Chapter 171

I forced myself to stand up, but the situation was still overwhelmingly against me. I couldn’t use large-scale magic properly because I was worried the building might collapse. Now, one of my eyes couldn’t see properly due to the medicine, and I was bleeding quite a bit after forcibly pulling out the scalpel earlier. Damn it, I should’ve pulled out the one stuck in my shoulder instead of the one in my thigh…

“Ah, don’t worry. Even if you collapse, I’ll stitch you up before I leave. I brought the thread with me.”

“Well, that’s…”

I picked up the scalpel that had missed its mark and threw it straight toward his eye.

“Tears of gratitude, huh!”

From what I just observed, regenerating complex areas like the eyes or heart took a little more time. Of course, it was just a way to buy time, but it wasn’t entirely impossible. I had my own plan, after all.

“Such shallow tricks don’t even cause me pain anymore. Why don’t you try using magic instead? If you keep using it… who knows? Maybe one of your spells could kill me…”

Damn it, I shouldn’t have left Enok behind. I thought I didn’t need him since I didn’t come here to fight… but if I released the ones sealed inside, even if I got seriously injured, I might’ve been able to seal him inside Enok.

No, I wouldn’t have sealed him.

That wouldn’t bring salvation or punishment. Even if I had brought Enok, I would’ve made the same choice.

“Ah, have you already run out of tricks? Then it’s my turn again.”

“No, your turn is over.”

I should thank that Uncle Tristan. Invisible Spear Magic—this thing was truly impressive. The dream built by three generations was indeed a formidable achievement.

“Binding… is it?”

Converting the body’s magical power into specific attributes wasn’t a divine skill limited to earth and steel attributes. Even fluid attributes like lightning, water, darkness, fire, and light were a bit tricky, but other attributes could still be mimicked to some extent.

“Binding with tree roots… and it doesn’t even absorb nutrients like the wood attribute magic I just used… No way to escape through regeneration. Plus, since it’s the wood attribute, which is life itself, petty tricks won’t work. That’s why the Spirit King of Wood is called the strongest… Ah, I’ve really been cornered here.”

Good thing I liked hero movies. This was the moment Groot-sensei’s wisdom truly shone.

“Well, then, surrender already. I’d rather not kill someone who hasn’t committed murder. I can’t empathize with your pain, but I can understand it. I’ll do my best to find a way…”

“If it were the old me, I might’ve fallen for that story. But no matter what you do, I won’t die. Only Lancelot’s sword itself could… or maybe there’s another way. But to walk that distant path toward death or non-existence… don’t you think that’s too cruel?”

“Even so, you’re already captured. No matter what you say or do, it’s meaningless. If you don’t want to rot in an underground prison for the rest of your life, you’d better surrender.”

“How naive, Lord Werner. Did you really think I hadn’t considered this scenario?”

“What?”

He suddenly pulled out a black sphere from his pocket. At first, I thought it was a rice ball… but this subtle smell… gunpowder? No, a bomb.

“You’ve seen bombs using gunpowder before, haven’t you, Lord Werner?”

“Even a palm-sized bomb like that won’t be enough to blow away this magic. Blowing up the building is even more impossible. You’ll just burn your hand or get hurt. You’ll regenerate quickly, but…”

“This is a masterpiece, its power maximized and size minimized. A creation of Sir Gallahad. The magic itself is sturdy and won’t be damaged… but it’s enough to harm two people.”

Bedivior pulled out what looked like the safety pin of the bomb and swallowed it.

“Damn it, you crazy…”

With an indescribable roar, his body exploded.

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The ringing in my ears confirmed that the situation had worsened. The power was twice that of a modern grenade… no, even more.

Burning fragments embedded themselves in my body, causing burns.

He, who had turned into burning pieces of flesh from the explosion, began regenerating back into his original form. I was on the verge of death from burns, paralysis, sedatives, and blood loss, but he was still unscathed.

“…Do you feel it now? Given enough time, I can take on and subdue an entire nation’s army.”

