< Chapter 13 - Sunflower >
Chapter 13 – Sunflowers
Leviathan Dawn, the overlord of destruction who brought about the destruction of Frost Anvil, summoned a giant white snake as his last resort.
With scales that were tough enough to repel any weapon of the ancient dwarves, a venom so strong that it would melt anyone who came into contact with it, and even an evil eye that paralyzed anyone who encountered it, the White Snake was the very embodiment of the end of the Frost Anvil.
Many ancient dwarves lost their lives.
But they did not die in vain. They drove the White Snake into the deepest power chamber of Frost Anvil and chose to die with the evil hand.
‘May our deaths be worthwhile.’
The ancient dwarves overpowered the power reactors, destroying Frost Anvil’s very temperature control system, and as a result, Frost Anvil became, as its name suggests, a frozen land ruled by extreme cold.
“And a thousand years. In the steady flow of time, the White Snake has become weak. The shell that was once an invincible shield is no longer the same, and from the long starvation, not only its physical strength but also its magical power has become extremely weak. And… the coldness of the Frost Anvil has also become better than before.”
Because the Frost Anvil of a thousand years ago was truly an extreme hell.
The ancient dwarves who had caused the power plant to run wild would have been turned into ice statues without even feeling any pain.
“White snake.”
The clutches of Leviathan Dawn, the Overlord of Destruction.
The end of Frost Anvil.
A truly gigantic monster with a body length of several tens of meters.
“But now it’s just my experience.”
Cordelia nodded in front of the white sand whose head was half-broken, then stretched out her left hand and started taking a selfie.
It was a portable magic camera of the ancient dwarves that I found on the way here.
And Uther, who was watching the scene, said:
“What are you doing?”
“A commemorative screenshot. Want to take one together?”
“It’s a new thing, but I have a strong stomach in strange places.”
A beautiful girl pretending to be pretty and taking a selfie in front of a giant monster with its head half destroyed.
But the screenshot was important.
Yuder nodded and quickly walked over to Cordelia to take a selfie with her.
“It came out well. From now on, I have to take a picture every time I kill a boss.”
“Well, what should I say? It reminds me of a poacher who catches a lion and poses on top of it.”
“If you look at it broadly, isn’t this also poaching?”
Because I caught a wild snake.
When Cordelia nodded as if she surprisingly agreed, Uder was momentarily speechless and ended up just nodding.
“Anyway, let’s eat.”
“Yes, Dad. What side dish do you have today?”
“Snake side dish.”
“It’s always snakes!”
“Our princess, if you’re a picky eater, you won’t be able to use it. Okay?”
“Hey, isn’t it actually picky eating to only eat snakes all the time?”
“I can’t help it. The only thing I can eat is snakes.”
The monsters that existed between the 3rd and 6th floors were mostly humanoid, like snow goblins.
If there was nothing to eat, then it would be understandable, but no matter how much you think about it, it’s impossible for a monster to eat something human-shaped.
Finally, Cordelia let out a long sigh and walked with Uther towards the tent that was their haven and asked.
“Yuder, Yuuder. When will the sun flower bloom?”
“Tomorrow… at exactly midnight today, it will be finished.”
It’s already been a few days since I caught the white snake.
At Uther’s answer, Cordelia turned her head and looked at the large flower in the center of the power plant.
A sun flower with its buds tightly closed.
In the original, the sun was a yellow and red flower, just like its name, but now it is a purple color close to blue.
“I hope it blooms quickly.”
“I know.”
“If I eat that, will my glaucoma be cured?”
“Maybe. It’ll be close to a complete recovery?”
“Just try to get better.”
“What are you going to do when you get better?”
“I have to catch up on everything that’s been piling up.”
Cordelia, who was excited, quickened her steps as she approached the tent.
The tent that Yuder had made by adding various materials he had gathered on his way here was actually a house, so it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a tent.
‘Because there’s a restaurant and a bathhouse.’
It was a new story, but Yuder was really talented.
“My nickname was the Korean MacGyver.”
“Who is that?”
“Yes, the classic American drama protagonist that foreign kids like. I’m sure you’ve heard the song, too.”
“sing?”
“Follow follow follow~ Follow~ Follow lalalalalalala~ lalala~ lalala~ Follow follow~ Follow~ Follow~”
“What are you saying?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
As Cordelia’s expression turned sullen, Uder, who had been engrossed in something without realizing it, opened the restaurant door with an embarrassed face.
The entire Frost Anvil was in a refrigerator-like state, so it was a sort of greenhouse built to preserve the warmth of food.
“Anyway, let’s eat.”
“Yes, Dad. I don’t have anything prepared, but enjoy your meal.”
“Hey, I prepared it?”
“So, reflect on yourself. Wake up. I’m telling you to wake up.”
“If you’re sick, you won’t die.”
