Chapter 92

Restraint (3)

Jawoon grinned.

“So, just stand there and watch. I’ll deal with you after I’ve killed all these cripples.”

Purrrr!

As he loosely clenched his fists and began to swing his arms with enthusiasm, the face of the man standing beside him turned into a rag.

Without even reacting, Jawoon toyed with the freelancer who was being beaten, then suddenly turned his head.

He caught the blade that flew from behind with two fingers and plunged it into the chest of the man standing in front.

Puuuuk!

“Grrrrr....!!”

“Dale!!”

Jawoon inserted a gem into Dale’s mouth, who was foaming at the lips as he fell, and then kicked him in the chest.

As Dale’s body staggered back and exploded, a blinding flash engulfed the surroundings.

Kwaak! Urrr! Tuttututu!!

Amidst the dazzling light that paralyzed the senses, only the sound of Jawoon’s wild movements echoed.

The freelancers, who had regained their senses, hurried to respond, but Jawoon seemed to be aware of the exact duration of his own spell. After killing five of them, he immediately turned his body.

“Hahahaha!! Is that all you’ve got, you maggots!! Let’s play a bit more!!”

He dashed down the long corridor and threw two gems on the floor, causing massive pillars to rise and form an arch, transforming into a door.

Creak!

A massive beast emerged from inside, walking through the open door.

A giant wolf with pure white fur, its eyes glowing red and baring its teeth.

“Even capable of summoning spells...?”

As someone muttered in disbelief, using rare spells was one thing, but the scope was absurd.

So far, he had used three spells: a wide-area cutting spell, a sensory paralysis spell, and a summoning spell. The variety was so vast that it couldn’t be categorized into a single type.

“Damn... It looks like we’re going to be caught here.”

Chen was right.

Despite possessing powerful spells and proficient martial arts, Jawoon’s intention to repeatedly strike and retreat rather than confront head-on was clear.

He was buying time to prevent Renock and his party from descending while waiting for the dark magic coming from below to grow stronger.

How long would it take to bring down Jawoon Odysseus and clear the path? And what would be the cost of using such a straightforward method?

After quickly calculating, Renock shook his head.

“We need to split our forces.”

“Agreed.”

Chen quickly agreed.

Mad Mason, who was likely busy destroying another temporary base of Phaeton, was in a similar situation to when they met him in the underground stream.

In this complex underground structure, it was difficult for Renock to use his high-powered magic.

The problem was that it seemed impossible to face Jawoon on equal terms without resorting to such powerful measures.

Even after just a brief exchange, it was clear.

That terrorist, who proclaimed that money was everything, was a powerful spellcaster, easily surpassing level 5.

Considering his excellent martial arts and the rare gem spell he used, his combat power could be estimated at level 6 or higher without any exaggeration.

Comparing the forces present here, it was necessary for someone to descend and make a sacrifice.

Dealing with Jawoon in this narrow corridor or killing Craig lurking below.

It was obvious which was the riskier task.

Chen smirked and said,

“Go down first.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I’ll call the agents waiting outside and hold out until then. We can take him down together.”

As he said this, he began to slowly rub the two blades in his hands.

Kagagagak....!!

The sparks from the friction between the blades grew larger, clinging to Chen’s blades like a beacon and burning fiercely.

Chen, gripping the curved blades that were now on fire, turned to Renock and smirked.

“Since you did the hard work last time, I’ll take care of it this time.”

“......”

Renock couldn’t help but chuckle at his nonchalant attitude.

He knew exactly how to make others like him, even if it meant taking a loss. This time, it didn’t sound bad, purely because of his talent.

With a Feather Fall in his mouth, Renock lit it and said,

“Do you know how to draw his attention?”

“Of course. I might not win, but I can drag it out.”

“You’ve never lost a verbal battle, I guess.”

“How did you know?”

As they conversed, the two slowly began to gather their mana.

Renock, who hadn’t used his mana in a long time, began to run, channeling it into his legs.

Due to his [Mana Addict] trait, he had avoided directly infusing his body with mana to enhance it, but this was the final operation.

Once this was over, he could take a long rest.

He might not be able to walk properly for at least two weeks, but considering the situation, he needed to resolve it with an unexpected method.

Especially after hearing Jawoon’s words just now.

Paaat!!

Passing through the chaotic intersection where Jawoon’s summoned creature was fighting, Renock began to sprint.

Feather Fall, which lightened his body, combined with the mana-induced physical enhancement, made his speed so fast that even Renock was taken aback.

Stumbling due to his poor motor skills, he quickly regained his balance and continued to dash down the corridor.

“......!!”

Jawoon’s expression, which had been relaxed, slightly distorted, clearly not expecting Renock to charge directly from the front.

Feeling the confidence of his prediction being shattered, Jawoon pulled out a gem from his sleeve and lunged, but—

Whiiing!

Kwaang!!

The metal fragments Renock threw expanded rapidly, turning into a large iron plate that completely blocked the corridor.

“Just this kind of thing!”

Grrr!!

Jawoon tore the iron plate with his bare hands and immediately tried to chase after Renock, but Chen’s blade suddenly shot forward, blocking his path.

Haaak!

Seizing the opportunity, Renock dashed past the corridor Jawoon was blocking.

“Where are you going, you brat!!”

But even in the midst of this, Jawoon dropped the gem in his hand, kicked it with his heel, and sent it flying toward Renock.

A movement so agile that it made Renock marvel.

His innate combat sense, combined with the special weapon of gem spells, was producing the highest efficiency.

The gem Jawoon kicked emitted light and instantly transformed into a solid wall of crystal, blocking Renock’s path and filling the descending corridor.

The confidence that if he could just hold Renock for a moment, he could shake off Chen and block the corridor again.

But Renock sneered and slid his mana.

“Not even facing me directly, just with this kind of wall?”

“What...?”

As he placed his hand on the wall, he activated mana interference.

Chchchchch!!

With a loud, grating noise, the crystal wall shattered like a broken window, collapsing into pieces.

Hundreds of shards reflected the light into thousands of rays, scattering beautiful light in the corridor where blood was splattered.

Smirking, Renock glanced back at Jawoon and then threw himself down the corridor.

“Damn brat!!!”

A moment of complacency.

And the gap where he never imagined his spell would be so quickly dismantled.

Realizing he had lost Renock, Jawoon roared in anger.

Chen, who had been receiving Jawoon’s punches, broke into a cold sweat but still smirked.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you just a weak mage, as you said?”

Ching!

Twisting the handles of the two curved blades together, a long chain shot out from inside, connecting the blades.

Whiiiiing!!

Swinging the chain, a loud whistling sound echoed.

“Let’s play for a long time here.”

“Hahaha... Do you know how much money I’ve spent dealing with scum like you?”

‘I know very well.’

Renock had probably noticed, but Chen was the same.

Jawoon’s gem spells possessed a wide range of abilities, were extremely powerful, and had an abnormally short activation time.

Moreover, they could be activated without any issues even from a considerable distance from the caster, making them ideal for use in intense battles.

This couldn’t be explained simply by the quality of the gems he used.

There must be a significant cost or catalyst involved.

In Jawoon’s case, it was undoubtedly the use of expensive and intricately crafted gems as the medium for his spells.

Without such gems, he probably couldn’t even produce half the power he was showing now.

Jawoon’s continued focus on money was likely related to this.

Buuuung!!

Chen, who had slung the chain over his shoulder, smirked and said,

“Let’s see if your gems run out first or if I’m the one who falls.”

Or if Hina O’Neill, who had just been contacted, would arrive here first.

Chen swallowed his last words and immediately charged at Jawoon.