-Heartless
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”
Nasan Haegyeong approached us step by step and asked.
Perhaps frustrated that we weren't getting out of the car, she closed the distance.
The fact that she struck up a conversation instead of attacking right away could be a positive sign, or a negative one.
Not that I expected a smooth conversation, but if she was merely trying to threaten us, it could be considered quite positive. If, however, it meant she had personal feelings she wanted to vent through words because battle alone wasn't satisfying enough, then it was negative.
But no matter how I looked at it, this was a face I'd never seen before. Why was she angry at me?
First, I carefully checked and reinforced the barrier I'd deployed around our car. Then I opened the window and stuck my head out.
“Who are you to block our way? Did your car break down? Should I call the traffic police for you?”
As I spoke, Nasan Haegyeong shook her head and snorted. Her jet-black hair fluttered in the wind. The woman dressed head to toe in leopard print looked as agile as a leopard.
“Funny. I'm not blocking your way—you're blocking mine. Stop getting in my way at every turn and get lost!”
Nasan Haegyeong suddenly burst into anger.
It was truly absurd. Anyone could see it was her sedan blocking the road ahead—so why such nonsensical talk?
Of course, Nasan Haegyeong wasn't talking about just this situation.
'What is it? What did I do?'
I was wondering if I should ask her, silently watching her, when—
Nasan Haegyeong, who had stopped in the middle of the road, stretched her arm straight forward. She had unleashed flame magic toward the hood of our car.
Dense ashen aura enveloped the car completely.
But it was useless. The barrier surrounding the car was solid and without gaps, so that level of flame magic couldn't even leave a scratch.
The flames blocked by the barrier spread out to the sides with a whoosh before subsiding.
“As expected, you've layered shields? Is that why you spoke so boldly? How cautious of you. You're the timid, frustrating type, aren't you?”
Nasan Haegyeong sneered.
She seemed to have expected the barrier. The flame magic was more of a preliminary probe than a full-fledged attack.
She moved the fingers of her outstretched arm as if playing a piano. She was analyzing the barrier's magic circuits.
“What's wrong with protecting things? There are things in this world that must be guarded and protected. You seem to be the type who only knows destruction, so perhaps you wouldn't understand.”
I responded lightly.
“Only know destruction? What did you say? I'm a creator. What does a worm like you know about me to run your mouth like that?”
Nasan Haegyeong refuted without stopping her finger movements.
I wasn't just sitting idle either. I was quickly analyzing the magic circuits of the flame magic Nasan Haegyeong had unleashed.
And soon I understood. Who this black magician was. And why she harbored anger toward me.
'Aha. So she was the black magician who scattered jellyfish in Daejeon.'
In Nasan Haegyeong's magic circuits was the iridescent infinite pentagon fingerprint found on the jellyfish swarms.
As expected, a black magician who undoubtedly belonged to the Samir Magic Tower.
Only now could I understand Nasan Haegyeong's words about me blocking her path.
'But why didn't she attack immediately yesterday and was only watching?'
That was the remaining question. She must have been the one watching us at the hotel last night.
She seemed to harbor intense hostility toward me now, so why hadn't she attacked yesterday?
While I was briefly lost in thought, the barrier began to vibrate.
“How's that? Did you think you could feel safe with just that level of shield? It's sloppier than I thought. I'll smash it to pieces in no time. Hahaha!”
Nasan Haegyeong spoke, condensing dense ashen aura in both hands.
In that short time, she seemed to have finished analyzing the barrier's magic circuits and found a crack. Not a bad skill level.
Given the terror attack using jellyfish swarms as well, she seemed to be at least a Night God-class black magician.
“Sir, the barrier is shaking. What if it breaks?”
“I'll try to reinforce the barrier. There are forests on both sides, so I can draw on nature's vitality.”
When Gil expressed his worry, Cheon Danbi provided the answer. Then she immediately entered a focused state.
“Yes. Please do. That woman is the black magician who scattered the jellyfish swarms. We should consider her quite skilled.”
Soon, the barrier's vibrations began to subside.
It was fortunate this was a quiet suburban road. For one, there were almost no passing cars, and forests stretched out on both sides, allowing Cheon Danbi to demonstrate her abilities.
Leaving the barrier reinforcement to Cheon Danbi, I gathered my mana and spoke to Gil.
“Gil, ready for battle?”
“Yes.”
“Look around. Seeing as she calls herself a creator, she'll likely use other creatures like the jellyfish. Check if you sense any suspicious mana.”
“I was about to mention it, but inside the truck—”
Gil couldn't finish his sentence.
Because at that moment, Nasan Haegyeong fired gravity magic at us. The condensed black energy of black magic struck the car we were in.
“Ugh!”
“Hah!”
Gil and Cheon Danbi let out short screams and gasped.
Nasan Haegyeong's magic couldn't penetrate the barrier. Instead, she chose an attack that shook the whole thing rather than piercing through it.
