Chapter 237

#237 Episode: The Tin Knight and the Witch of the River (7)

You sharpened your nerves to the breaking point.

The body of the Tin Knight was tensed.

The enemy in front of you, the wicked North Witch, was a completely different opponent than the last time you faced her.

“Well, well, you’ve crawled back to me, puppet!!”

With a gleeful smile, Mombi swung her right arm with all her might.

Her greatly enlarged and twisted right arm sliced through the air like a beast’s paw, coming down on you.

Puh-woosh!

Even though you managed to evade most of the attack, you still felt a jolt that sent your heavy body sliding backward.

The ability to freely alter her physical structure was an unimaginable advantage in close combat.

It also seemed she had some skill in hand-to-hand fighting too, mixing in some martial arts, making her a truly fearsome foe.

[“It’s not that the ‘Tin Knight’ crawled over; he ran here!” kindly points out the opponent’s squashed eyes!]

[“Is that all you can do with that body? How pathetic!” expresses disappointment at the opponent’s lack of skill!]

In other words, it still counted as “her own level.”

Excluding that ridiculous bodily transformation, if you were to judge purely on skill, she’d barely make it to a third-rate level.

If there’s someone like Dorothea, who knows only basic self-defense techniques, that’s one thing, but even without having to reference someone like Adelheid, a hybrid like Gale could handle her comfortably.

There was a vast gap, making any comparison with you, who had inherited the techniques of the Tin Knight, utterly pointless.

And the reason for that was clear.

Mombi’s main tactics involved ambushes and deception through transformation.

Plus, she had an absurd skill that could kill with just a touch if her opponent lacked a certain level of magical control.

In terms of class, she was nearly an assassin, and just like an assassin doesn’t need high-level front-line combat power, neither did Mombi.

She could harmlessly approach the opponent disguised using her transformation skills, and with just a light poke, most would simply drop dead, so there was no need for her to hone techniques like martial arts.

You slipped the enlarged right arm past and dove into Mombi’s embrace to stab with your sword.

Kaaang!

As though you were stabbing a solid iron wall, your sword halted right before piercing Mombi’s heart, unable to go any further.

The barrier surrounding her body wouldn’t allow any further assaults.

Mombi twisted her body and, nearly lying back, kicked you upwards diagonally with her left leg.

Her extraordinary defensive power served as an effective weapon on its own, and the moment your sturdy metal shoulder brushed against hers, a chunk of it was shaved away.

You paid it no mind.

For a doll that felt no pain or fatigue, any injury except for a fatal wound was merely a minor issue that could be healed with enough magical power and time.

As you utilized Mombi’s unstable stance, you spun your body and kicked at her right leg.

Although no actual wounds were dealt due to the magical barrier, both of Mombi’s legs lifted off the ground.

And right after that, a flash from the side pierced through Mombi’s flank.

Bhaang!

The power was enough to whip up a gust of wind that followed a beat late.

Mombi’s body flew back like a skipping stone.

A significant part of the magical symbols tightly enveloping her body disintegrated.

Mombi smacked her lips and tried to burrow back into the crowd, but you anticipated her direction and preemptively blocked her path.

You braced with your shield, restrained her with your sword, disrupted her posture with martial arts, and when the White Knight slightly stepped aside to make it easier to strike, that was the formula for success.

Every strike from the White Knight, receiving a full buff from Gale, was powerful enough to smash the castle gate in one hit, making the sound of hitting a human body seem as if a boulder had fallen.

Not to mention, when striking from above downwards, a crater formed as if a cannonball had dropped.

You pulled back at intervals, timing it just right, and every time, Gale, who had teleported nearby, would pass magical energy over to Dorothea.

While you replenished your magical power, Mombi, with serpent-like movements, tried to weave through the chaotic melee, but what blocked her was the wall of undead created by Dorothea.

The wall of undead fell easily at Mombi’s light gesture, but in that gap, you managed to finish replenishing your magical power.

When Mombi attempted to disappear among the wizards using her transformation skills, she failed as you grasped her ankle and dragged her out.

Mombi was about to yell something out of annoyance, but before she could, the White Knight’s spear struck her head again.

Instead of spilling red blood, magical symbols spread into the air and vanished.

“You little pests, so persistent!”

“What’s with how hard that is!!”

Both Mombi and Dorothea were irritated.

Just like Mombi had transformed into the Master of the Tower of Guardian before to sweep everything away in one go, her transformation powers peaked when she burrowed into the crowd.

Knowing this, you and your group were doing your utmost to keep her isolated from the battle.

Dorothea built a physical barrier with her undead army, Gale cast buffs on her allies while lending magical power instead, and you checked Mombi’s movements to create openings for the White Knight to move in and unleash powerful strikes.

In other words, even with all that effort, isolation was the best option.

No matter how much you battered her or chipped away at the symbols wrapped around her body, over time, the barrier would regenerate.

There was a legend about a village under the protection of North Witch Olin that survived a volcanic eruption without any casualties, and she was using such incredible defense solely to protect herself, making it hard to tell whether you were beating a person or a castle.

You’ve got two entities that could crush a castle given enough time—one harnessing magical power and the other focusing on time itself, making Mombi a greater nuisance than the castle’s defenses.

To stop that annoying infinite regeneration barrier, you had to somehow smash the core of the magical tower supplying Mombi with magic.

“…Alright. If you want it that way, then let’s smash it head-on.”

Acknowledging that you and Dorothea made it impossible for her to strike and retreat, Mombi once again transformed her body.

This time, it wasn’t just a partial level of transformation; she completely overhauled her entire being.

Her arms twisted, her skin contorted, and tentacle-like structures sprouted from various places on her body.

