Chapter 39

Chapter 39
## Hunting the Mage (5)

Ymir was a preeminent authority on the arts of the mind, a reputation solidified even within the prestigious Magic Tower.

His investigations into the mass subjugation of monsters and the bending of human wills had ignited fierce moral debates, yet his academic brilliance was undeniable to his peers. Carried by these controversial successes, Ymir had achieved the status of Conjurer, gaining the resources necessary to bring his dark visions to life.

Consequently, his ego regarding mental manipulation was colossal. He harbored the firm belief that only a handful of practitioners across the continent could rival his mastery.

He acknowledged that human mind control was a delicate craft in its early stages, capable of snapping under sudden physical trauma. Yet, despite its fragility, its potency was absolute. He was convinced that no mortal mind possessed a natural defiance against his reach.

“[…Rondone, Altisharen!]”
That certainty was once again ground into dust.

The ethereal remnants of his psychic probe dissolved into nothingness, swallowed by a void.

The barbarian paid the magic no mind, maintaining his relentless pace as he slaughtered the bear owls. Panic began to set in, and Ymir launched a frantic barrage of every psychic hex in his repertoire—stunning charms, confusion bouts, sleep inducements, and waves of pure terror.

Each one failed.

Usually, entering a mind felt like a blade sliding through soft marrow; against this man, it was like a needle shattering against a mountain of granite.

‘What is this… what kind of mental fortress has he built?’

The answer lay in a discarded, shattered vial on the stone floor, but the realization eluded Ymir. He could only watch in paralyzed shock as the barbarian let out a primal roar, drenched in the gore of his minions.

“Hraaaaaah!”

The sounds of snapping bone and tearing sinew filled the air.

* Guwok!
* Guwaaaargh!

In moments, the barbarian had carved a path through the beastly horde and stood before him. The shadow of death loomed large.

Whoosh—!

Ymir turned to bolt, but a thrown dagger bit into the ground at his heels, a wall of sudden flame sealing his exit. He attempted to lash out with his enchanted iron chains, but the warrior’s reflexes were superior.

Squiiiish!

As a heavy blade hovered inches from his eyes, Ymir’s breath hitched. He scrambled to find a way to talk himself out of the grave.

“…Ahem, quite the display. I had no idea the Delutana Conference was breeding such monsters. With a force like you, purging the demonic blight from the land and toppling the Empire itself would be a triviality.”

“…?”

“That unnatural strength, that immunity to the arcane, the sheer audacity to invade this sanctum alone… you are a masterpiece. You could be a king of mercenaries or the god of the coliseum. Tell me… what pittance were you promised for this suicide mission?”

“… .”

“Heh heh, a silent one. I imagine they gave you nothing of worth. Put the weapon down, barbarian. Imagine a partnership. The Magic Tower can provide luxuries and power far beyond whatever scraps you’ve been tossed…”

“Gurk!”

Slaaash!

The steel edge tore across his mouth. Lips were shredded, teeth cracked, and his tongue was sliced open. The mouth that had just been weaving complex spells and manipulative lies now overflowed with a torrent of crimson.

Kadim looked down with cold indifference, his weapon pointed at the mage’s throat.

“I don’t care for your delusions. From this point on, you only speak when I command it. Use your own blood to write if you have to.”

“Eek, ugh, heh-hek… Eek, eeeeeek!!!”

“Answer me this. Why does a practitioner of the Tower resort to ‘demonic’ filth? Sacrificing the innocent, channeling dark energy instead of mana, fueling spells with concentrated spite—this isn’t spirit magic, it’s the blackest of demon arts.”

Ymir was incapable of a coherent reply. The copper tang of blood and the searing agony of his mangled face sent his mind into a tailspin. He was a pathetic sight, leaking tears and mucus, making guttural sounds that no longer resembled human speech.

“Heh-ek, gek, ehk, khek, ke-ek…”

*If I give him what he wants, will he let me go?*

Ymir cast a pleading look toward the barbarian. He met only the gaze of a headsman looking at a neck on the block. There was no mercy to be found. He realized he was only being kept alive until the interrogation was finished.

In that moment of clarity, Ymir made a final, desperate choice. He would discard his ruined body and unleash his ultimate gamble.

He clutched his iron chains with a death grip. He focused his entire will on his own heart, crushing the organ with a surge of internal force. The stagnant, dark energy pooling in his chest was shunted entirely into the metal links.

Chiririririr—!

“…!”

The chains took on a life of their own, coiling around Ymir. Sensing a trap, Kadim struck at the metal with Mosquito.

Clang—clang!

The steel held firm. Like a constrictor tightening its coils, the chains crushed Ymir’s frame, folding his body in on itself.

