcerion, but his attacks were sufficient to deal fatal wounds to the opponents’ weak points.

If Karcerion’s attacks felt fierce, Argen’s attacks could be called the pinnacle of refinement.

However, despite the tremendous attacks of his two subordinates, the number of monsters summoned in the dungeon wasn’t decreasing at all.

-Thud, thud, thud thud!-

As a monster fell spurting blood from Argen’s attack, the fallen monster’s body immediately turned into gray clay and crumbled.

And immediately the collapsed clay formed into a monster shape once again and charged toward Sung-jun.

When Argen tried the same type of attack on the monster that had just defeated a monster moments ago, the neck of the monster that had fallen helplessly to Argen’s strike hardened like steel and deflected Argen’s claws.

“Sorry, but inside this dungeon is my world where I decide and define everything. The monsters summoned here are reborn with resistance to all types of fatal wounds. An infinitely evolving infinite army. That is my proud unique ability, ‘Eternal Legion’!”

‘A wide-area version of Silermantis’s authority… or maybe a degraded version.’

Unlike Silermantis having absolute immunity to attacks it received, the Dungeon Master’s Eternal Legion wasn’t complete immunity but evolved by strengthening specific parts to block corresponding attacks.

Literally a method of blocking the opponent’s attacks by adding lots of additional armor to parts pierced by spears.

The monsters that had already been pierced by Karcerion’s charge were now holding massive shields larger than their own bodies, blocking the direction where Karcerion was.

“Do you think such crude methods can stop me?”

As if provoked, Karcerion’s eyes were consumed with rage.

And at that moment, Karcerion’s form disappeared from his position and the sides of the monsters blocking the front with shields all burst open simultaneously.

If the enemy blocked the path with shields, he just had to go around and strike the sides.

Karcerion was showing the enemy with his whole body how terrifying the mobility of a mounted knight could be.

“Tch! Then how about this!”

Suddenly the Dungeon Master’s voice echoed through the cave and the shield-bearing monsters all began transforming simultaneously.

Then three pairs of additional arms sprouted from both sides of the monsters and three additional massive shields were created.

So they could block not only the front but also the left, right, and rear directions with huge shields.

As each one guarded its position like a fortress made of shields, Karcerion spoke with a dumbfounded expression.

“Are you stupid? If you divide and disperse defensive authority that could barely block with one into four…”

-Crash crash crash crash crash!!!-

With a tremendous explosion, hundreds of massive shields flew into the air along with the arms of the demonic beasts that had been holding them.

“Sorry, but this isn’t a charge that can be stopped with half-hearted defense. Put everything you have on the line and try to block my assault.”

Sung-jun smiled as he watched Karcerion fight, then turned his head to look in the direction where Argen was.

There, a monster that had added so much extra armor to its entire body that it had transformed into a giant ball was floating in mid-air, being mercilessly toyed with by Argen’s claws that targeted only the gaps in its armor, as if it were dancing.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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