The massive shadow of an island covered the ground completely.
Dominic, for the first time, opened his mouth in astonishment at the overwhelming presence of the island. There had been no indications of its existence until now.
He couldn’t tear his gaze away from the sight of the floating island hovering above him, and he muttered in disbelief.
[This is unbelievable…! How could I not notice when moving such a massive chunk of land…!!]
“You know better than anyone that Homunculus has dull senses, right? If you mix in a little artifact effect, it’s not impossible to deceive both eyes.”
They used Nicks badge to conceal the presence of the floating island and Lennok’s illusion magic to freeze the appearance of the sky. They intentionally dispersed ash and dust to mask any oddities caused by the illusion magic. The heat from the flames created a mirage that blurred Dominic’s perception.
If Dominic had been a typical mana user, even Lennok wouldn’t guarantee the success of this trick.
However, just as when they had encountered each other in the ingredient storage, the Homunculus’s senses were significantly dulled because it had blocked all tactile sensations, making it slow to detect anything unrelated to itself.
If they deliberately divert Dominic’s attention and obscure his senses during a critical battle, they could use illusion magic and Nicks badge to eliminate the surrounding presence, successfully deceiving him about the existence of the massive floating island.
On the floating island, numerous wing boats were suspended.
Eyes of Blue managed to fulfill a daring promise by moving an entire floating island simply by riding the updrafts.
Now, it was time for Lennok and Grisha to conclude everything.
A small figure standing at the edge of the second floating island gracefully descended into thin air without the aid of a wing boat.
Their skin was dark and coppery, dressed in loose formal attire, and their face adorned with tattoos.
And a tremendous aura emanated from their entire being.
The spellcaster, upon confirming the presence of the two individuals below, wore a sinister smile.
“Really, managing to capture him till this time… there’s no one crazier.”
She recklessly inserted her pinky finger into her carotid artery.
“Then I also have no choice but to answer your plan with my best effort…!!!”
Despite the excruciating pain that scrambled her thoughts, a smile never left Grisha’s lips.
Even for someone who had lived for a considerable time, her involvement in this absurd plan felt amusing.
But she believed this approach was the correct one.
No, from the moment Lennok successfully revealed the entire plan, the defeat of the drug lord was inevitable.
Thud…!!
She wiped the blood flowing from her carotid artery with one hand and scattered it vigorously into the air.
Following her movements, numerous droplets of blood dispersed in a circle, faintly shimmering in the evening twilight.
The spellcaster, who had lived for over a millennium, propelled the blood droplets into the air as the most potent catalyst for her magic, which began to consume and corrode space.
Grisha’s aura transformed into a massive wave, engulfing the entire airspace of the third floating island.
Deployment of Domain
[South Mando Coast Guard]
Whooooooooosh!!!!
A Domain of an incomparably larger scale than she had previously demonstrated.
A dense jungle materialized in the air, instantly enveloping the space, raising humidity and temperature.
A lush, majestic forest, comprised of trees and hundreds of plant species, briefly took shape.
But soon after, they lost their supportive structure and began to plummet from the sky.
Those components of the area, which had lost their firm footing while manifesting in the air, were now affected by gravity.
Perhaps it was inevitable.
Although Grisha had succeeded in imprinting her heart’s desire onto the area, she had not yet achieved a fully realized world of her own.
If things remained as they were, the jungle landscape would collapse in an instant, despite her pouring all her mana into the Domain. However, Grisha did not cease her efforts.
The crucial aspect was not solely the expansion of the Domain but the utilization of the side effects that depended on her South Mando Coast Guard.
The unique trait of the South Mando Coast Guard was its ability to artificially control natural phenomena within the Domain.
This meant the elimination of the updrafts that had been supporting the floating islands all along.
Whoooooo…!
The sound of compressed air echoed.
At the very moment the enigmatic wind that had upheld the floating islands vanished and succumbed to the influence of gravity.
Nonetheless, their colossal masses commenced their descent.
The elongated structure of Floating Island 2 started plummeting towards Floating Island 3.
The collision of these two islands, a spectacle hitherto unseen in the history of the autonomous region, was etched into the minds of all witnesses at that instant.
Lennok resumed his actions.
‘If it goes like this, it will merely destroy both islands.’
