Chapter 288: The Footprint of the God of the Land (2)
The Footprint of the God of the Land became obscured by a curtain of darkness. The all-encompassing curtain seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction, blotting out the sky and plunging the land into a bleak and desolate state devoid of any illumination.
Blind — Balzac Ludbeth’s Signature — initially robbed those affected of their sight, as its name suggested. No matter where they looked, those affected by Blind were plunged into an endless darkness, unable to see themselves or anyone else around them.
It was a Signature with absolute power in this kind of war, but it was true that the spell was absurdly simple. However, Blind did not simply rob the targets of their vision. Instead, “sight” was only the first sense that Blind took away. The longer one remained inside Blind, their other senses would start to become obscured as well. The hearing came after sight, and the targets would become deaf. Next was the sense of smell and then touch. Even if you cut yourself with a knife, you would fail to feel the pain.
But it didn’t end there. After losing one’s sight, hearing, smell, and touch, one would lose their sense of spirit, which could be called the sixth sense. Regardless of whether they were wizards, knights, or warriors, they would no longer be able to sense mana.
Even then, after having extorted all five senses, except taste, as well as one’s sense of spirit, Blind’s effects would not lessen. Slowly, very slowly, Blind would rob its targets of their consciousness. In complete darkness, where you could feel nothing except taste, they would even end up losing a sense of self.
It was purposely set up in this way as a gradual extortion of senses because it was impossible to rob someone of all their senses all at once, even if Blind was a Signature of an Archwizard. The veil of darkness was a darkness created by Balzac’s magic, and it was similar to a type of poison. Simply being inside the curtain would intoxicate someone, and the effects of the poison would only get stronger over time.
‘As I expected. Edmund’s Cube is inviolable.’
Balzac stood on the blackened ground. Kochilla’s forces had fallen into a state of panic, and they were starting to run rampant. On the other hand, the warriors of the Zoran Tribe and the allied tribes were unaffected by Blind’s restrictions. They marched and attacked as if there was no darkness at all, pushing back the Kochillas.
‘This range and number….’
Balzac joined hands and began to make calculations. Although there would be differences between individuals, generally, it would take about ten minutes for Blind to take away the enemies’ sense of hearing. In another ten minutes, their sense of smell would disappear, and it would take a bit longer to rob them of touch, fifteen minutes at most. Twenty minutes after that, their sense of spirit would disappear.
The last thing would be robbing them of their sense of self, but… in truth, Balzac was uncertain about the exact timing of the final stage of Blind. It was a gradual process and varied depending on the strength of one's willpower.
However, there was no need to take it that far in the first place. In the next hour, the enemies would lose all their senses and be rendered useless in the battle. If the conditions were met, Balzac’s Blind could neutralize and exterminate even tens of thousands of troops.
‘But I do not need to shoulder the burden right now.’
With a bitter smile, Balzac reached down and placed his palms against the ground once more.
It wasn’t particularly difficult to escape the effects of Blind. One could simply walk out of it. However, the terrain of the valley, the pushing allies, and the presence of Edmund standing behind the warriors of the Kochilla Tribe made it impossible for them to flee from the curtain.
“But I guess it’s the same for me.” Balzac turned his head with a grin. He saw Lovellian commanding the summons of Pantheon from the cliff. The great summoner kept an eye on the battlefield while issuing a command in perfect order to well over a hundred creatures and, at the same time, monitoring Balzac’s every move.
Balzac was conscious of the magical dagger in his heart. Although he considered himself quite skilled in trickery, Balzac knew it was impossible to escape the existence of the dagger. He could not deceive it.
‘I could have if it were a magical oath instead.’
Balzac had signed a contract of the soul with the Demon King of Incarceration, which meant that his oath to the Demon King took precedence over any other oaths, including magical oaths. As such, Lovellian had chosen to make use of a dagger to threaten the destruction of Balzac’s heart. Moreover, he continued to surveil Balzac, which showed his distrust of the black wizard.
‘I don’t want to be misunderstood.’ Balzac touched the ground with a bitter smile. He had no intention of betraying Eugene or Lovellian in this war. His purpose had been clear and straightforward from the start, and it was himself, not anyone else, that he was trying to deceive in this darkness.
