Chapter 385

Words : 2371 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

“Break through head-on? Have you lost your mind?” Limrei thought he must have heard wrong. There was no way Rudger would suddenly suggest a head-on breakthrough otherwise. Limrei was about to argue further but gave up trying to persuade him when he saw Rudger’s expression. “...You’re serious, aren’t you?” Rudger hadn’t just blurted out what he said earlier without thinking. “Do you have a way?” “I’ve thought about the shadow knights chasing us and I noticed they’re not visible in the direction we’re running. Usually in cases like this, they would randomly appear where survivors are gathered.” “Now that you mention it, that’s true.” “They probably have fixed summoning locations. Then they spread throughout the mansion, eliminating intruders.” “So you’re saying if we break through where they came from, we can reach the system’s source?” “That’s what I think. At the very least, we should be able to find where they’re being summoned from.” That’s just speculation, isn’t it? Everyone thought so, but at the same time, Rudger’s reasoning was quite convincing. “So what are you suggesting? That we go back and break through those shadow monsters?” “Yes.” “Risk our lives for something that’s not even certain? All of us here?” “I can handle it alone.” “The mansion has rules...” “It doesn’t matter if I move alone now.” Rudger said this while pointing at Samuel. “When Samuel was attacked by the shadow knights and fled to where we were, he was alone. Don’t you remember?” “That’s...” “The whole mansion shook greatly before the shadow knights appeared. That was probably when the mansion’s system activated. Conversely, that’s probably why the mansion’s ‘rules’ that applied until now stopped working.” This meant that from now on, ‘individual action’ was possible in this secret mansion. “You don’t have to come with me. You can join the other wizards if you want. But I’m going no matter what anyone says.” “You crazy fool.” “You can sit this out, Sage. This is all my unilateral action anyway. I won’t force anyone.” “You don’t need to tell me that, you fool! Don’t think I’ll be moved by that kind of gentle prodding!” Limrei stepped back, saying he really wouldn’t move together. Rudger didn’t blame Limrei for this. He hadn’t expected it in the first place, so there was nothing to be disappointed about. However, Roina and Sempas were different. “I-I’ll go too!” “I’ll go as well.” This seemed unexpected as Rudger looked at the two with a gaze asking if they were serious. “F-friends are going, so I can’t stay behind.” “My pride won’t let me run away after coming this far. Besides, I’m curious about your plan.” Those were pretty poor reasons for taking on a life-risking task but that made them feel even more genuine. Limrei clicked his tongue. “Nothing but crazy fools.” “Like you’re any different, old man.” “Now I’m ‘old man’ instead of ‘Sage’? Getting bold now that we’re parting ways?” Limrei complained like this but then took something out from his chest and threw it to Rudger. Rudger caught the object lightly in mid-air and his eyes lit up as he looked at it. “What is this?” “An artifact. It should help at least once when your life is in danger.” Rudger carefully examined the jeweled brooch. Feeling the flow of mana inside, it was definitely an artifact. However, it was quite questionable that Limrei would carry such an item. Even for an artifact, it didn’t suit him. If anything, it seemed like something a woman would use. “I don’t need it anymore. Consider it compensation for not being able to go with you.” “...I see.” But Rudger didn’t ask about it further. After tucking the brooch into his chest, Rudger left without any parting words. Arpa, Sempas, and Roina followed behind him. The remaining Limrei silently watched Rudger’s back as he left. “Um, aren’t you going?” “...Right. I should.” Come to think of it, this guy was still here. Returning to reality at Samuel’s words, Limrei moved his feet in the opposite direction from where Rudger had gone. * * * Though she had been caught up in the momentum when saying she’d go along, Roina now seemed to regret it a bit as she timidly spoke up. “Um, we made a bold exit and all, but is this really okay?” She asked Rudger with a hopeful voice, trying hard not to lose hope. “You must have some kind of definite plan or something, right?” “I already told you the plan. Head-on breakthrough.” “What? But...” Roina tried to ask more but couldn’t because black shadows started appearing from across the