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Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Slaughtering the Seven-Star Horde! The Apostle of Death Appears!

Raistlin raised his head and looked at the other two.

”Bladeborne claimed he had chased after me because we hadn’t settled the score between us.”

”But I knew the truth. He didn’t want me to end up here, captured and turned into one of those monsters hanging from the metal racks.”

”In the end, he was simply trying to preserve the last shred of dignity I had left.”

The wind swept across the desolate land.

It was a long time before Raistlin finally stood up from the pile of corpses. He brushed the dust from his robe, and the staff in his hand began to shine with dazzling light once more.

He sighed.

”I never thought I’d have to see the people I least wanted to see again in this life.”

”Soon, I should be able to see those things I once called my family.”

Raistlin forced a faint smile and turned toward John.

”My Lord, don’t hold back. Do what needs to be done.”

”Consider it a release for them.”

John nodded.

He offered no empty words of comfort. He simply raised his hand and swept it forward.

”Everyone. Advance.”

...

One monster status panel after another suddenly appeared.

[Monster: Stitched Corpse Mage · Edgar]

[Rank: Seven-Star]

[Level: Lv. 18]

[Health: 34,000]

[Attack: 3,000]

[Defense: 3,000]

[Skill: Mithril Bulwark (Passive) — Its stitched outer shell is reinforced with mithril alloy and magical arrays. Defense increases by 400%, and all incoming damage is reduced by 65%. When its Health falls below 50%, it automatically activates Armor Reconfiguration, reducing the next instance of damage it receives by an additional 80%. Cooldown: 20 seconds.]

[Skill: Heavy Artillery Strike — Charges and fires a heavy magical projectile, dealing area-of-effect explosive damage equal to 450% of Attack.]

The familiar bodies of countless mages had been brutally transformed into metal. Six mechanical legs were mounted beneath each of their bases.

They still held metal cannon barrels in their hands, with lines of eerie blue magical energy gradually illuminating the muzzles.

”BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!”

More than a hundred cannons fired simultaneously, unleashing devastating damage.

-28,473!

-22,109!

Frontline units were killed one after another, only to rise again.

John narrowed his eyes.

These modified mages had practically overcome every weakness they possessed in their original forms.

They no longer needed to chant spells. They weren’t afraid of enemies closing in, and they didn’t need to expend mana.

Once Mithril Bulwark was activated, their defense increased by 400%, while their damage reduction exceeded 60%. That allowed them to unleash Heavy Artillery Strike without worrying about incoming attacks.

”Dragon Knights, push forward! Frost Mages, freeze their cannon muzzles! Everyone else, focus your attacks and finish them off!”

With the orders given, the battlefield advanced in an orderly fashion.

A Dragon Knight swooped down and unleashed a torrent of Dragonflame onto the nearest Stitched Corpse Mage.

The flames crackled against its metal shell, making it sizzle and glow. Yet the damage numbers were disappointingly low.

-1,412!

-1,389!

-1,507!

But it didn’t matter.

John’s greatest strength had always been overwhelming numbers.

If one unit couldn’t deal enough damage, then send a thousand!

Every unit charged forward together.

They swept through the battlefield.

They annihilated everything in their path.

There was no suspense whatsoever.

John remained largely expressionless throughout the entire battle. However, whenever he passed the remains of the stitched monsters, he slowed down slightly.

He wanted to give Raistlin enough time to personally send his former companions off on their final journey.

[Current Number of Elemental Monsters in the Area: 0/1,000. All monsters have been eliminated.]

When the final Stitched Corpse Mage fell, the light curtain flashed.

Suddenly, the horizon seemed to retreat in both directions, and the field of vision opened up dramatically.

The distant wasteland, previously concealed by the edges of the basin, was now fully revealed.

Standing before them was an enormous factory.

It was the very same factory that had appeared in Raistlin’s memories.

Thick, blackish-red smoke poured from its chimneys.

John walked up to the factory and peered inside, following a writhing metallic conduit that resembled a giant intestine.

At its other end, fresh corpses were continuously being transported into the factory.

On the opposite side, grotesque creatures made of a disturbing mixture of metal and flesh were slowly carried away on conveyor belts before disappearing into an unknown destination.

John pushed open the factory doors.

The bald man was still standing beside the operating table.

He wore the same immaculate white military uniform. Even after all these years, his appearance had not changed in the slightest.

Hearing the door open, the man slowly turned his head.