The notion of colliding the immense masses of the floating islands to render Homunculus’s regenerative abilities null and void was sound, but Dominic would surely be cognizant of this fact.
If Dominic were to jump from the floating island as the Domain unfolded and the island descended, it would be a wasted opportunity.
Hence, Lennok had been devising a way to tether the Drug Lord to the islands right up until the moment of impact.
Chrrrrrr!
[Gravity Chain]
A chain of gravity naturally found its place in Lennok’s grasp, as he remained airborne through buoyancy magic.
Until now, it had remained concealed to deceive the Drug Lord, but the final move could somehow be concealed no longer.
All the distinctive magic Lennok had employed thus far had been gleaned through exhaustive magical research.
Of course, they had been perfected through continuous refinement, but Lennok was also dedicated to ongoing research.
How to elevate the common magic Lennok originally possessed to the status of unique magic.
This differed from merely enhancing the potency of common magic.
Unique magic denoted magic meriting study, possessing a specific structure, order, and potential for advancement.
This meant that to formulate a distinct system of unique magic, Lennok had to establish an entirely new framework for that branch of magic.
The chain of gravity in his hand disintegrated into dozens of linked chain segments.
Purple-glowing rings aligned with Lennok’s touch and reached the distant edge of the descending floating island.
Simultaneously, as the other end of the linked chain, resembling a spiral staircase, was precisely positioned around the burning giant’s neck through teleportation and securely tightened,
Lennok, who had been viewing the world upside down, clenched both his fists and formed a seal.
[Ee, eeeek!!]
Homunculus was too slow to even perceive the chain around his neck.
The rings, spaced at a specific distance from each other, began to glow intensely and started drawing closer to one another.
Concurrently, the speed at which the floating island descended accelerated.
Whoooooo!
Magic based on gravitational manipulation.
[Ten Thousand Miles Pulling Chain]
[Huuuu… Aaaaah!!!]
With the seal formed and his arms crossed, the descending floating island and the giant’s neck exerted an intense pull on each other.
The giant’s body failed to overcome this force and levitated into the sky, becoming wedged at the edge of the descending floating island.
Kwaaaaang!!
Recognizing that the body stuck at the base of Floating Island 2 would once again descend onto Floating Island 3, Dominic swiftly attempted to disconnect from consciousness and regulate his mana.
“It’s useless.”
All efforts proved in vain as Davi, embodying the Compassion of Archangel, initiated the necromantic incantation.
Alchemy involves the manipulation of material properties and requires specialized rituals. By its very nature, it is highly susceptible to spells that manipulate the spirit.
Dominic’s consciousness, which had appeared on the brink of departing from the homunculus’s body, was forcefully anchored back into it.
[Now, wait… the consciousness… why is it shifting…!!! This can’t be…!! If I die in this state, it can’t be… It can’t beeeee!!!]
Even with a massive, coordinated attack, a homunculus boasting potent regenerative capabilities could not guarantee safety.
Even if, by some miraculous chance, one were to survive, it would be impossible to regenerate to their original form amidst the crushed debris of the island.
It was only then that Dominic realized that this entire scheme had been devised to end his life from the very beginning, and he struggled frantically.
However, all of Lennok’s meticulously crafted plans had already been set in motion.
Disabling the floating mana and descending, Lennok gazed upward at another surface rapidly approaching him and let out an empty laugh.
The gap between the two islands in the evening sky, lit by the setting sun, continued to narrow.
The twilight that shone through the looming shadows of the islands falling onto the sea illuminated Lennok’s fatigued countenance.
“This is the end.”
[The people of the Autonomous Region shouldn’t be angry about this.]
Lennok had no response to Davi’s remark and subtly changed the topic.
“Well, at least… I managed to hide my face till the end. Even if Dominic doesn’t die here, there won’t be any difficulties in cleaning up.”
Even as hundreds of tons of mass descended from above, their conversation remained eerily calm.
Far away, they sensed Grisha making gestures and signals, but it held little significance.
Since the inception of this plan, Lennok had already devised an escape strategy.
“When I first arrived in the Autonomous Region, I never thought I’d destroy an entire island like this…”
[Shouldn’t we escape soon?]
“We need to confirm until the very end.”
Leave no room for reversals.
