Chapter 42: Undead Dead?
The direct blow to the face has sent Eliza hundreds of metres up in the air. After getting her sense back, misty white snow flew around her stopping her in her tracks. The snow wildly covered her entire body and slowly dispersed in thin air.
Including Eliza herself.
Kim felt an imminent deathly aura approaching from behind and unleashed his mana to protect his entire body. His mana barrier was not as thin and gentle as it was before. Instead, it's gushing it feels like a wild beast sensing danger. Ready to take down anyone who was approaching.
Eliza who already behind Kim was ready to slice him in half with her deathly scythe. The scythe was her creation during the time she slaughtered her entire world. All of the souls, blood and bones of the people she killed has been gathered in one place. Releasing emotions full of grudges. An ordinary person would get his mind eaten alive if he was standing within the vicinity of the curse scythe.
Using her enhancement mana, she gathered all her power to give one full swing. The blade that was tens of metres long looks like it could slice earth in half.
But...
Kim who reflectively unleashed his mana barrier has forced her to stop in midway. The blade wasn't able to even reach him. The moment it touched Kim's mana barrier, a metallic screeching sound filled up the entire region. Eliza looked at her scythe and saw the blade was slowly chipping away.
She didn't pull back. Instead, she had the intent to fight back. Gritting her teeth, she unleashed the utmost limit of her mana with excitement.
'This man...never cease to amaze me'
She was in awe looking at the back of the man who made her fall in love. While she was staring at Kim back, he turned around and she felt like her heart was beating again. She felt like she was alive!
"Die for me, my dar-"
When Kim was facing her, it wasn't what she had expected. The charming man she had imagined to keep by her side forever wasn't the man who was standing in front of her now. It felt like Kim was a giant who could swallow her whole. Behind him, a silhouette was formed. It wasn't Kim mana spirit. It was only an image formed from his ridiculous powerful mana. At this moment, even an ordinary person could see the image.
The image was not Kim's human-like mana spirit. It's more like a monster. A monster who stood on top of the food chain. Kim looked like a sovereign emperor who had the whole universe under his foot. Although the silhouette was blurry, Eliza who had lived for long years and had a vast knowledge of the mana world instantly recognized the image of the powerful being that was formed behind Kim.
Her mana sense went to an alarming state. She had no time to think. Everything she felt right now was incomprehensible. The only possible thing she could sense now was death.
"Me... and undead? Fear death?"
Her body is not those of a living being anymore. For an undead to die is a preposterous thought. But now her entire body was uncontrollably shaking out of fear. Her grip became weak which in end released her precious scythe. She manipulated the space and teleported away from Kim, letting her scythe to be crushed to bits.
That one scythe that took her the souls of one whole world. Her pride and joy. She would risk everything to save her scythe but today... fear get the best of her.
Others might simply think that it was just a powerful weapon which you can't anywhere. But to Eliza who created the scythe understand what it meant to be stronger than her weapon. The soul is the core of mana. All mana was generated from the souls. Which means that this one scythe contained the purest form of mana of one whole world. To destroy the scythe would take a strength that was equivalent... no! More powerful than one whole world!
"This man... is he really human?! Ughh-"
As soon Eliza appeared several tens of metres away from Kim in the mid-air, she suddenly felt a tremendous pressure falling on to her, slamming her straightly to the ground.
BOOM! A deafening ringing sound filled the sky. Cracks were formed on the ground with Eliza as the centre of it.
"H-how can...his mana pressure be this strong!" The pressure was too strong she barely couldn't talk.
Even the entire snow domain which she controlled before has melted and vanished into thin air.
Like a devil reincarnated from the depth of the abyss, Kim slowly approached Eliza steps by steps. Every step he took, the ground shook. The pressure becomes stronger, and a small crater formed underneath Eliza. She felt like a mountain is crushing back. She gritted her teeth and tried to teleport, but space was distorted causing the disoriented flow of mana.
For a Lich who could travel from one world to another, weren't able to comprehend the mana that surrounded her. The reason was, every mana within the vicinity was within Kim's fingers. She couldn't believe that Kim was able to overwhelm her with his control of mana.
Her bone started cracking as she used her leftover mana to summon a thunder to stop Kim in his place. She knew it wouldn't even damage him, but it would still leave her with an opening for her to escape. Her deep dark red mana covered her entire body, this was her final chance!
The sky turned dark. Cracking sounds could be heard within the cloud. BOOM BOOM BOOM! The roaring sound of started to fill up the dark sky.
"Bro Kim!"
Rentap who was holding a cup of tea felt unrest in his heart. He took a sip.
"Master will be fine, I could feel Master mana is shining ever brightly. He has become unimaginably more powerful now" She took a sip.
Enggang didn't bother with their conversation while looking towards where the battle took place. It took a sip.
Flashing white light shoot down directly at Kim who was standing on the ground. The roaring sounds of thunder covered the entire sky. If Sylva was watching this, he would feel ashamed of calling himself a master manipulator of thunder. Even he would run away without hesitation.
