Chapter 116

Psychokinetic Teleporter

In the Security Headquarters annex, five deep-layer adventurers and Security Headquarters forces were facing off against the 10th floor lord.

One of them was a 3-meter-tall giant Orc. Chrome, enlarged by the Massive War Machine skill, checked the duration while surveying the situation.

As the number of people increased, he became less aggressive in his attacks.

When fighting one-on-one, grappling and trading blows was the best approach, but now there should be a safer way to clear this.

“Everyone below 10th floor, get out. You’re just getting in the way.”

Chrome sent away the Security Headquarters forces. Now only one Legal Officer remained.

“Legal Officer, guard the professors.”

The Magistrate stepped beside Chrome and aimed his great sword.

“Chrome and I will take the front line. The three professors and the Legal Officer will be the rear guard.”

“He’s a rogue class, so be especially careful.”

Chrome added a word.

At this, Meldini and Isilof, who had never properly observed White Lion’s combat, were startled.

“I thought he was a wizard because he uses Spirit Lake.”

“Damn it.”

Chrome flew into a rage at those words.

“Don’t you know what that bastard used to do? He’s a professor at your university!”

“What!”

“A professor!?”

“That’s right, you idiots! Magistrate. I’ve told you countless times, right? That there’s a monster living at the university.”

“But we couldn’t search the university without evidence…”

The Magistrate answered with difficulty.

Isilof was still confused.

“A professor? Then is he a wizard? But you said he’s a rogue class? Don’t tell me he’s both…?”

“He pulls out scrolls from his palm.”

Dalstream quickly cleared up the confusion.

“He can even pull out 8th-tier magic scrolls.”

“What!”

“So that’s how Spirit Lake came out.”

“Everyone get a grip. Focus on the battle.”

The Magistrate drew everyone’s attention.

“…”

White Lion and his doppelganger just silently watched the deep-layer quintet.

“What are you thinking?”

Dalstream asked.

“How to kill you and Caleb.”

“You still haven’t come to your senses.”

Chrome snorted.

“Your chance to kill the professor has already sailed. You should be worried about just surviving instead.”

“You think so?”

White Lion pulled out several scrolls from his palm.

***

In battles between top-tier adventurers, high-tier magic and skills fly around, but you don’t necessarily have to stake your life on them alone.

Every technique is all about using it in the right place at the right time.

Even 1st-tier magic like ‘Tranquil Mind’ can break through the daze of Dark Fragrance Shadow Spirit.

Even 1st-tier magic like ‘Frost Ray’ can bind the Magic Tower Lord’s ankles to deliver a Wave Whip.

The most important thing isn’t the grade of magic you possess, or brute force, or agility.

It’s the ability to make tactical judgments in an instant.

The impromptu adaptability to set up the battle situation, overcome crises, and reverse judgments, the design ability to properly combine the cards you have and find advantageous positions.

That’s what’s most important in the end.

While deep-layer adventurers don’t fall behind anyone in that field, White Lion, who had lived through countless long years, was sufficiently superior to the deep-layer quintet.

Even though he could never win by simple power calculations alone.

[Earth Wall]

White Lion still had absolute confidence that he would win this war.

As he tore up a 1st-tier scroll, the ground rose up.

Kugugugu-ung!

The wall made of earth filled the space between the deep-layer party and White Lion, instantly shooting up to the ceiling.

Similar to how the Blacksmith had created a sealed room with cylindrical walls at the steel mill.

“What a petty trick!”

“Break it down!”

Meldini and Isilof shouted.

Chrome began charging straight ahead. To the Massive War Machine, this level of earth wall was laughable…

[Structure Transformation]

White Lion immediately tore up a 6th-tier scroll.

“What!”

The entire annex building began to flip upside down.

“What is this!”

“It’s Structure Transformation!”

The wizards’ panicked shouts echoed.

The best way to break the situation when outnumbered is to change the battlefield to your advantage.

***

Urgash carried Yernil on his back. And he evacuated with Neko and Mikhail.

And we who remained on the annex roof…

“Structure Transformation!”

As the building suddenly underwent a great upheaval, we desperately held onto each other.

It reminds me of the steel mill.

What was the Blacksmith’s reason for using Structure Transformation back then?

The first purpose was to trap us, and secondly, to scatter the gathered adventurers and defeat them individually.

White Lion probably wants to disperse the deep-layer quintet.

‘And then he’ll assassinate only Dalstream and escape.’

Kwagwang! Bang!

Bricks poured down from the brick pillars that had shot up due to Structure Transformation.

Above our heads.

‘Steel Parasol.’

But fortunately, even though the monk’s iron rod was dented, it still functioned properly.

Dust clouds billowed up thickly.

“We need to find White Lion. Or Professor Dalstream.”

Without Yernil’s ears, it’s definitely tricky to locate and track.

I don’t have range detection magic or anything like that.

But I have something similar.

[Watcher]

I unrolled a scroll and summoned a detection-type wizard tool, then inserted it through the gaps in the building debris.