While uttering this, Lennok kept his gaze fixed on Dominic’s body embedded in the floating island, gradually drawing near.
If he showed any inkling of attempting to escape through any means,
It would be instantly thwarted by the teleportation of Compassion of Archangel.
However, even as a Drug Lord controlling the continent’s market, it seemed Dominic had never envisioned being sandwiched between two floating islands.
His eyes, unable to move freely, unmistakably held the terror of impending death as he gazed upon his imminent demise.
That was confirmation enough.
Just moments before the two floating islands collided,
Lennok retrieved four pencils from his pocket.
The colossal shockwave that erupted shook the entire Autonomous Region.
Kwaaaaaaaaa-!!!!
With a jolt that felt as though the world had been upended, everything crumbled as the two islands collided.
***
Grisha breathed a sigh of relief after verifying that the last remaining life signal on the island had disappeared.
She had heard rumors of a way to escape, but no concrete method had been shared, leaving her in anxiety. The wizard, who held his own body in high regard, probably wasn’t bluffing. However, escaping from a natural catastrophe of such magnitude wouldn’t be an easy feat either.
Still unable to wipe away the blood trickling down from her temples, she surveyed her surroundings.
“Did we, did we win…?”
“Is it really dead?”
“My God, who would’ve thought that monster would completely obliterate an entire island…”
While some were shocked by the fact that one of the largest islands in the autonomous region had been annihilated, most were consumed by the euphoria of their triumph.
In hindsight, victory seemed inevitable.
The colossal giant that had revealed itself in the midst of Floating Island 3 left a profound impression on the onlookers.
Dealing with the mutant creatures that roamed the autonomous region, with their uncanny regenerative abilities, was already a formidable challenge. If a giant of such magnitude were to regenerate endlessly and set the floating island ablaze, what could be more terrifying?
The fact that a single wizard had averted this unimaginable catastrophe, buying them precious time and flawlessly executing the plan, stirred excitement among the other watchers.
After managing to stem his bleeding to some extent, Grisha spotted an unoccupied wingboat suspended in the air.
The exact count of wingboats mobilized to move Floating Island 2 and collide it with Floating Island 3 stood at 1229.
The contribution of Lapis, who had gathered all the empty wingboats and assembled Watchers from across the autonomous region to aid in subduing the mutants for this plan, was also significant.
Approaching Lapis, who gazed down in a daze, Grisha spoke with a smile.
“I thought it was an absurd plan too, but it worked.”
“…”
“No matter how strong its regenerative powers are, it won’t be able to withstand hundreds of tons and maintain its original form. Even Homunculus’s innate regenerative abilities will have their limits, and we can just wait for it to dry out and die.”
Lapis remained silent.
“Well, to clean up this mess, we’ll have to have a dialogue with the autonomous region’s government… but who will complain if we’ve successfully killed the Drug Lord, right?”
There was no need to tally the numerous administrative procedures bypassed to prepare Lennok’s grandiose plan.
It was fortunate that the autonomous region’s military forces were away on a mission to dismantle barriers; otherwise, they might have had to contend with the autonomous territory government before confronting the Drug Lord.
However, rather than responding to Grisha’s words, Lapis fell into contemplation for a while.
Unlike others who had only witnessed the outcome brought about by Lennok from a distance, she had been observing everything that transpired on that island using her Celestial Sight.
And she had come to a realization.
He had masqueraded as a fire wizard named Byzen, learning all of his magic and assuming the role flawlessly in just one day.
It was a narrative that stood on a different level from the outcome where a wizard named Evan had stalled against the Drug Lord.
Based on his grasp of the updrafts within the autonomous region and Grisha’s South Mando Coast Guard, he had devised such an audacious plan on the spot.
His exceptional ability and experience to execute what seemed like a grandiose plan and turn it into reality.
And his readiness to divert attention to Blaiver Magic Tower in preparation for the worst-case scenario.
“…I think I understand why Grandma chose that man.”
“What?”
Focus gradually returned to Lapis’s eyes.
Her eyes, now filled with a resolute determination, shone brighter than ever.
“We have to get that man no matter what happens. It has nothing to do with the level of magic or the amount of mana.”
“…”
“He will be the sharpest spear in the upcoming war against Pandemonium. We need that man.”
