Genius Corpse-Collecting Warrior - Chapter 52

Ash Witch (4)

“It just worked out.”

said the witch. She pulled the ax from her head and threw it at Dallen’s feet like she was throwing away dirty trash.

The split hair quickly came together. The witch raised her hands in front of her chest.

Wrinkled and twisted fingers touched each other end to end, drawing strange patterns.

“It’s not good for me to be alone already, so I was thinking of inviting a guest. “This is a customer who will really like the driver.”

A low, fast spell flows from the witch’s mouth. Her hand quickly formed a hand sign.

The clearing seems to be covered in darkness, and a gloomy wind swirls around the altar.

Lucia suddenly looked back. And found it.

The offering that had been placed on the altar was floating into the air.

“How could something so evil…!”

It is a symbol made by cutting off a person’s arm and tying it round with tree branches as if making a crown.

It was a bizarre totem with hundreds and dozens of fingers intertwined, each drawing letters blaspheming God.

Good luck!

A green flame blooms on that symbol.

At the same time, the space above the altar begins to split.

Damn it!

A gap in space flickering with dark red light.

The space that breaks like glass soon takes on a clear shape and forms a dark red oval portal.

Crrrrr….

Two dogs the size of a house with blue chains wrapped all over their bodies walked out from beyond the gates of hell.

The hellhounds, whose eyes were burning with natural fire, lowered their bodies, drooling as soon as they saw Lucia.

“These are hunting dogs raised with great care by Calchas, the owner of the Chain Throne. “He likes the flesh and blood of a pretty paladin like you the most.”

Dallen slightly raised his eyebrows. Although they weren’t demons, they were high-level monsters.

They are creatures that would be difficult to deal with even with the regular battle group of the Holy Knights, consisting of twelve crusaders and two apprentice knights.

Of course, Lucia Castachald, a trainee knight, had already surpassed the power of an ordinary paladin a long time ago.

Dallen asked, looking back at her.

“Can you deal with me?”

“…I’ll finish it soon.”

Lucia said, emitting light from her sacred tattoo.

Her unwavering confidence was evident in her answer.

“Then I’ll leave your back to you this time too.”

Dallen smiled lowly and picked up the ax at his feet. He strode towards the witch.

The old witch slowly backed away and grinned.

“Sure, I’d rather roll around with a muscular guy like you than with a girl. “What part of the North are you from?”

Dallen didn’t answer. Even if I tried to grapple with that fake witch, there would be no damage to the real one and it would only cause fatigue.

He just stopped in his tracks. And with my eyes half-open, I looked into the world beyond the now familiar images.

Sheer cliffs and steep slopes covered with pure white snow. A view of a snowy mountain where the snowstorm has subsided.

Hwii- wow!

Flames and cold swirled around the cabin as they tried to catch each other’s tail.

Puzzle!

From time to time, sparks flew out between them, showing off their small presence.

Excited.

The ground pulsates like a heartbeat and stones as smooth as armor are rooted throughout the snowy mountains.

The sky at the far end was blazing red, while most of the sky on this side was full of swirling strong winds.

While guarding the top, he looked into and studied this world every day.

In the end, I felt like I knew a little bit more.

The concept of territory is a vessel that contains the power of existence.

It was the manifestation of a miracle in which a huge power that could not be contained in a mortal body was contained in a vessel behind the world created through the will of that being.

And the greatest force in Dallen’s realm was not the rain of fire falling from the red sky or the strong wind that threatened to crush everything.

Grumble.

The sound of thunder splitting the sky.

The thundering sound makes my heart tremble, and the ax in my hand trembles, as if asking me to throw it right away.

“You keep your mouth shut in response to the old man’s question. “It was the same with table manners, but you really lack manners.”

“Courtesy is shit. “A bastard who started off with padding at first glance.”

“Loss…what?”

Dallen didn’t answer this time either.

I fully open my half-opened eyes and look up at the gray sky.

A feast of pale gray light covered the sky above the forest, writhing as if it were alive.

The living sacrifices soaked in medicine were all looking up at the sky, and the witch’s body was also formed and fell there.

The shadow in the sky that covered the moon and stars was not simply like a dull cloud in the night sky.

That is the culmination of bloodline power and spells, and the realm of witches materialized in the material world.

At the same time, it was a hiding place where the witch hid herself.

Oooh,

Dallan’s black eyes flash like the eyes of an animal.

Finally, for the first time, the night vision that reached 100% mastery was imbued in the eyes for a short moment using the power of the realm.