corridor. “Get ready to fight.” -Shing. Rudger grabbed the handle of his staff and drew out a sword-stick. Roina was startled at the sight. “A-A sword? Wasn’t that a staff?! Why such a dangerous thing...” “Everyone has a hidden trump card. That goes for me, and for Roina and Sempas too.” “...” That was true. No one in the world reveals everything about themselves. Even Roina herself had never shown all her power until now. “But this time will be different.” Shadows started creeping up from Rudger’s feet. They quickly spread up his legs and body, covering his clothes. “For this moment, bring out everything you have.” Finally, the shadows put a mask on Rudger’s face. -Flash! Blue light flowed from the eyes of the plague doctor mask. “If you don’t want to die.” Magic Familiar [Aether Nocturnus] Rudger, completely wrapped in shadows, charged at the shadow knights. Arpa followed behind him. “I’m going too.” Sempas also followed without hesitation. Left alone, Roina watched helplessly before slumping her shoulders. “Ugh. I really didn’t want to use this.” Roina bit her lip hard, then raised her magical power. “Buy me some time!” With Roina’s shout behind him, Rudger encountered the foremost shadow knight. It held twin spears in both hands and was clearly the one that had been fighting Arpa earlier. -Kyaaak! The shadow knight recognized Rudger and thrust both spears simultaneously. “Interesting.” As Rudger muttered this, two huge arms extended from the clothing at his shoulders. Aether Nocturnus’ arms reached out and grabbed the thrusting spears. -Kigigik. As shadow and shadow entered a test of strength, Rudger’s sword-stick transformed into a flash of light as it swung. -Slash. The knight’s upper body, its head split vertically, tilted backward. However, seeing that it hadn’t completely fallen, Arpa shouted. “Leader!” “I know.” Shadow knights don’t fall from just this level of attack. Even if you burn their entire body with powerful magic, they will ultimately regenerate. In a way, they were immortal beings without weaknesses but if they were created by the mansion’s system, they must have a weakness. ‘If this works.’ Though possible in theory, it was uncertain how it would work in practice but having come this far, there was no turning back. Rudger thrust his sword-stick into the ground beneath the shadow knight’s feet. Arpa and Sempas were puzzled at the sight of him stabbing the innocent floor instead of the shadow knight. “Here it is.” Rudger infused magical power into the sword-stick, then burst the gathered power like a flame from its tip. -Bang! A small shock wave echoed from beneath the mansion’s floor. What happened next was amazing. The shadow knight, which had been slowly regenerating its split head, turned to dust and scattered. “Wow!” “He eliminated a shadow knight?” While Arpa and Sempas were marveling, Rudger gave instructions. “They receive magical power from the mansion. There’s an invisible path connected to the ground where the shadow knights’ feet meet the mansion. Cut that off.” Arpa and Sempas understood and immediately put it into action. “Then this is my specialty.” Sempas lifted his leg and stomped the ground hard. His magic that he had shown in the duel with Rudger unfolded once again. The mana seeped into the ground through his leg moved according to his will, causing chain explosions under the carpet floor. -Pop pop pop bang! Though not very powerful, it was more than enough to cut off the targeted paths. The shadow knights, who had been withstanding any attack without falling, swayed greatly and became blurry. When the mana they had been continuously receiving from the secret mansion was disrupted, the shadow knights stuttered. “Arpa! Cut the paths and strike their main bodies!” “Yes!” Arpa moved at Rudger’s command. He dove between the glitching shadow knights, delivering kicks and throwing punches. -Pop pop bang! The knights who were hit exploded like fireworks with an impact that seemed impossible from his small frame. The vanished knights never regenerated. ‘As expected.’ Knowing they could be eliminated wasn’t just based on speculation. It was all thanks to the records read in the hidden room in the library. ‘Shadow knights are a defense system that doesn’t fall as they endlessly receive mana through ley lines. And the mansion is responsible for supplying the mana drawn from the ley lines.’ To defeat shadow knights, the mana had to be cut off, there was no need to touch the ley lines themselves. It was enough to just cut off the mana paths that supplied the mana drawn from the ley lines. ‘Of course, this isn’t permanent.’ Even if the paths were cut, as long as the ley lines and mansion were intact, the paths would endlessly regenerate and summon shadow knights again but it was enough to buy time. “Break through!” Rudger shouted this as he swept through the newly rushing shadow knights. It was the same for Sempas and Arpa. The two worked together to handle the shadow knights. When Sempas cut the paths, Arpa struck the main bodies. They steadily reduced the number of shadow knights like this. But “Leader! There’s no end to them!” “They keep coming.” The more shadow knights they broke through, the more knights rushed in from beyond the corridor. This meant they were getting closer to the summoning array, but the knights’ resistance also grew fiercer. ‘This would have been easy if I had anti-magic.’ -Kyaaak! A knight roared and swung its halberd. Rudger tried to block the attack with Aether Nocturnus’ arms but, feeling more force than expected, deflected the attack to the side instead. -Kwang! The force of the halberd that struck the ground was very destructive. ‘Did their power increase?’ Rudger could immediately understand that these newly appearing shadow knights were much stronger than the ones they first fought. While the previous shadow knights only had glowing eyes. Now the knights had green light overflowing from all the joints of their armor. It was clear that if time was wasted here, even stronger ones would pour out. ‘We can still handle them for now. But how much longer can we hold out?’ 5 minutes? 10 minutes? Comparing the strength of the first knights to the current ones, they couldn’t last more than 10 minutes at most. ‘Should I use a big spell to sweep them all away at once?’ But then he had to think about the fights that would come after. The Black Dawn Society would likely be at the shadow knights’ summoning array too. Maybe even Leslie himself. As Rudger pondered in that brief moment, he felt enormous magical power from his back, it was a huge wave pulsing through the air. A faint smile formed on Rudger’s lips. ‘Right. That side was preparing something.’ Rudger looked back. It was the same for Sempas and Arpa. “Everyone duck!” At Roina’s clear, ringing voice that was different from usual, Rudger, Sempas, and Arpa heard the warning and lowered their bodies. -Swoosh! Right after, tentacles made of bluish magical power crossed over their heads. The tentacles mercilessly pierced through the shadow knights. -Kyaaak!! The shadow knights let out screams. It was truly a bizarre sight for creatures that had shown no reaction to any attack. Rudger could immediately understand why. The knights pierced by the tentacles were being absorbed. The tentacles were sucking up the magical power that composed the shadow knights like straws. And the source of those tentacles was a strange mass made of magical power. “Ugh. Gross.” Arpa expressed his honest feelings upon seeing the mass. Meanwhile, the mass continued to grow larger as it absorbed the shadow knights through its tentacles. “Roina. That is...” “It’s my magic familiar.” “...” “W-why are you looking at me like that! I know! You think it’s weird! Gross, right?!” Honestly yes, but Rudger immediately shook his head. “I just wondered why you summoned such a useful creature only now.” “W-well, because my magic familiar has this form...It’s kind of...I-I have an intellectual image, you know!” “...Intellectual?” Someone who wasn’t intellectual at all claiming to be intellectual. He barely held back those words that were trying to escape his throat but he could somewhat understand Roina’s feelings. Even Rudger, who had a strong stomach, found Roina’s magic familiar a bit much. The King of Beasts would be much better in comparison. ‘Besides, looking closely, it’s a giant slug!’ What looked like a mass of flesh turned out to be a giant slug. Though its appearance was like that, its effectiveness was undeniable. Even the shadow knights that had grown stronger than before were being absorbed by the magic familiar without resistance. “With this, we should be able to reach the summoning array safely. Can you maintain it?” “Yes. I can.” “Then I’ll gladly accept the help.” “...Can’t be helped.” Having come this far, there was nothing left to hide, so Roina gave orders to her magic familiar in a half-resigned voice. “Push forward! Kkingkking!” “My goodness. Really terrible at naming...mmph.” “Quiet.” Rudger covered Arpa’s mouth with his shadow-covered hand.

Chapter 385

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