Chapter 25 Part4 (1/2)

<chapter 25.=”” hansen=”” von=”” dorthe=”” -=”” 4=””>

Lee s.h.i.+n Woo released his 'lord cosplay', betraying the guilt-free skeletons and ma.s.sacring them. Yet the Lightning General and the Treasure Eater had no idea, as they were still fighting against each other.

The Lightning General didn't have the time to look away, as his opponent was freakishly strong and tenacious!

[Kyahaaaaaaaahk!]

”Tch. What's making you so desperate?]

[Kuaaaaaaaaah!]

Since they both knew that lightning wouldn't work on each other, they instead used their mana purely to reinforce their bodies. It seemed as though both were thinking 'why did it have to be him?', regardless of who was more intelligent or not.

[Die!]

[Kyahak!]

Hansen swung his b.a.s.t.a.r.d sword with enough power to topple a mountain, and the Treasure Eater matched his reinforced blade with a reinforcement of its own; it concentrated its mana into its tail to reinforce it, and then used it to block the incoming sword!

The moment the sword and tail met, there was a large boom and the land quaked; the entire area sunk. Their collision caused the geography of the land to change; so much so that either side had the credentials to be called a calamity.

[Tch, another draw...]

Though it was frustrating for Hansen to admit, their strength was about equal. Hansen possessed higher strength and agility, but the Treasure Eater was a monster that possessed an unusually high amount of magic, even when compared to other like-leveled monsters! It covered its weakness in strength and agility with its magic, and as a result, they were evenly matched.

If that's the case, then killing it quickly was no longer an option. He'd have to take advantage of its mistakes and cause it to acc.u.mulate injuries over time. If not, then he'd have to use large scale techniques... he was going to continue like this for now and observe.

'There's no way a monster like this would appear anywhere... There's still something here that I don't know about.'

A Treasure Eater wouldn't appear in a place devoid of treasures. The item had to be amazing to entice a level 7 Treasure Eater... Hansen thought of taking the treasure that the Treasure Eater was h.o.a.rding, as well as the treasure that it sought.

With that in mind, Hansen was relieved that he hadn't reported to the Emperor regarding this excursion. He'd thought that it was unnecessary to bother the Emperor when it wasn't regarding the golems' capture, yet it was an opportunity for him to get something on the side!

'Is it the lord? Yeah, he had to have obtained a treasure recently.'

He'd already figured out prior that the Treasure Eater's target was the lord. The lord must be happy that he can use him to take care of the Treasure Eater, but after he'd taken down this guy, he would s.n.a.t.c.h that treasure off the lord's hands as the price for telling a general to come to him!

'So, smile while you still can... Huh!?'

However, during the small moment after he'd dodged the Treasure Eater's charge, Hansen turned his attention to the lord atop the castle walls and couldn't believe his eyes. To the point that he believed that his eyes had finally rotted away completely after dozens of years of being an undead.

The lord who was smiling and looking down from the castle walls was... completely different from before! Especially because the skeleton, who stared back at him with black goblin fire in his eyes while riding a horse, possessed power that caused him unease, albeit for a mere moment.

'W-What's this!? Is that the lord? Plus, I don't see any of his subordinates atop the castle walls; am I seeing things wrong? No, I remember the lord's face and energy; I remember everything!'

All beings possess an inherent energy that they cannot change. That is represented by magic. Even though there were cases where the shape of mana continuously developed, changed form, and developed again, it wasn't possible to instantaneously change its fundamental nature.

'But that guy is... Kuheok!'

Is it because he paid too much attention to this unbelievable situation? Hansen was. .h.i.t directly by the Treasure Eater's body tackle and was thrown into the air. He wasn't the only one aiming for his opponent's weaknesses; the Treasure Eater was as well. Because Hansen was so shocked, he had momentarily forgotten about the current battle!

'How...?'

Once he'd been struck by the Treasure Eater and was thrown into the air, he barely managed to land and return to a proper stance. Even so, Hansen couldn't take his mind off of Lee s.h.i.+n Woo. Even as he swung his b.a.s.t.a.r.d sword and blocked the Treasure Eater's charge, he continued to think about Lee s.h.i.+n Woo.

'How did he disguise himself as another? If that's truly possible, then when did he start? Was it when he called me? No, it shouldn't be that easy to release the lock on the communication device...!'

The more he thought about it, the less he understood his current situation. No matter how he thought about it, he came to the conclusion that 'it was impossible'! Of course, it was Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's ability that had caused the general such confusion. That's what it meant to step onto the Joker's stage.

[Kuaaaaaaaah!]

[Tch...!]

Until now, Hansen had a slight advantage against the Treasure Eater, but because of his confusion, the tides of battle had turned. The Treasure Eater rushed him, as though it was capitalizing on this opportunity. Even though he knew that he shouldn't get distracted, his head was still in the clouds.

'Did I fall for a trap? If so, then who's? Is it Anti-Skull... No, that's unlikely. Then the golems? Is it Arema Steelworker? Yeah, it wouldn't be impossible for them to make a golem with such a strange ability...! The one thing I'm sure about is that that skeleton isn't the mastermind behind all this.'

From that point, Hansen had already gone astray. He couldn't believe that Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had planned this all by himself and surmised that there had to be someone behind him!

But unfortunately, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo no longer made him feel afraid or tense. Rather...

'...There's no point in thinking about this anymore by myself. Pull yourself together, Hansen!'

'Even if it's rotten, it's still a herring.' No, actually it's a general. He halted all thoughts that came about from this chaotic situation and instead raised his fighting spirit.

Realizing early on that using his brain isn't his job, and focusing on what he's good at is. That was the first thing he realized in his life!

'It doesn't matter. Whoever it is that's pulling the strings... I'll show them that a general isn't to be taken lightly...!'

At the very least, the only level 7 he could sense here was the level 7 Treasure Eater. If that's the case, then it didn't matter what obstacle he faced; he would be able to overcome it with his strength. He, the Lightning General, was sure of it. He possessed the strength that would make that possible!

'No matter who it is or what they do, I'll just burn them to a crisp...!'

Once he was finished taking care of the Treasure Eater, the skeleton atop the castle walls with chaotically burning goblin fire was next. He was surprised by the fact that he had been vexed by the lord just a little while ago, as he was sure that the lord wouldn't be able to match him in strength.

Of course, there was something that was waiting for him after too. But it didn't matter. They would burn from his lightning!

[I'll burn you and break you into pieces! Witness my true strength, the strength of the Lightning Shadow [1] General, Hansen Von Dorthe!]

He fended off the Treasure Eater, and the moment it was pushed back, Hansen's body was covered in lightning. If he knew that lightning was useless against his opponent, then why? Of course, the lightning wasn't for an attack.