C336 - Debt, Debts, and More Debts (3)

The crack in the barrier had opened almost completely, revealing the other side. It was one of the secret spaces of the Cat Tribe.

Confirmation of the Specter Corps' appearance still couldn't be made.

'Break a bit later...!'

Due to haste, Jin couldn't fully release his movement.

If the Specter Corps entered the cave 5 seconds later, no, even 3 seconds before completing the movement, it was highly likely that Jin would be the first to be attacked.

He was certain of it.

If that happened, he would be defeated.

Assuming the enemy consisted of three high-level mages in the late stages of 9 stars.

Three seconds was more than enough time for skilled individuals to kill their opponent ten times over.

Especially in a situation like the current one, where he was exposed and defenseless because he was participating in the decisive battle.

'I need to focus.'

Not losing composure at times like this was one of Jin's greatest strengths.

Within the curtain of shadowy force, Jin's eyes were engulfed in flames.

The flames emanated from his body and spread across the dark curtain.

Those flames looked like fierce beasts held by loose chains. When Jin wished, he could pull back the curtain, and the flames would spread in all directions, engulfing his enemies.

Time seemed to flow slowly.

Among the intense beats of his own heart, mana flowed through the runes inscribed on Jin's body to trigger the movement.

The mana of the Specter Corps was becoming increasingly immense.

Even within the confines of the curtain, Jin felt a tingling on his face from the overflowing mana.

Whoosh, crackle, boom...!

The sound of Jin's flames spreading and the sound of the barrier shattering intermingled chaotically.

Crack!

As the barrier broke, a deafening roar echoed in Jin's head.

'They're coming.'

Soon, Jin saw the Specter Corps' bodies.

He could only see blurry silhouettes in the distorted space covered by the curtain and the shattered barrier.

Jin, the most elite of Zipple's mages in gray robes, gripped his sword's hilt tightly.

Fortunately, Jin's movement was complete. Before they arrived.

The flames first enveloped Jin's body. Then they permeated it, turning Jin into the very fire itself.

Jin's burning eyes became even more intense, and even his hair turned into flames.

'I'll settle that debt, Specters.'

Since the day Jin fled from Beradin's mansion, leaving only Misha behind, he often thought about it after becoming a Flagbearer.

If he had been stronger, he could have fought alongside Misha.

It was never an act of dishonor for Runcandel's Reserve Flagbearer to flee from 15 Specters, but Jin felt shame when he remembered that day.

It was time to erase that feeling.

Runcandel's Secret Sword Movement.

Hellfire: Sarah Runcandel.

When Jin inherited this Magic Sword Technique from Sarah.

Jin had liked the name "Hellfire" from the moment he received the Sword.

When he remembered all the atrocities committed by the Specter Corps, there seemed to be no more fitting name than "Hellfire" for the act of engulfing them in flames.

Kwaahhh...!

The sharp flames tore through the curtain and spread outward.

As soon as the Specters crossed the barrier, they were met with these sharp flames, leaving them no choice but to widen their eyes in surprise.

"Huh!"

A member of the Specter Corps exclaimed and erected a protective shield.

The shield, wrapped in flames, trembled unsteadily.

The shield seemed on the verge of breaking.

At first glance, it appeared incapable of withstanding the power of Hellfire, and Jin clicked his tongue inwardly.

'Can they really withstand this with a shield they haven't even properly forged?'

There wouldn't be many mages in the world capable of such a feat. Besides, the Specters had just spent a significant amount of mana to break through the barrier.

Of course, Hellfire had only just begun.

Kaaaah!

Jin roared, elevating his mana by a level.

He completely dispelled the remaining Shadow Energy curtain and unleashed the flames bound within.

The flames erupted like a torrent.

In an instant, the cave transformed into a hellish scene of voracious fire, and the protective shield of the Specters was completely engulfed in flames, with their magical essence not visible.

The rocks inside the cave melted.

Runcandel's Magic Sword Technique, Hellfire, bore an astonishing resemblance to the Plutonian God of Battle's Reign Sword, covering a substantial area.

Instead of lightning bolts, flames covered all directions, creating a fiery space in which those who hadn't reached a certain level couldn't even breathe.

In reality, a thousand years ago, Temar's council played the most crucial role in completing Sarah's Magic Sword. And Temar's council was derived from the Sword of Legends.

All the flames filling the cave were heading towards the Specters.

"Damn it!" exclaimed a Specter urgently and full of confusion.

Jin felt incredibly satisfied hearing that voice.

Although it was only an ambush, the fact that Hellfire was effective against the Specter's body filled him with excitement.

Feeling oneself grow stronger always brings a sense of joy.

'There's no way their shields can handle this.'

Crack!

In the midst of the blazing flames, a single blue spark emerged.

Hellfire was originally a martial art that used the power of the phoenix. Although Sarah, from the Second Tomb, couldn't use the Phoenix Maniere power as a guardian, Jin had Tess.

Gaah!

While a single blue flame opened the dimensional door to the Fire Dimension, accompanied by a sharp but sonorous roar, the Phoenix King was revealed.