***

The deep-layer quintet was instantly split into three groups.

First, Meldini and Isilof.

“That son of a bitch dares, knowing who we are.”

Meldini exploded in anger.

“Structure Transformation? With something this trivial, he dares.”

The professor also possessed Structure Transformation magic. He immediately aimed his wand at the wall surface.

“Structure Transformation.”

He tried to change the annex back to its original form, but the magic didn’t work.

“Th-this can’t be.”

It was somewhat shocking to Meldini.

The professor had lost in a magical power struggle against the scroll.

Of course, this doesn’t mean White Lion’s wisdom was higher than Meldini’s. Scrolls are unrelated to the caster’s abilities.

“It might not be an ordinary scroll.”

“Hmm. We have no choice but to find him directly.”

“Life Form Detection.”

Isilof activated wide-range detection magic. He sensed several people nearby.

About 40 meters away, the Legal Officer, Chrome, and the Magistrate.

And in the opposite direction, about 50 meters away, Dalstream was alone.

No. To be precise…

“He’s with White Lion!”

“What!”

Meldini screamed.

The reason that monster used ‘Earth Wall’ first.

During Structure Transformation, he used that magic to cover and isolate only Dalstream.

He divided inside and outside with Earth Wall as the boundary, and used the annex Structure Transformation from the outside to scatter everyone separately.

“Hurry and go save him!”

Meldini used ‘Wall-Breaking Explosive‘ magic in the direction Isilof pointed.

It’s the magic Clarence once used when he thought Yernil was an intruder and smashed the dormitory door at the dorm.

“W-wait a moment.”

Isilof’s face, who was following him, turned pale.

“What’s wrong?”

“Caleb!”

Three more people were detected.

“Caleb is still here!”

“What!”

“I told him to get out already but he won’t listen!”

“Oh my! This kid really! Where is he!”

“Near Professor Dalstream!”

***

Scrolls are convenient items anyone can use, but there aren’t many available on the market.

Especially, scrolls above 4th-5th tier are difficult to encounter even once in a lifetime.

Much less the ability to pull out exactly the type you want at the moment you want it – that’s truly broken.

How does it compare when it’s wizard versus wizard?

White Lion has three major advantageous points.

First. He can use tens of thousands of different magic through scrolls. He’s an existence where the very concept of a numbers game like reading Memory Books can’t be established.

Second, using scrolls requires no incantation. In that sense, White Lion can be called a chantless wizard.

Third, there’s no cooldown for scroll usage either. In that sense, White Lion can also be called an ultra-high-speed caster.

And the most problematic part.

Despite having such broken abilities as described above, White Lion is a rogue class.

His characteristic agility, behavioral senses, and execution abilities are far superior to wizards.

Because of this, such results are brought about.

Even while surrounded by the deep-layer quintet, he gave no one a chance to react and instantly pulled out two scrolls in succession, blocked vision with Earth Wall and then cast Structure Transformation consecutively.

In battles between masters, a moment’s mistake always leads to fatal results.

“You are…”

In the end, Dalstream, who was left alone with White Lion again, smiled bitterly.

“The natural enemy of wizards.”

“I don’t need to face all the deep-layer adventurers. I just need to eliminate the target and withdraw.”

“But now I won’t be defeated as easily as before.”

“Professor.”

White Lion’s lips curled up slightly.

“How many deep-layer adventurers do you think I’ve faced in all those long years?”

“…”

“And how many deep-layer adventurers do you think I’ve assassinated?”

Sharp claws rose from White Lion’s hands.

“The very thought that you can stop what I’ve planned is narcissistic self-consciousness and a judgment error. All of you.”

Dalstream tensely raised his wand.

His wand was filled with sapphire-colored magic. It was highly compressed Spirit Lake.

The moment he swings the wand, it will change into a Wave Whip and strike forward.

But Dalstream didn’t move yet.

Because there was a doppelganger.

The White Lion before his eyes was two people.

To eliminate one of them, he’d need to cast detection-type magic, but then the Spirit Lake concentration would break.

Step, step.

The two White Lions began slowly closing the distance, splitting left and right around the professor.

“…”

Dalstream backed away hesitantly.

But this space they fell into due to Structure Transformation wasn’t very wide. Eventually his back would touch the wall. If he was going to fight, he needed to make a decision now…

“Huh!?”

Suddenly something shocking happened and both White Lion and the professor were startled.

“The doppelganger is disappearing!”

Literally, the doppelganger glowed and evaporated. White Lion knows the reason.

“Watcher!”

He looked up in shock, and there was a Watcher floating there.

And one more thing.

‘Why is that guy up there?’

In White Lion’s calculations, they were beings outside his consideration from the start. Like weeds by the roadside.

Worthless little punks not worth dealing with.

Tadadadak!

Backstab was running across the ceiling with Wall Walking skill.

“I came to pay back what I got hit with.”

He spread his hands wide.

Like when he sprayed sleeping gas.

