Chapter 97
The cold of the frost arrow spread, instantly killing the grass on the hill and making one’s breath visible.
A mage groaned, “Frost Orb…”
It was a high-level ice magic. The mage mistook Taesan for wielding such power.
“Now I see why those who came before couldn’t prevail.”
Using Frost Orb at such a rapid pace indicated that one was at the level of a head of a magical sect, far beyond what mere numbers could challenge.
“But this time will be different.”
The mage signaled with his eyes. Two swordsmen, having gauged the distance, charged simultaneously.
Their speed was exceptionally fast. They broke through the underbrush in an instant, reaching Taesan. Observing their approach, Taesan remained motionless.
“Hmm?”
The mage was taken aback. Mages typically needed time to chant spells. At such close proximity, unless one had an artifact, counteracting was impossible.
‘To end so easily?’
A sword pierced Taesan’s chest.
And then, their bodies returned to their previous state.
“What!”
“Ugh!”
“What’s happening!”
The onlookers were shocked. Taesan, indifferently observing them, began chanting for frost arrows again. The arrows, suspended in mid-air, gradually increased in number.
“Wha, what?”
The swordsmen hesitated and then swung their swords again.
But once more, their bodies returned to the moment before they swung.
The watching mage was stunned.
“Time manipulation magic? What is this!”
Lacking knowledge of the labyrinth, he could only assume so much.
Taesan, meanwhile, continued to increase the number of frost arrows. Now, they were noticeably numerous.
“…Chanting, huh.”
The mage watched Taesan with a somber gaze.
“Everyone, listen. It seems this person is preparing for a wide-range spell. He appears unable to move until it’s complete.”
A complete misjudgment. Taesan could freely move while conjuring frost arrows.
The mage continued, “He must have cast various auxiliary magics to protect himself while preparing his spell. But with such power, there must be limitations.”
A blind guess, but close to the core. The invalidation of attacks could only be activated three times per person, so repeated attacks would eventually nullify it.
However, defeating Taesan through such attacks was a misconception.
Taesan had no intention of correcting them one by one.
As they devised a strategy against Taesan, they charged all at once. Archers fired, swordsmen swung, and mages cast their spells.
All attacks were nullified by the attack invalidation.
They persisted with their attacks.
Finally, the invalidation ended. A swordsman’s blade reached Taesan’s chest. Expecting his body to revert as before, the swordsman smiled triumphantly, exerting more force.
“Die!”
Clang!
The swordsman was repelled. He scrambled up from the ground, puzzled.
“What?”
Taesan continued his chant nonchalantly.
Now, the attack invalidation had ended. All their attacks reached Taesan but caused no damage.
Blades couldn’t cut his skin, arrows bounced off as if hitting iron, and spells made no impact.
“What in the world!”
Amidst their astonishment, Taesan thought,
‘Without aura, it’s meaningless.’
His defense was over a hundred. Such ordinary weapons couldn’t make a dent.
‘Did I take 60 damage before?’
When he deliberately received a blow from Garant using aura, he took 63 damage, indicating a pure aura damage of 163.
‘Is there a penetrating effect as well? I want to learn more.’
Taesan found the situation tedious, while his opponents were desperate.
Their attacks, their efforts, all meaningless. Swords at his throat merely rebounded.
A mage shouted desperately.
“Push him down! Try to topple him!”
“Aaaaah!”
A giant in armor pushed Taesan with a tower shield, but only managed to dent the ground; Taesan remained unmoved.
A man tried to bind Taesan’s arms with a rope. Annoyed, Taesan pulled, sending the man flying.
“Aaaah!”
“Handling strength is also a hassle.”
Even a light hit could be lethal. Bored, Taesan continued his chant.
The frost arrows in the sky grew in number.
The extreme cold killed the underbrush, spreading frost.
A swordsman, unable to bear the cold, chattered his teeth and called out to the mage.
“Do something!”
“What, what can I possibly do!”
The mage was in a panic. Initially, he mistook it for an enhanced version of Frost Orb. But as time passed, he realized his mistake.
The frost arrows, dozens of Frost Orbs in the sky, were not a chant.
Simply, Taesan was manifesting numerous Frost Orbs at once.
The attackers gradually ceased their assault. Fearfully, they began to retreat.
“Ah…”
They were overshadowed by a giant shadow.
The massive sphere of ice descended from the sky.
Creak.
The earth itself froze, the cold reaching deep into the ground.
Even nature succumbed, let alone human flesh. Frost formed in their throats, they coughed and retreated.
“A large area is preferable. It allows for various experiments.”
Frost arrows and scorching orbs remained stationary until launched.
What if dozens, hundreds of spells were manifested and launched simultaneously?