A gaze that transcends simple abilities or skills captures shadows wandering through the gray sky.

[The body of a crusader stalking a witch was found.]

[The body of a helpless herbalist was found.]

[The body of a just and brave warrior was found.]

[The body of a silent assassin was found.]

The form was clearly visible. The moment I recognized it, notification windows lined up from across the sky.

Without taking his eyes off the wriggling shade, Dallen let go of the ax in his hand to the sound of thunder in his image.

“Oh, no!”

The fake witch shouted. It was a belated cry.

Flash!

The twisted magic around Dallen wrapped around the ax that had left his hand and transformed into a huge beam of light.

Rumbling!

The thunder that followed one step later shook the trees around the vacant lot.

***

For a moment, nothing happened.

The change occurred as the aftereffects of the beams of light and thunder that shot from the ground into the sky subsided.

The gray sky wriggled and a small lump slipped out from its embrace.

Clap!

A lump of ash fell from the sky and plummeted to the ground.

What emerged from there was a young woman wrapped in several layers of flowing gray cloth.

“Cough! “Wow!”

A woman staggering around, spitting out red blood from her mouth. Blood spurted out from the long scar that stretched from shoulder to pelvis.

Dallen relaxed her shoulders as she looked at the notification windows fixed above her head. It’s hard to see the main body of this boss mob.

“Huh, I let my guard down. “I never thought he was a warrior who created a territory.”

The Ash Witch smiled slightly and stretched out her hand.

Then the old woman, who was her double, turned into a handful of dust and was sucked into thin fingertips.

Soon, ash covered the wound and temporarily sutured it.

Because small thundering sounds and sparks kept popping up, it was just a simple sealing and not a complete regeneration.

“Whoa.”

It seemed like it was at least a temporary solution, as I saw the witch straightening her back while letting out an exclamation, even though it was difficult.

“Enaxagus. “Strength as promised.”

A witch who recites the name of an evil spirit with a wrinkle-free face.

A green flame shines from his wide yellow eyes, with both hands stretched out in front of him.

That was evidence that the witch had already been given some of the power of an evil spirit.

In addition, the distorted magical power of the sky and the strangely distorted space around her are phenomena that appear because the witch is also a being who has achieved her own domain by honing her own power.

Pararaerak – Wow!

Dallen, who belatedly saw that the ax that had fallen in a corner of the clearing was slowly turning to ashes, raised the corners of his mouth and pulled out his sword.

This is not unexpected.

Even if she has not fully realized her power, the Ash Witch is a powerful enemy that surpasses even the lowest level demons.

It would be rather strange if he could be killed in one hit.

Fortunately, even though I used the area thanks to my explosively increased physical strength, the aftereffects were only a little stiffness in my limbs.

Sreung.

Dallen drew his sword. I take a short breath and surround both arms with the energy of the crushing sword.

Meanwhile, the witch also quickly made a prisoner. He chants a spell using low, fast words and floats his body in the air, instantly increasing the distance.

Dallen raised the corners of his mouth. It was the first proper fight in a long time since the decisive battle with Daesado.

The moment when my log-like legs stamped on the ground with a passion for victory that was boiling up without me even realizing it.

Kwaaaaang!

The ground where it was exploded and the warrior’s new form disappeared.

***

Wajikkeun!

The beautiful tree that extends beyond the arms of the two men sways.

Gurgling!

A large moss-covered rock was shattered and scattered by the violent wind that came with the sound of thunder.

Rock fragments and dust bouncing around. Dallen adjusted his sword.

The vacant lot where the altar was was a narrow battlefield for two superhumans who formed a domain to fight. It was inevitable that the fight continued into the forest.

And the vines and trees rooted everywhere provided an appropriate obstacle for the witch to hide herself.

‘Where is it?’

A look into the world beyond imagery.

It draws on the power of the realm and scans all directions with its twinkling eyes.

His senses stretching out in all directions followed the traces of the witch who had suddenly disappeared from sight.

Sreuk!

The sound of cloth rubbing against a tree branch.

Dallen swung his sword straight away.

Quarrrrrr!

With the violent wind, the dirt on the ground rose up and the trees in the path were shattered.

“Such ignorance!”

The new type of person at the end. The woman, whose entire body was wrapped in a flowing gray cloth, quickly made a hand sign and threw herself away.

Shrurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr –

As she stretches out her hand, ash falls from the sky.

The fragments of stone and wood that came in the wake of the crushing sword collided with the wave of ash and were deflected from their original direction.

The witch, who rolled on the ground to avoid the remaining aftermath, floated in the air again and looked back at Dallen.

