Chapter 131 — The First Apostle

1

The 100th floor.

A massive door loomed before the party.

Because it was the night of the new moon, the demon was not threatening. Moreover, they had fully restored their health and mana in the infirmary.

Kael stood at the front, her hand resting on one of the door handles.

On the other side was Alano.

Kael glanced back at her companions.

Please, let us conquer this tower without anyone getting hurt this time.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

‘We can do this.’

Looking back on the life of study and growth she had led until now, it was clear they were capable.

Even if her own strength wasn’t enough, she had strong allies behind her.

So, they would all survive.

They would overcome this challenge, grow stronger, and spread their names throughout the world.

“We’re going in.”

Kael spoke resolutely, gripping the handle tighter.

A great sound echoed.

As the silence shattered, what came into view was an endless meadow.

The lush, green grass swept away the oppressive darkness.

The breeze that caressed the grass dispelled the strange sense of alienation that had hung within the tower.

Standing alone in the vast meadow was a man.

‘An Apostle.’

Manus recalled the enemy’s information.

The 100th floor.

The Arcana Mage King, Number 1.

[Apostle: Mathia]

An Apostle known for using powerful area magic and devastating attacks, emphasizing the importance of tanks and healing magic.

The man wore a wide-brimmed hat and a robe.

His mask was red, symbolizing flames.

Beneath the half-covered mask, an unnaturally pale, almost ghostly face was revealed.

“Welcome, rebels.”

“He… talks?”

“I am an Apostle who stands beside the God of Death. It’s not as if I can’t speak in human tongues.”

He gestured to the expansive meadow as he continued.

“Isn’t it beautiful? This is the paradise that awaits you after death.”

“…Even if I see a place like this after I die—”

“Living beings often long for death more than you’d expect. Death is, after all, the final destination.”

Cryptic words.

Everyone exchanged puzzled looks, but only Manus listened intently.

What did the God of Death, Mors, desire?

Every being moves according to its own goals.

The Apostles, who were spreading the will of Mors, would naturally act in alignment with that purpose.

The mage kept spouting his riddles.

“The one thing all sentient beings yearn for. Our God strives towards that end.”

“All sentient beings desire death? Don’t be ridiculous,” Nia scoffed as she stepped forward.

The Apostle, Mathia, fixed his gaze on Nia, his smile deepening.

From within the mask, his glowing red eyes burned brighter.

“You are unworthy of being here. Why have you come to this place? If it is to join the God of Death, you are welcome anytime.”

“Don’t make me laugh. I have an important mission.”

The meaning of the middle finger was clear even in this place.

Nia proudly raised her hand, flipping him off to show her disgust.

The Apostle’s smile faded.

Immediately, a surge of mana swept through the meadow.

The Apostle readied himself for battle.

So did the party.

Melanie and Guillermo stepped forward, while the others spread out.

The Apostle’s mana gathered.

It began with a simple spell.

Whoosh—!

Flames ignited.

‘The pattern is the same.’

Manus silently finished casting his spell.

Today, his role was to assist with the pattern strategy.

No one questioned why he didn’t take the lead on such an important day.

They all knew by now: they had to find their own answers. That’s why they followed Manus’ decision.

Albion’s presence was felt.

He moved to assist Manus.

[Tutamen: Latus]

A buff spell that provided a wide-area protective shield.

It strengthened the tank’s defenses even more.

At the same time, the Apostle’s magic was unleashed.

[Furious Flame]

Roar—!

Its power was about the level of a 3rd-Class spell.

A whip of flames lashed toward Melanie.

In response, she overturned the earth beneath her.

Having studied the art of Matu, Melanie had grown significantly, to the point where she could hold her ground even against the elite Eagle class.

Boom—!

Rocks shot up, blocking the flames.

[Glaciatus]

[Fulgetra]

Magic flew toward the Apostle, engulfing him in smoke. But something glowing could be seen surrounding his body.

Manus spoke up.

“It’s a mana barrier. We have to break through it.”

“Is there a weak point?”

“He’s a magic-wielding Apostle. There’s no such thing.”

The Apostle nodded grandly at Manus’s words.

He spread his arms wide, as if congratulating some lesser being, exuding an air of arrogance.

It was irritating.

For such a low-ranking Apostle to look down on them, and on top of that, to act smug despite being inferior in talent.

That Apostle was nothing more than a messenger proclaiming his title.

Right now, he was within their capabilities to defeat.

“Heh, well done. I am one who commands magic. As an Apostle, I can control mana with mere will.”

“Pathetic.”

Whoosh—!

Anais snorted, summoning black flames.

If they continued to erode the barrier, it would eventually break.

The Apostle watched with glowing red eyes.

He knew his own weakness all too well.

He also knew which spells were the most dangerous, and how to counter them.

Anais waved her hand, sending out dark blue flames.

[Anais Exclusive Skill: Dissolute]

The quiet flames enveloped the Apostle’s body, releasing a steady, searing heat.

Nothing was more effective than sustained damage to wear down barriers, regeneration, and all the other annoying defenses.

Crackle—!

The Apostle’s barrier began to fade.

Anais shouted to Kael, their primary damage dealer.

