Chapter 849

EP.849 Part 3 Chapter 2 Scene 23: Shock and Horror

In every situation, the fastest mode of transportation has to be teleportation.

No need to complicate things with vectors or velocity—teleportation is literally the act of moving to another place in the blink of an eye, a mysterious realm science can’t yet reach.

-Is teleportation possible through science?

-At least another hundred years of research, I’d say. We need to discuss the continuity of space-time…

-Is teleportation possible through special abilities?

-Duh, obviously!

With enough magical power, teleportation is totally doable.

Just take Seong-song, the tattoo master, for instance—her signature move is folding space within shadows.

Magic remains a mystical door that science cannot touch.

To open this mystical door, you need commensurate magical power.

Even magic doesn’t violate the law of energy conservation.

“If even Kakarot uses ki for teleportation, it’d be weird if teleportation didn’t require magical power.”

It takes 27 cubes just to increase Sun Icheol’s 3cm to 18cm—so even with magical power existing, using special abilities to cause phenomena requires proportional energy.

-Teleportation consumes magical power too?!

-How much?

-Enough to recover after a good night’s sleep?

-Then isn’t it better to just take a plane?

-That’s why people don’t use it often.

Though it feels strange to apply physical laws to magic, teleportation does indeed consume magical power.

Why do we need teleportation?

To instantly strike down our enemy—the High Priest of Earth!

If we can bypass all others and reach the High Priest, victory is ours!

However, I cannot teleport.

I can move at light speed, similar to teleportation, but doing so completely drains my magical power.

I cannot recklessly use my magical power.

To fight the High Priest, I must conserve as much magical power as possible.

So what’s the fastest way to reach the High Priest without teleportation?

What method uses the least magical power?

Store up magical power beforehand and release it all at once.

Use the explosion from that release as propulsion.

And thus…

I become a cannonball!

KIIIYYYYAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!

I shaped my wings into a perfect sphere and rolled forward. There was no dizziness despite the spinning.

“Stop it!!”

The enemies think I’m a bomb.

At least externally, I look exactly like the other Blazing Phoenix bombs, making differentiation impossible.

“Deploy shields!”

They erected wide magical barriers toward us.

Their umbrella-like defensive barrier would shake violently upon impact from the bombs.

But only the barrier.

The Blazing Phoenix bombs will be blocked by the shield, unable to harm the enemy.

It’s fine though.

After all, these are just fireworks to start the battle.

All explosions launched alongside me are merely “propulsion units” to lift me.

[Transformation.]

I tore through the magical shell surrounding me and spread my wings.

“EEEEEK!!”

The soldiers of Gaia Nachi were startled when a monster suddenly burst out from inside the sphere.

Still, relying on their shields, they didn’t retreat despite their fear.

They believe the shield will protect them if I attempt a direct attack. They have no intention of engaging me directly.

Of course, I have no intention of engaging them either.

Tch.

Planting both feet firmly on the ground, I crouched low.

KABOOOOM!!

[Blazing Phoenix.]

The conveniently timed explosion erupted behind me, propelling me forward.

[Launch!]

Like a missile, I soared through the air.

Even if it wasn’t rocket-grade propulsion, the Blazing Phoenix bomb detonating right behind me had more than enough destructive force to push me forward.

“H-Huh?! What?!”

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

The enemies’ gazes began turning toward me.

The protective barrier didn’t extend all the way to the ceiling, allowing me to soar over it like a missile.

I flew past the front lines and ascended above the disrupted line of sight caused by the explosion.

[Blazing Phoenix Revival.]

FLAP!

I unfurled my fiery wings behind me.

My arms stretched forward to reduce air resistance while simultaneously releasing magical power from my wings to increase my speed.

“Aaah! Sparks are falling!!”

“Raise the shield higher!!”

Naturally, the sparks scattering from my wings as I flew began drifting downward like flares.

“Protect the heads!!”

All soldiers except those on the front line immediately raised their shields above their heads.

The sturdy steel shields resembled riot police gear, thick enough to make one feel suffocated just looking at them.

However, the Blazing Phoenix flames don’t burn through the shields themselves.

“Grrr… The shield is catching fire?!”

“Be careful! This flame melts magical power!”

“We can’t not block it though! Damn it! If it touches the helmets, it’ll burn off all our hair!!”

The flames landing on their shields melted the magical coatings, reducing their defensive capabilities before fading away.

‘This would drastically lower defense if it reached their heads.’

If the sparks touched their helmets, the residual flames would set their hair on fire—but unfortunately, they weren’t tall enough for that.