“…where?”

The northern warrior had disappeared.

All she could see were fallen trees and furrows dug into the ground in the aftermath of the crushing sword.

Quack!

When I suddenly heard a sound, I raised my head and saw the warrior.

I turned my body upside down and stepped on a tall tree.

It looked like it was going to be shot this way at any moment.

“Holy shit!”

Kwazijic!

The witch threw herself away. Dallen’s new model, which was launched after smashing the tree, immediately fell to the ground where she was.

Gurgling!

A flash of light accompanied by a thunderous sound.

The power of the realm was released, and a pit several meters deep was dug where the witch was, and cloudy stone dust and dust covered the pit like a smokescreen.

“Kuh…!”

The witch, who narrowly avoided the attack, twitches her fingertips.

This is the forest around the vacant lot. A space filled with all kinds of traps and spells she had arranged.

Shhh!

Without any need for chanting, with just her will and small hand movements, the thorny vines come alive and move and the rocks come to life.

Wedge –

Grrrr!

Even in the hazy dust, dozens of vines and house-sized rocks rolled towards the warrior’s clear presence.

Kyaah Ah -Mandrake

, who had planted horsepower in advance, put his head on the ground and screamed at the warrior.

“Ugh!”

Even though I gained resistance to Mandrake’s screams from the evil god, my vision felt dizzy for a moment.

The witch’s eyes flashed green and she focused.

The margin created by the traps was her last chance. Thin and long fingers barely made a hand sign.

“Enaxagus—!”

The witch stretched out her hand toward the gray sky.

Following that touch, a green ash wind swirls from the sky.

The ash wind blowing down between the tree branches runs low over the ground.

Passssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssmph

respectively, every single tree branch and small stone in its wake turned to ash and flew away.

‘I won.’

The witch thought.

Her real power is the power of her bloodline, which is closer to a supernatural ability than a spell.

The curse of ashes, which turns everything into ashes, could be said to be the true value of her innate power.

Grrrr!

Ash wind penetrates into the smoke screen. The warrior was still inside.

The thorny vines and rocks faithfully performed their role and held the warrior’s feet for a brief moment.

“…It was a good fight. A warrior.”

After seeing that the ash wind was covering the pit, the witch slowly sighed and leaned against the tree.

No matter how much you cultivate your territory, you cannot overcome the curse unless you have the divine power of a paladin or priest.

And originally, in order to use the curse of ash, a mark had to be engraved directly on the target’s body, but the result of breaking that limit with the power of the evil spirit was that green ash wind.

In other words, from the moment I had the chance to use this power, the outcome of this fight was almost certain.

“Hehehe. Even Mandrake’s screams sound like a celebration at the moment of overcoming an ordeal—”

That moment.

Hwii- Kwajik!

A large shield flew out of the pit, splitting the screaming Mandrake in two and crashing into the ground.

The witch opened her eyes wide. She stared through the settling dust.

The warrior’s voice rang out beyond the slowly sinking dust cloud.

“It’s so fucking loud. “What do you mean by talking about table etiquette and then playing around with the wild ginseng you’re eating?”

“…how?”

Whoosh –

a wind that comes out of nowhere sweeps away the cloudy dust.

The remains of the vines and rock fragments inside the exposed pit were slowly turning into ash and disappearing at this moment.

However, the warrior standing tall in the middle of them seemed not even bothered by curses.

No, the curse of ashes was clearly affecting the warriors as well.

The green ash was corroding his armor and even sticking to the skin inside, eating away at it.

Cheeeee……

The warrior did not avoid the curse.

On the contrary, all of his skin and muscle mucosa tissues were being regenerated as soon as they were destroyed.

The witch opened her mouth with a trembling voice.

“How can a mortal man…bear the blood of an immortal dragon?”

Dallen didn’t answer. He rolled his sore neck and sighed.

“Fufu.”

“Oh no. No matter how much it is, it cannot be endured. For a mere mortal…dragon’s blood is an unacceptable power. “That blood will rapidly drain your energy and ultimately lead to death.”

The witch stammered. Dallen chuckled.

Although the tone was vague, there was nothing wrong with what was said.

‘Originally it would have been like that. It was a fight I could have lost.’

The Ash Witch was powerful.

And among the witch’s abilities, the most difficult one is the Ash Curse.

This curse, which contains the witch’s grudge against humans, was one of the worst abilities, turning everything that the witch had marked into ashes.

‘It’s impossible to even do it unless you kill the witch or drive away the curse with divine power.’