The massive shadow of an island covered the ground completely.
Dominic, for the first time, opened his mouth in astonishment at the overwhelming presence of the island. There had been no indications of its existence until now.
He couldn’t tear his gaze away from the sight of the floating island hovering above him, and he muttered in disbelief.
[This is unbelievable…! How could I not notice when moving such a massive chunk of land…!!]
“You know better than anyone that Homunculus has dull senses, right? If you mix in a little artifact effect, it’s not impossible to deceive both eyes.”
They used Nicks badge to conceal the presence of the floating island and Lennok’s illusion magic to freeze the appearance of the sky. They intentionally dispersed ash and dust to mask any oddities caused by the illusion magic. The heat from the flames created a mirage that blurred Dominic’s perception.
If Dominic had been a typical mana user, even Lennok wouldn’t guarantee the success of this trick.
However, just as when they had encountered each other in the ingredient storage, the Homunculus’s senses were significantly dulled because it had blocked all tactile sensations, making it slow to detect anything unrelated to itself.
If they deliberately divert Dominic’s attention and obscure his senses during a critical battle, they could use illusion magic and Nicks badge to eliminate the surrounding presence, successfully deceiving him about the existence of the massive floating island.
On the floating island, numerous wing boats were suspended.
Eyes of Blue managed to fulfill a daring promise by moving an entire floating island simply by riding the updrafts.
Now, it was time for Lennok and Grisha to conclude everything.
A small figure standing at the edge of the second floating island gracefully descended into thin air without the aid of a wing boat.
Their skin was dark and coppery, dressed in loose formal attire, and their face adorned with tattoos.
And a tremendous aura emanated from their entire being.
The spellcaster, upon confirming the presence of the two individuals below, wore a sinister smile.
“Really, managing to capture him till this time… there’s no one crazier.”
She recklessly inserted her pinky finger into her carotid artery.
“Then I also have no choice but to answer your plan with my best effort…!!!”
Despite the excruciating pain that scrambled her thoughts, a smile never left Grisha’s lips.
Even for someone who had lived for a considerable time, her involvement in this absurd plan felt amusing.
But she believed this approach was the correct one.
No, from the moment Lennok successfully revealed the entire plan, the defeat of the drug lord was inevitable.
Thud…!!
She wiped the blood flowing from her carotid artery with one hand and scattered it vigorously into the air.
Following her movements, numerous droplets of blood dispersed in a circle, faintly shimmering in the evening twilight.
The spellcaster, who had lived for over a millennium, propelled the blood droplets into the air as the most potent catalyst for her magic, which began to consume and corrode space.
Grisha’s aura transformed into a massive wave, engulfing the entire airspace of the third floating island.
Deployment of Domain
[South Mando Coast Guard]
Whooooooooosh!!!!
A Domain of an incomparably larger scale than she had previously demonstrated.
A dense jungle materialized in the air, instantly enveloping the space, raising humidity and temperature.
A lush, majestic forest, comprised of trees and hundreds of plant species, briefly took shape.
But soon after, they lost their supportive structure and began to plummet from the sky.
Those components of the area, which had lost their firm footing while manifesting in the air, were now affected by gravity.
Perhaps it was inevitable.
Although Grisha had succeeded in imprinting her heart’s desire onto the area, she had not yet achieved a fully realized world of her own.
If things remained as they were, the jungle landscape would collapse in an instant, despite her pouring all her mana into the Domain. However, Grisha did not cease her efforts.
The crucial aspect was not solely the expansion of the Domain but the utilization of the side effects that depended on her South Mando Coast Guard.
The unique trait of the South Mando Coast Guard was its ability to artificially control natural phenomena within the Domain.
This meant the elimination of the updrafts that had been supporting the floating islands all along.
Whoooooo…!
The sound of compressed air echoed.
At the very moment the enigmatic wind that had upheld the floating islands vanished and succumbed to the influence of gravity.
Nonetheless, their colossal masses commenced their descent.
The elongated structure of Floating Island 2 started plummeting towards Floating Island 3.
The collision of these two islands, a spectacle hitherto unseen in the history of the autonomous region, was etched into the minds of all witnesses at that instant.
Lennok resumed his actions.
‘If it goes like this, it will merely destroy both islands.’