Crack, crunch, craaaack—

“Gaaaaaaaah!!!”

Bones snapped and limbs were forced into impossible angles until Ymir was nothing more than a mangled heap of flesh. Even after the light left his eyes, the chains continued to squeeze. Gore pooled beneath the heap.

Ssslr…

Suddenly, the blood on the floor turned an abyssal black and evaporated into a shadowy wraith that darted away into the darkness.

‘Tch, what kind of curse did he just trigger…’

Kadim grabbed his tools and sprinted after the escaping shadow. A sense of impending dread took hold. A man like Ymir wouldn’t commit such a gruesome suicide without a reason; he had clearly offered his soul as fuel for one last monstrosity.

Kadim’s instinct was proven right.

――――Boom—bang!

As he rounded the corner in pursuit of the shadow, a colossal fist smashed through the masonry.

He rolled clear of the grasping fingers and looked up. Towering in the ruined corridor was a figure of terrifying proportions.

Yellowed skin, a flattened nose, and uneven, jagged tusks characterized its face. Its muscles were like slabs of mountain rock, and even its massive torso was corded with iron-hard strength. The creature, a beast capable of leveling fortresses, stared with eyes of pure, shifting blackness.

It was an ogre, the pinnacle of physical devastation.

“Fight all you like, barbarian. Your end is already written.”
The voice was a distorted resonance coming from the ogre’s throat, vibrating through the very walls.

――――Rumble!

The ogre, now possessed by the mage’s lingering consciousness, lunged forward, obliterating the architecture.

—

Kadim clenched his jaw.

He had felt the nature of the shadow as it entered the beast. It was a polluted demonic energy, tainted by grudges and mixed with some other catalyst. It wasn’t traditional magic; Ymir had been dabbling in a form of demonic possession.

However, it wasn’t a true demonic pact. Had it been, the energy would be far more refined, and the monsters in this place would have long ago mutated into true fiends.

The realization was grim: in three centuries, the fundamental principles of ‘magic’ had rotted into this.

“… .”

A thousand questions raced through his mind. How were they refining demonic energy? Why abandon mana? Why was the Elga Church turning a blind eye to such heresy?

There was no time for philosophy. The answers would have to be pried from the ogre’s corpse.

“Dieeeee!”
――――――――Boom-boom-boom!

A fist like a battering ram tore through the stone. Dust choked the air as the strike gouged a path toward Kadim. The floor buckled under the weight of the blow, sending tremors through his boots.

――――Boom—bang! Rumble…

He danced back, narrowly avoiding being flattened. Kadim lashed out with Mosquito in a sharp counter. The blade struck the creature’s fist and hummed with the vibration of hitting solid iron. The ogre swatted the sword away with a mocking huff.

“Futile. You believe that toothpick can carve through this hide…?”
Boom—crack!

* “…Grk!”

Kadim pivoted, burying his throwing axe into the beast. The steel bit deep this time, severing the ogre’s middle finger.

But the triumph was short-lived. The wound sealed instantly, and a new digit sprouted from the bloody stump before his eyes.

‘Regeneration? Ogres don’t possess that trait.’

Seeing Kadim’s confusion, the possessed ogre let out a dark, booming laugh.

“Kuheheh, little whelp! Did you think a simple amputation would stop me? This vessel is unique. I have integrated troll factors into its biology. It can mend anything short of total annihilation.”
“… .”

Kadim felt a flare of irritation. The creature was explaining its own mechanics—had the transition into the ogre’s brain lowered Ymir’s intelligence to that of a beast?

Regardless, the situation was dire.

An ogre was dangerous enough. An ogre with the healing factor of a troll was a nightmare on par with a mid-ranking demon. To make matters worse, his ‘Agility Boost’ was flickering out, leaving him with only the ‘Mental Attack Immunity’ which was useless in a physical brawl.

‘Should I risk the Hydra blood? No, three concoctions in a single day will drive the frenzy to an uncontrollable level…’

――――Thud-thud-thud!

The ogre’s massive leg came down like a falling pillar. Kadim dove to the side, but the exploding stone shards peppered his skin, drawing blood and bruising his ribs.

Fwoosh, fwoosh—!

Retreating, Kadim sent four daggers whistling through the air. Three clattered off the hide, but the fourth sank deep into the beast’s forearm.

Crunch.

The ogre simply tore out the piece of its own flesh where the dagger was lodged. The hellfire burned a small patch before the beast’s regeneration smothered the flames. The hole in its arm closed in seconds.

“Is that the extent of your skill? What else do you have, barbarian?”
“… .”

