Chapter 2: Slaying the Level 5 [Mad Wizard]

After the giant rune hand crushed Zorn's corpse,
it gave a fierce rub, and the remaining debris began to burn with a crackling sound.
The purple flames dyed the entire expanse of the Death Black Mist with an eerie hue.

[Mad Wizard].
A branch of the wizard sequence.
Its sequence possesses an unstable sequence core.
Every time it casts a spell, a special backlash check is triggered.
The closer a [Mad Wizard] is to madness, the more astonishing the spell's backlash check becomes.
If the check succeeds, the spell will be blessed by rune power, resulting in a massive boost.
If the check fails, the spell's effect will be drastically weakened.
A higher ceiling and a lower floor—this is the [Mad Wizard].

And this time, the check was clearly a huge success, and the might of the rune hand was astonishingly great.
Only...
The [Mad Wizard] seemed to have failed to find the right enemy.
Ash drifted down successively through the gaps of the rune hand.
The master of that rune hand also seemed to realize he had been tricked.
He quickly dissipated his rune hand.

Deep within the gloomy and silent black mist.
Zorn quietly watched as the powerful rune hand crushed the puppet he had manipulated using the black mist.
Having obtained detailed intelligence about this place long ago,
Zorn knew of the existence of Cormier Faulkner, the [Mad Wizard],
and had made preparations against him.
However, Zorn had not expected that this madman would actually dare to enter his [Evil Spirit Cataclysm].

When that [Mad Wizard] had passed through the cataclysm barrier just moments ago, Zorn had sensed it and deliberately left an opening.
Sure enough, the [Mad Wizard] took the bait.
Following the clue, Zorn captured traces of him.
Even so, this Rank 5 [Mad Wizard] possessed rather formidable means.
After capturing his traces, Zorn discovered three possible hiding locations.
He needed to probe further.

While dispersing his evil spirits deep into the surrounding fog,
Zorn released even more calamitous black mist.
"Cormier Faulkner, I admire your talent. Why pledge allegiance to [Forbidden Bloodline], a doomed evil god organization? Why not defect to me instead?
Only I can make our wizard faction great once again!"
Zorn's voice drifted elusively through the mist.

"Hehe..."
A hoarse, raspy voice let out a low chuckle, dripping with mockery.
"My friend, who must forever hide in the shadows.
Do you know? What is the favorite pastime of your friend, the [Evil Spirit Knight], who has already descended into madness?
It is disgusting to catch and eat rats in the sewers.
The most he can do is, during the brief moments when he is full, peer at the outside world through the gaps of a sewer manhole cover and take a single breath of fresh air.
Are you inviting me to eat rats in the sewers like you?"

At this point, the [Mad Wizard]'s voice suddenly grew high-pitched and frantic.
"Damn it... I hate eating rats, I loathe that taste...
Only the taste of the great superior being, the [Two-Coiled Serpent], is truly intoxicating.
To slumber amidst the blood of the [Two-Coiled Serpent]—that is what is truly unforgettable."

Zorn's pupils narrowed slightly at these words.
He was getting close to locating the [Mad Wizard].
"You are quite right, Cormier, but you seem to know little about how to more efficiently use human flesh and souls in exchange for more 'forbidden blood'.
The efficiency of trading three humans for just one portion of 'forbidden blood' is simply too low.
I know how to better please the great superior beings; I can obtain a complete and powerful portion of 'forbidden blood' through a single human sacrifice.
All you need to do is—"

Roar, roar...
Aow, aow...
Hiss, hiss...

In an instant, seven or eight evil spirit creatures lunged fiercely toward a corner, simultaneously unleashing soul attacks.
Having his true location found, the [Mad Wizard] was both startled and enraged.
A massive, eerie blood-red magic sphere came hurtling through the air as well.
The [Mad Wizard] attempted to use the "Wizard Robe Gate" to escape this corner, but it was already too late.

"Boom—!"
A terrifying, concussive roar erupted and crashed down.
The [Mad Wizard] tumbled out in a sorry state, landing in another corner.
However, the wizard robe he had been wearing was completely gone, and his right arm was a bloody mess.

"Wuuu..."
A wind of death, blowing as if straight from hell into reality, swirled around his ears.
"It's that damn forbidden curse."
The [Mad Wizard] felt a slight tremor in his heart.
"Though he is only Rank 2, this fellow is a terrifying [Evil Spirit Wizard].
Bolstered by the Evil Spirit Cataclysm domain, all his wizard curses have been massively amplified."