And the curse is reborn in an even stronger form after the witch gains the power of the evil god Enaxagus.

In the form of a green ash wind that can turn everything into ashes by just touching it, without the need to carve a seal.

This crazy ability has a huge impact on the Ash Witch’s reputation as one of the worst mid-game bosses.

In fact, Dallen’s original plan was to deal with this ability before she could obtain it.

‘I didn’t know that I could already gain this much power from the evil spirit. No, actually, this is something I still don’t understand.’

The beings of hell do not give their power without compensation.

And the number of sacrifices that the witch has offered so far is less than a hundred.

Originally, it was after offering thousands of sacrifices using Mandrake’s scream that the witch gained the power of the evil spirit and strengthened the curse of ash.

Therefore, the power the witch now possessed did not make sense given the circumstances.

‘But something absurd happened here too.’

Dallen raised his hand. The sword, with only the handle remaining, turned to ashes and flew away in his grasp.

The arms of the armor fell off, exposing the skin that was repeatedly destroyed and regenerated to the air.

Ugh-

what the hand raised like that was grasping was the handle of the sword that was hanging behind the back and making a small sound.

The moment the witch’s green ash wind hit him, the silent holy sword began to vibrate again.

Crumbling –

the cloth wrapped around the holy sword crumbled.

Instead of a scabbard, the sword body and the chain that was attached to Dallen’s back turn to ash and disappear.

As soon as the thick hand grasped the handle of the holy sword, a clear energy penetrated the palm and completely washed away the magical power of the curse.

“Seongseonggeom!”

The witch with a white face staggered back.

Rumbling.

Dallen, who had completely shaken off the green ash, raised his sword while listening to the thunder beyond the image.

Rumble-

Dallen suddenly raised his eyes.

The thundering sound was not just beyond the imagination.

In the middle of the gray sky.

The gray energy wriggled away and the cloud-covered night sky appeared through the hole.

Rumbling.

The thunder inside vibrates.

Rumble!

As if in response, thunder rumbled from the dark clouds in the night sky.

Dallen took a deep breath.

A clear energy runs down to the extremities of the body, filling it with vitality.

He held the sword handle with both hands and quietly raised the holy sword above his head.

Hiss!

The moment he slammed his sword down on the witch with an inner thunder sound.

Gurgling!

The dark clouds in the night sky pour into the forest with ear-ringing thunder.

Flash!

At the same time, a huge pillar of light split the sky in half, burst through a hole in the sky, and crashed down on the witch’s head.

Author’s Note

“Dallen. “It feels awkward to say it now, but I need an apology.”

Lucia said as she stood in front of the bonfire. Dallen, who was about to bite into a freshly roasted roe deer leg, swallowed his saliva and answered.

“what?”

“What you said to the holy sword was that it was like a ghost. That was a very rude remark in front of a holy knight.”

…Did I do that?

When I scratched my head, it seemed like that.

In the Lvivbach forest on the way to deal with the Ash Witch. He said that after seeing the vibrating holy sword stop the moment Lucia touched it.

Damn intelligence level. Why do I remember that?

“That is outright blasphemy.”

Lucia had a very stern expression. Dallen rubbed his nose for no reason. He said without taking his eyes off the deer’s legs.

“I am sorry.”

“I want a sincere apology.”

Dallen scratched his nose. Is that something that needs to be done like this?

However, the sight of roe deer legs dripping with fat right in front of me, the dishes Lucia had eaten so far, and the numerous delicacies that would be prepared by her hands during the rest of the journey made me open my mouth without realizing it.

“I sincerely apologize. “I was wrong.”

“…I accept your apology.”

Lucia relaxed her expression and picked up the pepper shaker.

She coated the roe deer breast with oil and butter, covered it with pepper and spices, then gently pushed the roe deer legs over the fire and placed the breast meat in the middle.

Cheeeeeee –

Roe deer meat starting to cook with a pleasant sound. Lucia was slowly turning it over the fire when she suddenly saw Dallon and asked.

“…You didn’t apologize because there was food in front of you, right?”

Dallen paused. He took a slow, deep breath, chewed the meat in his mouth, and swallowed it.

And said.

“No way. Even after all this, he is not a warrior recognized by the Holy Sword. Please believe me. “We are on the same side.”

he thought.

It’s hard to eat delicious food even once.

“Did you just swear in your head?”

“…What are you talking about? “I thought the meat was really delicious.”

“That’s good. Eat a lot.”

***

This is a side story I was planning to post yesterday, but it contains some spoilers for today’s edition, so I’m uploading it a day late.