And with that terrifying change, the witch ignored you and the White Knight and sprinted straight towards Dorothea and Gale.

As expected of a wicked witch with a rogue-like tech tree, incongruence in actions and words seemed to be her basic skill as you swung your weapon.

Your sword clashed with her right hand.

***

Kaaang!

Every time Adelheid’s dual swords collided with Rotbart’s royal staff, shockwaves reverberated through the air.

Just as Adelheid stepped forward to swing her sword again, ice spikes shot up from the ground around Rotbart like chestnuts.

Instinctively stepping back, Adelheid found the ice spikes chasing her as though they had a will of their own, trying to impale her. They looked just like a snake.

Rotbart didn’t stop there; he slammed his staff down to the ground.

From where he stood, a wave of cold ripples spread out, slowing the flow of air as if it were jelly.

Not only that, but something around Rotbart began to shimmer with light.

At first glance, it appeared beautiful and mystical, but its essence was lethal.

The ice blades, smaller than fingernails, each contained magical energy, with sharpness that surpassed ordinary swordplay.

If an average person wandered in there, they’d be riddled with tiny holes before immediately losing their life, and fast-moving warriors would fare no better.

Those ice blades also expanded over time, threatening to fill the entire tenth floor.

If this continued, Adelheid would be trapped with nowhere to escape.

But let’s clarify one thing.

From the start, Adelheid had no intention of fleeing.

Taaat!

Adelheid planted her feet against the wall and leaped toward the ceiling.

As four sword beams scattered, one square stone wall fell to the ground due to gravity.

Adelheid then turned her dual swords sideways and whacked the falling stone wall with all her might.

The stone wall instantly became a makeshift projectile, flying straight toward where Rotbart was standing.

On its trajectory, the ice blades already set up were swept away as if erased by an eraser.

Even with her enhanced physical abilities, Rotbart was, after all, a mage.

He was more accustomed to blocking attacks with magical barriers rather than dodging them, and this time he performed that habitual response.

As Rotbart stomped his foot, ice spikes towering three meters in height sprang up to block the incoming stone.

Or at least, that’s how it was supposed to go.

But Adelheid, who was pressed closely against the stone wall, failed that attempt as she crashed into it once more with her body.

With the impact like that of a truck colliding, rock, ice, and Rotbart’s body intertwined and flew back.

Adelheid attempted to deliver a follow-up attack, but just before that, a blizzard swirled around Rotbart.

The ice blades spun wildly, grinding everything around them like a blender, forcing Adelheid to shift her body backward to avoid them.

Pabapapababat!

In pursuit, ice-made spikes began to rain down like a machine gun.

Adelheid dodged sideways, but the walls pierced by the spikes turned white as if afflicted by frostbite.

Creak, creak echoed from various parts of the building.

The extreme cold emanating from Rotbart was too much for the floor they were standing on to bear.

Even the moisture in her eyes froze solid in moments, while Adelheid, in terms of physical capability, was already a high-level swordswoman on her half-transcended path.

Even facing the frigid air that could peel her skin off upon contact, she only felt slight heaviness without being significantly harmed.

This time, she chipped the building walls into pieces and sent them flying toward Rotbart as if playing hockey.

In response, Rotbart conjured up ice-made tridents to have them bite at Adelheid.

Some of her hair got frozen and disintegrated into powder, while Rotbart’s right arm was slightly crushed under falling debris.

Rotbart assessed the situation coldly and reached a conclusion.

‘…Not bad. At this rate, I’m in the advantageous position.’

Rotbart, the leader of the Tower of Magic and king of House Lognir, could manipulate cold and ice magic to the limit, and with Mombi providing additional reinforcement using transformation and meridians’ magic, he was well-prepared.

Any ordinary creature would freeze to death in mere minutes under these conditions, yet the adversary only grew slightly sluggish, which was remarkable.

However, it implied that she could not completely disregard the effects of this cold either.

The enemy’s strategy of chipping away at the building and using debris as projectiles was certainly threatening, but once he got used to it, he could handle it well enough.

‘If this drags on, it will be disadvantageous, and they will know that too. This kind of brick is no real attack… merely a distraction.’

If he understood that something different awaited him as a real threat, and with it presenting itself soon enough, dealing with it wouldn’t be difficult.

‘Come.’

Although the opponent’s talent was truly prodigious, the more of a genius they were, the less patience they had in enduring situations that didn’t go their way, something the worldly-wise elder knew well.

After all, he was a sworn enemy responsible for the death of the opponent’s father. The more unfavorable the situation became, the greater the anxiety.

Rotbart calmly awaited the moment his opponent’s patience would finally hit its limit.

And finally, that moment arrived.

Debris from the building flew through the blizzard.

And in the shadow of that debris, the cold gleam of a blade approached.

At the precise timing of the oncoming counterattack, Rotbart unleashed his magical energy without hesitation.

Kwang, as Adelheid’s sword failed to reach Rotbart and got trapped among the ice pillars.

Only the sword remained there.

Rotbart realized something was wrong but acted too late; from below, a hand reached out and grabbed him by the collar.

There was nothing soft and cozy like fabric to hold onto his body, but it didn’t matter.

Each of Adelheid’s fingers twisted the crystal near his neck, securely locking his body.

The eyes of Rotbart and her met.

「[“The ‘Tin Knight’ mentions it’s about time to let loose after holding back all this while!]」

Adelheid, her body frozen in various areas, exhaled a white breath and softly spoke.

“─Let’s start with one floor.”

Before Rotbart could utter a word in response, Adelheid slammed his head hard against the ground.

Kwahhhh!

The tenth-floor ground crumbled beneath them.

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