“Blind.” Edmund gritted his teeth. He had a rough idea about Balzac’s Signature. It was a curtain of darkness that exterminated the target’s senses one by one, starting with sight. However, he had never seen or experienced it in person since the two of them had never been at odds with each other.
“Magical poison. Impossible for me to detoxify. I won’t be able to interfere with it either,” Edmund muttered. As a wizard, Edmund had absolute confidence in his abilities. However, it was still impossible to destroy a Signature of an Archwizard on the spot.
But Edmund had made preparations. He had been reluctant to use it if possible, but it seemed he had no other choice. Edmund raised Vladmir while chanting.
Blind’s darkness could not invade Edmund’s Cube. Even amidst the deep darkness, Edmund’s vision was preserved. Moreover, fortunately, the magical eye he planted earlier in the Footprint of the God of the Land was still in good shape as well.
Edmund’s original plan had been to reflect the field of vision on everyone’s retina. However, this was no longer feasible since the warriors were already completely robbed of their sight.
‘The other senses will be taken away sequentially after sight. It will take dozens of minutes at the earliest until shutdown since it’s a type of poison. How long will it take to take away their sense of spirit?’
It was impossible to infer precisely. All he could do was to respond the best he could at the moment. Vladmir’s Dark Power started seeping into the space around him.
“Ugggh….” The sorcerers near Edmund groaned. Wanting to preserve his strength as much as possible, Edmund took the life-force of the sorcerers as fuel for black magic.
Dark Power became finely dispersed throughout the battlefield and pervaded the warriors of the Kochilla Tribe. Their confusion quickly subsided, and the warriors rapidly reorganized. Although they were still unable to see, they could now distinguish Dark Power through their sense of spirit.
‘Maybe Balzac saw through it. But our Dark Power is not exactly the same.’
Just as Edmund did, it was also possible for Balzac to disperse his Dark Power throughout the battlefield to induce confusion. Of course, Edmund was aware of this fact and had made adequate preparations for it as well.
“It’s your failure, Balzac Ludbeth. You could not cover my eyes after all.”
His Cube remained untouched. It was clear to Edmund what his next course of action should be. First, he would find Balzac and kill him. With a wicked grin, Edmund raised Vladmir in an attempt to locate Balzac’s presence on the battlefield.
However, after a brief moment, his eyes quivered with confusion. Although he was exploring the battlefield extensively with his Dark Power, he could not identify Balzac anywhere.
Edmund was unconvinced. His Cube was intact and untouched, as was everything else of his. So why couldn’t he find Balzac?
“You damned…!”
Fwoooosh!
From beyond the curtain of darkness, a piercing beam of light shone through. Though the blind warriors could not see it, the warriors of the Zoran Tribe and the allied tribes watched in awe as the light cascaded down like a healing rain. The Light's touch revived the fallen allies, pulling them back from the brink of death. Although the Light did not completely heal all wounds, it brought back those on the brink of death, allowing them to stagger to their feet and seize their weapons once more.
“Kyaaaaaah!” Melkith charged while screaming. Lightning flashed, and flames burst with each of her footsteps.
Craack.
Edmund gritted his teeth when he saw her. He truly could not believe his eyes. How had a single wizard signed a contract with three Spirit Kings?
‘Firstly, the Saint…. No, it might be better to leave her alone for now.’
Edmund quickly regained his composure. Although the battlefield was obscured by Blind, it wasn’t disadvantageous for him. His purpose wasn’t to win the war but to complete the ritual.
As their vision faded, the warriors' other senses sharpened. Edmund knew this well and seized the opportunity. He breathed the Dark Power into them, a force that heightened their spirit and transformed their fear into frenzied madness.
It was no different for his enemies either. They held an advantage on the battlefield and were filled with the excitement of prospective victory. The Light, which continued to bring them back to life, wasn’t necessarily only helpful to Edmund’s enemies. The flame of life that bloomed as the warriors collided would fatten the consciousness and souls of the warriors, which would become sacrifices for the ritual.
‘I’ll have to kill the White Tower Master first.’
A master of Spirit Magic who was contracted with three Spirit Kings…. There had never been such a wizard in the history of the continent, and there would not be one in the future as well. It was no exaggeration to say that she was a walking disaster, and her presence alone could change the outcome of the war.
That’s why he needed to exterminate her now.
Ominous Dark Power flowed from Vladmir.
Rumbleeee!
The ground around Melkith started to shake.