The two people, who had been exchanging empty words as usual, sat across from each other at the table that Yuder had made and began eating.
And that night.
Uther and Cordelia, who had already taken a nap, crouched down in front of the sun flower and waited with bright eyes for the moment of blooming.
“Not yet?”
“It’s almost time. Should we start a countdown?”
“It’s like waiting for the New Year’s Eve bell.”
Cordelia, who somehow couldn’t help but giggle, looked at the second hand on the pocket watch that Uther had handed her, and then at some point opened her mouth again.
“5.”
“4.”
“3.”
“2······.”
And a few seconds.
The two people who had been looking at the sun flower with groaning expressions opened their mouths again and shouted.
““1!””
The buds of the sun flower have opened.
The purple petals gradually turned yellow, and a soft light like moonlight began to shine from the bud itself.
“and······.”
It was beautiful.
It was incomparable to the tulips blooming I had seen all night long in elementary school to write my observation journal.
The sight of the soft light growing stronger and brightening the surroundings was just like a sunrise.
“Pretty.”
When Cordelia, with her eyes sparkling and shining, smiled brightly, Uther, who had been looking at Cordelia instead of the sun flower, also smiled brightly.
“Okay, then where would you like to fix the syllables?”
“Are you eating that?”
“To be exact, it’s about absorbing energy. You know that because you read the original, right?”
“I know that, but… it feels like a waste.”
“It’s a flower that will wither in three days anyway.”
“Still.”
Even as they talked, the sun flower continued to bloom, and when it finally reached full bloom, the entire power room was filled with warm warmth.
“Flower of the sun.”
The essence of extreme weather that blooms in extreme conditions.
Taking a deep breath, Yuder walked towards the sun flower, and Cordelia stopped in her tracks and looked at him.
“Cordelia.”
“huh?”
“If I absorb the energy of the Sunflower, I will probably be unable to move for a while.”
“You want me to draw on your face?”
“···I would appreciate it if you could refrain from doing so······but anyway, I beg you.”
“Just trust me, sister. I’ll keep you safe.”
As Cordelia pounded her chest, Yuder smiled and reached out both hands toward the sun flower.
“I’ll trust you, Cordelia.”
Yuder’s two hands touched the buds of the sun flower. And at that moment, the sun flower’s yang energy was concentrated into Yuder’s two hands.
The yang energy of the sun flower plant reacted to the extreme energy of the nine-yin vein.
“Ahh, ahhh······!”
The moment Uther let out a passionate sigh, light burst forth.
The warmth of the sun flower immediately penetrated Yuder’s entire body, and blue and yellow energies began to mix and swirl around Yuder’s body as he fell down.
“Extremes and extremes······.”
It was a phenomenon that occurred when the extreme cold energy that was slowly melting away through the Sun’s Necklace suddenly entangled with the extreme cold energy that surged in.
‘Even if it looks dangerous, just leave it alone for now. It’s probably part of the healing process.’
Cordelia, recalling what Uther had said, swallowed hard and stood still, looking at Uther.
And how much time has passed?
By the time Cordelia got bored, she was squatting down and started doodling on the floor.
‘Wheeeeeeek-!’
An alarm went off in my head.
The sound was clearly coming from the alarm magic circles that Yuder had installed in the various passageways leading to the 7th floor.
Cordelia thought, her head suddenly raised.
Who could it be?
The monsters that clearly existed on the 3rd to 6th floors were practically wiped out.
Could this be the guy who was hiding?
Or maybe it’s someone completely unexpected.
It was not the time to worry.
A new alarm went off, evidence that the thing was approaching.
“Uder.”
The blue and yellow lights were still swirling together. I couldn’t even guess when it would end.
Cordelia closed her eyes for a moment. She took a deep breath, and then at some point she kicked herself off where she was standing and started forward.
Protect the Uther.
No one, no matter who, is allowed access to the power room.
Cordelia, armed with the yellow overalls of the ancient dwarves, grabbed Moonlight.
I started running following the sound of the alarm.
&
Paragot is not dead.
He lost all his combatants and his comrade, the witch Wilcale, but he still survived.
It was thanks to a momentary wit.
The moment the magical flames burst out, he used Wilkale as a shield and used all his remaining strength to destroy the magic circle, absorbing all of Wilkale’s remaining magic and soul in the safe zone he had created with great difficulty.
Of course, it was not enough to fully restore his strength. That is why he also used the fighters who barely survived within the magic circle as food.
‘They are not ancient dwarves.’
These were not traps that had been planned from the beginning and had blended into the surrounding terrain. They were new traps that someone had created by attaching a magic circle.
Since Shishiot was causing a ruckus outside the Grade Gate, Paragot moved a bit further in.
And he found out.
‘Traces of fire.’
There were signs everywhere that suggested someone had been camping.