The notion of colliding the immense masses of the floating islands to render Homunculus’s regenerative abilities null and void was sound, but Dominic would surely be cognizant of this fact.
If Dominic were to jump from the floating island as the Domain unfolded and the island descended, it would be a wasted opportunity.
Hence, Lennok had been devising a way to tether the Drug Lord to the islands right up until the moment of impact.
Chrrrrrr!
[Gravity Chain]
A chain of gravity naturally found its place in Lennok’s grasp, as he remained airborne through buoyancy magic.
Until now, it had remained concealed to deceive the Drug Lord, but the final move could somehow be concealed no longer.
All the distinctive magic Lennok had employed thus far had been gleaned through exhaustive magical research.
Of course, they had been perfected through continuous refinement, but Lennok was also dedicated to ongoing research.
How to elevate the common magic Lennok originally possessed to the status of unique magic.
This differed from merely enhancing the potency of common magic.
Unique magic denoted magic meriting study, possessing a specific structure, order, and potential for advancement.
This meant that to formulate a distinct system of unique magic, Lennok had to establish an entirely new framework for that branch of magic.
The chain of gravity in his hand disintegrated into dozens of linked chain segments.
Purple-glowing rings aligned with Lennok’s touch and reached the distant edge of the descending floating island.
Simultaneously, as the other end of the linked chain, resembling a spiral staircase, was precisely positioned around the burning giant’s neck through teleportation and securely tightened,
Lennok, who had been viewing the world upside down, clenched both his fists and formed a seal.
[Ee, eeeek!!]
Homunculus was too slow to even perceive the chain around his neck.
The rings, spaced at a specific distance from each other, began to glow intensely and started drawing closer to one another.
Concurrently, the speed at which the floating island descended accelerated.
Whoooooo!
Magic based on gravitational manipulation.
[Ten Thousand Miles Pulling Chain]
[Huuuu… Aaaaah!!!]
With the seal formed and his arms crossed, the descending floating island and the giant’s neck exerted an intense pull on each other.
The giant’s body failed to overcome this force and levitated into the sky, becoming wedged at the edge of the descending floating island.
Kwaaaaang!!
Recognizing that the body stuck at the base of Floating Island 2 would once again descend onto Floating Island 3, Dominic swiftly attempted to disconnect from consciousness and regulate his mana.
“It’s useless.”
All efforts proved in vain as Davi, embodying the Compassion of Archangel, initiated the necromantic incantation.
Alchemy involves the manipulation of material properties and requires specialized rituals. By its very nature, it is highly susceptible to spells that manipulate the spirit.
Dominic’s consciousness, which had appeared on the brink of departing from the homunculus’s body, was forcefully anchored back into it.
[Now, wait… the consciousness… why is it shifting…!!! This can’t be…!! If I die in this state, it can’t be… It can’t beeeee!!!]
Even with a massive, coordinated attack, a homunculus boasting potent regenerative capabilities could not guarantee safety.
Even if, by some miraculous chance, one were to survive, it would be impossible to regenerate to their original form amidst the crushed debris of the island.
It was only then that Dominic realized that this entire scheme had been devised to end his life from the very beginning, and he struggled frantically.
However, all of Lennok’s meticulously crafted plans had already been set in motion.
Disabling the floating mana and descending, Lennok gazed upward at another surface rapidly approaching him and let out an empty laugh.
The gap between the two islands in the evening sky, lit by the setting sun, continued to narrow.
The twilight that shone through the looming shadows of the islands falling onto the sea illuminated Lennok’s fatigued countenance.
“This is the end.”
[The people of the Autonomous Region shouldn’t be angry about this.]
Lennok had no response to Davi’s remark and subtly changed the topic.
“Well, at least… I managed to hide my face till the end. Even if Dominic doesn’t die here, there won’t be any difficulties in cleaning up.”
Even as hundreds of tons of mass descended from above, their conversation remained eerily calm.
Far away, they sensed Grisha making gestures and signals, but it held little significance.
Since the inception of this plan, Lennok had already devised an escape strategy.
“When I first arrived in the Autonomous Region, I never thought I’d destroy an entire island like this…”
[Shouldn’t we escape soon?]
“We need to confirm until the very end.”
Leave no room for reversals.
