Chapter 36 Part1 (1/2)
<chapter 36.=”” what=”” remains=”” of=”” the=”” battle=”” -=”” 1=””>
Ethan Cruz had to prepare two things in order to lure and then kill Lee s.h.i.+n Woo.
First, he needed to make the battle progress a certain way. Make it so that Retadane and the other heroes wouldn't be able to easily escape the battlefield. This part wasn't very difficult. Since all he needed to do was wait for the right moment.
Second, he had to create the right environment. He would have to go through a lot of trouble to hide what he was doing from the other heroes. Ethan Cruz had formed a sort of visual barrier that would block out any outsiders from seeing them and simultaneously weaken G.o.d's authority within, disabling the chatting channel and the private chat functions.
This was all done in advance so that no matter how much he screamed, no one would be able to hear him. With the secret activation of a magical device, as well as his own magic, the s.p.a.ce was restricted from outsiders, forming a complete barrier.
Unfortunately, that applied to him as well.
”How did you summon so many undead...”
”I told you, I have no idea what you're talking about. Why do you keep asking me?”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo said calmly, acting innocent, but Ethan Cruz broke into a cold sweat. He'd never been this uneasy before, even when he'd met with one of the 12 generals face-to-face!
”How can you, a human, control so many undead!”
”Ha. You're one to talk.”
[Annihilation of airborne troops, complete. Awaiting next order.]
[We have annihilated both of the level 7 undead heroes. Paul Zero, we await your next order!]
Their presences were so faint, as if they would vanish into thin air, but their bodies possessed unimaginable power: the golems. Followed by many level 7 elites rapidly appearing behind them.
There were several different types of undead (e.g. the Giants and a wolf), but they were all ridiculously strong. Furthermore, they had pledged their loyalty to Lee s.h.i.+n Woo alone. Seeing that, Ethan Cruz gritted his teeth.
”If the other heroes knew about this...”
”They wouldn't. You were the one who made it like that.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo ridiculed him coldly. That's right. Because Ethan Cruz had activated the magical device, this entire area was shrouded in a barrier. Ethan Cruz finally considered a possibility that he hadn't even considered before.
”Did you want this to happen...? You knew that I had prepared a barrier and deliberately let me activate it!”
”I'm the type of guy who prepares a lot of ways to kill someone.”
Of course, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo didn't want it to go this way, but it was just wishful thinking. If he was the type of person to risk it all on a single chance, then Lee s.h.i.+n Woo wouldn't have been able to survive in the Empire.
”With these troops... you could've attacked me without going through the ha.s.sle of coming up with a plan.”
”You're misunderstanding something here.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo glanced at the airborne troops and shrugged his shoulders. Through the Giants' and golems' stone-throwing, the airborne troops had crashed onto the ground.
Yasunori Akira tried attacking him, but Bisher Moon and s.h.i.+no Rendu simultaneously blocked him. Both of them were stronger than Yasunori Akira, and he wasn't able to fight against them for long. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo could foresee his death the moment Yasunori Akira decided to attack him and step away from Ethan Cruz's protection.
”The reason I stepped foot onto this stage wasn't to kill you. It was to protect my other seniors. Ah, and to get the rewards for killing the 12 generals. I was able to kill two of them because of you. Thanks a lot.”
”...Ha, hahaha.”
Who had been manipulating whom, hmm? Ethan Cruz was completely confused.
He'd lost. Completely. Not only had he lost the eight undead heroes, but his spies were either exposed or killed, so his body was all he had left. He had lost everything in just a day.
”You hid those sharp fangs of yours... quite well thus far.”
”Would you believe me if I said that wasn't all I was hiding?”
”Keuk, kuhaha!”
Ethan Cruz couldn't help but laugh at Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's teasing. Perhaps he wasn't joking around. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was monstrous enough for him to think that way, and he smiled bitterly and muttered.
However, there was one thing he had left. One weapon he could still use. It was himself.
”You completely defeated me. I acknowledge my loss. I didn't know how strong you were, nor did I know about your hidden forces, so it's only natural that I was beaten so badly. ...But if I get you, then my loss today means absolutely nothing.”
”You're probably right.”
”Yeah. Let me tell you what your biggest mistake was. That you don't know what it means to be level 8!”
Ethan Cruz infused mana into his wrist bracelet. Then, jet-black mana rose up like a mist and surrounded him. The high concentration of darkness steadily dyed the once pure and bright land. This was a level 8's authority.
[Keuk...]
[Ethan Cruz, how can he have such immense power...!?]
The undead watched on and instinctively shook, as darkness mana was the root of their existence. Although they knew that Ethan Cruz was a danger to their master, they couldn't easily advance. His level and power were far too great! Even the level 7 elites stiffened before this darkness, which threatened to cover everything, including their very existence.
”None of your undead can use their full strength in here. High Rank Darkness... You probably have no idea what I went through to be able to use this.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo could use it too, but decided not to say anything. He couldn't tell him that he could use High Rank Darkness as soon as G.o.d had awakened his latent potential.
”A level 8 possesses power that surpa.s.ses the limitations of mankind. You must've prepared a lot, but in the end, if you can't overcome me with your own power, then you won't be able to kill me. That goes for your subordinates as well. ...Die.”
A lump of darkness flew towards him. 'As expected', Lee s.h.i.+n Woo thought, and nodded his head. It was incredibly powerful, even when compared to a fellow level 8, like Retadane.
Even when he took into account that one was a frontline fighter and the other a backline magician, the difference was huge. 'Perhaps that bracelet strengthened darkness magic,' Lee s.h.i.+n Woo thought and extended his staff.