‘They’re all too short to reach their heads.’

If they were taller, they’d catch fire first, but since they’re all around 140cm tall, the order of impact remains consistent.

‘Faster.’

WHOOSH!!

I added propulsion to my wings and flew even faster.

Though I’ve cleared the front line, regrettably, the enemies are spread out widely across the long corridor.

Thus, news of me flying toward the ceiling likely reached them quickly.

“Grab her!!”

From the enemy’s rear, individuals who had been watching me began leaping toward me.

Particularly two brown-haired twins, who appear to be at least S-Rank ability users, possessed tremendous magical power.

“To the side of the High Priest!”

“We won’t let you pass!”

[Can’t I just say one name?]

As if emphasizing their twin status, the two perfectly synchronized their breathing in speech.

“That’s!”

“Refused!”

[Annoying.]

Having two ears isn’t meant to hear such things interrupted, yet the twins moved the ground beneath and above them.

GRRRRR.

Partition walls began descending.

They also started rising from below.

As if closing pre-existing partition walls, the space itself began shutting down.

To protect the ‘High Priest of Earth’ behind them.

‘There she is.’

I see her.

Beyond the massive earthen partitions closing from above and below, a petite woman resembling a model stared intensely at me.

She stood 140cm tall, her appearance differing little from Ji Ryun.

She looked like a supermodel edited graphically to shrink proportions, creating a rather alien presence, but the staff in her hand was something I recognized well.

‘The branch of the World Tree!’

In the original game, this S-Rank core weapon is an extremely special item.

Who else but that woman, clearly SS-Rank or higher, could be the High Priest of Earth?

Who else but that woman, eerily similar to Ji Ryun?

[Blazing Phoenix Revival.]

I released flames from my wings again.

Using a momentary boost, I flew forward even faster.

The gates began moving faster, and the two S-Rank enemies closing the gate smirked as they merged together.

Just before contact—

SQUEAK!

“I don’t know where you came from!”

“But die, terrorist! You won’t get past me!”

The wall closed.

However.

[Sorry about that.]

I,

[Consider magical walls no different from glass to me.]

* * *

“Ugh, images are appearing. Images are coming up!”

President Jo clapped his hands and laughed as he watched the Phoenix missile on the screen.

“The scene from earlier when it launched—didn’t we capture that? Let’s not use the cocoon transformation scene for the PV. Replace it with what that guy just did—tearing the shell apart with his hands.”

“I’ll request coordination.”

Hah Sun-tae carefully noted the president’s instructions.

“Ugh. I want to capture the scene where it pierces through the enemy’s defenses like a circus act.”

“With more magical power, it might be possible.”

“Right? Ugh, what a shame. So disappointing.”

Instead of rolling the body to move forward, imagine emerging from the sphere like teleporting,

Or bursting out with an explosion,

Or flying with arms extended downward to reduce air resistance.

“Is physics okay with this?”

“As long as it looks visually appealing, who cares about physics with magic?”

Mr. Jo raised a canned beer.

“Coolness is king.”

“…Then that scene will be the highlight of the beginning.”

FLAP!!

A pair of identical-looking male and female figures appeared and began closing walls from above and below.

The speed seemed fast enough to close before the Phoenix even touched the wall.

“More, faster! Yeah! He certainly knows how to stage things!”

The Phoenix’s wings began glowing brighter blue.

The Phoenix started flying forward at full strength, barely seeming able to pass through.

“Yeah! Fly! Like escaping a black hole just before being lost in space due to a closed dimensional gate!”

Watching the Phoenix narrowly pass through the wall by a difference of a second, or even 0.1 seconds—

[Blazing Phoenix.]

President Jo, who had been cheering with arms spread wide, saw it.

[Punch.]

The Phoenix, with one fist drawn back over its shoulder, unleashed a punch toward the closed wall.

“Wha—fuck.”

WAAAAAAAANG!!!

The wall shattered.

The Phoenix broke through the wall with a single punch, extending its arm forward toward the twin brothers.

SLASH!

Then, it swung its hands in an X shape like scattering something.

Blue flames lashed out like whips, striking the twins’ backs, and the Phoenix folded its wings, rapidly descending.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Like the warhead of a missile, the Phoenix flew forward.

Its hands brought together, sharp like a hawk’s beak.

And then…

“No.”

KABOOOOOOOOOM!!!

“Not a missile explosion!!!”

The Phoenix slammed into the High Priest of Earth’s abdomen with everything it had.