Previously, Cormier Faulkner, the [Mad Wizard], had simply thought this was nothing more than the cataclysm domain of a Rank 2 Evil Spirit Wizard.
And he himself possessed a Rank 5 sequence level.
Perhaps... he could even slay this arrogant and audacious [Evil Spirit Wizard].
Now, it seemed he was the arrogant and audacious one after all.
He should never have entered this terrifying [Evil Spirit Cataclysm].
To this day, he still hadn't managed to pinpoint the exact location of that [Evil Spirit Wizard].
That fellow was far more cunning than he had imagined.

"This damned Evil Spirit Cataclysm has concealed everything about that [Evil Spirit Wizard]."
The [Mad Wizard] ran at top speed while rapidly casting spells.
Wuuu...

Amidst the howling wind and waves,
the ground, the ceiling, and even the dense Death Black Mist seemed to come alive.
As Cormier the [Mad Wizard] stepped upon the ground, ripples constantly emanated outward.
Under the enhancement of the [Evil Spirit Cataclysm], the forbidden curse's burial effect felt as though it intended to inter the entire world.
Yet, as the [Mad Wizard] trod upon the ground, ripples bloomed, but he did not sink.

Simultaneously, a silver scale shield materialized around him.
Zorn had seen this shield before.
It was power derived from the depths of the forbidden blood.
Right now, the [Mad Wizard] had invoked the power of the forbidden blood.

Clang! Clang! Clang...
Several consecutive attacks from the highly destructive forbidden curse scythe blades
were all blocked by the [Mad Wizard]'s forbidden blood shield.

Yet he obviously could not hold out for long, because that forbidden blood shield was visibly and rapidly decaying under the onslaught of the forbidden curse.

Having rapidly finished chanting his spell, the [Mad Wizard] felt the blood throughout his entire body surge and boil.
"Poof!"
With the explosion of a mist of blood, he vanished from the spot.
When he reappeared, he was already beside the silver monster briefcase.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the silver monster briefcase in his grip.

"Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!"
Blood mists exploded one after another.
Every single time, it allowed the [Mad Wizard] to rapidly shift his position and evade Zorn's forbidden curse scythe attacks.
After several repetitions, he had already appeared at the edge of the [Evil Spirit Cataclysm] barrier.

This sequence of movements was extremely swift.
The unleashing and retraction of those powerful spells were breathtaking.
Not only did he evade the pursuit of numerous evil spirits, but he also dodged Zorn's forbidden curse onslaught.
Along the way, he had even reached the edge of the barrier wall, laying down a flawless foundation for his escape.

"It's the 'Blood Mist Gate', a powerful spatial spell from the forbidden blood."
Zorn's pupils narrowed slightly.
"This fellow actually managed to research it after all.
The evil god organization [Forbidden Bloodline] certainly has quite a few tricks up its sleeve when it comes to researching forbidden blood."

Having put a safe distance between them, the [Mad Wizard] looked toward the Death Black Mist behind him with a gloomy and distorted expression.
"Damn Evil Spirit Wizard, I'll remember you.
Next time, you won't be so lucky."
He rapidly cast a spell, preparing to open the barrier gate leading to the outside world.

"Is that so?"
At that exact moment, a calm and deep voice slowly sounded.
"I'm afraid... you won't have a next time.
[Mad Wizard] Cormier, you will pay for your greed—with the price of death!"

"What?"
The [Mad Wizard] started slightly, vaguely sensing something amiss.
He snapped his gaze toward the silver monster briefcase he had fought so desperately to seize.

The next instant.
Boom————
Five Rank 1 Annihilation Magic Spheres, scorching and violent and amplified by the power of the [Evil Spirit Cataclysm], detonated simultaneously.
Moreover, the internal explosion within the confines of the shield magnified its destructive might even further.
In a fraction of a second, it tore the [Mad Wizard] to shreds, turning him into a torrent of flesh and bone debris.

Simultaneously, this internal explosion ripped the silver scale shield apart from the inside out.

"No..."
The phantom that emerged from the flesh and bone debris wailed and roared in madness.
Had he been outside, perhaps his soul could have put up some struggle.
But within the environment of the [Evil Spirit Cataclysm],
once a soul manifested, it would instantly be captured by the cataclysm, leaving it with zero capacity for resistance.

Countless evil spirits swarmed forward, tearing at the [Mad Wizard]'s soul, devouring his spiritual essence, absorbing his flesh and blood, and completely drowning out his mournful screams.