She gathered an enormous amount of ashen aura, wrapped the barrier in it, and applied heavy gravity magic.
Terrific pressure pressed in from all sides.
Moreover, the ashen aura was seeping through the cracks in the barrier she had found moments ago.
“I'll purify it!”
Cheon Danbi hastily took something out of her bag and scattered it around us. Fine silver powder sparkled and fluttered through the air.
Even with purification and reinforcement, we couldn't rely solely on the barrier.
It was time to block with attacks.
“Gil, let's get out.”
“Yes!”
Gil and I got out of the car.
Even though we had exited the car, we were still inside the barrier. But our posture must have felt different.
I could see Nasan Haegyeong straightening her back. Yet her mouth spewed overconfident words.
“So you've finally shown yourself by getting out of the car. Good thinking. Since you're a wizard too, shouldn't you at least fight once before you die?”
Despite saying that, Nasan Haegyeong actually took a step back.
The men behind us didn't approach either. I caught a glimpse of them going around to the back of the truck.
Seeing that, Gil brought up what he'd tried to say earlier. He spoke in a low voice.
“Sir, there are magical creatures in the truck. And a lot of them.”
“Magical creatures? You don't know what kind?”
“No, I'm not sure. It seems their mana has been blocked, but I can still sense them. They're definitely living creatures.”
“Understood. Be careful.”
“Yes.”
Watching us whisper, Nasan Haegyeong giggled.
“You've finally noticed? That I've prepared a gift for you? Watch closely. You'll like it.”
Then she shouted toward the men who had gone behind the truck.
“What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and release my babies!”
“Yes, Nasan Haegyeong!”
“Starting now!”
The men cackled as if delighted and replied.
Gil turned his head to look back at the truck. I didn't take my eyes off Nasan Haegyeong.
Whatever creatures were about to be released from the truck, Nasan Haegyeong would be the one controlling them.
“Lizards? Snakes? Crocodiles! Lizardmen!”
A repulsive presence was felt and hissing sounds were heard. Each time the creatures revealed themselves, Gil called out their names to inform me.
They were all quiet creatures, so the sounds of their movements weren't clearly audible.
“Come out quickly, my cute babies! Are you hungry? Hurry out and gobble those humans into pieces!”
Nasan Haegyeong raised both arms high. She spread her hands wide to disperse the dense ashen aura gathered in her palms.
At that very moment, I stretched one hand forward and cast ice magic.
'Rise, ice wall! Freeze the ashen aura!'
A bluish, transparent ice wall rose in front of Nasan Haegyeong. The ashen aura flowing from her hands spread out before being blocked by the ice wall I'd erected.
The billowing ashen aura froze and broke into pieces. Gradually, it disappeared leaving white frost-like traces in the air.
“You! Trying to block me again? But this time it won't go your way!”
Nasan Haegyeong poured out seething anger and whirled both arms in large circles. Then she brought both arms down violently toward the ground.
Boom! Boom! Crash!
Ground-shaking rumblings burst forth.
It was gravity magic. Stronger than before.
The barrier was protecting the area around our car, but we couldn't completely escape the influence. Space itself was vibrating.
The road began to crack as if an earthquake had occurred. The entire stretch of road caved in as if a massive force from below was pulling it down.
The rumbling vibrations shook the barrier, and the ground beneath our feet trembled.
“Gil! Hold on!”
“Yes! I'm fine!”
I was worried about Cheon Danbi inside the car, but she should be fine since several more layers of barriers were operating inside.
Regaining my balance, I quickly looked back.
The creatures released from the truck were moving in all directions. Reptiles like lizards, iguanas, snakes, and crocodiles moved much faster than humans, easily avoiding the vibrations.
The lizardmen were the same, of course.
It was the humans who were floundering. When the gravity magic split and collapsed the road, reaching the truck, the men there staggered and fell into the cracks.
“Aaaah! Save us!”
“Nasan Haegyeong! We've fallen!”
The men screamed.
When I turned my head back to Nasan Haegyeong, she stood motionless with a cruel smile. She showed no intention of saving her underlings.
“Good-for-nothings. Things less than lizards calling themselves humans. And you dared call yourselves black magicians?”
“Aaaargh! Nasan Haegyeong!”
“Please save us!”
The men's screams echoed for a long while. But soon they were no longer visible. They seemed to have failed to hold on and sunk deep inside.
“Heartless.”
Whether she heard my murmur, Nasan Haegyeong whipped her head around.
“What did you say? You're still acting composed? Your opponent is me. Stop worrying about other things and focus, will you? To think you'd say something like 'heartless.' It's only natural for the weak and incompetent to die when their time comes. Which means now is your time to die!”
Nasan Haegyeong began condensing ashen aura in both hands again. Beyond the ice wall I'd erected, everything filled with dark, smoke-like waves.
Under those waves, cracks were gradually forming in the ice wall.