[Contractor,] Yhanos, the Spirit King of Earth, gave a warning.
“I know!” Melkith muttered.
Rumbleee!
Thick chains sprang up from the blackened ground.
“I guess you want to kill this lady!” The chains were about to wrap around her limbs, but Melkith scoffed and stamped her foot. The ground responded, fists rising and grabbing onto the chains. And then, with flames wrapped around her fist, Melkith struck with a fiery punch. "Fire punch!"
The spear of death collided with the fist of flame. However, Edmund had more attacks in store. Large demonic beasts hiding deep in the ground ambushed Melkith at his command.
“Thunderbolt kick!”
Her posture was completely disastrous, but lightning accompanied her kick and decimated the demonic beasts. Edmund’s shoulders heaved at the sight.
“How could someone with so much power be so undignified…!?”
He felt genuine contempt.
***
‘This is troublesome.’
Hector let out a frustrated click of his tongue and blinked, his four eyes scanning the darkness around him in vain. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't discern anything in the inky blackness. Still, he had an understanding of the current situation.
His soul was directly connected to Edmund, so he could hear the wizard’s messages. His body was filled with Edmund’s Dark Power, and it was reinforced in many ways. At first, blindness was hard to get used to, but after some time, he was able to get a sense of his surroundings.
He still had his sense of hearing and smell, as well as the sense of touch and the keen sense of spirit. Once he was actively immersed in the remaining senses, he was able to “see” his surroundings quite well. It felt as if he were observing the space from someone else’s eyes.
Hector moved with confidence as he engaged in battle with his new body. Yet, he remained level-headed, never allowing himself to get carried away. He understood his own abilities and limitations all too well. Despite the tremendous strength of his new form, he had learned a valuable lesson from his humiliating defeat at the hands of the Death Knight, one that had stripped him of any sense of arrogance.
He had abandoned his pride… in his skills at the Black Lion Castle. Hector knew that Eugene Lionheart was a man of monstrous talent, someone he could not best even after a thousand battles.
‘Nothing would have changed.’
Hector knew the difference between himself and Eugene, and yet, he searched for Eugene. He knew well the reason for his search. It was longing, or rather, jealousy disguised as longing. He knew he had no chance against Eugene, but he wanted to see Eugene fight, and if possible, he wanted to see Eugene die.
Eugene wasn’t the only one Hector searched for. He was also looking for Cyan Lionheart, the next head of the family. Hector knew that Cyan was on the battlefield somewhere.
Eugene wasn’t his only target of jealousy. Hector had known from an early age that he was talented. However, he had been forced to concede just because he was born into the collateral line of the family.
But what about the twins of the main family? Were they truly more talented than Hector? He didn’t think so. In fact, the twins had failed to stop him in the forest at the Black Lion Castle.
‘But I couldn’t kill them with my hands at the time.’
The twins had been needed as a living sacrifice for Eward’s ritual. However, that was no longer the case. There was no reason to keep Cyan Lionheart alive any longer. Despite the special treatment they received for being born into the main line of the family, Cyan Lionheart was no different from any other corpses on this battlefield.
Hector moved, shaking off the blood from his six hands. After setting a clear goal, he felt a drive, a murderous intent blooming from deep inside his heart.
He could not kill Eugene, but he could kill Cyan. Rather, for Hector, there was greater significance in killing the next head of the Lionheart family.
After a while, Hector found him.
Cyan's initial reaction was one of disgust, but as he continued to take more lives, he grew numb. He had steeled himself beforehand, convincing himself that he had no other choice. But when he actually plunged his sword into another person, there was no time for rationalization. Chaos and death reigned around him, the sound of screams filling his ears.
The only thing Cyan could focus on was not to forget himself. He was destined to be the next head of the Lionheart family, and he could not die here.
“Fwoo.” He was no longer trembling either. He learned that cutting people felt hellish. He learned how it felt to cut through a person with a sharp blade and what kind of noises someone made just before they died.
Whenever he learned something new, Cyan’s heart thumped, and his head wailed. Nevertheless, his body continued to move like a well-oiled machine. His vision was wide and clear, and he continued to plan without interruption.
“…You.” He couldn’t see Eugene anywhere. They had parted ways a while ago. To be exact, Cyan had left Eugene, not wanting to get in his way. “Are you Hector?”