Leftover food scraps.
Just a bunch of firewood.
A long red hair discovered in a safe zone made of various objects.
“Keuheu··· keuheuheu······.”
I found myself laughing.
Because there was only one conclusion that could be thought of.
I don’t know what tricks I used, but Cordelia was already inside the Frost Anvil.
After setting up traps on the first floor, they were moving deeper and deeper in search of sunflowers.
‘Then there is only one thing for me to do.’
Capture Cordelia.
The Uther who will be with you is killed and its power is absorbed.
If the sun flower is blooming, it absorbs that too.
Paragot followed the trail.
From the 3rd floor to the 6th floor.
Finding your way within the cold, dark Frost Anvil wasn’t easy.
But Paragot did not rush. After several days of patience, he finally reached the 7th floor.
And now, at this moment, we face it.
“Cordelia.”
A beautiful girl with red, bright hair, just like in the video.
Paragot smiled with satisfaction again.
It was hunting time.
&
Although not to the extent of Uther, Cordelia also knew a lot about Heroes Chronicles 2.
That’s why I knew the moment I saw it.
‘Mine Paragot.’
The strongest of the lower-level minions of the Devil’s Hand.
Despite the cold, a cold sweat ran down my back.
Because her instinct knew, beyond her knowledge. Because her intuition was telling her.
‘Strong.’
So far, Uder and Cordelia have defeated three mines, but in reality, the only one they have fought properly is mine Minos.
And even Minos would not have won if he had not received help from Belastin’s magic circle, which was almost like a cheat.
What if we fight now?
As expected, it wasn’t easy.
No matter how low-level it is, a mine is a mine.
Tactical weapons created by the Devil’s Hand by combining humans and devils.
Moreover, the Paragoth in front of him was stronger than Minos.
It seems like you’re pretty tired from coming here, but as the saying goes, class is eternal.
‘but.’
Still, we must fight.
We need to lure him far away so that he doesn’t have any repercussions on Yuder, who needs to remain in absolute stability.
So where should we fight?
Paragot was large.
Cordelia herself, on the other hand, was thin.
So, how about fighting in a place with many obstacles?
It was rejected.
Paragot was a melee combat specialist who boasted incredible strength.
Since even the flimsiest obstacles would be destroyed in an instant, the cramped space would actually limit the escape route.
A wide place.
A place where Cordelia herself can make full use of her mobility.
Cordelia didn’t think about it.
Instead of reasoning like Uther, I intuited all of this.
And that’s why, like Uther, it didn’t take him long to make a decision. He started moving the moment he had a hunch.
“Where!”
Paragot kicked the ground with a loud roar.
At the same time, Cordelia cast a stack of Haste on herself.
The witching was not yet over.
If you already use the witching skill that consumes a lot of magic power, you won’t be able to buy enough time.
“Hahaha! It looks like a rabbit!”
Paragot’s magical power has grown stronger.
Cordelia didn’t look back, but she knew.
Perhaps horns would have sprouted from its head. The demonization that Minos had shown.
A state where Mine has drawn out its true power.
While I was running, I felt a creepy feeling on my back.
It felt like Paragot’s intense magic and malice was stabbing me in the back.
Cordelia didn’t stop.
I kept moving forward, kicking my feet like a deer being chased by a predator.
Map of the 7th floor.
No matter how I thought about it, Yuder, who had memorized everything, was abnormal.
But Cordelia could also remember the hunting grounds she had passed through once.
A large room located in the corner of the 7th floor.
A wide, expansive open space, although I don’t know what its original purpose was.
I came in.
It was dark.
But darkness wasn’t a problem.
And it was the same with Paragoth.
“Hahaha! This is a dead end!”
Paragot, who was charging like a tank, breaking the ground, laughed loudly and his eyes shone even brighter.
It was the eyes of a mine that pierced through the darkness.
Cordelia let out a breath. Instead of cowering in fear, she activated her witching power.
green onion-!
A strong wave of magical energy rose like a storm centered around Cordelia.
His hair turned black and his eyes took on a blue glow.
A slight crack appeared in Paragot’s smile. It was due to Cordelia’s magical power that had increased explosively the moment she activated her witching.
“Come at it.”
Cordelia spoke, and Paragoth laughed again. He charged towards Cordelia at a terrifying speed!
bang!
There was a loud noise.
The floor and walls were broken.
It was a close call.
Paragot’s fist passed by Cordelia and carved a large crack in the wall, and Cordelia unleashed Haste once again.
Triplets.
Regardless of whether the body could endure it or not, it was something that no ordinary wizard would even attempt.
The reason was simple.
Because I couldn’t adapt to the speed of the Haste Triplet.
Because it was a speed that ordinary humans could never handle.
But Cordelia did so.
And I adapted.
Papapapapapapak!