The power symbolizing blue and pressure, Tess's power.

When this power combined with Hellfire, the Specters groaned.

And as soon as Jin heard their groans, he was certain.

He could kill them.

There's no problem with an aura shield or a martial artist's sword shield, but once a mage's shield is broken, it's difficult to catch what comes next.

Because they didn't have physically robust bodies like martial artists.

Therefore, when mages were directly hit, their abilities inevitably diminished significantly.

Jin had exploited the advantage.

'Now, to prevent their bodies from burning, he forces them to manipulate mana recklessly, causing a backlash.'

Just like the absolute proposition that all humans die, reckless mana manipulation always led to a backlash.

Not even the Specters could escape that law.

However, Jin assumed that the members of the Specter Corps had the ability to quickly recover from mana backlash.

'Their ability to control the backlash may not be as good as the master's, but there's a good chance that the Specters can stabilize their mana within the five seconds after the initial symptoms of the backlash.'

He would cut them down before they could grasp the backlash.

Making a quick decision, Jin found the Specters' figures among the flames.

Jin had only seen their silhouettes since his arrival, and he hadn't even seen their gray robes clearly.

He could only guess their position and attack based on the energy the Specters emanated and their silhouettes.

'At the moment their energy fluctuates due to the backlash, I'll attack and finish them off. I don't have much time left either.'

Jin was in a precarious state where he could suffer from backlash at any moment.

It was quite strange that such a grand technique suddenly unleashed, especially alongside the somber force curtain, and yet there was no backlash.

Even so, time was on Jin's side.

Before a minute passed, he could feel the Specters' mana decreasing significantly.

The energy emanating from the Specters, which had even made his face taut after breaking through the barrier, had descended to the level of an ordinary mage.

It was the result of the mana backlash.

Jin plunged into the flames.

As Tess exhaled a breath of pressure, the Hellfire flames gently receded, creating a path.

Step by step, as Jin advanced, the Specters concealed their bodies within the flames.

"You shouldn't have moved at all."

Swoosh!

Jin spoke, swinging his sword toward where he sensed movement. A cynical smile on his lips.

Kwak!

A clear sensation of flesh and bone being severed transmitted to Jin's fingertips through the blade of his sword.

The Specters desperately stifled their groans, but it was an action that lacked real meaning.

Their positions were already exposed, and the battle was over.

Bam!

Jin, his eyes radiating a fiery gleam, lunged in the direction he had swung his sword.

"I've gained the advantage, but since there are three of them, I can't waste time, and I need to finish quickly."

During the five seconds it took for the Specters to suppress the mana backlash, Jin knew he had to eliminate all three of them.

Zas!

Sigmund's sword pierced the chest of a member of the Specter Corps.

"Kuk!"

It was the final cry before death.

The mage was engulfed by the flames surrounding Sigmund, reduced to ashes.

It was an incredibly miserable death for the most elite secret magician of Zipple.

It also meant how extraordinary Jin was.

Excluding Luna, there was no other brother who could achieve such a result in the same situation.

Although there was an element of surprise attack, the opponents were the Specters.

'Now, there are two left.'

Phew.

Jin took a breath.

His body, enveloped in flames, was becoming unbearably hot, and it seemed that the backlash would start soon.

Three seconds remained.

Among the flames, Jin had enough time to find the two mages caught in the backlash and cut their throats.

But as soon as he was about to move again, Jin felt a strange unease.

'What's going on? I've only killed one of them, but the rest of the Specters' mana has completely disappeared.'

He quickly scanned the flames.

For some reason, he couldn't find the two remaining members of the Specter Corps, excluding the one who had died.

'Where could they have suddenly gone? It's unlikely they went back to the barrier. It seemed like the powerful mana belonged to the only deceased member...'

Jin came to a sudden stop.

'Could it be that it wasn't the combined mana of the three...?'

What Jin had killed was only one of the three members of the Specters.

The other two members had successfully crossed the barrier into another secret residence of the Cat Tribe and had just entered the cave.

Jin had mistakenly believed that the mana he felt from the Specter Corps member he killed with Hellfire belonged to all three.

Boom!

Once again, Jin felt a powerful mana coming from beyond the suddenly shattered barrier.

Feeling a chill down his spine, Jin turned his head and saw the other two members of Spectre Corp emerging from the broken barrier.

This is madness...

Unlike the recently deceased Specter Corps member, these two had already confirmed the flames unfolding inside the cave, even from beyond the barrier.

It was natural because the mana of Hellfire was not concealed by the Shadow Energy curtain.

"Heh, it seems Lokai was taken down. Here, this is his staff."

"The flames are dying down. The one who killed Lokai probably isn't in perfect condition either. He probably couldn't have gone far. Before tracking down those insect-like beastmen, we should first pursue that person..."

Jin's gaze met the eyes of the Specters concealed beneath their gray hoods.

"...there's no need for that. Jin Runcandel, you are the one who killed Lokai."

A satisfied smile spread across the lips of the Specters hidden beneath their gray hoods.