Cyan looked forward while pulling out his blade from the heart of a native. Blood sprayed over his face, but he simply wiped it away with the back of his hand.
He gazed at the abomination approaching him, its monstrous form slithering toward him. Unlike anything he had ever seen, it was a grotesque amalgamation of mismatched limbs and body parts that defied all human understanding. With six heterogenous arms, a body made up of a grotesque patchwork of creatures, and a hideous face, it was as far from human as anything could be.
But despite the creature’s horrible appearance, and even though they weren’t the creature’s original eyes, Cyan could feel Hector from the creature’s four eyes.
“It is said that the eyes reflect the soul.” Hector laughed, his four blind eyes contorting as he spoke.
Cyan spat at his words, “You should have disappeared quietly after dying. I didn’t expect you to return as a monster.”
“Are you going to fight me?” asked Hector.
“Then should I run? Why should I? Hector, you betrayed the Lionheart clan. If nothing else, I’ll make sure to kill you with my own hands,” responded Cyan.
Even though he was facing a hideous monster, he didn’t feel scared. It was quite fascinating and amazing. Even though Hector was easily three times as large as him, the thought of retreating didn’t even occur to Cyan. Instead, he knew he had to move forward.
For Cyan, it was a mission. It would be dishonorable to run when a traitor, one who disgraced the Lionheart’s name, stood in front of him. He couldn’t possibly do so as the next head of the Lionheart family.
Cyan gripped his sword in his right hand and held Gedon's Shield in his left. He wore the uniform of the Lionheart’s main family to stave off any feelings of shame, and he felt a warmth emanating from the left side of his chest. It was as though the symbol of his family was aglow with energy.
Naturally, Hector could not see Cyan’s uniform or the symbol of the Lionheart family. However, he could feel the vivid malice coming from Cyan.
With his other senses serving as his eyes, he could see the flames of white mana winding around Cyan’s body.
The flames began to flutter like a Lion’s mane.
***
Purple flames flared in the form of wings. It was Eugene’s Signature — Prominence — and the magnificent wings left feathers of fire floating in the darkness. A few feathers drifted towards the outskirt of the curtain of darkness, near Kristina and Lovellian. It was so that he could respond in case anyone attacked the two.
‘…I can’t see Balzac.’
It did not catch Eugene off guard. The quickest way to undo Blind was to kill Balzac. As such, they had discussed in advance that Balzac would hide while maintaining Blind to devote himself to interfering with and obstructing Edmund’s ritual.
Of course, Eugene did not fully trust Balzac’s words. As such, he focused on the magical dagger. If he sensed any progress in the ritual and could attribute it as being Balzac’s work, Eugene would shred his heart without any hesitation. And in order to accurately grasp the current situation, Eugene distributed Prominence’s feathers all over the battlefield.
‘…Cyan.’
Eugene frowned. He had left a few feathers near Cyan so that he could intervene if Cyan were in danger. Currently, Cyan was engaged in a battle with an unknown monster.
‘Should I go kill him?’
Apparently, the monster was Hector. He had never expected Hector to return in such a shape. Despite his strength, Eugene believed Hector was too formidable for Cyan to handle. However, to his surprise, Cyan was holding his own in the battle. He expertly wielded Gedon's Shield to block Hector's attacks and took advantage of any openings to strike with his sword. Cyan's white flames burned fiercely, growing more intense as the fight raged on.
In the end, Eugene decided not to intervene. He judged that the battle against Hector was necessary for Cyan. Moreover, there were other things Eugene needed to worry about. He needed to kill Edmund to stop the ritual. Even though Edmund’s Cube boasted absolute defense, Eugene was certain he could crush the cube with the Light of the Holy Sword or the Moonlight Sword.
In addition….
“I knew you would come,” Eugene muttered, reaching into his cloak.
He could see the Death Knight approaching him through the darkness.
“Trivial tricks,” the Death Knight scoffed. He was undead, and his body had died a long time ago. His heart was not beating, and he had always been blind. It meant that he was unaffected by the altercations to his senses. The Death Knight lost nothing in Blind, and he glared at Eugene with a frown. “Little boy, I couldn’t fight well last time because—”
“That’s a long excuse,” Eugene interrupted with a snort while shaking his head.
It was an undisguised mockery.
The Death Knight’s expression hardened.
“Certainly.”
He drew his blade.
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