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Chapter 67




Chapter 67. It was somewhat entertaining.
Overclock.
I don't know the detailed principles behind it.
- I explained it as a power to unlock latent abilities, but in fact, I find it hard to define this part properly.
Even Obern, the user of the ability, can't define it properly, so how could I?
However, the phenomenon was vivid in the body.
'Really...'
Everything is vivid.
I slowly surveyed my surroundings, filled with a rising sense of excitement.
Fierce flames burning in all directions, steam rising as the swamp's moisture evaporated, and beyond that, the silhouette of the Swamp Lord became clearly visible.
'At this level... it should be about half of my previous life.'
This doesn't mean the total amount of power.
It means I can have about half the autonomy in its utilization.
Ultimately, the output remains the same, but at first glance, one might wonder what use it has.
However, it definitely has its uses.
First of all,
'I've entered the stage of Sacred Fire.'
Firmly constructing an image is something I never experienced in my previous life. The realm of Red Flame was always slow to progress.
But the moment I saw the world through Overclock, that realization came to me.
And secondly,
This is the most important part...
Grrr—
The faint roar of the Swamp Lord was heard right then.
Even though it has a hide that can block even ether, it seems unable to withstand the heat of the Sacred Fire.
The roar contained a faint anger and a pained groan.
But that wasn't all.
Grrrrr—!
The Swamp Lord, having stopped struggling, crouched down, and the roar grew louder.
At that moment, Rayleigh's voice was heard from a distance.
"Be, be careful! It's the roar I mentioned!"
The roar...
'It distorts natural mana.'
Within the range of the roar's influence, no magic is allowed.
Indeed—!
A different roar shook the earth, and the immense energy made my shoulders involuntarily shrink.
Was that all?
Boom!
It was as if a vacuum had been created, and the fierce flames vanished in an instant.
The steam was scattered by the wind, and the Swamp Lord's figure was revealed in the open view.
Grrr—
A growl mixed with anger.
Our eyes met at that moment.
'3 seconds, right?'
It takes just 3 seconds for the mana in the body to freeze.
...When I thought that, 1 second had already passed.
By the 2nd second, I was already slicing through the air.
Or rather, the expression "slicing through" wasn't quite right.
Like an arrow being shot, my body was launched straight at the Swamp Lord.
But, was the creature's reflexes unable to keep up with my body?
The reaction was slow.
Grrr—!
The arm that cut through the air, or rather, failed to cut through.
It was just a stance, a large swing of the arm.
As the shoulder pulled back, the chest opened, and when the chest closed again, the shoulder returned, and the arm was about to swing!
Hesitation.
Gah?!
The creature's arm stopped in mid-air, as if caught by an invisible string.
The sound of a tear followed.
Crack!
The squishy sensation in my grip.
I pulled out what I had grabbed and shook it off, then extended my hand again.
Another sound...
Crack.
A chilling sound.
But this time, it didn't end with a crack.
Gahhh—!
The Swamp Lord screamed in pain.
That was 3 seconds.
Or rather,
'Was it more than 3 seconds?'
I don't know.
Since the mana in my body didn't freeze, it must have taken less than 3 seconds.
Splash.
I avoided the creature's flailing hand, leaped lightly, and landed on the swamp.
I casually threw the eyeball I had pulled out of the creature's face into the swamp and looked at the creature, which was clutching its face and writhing.
"So... this is it."
The Swamp Lord, now eyeless, let out a mournful cry.
But how should I describe my feelings at this scene?
Utmost freedom.
I can do what I want, and no one can force me to do what I don't want.
Everything moves as I think!
"Stop crying and let's finish this, shall we?"
The duration of Overclock is only about 5 minutes.
'...Is it dangerous if it exceeds 5 minutes?'
Since about a minute has already passed, there's not much time left to enjoy.
Moreover, due to the roar, all magic is restricted.
Blood magic can be used.
But,
'Let's try the old style once.'
It was more than enough.
* * *
The battle continued.
Rayleigh watched the scene in front of him with a bewildered gaze.
'What is this...?'
A mage and a monster.
A mere mage and the Swamp Lord, who had ruled the vast Hameln forest for ages.
A battle between a human and a monster.
But.
Rayleigh couldn't understand the situation at all.
Is this really a battle between a human and a monster?
No.