A pair of small, golden tattoos resembling wings adorned the corners of his eyes.

When he saw John, he paused for a moment before breaking into a smile.

”So the rumors were true after all.”

John: ”?”

Before he could figure out what the man meant, Raistlin, standing beside him, had already flown into a rage.

Creaaak.

His staff emitted a strained groan, as though it could no longer withstand the pressure.

John turned his head.

Raistlin was trembling from head to toe.

”YOU MONSTER!!!”

Clutching his staff, Raistlin charged straight toward the bald man.

Yet the man showed not the slightest trace of panic.

He leisurely wiped his surgical knife clean against the operating table before slowly spreading his arms.

”Allow me to introduce myself.”

”Apostle of Death — Heinz.”

As his words fell, a pair of pristine white wings made of holy light unfurled behind him.

A golden angelic halo appeared above his head.

Brilliant white-gold light began radiating from every inch of his body.

The light grew increasingly intense until the entire factory was illuminated as brightly as the midday sun, making it almost impossible to keep one’s eyes open.

Raistlin was just about to reach the bald man.

”Wait!”

John shouted, reaching out to stop Raistlin, who had completely lost himself to rage.

But a violent gust of wind swept through before he could intervene.

Ophelia had made her move.

Her purple dragon wings beat powerfully through the air, generating a gale that swept John and Raistlin, who had already charged halfway forward, backward and out of the factory.

”Something’s wrong!”

Ophelia’s voice came through the deafening roar of the explosion, barely audible.

”This man is powerful...”

The next instant—

BOOM!!

The factory they had just witnessed exploded from within.

Stone fragments, metal debris, burning beams, and countless other objects flew in every direction.

A white silhouette slowly floated into the air amid the flames and smoke.

Pristine wings spread behind him, while the halo above his head rotated slowly.

[Apostle of Death · Heinz (Lv. 25 · Boss · Avatar)]

[Health: 1,800,000/1,800,000]

[Attack: 4,000]

[Defense: 2,000]

[Skills: Holy Light Judgment, Stitching Enhancement, Metal Storm, Angel Form]

[Description: An avatar of the Grim Reaper’s retainer responsible for harvesting and assembly. He personally dismantled and transformed the entire mage race into weapons of war and has guarded the Ruins of Myriad Spells for thousands of years. His true form is far more powerful than this avatar. Although this incarnation carries only a tiny fraction of his original power, it already surpasses most Lord-class bosses in the novice map.]

”So that’s how it is?”

John narrowed his eyes.

Even an avatar was already more powerful than most Lord-class bosses in the novice map.

But John wasn’t concerned. He immediately began issuing orders.

”Ophelia! Same strategy as before!”

”Understood!”

Ophelia let out a dragon’s roar and swooped downward. Purple flames churned inside her throat, burning fiercely.

Rather than releasing the Dragonflame directly, she used it to create an enormous web of fire around Heinz.

Cut off his escape routes.

”Frost Mages!”

”Present!”

All two hundred pale female mages raised their hands in unison.

Massive ice walls rose from the ground.

One layer, two layers, three layers.

Just as they had done when fighting the Spatial Aberration, they built ring after ring of ice walls, tightly enclosing the entire area where Heinz stood.

Heinz sneered.

His holy wings beat once, and his body transformed into a white blur as his speed increased dramatically.

[Skill Activated: Angel Form! Movement Speed increased by 300%, and Attack Speed increased by 200% for 15 seconds!]

With a single flap of his wings, he shot toward the weakest section of the ice wall. The surgical knife in his hand transformed into a beam of white light, slashing viciously into the icy barrier.

CRACK!

-12,800!

A crack roughly half a meter deep instantly appeared across the surface of the ice wall, sending shards of ice flying in every direction.

Three Frost Mages were struck by the backlash. Their HP immediately dropped to zero.

John drew a line through the air with his finger.

”Revive.”

[Deducted 225 Gold Coins. Undead Frost Mages × 3 are being revived... 10,000× Acceleration activated. Time required: 0.3 seconds.]

Pale bone dust glowed with an eerie green light across the ice. The shattered bone crystals reassembled, and the three Frost Mages stood up once more.

”Reinforce the ice prison! Don’t let him break through!”

The Frost Mages chanted together. The damaged ice walls thickened and repaired themselves at a visible speed, while new ice spikes sprouted from the cracks.

Three additional ice walls rose beside Heinz, sealing the breach completely.