But Kim remained unfazed. He stood there, and let his mana flow. That moment, Eliza who was supposed to run away didn't run. Instead, she remained there laying down. Even if she lived for another thousand years after this, she may not be able to witness what she was seeing now.
"Kid, listen. Although you are three-type mana user, your affinity as manipulator is significantly higher than others. Which was similar to me. I will tell you the secret of manipulating mana. Being a master will make your mana sense so developed that you would be able to actually touch mana. But I'm not raising a master. Your Master has governed the whole universe...and you shall govern the mana of the universe!"
As Kim's mana flow into the thunder it slowed down and scattered apart. The scattered thunder then flows around Kim like a tamed beast. Kim moved around his hands, and the thunder would follow suit. He understood well now what the voice told him in his mental domain just now. It wasn't about manipulating the fire, thunder, ice, or nature. It's about manipulating mana.
Usually, a mana user would use force to break another user attacks. But what Kim is doing now was entirely different. He was taking over Eliza mana, using his mana. Meaning, he manipulated her mana which summoned the thunder!
Eliza always thought that Kim was overwhelming her with his control of mana. But now, she realized that this was a whole new level of mana manipulation. Her vast knowledge of mana couldn't even conceive on what was happening. The only thing that comes into her mind was
"Sovereign of Mana"
The man who stands before her looks bigger than he ever was before. Her entire fear was not something that was made up, it was genuine and true. She couldn't hold back her feeling anymore. That fear has changed to admiration.
Kim looked straight at her with a nonchalant face. "Any last words?"
Eliza smiled and winked at Kim. Seeing her behaviour, he already regretted asking and readied his stance without waiting.
"I love y-"
BOOM! An axe kick straight to the lich face. Crushing her to bits which flew away along with the dust.
The lich was finally killed.
"Master!"
Momo jumped on Rentap back and pointed towards Kim. Enggang perched on her shoulder.
"Uncle! Let's go!"
"Do you think I'm a horse or something?"
"Giddy up!"
Rentap felt intense headache, but somehow, it felt nice to play around with kids. Made he thought about the peaceful time before the invasion.
"Hold on tight princess!"
With bulging muscle enhanced by mana, he ran towards Kim with Momo riding his back. The moment he started running, a sonic boom could be heard as the place where he stood was distorted. The ground was trembling with high magnitude.
Although the distance was tens of kilometres away, it only took him several breaths to reach halfway. when they could finally see where Kim was, Rentap suddenly felt a chilling sensation piercing through every bone of his body which made him wanted to stop. But the speed he was going would inevitably make him travel several more distance. He instinctively unleashed his shield to slow himself down and covered Momo within his embrace.
EXplosive sound ringing with the full front crashed with his shield. A screeching sound produced from the resistance the shield was making. Although they were slowing down, the shield still thrusting forward with devastating speed. As they get closer and closer, his body felt heavier and heavier. As if they were trying to run into the deep sea.
Cracks start forming at the surface of the shield. The imminent danger has caused Rentap to feel alarmed. Rentap, the owner himself personally know how powerful his shield is. He gritted his teeth and used all his power to push himself back.
Finally, the shield broke. Rentap, Momo and Enggang were facing the pressure head on! Fortunately, due to the pressure, they slowed down enough for Rentap to pull all of them away. He ran back until the pressure wasn't significant enough to endanger them. And that was still several kilometres away from Kim.
"Is that really, his mana pressure?"
"It is... that is Master mana. I never forget how it felt"
"But he wasn't this strong before... that time he didn't even use his full power to fight me?"
"No. He did. At least, that time that was the extent of his power he could use"
"What do you mean Lord Enggang?"
"Momo was there any moment when Kim would lose control of his power?"
"Master control is exceptional. He could control his mana till the point no one would sense his mana even if they are several steps away from him. But..."
Momo eyes went glistening as she looked down.
"There was one time when Master was corrupted by his dark history. It was the reason why we were chased away into the lair"
Enggang was reminded of how Kim ran into the lair holding the injured Momo in his arm. Enggang healed Momo fully so it remembered everything clearly. It seems that there was some story besides the chasing undead monsters before he entered the lair.
"It seems that whoever guided him has focused on the control of containing his own mana. I'm guessing his mana capacity was too huge for his own good. If he tried to use all this mana without proper practice, his body would not be able to stand it and eventually, he will burst inside out from his own mana pressure. Now that he become a Master, he should be able to control a portion of that... but this much mana... even a Master would have a hard time..."
Momo made some kind of a slicing motion with her arms. Then out of nowhere a tip of a sword appeared. At first, it looked like a normal sword, but then when its body started to materializing, calling it normal was far from its huge appearances. The sword was tens of metres in height and length. A small girl handling a sword fit for a giant would make anyone eyes to bulge out.
"No more words! Let's just break the mana pressure!"