Cordelia moved at a terrifying speed.
Paragoth, like a physical mine, increased his speed and aimed for Cordelia, but was unable to land a hit.
Cordelia wasn’t just fast.
I was reading Paragot’s attack.
‘how?!’
It was a high-speed battle.
It was nearly impossible to predict Paragot’s next move by watching his own subtle movements.
And indeed, it was.
Even if it was Yudar, he wouldn’t be able to read the next attack right away in the fight with Paragoth at this moment.
But Cordelia could do it.
Because it wasn’t calculated in the first place.
Intuition that surpasses reasoning.
A talent that gets straight to the point.
Cordelia felt it.
Attack of Paragoth.
I had a feeling what kind of attack would unfold next.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The force shattered the walls, ceiling, and floor.
In the midst of the pressure that surged like a storm, Cordelia danced like a butterfly.
A dance so precarious it seems like it could break at any moment.
A fragility that seems like it would be shattered with just one blow.
But Cordelia did not break. She continued her butterfly dance in the storm.
“It’s not the same!”
Paragot’s magic power has become more violent.
And he thought.
Change tactics.
If you can’t hit, it will expand the attack’s range even further. Even if you miss, it will make you get caught up in the aftermath of the attack.
Attacks directed at surfaces rather than points.
Cordelia felt it.
And only Cordelia could interfere with Paragoth.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bee’s sting was added between the butterfly’s dance steps.
Amidst the breathtaking 3D maneuvers, a dozen or so magic missiles added to the dizzying dance. They struck Paragot’s entire body without mercy.
“crazy?!”
Paragoth was astonished.
It wasn’t because of the hit by the Magic Missile.
Are you saying that you just used a dozen Magic Missiles while simultaneously performing an evasive maneuver against yourself?
It wasn’t a simple launch either.
Cordelia was controlling the magic missiles.
Paragot felt goosebumps for a moment.
A shiver ran down my spine.
It was a crazy talent.
Aside from being a quality offering, Cordelia herself was of infinite value.
If this girl grows up like this.
If powerful magical powers were added to the fighting talent that would only be called crazy.
“Koooo!”
It wasn’t a time for just admiration.
It may sound crazy, but Cordelia was growing stronger in the midst of this fight.
Something that could only be seen in a heroic novel was actually happening.
“conflict!”
Paragoth shouted loudly.
It was a sonic attack that subdued the surface.
It worked, and Cordelia’s dance was interrupted for a moment. She stumbled, and Paragoth took advantage of the gap.
“Die!”
The thought of capturing someone alive was already out of my mind.
A full-force blow struck Cordelia.
It is unavoidable.
It is unreasonable to stop it.
Cordelia knew too.
So I opened my eyes wide and faced the fist. I passed through it. I rushed forward as if I was a goblin and passed Paragot!
‘how?!’
Paragot couldn’t figure it out.
But Cordelia knew.
No, I was aiming for it from the beginning.
Because Uther had paranoia.
Moreover, he was a very rational person who valued efficiency.
‘You’re wearing it.’
Because you can’t move while absorbing the energy of the Sunflower.
Because it’s much more effective for you, the sole combatant, to use it.
‘Fairy’s footsteps.’
Cordelia, who had pierced Paragoth, spun beautifully. She stretched out both arms towards Paragoth’s empty back and released all of the remaining magic power of her witch transformation at once!
Quagagagagagaga!
A red, vivid wave of magical power swept through Paragot and nearly half of the empty lot.
The force was so strong that even Cordelia, the launcher, was pushed back greatly.
“Haaah··· haaah··· hak······.”
Cordelia barely managed to avoid collapsing, sweating profusely and breathing heavily.
A mixture of red air and dust obscured the view.
Because the witching had ended, it was difficult to even see into the darkness.
But Cordelia could tell.
That’s why I closed my eyes tightly.
“Noom!”
Paragoth, covered in blood all over his body, vomited out a roar.
While being hit, he exploded with magical power to neutralize some of Cordelia’s attacks, and somehow managed to hold on. He then lunged at Cordelia, who was barely able to stand, and pulled his fist.
Break it.
I’m going to destroy that slender body.
Paragot roared with joy as he felt the pleasure of dirtying the pure white snow.
And Cordelia raised her head again. I smiled without realizing it.
bang!
The wall was broken.
The terrifying force caused cracks to spread not only through the walls, but also through the floor and ceiling.
And that was it.
Cordelia was not broken.
Paragot’s fist only pierced the air.
“You said you’d hug me?”
Cordelia’s eyes widened at the soft voice, but she ended up laughing.
She hugged the neck of the man who was holding her in his arms.
And that’s when it starts to happen.
The ninth gate of the nine heavens and the second gate of the nine heavens.
No further explanation was needed.
&
< Chapter 13 - Sunflower > End