While uttering this, Lennok kept his gaze fixed on Dominic’s body embedded in the floating island, gradually drawing near.
If he showed any inkling of attempting to escape through any means,
It would be instantly thwarted by the teleportation of Compassion of Archangel.
However, even as a Drug Lord controlling the continent’s market, it seemed Dominic had never envisioned being sandwiched between two floating islands.
His eyes, unable to move freely, unmistakably held the terror of impending death as he gazed upon his imminent demise.
That was confirmation enough.
Just moments before the two floating islands collided,
Lennok retrieved four pencils from his pocket.
The colossal shockwave that erupted shook the entire Autonomous Region.
Kwaaaaaaaaa-!!!!
With a jolt that felt as though the world had been upended, everything crumbled as the two islands collided.
***
Grisha breathed a sigh of relief after verifying that the last remaining life signal on the island had disappeared.
She had heard rumors of a way to escape, but no concrete method had been shared, leaving her in anxiety. The wizard, who held his own body in high regard, probably wasn’t bluffing. However, escaping from a natural catastrophe of such magnitude wouldn’t be an easy feat either.
Still unable to wipe away the blood trickling down from her temples, she surveyed her surroundings.
“Did we, did we win…?”
“Is it really dead?”
“My God, who would’ve thought that monster would completely obliterate an entire island…”
While some were shocked by the fact that one of the largest islands in the autonomous region had been annihilated, most were consumed by the euphoria of their triumph.
In hindsight, victory seemed inevitable.
The colossal giant that had revealed itself in the midst of Floating Island 3 left a profound impression on the onlookers.
Dealing with the mutant creatures that roamed the autonomous region, with their uncanny regenerative abilities, was already a formidable challenge. If a giant of such magnitude were to regenerate endlessly and set the floating island ablaze, what could be more terrifying?
The fact that a single wizard had averted this unimaginable catastrophe, buying them precious time and flawlessly executing the plan, stirred excitement among the other watchers.
After managing to stem his bleeding to some extent, Grisha spotted an unoccupied wingboat suspended in the air.
The exact count of wingboats mobilized to move Floating Island 2 and collide it with Floating Island 3 stood at 1229.
The contribution of Lapis, who had gathered all the empty wingboats and assembled Watchers from across the autonomous region to aid in subduing the mutants for this plan, was also significant.
Approaching Lapis, who gazed down in a daze, Grisha spoke with a smile.
“I thought it was an absurd plan too, but it worked.”
“…”
“No matter how strong its regenerative powers are, it won’t be able to withstand hundreds of tons and maintain its original form. Even Homunculus’s innate regenerative abilities will have their limits, and we can just wait for it to dry out and die.”
Lapis remained silent.
“Well, to clean up this mess, we’ll have to have a dialogue with the autonomous region’s government… but who will complain if we’ve successfully killed the Drug Lord, right?”
There was no need to tally the numerous administrative procedures bypassed to prepare Lennok’s grandiose plan.
It was fortunate that the autonomous region’s military forces were away on a mission to dismantle barriers; otherwise, they might have had to contend with the autonomous territory government before confronting the Drug Lord.
However, rather than responding to Grisha’s words, Lapis fell into contemplation for a while.
Unlike others who had only witnessed the outcome brought about by Lennok from a distance, she had been observing everything that transpired on that island using her Celestial Sight.
And she had come to a realization.
He had masqueraded as a fire wizard named Byzen, learning all of his magic and assuming the role flawlessly in just one day.
It was a narrative that stood on a different level from the outcome where a wizard named Evan had stalled against the Drug Lord.
Based on his grasp of the updrafts within the autonomous region and Grisha’s South Mando Coast Guard, he had devised such an audacious plan on the spot.
His exceptional ability and experience to execute what seemed like a grandiose plan and turn it into reality.
And his readiness to divert attention to Blaiver Magic Tower in preparation for the worst-case scenario.
“…I think I understand why Grandma chose that man.”
“What?”
Focus gradually returned to Lapis’s eyes.
Her eyes, now filled with a resolute determination, shone brighter than ever.
“We have to get that man no matter what happens. It has nothing to do with the level of magic or the amount of mana.”
“…”
“He will be the sharpest spear in the upcoming war against Pandemonium. We need that man.”