Taesan had been curious since learning Frost Orb, but couldn’t test it in the cramped labyrinth. On Earth, dealing with monsters left no room for such experiments, but here, there were no such threats.
Taesan clenched his fist.
[You have activated Ice Particles.]
The gathered frost arrows were solidified by Ice Particles.
Taesan lowered his hand.
[You have activated Magic Acceleration.]
The ice sphere plummeted to the ground.
Accelerated, it collided with a nearby hill.
Crash!
“Aaaah!”
“Ah!”
As the shockwave spread, people screamed and were flung away. Mages gritted their teeth in defiance but were torn apart by the sheer force.
After the dust settled, those who managed to stand were met with a shocking sight.
The entire hill was encased in ice.
Grass, trees, the forest, everything was trapped in an icy prison. The extreme cold didn’t stop there, it continued to spread, engulfing the surroundings.
“This, this…”
The mage was incredulous. A small hill, but still significant enough to be called such. A distance that would take ten minutes to walk across, all frozen.
‘This is…’
It was akin to a natural disaster.
To the mage’s knowledge, such a feat was beyond human capability.
‘…A dragon?’
The guardians of the world. Only they could achieve such a scale. Taesan, satisfied with the awe and fear in their eyes, thought,
“The preparation takes time, but it’s worth it.”
The experiment’s result was gratifying.
Taesan looked back at the hunters.
“Shall we continue?”
No response came. Taesan gestured dismissively.
“Then leave.”
The demoralized group fled.
And began spreading what they had witnessed far and wide.
The protector of the demon princess was a monster.
A dragon incarnate, some said.
Up to now, it had been mere rumors. Since the hunters who went after the princess all died, there was no firsthand experience of his strength.
But this time, everyone who went survived.
When those who directly experienced it began talking, it was impossible to dismiss as exaggerated.
If the survivors had been weak, belonging to the fringes of their groups, perhaps their words could be dismissed. But since all were from the upper echelons, that wasn’t an option.
Tales of Taesan freezing an entire hill spread. Some said he was a Sword Master and a powerful mage, others claimed he was a demon god’s apostle.
Rumors grew, spiraling out of control.
As the rumors spread, even nations began to take notice.
Up to now, it had been individuals who sought the princess. Collectives, like nations, hadn’t acted. They were too busy dividing the demon territory among themselves, and with the demons extinct, targeting the princess seemed unnecessary.
A lone survivor, especially a princess, posed no threat. It was believed she would die soon, making any action unnecessary.
Moreover, since Harmon showed little interest in the princess after the demon extermination, there was no incentive to act.
But the situation changed.
Even if only half of Taesan’s rumors were true, individuals stood no chance against him. Nations began quietly preparing.
And Harmon drove the final nail in.
“Kill the demon princess and her dog.” Like the decree to exterminate the demons, it was a command filled with unwavering intent.
No nation dared oppose the god who had annihilated the demons. The world began to move.
They wouldn’t send ordinary soldiers. Realizing only powerful individuals could challenge Taesan, each country sent their strongest.
Those who bore the title of Sword Master.
“Interesting.”
Taesan’s lips curled into a pleased smile. Suddenly standing, he caught Anetsha off guard, basking in the sun.
“What’s happening?”
“Until now, it’s been disappointing. But… this should be sufficient.”
A formidable force was approaching from afar. Even Taesan, who had conquered the labyrinth, couldn’t easily dismiss it.
They were coming towards him, unashamedly spreading their powerful presence.
Anetsha, realizing late, paled.
“Sword Masters?”
Not just one, but several. Beyond the hill, their figures began to emerge.
Four in total.
“This will be the end.”
Defeating them would leave no one capable of challenging him.
“No, we must flee… They’re too strong… We must escape…”
Anetsha, face drained of color, clung to Taesan’s clothes.
Taesan was undoubtedly strong, perhaps the strongest human she had ever seen.
But Sword Masters transcended human limits. A single one could demolish a city.
Four of them was unthinkable.
Even for Taesan, it seemed an impossible challenge. Anetsha believed so.
“We need to run. We can’t face them… We must escape…”
As she pleaded, pale and stuttering, Taesan soothed her.
“Take a moment to rest.”
Anetsha’s consciousness faded instantly.
‘No…’
With that thought, she collapsed.
“Pathetic.”
Taesan carried her into the cave, laying her on a bed of grass. Stepping back outside, he was met with a voice.
“Have you said your goodbyes?”
A stern-faced middle-aged man appeared, his muscular physique speaking volumes of his lifelong dedication to martial prowess.
[Not bad.] Even the ghost, having witnessed countless adventurers in the labyrinth, was impressed. The strength of these four men, identifiable by their red, blue, white, and golden hair, was noteworthy.
“Distinguishing them will be easy.”