Who could ever take away the eyes of the Swamp Lord with bare hands?
Like that...
Crack. Bang!
Gahhh—!
A battle of close combat with a monster using bare hands!
No, if a skilled mage had seen it, they wouldn't have thought it was a close combat.
The unique keen sense of smell.
Even with that, the Swamp Lord could pinpoint Aster's position and swing its massive body, but Aster endured everything and exchanged punches with the Swamp Lord.
At first glance, it seemed like a brutal close combat.
But in reality, it wasn't.
Crunch! Crack!
The fists that struck the Swamp Lord's body shimmered with clear mana.
Sizzle—!
When the Swamp Lord's rough hand was about to touch the body, a translucent barrier would invariably appear and disappear.
A spectacle of collision and an incredibly sturdy barrier.
But for Rayleigh, who didn't know this, the scene was simply shocking.
'A monster, a monster.'
He had once witnessed something similar.
Two ancient creatures that had accidentally escaped from the depths, engaging in a fearsome battle.
His feelings at that time were exactly like this.
A battle between beings that could never be approached. It was like a scene from a myth.
Not only that.
'Tearing... and ripping.'
With bare hands, he was grabbing and tearing the hide that couldn't be cut even by ether.
No, the expression "tearing" wasn't quite right.
He was just ripping with his rough hands.
A truly incomprehensible scene!
But Rayleigh wasn't the only one shocked by this scene.
"...How?"
When did he open his eyes?
Obern, with a desolate gaze, took in the scene in front of him.
"Sir Mage? Is it okay to open your eyes?"
Rayleigh, suddenly startled, asked.
Although the battle in front of him was shockingly intense, it was still less important than their lives.
If Obern's concentration was broken, the battle would turn, and the enraged Swamp Lord wouldn't leave them alone.
Perhaps sensing this concern,
Obern nodded slightly.
"Since my concentration is on track... it's somewhat okay."
"Ah, that's good."
Although he didn't understand what "concentration on track" meant, Rayleigh was relieved that it was okay.
"But... you are definitely a mage, right?"
As Rayleigh, who had somewhat regained his senses, looked at Obern, he asked.
The question was simple.
Throughout their journey through the Hameln forest, the masked man had clearly been a mage.
He had dealt with monsters by occasionally sprinkling mysterious red gems.
He was definitely not a knight.
But what about now?
Dolanpega, a renowned family of martial arts.
Would their retainers fight like this? No.
Rayleigh, who had seen the battles of Dolanpega knights from a distance during his long life in the forest, knew that no one fought as brutally and roughly as this.
The intense sounds of clashes.
Sizzle—!
When one hit was received...
Crunch—!
One was returned.
Boom! Crack, crack, crack—!
Even when that small body was thrown by a rough punch, it was the same.
It flew through the swamp's current, and then...
Swoosh!
Thud!
It came back faster than the speed it had flown, punched the massive body, and climbed up, tearing the flesh like pulling out weeds.
How could someone who fought like this be a mage?
But,
"Sir Mage?"
Obern didn't respond.
He was as shocked, if not more, than Rayleigh.
'What is this...?'
Overclock.
A gift that temporarily amplifies latent abilities.
This ability comes with one talent.
Insight Eye
To amplify latent abilities, one must first see through the essence of the target, and the Aster that Obern saw with this Insight Eye was something incomprehensible.
When Obern thought this,
"Somewhat..."
A lazy voice was heard.
"...It was entertaining."
Aster's voice, covered in blood, sounded somewhat relieved.
He seemed like a tyrant who had run wild to his heart's content.
At the sound of that murderous voice, Obern instinctively clasped his shoulders with both hands.
"Now, let's finish this. Thanks to you, it was entertaining, so I'll show you something entertaining."
What state was he in?
The blood-covered Swamp Lord, with a battered body, inflated its body.
Even as the interlocked hands aimed for his head, he stood calmly.
"Huff!"
Rayleigh gasped at the intimidating sight.
"..."
Obern was shocked for a different reason.
As the massive fist descended,
His slowly opening hand seemed to slow down time.
A tremendous amount of mana rose from it.
Or rather, was it tremendous?
It was ambiguous.
The amount was considerable, but it was too small for a large-scale spell.
But,
'With all the mana distorted, how?'
Suddenly, a doubt arose.
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