“Yeah, you’re really strong…”

“The difference in power… no, I’m weaker than you, so that’s disrespectful. If you’ve realized that neither of us can withstand my curse… just give up. If you give up, can I proceed with the surgery? If I leave you like this, you’ll really die.”

“Let me ask you one thing. Why don’t you kill people? Wouldn’t it be easier for you to just kill them instead of going through all this trouble…?”

“I have no death. How can I give something I don’t have to others? The peace of death that even I crave… how could I give that to someone else in my right mind? Could you give the people you love to someone else?”

Ah, I can’t stand that. But…

“But you know, after rolling around in this field, I can spot obvious lies like that.”

“…What?”

“You’re just the type of person who can’t kill. Born weak, unable to even think of killing others… while making up excuses to pretend you’re choosing not to kill… when in reality, you just can’t do it…”

“Shut up!”

Then the scalpels came flying again. Ah, this position is dangerous… if I’m not careful, my heart or liver might get pierced. But if you’re throwing scalpels from that position, you should look confident of victory. He really wasn’t cut out for killing.

By the way… when death is near, every moment really feels slower. Suddenly, all the moments I’ve lived feel fleeting…

Then, the orb began to glow again. And that mysterious woman’s voice echoed once more.

[Young master, how many times do I have to tell you? Magic is about drawing freely, unbound by form.]

Yes, I knew this voice. And I repeated what she whispered. I don’t even know the principle.

“ᛗᚨᚷᛁᚲ – ᚱᛖᚠᛚᛖᚲᛏᛁᛜ ᛒᛚᚨᛞᛖᛊ (Magic – Reflecting Blades)”

The flying scalpels didn’t pierce me but bounced off instead.

“…What is this magic? It’s not Sir Tristan’s Invisible Spear Magic, nor is it a spell or blood magic, and it’s definitely not the existing magic of communicating with spirits…”

“Ah…”

I’ve lost too much blood, damn it… Now my head’s getting foggy.

[Oh, you’re hurt. You should’ve been more careful. Wait a moment.]

“ᛗᚨᚷᛁᚲ – ᛊᛏᛟᛈ ᛒᛚᛖᛖᛞᛁᛜ (Magic – Stop Bleeding)”

The blood gushing from where I pulled out the scalpel stopped. But I still felt a tingling sensation all over from the paralyzing agent.

[Are you feeling cramps? You really can’t do anything on your own. Wait a moment.]

“ᛗᚨᚷᛁᚲ – ᛊᛏᛟᛈ ᛈᚨᚱᚨᛚᛁᛉᛖ (Magic – Stop Paralysis)”

It was only a temporary fix… but it was suitable for combat.

Yes, I vaguely remembered. When my mother was too busy and left me alone, there was someone who took care of me like a nanny… no, the apostles. The Apostle of Dreams and the Apostle of Change.

“Ha… and…”

Now, even their names are shrouded in fog, but I remember they cared for me.

“Hey, Doctor…”

The blood I lost didn’t return, and the sedative’s effects were still there, so my mind wasn’t fully clear.

“I thought I had an unfortunate upbringing, you know? That I was the tragic protagonist who never met loving parents who’d die for their child… but it seems I had them after all.”

Even if not my mother, there were two people who raised me like parents.

“Someone who gave their life for me… it seems the guy who has everything couldn’t beat you because he was too full of himself…”

“…Just collapse already. You’ve fought hard.”

I couldn’t do that.

[Do you want to know how to deal with an enemy who can’t die? It’s simple. Magic has no limits.]

“ᛗᚨᚷᛁᚲ – ᛚᛁᚷᚺᛏ ᛟᚠ ᚲᛁᛚᛚᛁᛜ ᛁᛗᛗᛟᚱᛏᚨᛚ (Magic – Light of Killing Immortals)”

A beam of light shot from my fingertips and grazed Bedivior’s cheek.

Damn it, did I miss because I’m dizzy…

But thankfully, the wound didn’t regenerate like before.

“Now I can kill you too…”

Ah, I’ve lost too much blood and used too much magic. Plus, the sedative’s kicking in. Damn it.