But Backstab would know that wouldn’t work.

What fell from his hands wasn’t sleeping gas.

‘Corpse Explosion Scrolls.’

Fifteen explosives flutter down.

Pat!

And Backstab moved behind Dalstream’s back, grabbed the professor, and Shadow Leaped.

‘What?’

Even White Lion, with his countless experiences, found that situation too confusing to grasp at all.

‘Why Corpse Explosion scrolls?’

Those scrolls literally explode when they contact corpses.

But right now in this place, there are no corpses…

Shwaaaaaak!

Something flew in from the front.

Both White Lion and Dalstream had heard this story before.

When that wizard was chasing Bipa and Mugol, he threw some object at exactly the right timing.

‘Magic Tower Lord’s sword fragment.’

It was flying toward White Lion.

***

[It is your turn. Time remaining: 60 seconds]

[Action Points: ■■■■■■]

Let’s look at the Magic Tower Lord’s strange judgment world once more.

That summon is a demigod-like existence with a unique body concept.

The ‘sword’ isn’t a weapon but part of the body, and when it dies, it moves beyond the spirit galaxy and designates sword fragments left on the ground as respawn points to revive.

What does this mean?

The sword fragment has corpse judgment.

“Move.”

I manipulate the Corpse Explosion Scrolls scattered nearby one by one.

Like an artist doing clay work, attaching clay to a skeleton piece by piece.

Chuk.

One sheet at a time, slowly.

I use telekinesis to move the fluttering Corpse Explosion Scrolls around and attach them to the Magic Tower Lord’s sword fragment.

Telekinesis doesn’t consume action point costs when casting.

Instead, action points are consumed equivalent to the amount of telekinesis sustained, according to the target’s weight and the distance moved.

Based on my experience using this magic so far, attaching fifteen scrolls to the sword fragment should take 6 action points.

No need to rush. Slowly and carefully.

Let’s attach the scrolls.

“Move.”

White Lion is wearing a crafty smile.

And his hand is just about to catch the sword fragment.

He probably thought this.

That I threw the sword fragment into the Corpse Explosion scrolls to make the contacting scrolls explode.

In this case, the moment it explodes, the blast pressure would blow away the other scrolls, and the sword fragment would be destroyed, so the other scrolls couldn’t contact the corpse.

So at most only one or two could detonate.

Nevertheless, White Lion reached out his hand to catch the sword fragment to prevent even one scroll from exploding.

Why?

Because the Magic Tower Lord will revive based on the sword fragment after time passes, and then it would become important military strength for White Lion.

He probably thought it was rather good, what a windfall.

Right?

White Lion.

You receive infinite types of scrolls from the labyrinth, but even so, 8th-tier magic is precious to you too, right?

Because of the treasure room’s limitations, you can no longer use 8th-tier magic.

Like a cooldown, you need some time to pass before you can pull out scrolls from the 8th or 9th floor treasure rooms again.

“Move.”

But I’m going to detonate all these scrolls.

I won’t give you a chance to grab it.

You made a fatal mistake.

The moment I threw the sword fragment, you should have activated Shadow Leap and evacuated.

In battles between masters, a momentary judgment error is fatal.

“Move.”

White Lion.

I know you have infinite magic.

I know your scroll-based abilities are equivalent to chantless casting.

And I know that when you tear scrolls consecutively, your magic casting speed is comparable to an ultra-high-speed caster.

But you know what?

I have other abilities besides that.

“Move.”

Remus called me this.

Psychokinetic Teleporter.

“Move.”

You never would have expected this, right?

That in that split second, fifteen scrolls fluttering nearby would teleport and stick to the sword fragment – you never would have dreamed of it.

[It is your turn. Time remaining: 7 seconds]

[Action Points: ■□□□□□]

“Move.”

I attach the last scroll to the sword fragment.

[All action points have been exhausted.]

[Turn ends.]

You should have left Yernil alone.

***

When it was in Maria’s hands, it almost blew up the club.

When it was in Caleb’s hands, it saved Dalstream with a self-destruct bluff.

That explosive that had been drifting around here and there finally exploded.

Right in front of White Lion’s nose.

Bang! Kwagwang!

The explosive power was tremendous, making the entire Structure Transformation annex ring and resonate.

Isilof heading toward Dalstream, Meldini too, the Magistrate, Legal Officer, and Chrome.

No one expected the sudden explosion sound and ground shaking, freezing for a moment.

And Caleb.

‘Steel Parasol.’

Quickly dove under Aimus’s parasol. Backstab, who had brought Dalstream, came along too.

There was quite a distance between the explosion point and the parasol, but still that explosive power blew away the entire parasol.

While also partially destroying the Structure Transformation annex walls.

Kwadang! Tang!

Among the four people rolling around from the parasol being destroyed and the explosion’s blast pressure.

“Water Pressure Shield.”

In the midst of it all, Dalstream changed the Wave Whip into shield form and surrounded everyone.

It was truly reaction speed befitting a great wizard.