He gripped his axe and sprinted with a burst of speed. He aimed for the groin, but the ogre read the move, dropping low and tearing up the floor tiles to create a makeshift barricade.

――――Boom-boom-boom-bang!

The world seemed to turn upside down as a wave of stone surged toward him. Kadim forced his way through the debris, but as he emerged, the ogre’s fist was already waiting.

There was no room to dodge.

Thwack—thud, bang!

“Guhk!”

He was slammed into the wall, the impact knocking the wind from his lungs. A vial in his coat shattered, soaking his clothes in liquid. He didn’t have the luxury of checking what it was. The ogre was already closing in for the kill.

Boom—bang!

The battle turned into a desperate struggle for survival.

The gap in power was staggering. Every wound Kadim managed to inflict was erased moments later. Without his magical enhancements, he was fighting with raw instinct and fading stamina.

“Well? What’s your plan now, barbarian?”
“Huff, huff…”

“Surely you haven’t run out of tricks? You were so bold a moment ago. Show me—what else are you hiding?”
Blood masked Kadim’s vision, and his muscles screamed in protest. His ribs were definitely cracked, making every breath a chore. He glared at the unharmed monster, his teeth bared.

He had one final gambit.

‘If it has troll blood… the vitals are the only weakness. I have to destroy the heart or the brain.’

He adjusted his grip on the axe, his palms sweating. He steadied his breathing, locking his sights on the target. He channeled every ounce of strength from his core into his arm. He threw with everything he had.

Whiiiirrr!

Craaack!

* “Guuk!”

The strike went wide.

The ogre had shifted at the last second; the axe only bit into its shoulder.

Kadim’s primary weapon was now out of reach. The ogre sensed victory. It shrugged off the pain in its shoulder and lunged. It swatted Kadim’s sword aside as if it were a toy and delivered a crushing blow to his chest.

――――Bang!

“Guhk!”

Kadim hit the wall again, sliding to the floor. The ogre loomed over him, a smug grin on its twisted face.

“It’s over. All that posturing for nothing.”
“… .”

“You should have taken the deal. You’ve earned nothing but a painful death. Do you have any parting words?”
His body felt like it was falling apart. Yet, Kadim’s mind remained unnervingly calm.

The plan had held. He was badly hurt, but he was alive. He had stalled long enough without needing the demon blood. Even without the sky above, the rhythm of his heart told him the time was right.

Kadim didn’t offer a plea. He asked a question.

“Tell me… do you know?”

* “….”

“That tonight, the moon is hidden.”

* “…?”

“And the clock has struck midnight.”

The ogre stared, uncomprehending.

Then, Kadim began to recite a prayer.

“[Master of all plagues, the undefeated Atala. Grant your steel to my hand, bless the warrior who hungers for the fray, and let him drink deep of his enemies’ lifeblood. On this night where the watchful eyes are turned away, by your eternal name and your unbreakable will, I temper this edge.]”

⟨ Judgment of Atala ⟩

Hummm—

A brilliant azure light erupted from Kadim. It washed over the room like a cold tide, pushing back the shadows and stilling the dust of the ruined hall. The ogre stood frozen, its primitive mind unable to process the divine radiance.

It was a miracle, something that defied the logic of any mage.

Kadim’s second unique trait, The One Who Sharpens Names, flared to life.

⚙ UNIQUE TRAIT ⚙
The One Who Sharpens Names [What ‘name’ shall you grant this weapon?]
A silent, powerful will resonated within him.

Kadim already knew the answer. The name and its purpose had been decided long ago.

“Salmon.”

[… .]

“The name of that axe is ‘Salmon’.”

Hummmm—!

The weapon responded instantly. A swirling glow raced toward the axe embedded in the wall behind the ogre. Lines of light etched themselves into the steel, glowing with an intense blue fire.

Kadim reached out into the empty air.

His hand was empty, but he felt the connection. Like a fish fighting its way back to the waters of its birth, the weapon was pulling toward its source.

“…Return to me, ‘Salmon’.”

At his command, the axe tore itself free from the wall, its metallic wings spinning once more.

Whiiiirrr!

Its trajectory took it directly through the ogre’s back. The jagged, humming blade carved through the thick hide as if it were paper…

――――Shraaaash!!

…obliterating half of the creature’s internal organs before bursting out through its chest.

* “Guwaaaaaargh!!”

‘Recall.’

A special property: the weapon would always return to its master’s hand, no matter the obstacle.

The axe slammed into Kadim’s palm. The ogre, its heart and lungs shredded beyond even a troll’s ability to mend, collapsed to its knees, vomiting a fountain of blood. Kadim gave a grim smile, calmly wiping the gore from his blade against his sleeve.