It was now clear where each of them stood.

Kael was responsible for the team’s firepower.

“Kael—!”

“Leave it to me.”

[Nitor] — [Fulgetra]

[Double Spread]

Crackle—!

A brilliant white light filled with electric energy surged forward.

It was a 3rd-Class holy spell, Nitor, combined with a 3rd-Class lightning spell, creating a destructive beam.

Sensing danger, the Apostle hastily raised his hand.

Mana rapidly gathered in response.

The Apostle had been careless.

He had only been watching Anais’s magic, failing to notice Kael.

“Take this!”

[Ruina Radius]

Boom—!

The magic tore through the air, splitting the sky.

A power that reached beyond 4th-Class.

The strongest attack Kael could currently unleash.

The beam struck the Apostle directly, splitting as it fought to break through something.

As everyone anxiously watched the outcome, Manus began gathering mana, chanting once again.

‘They still have a long way to go.’

A mage must always be preparing for the next attack.

A mage must be ready to strike from where the enemy least expects it.

The only ones preparing for the next spell were Nia and Alano.

Both were readying offensive magic, but Manus alone was preparing defensive magic.

He shouted a warning.

The next attack pattern had caused many users in the past to shed tears of frustration, because they had focused only on attacking without preparing any defense.

“Cast defensive magic!”

[Aegis — Latus]

Spinning petals appeared before the party.

Moments later, a powerful shockwave slammed into everyone.

“How insolent!”

[Counter: Recutio]

A pattern that reflects the damage back onto the entire party.

It was a spell that dealt shared damage to the whole party based on the Apostle’s injuries. Without defensive magic, it was a lethal move.

Crash—!

The petals shattered, barely absorbing the damage.

Following Manus’s lead, the party had instinctively cast their own defensive spells.

This was a sort of experiment.

Would an Apostle with intelligence act as they did in the game, or would they move according to their own judgment?

“Die, rebels!”

[Severe Inferno]

Roar—!

A tidal wave of flames surged toward them.

Each party member used their own method to block the flames, though they couldn’t completely avoid damage.

Cough cough, the sound of coughing echoed.

“Ugh… That hurt more than I expected.”

“Isn’t this a bit overkill?”

Their clothes were singed in places, hair scorched and dry.

Despite taking some damage, everyone was alive.

Without thinking, they glanced back at Manus, who stood behind them.

What would have happened if he hadn’t spoken up?

They had taken down many sentinels before, but they had always relied on facing the patterns head-on to overcome them.

‘He’s different.’

‘We need Senior Manus.’

His piercing blue eyes scanned the battlefield.

His charisma, his judgment, and his casting speed gave them the instinctive belief that as long as he was there, they wouldn’t be harmed.

With that reassurance, smiles crept onto their faces.

Roar—!

Albion roared.

He borrowed Manus’s mana and activated a healing spell at just the right moment.

The burns and wounds disappeared in an instant.

It was their turn again.

Led by Anais, the party unleashed another round of magic.

A vibrant display of magic surged toward the Apostle, while Guillermo and Melanie rushed in.

‘There are many ways to break through an enemy’s defense.’

[Ictus]

Raising his shield to just below his eyes, Guillermo charged, utilizing his shoulder and lower body.

A Guardian’s mana had the effect of breaking through an enemy’s defenses.

With its ability to lower elemental resistance and magical defense, the Guardian was an indispensable force in any party.

Boom—!

With a loud crash, the Apostle’s body was knocked back.

The barrier, already weakened by Anais’s black flames, began to disintegrate.

“So, that’s how we’re going to break through.”

“You lowly creatures—!”

The Apostle swung his hand, aiming to strike the shield, but Guillermo skillfully blocked the blow.

The shield vibrated in his grasp.

It was clear that, as a student, Guillermo was struggling to block such powerful attacks head-on.

‘The force is no joke. I should avoid direct hits if possible.’

“Senior! Don’t engage him directly!”

“I know. For a mage, he’s ridiculously tough.”

Melanie, too, was aggressively utilizing Matu, sending long-range attacks flying.

She was a spirit wielder, a summoner.

By combining her Matu studies with the spirits she commanded, she attacked in perfect coordination.

A position with no apparent weaknesses.

Her relentless attacks were causing the Apostle’s seemingly invincible blessings to waver.

It was an unthinkable situation.

How could the blessings bestowed by the God of Death, to whom he had devoted everything, be so easily shattered?

“Heh.”

The Apostle chuckled.

He had thought of a way to show these lesser beings the true extent of his power.

Yes, brute force was never his specialty to begin with.

‘They’ve already pushed me into the next phase.’

Seeing that smirk, Manus narrowed his eyes.

The real battle was about to begin.

It was also quite encouraging.

In game terms, they had managed to knock a significant chunk of the Apostle’s health in just two rounds.

An easy victory was in sight.

Woom—.

Manus began casting another spell, grinning like a demon.

“This is going to be interesting.”

He eagerly anticipated the moment when that arrogant smile would twist into despair.

The moment when the Apostle, Mathia, would kneel before those who had grown alongside him.

The Apostle’s mana coiled around the meadow, signaling the start of the next phase.

–TL Notes–
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